Determinism and free will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Determinism and free will - Essay Example The contrast of determinism is free will. The text was quite interesting, which provoked my decision of choosing it. The text talks about the free will and the truth of determinism. Many occasions human beings find themselves in agony when they are making decisions. The text gave me an insight of understanding that there are provoking factor when human being making choices in life and the decision that they make are sometimes determined by other occurrences. Since before I took this course and read a text about the free will and determinism. I had a thought that we human beings being the superior creatures in the beautiful world we are at liberty to choose to undertake what we wish to. This notion was erased by the knowledge that I got from the text about the Holbach and Taylor on determinism/free will (Holton 415). This reality was quite impressing to me that it motivated me to write about it from my primary course. When I first read the above text, my initial thoughts were diverse. First, I thought that if all human being were considerate and humane enough then it will be of no essence to have rules and regulations governing them. Since if one does everything while back in mind having the idea of the probable consequences to him or her also to the surrounding. Secondly, the other thought that I had was that if people were always driven by necessity. When they are in a position to recognize it, then they would not have been pushed into doing what they are expected of them. For instance, we as students recognize what we are expected to achieve in this course, and then would not have waited up to when we are given assignment to do it. If necessity were a guiding principle, then we could have done the assignment earlier and achieve what our course is set to give us. Finally, the last thought that I had was that if all humankind were conservative enough to the others as they are to themselves. Thus , the issues of having ill

The Vigilance Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Vigilance Project - Essay Example Being in a group, an individual feels as integral part of a team which enhances his or her self-worth. 4. Realistic is conflict â€Å"based on scarce resources†; symbolic conflict is conflict â€Å"based on values and beliefs†. Realist conflicts take place between groups over scarce resources in a competitive environment. Symbolic conflicts occur due to different perspectives regarding values and ideas which give rise to conflicts in goal persuasion. 5. The leadership paradox is best stated as â€Å"The fact that teams usually need leaders, but the very presence of a leader threatens the autonomy of a team†. Instead of making a team more productive, a leader may end up being a hindrance if he overuses his power (Thomson, 2004, p.309). 6. The three types of team coaching include â€Å"ability, coordination, motivation†. Motivation enhances team commitment, coordination helps people to work together, and educational coaching increases skills and abilities of team members (Levi, 2010, p.178). 7. Teams that are underbounded â€Å"Have many external ties, but cannot bring its members together†; in contrast, teams that are overbounded â€Å"have high loyalty but an inability to integrate with others†. Overbounded teams are highly cohesive and so members can work in more coordinated manner than underbounded teams (Hackman, 2011, p.79). 11. According to the empirical research on convergent and divergent thinking, â€Å"Groups are better than individuals at divergent thinking; individuals are better than groups at convergent thinking†. This is because in the former effort is to find single solution to a problem while in the latter effort is to find multiple solutions to a problems which can be more effective in a group (Salkind, 2005, p.309). 12. The key threats to creativity include all of the following, except â€Å"social striving†. Social striving means individuals can exhibit maximum performance when working as part of a group, and this can enhance

Fashion marketing Processes

Fashion marketing Processes INTRODUCTION Fashion marketing is something new and upcoming on the horizon , especially in India with the rise in Indian middle class. Globalization and the shape of economy, its positive impacts are also evident in retail , textile and clothing industry and hence fashion. Some are already here and others are headed this way . Global fashion brands like Tommy , Chanel , LV have found Indian shores and starting to create their luxury niche markets. These dramatically changing market conditions have bolstered the demand for highly competent fashion marketing professionals who can take up key positions in fashion marketing, Brand management and related areas. FASHION MARKETERS An extremely interesting and creative field to work in , there are many upcoming courses to tap on the trend of fashion marketing. Aspirants of such course should be creative as well as knowledgable of the environment and the industry on the whole. It has been a major source of argument that fashion marketing is different from other goods marketing simply because of the nature of such an industry. Another very unique feature in fashion marketing is that with no trade barriers , globalization , considerable variations in culture, ethics, social perspective , it is not uniform even at the national level, let alone the international arena. Hence its biggest challenge. Delhi based Pearl Academy of fashion and WLC have already started post graduate programs on fashion marketing . Seeing the rise in demand of Indian fashion industry , its value chain has also increased in a phenomenal growth percentage Fashion marketing is all about how the clothes should reach the market when they have been designed and created. That is where the fashion marketing team takes charge. It seamlessly integrates advertising , design and business admin and a knowledge base about the fashion industry to be successful. For example who would be interested in a silk blouse ? A 15 year old girl or a 30 year working woman.these marketers have a good sense of popular culture and what will become stylish and in for the future. They should not only what will be successful but also which consumer group will be more interested. The fashion marketing process: A major part of the fashion marketing is behind the scenes in the sense that they keep tabs on the latest fashion trends and consumer buying habits , put together campaigns that target those specific consumers keeping in mind the broader world of fashion . They are savvy idea team , the connectors between the designers and the public. Fashion weeks , top notch fashion magazines like Vogue , Verve etc , fashion calenders, trends , blogs are where fashion is seen best. Fashion marketers need to be updated on all the fronts to exist in this dynamic, cut -throat, bling industry. FASHION MARKET AND INDIA The fashion market has been categorized and structured as below: Haute couture are the famous international fashion houses of the world. Designer wear is shown as prà ªt-a-porter. Mass markets are the market area where most people buy their clothes. The size and value chain of fashion market is shown below: As we are witnessing the Indian consumer is evolving and the fashion companies in India are reacting to this evolution through countless options. The fashion market has been growing leaps and bounds due to the young population , increase and rise in the middle class , increase in consumption and retail . This push and pull mechanism has made several businesses react to this with the retail business having the largest share of modern organised retail in India ie 20 % of the current market of Rs 56000 crore. Bilateral Co-operation in this sector shows great synergies. An Indo Italia Task Force on Fashion Design and life Style products has been created following an agreement between the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Italian Ministry of International Trade. On the Indian side members include FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Industry , NID National Institure of Design while on the Italian side there is Confindustria, Altagamma, Universita Bocconi, ICE. A few facts : Georgio Armani has signed up with DLF , joint venture with the most reknowned real estate firm . Armani will get Rs 10 mn into this retail venture. It will be opened up in New Delhi. Reliance Brands has entered into 49:51 joint venture with Sixty Group . Its an Italian fashion house retailing its brands in India. Raymond had also tied up GAS to bring its retail venture to India. Consumer spending in India has increased over the last few years nearly touching the global benchmark of 5 % of total income In the past 3 years , Investments in the textile sector has increased from $ 3 Bn to $ 8 bn. Europe is Indias biggest export market. Demand in rural India for ready made garments will increase at 16.6% annually to touch US$ 10.41 Bn by this year. Versace is going to tie up with Reliance Brands The fashion Industry is expected to rise at 23 percent by 2013 FASHION MARKETING ROLES A fashion marketer has to don various caps to do suitable justice to his profile, which includes: Apparel innovation Brand loyalty Consumer decisions and shopping behaviour Manufacturing systems Market positioning Merchandising Perceptions in the marketplace Piracy issues Pricing structures Product image Quality and performance measurement The importance of socio-economic factors Role of technology in Fashion marketing Marketing fashion is about visual communication at the basic level.Media designers and fashion marketers are using the internet as strong medium to reach out to the masses The Fashion Cycle Styles will be introduced, taken up by the fashion-forward, and then acknowledged and accepted by the general population. It will phase out once it is popularized.and by then designers will be busy with the new look.And this is where the Internet comes in. What is worn by a celebrity today can literally be seen by thousands the same day, increasing demand and ultimately shortening the life cycle of a fad. Retail Technology There are specialised and personalised softwares for assisting buyers, merchandisers , managers to not only track sales but buy raw materials more efficiently . And the internet has made it easier for fashion coordinators , fashion directors , graphic designers , advertising , stylists and so on to keep a tab on the fashion world on a minute to minute basis . Store managers , consumer consultants etc can determine and forecast sales for the entire chain or region by pulling up updating data from the internet. Creative Opportunity Graphic designers , advertisers, photographers have much much more opportunities to design , sketch , write about trends because of the internet . They can write about who is wearing where on which red carpet , about the various fashion weeks going on around the world and open the doors to international fashion. Social Media Social networking groups and fashion blogs are putting the action from all across the globe . Justjared is one such hugely successful blog reporting what celebrities wear and what is in trend all across.They have been phenomenal to say the least.These local trend setters are having a gala time with the publicity and interest they are generating in the world of fashion. Education Students of fashion marketing , fashion PR , fashion merchandising are being trained and made accustomed to study and utilise marketing trends on the internet . Luxury market and Fashion Marketing Luxury brands are always about making their customers feel they own something one in million. And fashion marketers have acknowledged that the luxury wave is hitting Indian shores with a number of luxury brands entering the market such as Zara , Liz Clairborne , Burberry etc. The Luxury Marketing Council Worldwide has established a chapter in India, with the aim of promoting luxury in India. Their task will also be to build synergy between various luxury brands interested in India by way of sharing of consumer insights as well as best practices. Hindustan Times has been extremely active and is pioneering the luxury revolution in India by organizing two Indian Luxury Conferences in the last 4 years. And it also supplies monthly magazine of luxury goods available in India, creating awareness and enthusiasm. The luxury market is relatively smaller with respect to the number of companies, but goes much beyond its weight both in terms of sales and more specifically, influence. Luxury market leads the world of promotion , PR and marketing per se ; they have the best packaging best merchandising , best promotions and the best of prices . Some insights : There were 135,000 millionaires (in US dollar terms) in India in 2009. The affluent market is growing at a rate of 13% in India The wealth potential of Indias affluents and their preferences have been found to match the West The role of fashion marketing is even more important in the field with new developments , theories and knowledge to be shared every day and the trends changing every season. The focus of luxury brands in India is about â€Å"how soon† they will settle themselves here and â€Å"how will† they cater to our Indian audience . In luxury business no one can afford to treat their customers as loose segment. A number of Western brands have already started on focussing on the very demanding Indian consumer giving them fashions like â€Å"ethnic chic† etc to give them a taste of their own sensibilities and capturing their interests. A word of caution that goes for luxury marketers, irrespective of their brands and geographical presence The luxury consumer is always looking for newer ways to satisfy his continuously changing needs. Hence, the need to keep a close tab through insightful research is of prime importance. Conclusion Fashion marketing has the best of both worlds fashion and marketing. The fashion marketer must know about brand equity, marketing techniques and consumer buying habits. As far as India is concerned, given the rapidly accelerating affluence of the masses, the scenario is set to witness a boom . Universities have started to give out courses in this specialization sensing a need from the market.All fashion houses , luxury brands , retail chains have sensed the need for the two to be combined and present the crucial role of a fashion marketer. A very lucrative and creative field , it has gained huge popularity and is the most upcoming thing in the marketing world. The ones who will be riding the wave will be the ones whove kept their ears open to each and every word of their each and every customer.

Life with a Siberian Husky Essay example -- essays research papers

Life with a Siberian Husky I really had no idea what I was getting intowhen I decided to get a Siberian Husky for a pet. Don't get me wrong: Iwouldn't trade him for anything and I love him dearly, but this animal has hisown plan - his own agenda. The last three years of my life have been anawakening to the downright mischievous nature of these dogs. I've met other Husky owners and they all have the same stories of their dogs running away and possessing the trademark Husky stamina. They also tell of the little idiosyncrasies, such as their dogs "talking" and the way Huskies know when you're speaking about them when they are in the room. All of these owners are amazed at the Houdini-like capabilities these dogs have to help them escape any enclosure. I have a few entertaining stories of my own about my Husky, Khayman. First of all, he is the dog that everyone loves and no one wants to own. I can barely get anyone to watch him for more than ten minutes. It's not that Khayman is a mean animal--he isn't--he is just clever. Part of the reason everyone likes him is because of his looks, but mostly he's got a lot of personality. His bandit mask and two different colored eyes (blue and brown) get him attention, pats on the head, dog biscuits at the gas station, and royal treatment whenever anyone finds him on his escapades (which, mind you, have been many). His first escapades didn't take him far, mostly running down the street a few blocks after bum rushing the...

Organizational Psychology Paper Psy 428

Organizational Psychology Paper Shanna Brookins PSY/428 12/12/2011 Organizational Psychology Paper Introduction Organizational psychology is the study of a formal organization and how individuals and groups act within that organization; in other words, the scientific study of the workplace. The goal of organizational psychology is to help organizations function the best way possible. This is achieved by helping people understand their interactions with each other and create an environment where everyone can work together to accomplish important goals.When an organization is successful, the employees have better job satisfaction. In turn, this creates better productivity which allows products and services to be produced at a lower price. This savings can be passed along to the customers therefore having a positive effect on everyone. (Jex, 2008). An industrial-organizational psychologist studies different aspects of the work environment, such as leadership, job satisfaction, on the jo b stress, and communication among employees. An industrial-organizational psychologist is brought in by organizations as consultants to solve particular problems.They apply research methods and psychological principles to improve productivity, management and marketing problems, as well as facilitate organizational development and change, and identify training and development needs. I/O psychologists often work for more than one organizational setting; they may also choose to teach in universities and colleges (Jex, 2008). Two Sides of I/O Psychology The industrial side of I/O psychology concentrates on organizational policies and processes that affect the employees on a personal level, it is sometimes called the â€Å"personnel psychology† (McCarthy, 1999).Industrial psychology uses statistics, psychometrics, as well as quantitative tools to develop rating scales, interview techniques, and psychological test. These tests are used to measure skills for the purpose of hiring, p lacement, and promotion within an organization. In addition, the industrial side handles performance appraisals and feedback, as well as training and development (Industrial and Organizational Psychology , 2008). The organizational side of I/O psychology focuses on making the most of organizational performance.This focuses on interpersonal relationships at work, how individual differences affect an organization, leadership, motivation, team and group dynamics, and organizational change and development. In addition, the organization side concentrates on job satisfaction, attitudes, and dealing with job stress such as balancing work and family (McCarthy, 1999). The Use of Research Research methods are used in I/O psychology to answer question about why employees behave the way they do. Analyses of behavior in qualitative studies involve discussions of how people experience and feel events in their lives and can be a good means of generating hypotheses and theories of what happens in o rganizational settings â€Å"(Ehigie, 2005, p. 621). Qualitative methods of research are used by I/O psychologist in organizational studies. I/O psychological may use methods such as test, questionnaires, rating scales, observation, ethnography and physiological measures to answer questions about behavior (Ehigie, 2005) Observation is a research method used in I/O psychology to understand employee’s culture and behavior.There are three observational methods that may be used, simple observation, participant observation, and archival data sources . The observational technique is best used when observing routine jobs that require apparent behaviors, for example waiting tables. This method cannot be used for jobs which require intellectual or cognitive processing for example making decisions or planning. In participant observation the observer may be a part of the event being studied. The researcher must be able to ethically preform the job; this method is used for job analysis. Archival data sources uses records or any form of data that exist, it is an important supplement to more conventional data collection methods. This method allows researcher to study issues that could not be studies in any other way (Ehigie, 2005). The Use of Statistics When data is collected by organizational researchers the data must be analyzed. The statistics, mean median, and mode are known to be the most common measures of central tendency. An average value of the item in the series or some characteristic of members in a group is a measure of central tendency.Mean represents the average for an ungrouped data . The sum of the scores divide by the total number of the scores gives the value of the mean. Median is the score or value of that central item which divides the series in exactly two equal halves. Mode is defined as the size of the variable that occurs most frequently in the series (Jex, 2008). Conclusion Organizational psychology can be used in organizations to assess job performance, training, and making hiring decisions. In addition, it can help employees develop the capabilities they need in an organization for promotions.Organizational psychology can also be used in an organization to explore why certain employees may not work well together, why some are not preforming well, as well as job satisfaction. Organizational psychology also may study why dissatisfaction is among certain employees and how it contributes to negative outcomes, such as turnover and absenteeism. Organizational psychology is applied through the human resources department or consultants. It can be used to assess any problem or issue that is related to work or careers (Industrial and Organizational Psychology , 2008) ReferencesIndustrial and Organizational Psychology . (2008). Retrieved December 11, 2011, from AllPsychlogyCareers. com http://www. allpsychologycareers. com/topics/industrial-organizational-psychology. html Ehigie, B. &. (2005). Applying Qualitative Methods in Or ganizations: A Note for Industrial/Organizational Psychologists. The Qualitative Report Volume 10 Number 3, 621-638. Jex, S. &. (2008). Organized Psychology. Hoboken,NJ: Wiley. McCarthy, D. (1999, December 8). I/O Psychology Overview notes. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from MTSU: http://frank. mtsu. edu/~pmccarth/io_ovrvw. htm

To What Extent Does Labelling Theory Offer a Useful Contribution to the Study of Crime and Deviance in Today’s Society

Labelling Theory To what extent does labelling theory offer a useful contribution to the study of crime and deviance in today’s society Introduction This assignment will Discuss labelling theory, it will attempt to explore the contributions made by labelling theorists, the criticism towards labelling theorists, and the discussion surrounding its reality as an actual theory. However the main focus will be proving an understanding of Howard Becker‘s Labelling Theory and will describe and evaluate Labelling Theory to the study of crime. In conclusion it will discuss how relevant labelling theory is today. According to (Wellford, 1975) Labelling Theory or The Social Reaction Theory as it is more often known has been around and has developed over time from as early as 1938. It became very popular during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s were it was seen as a new departure in theories of crime and deviance particularly in sociology. Edwin Lemert is widely recognized as the founder of what is called the Societal Reaction Theory. This is the forerunner to the Social Reaction or Labelling Theory which has present day acceptance and includes many of the same concepts. Currently, labelling theory suggests that when a person commits a crime, they receive the label of criminal. When a person is labelled criminal by society, they are likely to accept this label as a part of themselves and because the person now thinks of themselves as a criminal, they are now likely to continue in their criminal behaviour (Becker, 1963). This is still relevant to this day, e. g. f a male was to murder a female he will always be seen and known as a criminal. In order to understand labelling theory, familiarization is needed with Lemert’s Societal Reaction Theory. This theory explores the journey to social deviance in two stages; primary deviance and secondary deviance. Howard Becker is widely associated with the labelling theory through his volume Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. He also developed the term â⠂¬Å"moral entrepreneur† to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behaviour outlawed. He asserts that many of the laws that have been passed have been solely for this purpose, and that behaviour which is defined as criminal is dynamic and changes throughout time and that therefore, the actual criminal behaviour is irrelevant to the theory. (Becker, 1963). Becker himself has stated however, that the concept of his work is not a theory, with all the achievements and obligations that go with the title, or focused solely on the act of labelling as some have thought. It is not a single concept, being instead a number of assorted ideas that have been brought together under one approach, although critics have called the work ambiguous, inconsistent and at best a vague perspective Becker, never sought to provide an all-embracing, etiological explanation of deviance Becker himself prefers the term ‘Interactionist Theory of Deviance' developing the study of deviance from a distinctly social perspective, considering the processes by which particular types of act or people, come to be labelled as deviant. He has been influenced by works such as Cooley's ‘looking-glass self' , Lemert's ideas of social constructionism , and Mead's theories on the internalisation of the self, Becker makes two arguments: 1. Deviant behaviour must be conceptualized in terms of a sequential model since different causes operate at different stages, 2. Rules and enforcement processes must be viewed as developing through time rather than as an isolated moment of disapproval. Definition of Labelling Theory Also known as Social Reaction Theory, this is a theory originated by Edwin Lemert and then developed by sociologist Howard Becker. It is a social theory concerned with how people perceive themselves as delinquent or criminal due to the labels, which categorized and describe certain behaviours, that are applied to them by criminal justice authorities and by others in society. The theory maintains that the labels people are given affect their own and others perceptions of them, and how the behaviour of an individual is influenced or even created by the use of certain labels (i. e. , thief, prostitute, homosexual). The resulting treatment of the individual then pushes them into performing the deviant role or back into conformity. The theory also maintains that the deviance itself is characterized by societies reaction to any alleged violation of the rules or the expectations of what are considered normal conduct. Primary Deviance Primary deviance begins with an initial criminal act. As stated by Lemart it is a rule-breaking behaviour that is carried out by people who see themselves and are indeed seen by others as basically conformist by nature. Following this act of deviance the person may be labelled as deviant or criminal by their peers and society, yet they themselves do not yet accept this label. That is to say that they do not think of themselves in terms as being a criminal. It is this lack of acceptance to see themselves as criminal which differentiates primary from secondary deviance. This person shall remain in a state of primary deviance for as long as they are capable of rationalizing and able to deal with this label by justifying the act as a socially acceptable role (Lemert, 1951). When leading on to Secondary Deviance, the criminal label is placed on an individual during what is known as a Degradation Ceremony in which the accused person is formally or officially labelled as a criminal. This would normally take place during court sentencing, but may also come about in more subtle fashions as well. For example the relatives of a person become withdrawn and distance themselves from that person when they find out they have committed a crime, regardless of whether or not they face any formal charges (Wellford, 1975). An example of this would be an exotic dancer: In today’s society an exotic dancer is a perfect example. Others may label the dancer’s act as deviant while the dancer themselves may see it as a perfectly legitimate profession as with any other occupation which enables them to earn an income. Secondary Deviance According to Lemart secondary deviance occurs when there is an acceptance by the individual of the deviant behaviour and the criminal label, it unabsorbed into their self image, they therefore see themselves from that point in time as a criminal or deviant. This then becomes a mechanism for defence, attack, or adaptation to the problems of the individual caused by society’s reaction to their primary deviation (Lemert, 1951). is only considered to have occurred when the labelled person can no longer deny the label having undergone a degradation ceremony which labels the person eviant, be this through a personal audience such as family or friends, or a more formal one such as in a court of law, both the individual and society both now accept the view that the offender is a criminal. Once they finally accept this label as a part of themselves they will act ,from this point onward, in a way befitting this new criminal label. Secondary deviances is considered to have occurred when both society and the individual share the view that the offender is a criminal. Deviant Career and Master Status Becker's theory pays particular attention to the way in which society reacts to people with criminal labels. He suggests that this label becomes the person's Master Status, meaning that it is a constant label, that affects and over-rides how others in society will view them. The status that people will use to identify and classify the person will always be that of criminal. Any other statuses a person may have had are no longer heeded nor valid in the eyes of society. A person could be a parent, employee, spouse, etc. , but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963). On occasion the person's criminal master status may compel them to conform more closely to society's accepted norms. This is an attempt to show to others that the person may have made mistakes in life, but such mistakes will not happen again. From this time onwards they will act in a fashion that is deemed Normal (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). It is believed however, that in most cases where the master status is that of a criminal, secondary deviance will be completed rather than being resisted. An identity change will take place in whereby the person will now accept the label of criminal. With this new criminal identity is in place, there is subsequent pressure for the individual to behave accordingly. Such an identity change may be signalled by a person losing contact with their former friends (conformist) and starting up associations with other criminal labelled deviants (Becker, 1963). In this new peer group of similarly minded deviants there increases the likelihood of the person not only continuing but also possibly escalating the rate and seriousness of their criminal behavior. Negative Labelling There are a number of powerful individuals within society (politicians, judges, police officers, medical doctors) who can impose some of the most significant labels. The labelled person may be a drug addict, an alcoholic, a criminal, a delinquents or a prostitute to name but a few. The consequences of being labelled a deviant can be far-reaching. Social research indicates that those who have negative labels applied to them usually have a lower self-image of themselves, that they are more likely to reject themselves, and that they may even act even more deviantly as a result of the label. The research also shows that it is unfortunate that people who accept the labelling of others, whether it is correct or incorrect, have a difficult time changing their opinions of the labelled person, even in light of evidence to the contrary. In a small study of child behavior after punishment, it was found that if the audience held the offender in a positive regard, the offender was likely to rise to these expectations and act in a manner befitting a â€Å"good boy† (Wellford, 1975). In this way it is possible to use labelling theory in a more productive manner. The implications of the study results suggest that two things can be done in order to help prevent labelling theory from having negative effects on people who've broken the law. First of all if the court atmosphere could be avoided in situations where the crime were minor offenses or misdemeanors its possible that the offender would be able to avoid formal sentencing and the degradation ceremony that goes with it. In such cases rehabilitative therapy and out-of-court settlements would be preferable. The other possibility is that a formal ceremony which would cancel the stigma associated with the degradation ceremony could be held. Perhaps a court declaration or letter that the offender is hereby rehabilitated could be used after the offender has served their punishment (Broadhead, 1974). Criticisms of Labelling Theory There have been many criticisms on labelling theorists, Becker states that how interactionist theories have been accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. From a logical standpoint there are flaws within the main points of Labelling Theory. At the outset the theory states that â€Å"No acts are inherently criminal† (Wellford, 1975). This implies that acts are only â€Å"criminal† when society regards them as being â€Å"criminalâ€Å". The implications of this as stated by Howard Becker are that â€Å"criminal law is dynamic and ever-changing, differing from society to societyâ€Å". If this holds true then why are certain acts illegal and labelled as criminal in the majority of the civilized world? Murder, rape, arson, armed robbery to mention a few are all considered to be crimes in any society or country one would could care to name. The theory also claims that for a criminal to be successfully labelled as deviant that an audience needs to be present in order to provide a reaction to the crimes committed. If a murder is committed where the killer successfully avoids detection or raising anyone's suspicion, would that mean that the murder was not criminal and that the killer would not think of themselves as such? It may be probable that the murderer's own value system could initialize self-labelling, but the theory clearly states the labelling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973). There have been criticisms that the terms in labelling theory lack precision, and that there is no real account taken of the central social processes, such as how every day behaviour actually needs to have a societal reaction. The methodology generally is also seen as lacking clarity, and incorporating too many commonsense definitions and assumptions. It is felt that what is needed is a more detailed study in areas such as police procedures, or the categories deployed/applied by social workers and lawyers. in the case of police behaviour, For example, in police behaviour it is clear that much depends upon the appearance, image, or attitude of the potential suspect, and that very different treatments can be aportioned to suspects, depending on the collective and immediately formed social judgements of the police officer (Cicourel 1968). Labelling theory appears to over do the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy or a deviant career, there is no real gathering of evidence for this, especially what makes a label effective and permanent, how it becomes a master identity. Examples of Research Conducted by Labelling Theorists William Chambliss in 1973 conducted a classic study into the effects of labelling. His two groups of white, male, high-school students were both frequently involved in delinquent acts of theft, vandalism, drinking, and truancy. The police never arrested the members of one group, which Chambliss abelled the â€Å"Saints,† but the police did have frequent run-ins with members of the other group, which he labelled the â€Å"Roughnecks. † The boys in the Saints came from respectable families, had good reputations and grades in school, and were careful not to get caught when breaking the law. By being polite, cordial, and apologetic whenever confronted by the police, the Saints escaped labell ing themselves as â€Å"deviants. † In contrast, the Roughnecks came from families of lower socioeconomic status, had poor reputations and grades in school, and were not careful about being caught when breaking the law. By being hostile and insolent whenever confronted by the police, the Roughnecks were easily labelled by others and themselves as â€Å"deviants. † In other words, while both groups committed crimes, the Saints were perceived to be â€Å"good† because of their polite behavior (which was attributed to their upper-class backgrounds) and the Roughnecks were seen as â€Å"bad† because of their insolent behavior (which was attributed to their lower-class backgrounds). As a result, the police always took action against the Roughnecks, but never against the Saints. Conclusion Becker, (1963) claims that laws are established for a reason, and behaviour that is defined as criminal is dynamic and will change within time. This shows that criminal behaviour is not relevant to the theory. However it is still to this day seen as debatable. However there is one known exception, many labelling theorists say the system is biased towards the lower class, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of arrests and convictions within the American criminal justice system (Wellford, 1975). Becker is the usual source of radical variants of labelling. His work implies there is no need to explain deviance in the first place, that it is in fact a very common social activity, a normal one, which only becomes abnormal when it is to so labelled. Labelling itself then becomes confirming, a self-fulfilling prophecy, launching people on a deviant career. Today, one rarely finds labelling theories like those which predominated in the late 1960s. Certainly there are still social constructivist accounts of some type of deviance or another, and studies about the meaning of crime to criminals and criminalizers are still done. A hift seems to have taken place around 1974 in which labelling theory accommodated itself to legalistic definitions, or at least a focus on state power. Modern labelling theories came to recognize that societies â€Å"create† crime by passing laws, and that the substantive nature of the law should be an object of study. Sometimes, these are called criminalization theories (Hartjen 1974), and they have some resembl ance to societal reaction approaches, but they more closely fall into a field that criminologists trained in sociology call the sociology of law perspective or the study of law as a mechanism of social control. Most modern labelling theorists have been influenced by a critique of the underdog focus which was provided by Liazos (1972) when he said that sociologists need to stop studying â€Å"nuts, sluts, and perverts. † The one aspect of this theory that could be regarded positively is that it is very easy to understand and can be quickly explained, breaking down all criminal behavior into primary and secondary deviance with a few simple statements for each. Bibliography Alexander Liazos (1982) People First: An introduction to Social Problems Allyn & Bacon pp121 Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: The Free Press Joseph Rowntree foundation (2009) http://www. jrf. org. uk/ accessed 12/03/09 Lemert, E. M. (1951). Social Pathology. New York: MacGraw-Hill Book Co. , Inc. Wellford, C. (1975). Labelling Theory and Criminology: An Assessment. Social Problems, Vol. 22, No. 3, 332-345

Ergonomics essays

Ergonomics essays One of the key issues at work places is the high stress level of employees and the need to be able to reduce such work related stress in order to benefit both the employee and the company. Although there are many different factors that contribute to having stress and stress related injuries it became important that businesses also take into account the human environment factors that their employees faced. This in turn gave rise to a new branch of science called Ergonomics, a fairly new concept that is only about 50 years old. (ergonomics.org.uk/ergonomics.htm). Ergonomics is derived from the Greek words Ergos, which means work, and Nomos which means "laws" which is where we get the idea of Laws of Work. Ergonomics can be further defined as being "the applied science of equipment design, intended to reduce operator fatigue and discomfort, or as OSHA puts it, the science of fitting the job to the worker." (pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec99/ergonomics_11-22.html). According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA about one-third of all workplace injuries is caused by "a bad fit between workers and the equipment". Statistics like these gave rise to OSHA's new proposal which now require employers to implement atleast a "basic ergonomics program that includes assigning someone to be responsible for ergonomics; providing information to employees on the risk of injuries, as well as signs and symptoms to watch for; and setting up a system for employees to report those signs and symptoms." (pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec99/ergonomics_11-22.html). Furthermore, it is important that both employers and employees be educated and made aware of the hazards of improper or prolonged use of equipment which could range anywhere from typing on the computer, staring at the computer screen all day to picking up heavy boxes which c...