How I Was Socialized Growing Up - 878 Words

The way that I was socialized growing up was through my interactions different people of different races due to my military affiliation and being transferred to different locations every three years and more recently storytelling from both my parents about things they both went through while my dad was away. They instilled some of that storytelling into me and I used that technique to tell some of my experiences. Furthermore, most of my life revolved around the military and religion. Those two aspects are what keep my family together and those were the main forces that shape my siblings and I growing up. When I was around five or six years old, my family was stationed in El Paso, Texas after my dad came back from overseas. The church that my family attended every Sunday was the Church of God and Christ. The Church of God and Christ is where southerners say all of the â€Å"holy-rollers† attended or the overzealous Christians attended. My parents were not really holy-rollers themselves, but we attended this church because my dad wanted my family to attend to gain a sense of God and know about Christianity because he always attended church as a child while he was growing up in Mississippi and that helped him as he developed. He wanted my mother, sister, and I to be exposed to Christianity as well, especially my mom since she did not really attend church during her childhood. Furthermore, my first memory of attending the Church of God and Christ is the day that my dad was baptized.Show MoreRelatedEssay on what is the sociological perspective (imagination)691 Words   |  3 Pag esrelationship to the individual. First I will discuss how individuals are socialized. Next I will point out societal structures role in that socialization. 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It’s also importantRead MoreHow Gender Roles Affect The Physical And Emotional Heath Of Parents And Families1099 Words   |  5 Pagesand have throughout our history. Gender roles are a set of societal norms dictating the types of behaviors which are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived gender. In this paper I will address how gender roles negatively impacts the physical and emotional heath of parents and families, and recommend solutions to the problem. Women in contemporary American society see their role as provider as part of their obligation. Almost seventy-oneRead MoreGender Socialization : Gender And Gender1040 Words   |  5 Pagesforces that influence our gender construction through a system of reward and punishment. throughout my life, I have been taught to be a women by family and through society, all that at some point supported the goals I had for myself or created obstacles by challenging my own ideas of what meant to be a strong women. Gender socialization is the process by which individuals are taught how to socially behave in accordance with their assigned gender, which is assigned at birth based on their biological

Personal Statement Nursing Theorists and their Work

Question: Write about the Personal Statementfor Nursing Theorists and their Work. Answer: I have been working in the Aged care industry since last 7 years. I love to work with the old aged people and learnt various things from the field. I achieved better experience and qualification. I completed my nursing in Uganda and shifted to Australia in 2006. I found a big gap in the aged care industry and grabbed the opportunity to work in this sector and improve the situation. In Perth, I got placed in various hospitals, which made me able to achieve various experiences in medical, mental and surgical field. According to Alligood (2014), positive feedback helps the nurses to gain more knowledge and become a qualified registered nurse. The residents and the family members helped me a lot to gain more skills by giving positive feedback. I need more patience and skills to serve the old age people who come with various problems. I developed my communication skills and observation power. I learnt about the non verbal communication skills and the use of small sentences to avoid jargon s. I worked with the Dementia and Alzheimer patient. I was responsible to take the complete care of those patients. I achieved positive view to handle critical conditions. I gained the faith and self confidence after working for a long time in this field. I aimed to be the best caring nurse in this field. I started to continue promotion of emotional support to the service users, their families and relatives in difficult time period. I started to work as Phlebotomist as a part time job at Health Scope. This job also increases my knowledge and provides opportunity to communicate and interact with different kind of people. I tried to reduce the tension of them about the specimen collection safety. In health and social care industry, safety and security is the key factor for the wellbeing of the patients (Higgins and Adams 2013). I got the chance to work in Doctors clinic as the clinical assistant. I am glad to get the opportunity because this helps me to achieve my goal. The job helps me to boost up my interpersonal skills. The job is developing my logical thinking. As a nurse, I respect my patients emotion and feeling. According to Alligood (2014), the n urse should maintain the confidentiality of the patients. I also maintain the confidentiality of the patients by sharing the personal and critical information of my patients with the family members of the service users. References Alligood, M.R., 2014.Nursing theorists and their work. Elsevier Health Sciences. Higgins, C. and Adams, J., 2013. Developing a code of conduct for support workers.British Journal of Healthcare Assistants,7(12).

Individual And Corporate Decisions To Adopt Social Media

Question: How can Social Media such as LickedIn, Facebook and twitter be used to improve knowledge sharing, build social capital, support innovation and aid problem solving in a multinational corporation. ? Discuss the associated risks and benefits for this context.? Answer: Introduction: The essay provides a deep insight into the concept of social media and its usage by almost all multinational companies in the current century. It reflects upon the facts how some of the social media like Facebook, Linkdin, and Twitter may be used to enhance knowledge sharing , building social capital, supporting innovation, and also solving key challenging issues within the environment of multinational organizations. Communication has been the buzzword in the todays world of business (Beier and Wagner). It is considered to be the most essential and important requisite for any organization that aims to sustainably flourish in the competitive environment. However, this concept of communication depends greatly upon the shared language which is a prerequisite and may not be existent within several international business or political situations. This is in fact realized when various conflicts or issues initiate. Nowadays, several multinational companies push themselves in the arena of soc ial media. Concept of Social Media: Blogging, tweeting and that of connecting through Facebook or Linkedin have become the most widely used terms within the social media world. These have become an important part of business strategies even. Firms like Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and YouTube have enabled the writing of new set of rules regarding how corporations must conduct business at the present century (Fang and Su). The concept of social media has been changing our traditional working lives, thereby providing employers as well as employees with increased flexibilities and also the capability of responding quickly and often in real time. However, the very question that comes to our mind is whether this concept of social networking is all good for multinational corporations and business firms. Several companies have even started to take a closer look at the benefits as well as risks associated with social networking in business environment. Both benefits and risks are studied and analyzed to have a proper understan ding of the role of social networking in multinational corporations. Significance of Social Media: Several multinational companies like that of Nike, British Petroleum, Walmart, and IBM are significant actors upon the landscape of global business. These firms have been increasingly contributing towards the trend of production as well as consumption on a global platform. These firms have been on an attempt to create an effective as well as systematic channel whereby they may personalize their brands as well as operations towards global customers. The utilization of different social networking sites like that of Facebook, Twitter or Myspace have become the very usual practice norm (Gaff). All sites of social networking have become an extremely powerful force to shape up public opinion virtually upon every commercial aspect. This approach amplifies word-of-mouth marketing and getting increasingly essential in making purchasing decisions by consumers. This may prove to be more effective than the approach of advertising and considered to be a highly reliable information source. Markete rs have least control over positioning as well as messaging since customers provide most of the content by themselves. Social networking medium happens to be a viable region for firms for conducting market campaigns, management of customer relationship, and also to impact own branding efforts through eWOM. Accounts of social network impact upon brand awareness as well as brand image. To manage brand perception within the social network environment must be a part of an entire market strategy as well as to maintain a steady presence upon the channels must be a part of organizational branding campaign('ISACA Identifies Top Five Social Media Risks For Business'). Such accounts of social networking support monitoring brand communal discussions as well as feeding customers with information. People tend to express better through social networks. Portions of positive review can act as an important part of commercial marketing by multinational corporations. This reflects that such reviews ma y be used up by corporations as customer feedback regarding products as well as features which are received well by customers. Product quality impacted positively upon generating positive eWOM. Thus, multinational companies can generate brand awareness without big displays of marketing or advertising. Online customers tend to review information and this may be highly useful to identify customer preferences, identifying product defects, and also rectifying mistakes of marketers. Social networking sites may be utilized for providing information as well as attracting potential customers to several online media. Multinational companies may receive real-time customer feedback by creating online corporate accounts (Jennex). Benefits of Social Media: Knowledge Sharing Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc have excessive contribution in the field of knowledge sharing, creating social capital, supporting innovation and also solving key problems within multinational corporations. The concept of knowledge sharing has received a new outlook and form with the emergence of social networking media. Previously, organizational management had to put on really great efforts in sharing essential information about their brands to the desired customers and target segments. However, with the emergence of social media like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, the task has become much easier. Knowledge sharing has become easier than ever before. Corporate accounts, websites, and social sites in various social media have allowed companies to provide as much information possible to be deliverd to the customers so as to gain their trust and reliability (Kohlbacher). This would earn the corporations several loyal customers to enable enhancement of productiveness and e ffectiveness on the part of the organizations. Thus, social media has been greatly contributing towards knowledge sharing among customers and other shareholders within the competitive business environment. Social Capital Social capital refers to the increased number of customers who feel attracted towards online customer relation management. It means the approach that is used by multinational corporations to draw more and more customers towards their personal brands to increase their sales, revenues and overall profitability of the firms(Cyr). Social capital is considered to be the most essential asset for an organization as this is related to organizational brand awareness as well as recognition. Social capital is important for developing effective customer relationship management to attract the largest possible customers towards multinational corporation brands(Krreman). These firms have been on an attempt to create an effective as well as systematic channel whereby they may personalize their brands as well as operations towards global customers. Social networking medium happens to be a viable region for firms for conducting market campaigns, management of customer relationship, and also to impact own branding efforts through eWOM. Accounts of social networking impact upon brand awareness as well as brand image(Ligeti et al.). The concept of social media has undoubtedly contributed towards multinational market strategies of the current century along with unique approaches in acquiring increased information regarding organizational products as well as enhancing sales as well as revenues. Thus, it may be observed further that social media plays important role in building of relationship management with customers. Supporting Innovation To mention about benefits of social networking media, it is important to focus upon the emphasis upon innovation of multinational corporations. The age old techniques of advertising, branding and marketing of products or services by organizations have been replaced by the modern tools of social media. Earlier, organizations used to implement manual techniques and approaches to create brand awareness and popularity of their products. This happened to be really tedious method on the part of those organizations. However, recently the techniques of marketing and branding have been replaced by latest approaches like that of social media. Organizations make effort in creating social accounts and websites whereby their corporate profile plays the major role in delivering essential information about the company to their customers and attract more and more customers towards their brands (McBride). Hence, it is justified that social media has been increasingly contributing towards innovation o f marketing and branding approaches. The concept of social media has been changing our traditional working lives, thereby providing employers as well as employees with increased flexibilities and also the capability of responding quickly and often in real time. Marketers have least control over positioning as well as messaging since customers provide most of the content by themselves. Social networking medium happens to be a viable region for firms for conducting market campaigns, management of customer relationship, and also to impact own branding efforts through eWOM (Mubarak). Problem Resolution Another benefit of social media is that of solving of various problems and issues within organizational environment. Lot of tasks became easier to be delivered by these multinational organizations. Information about products or services was previously delivered to customers with lot of effort and troubles. But recently with the evolution of social media, things and activities have become much more convenient and favorable for multinational corporations. All relevant information about brands, products, and services are readily available on the social sites and websites of these corporations (Oluikpe, Sohail and Odhiambo). This provides the feasibility of access of such information in the most effective form. Besides, social media solves several problems that were previously faced by customers in acquiring of company products or services. It is considered to be the most essential and important requisite for any organization that aims to sustainably flourish in the competitive environme nt. However, this concept of communication depends greatly upon the shared language which is a prerequisite and may not be existent within several international business or political situations(Beier and Wagner). In the business environment, we can witness the benefits of social networking from businesses such as IKEA, Starbucks, etc. IKEA had launched the social catalogue that is used for raising awareness with almost null media budget. It focused upon the human being desire to receive free stuff as well as achieve enormous amount of customer relations. Besides, Starbucks possesses Starbucks Mayor Offer upon the Foursquare application. With the help of this, the corporation has successfully achieved popularity with increased revenue. This reflects the fact that creativity pays off within campaigns of social media marketing. The concept of social media has undoubtedly contributed towards multinational market strategies of the current century along with unique approaches in acquiring increased information regarding organizational products as well as enhancing sales as well as revenues (Phene and Tallman). Thus, it may be observed further that social media plays important role in building of re lationship management with customers. It has actually changed the traditional customer relationship management to a more holistic nature. The social network sites have led the corporations in promoting as well as growing brand by means of social media techniques such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkdin. Risks of Social Media: As social media networking proves to be a boon for multinational corporations, the associated risks of such an approach cannot be overlooked either. As per research, several senior executives believe the existence of potential risks related to the utilization of social media. Several risks may be identified in considering use of social media. The exposures of social media are varied. A significant risk within media exposures is that of loss of effective control. Information of one corporation is transmitted towards social media website of a different company. The privacy or confidentiality of information can be breached unintentionally by posting on the wall of a companys website or social account (Picazo-Vela, Gutirrez-Martnez and Luna-Reyes). As the use of such social networking continues to develop, so also has the need to have effective anti-fraud training. It has become critically important for organizational management as well as employees to know the correct usage of social me dia, the ways to identify as well as respond towards fraud activities, and ways to address related legal issues about social media(Fang and Su). In the recent times, there has been emergence of another risk issue within the use of social media by the multinational corporations. This risk states about the growing challenge of lack of confidentiality and authenticity over the virtual presence of business firms. Most of the multinational corporations are not fully relied upon by their customers over their virtual presence. This is mainly due to the fraudulent activities and cyber crimes that have been on the cards of business environment in the recent years(Reid and Weigle). It is considered to be the most essential and important requisite for any organization that aims to sustainably flourish in the competitive environment. However, this concept of communication depends greatly upon the shared language which is a prerequisite and may not be existent within several international busine ss or political situations. Though the utilization of online social networks techniques within the workplace is still not that widely accepted, yet it has been turning into an unavoidable part of business world. The concerns that organizational employees often possess regarding their organizational confidential information being leaked or even employees simply wasting time in the use of tools for social means recall about the misconception that arose when telephones were first introduced. People feared about the thing that people may call up and abuse one another (Sumanjeet). Yet, it is considered to be the most essential and important requisite for any organization that aims to sustainably flourish in the competitive environment. However, this concept of communication depends greatly upon the shared language which is a prerequisite and may not be existent within several international business or political situations. Conclusion: It may be concluded that social media has been a growing market that would continue to develop in the future years to come. On one hand where corporations have started establishing a potentially strong presence of social media, on the other hand the reality of such an approach is that Companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin is on a growing phase in the current situation. It is considered to be the most essential and important requisite for any organization that aims to sustainably flourish in the competitive environment. However, this concept of communication depends greatly upon the shared language which is a prerequisite and may not be existent within several international business or political situations (Hales, Davidson and Turner-McGrievy). Although several executives confirm about the involvement of risks, yet these are not well-defined actually. Governance structures for monitoring compliance as well as managing risk are quite nascent. As these risks of social networkin g media start receiving increased public attention, corporations can respond even more forcefully to such perceived risks(Yang). The concept of social media has undoubtedly contributed towards multinational market strategies of the current century along with unique approaches in acquiring increased information regarding organizational products as well as enhancing sales as well as revenues. Thus, it may be observed further that social media plays important role in building of relationship management with customers. It has actually changed the traditional customer relationship management to a more holistic nature. References Beier, Michael, and Kerstin Wagner. 'Individual And Corporate Decisions To Adopt Social Media: Perception Of Risks And Benefits In Small Firms'.SSRN Journaln. pag. Web. Cyr, Alaina. 'Social Media'.Oncology Times34 (2012): 1-3. Web. Fang, Shih Chieh, and Hwan Yann Su. 'Organisational Knowledge Creation: A Knowledge Market Efficiency Perspective'.IJKMS2.2 (2008): 214. Web. Gaff, Brian M. 'Corporate Risks From Social Media'.Computer47.1 (2014): 13-15. Web. Hales, Sarah B., Charis Davidson, and Gabrielle M. Turner-McGrievy. 'Varying Social Media Post Types Differentially Impacts Engagement In A Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention'.Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res.4.4 (2014): 355-362. Web. 'ISACA Identifies Top Five Social Media Risks For Business'.Infosecurity7.4 (2010): 8. Web. Jennex, Murray E. 'Socio-Technical Knowledge Management'.International Journal of Knowledge Management4.4 (2008): 112-114. Web. Krreman, Dan. 'The Power Of Knowledge: Learning From Learning By Knowledge-Intensive Firm'.Journal of Management Studies(2010): n. pag. Web. Kohlbacher, Florian. 'Strategic Knowledge-Based Marketing'.IJKMS3.1/2 (2009): 154. Web. Li, Huaye, and Yasuaki Sakamoto. 'Social Impacts In Social Media: An Examination Of Perceived Truthfulness And Sharing Of Information'.Computers in Human Behavior41 (2014): 278-287. Web. Ligeti, Jacob Ruiter et al. 'News Media Coverage On The Risks And Benefits Of Home Births'.Obstetrics Gynecology123 (2014): 168S. Web. McBride, Deborah L. 'Risks And Benefits Of Social Media For Children And Adolescents'.Journal of Pediatric Nursing26.5 (2011): 498-499. Web. Mubarak, Afaf. 'Knowledge Management And Management Accounting Decisions- Experimental Study'.JOMS(2012): 1-14. Web. Olorunnisola, Anthony A., and Brandie L. Martin. 'Influences Of Media On Social Movements: Problematizing Hyperbolic Inferences About Impacts'.Telematics and Informatics30.3 (2013): 275-288. Web. Oluikpe, Paul, Muhammad Sohail, and Frank Odhiambo. 'Towards A Framework For Knowledge Management In Project Management'.IJKMS4.1 (2010): 18. Web. Phene, Anupama, and Stephen Tallman. 'Knowledge Spillovers And Alliance Formation'.Journal of Management Studies(2014): n/a-n/a. Web. Picazo-Vela, Sergio, Isis Gutirrez-Martnez, and Luis Felipe Luna-Reyes. 'Understanding Risks, Benefits, And Strategic Alternatives Of Social Media Applications In The Public Sector'.Government Information Quarterly29.4 (2012): 504-511. Web. Reid, Dana, and Paul Weigle. 'Social Media Use Among Adolescents: Benefits And Risks'.APS4.2 (2014): 73-80. Web. Sumanjeet,. 'Knowledge Management: Generating Business Value Through Knowledge'.Management and Labour Studies30.2 (2005): 173-181. Web. Wang, Xia, Chunling Yu, and Yujie Wei. 'Social Media Peer Communication And Impacts On Purchase Intentions: A Consumer Socialization Framework'.Journal of Interactive Marketing26.4 (2012): 198-208. Web. Yang, Jen Te. 'Job Related Knowledge Sharing: Comparative Case Studies'.Journal of Knowledge Management8.3 (2004): 118-126. Web.

Olympic Games Essay Example

Olympic Games Essay I. Introduction Thesis statement: Hosting Olympic Games in London are beneficial for the social and economic development of the host city and the whole region. II. Body A. The economic concerns of London 2012 are less obvious than business benefits from the games 1. Expenses on the Games a. 1976 Olympic Games as an example of financial disaster b. Ten times increase of original budget c. Increasing debt burden of London city 2. Economic benefits and legacy of London 2012 a. Direct revenues from hosting the Olympics according to LondonNet . Blakes analysis of Games’ influence on both GDP of London and UK c. Price Waterhouse Coopers report on the reasons of the growth d. Economic benefits of the Olympics to the tourism industry e. Economic forecast on tourism of VisitBritain f. Regeneration of the investment profile according to Matthewman B. The improvements of tourism and transport infrastructure will help to avoid promlems in this field and promote the development of the regi on 1. Additional load on Londons tourism infrastructure and transport systems a. British Hospitality Associations suggestion b. Threat to common Londoner’s way of life and business activity c. Criticism of transport system by IOC 2. Changes in the public transport system since the initial bid a. Olympic Javelin, and legacy of other improvements b. Impact of the regeneration of Stratford on infrastructure of east London c. Latest transport strategy of the Mayor d. ?2bn award of tourist revenue on infrastructural improvements C. The Games will promote social enhancements such as healthy lifestyle and cultural awareness . Brian Martins arguments against Olympic Games 2. Boris Johnson’s view on social and cultural impact of the Games 3. The impact of the Games according to London2012 III. Conclusion To conclude, the economic, social and non-material benefits of hosting Olympic Games in London obviously overweight the counter-evidences in the financial and infrastructure spheres. The debates about the necessity of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Lon don are widely discussed by politics and economists not only in Britain, but in the whole world. We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This issue is very important because it helps to understand the fundamental motivations to host the Olympic Games as well as the other Mega events and evaluate their positive outcomes the host city and country without any bias. A variety of arguments, including the evaluation of the expenditures on this event, together with the social and infrastructural concerns, economic and social impact will be offered about this issue. It will then put forward reasons for hosting Summer Olympic Games in London in 2012 because of the benefits in both economic and social areas. It is often argued that hosting the Olympic Games is a very expensive step in terms of money spent on building infrastructure for both sportsmen and spectators of the Games. Now, many opponents of holding the Games say that the merely possible financial losses are the reason for cancellation of the Games. One of the most obvious intimidating examples of financial problems caused by such events are the 1976 Olympic Games, when poorly managed Games’ development caused the bankruptcy of the city when work had fallen far behind schedule, as well as the debts had been discharged only 30 years after the Games. Concerning London Games, there is a tendency of permanently increasing the budget of the games. As Lea notices the words of former 2012 Games chief (2008), London 2012 could cost ? 20billion, which is ten times original budget, incremented â€Å"because of the land and security issues†. So, these expenses may become unmanageable debts for London, especially considering the fact that private sector is reluctant to invest into the Games’ infrastructure since the beginning of the recession. Meanwhile, London has to increase its debt burden significantly due to the expenses on both crisis management and building infrastructure. However, there can be an array of economic benefits of hosting this event. Accordingly, the economic benefits include the direct revenues from the Olympics, economic growth because of the increased opportunities for private sector from the Games, increased skills of workforce because of volunteer programs, in addition to reviving tourism and investments. Direct revenues from holding Games, as the argument goes, are the most obvious and easily calculated; therefore these benefits were manifested beforehand. Namely, about â€Å"0. 75 billion pounds will be raised from the National Lottery†¦ and 0. billion pounds will came from the TOP The Olympic Sponsor Programme and the sale of TV rights, 0. 45 billion pounds will be collected via local sponsorship and official suppliers†¦ while 0. 3 billions will be funded from ticket sales revenues† (London Net, 2007). Besides the direct benefits, the possible impact of the Games on the GDP of London and UK can also be calculated to a certain degree. Blake (2005) made a comprehensive analysis of the economic consequences of London Olympics and suggested that the total UK GDP in the period from 2005 to 2016 might be increased by 1. billion pounds per year while London’s GDP would totally accrue 5. 9 billions pounds due to the influence of the Games and opportunities for businesses to use the new commercial space of the Olympic Park after the Olympics. Similarly, according to Price Waterhouse Coopers report (2005), 2. 1 billion pounds of extra revenue will be brought to the economy of UK by 7. 9 million spectators and up-skilling of 70,000 volunteers, in addition to the indirect revenues of private sector. Although, both of the sources note the importance of proper planning in order to achieve these goals and avoid the possible drawbacks. In addition, hosting Olympic and Paralympics Games means evident economic benefits to the tourism industry from both the enhanced publicity and image of the destination and virtually increased the number of the visitors. One example is the forecast of VisitBritain (2007), according to which the tourism gains due to the Olympic Games will generate 2. 34 billions pounds for the UK economy during the period 2007-17. Moreover, Stevens suggest that improper conduct of guests’ reception may lead to the losses for the industry, instead of the benefits. In addition to boosting tourism, London Olympics can also be a good opportunity for the regeneration of the investment profile of both London and UK. Matthewman, et al. , (2009) summarizes that holding Olympic Games increments the level of Foreign Direct Investment, and has a positive influence on longer term investment in the host city and region, because of improved infrastructure and increased perceptibility of the region. It is contented that transportation and tourism infrastructure will be overloaded because of Olympic Games in London. As this contention goes further, such mega event as Olympic Games always means the influx of sportsmen, journalists, specialists and the mere spectators of the event and London, one of the busiest cities in the world, has to be prepared for the additional load on its infrastructure, public transportation, as well as the general overcrowding of the Londons East End, the main area of the Olympic Games. In addition to the concerns over transportation system, there are some signs of the upcoming accommodation shortage during the Olympic Games. British Hospitality Association (2007) notes that London is going to face an evident shortage of hotel rooms to accommodate if special measures are not implemented. Because of this, many opponent of hosting the Games in London suggest that there can be infrastructure collapse in London during the Olympic Games; therefore Londoner’s habitual way of life and business is under the threat. The transport system and overcrowded hotels of London came in for criticism since the initial evaluation of International Olympic Committee, which is the reason why there are serious concerns about â€Å"how the public transport infrastructure in London will hold up to the influx of people†. Therefore, many critics put forward this argument and suggest that during two weeks of the 2012 Olympics traffic jams and overload of public transport will cause damage to business activity of the city and its image. However, the organizers of London 2012 had made profound changes in the public transport system since the initial bid, including the improvement and expansion of the London metro, as well as the high-speed rail service called Olympic Javelin (Hinton, 2009). All the improvements, as the argument is adduced furthermore, will be beneficial for London not only during the Olympic Games, but also after them. Hilton makes an emphasis on the huge impact of the infrastructural profound improvement or so called â€Å"the regeneration of Stratford† in east London, which propel economic and social activity in this underdeveloped district of the city. In addition, the experience of the latest events, such as Vancouver Olympics, also helped the officials in the enhancement of the public transport system, in addition to the hospitality industry, as Beard (2010) says. He also thinks that â€Å"thanks to the latest transport strategy issued by the Mayor†¦ London will be ready to host outstanding Games with progress of other key transport schemes already well underway†. Moreover, the appropriate and suited strategy for the Olympics 2012 now is supported by the majority the firms engaged in the tourisms industry. Furthermore, Stevens (2008) argues that estimated at ? 2bn award of tourist revenue to the capital will be brought to the economy, which help to improve tourism infrastructure on the condition that tourism and hospitality industry will not sacrifice long term steady growth to the momentary increase of the profits. Brian Martin, the prominent social activist suggest Olympic Games are unnecessary because of the social problems they enhance, including nationalism because competition between athletes is turned into competition between state, unhealthy competition, when the most competitors are ultimately losers, therefore the obsession with Olympic success undermines the goal of cooperative, participatory sport† and elitism of the Games. However, there are many sings that Olympic Games will bring advantages to the cultural and social development of the region and whole country, as Boris Johnson says. London 2012 Games are the good opportunity for promoting healthy lifestyle and increasing cultural awareness, in addition to giving the sense of unity to the British nation and the whole world. The mayor of London says: â€Å"My perfect 2012 legacy would be a leaner, fitter London via improving access to simple sports like football, swimming, and cycling that provides great physical exercise. In the same way, London Olympics 2012 is also used for the promotion of versatile UKs arts and culture. For this reason, as series of cultural events called â€Å"Cultural Olympiad† were arranged during the period of 2008 and 2012, where millions of people around the UK are engaged through the Inspire programme and Open Weekends. To add, the Cultural Olympiad will be climaxed in 2012, â€Å"bringing together leading artists from all over the world†. (London2012. com, 2010). These events, together with the atmosphere of the Olympic Games will create a unique phenomenon of the word unity during the two weeks and will give an opportunity to show the world all the positive sides of UK lifestyle and the potential of the British nation. Olympic Games Essay Example Olympic Games Paper The Olympic Games are a quadrennial event which dates back to 776BC, at the time of the ancient Greeks. The Games were originally held at Olympia along with festivals combining prayer, sacrifices, religious service, music, dancing and rituals all dedicated to the God, Zeus, (Coakley 2001). The events in those days were for the wealthy, young males and were of warrior nature such as boxing, wrestling, javelin throwing, sprinting and chariot racing, (Coakley 2001). Women were not allowed to compete in these early Olympics. Another event was created specifically for Women, dedicated to Hera, the sister-wife of Zeus and these were known as the Heraean Games. The modern day Olympic Games were revived by a man named Pierre De Courbetin in 1894. He formed a board of members in whom he trusted to organise and run the Olympic Games. This board of individuals was known as the International Olympic Committee, IOC. It was only possible to become a committee member by invitation from Pierre De Courbetin. In this way he ensured that he could select his committee from people whom he trusted. At the beginning, there were only 13 countries represented in the IOC. This compares to 118 members of the IOC in 1998, (Senn 1999). The modern day Olympic programme included many events which are still seen today. Events such as sprinting, long distance running and field events have always been included. Between the years 1912-1948, architecture, sculpture, painting, music and literature where also included, (Tomlinson and Whannel 1984).  As stated previously, the first of the modern Games took place in Athens in 1896. The event saw 311 male athletes compete, representing 13 different countries. At the 2000 Games in Sydney there were 6,435 male participants and 3,931 female participants, representing 203 countries, (Coakley 2001). We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The intended aims of the modern day Olympics are for amateur athletes to promote development of physical and moral qualities, to create international respect and goodwill, and to understand that the taking part is more important that winning.  In the Olympic Games there have been many political incidents over the past century. The incidents have been for many different reasons including violation of the rules, political differences and through commercial aspects. Examples of this include repossession of medals, banning of nations, boycotts, terrorism and corruption to name a few and in more recent times cheating and drug abuse has been seen. The first incident that this essay will look at took place in 1912 at the Stockholm Games. Jim Thorpe was a decathlon gold medallist. When the IOC found out that he had been paid to play baseball three years earlier in his holidays he was disqualified as this infringed the amateur status of the Games.  However in January 1983, following an enquiry, he was reinstated as a gold medallist, (Tomlinson and Whannel 1984).  The 1936 Games were held in Berlin, Germany. At the Games Adolf Hitler banned all Jews from participating in the Games that year because of his anti-Jewish policy. Also at the 1936 Games a black US sprinter, Jesse Owens upset Hitler by winning four gold medals. Hitler was outraged and subsequently repossed these medals and denied Owens of his victories. Along with this, in the opening ceremony, the United States refused to give the Nazi salute to Hitler, while both the United Kingdom and France obliged. This may have been a contributing factor for Hitler to stripe Owens of his medals out of spite. After the 1940 Tokyo Games had been cancelled along with the 1944 Games due to World War II, London in 1948 also provided major controversy. The British Government banned Italy, Germany and Japan from competing in the Olympic Games due to their involvement in World War II. Germany had already previously been banned from competing in the 1924 Parisian Games due to their role in World War I.  In 1972 at the Munich Games Palistinian terrorist broke into the Olympic Village taking the Israeli athletes hostage. Eleven of these athletes were subsequently murdered as the rescue attempt went tragically wrong, (Epsy 1981). At the 1976 Montreal Games South Africa were banned from competing because they had banned all black athletes from participating in sport in South Africa.  Another political event was the boycott of the Moscow Games in 1980. The boycott of the Moscow Olympics is the most damaging of all the political actions that have affected the Olympics over the years, (Segrave and Chu 1981 p104). This was so because these Games saw a massive reduction in the number of competitors of one of the Super Nations and so the competitions did not reflect who was truly the best at the time. The American Government boycotted the Moscow Games in 1980 because the Russia had invaded Afganistan. In response to this Russia then retaliated four years later boycotting the Los Angeles Games in 1984, (Epsy 1981 and Tomlinson and Whannel 1984). The 1996 Atlanta Games were a big political showcase for America. The Games allowed the US to show how rich, powerful and prestigious America is. The Games which were known as the Coca-Colympics because of the official sponsor being Coca-Cola. Coincidently the head office of Coca-Cola is based in Atlanta, and Coca-Cola paid over $500m for this status, (Coakley 2001).  The aspect of female participation over the years has changed. Over the past century it is clear to see that there are inequalities for female participation. This can be seen at the turn of the century where in the 1896 Games in Athens there were no female participants at all. This has still not been fully rectified to date, with only 34% of the competitors at the 1996 Atlanta Games being female. Compare this to Sydney 2000, where still only 38% of competitors were female, (Coakley 2001).

Essay Topics - Choosing the Right Essay Topic

Essay Topics - Choosing the Right Essay TopicEssay topics are an important element of your paper. While it is important to provide interesting content for the paper, it is equally important to choose the right essay topic that is relevant to the type of learning and study you will be doing. It is only by studying the specific topic you will be working on that you will be able to put all the information that you have learned into practice.The topics should be chosen by you from the content you have already accumulated while researching on the web, browsing through educational materials, or reading textbooks. Then, decide which topics are more relevant to your field of study. You can do this by looking at the subject heading on those topics or by searching using a specific search engine. Find topics that appear relevant to your area of study and then carefully consider the topic you want to write.Most students will start out with essay topics that relate directly to their subject. This is fine but sometimes we become bored with them. We may be trying to find new subjects to write about. Your choice of essay topics should be one that is highly relevant to your area of study and that you enjoy writing about.Many times students will write expository essay topics that can be worded in a variety of ways depending on the style used in the academic writing classes that they took. Use your school's style of writing to come up with something that can be used in different situations. Make sure that the topic is something that you would like to write about but that it is not something that you may find hard to write about or something that cannot be used in your class or with your grade in mind. If you can use it in class, it will make it easier for you to review what you have written.If you are writing about a subject that is not related to your specific area of study, then you should be able to come up with a topic that is related to your specific subject. As a first step , try to think of possible topics that you would like to write about if you were to become a teacher. Once you have decided on your topic and have a good idea of what you would like to write about, it is time to consider what type of topics you would like to write about.There are several categories of topics that you can choose from. Once you have narrowed down your topic, you can begin to look for resources to use as the foundation for your article. Essay topics should be considered carefully as there are many things that you can learn from them that will help you in other areas of your career.To be a good teacher, you must also be a skilled writer and am able to teach students who have interesting subjects that can be discussed in a unique teaching method. Your expository essay topics should be unique in some way, whether it is a topic that you have worked on before or an idea that you have developed based on a specific experience. An expository essay should always have some relev ance to your topic of study so that you can apply it to your teaching.There are some essay topics that are suitable for both undergraduate and graduate level courses. However, some topics are better suited for certain types of classes. For example, research papers are best used in areas of science, while medical and law topics are more suited for nursing, psychology, and law. The same goes for expository essays and reports, which are usually best used in courses such as English and Communications.

Theories of international relations Essays

Theories of international relations Essays Theories of international relations Essay Theories of international relations Essay A structural query in the social sciences and associated areas as we know it today has deep roots in the history of Western thought. To find out the fundamental, constitutive, structures into which the sensory data of human observation and experience fall: this was a fundamental objective of the ancient Greeks, to go back no far in time (S. Sambursky, 1956). The Greek root of word idea refers to pattern, relationship, or constitution. When we speak of Platos doctrine of Ideas, we might better speak of his principle of Forms, for this is specifically what they were. Granted that these were ideal, even heavenly units in Platos philosophy, it relics true, as Cornford has stressed, that Plato was also a cosmologist, keenly interested in the nature of the actual, experiential world, social as well as physical.   In Platos cosmology there is a thoughtful sense of reality as comprised by not discrete data but shapes and forms mathematical in character (F. M. Cornfo rd, 1952). Nor where Platos student and absconder Aristotle has any less interested in structures. As all interpreters of Aristotle have stressed, it is the living being, and with it growth, that dominates Aristotles mind as the basic model of structure. Organismic structure is, indeed, one of the oldest and most determined models to be found in Western philosophy and science. From Aristotles day to our own, with barely any lapses, the philosophy of an organism has been a significant one: sometimes with stress on the more static aspects, as in anatomy, but other times on the dynamic elements which are found to be constitutive, as in physiological processes, with growth. Structuralism can be inert in character, or it can be hereditary and dynamic. Contending purely organism model of structure have been as a minimum two others: the mathematical and the mechanical. Most likely the first is at least as old as the organismic. The earliest, pre-Socratic Pythagorean School of philosophy sought to reveal that reality is mathematical- that is, formed by irreducible geometrical patterns. As, the Pythagorean philosophy exercised great influence upon Plato, and much of his own cosmology contains efforts to refine the Pythagorean view of the geometric structures which form the real. The notion that reality is eventually mathematical in character is of course a very powerful one at the present time. A basic notion is interest in the relationships, the connections, within which we discover primitive elements of matter and energy. The perfunctory conception of structure, though also very old, enjoyed a renascence in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the consequence in substantial degree of the influence on all thought of such physical philosophers as Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. It was nearly expected, given the great repute of these and other minds engaged in the search for laws, systems, and structures in the physical world, that the type of systems and structures they set forth in astronomy, physics, and mechanics must have excited the interests of those concerned mainly with man and society. To see society as a great machine with prototypes of equilibrium, action and reaction, and association of parts to the whole was alluring indeed, as so numerous of the ventures in social physics or social mechanics in the eighteenth century make evident. As with biology and the replica of the organism, mechanics and its model of the machine offered both statics and dynamics. Structuralism in sociology and associated disciplines has a long history insofar as its fundamental grounds are concerned. As Raymond Williams has written: We need to know this history if we are to understand the important and difficult development of structural and later structuralist as defining terms in the human sciences.( Raymond Williams, 1956). There are numerous major, and diverse, outsets of structure to be found in the social sciences of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but at the extraction of all of them lie in one relation or other the biological, mathematical, and mechanical models of reality which have wield strong effect upon so many areas of knowledge over the past numerous millennia in the West. Challenges of Structuralism Through the decline of student movements by the early seventies, the slipping and incorporation and commercialization of broader counter-cultural propensities, the appearance of an international economic crisis, and the rise of Thatcherism and Reaganism, the cultural theories and the politics of the critical theory that inclined the New Left were called deeply into question. For several especially in Britain and France, Althussers theory of cultural apparatuses, joint with semiotic theories of discourse, and his overall project of a scientific, structuralist Marxism, appeared the apparent alternative to the failures of humanist Marxism, especially the Hegelian Marxism of the Frankfurt tradition. More usually, a rediscovery of the political economic practicalities of Marxism was called for in opposition to the unrealistic and romantic humanism of critical theory. The challenge of structuralism (and its commencement of social reproduction and related semiotic theories of discourse) pro ved critical for the revision and rethinking of the cultural theory of critical theory in the seventies. Of decisive significance here was a reassessment of the tasks of critical theory as a form of empirical research, as well as a rethinking of the nature of the association between culture, the state and social movements. The job of surveying the response of critical theory to structuralism and structuralist semiotics is intricate by the difficulties of differentiating the composite of tendencies symbolized by structuralism and post structuralism, as well as the arbitrariness of separating off cultural analysis from other concerns of critical theory. There is a certain difficulty in separating out the reaction of critical theory to structuralism as opposed posting structuralism; given that they share numerous assumptions and that their reception took place more or less concurrently for many of those with access to the original French texts. The main justification for such a separation, beyond the significant theoretical shifts entailed, is that the focus of structuralism theories of society is the imitation of culture, whereas the focus of poststructuralist theories is in part the impracticality, or as a minimum difficulty, of any positive, representational theory of culture in the former sense. Gidde ns provide a practical characterization of these underlying continuities. Poststructuralist authors, such as Derrida and Foucault, were reacting against aspects of structuralism thought and yet were obliged to many of its varied assumptions and arguments such as the work of de Saussure, Là ©vi-Strauss, Althusser, Lacan, and early Barthes). Though handled distinctively in structuralism and post-structuralist writing, a number of shared themes can be identified: †¦the thesis that linguistics, or more accurately, certain aspects of particular versions of linguistics, are of key importance to philosophy and social theory as a whole; an emphasis on the relational nature of totalities, connected with the thesis of the arbitrary character of the sign, together with a stress upon the primacy of signifiers over what is signified; the decentring of the subject; a peculiar concern with the nature of writing, and therefore with textual materials; and an interest in the character of a temporality as somehow constitutively involved with the nature of objects and events. There is not a single one of these themes which does not bear upon issues of importance to social theory today. Equally, however, there is not one in respect of which the views of any of the writers listed above could be said to be acceptable. (Giddens, 1987:196) The precise boundaries of the theory of culture are also notoriously difficult to define. Some focus on More narrowly an artistic notion of culture, others slip into a more generic and inclusive one. As Nelson and Grossberg note in their recent collection: †¦cultural theory is now as likely to study political categories (such as democracy), forms of political practice (such as alliances), and structures of domination (including otherness) and experience (such as subjectification) as it is to study art, history, philosophy, science, ethics, communicative codes or technology. Cultural theory is involved with reexamining the concepts of class, social identity, class struggles, and revolution; it is committed to studying questions of pleasure, space, and time; it aims to understand the fabric of social experience and everyday life, even the foundations of the production and organization of power itself. Consequently, it is all but impossible to define the terrain of cultural theory by pointing to a finite set of object-domains or to the search for a limited set of interpretive tools. (1988:6) Cultural phenomena of Structuralism Structuralism contains and combines numerous elements of a classical epistemological dichotomy between quintessence and appearance in terms of the continuum between depth and surface. Là ©vi-Strauss, who were mainly instrumental in exercising this geological metaphor, liken the configuration of cultural phenomena to their layering as in strata, and the considerate of such phenomena in terms of the excavation of these stratums and an exposure of their patterns of interrelation. Elements of a culture, are the surface manifestations or demonstrations of underlying patterns at a deeper level equally within time, the ‘synchronic’, and through time, the ‘diachronic’. What de Saussure has provided, and what stands as perhaps the most momentous and binding element of all structuralism, is that the fundamental pattern or structure of any cultural phenomenon is to be understood in terms of a linguistic allegory. The lexical terms or items of vocabulary within such a language are offered by the symbols that subsist within social life, that is, the representations that attach to or arise from the substantial state of things or materiality itself. The grammatical rules of this metaphoric language are offered by the act, the continuous and habitual act, of significance. So the diversities of ways that we make sense in different cultures variously articulates and therefore gives rise to the diverse ‘languages’ that our cultural symbols comprise. The involvedness of this system of meaning is compounded by the fundamentally arbitrary relation between any particular object and state of affairs and the symbolic (linguistic) device that is engaged to indicate its being. Thing likeness, then, as objective and recognizable within any culture, derives not from any association between names and named but from a precisely poised structuring of otherness in our restricted network of ideas. Thin gs are not so much what they are but appear from a knowledge of what they are not, indeed a system of oppositions; the principle at the core of any binary code. Now the tenderness of this structuring of otherness remains secure, certainly, it appears as vigorous through the very practice of sociality, through the perseverance and reproduction of that tenancy relation at each and every turn within a culture. Meaning, then, within a particular culture, emerges from convention overcoming the random relation between the signifier and the signified. Convention replicates culture, and culture is conditional upon reproduction within structuralism. Bourdieu is devoted to the development of a critical yet indebted theory of culture and as such his ideas provide a significant contribution to our understanding of both power and power within our society. He began from an analysis of the education system and the part that its institutions play in the formation and diffusion of what counts as legal knowledge and forms of communication: †¦the cultural field is transformed by successive restructurations rather than by radical revolutions, with certain themes being brought to the fore while others are set to one side without being completely eliminated, so that continuity of communication between intellectual generations remains possible. In all cases, however, the patterns informing the thought of a given period can be fully understood only by reference to the school system, which is alone capable of establishing them and developing them, through practice, as the habits of thought common to a whole generation. (P. Bourdieu, 1971, p. 190) It is here that he divulges elements of a Durkheimian epistemology through his interest in the supporting character of cultural representations, the production and continuation of a social consensus that is a concept parallel in significance to the idea of a Collective consciousness’, and through the supposition of the social origins and perseverance of knowledge classifications. He is, though, critical of what he sees as Durkheim’s positivism in that it depends upon a stasis, and also that Durkheim believes the functions of the education system to be expected (J. Kennett, 1973). A major contribution of Bourdieu’s thought has been his improvement of a series of influential metaphors to eloquent the subtle relation of power and dominion at work in the social world and through the stratification of culture. Most notable is that which he draws from political economy when he speaks of cultural capital: ‘†¦there is, diffused within a social space a cultural capital, transmitted by inheritance and invested in order to be cultivated.’ (P. Bourdieu, 1971, p. 192) Stratified socialization practices and the system of education function to distinguish positively supportive of those members of society who, by virtue of their location within the class system, are the ‘natural’ inheritors of cultural capital. This is no crude conspiracy theory of a cognizant manipulation, somewhat what is being explored here is the prospect of a cultural process that is self-sustaining and self-perpetuating. This process is observed as carrying with it a framework of anticipation and tolerance of stratification and privilege. In this way Bourdieu moves from the ideological function of culture into a wakefulness of the weird efficacy of culture in that it is seen as structuring the system of social relations by its execution. Therefore, as Bourdieu makes clear, even within a democratic society this demonstration of disguised machinery continues to reinstate the inequalities of a social order which is pre-democratic in character and anti-democratic in essence. Structuralism in modern society The culturalist custom shares with the Marxist at least two major theoretical suppositions: first, the investigative postulate of a necessary, and quite elemental, disagreement between cultural value on the one hand, and the developmental logic of utilitarian capitalist civilization on the other; and secondly, the regulatory imperative to locate some social institution, or social grouping, adequately powerful as to protract the former against the latter. Culturalist hopes have been variously invested in the state, the church, the mythical intelligentsia and the labor movement; Marxist objectives in theory much more consistently in the working class, but in practice also in the state, as for communist Marxism, and in the intelligentsia (and very often more particularly the literary intelligentsia) for Western Marxism. Structuralism accepts neither analytical postulate nor regulatory imperative. For the former, it substitutes a dichotomy between manifestation and essence, in which esse nce is revealed only in structure; for the latter, a scientistic epistemology which characteristically denies both the need for dictatorial practice and the prospect of meaningful group action. There are numerous diverse versions of structuralism, of course, both in wide-ranging and as applied to literature and culture in particular. But, for our purposes, and very broadly, structuralism might well be distinct as an approach to the study of human culture, centered on the search for restraining patterns, or structures, which claims that individual phenomena have connotations only by virtue of their relation to other phenomenon as elements within a systematic structure. More particularly, certain kinds of structuralism those denoted very often by the terms semiology and semiotics can be recognized with the much more particular claim that the methods of structural linguistics can be effectively generalized so as to apply to all features of human culture. Structuralism secured entry into British academic life initially during the late sixties and seventies. But in France and structuralism has been a devastating Francophone affair it has a much longer history. The basic continuity between structuralism and post-structuralism is, nevertheless, not so much logical as sociological. Where Marxism desired to mobilize the working class, and culturalism at its most thriving at any rate, the intelligentsia, against the logics of capitalist industrialization, both structuralism and post-structuralism donate to a very different, and much more modest, intellect of the intellectual’s proper political function. In an observation truly directed at Sartre, but which could just as easily be intended toward Leavis, Foucault writes thus: For a long period, the†¦intellectual spoke and was acknowledged the right of speaking in the capacity of master of truth and justice†¦ To be an intellectual meant something like being the consciousness/conscience of us all some years have passed since the intellectual was called upon to play this role. A new mode of the â€Å"connection between theory and practice† has been established. Intellectuals have got used to working, not in the modality of the â€Å"universal†, the â€Å"exemplary†, the â€Å"just-and-true-for-all†, but within specific sectors, at the precise points where their own conditions of life or work situate them†¦ This is what I would call the â€Å"specific† intellectual as opposed to the â€Å"universal† intellectual (Foucault, 1978). Anti-historicism is a much more characteristic defining feature of structuralism. Both Marxism and culturalism translate their aversion to utilitarian capitalist civilization into historicity persistence that this type of civilization is only one amongst many, so as to be capable thereby to raise either the past or an ideal future against the present. By contrast, structuralism characteristically inhabits a never-ending theoretical present. The only significant exception to this observation is Durkheim, whose enduring evolutionist we have already noted. But so structuralism is his commencement both of primitive â€Å"mechanical solidarity† and of compound â€Å"organic solidarity,† that Durkheim cannot in fact account for the shift from the one to the other, accept by a badly masked resort to the demographic fact of population growth, which necessitates, on his own definition, a theoretically illicit appeal to the non-social, in this case, the biological (Durkheim, 1964 ). So structuralism is Durkheim’s basic preoccupation that this account of the dynamics of modernization becomes, effectively, theoretically incoherent, an allegation that could be leveled at neither Marx nor Weber, Eliot nor Leavis. And after Durkheim, even this residual evolutionism disappears from structuralism. Conclusion Structuralism’s anti-historicism directs it to take as given whatever present it might choose to study, in a fashion quite alien both to culturalism and to non-Althusserian Marxism. This positively makes possibly a non-adversarial posture in comparison with contemporary civilization; it does not, however, require it. A stress on structures as deeper levels of realism, inundated beneath, but nonetheless shaping, the realm of the empirically obvious, can very easily permit for a politics of de mystification, in which the structuralism analyst is understood as piercing through to some furtively hidden truth. For so long as this hidden reality is seen as somehow confusing the truth claims of the more apparent realities, then for so long can such a stance remain attuned with an adversarial intellectual politics. Even then all that eventuates is noticeably enfeebled, and fundamentally academic, versions of intellectual extremism, in which the world is not so much changed, as conside red differently. And again, while structuralism is certainly attuned with such radicalism, it does not need it. Hence the rather peculiar way in which the major French structuralism thinkers have proved capable to shift their political opinions, usually from left to right, without any corresponding amendment to their particular theoretical positions. For structuralism, as neither for culturalism nor for Marxism, the nexus between politics and theory appears irreversibly contingent. This permutation of positivism and what we might well term â€Å"synchronism† with an obligation to the demystification of experiential reality propels the whole structuralism enterprise in a fundamentally theoretic direction. A science of the stasis, marked from birth by an inveterate anti-empiricism, becomes almost inevitably preoccupied with highly abstract theoretical, or formal, models. Hence the near ubiquity of the binary resistance as a typical structuralism trope. Theoretical anti-humanism arises from fundamentally the same source: if neither change nor process nor even the finicky empirical instances are matters of real concern, then the intentions or actions of human subjects, whether individual or collective, can simply be disposed of as extraneous to the structural properties of systems. In this way, structuralism infamously â€Å"decentres† the subject.

Biography of Banastre Tarleton, British General

Biography of Banastre Tarleton, British General Banastre Tarleton (August 21, 1754–January 15, 1833) was a British Army officer during the American Revolution who became notorious for his actions in the southern theater of the war. He gained his reputation for brutality following the Battle of Waxhaws, where he reputedly had American prisoners killed. Tarleton later led part of Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis army and was crushed at the Battle of Cowpens in January 1781. Remaining active until the end of the war, he was captured following the British surrender at Yorktown that October. Fast Facts: Banastre Tarleton Known For: American RevolutionBorn: August 21, 1754 in Liverpool, EnglandParents: John TarletonDied: January 15, 1833 in Leintwardine, EnglandEducation: Middle Temple in London and University College at Oxford UniversityPublished Works:  A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North AmericaSpouse(s): Mary Robinson (not married, long term relationship ca. 1782–1797) Susan Priscilla Bertie (m. December 17, 1798–his death in 1833)Children: Illegitimate daughter with Kolima, (1797–1801) Banina Georgiana Tarleton Early Life Banastre Tarleton was born August 21, 1754, in Liverpool, England, the third child of John Tarleton, a prominent merchant with extensive ties in the American colonies and the slave trade. John Tarleton served as the mayor of Liverpool in 1764 and 1765, and, holding a position of prominence in the city, Tarleton saw that his son received an upper-class education including studying the law at Middle Temple in London and University College at Oxford University. Upon his fathers death in 1773, Banastre Tarleton received 5,000 British pounds but promptly lost most of it gambling at Londons notorious Cocoa Tree club. In 1775, he sought a new life in the military and purchased a commission as a coronet (second lieutenant) in the 1st Kings Dragoon Guards. Taking to military life, Tarleton proved a skilled horseman and displayed strong leadership skills. Early Career In 1775, Tarleton obtained permission to leave the 1st Kings Dragoon Guards and proceeded to North America as a volunteer with Cornwallis. As part of a force arriving from Ireland, he took part in the failed attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina in June 1776. Following the British defeat at the Battle of Sullivans Island, Tarleton sailed north where the expedition joined General William Howes army on Staten Island. During the New York Campaign that summer and fall he earned a reputation as a daring and effective officer. Serving under Colonel William Harcourt of the 16th Light Dragoons, Tarleton achieved fame on December 13, 1776. While on a scouting mission, Tarletons patrol located and surrounded a house in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where American Major General Charles Lee was staying. Tarleton was able to compel Lees surrender by threatening to burn the building down. In recognition of his performance around New York, he earned a promotion to major. Charleston Waxhaws After continuing to provide able service, Tarleton was given command of a newly formed  mixed force of cavalry and light infantry known as the British Legion and Tarletons Raiders in 1778. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, his new command was largely comprised of Loyalists and at its largest numbered around 450 men. In 1780, Tarleton and his men sailed south to Charleston, South Carolina, as part of General Sir Henry Clintons army.   Landing, they aided in the siege of the city and patrolled the surrounding area in search of American troops. In the weeks before Charlestons fall on May 12, Tarleton won victories at Moncks Corner (April 14) and Lenuds Ferry (May 6). On May 29, 1780, his men fell upon 350 Virginia Continentals led by Colonel Abraham Buford. In the ensuing Battle of Waxhaws, Tarletons men butchered Bufords command, despite an American attempt to surrender, killing 113 and capturing 203. Of the captured men, 150 were too wounded to move and were left behind. Known as the Waxhaws Massacre to the Americans, it, along with his cruel treatment of the populace, cemented Tarletons image as a heartless commander. Through the remainder of 1780, Tarletons men pillaged the countryside instilling fear and earning him the nicknames Bloody Ban and Butcher. With Clintons departure after the capture of Charleston, the Legion remained in South Carolina as part of Cornwallis army. Serving with this command, Tarleton took part in the victory over Major General Horatio Gates at Camden on August 16. In the weeks that followed, he sought to suppress the guerrilla operations of Brigadier Generals Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter, but with no success. Marion and Sumters careful treatment of civilians earned them their trust and support, while Tarletons behavior alienated all those he encountered. Cowpens Instructed by Cornwallis in January 1781 to destroy an American command led by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, Tarleton rode west seeking the enemy. Tarleton found Morgan at an area in western South Carolina known as the Cowpens. In the battle that followed on January 17, Morgan conducted a well-orchestrated double envelopment that effectively destroyed Tarletons command and routed him from the field. Fleeing back to Cornwallis, Tarleton fought in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and later commanded raiding forces in Virginia. During a foray to Charlottesville, he unsuccessfully attempted to capture Thomas Jefferson and several members of the Virginia legislature. Later War Moving east with Cornwallis army in 1781, Tarleton was given command of the forces at Gloucester Point, across the York River from the British position at Yorktown. Following the American victory at Yorktown and Cornwallis capitulation in October 1781, Tarleton surrendered his position. In negotiating the surrender, special arrangements had to be made to protect Tarleton due to his unsavory reputation. After the surrender, the American officers invited all of their British counterparts to dine with them but specifically forbade Tarleton from attending. He later served in Portugal and Ireland. Politics Returning home in 1781, Tarleton entered politics and was defeated in his first election for Parliament. In 1782, after returning to England and supposedly on a bet with her current lover, Tarleton seduced Mary Robinson, ex-mistress of the Prince of Wales and a talented actress and poet: they would have a 15-year relationship, but never married and had no surviving children. In 1790, he won the election and went to London to serve as a member of Parliament for Liverpool. During his 21 years in the House of Commons, Tarleton largely voted with the opposition and was an ardent supporter of the slave trade. This support was largely due to his brothers and other Liverpudlian shippers involvement in the business. Mary Robinson wrote his speeches after he became a member of Parliament. Later Career and Death With Mary Robinsons assistance, in 1787 Tarleton wrote Campaigns of 1780–1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America, an apologia for his failings in the American Revolution, on which he blamed  Cornwallis. Despite Robinsons active role in his life by the late 18th century, Tarletons growing political career forced him to abruptly end his relationship with her. On December 17, 1798, Tarleton married Susan Priscilla Bertie, an illegitimate daughter of Robert Bertie, the 4th Duke of Lancaster. Tarleton had no surviving children in either relationship; although he did have an illegitimate daughter (Banina Georgiana Tarleston, 1797–1801) with a woman known as Kolima. Tarleton was made a general in 1812, and in 1815, he was created a Baronet and received a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1820. Tarleton died in London on January 25, 1833.