Cloud research

Though they worked together for a year, Peterson struggled to bridge the distance between Www and herself. Over lunch, Peterson praised Wow's efforts to broaden his professional skill set by attending weekend sales seminars and networking with colleagues to better understand the business. These efforts, she noted, surely contributed to his success in retaining his large, but only, client. Peterson then reminded Www of her concerns. â€Å"Fred, I'd Like to remind you that your primary focus should be on new business. It seems as If you re spending too much time managing your one client, and that's not your job. Peterson continued, â€Å"As Vive mentioned before, I'd like to be kept abreast of your development efforts, so I know when and if you need help from me, or someone else In the company. I expect you to summarize your efforts every few days on our online sales tool, like everyone else on the team. If you spent more time in the office, I'd have a better sense of your business. Plus, I'm confident you'd glean some helpful selling techniques from your colleagues. † Finally, Peterson questioned the value of the expensive add-on services Www had sold to his client so early In the relationship.Www assured Peterson that all revenue booked?including additional services? originated at his client's request. He emphasized that the networking heed done in the Chinese community was about to pay off: he expected to sign three major new clients In the coming quarter. Www then stated that, because he was about to become the most successful sales executive In the Plano office, he needed his own sales assistant to answer his phone and perform administrative tasks. Peterson hoped her face didn't register her dismay at Wow's request.Only the most senior salespeople at Accountancy, some of whom Juggled more than 30 accounts, had their own sales assistants. The rest of Accountancy's salespeople shared assistants. What was Www thinking? Solely as a basis for class discus sion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. Although based on real events and despite occasional references to actual companies, this case is fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. Copyright 0 2013 President and Fellows of Harvard College.To order copies or request permission to produce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. Hobs. Harvard. Deed. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only by Chugging You in Fall 2014 Engaging and Empowering People taught by Bobbie Ships Texas Christian University from September 2014 to October 2014. 913-560 | Wendy Peterson Accountancy: Background Accountancy was founded in 1988 by Will Gleason, a former accountant, and TravisH arriman, a software engineer. Gleason, a senior executive at a large national accounting firm, felt that many of the back-office accounting functions his firm provided to clients could be automated. Gleason envisioned, and Harriman built, a back-office accounting software product designed for what they felt was an undeserved market: small- and medium-sized businesses, especially those with ambitious growth targets. It was easy for businesses to adapt the Accountancy product as their needs changed or expanded, thanks to the modular design of the software and a comprehensive suite of add-on options.Gleason cultivated relationships with local investors and venture capitalists to gain exposure to possible clients. The founders believed that their competitive advantage would come not only from their superior software but also from their strong client relationships, a combination that companies making off-the-shelf accounting products or large accounting firms were unlikely to replicate. The founders also believed that a flat organizational structure and collegial culture would minimize office politics, strengthen employee morale, and heighten company performance.Soon their business model began to pay off. The product was â€Å"sticky': once businesses implemented the software (a one-time installation cost between $25,000 and $100,000 depending on the scope of desired services) and trained employees on its use, they were likely to renew their annual contracts. Accountants client renewal rate was 25% above the industry average, and most clients retained services for at least four years. In 2010, the firm earned nearly $100 million in revenues, and employed more than 400 employees in ten regional offices located in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.That same year, however, the proliferation of inexpensive, off-the- hell accounting software, combined with a faltering economy, drove down revenues; three of its regions. The founders retired and the new CEO was determined to reignite the company's growth. He replaced the vice presidents of sales in a number of offices with the company's most enterprising young sales directors. Each was given aggressive growth targets. If the revenue goals were met or exceeded, the new leaders and their sales teams would receive a substantial bonus.Wendy Peterson was one of the promoted employees. She was named vice president of sales for Accountants Plano, Texas, office. After consultation with her superior, one of four regional senior vice presidents of sales, she agreed to grow the revenues of her underperforming office by 40% in two years. Accountancy Sales Organization Salespeople (generally referred to as sales executives) invested a significant amount of time getting to know clients and their businesses before submitting an initial proposal and turning the account over to a dedicated service team.Once a member of the sales team signed or renewed a client contract, day-to-day responsibility f or product implementation and service transferred to an Accountancy account service am. Sales executives communicated with account service teams to keep abreast of implementation challenges and of potential add-on services that their clients might need. For new salespeople, the initial focus was outreach. Although some of the salespeople came from competitors, most came from sales or product management positions in other software or services Wendy Peterson | 913-560 companies.New salespeople were expected to mine and leverage their personal networks and to research, cold-call, and cultivate their own lists of local prospects. Unlike most of Accountants employees, who were salaried, annual compensation for sales employees (about 20% of the company's employees) included a base salary component (50% of annual compensation) and a commission component (50% of annual compensation). Escalating incentives existed for exceeding target revenue goals.If sales employees met or exceeded their an nual financial targets and stated professional development goals, they were eligible for base salary increases. Although the salespeople mostly operated independently of each other, there were regional sales employee received a flat bonus payment ($7,000 in 2010). Total insemination ranged from $100,000 for first-year salespeople to $1 for Accountants most experienced sales managers. Background Peterson Joined Accountancy after graduating at the top of her Ivy League university class in 2000 with a degree in economics.A tireless worker with a curious mind, she excelled as a Junior manager on a series of account service teams and earned stellar reviews from both clients and colleagues. By age 28, Peterson was managing account service teams herself. Said Peterson: After six years working on and managing client engagements, I was ready for a change; sales seemed a challenging, and potentially curative, opportunity. I was nervous, though, about fitting in with the sales organization; af ter all, I'd never worked in direct sales or closed new business.So I read books on varying sales strategies, attended weekend sales seminars, and requested to shadow two of the most successful sales directors (a small number of sales executives were promoted to the title of sales director to reflect their exceptional performance or tenure) in my office for the first month. Vive often been described as a â€Å"doer†?if I see a chance to help, I don't Just suggest an idea and wait for someone else to take charge. I like to do things myself. After Joining Accountants sales team it struck me that our senior sales staff benefited most from recurring revenue from our largest, longstanding customers.Their business was steady and required little effort. Junior-level sales executives like me, on the other hand, worked overtime to land new accounts and earned far less than experienced sales directors. As the pressure from management to drive new business increased, I spearheaded a vol unteer mentoring program between Junior and senior sales professionals. The more experienced professionals imparted sales and client management wisdom to their Junior counterparts, in return for â€Å"free† assistance on large accounts.Camaraderie spiked and, I think, an unexpected benefit was that focusing on new business again invigorated senior members of the sales team. I was one of the few sales employees who brought in lots of new business to Accountancy in 2008 despite the global financial crisis; soon after I was promoted to manage the Plano sales organization. To me, the Plano team I inherited seemed disengaged; I believed that changing the culture?by making my team closer and the office more collegial?would boost productivity and revenues. Under my direction, our performance improved, and the team exceeded 2010 targets for new business by 15%.

Caribbean Civilization

Lecture Lesson IV IV. Race, Nationalism, Independence, Dependence and Regionalism. The genesis of colonialism in the Caribbean and how it has taken root in the political, social and economic institutions. Race and Class and how they both cohere to shape the social, political and economic landscape of the Caribbean.Explain and understand how these forces work to determine the mosaic of Caribbean society, for example, how they resonate and reinforce rigid institutional hierarchies in education, politics and religion and they have been the major determinants of stratification and social identity in the region since colonization. Can we divorce race and class from nationalism? Students are then asked to provide an answer to this. What is plantation society and why is still so important to Caribbean society.How race, class and nationalism are bound up in the legacy of the plantation society created by the colonizers. For example features of Plantation Society are:  ¦ – keeping co lonial peoples technologically deficient  ¦ maintaining colonial peoples as producers of primary raw materials  ¦ keeping colonial peoples bound to the mother country through the policy of trade exclusivism  ¦ limited horizontal linkages between the colonies except through the British government  ¦ The legacy of colonialism has shaped contemporary politics in the region.It has led to among other things the establishment of a colour hierarchy white over brown over black. And, it has been institutionalised by the political systems in the region.  ¦ The Comprador Bourgeoisie: In the English-speaking Caribbean, the landowning class owed loyalty ultimately to the metropolis, even though it might have disagreed on particular policies implemented in the colonies or on the correct system of government to be pursued. ‘ More than economic interests, the plantocracy by the end of the nineteenth century was united in defence of its whiteness. The nation states of the region are still struggling to establish sovereignty. This is partly because key roles in decision-making are still assigned to the metropolitan state, to international organizations or to elites allied to external markets, who view the masses of the region not as fellow citizens but as groups to be excluded from society and the polity. In these circumstances, nation-building is incomplete. Examine the rise of the nationalist class with strong family connections and class cleavages and how they usurped the role of the working class and their access to power.As such even though the nationalists led us towards ‘independence’ political parties are still controlled by the middle class, who are often financed by private capital and only using as voting support the mass of the people who are still basically apathetic and alienated from government. One finds that much of government time is still taken up with politicking the community. Examine the role of the nationalists in relation to independence as these contested groups are in conflict as they seek to exclude others from membership.Examine the contradictions within this group as they serve to reinforce dependent relations manifested through coordinated groupings such as the comprador bourgeoisie. ‘Independence’ did not usually result in radical changes in the lives of the majority. Hierarchies were reproduced, just deracialised in the Caribbean. In many cases, the change was mostly a matter of American born whites replacing the British born whites or West Indian intelligentsia, replacing the British colonials. Democratic constitutions were facades. Political and economic power still remained concentrated in the hands of a few linked by class, ethnicity and religion.Examine whether independence is genuine or not. Look at the notion of neo-colonialist tendencies that exist for example: †¢ The economies are still controlled from outside and therefore important decisions on the use of resources t he distributions of wealth and foreign policy is largely also controlled from outside. †¢ Constitutional reality does not always coincide with political reality. The territories of the West Indies still exhibit characteristics of rigidly stratified societies with gross inequalities of wealth and status and an alarming and growing state of unemployment overall poverty and economic dependence. These countries’ independence did not usually result in radical changes in the lives of the majority. Rather, hierarchies were reproduced, just deracialised in the Caribbean. The change was mostly a matter of American born whites replacing the British born whites. Democratic constitutions were facades. Political and economic power still remained concentrated in the hands of a few linked by class, ethnicity and religion. In light, of the above examine if independence is a facade. -Can there be a true West Indian identity since the Caribbean is constructed on faulty premises? What is i t within our psyche that has impeded so natural and so necessary a development in the West Indies? -Look at how race and class and nationalism interweave and how they have helped to undermine more genuine attempts at forging a Caribbean identity. Examine why a West Indian identity is critical to the realization of any integration movement. Outline the negative reasons of what could happen if we do not forge a Caribbean region that draws on our collective strength through unity and for a common brotherhood and enlightened nationalism.How can we best improve our society such as government’s role in involving the people of the region through not only informing them but also fully involving them in the processes of decision-making on the forms of political unity. †¢ For example: That the forms of regional unity do not merely institutionalize social inequality and economic justice but improve our capability to redress them and provide machinery that will make an obligation to do so effectively. †¢ We must have a commitment to the ideal of nationhood and a capability n the part of that leadership to generate that commitment throughout our communities. †¢ We must be ready to act in pursuit of that commitment of a regional identity along with those within the region who share that commitment and resolution. But in so acting we must make clear that we proceed on no basis of divisiveness or of exclusion. †¢ While it is the responsibility of government to initiate action it is essential that the people of the region shall not merely be fully informed but fully involved in the processes of decision-making.That the forms of unity do not merely institutionalize social inequality and economic justice but improve our capability to redress them and provide machinery that will make an obligation to do so effectively. †¢ Education becomes important, but not just any type of education: †¢ Scientific reclamation and revitalisation: †¢ We m ust be able to see ourselves not only as a people with rhythm but also with reason, and intellect. We have to instill in our curriculum scientific technology for a new age. Examine the notion that one of the hallmarks of colonialism was to give to the colonies whatever was obsolete in Europe.And we still find developed countries shipping their discards to the world they helped underdeveloped and we must therefore study the latest technologies and teach them in our schools. The lecture provided other examples which students may wish to research. Drawing on the history of race and class and nationalism and independence and regional integration, it seems clear that any West Indian identity that does not stand on a regional base of social equality and economic justice does not rest on sure foundations and will not survive the stress of internal social upheaval and the shifting sands of uneven regional development. References Beckford, G. (1972) Persistent Poverty, New York: Oxford Unive rsity Press.  ¦ Hall, K. (2001) ‘The Caribbean Community: Beyond Survival,’ Kingston: IRP.  ¦ James, CLR, (1962) ‘The Middle Classes,’ in Lowenthal, D. and Comitas L. (1973) Consequences of Class and Colour: West Indian Perspectives, New York: Anchor Books.  ¦ Levitt, K. and Witter, M. (1996) The Critical Tradition of Caribbean Political Economy, Jamaica: IRP.  ¦ Manley, M. (1982) Struggle in the Periphery, London: Heineman  ¦ Munroe, T. (1985) Introduction to Politics, Jamaica: UWI.  ¦ Nkruhmah, K. (1965) Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism, London: Nelson. Payne, A. and Sutton, P. (1984) Dependency under Challenge: The Political Economy of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Manchester.  ¦ Ryan, S. (1972) Race and Nationalism in Trinidad and Tobago, Toronto: University of Toronto Press.  ¦ Stone, C. (1971) Decolonisation and Political Change in Jamaica and Trinidad, USA: Sage Publications.  ¦ Sunshine, C. (1996) The Caribbean, Surviva l, Struggle and Sovereignty, Washington: Epicon.  ¦ Watson, H. ed. (1994) The Caribbean in the Global Political Economy, Jamaica: IRP.  ¦ Williams, E. (1970) From Columbus to Castro, New York: Harper and Row.

Research Paper for the Career of a Lawyer Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

For the Career of a Lawyer - Research Paper Example ated that the challenges associated with the duties of Lawyers as well as the associated rewards have attracted a large number of people with a desire to facilitate community development through interpretation of laws to various members of the society. In addition, Lawyers may perform their duties outside the court system, but in most cases they work within the court systems defending the rights of their clients. Over a long period of time, I have always had a desire to change people’s lives and make them important parts of the society. The position of a Lawyer provides an important opportunity for people with this interest to work with different people within the society that are faced with challenges of criminal activities to facilitate the formulation of solutions to their challenges. Moreover, I have a passion in working in with different people in order to learn and understand their perceptions regarding the challenges that may compel them to undertake criminal acts. In addition, I would like apply my skills in counseling and mentoring to make important decisions that would change the lives society members that are faced with engagement in criminal acts. Consequently, this position has been associated with a lot of benefits in relation to remuneration and allowances provided to Lawyers; owing to the fact that I would like to lead a better life, I believe that this position shall provide me with the appropriate opportunity to access the benefits associated with it i.e. a platform to advance my career. The benefits of a Lawyer vary from one country to another and also depend on whether a person works as a private lawyer or under a law firm; however in most cases, they are usually provided with an average salary of 48,000 – 58,000 US dollars on an annual basis (Holman 2013). However, this range of salary is usually provided within the Justice System of developed nations and varies from one country to another. Moreover, the differences on the range of

Integration of Peace and Conflict studies to Human Rights study Essay

Integration of Peace and Conflict studies to Human Rights study - Essay Example However, of all the political systems, it is widely argued that democracy is best suited to ensure both peace and the fulfillment of human rights. The question is now posed: do we need democracy to ensure human rights and peace? This paper shall outline the relationship between peace, human rights and democracy. It shall explain the contradictions which are detailed above, and critically evaluate the perceived weakness of democracy. Peace, human rights and democracy are often in close relations with each other (Frowein, 2006). The tenets of democracy are very much based on the peaceful relations of the people. An analysis by Savir, (2008, p. 202) sets forth that peace is a prerequisite to democracy. When people are beset by conflicts, they also have little initiative in engaging in participatory democracy. However, in times of peace, â€Å"societies are receptive to regional and international relationships that allow pluralist ideas to penetrate† (Savir, 2008, p. 202). Furthermore, when the borders of nations are open, open economies also ensue – and later they create cooperation, tolerance and peace among nations. When peaceful relations are installed in any society, more political improvements and economic reforms can be implemented (Savir, 2008, p. 202). Peace is not dependent on the establishment of a democratic form of government. The elements of democracy which include the participation of the grassroots citizens as well as the local government units are important elements which are essential in order to ensure a peaceful nation – even if that nation is not necessarily a democratic one (Savir, 2008, p. 202). A peace which is built on the grassroots level can be easily implemented and nurtured by the people because it comes from their initiative. â€Å"This citizen’s peace will encourage the support and the participation of the people, leading to the democratization of peace and

Divorce who values marriage In the 21st Century Essay

Divorce who values marriage In the 21st Century - Essay Example Ignorance is presented by lack of sufficient information on the expectations of the institution of marriage as well as unrealistic expectations that most couples have before they enter into marriage. All these factors are bound to create dissatisfaction within the marriage leading to divorce as a means to freedom and self-sufficiency (Anne-Marie, 2014). Cases of divorce have been on the rise in the current generation resulting to a number of concerns on the sustainability of the institution of marriage in the present century. Cultural factors is regarded as one of the main causes of divorce presently. This is evident by the increased cases of secularization trends, liberalization of norms regarding individual choice as well as less religious influence on marriage. Marriage has indeed become a personal choice rather than a covenant before God that binds individuals for the rest of their lives. As a result of the emerging sociocultural trends in the world, divorce laws have increasingly been liberalized making it easy for couples to file for divorce. This has made divorce to be socially accepted due to loss of stigma that was initially attached to it and increased opinion that it is the easiest solution to marital problems (Booth, 1999). Increased rise in individualism has led to a lot of emphasis being laid on rights as opposed to duties leading to people viewing the institution of marriage as lacking mutual responsibilities. Individualism that is marked by an ideology of self-gratification has greatly affected marriages as people seek divorce in search of happiness, companionship and fulfillment. Lack of tolerance within marriages as is the case in the United States and other Western nations does not offer room for solving marital problems as they emerge. Divorce can also be traced to demographic factors such as the age at which people get married. Past studies have indicated that youthful marriages are more prone to divorce than those who

Consumer Buying Behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer Buying Behavior - Assignment Example This involves a detailed study of how buyers think and behave during purchase situations, and what factors may influence their tastes and preference towards certain brands. Consumer buying behaviour is, therefore, the study of the ways of buying and disposing of goods, services, ideas or experiences by individuals, groups, and organizations in order to satisfy their needs and wants (Kotler & Hibbard, 2014). Alternatively, consumer buying behaviour â€Å"refers to the buying behaviour of final consumers, both individuals and households, who buy goods and services for personal consumption† (Hibbard, 2014,). This occurs when the consumer is immensely involved in the purchase process, and there are notable contrasts amongst the brands to acquire. This implies that the consumer has to conduct research about the product/service and the marketers must, therefore, supply all-inclusive information with regards to product/service characteristics. A medical example, in this case, is when a hospital wants to acquire medical equipment such as x-ray machines for the hospital. The hospital’s procurement officer (consumer) is highly involved because of th e significant financial involvement (high risk) in the acquisition, and the unfamiliarity with the commodity. There are many brands according to manufacturers (about 75 suppliers) and they are used for different purposes. This compounded with the fact that they have different price tags makes the consumer very sceptical. He must, therefore, conduct thorough research to eliminate brands that do not suit the hospital’s need requirements and fit his budget plan respectively. Here, consumer participation, while acquiring the product/service, is low, and there are noteworthy contrasts between the brands. The consumers attempt to find variations in products or services. Thus, the marketers must rally the market to buy their commodities through means such as promotions, publicity and advertising. A medical example, in this case, includes medical cosmetics for products like toothpaste.

Jim Crow and Black Migration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jim Crow and Black Migration - Essay Example The uproar, mostly in south, was a clear indication of racial inequality for African-Americans. The invitation laid a foundation stone for the complete acceptance and integration of blacks in American life. Washington eating dinner with Roosevelt and his family at one table conveyed a clear message of social equality both to southerners and African-Americans. At the time when America was not ready to confront such issues, Roosevelt’s decision helped to further the cause of African-American communities. Washington was struggling for racial harmony and the President strongly encouraged him through dinner invitation at the White House. Despite racist personal attacks from several politicians in response to the invitation, President’s effective governance enabled him to further the cause of black equality in America. Washington was already enjoying wide financial support in the black community and Northern whites. However, he required support among high political figures to the resistance in the South. President Roosevelt’s dinner with Washington helped remarkably to improve the working relationship between the races.

For developing countries what are the advantages and disadvantages of Assignment

For developing countries what are the advantages and disadvantages of participating in the global garment industry - Assignment Example creasing development in this industry is due to the availability of a cheap work force, ready market and easy transportation due to its negligible weight (TAYLOR, 2009). Developing countries have maximized their raw materials and there has been dramatic increase in the production which now accounts for about 70% of the world export on clothing. However, the garment industry is not left far behind as it accounts for about 3.2% of the world’s manufacturing export (TAYLOR, 2009). Developing countries’ involvement in the global trade, especially in the garment industry has both positive and negative impacts. On the positive impacts is the fact that this industry has increased the level of employment reducing unemployment in developing countries, which has been one of the major epidemics. For example, in Bangladesh, about 1.5 million workers are absorbed in these industries which are about 65% of the total workforce (Hoque, 2005). In Morocco, about 40% of the total human resources are also absorbed into this industry. Second advantage is the increased level of foreign exchange or export earnings. These increased earnings are very vital in any developing countries since it is a source of revenue through which the government injects into development projects so as to improve the living standards of its citizens (TAYLOR, 2009). In Bangladesh, this industry contributes to about 75% of the country’s total export earnings. In Mauritius, it is about 64%, while in Sri Lanka it is about 50%, and in Tunisia it is about 40%. Next is that it has some considerable total added value of merchand ise exports. This is evident in countries such as Bangladesh which is about 55%, Turkey being 28%, while in Morocco and Pakistan it is 20% (TAYLOR, 2009). On the other hand, linearization of trade has disadvantages in all industrial sectors, garment industry being inclusive. First is that these developing countries have removed all the trade barriers which may later lead to

Foreign Investment in Malaysia and Its Impact on Economic Growth Essay Example for Free

Foreign Investment in Malaysia and Its Impact on Economic Growth Essay Foreign direct investment (FDI) means an international capital flows in which a firm in one country creates or expands a subsidiary in another (Krugman Obstfeld, 2006). Directly, it means the subsidiary not only has the financial obligation towards its parent company, it extends to the same organizational structure and value. Theoretically, companies involve in FDI due to cost saving on the location, usage of abundance resources, technology transfer, vertical integration (coordinating supply and demand to an agreed price) and currency exchange that will reduce cost and increase value to shareholders. FDI in a host country is expecting to boost the manufacturing and services industry and consequently boost up the economy. FDI impact on economy and social The area has been widely studied by economist and among others, in East Asia, FDI is used as channel of increasing capital stock and it has positive effect on the economic growth in Vietnam (Thu Thi, Paitoon, Bangorn, 2010) and more growth in Vietnam if the invest is done in education, training, financial market development (Anwar Lan Phi, 2010). FDI increase wages of skilled and unskilled labour (Oladi, Gilbert, Beladi, 2011) and it could increase the household spending in the host country. However, the distance of investors from origin country to destination or host country plays an important role in promoting FDI in the latter. This is a sample of macroeconomic gravity impact whereby the investors easily commute from their home country and understanding of the custom and language could reduce the barrier in communication. Foreign investment could contribute in ethical and structural norm in an organization rather than the western cultural transfers. Local cultural norm shall be adhered to during the negotiation process in order to have a win-win situation between investors and local entrepreneur. It is also discussed that political stress may impacted the inflow of FDI by tightening the rules and regulation which in turn will make the investment environment in destination country is less attractive compare to global environment. FDI are positive correlated with network (Shaner Maznevski, 2011) and regional integration (Nathapornpan Piyaareekul Peridy, 2009); host countries’ levels of financial market and institutional development, better governance and appropriate macroeconomic policies (Polpat, Bangorn, Paitoon, 2011; Vadlamannati, Tamazian, Irala, 2009); productive improvement and learning experience from previous FDI (Takechi, 2011). Therefore, a good support from the government is vital in promoting the FDI in host country. Not only FDI expect good support from the government, study shows that FDI creates instability and worsen crisis (Kazi, 2011). The way to control FDIs in one country are defined the terms and sectors which they are allowed to invest; do a thorough risk assessment on the portfolio; and resolve global dispute in an organization such as World Trade Organization (Cohen, 2009). FDI and determinants are co-integrated. Among determinants FDI factors in Malaysia are openness of a company, interest rates, inflation rate, China joining WTO1 and level of corruption.(Ting-Yong Tuck-Cheong, 2010). Comparing to ASEAN as a whole, FDI is looked as more market-seeking rather than profit-seeking due to growing internal markets (Siew-Yong, Chen-Chen, Hui-Boon, 2010). Contrary, Prema-chandra and Swarnim (2011) found that FDI in Malaysia has eroded compare to outflow to another countries. World Trade Organization Facts on FDI in Malaysia (2002-2011) Annual percentage growth rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market prices based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources2. Data from World Bank (Chart 1 and Chart 2) revealed that FDI into Malaysia has a significant increment over past decade. However, there was a drop of FDI net inflows in 2009, due to world economic recession in 2008. The uptrend is picking up to a highest point at approximately USD12 billion from the last decade. Comparing to our neighboring country, Thailand, whom has a higher GDP, it has the same effect except the decline trend after 2010. It might be influenced by political crisis in Thailand since 2008 that effected international companies’ decision to extend their business in Thailand. From Chart 3, we gathered that the gross capital formation for Malaysia approximately between 20% to 25% of our GDP, with the lowest point at 17.84% in 2009 after 2008 recession. Foreign investment inflows are following the same trend and it clearly shows that FDI dropped synchronize with capital formation following the recession.

Entrepreneurial Ambitions Essay Example for Free

Entrepreneurial Ambitions Essay Abstract An entrepreneur is someone who goes into business for themselves, hoping to expand and maximize profit. Throughout this report, I will briefly explain two of the premiere entrepreneurs who took a risk and it paid off. Entrepreneurial Ambitions It’s not about the price one charges for his goods and services, nor is it about the competition or how to beat them. It’s all about the customers and clients. Your clients are the ones who generally decided whether your product fails or succeeds (goods, services, 2008). Many famous and non famous entrepreneurs become who they are for a plethora of reasons. Some embark on this experience to avoid being taken advantage of, conflict in work environment, but most just want to call their own shots and be the boss. When I think of a successful business entrepreneurs, the first name that comes to mind is the gentleman by the name of Sean Combs. Growing up in the mean streets of Harlem, New York, becoming a successful mogul and businessman was only an after thought. Living to see the age 15, in which majority of his childhood friends weren’t fortunate to do was his first priority. Being an entrepreneur, one has to be willing to take a calculated risk in which you accept all responsibility if your idea fails. Sean Combs came up with a strategic plan to lower the cost of his merchandise and make it more affordable for people on a budget. Aside from having one of, if not the biggest record labels in the industry, he also is the joint owner of a alcoholic beverage that goes simply by the name of Ciroc (Grabow, 2008). Ciroc is a brand of alcoholic beverage, manufactured in France and marketed as vodka (Grabow, 2008). In 2007, the beverage’s first year of existence, the sales were slow, only moving 120,000 cases that year. By 2009, Comb’s second year with the brand, the cases more than doubled and moved 400,000 cases. Today, this vodka is the number one selling beverage of all time, with revenue that exceeds more that 100 million dollars. The next entrepreneur I want to discuss is one who’s made her mark in the industry for decades now. She goes by the name of Oprah Winfrey. It’ll take me some time to list her numerous accolades, so I’ll just name a few ways she’s made an impact on people’s lives. She endorsed a political candidate for the first time, hosting a fundraiser for senator and now president Barack Obama (â€Å"Political, candidate†, 2011). It is widely believed that her support was crucial to his winning the Democratic nomination, and presidency itself. She also founded the Family for Better Lives Foundation and also contributes to her alma mater, Tennessee State University (A and E Television Network, 2011). It’s had to pick just one approach and leadership style that I most identify with. The type of business I’m aiming to venture into requires both social responsibility and profit oriented. Growing up, I was always a fan of the latest apparel. But do to the economic crisis, I wasn’t able to afford, nor wear the clothing I always wanted. I understand that do to the recession, companies are forced to increase the prices to maximize profit; also do to the increase of prices I was forced to focus more on my needs more than my wants. That’s why my plan is to assemble a clothing line to compete with all the other leading clothing lines. The only difference is my product will be affordable. I am also an aspiring barber and would like to tie the two together; sell my own brand of clothing inside my barbershop. My barbershop will differentiate among its competitors. In addition to styling hair, there will also be a salon for women. I’m sure you’re thinking, â€Å"What’s so different about that?† We all know how boring it can be while your children  sit and waits there for hours for their mother to gets their hair done. That’s why I plan to incorporate a game area so the kids can have fun while waiting. The game room will include a playpen, bowling, snack area, etc. All the resources available through the Small Business Administration and â€Å"score† are intriguing and helpful, but the three that best fits my entrepreneurial approach are International Trade, Small Business Developmental Center, and Office of Governments. International Trade, whose goal is to enhance a company’s ability to compete internationally, will help my clothing line gain exposure all over the world. This will give me an opportunity to expand my brand globally. We all know that starting a business can be challenging and time consuming. The Small Business Developmental Center aims to give educational advice/service for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs such as myself (â€Å"Educational Advice†, 2007). Office of Government Contracting Business Development, whose mission is to help enhance the effectiveness of small business programs by working with government contracting and business development programs offices and others to develop policies, regulations, and statutory changes (â€Å"business, programs†, 2005). References A and E Television Network, 2011 â€Å"Educational advice† 2007 Grabow, Chris. (2008). Biography of Sean Combs â€Å"Political Candidate† 2011

Outsourcing ICT In The Tesco Company

Outsourcing ICT In The Tesco Company This is a report about Tescos company ICT outsourcing, knowledge management and knowledge management systems. In the following paragraphs two questions are going to be answered and analyzed according to the information existing in Tescos case. Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organizations as an approach to strategic management. Access the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organization such as Tesco. The great competition and the global economic crisis that organizations have to face nowadays, made Information Communications Technology outsourcing a really attractive management tool in order to cut expenses in non-core activities, specific in overheads of Information Technology departments. By deciding to outsource, there would be a lot of benefits but also a number of risks associated with it. It is important for a decision maker to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of ICT outsourcing, before making the decision to outsource. Outsourcing ICT has to do with the whole existing information in the business field. It is about networks, web design, programming, online shops etc. Network services is the most common ICT services activity outsourced and outsourcers who do not comply with contract will badly influence the organizations process in a very risky way. The Technology of information and communication is growing fast and the vendor business has to be updated and synchronized with the era of 2010. So it would be far easier for them to sell their products and serving their customers in every possible way. Big organizations that have to deal with so many products from soap to bread it would be more difficult to take the risk and create their own Information and communication department from scratch and keep it upgraded while their whole process is running. The result of this difficulty in Tescos case is to outsource ICT specific functions to Trilogy Company. The advantages of outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. ICT is vital to Tesco. Every aspect of their operation is controlled or monitored by ICT stock, distribution, payroll, communication methods, and so on. ICT is essential to the running of a modern store. It is used for planning, monitoring, auditing and communicating between store operations. For example, when an item has its barcode read at the checkout, the system not only logs the price onto the till, but also logs the financial transaction between Tesco and the customer and the fact that the stock has been reduced by one item. This shows the integration of departments by using ICT. All stores are connected to the mainframe at Head Office via the Tesco Network. Another advantage of Outsourcing ICT from a business perspective is that organizations are realizing that owning and operating their own IT infrastructure no longer makes sense. The cost of that is much bigger and the results are never guaranteed. This coupled with the common resource lack make outsourcing a viable alternative. It is very important for organizations to adopt the right approach of outsourcing ICT in order to have benefits. The outsourced ICT selected company they are going to cooperate with, must follow certain organizations demands. First they have to manage well specific ICT functions in stages, to work with responsibility over review performance, to make adjustments and to support technically with experienced system engineers. The gained confidence and in-house acceptance by the organization as well a very good relationship and cooperation will give the best benefits in the organizations performance. With the right approach and the suitable outsourcing of ICT the organizations will manage to stay high at the competitive edge in the market. Serving the customers in the best way and surprising with new ways of purchasing their products (for ex. via online-shops), their loyalty will be kept and the margins will be increased. A big company like Tesco has many sub-stores, some in the same country and some abroad. The communication between them and the line the company sets everywhere should be well established. ICT helps in this area and it is the primary reason that chain branches use ICT. In summary outsourcing ICT for a company such as Tesco is important for increasing the ability to reach the goals of the company, reduce human risks, saving time, helping the company to stay competitive and minimize the operating costs. The Disadvantages of Outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. As it was already mentioned above, the outsourcing ICT has also disadvantages that raise the risk the company has to take. For example, at times, it is more cost-effective to conduct a particular business process, rather than outsourcing it, not that much in IT but maybe the companys upgrade wants are small and opposed to the ICT Companys big fees. When you begin to outsource your business processes, you might find it difficult to manage the offshore provider when compared to managing processes within your organization. In case, your outsource ICT service provider becomes bankrupt or goes out of business, your organization will have to transfer immediately the business processes in-house or find another outsourcing provider The employees in your organization might not like the idea of outsourcing your processes and they might express lack of interest or lack of quality at work. Also outsourcing can create potential redundancies for your organization because a lot of employees may lose their jobs. Your outsourcing provider might not be the right who is providing services for your organization. Also the quality of the service isnt always guaranteed, especially in low-price agreements. Since your provider might be catering the needs of several companies, there might be not be complete devotion to you and your company something that shouldnt happen if you own the ICT department. In outsourcing, you may lose control over the process that is outsourced and dont be able to fix something in time because you are not in charge of this field. Outsourcing, though cost-effective, might have hidden costs, such as the legal costs incurred while signing a contract between companies and you might also have to spend a lot of time and effort in getting the contract signed. There can be several disadvantages in outsourcing, such as, renewing contracts, misunderstanding of the contract, lack of communication, poor quality and delayed services amongst others. The disadvantages of outsourcing give to organizations an opportunity to think about what they are stepping into. However if you find a reliable outsourcing partner you probably wont face any of these disadvantages of outsourcing. Question 2 What do you understand by Knowledge management and knowledge management systems? Analyze how useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. Knowledge Management refers to the process of collecting the gathered experience of a company or organization, whether it is in databases or documents, or even in the minds of executives of the company or organization and then share it and use it at those parts of the business that will provide the maximum contributory benefit. KM has been growing rapidly in the last years as a business model. More and more businesses and organizations have developed stores of knowledge related to customer service, product development, human resource management, etc. This fact also created new jobs related to knowledge management and made a necessity for the existence of knowledge management in a modern business and the need for trained managers to be responsible for the process. Nowadays fields like media, information, computer science, public policy and public health have started contributing to Knowledge Management research. Also non-profit organizations and huge companies have resources specific to internal Knowledge Management efforts, usually as a part of their business strategy, human resource management and information technology departments. There are many consulting companies that advice and provide strategy regarding KM to the organizations. For the better use of Knowledge Management the companies needed to use Knowledge Management Systems   mostly IT based systems that manage the knowledge in companies , gather it, storage it and sharing it as information. Such systems as Software tools, databases, networks, Internet access, worldwide communication etc. A KM system is needed to enable employees to have quick access to the organizations databases, sources of information, and solutions, this is mainly helping to encourage innovation and improve efficiency. When employees have the knowledge or information and are able to use it at the right time, relationships with customers, suppliers and dealers improve. These workers are able to make better decisions by using the information that their company gives them access to. How useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. A Company like Tesco today has to gather the wisdom and knowledge as fast as they can. Share the results across the rest of their branches and at the same time continue to develop and share new knowledge. Tescos leaders know how serious is to let the knowledge flow within the organization. Tesco is consist of 220,000 human beings, which means that is necessary to make an environment that would help their staff feel motivated and valued with return the better service to their customers. Loyalty is basically driven by personal relationships and the employees are the face of the company when a customer enters a Tesco branch. From the results of the projects that have been taking place they realized that there were customers who were not experiencing warm and friendly service from Tesco and that internal levels of staff morale were suffering in reaction to increasingly ambitious cost and efficiency targets in stores. Trilogy (WhatIf, InterAction and Bridge consulting companies) was hired by Tesco to help transform the quality of its customer service and raise it to the market-leading standard. To reach the needs of Tescos millions of customers Trilogy developed the Living Service Programme. The main idea of this concept was to change for the best. It was also clear that its aim was the change of process and not the change of the people but by, with and for Tesco people. In many ways the Living Service Programme is Tescos recognition, through committed investment of time and money. Among the projects significant intangible benefits is the widely noted enhancement in the quality of dialogue and communication within stores. Staffs report that the them and us culture is practically a thing of the past, with deep effects on the work climate and employee attitudes to the company. The programme was designed to improve commitment bottom-up as well top-down in the organization and this needed to be clear to avoid the misunderstandings. It was undertaken by 660 stores in 26 weeks, in this period the staff trained to provide excellent service and cooperation with the other employees and also using the knowledge/information when needed. The usefulness of LSProgramme was obvious to the head managers of Tesco and the Trilogy Company but from the employees there was skepticism. People often feel vulnerable to the importation of techniques that may appear to criticize their behavior, values, and styles of interaction. Also Initiatives with really innovative attributes may be treated with suspicion if they come from the organizations leadership because their apparent oddity can be interpreted as a failure to understand the day to day reality of the business. One of the key enemies of change is the perception that change is being imposed by one group upon another. Tesco managed to redirect the evolution of its culture in a way that keyed into its employees beliefs and motivations while focusing faithfully on the needs of its customers. This was a project in which the personal became the practical: a case of cultural change carried out at the human scale, person by person, and action by action.

The Digital Divide Essay example -- Papers

The Digital Divide Digital Divide is often described as the gap between those with access to technology (e.g. computers and the Internet) and those who have not. It is a social and political issue that started since the early 1990’s and is believed to have grown over the years. There is also such thing as â€Å"Global Digital Divide†, and this refer back to the gap between developed and developing countries. At present, programs such as BBC’s Computeraid try and help solve this social problem by donating computers in rural areas and helping educate people. Digital Divide isn’t just about the access of people to such facilities but also described as the differing levels of IT skills within the society. Digital Divide is often referred back to the haves and have-nots, also known as the rich and the poor. In earlier years, they have been described as the middle and working classes, although these sectors vaguely exist in the society at present. The haves are people who can afford to buy these new technologies such as compute...

Our Kinds of People :: essays research papers fc

Cultural capital is specialized knowledge. They are symbols that you are given access to because of your upper class status. The children’s club Jack and Jill is full of these symbols. It is believed that the original Jack and Jill nursery rhyme was French and written about the beheadings of King Louis XVI and his bride Queen Marie Antoinette. The lyrics were changed to make the song more appealing to children. It later became a tale of sacrifice. In Our Kinds of People the children had to make sacrifices when in the club, and because of their association other children teased them (Graham, 1999, p.35) On all the Jack and Jill chapter websites that we came across the first thing it states underneath the chapter name is, â€Å"Providing nurturing and guidance for our future leaders† (www.jjfarwest.org/phoenix/). The phoenix chapter goes on to list their mission statement as follows; â€Å"Our mission is to provide an avenue for our children to develop bonds that will f oster spirituality, strong leadership skills, achievement and lifelong friendships. These bonds will lead to strong, positive images, promote sharing and caring, and support our children as they participate in age appropriate community and educational activities† (www.jjfarwest.org/phoenix/). Each year, the organization publishes an annual yearbook called Up the Hill, which features photos and reports from local chapters as they detail service, cultural, and social activities of the prior year. (Graham, 1999, p. 34)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The many different chapters, as well as the prestigious clubs for the men and women, portray cultural capital. They all must hold keys to get accepted into the groups. In Preparing for Power they needed to hold certain keys to be able to further their lives in the elite group. We think that the processes were very similar in both books. In Preparing for Power as well as the movie, Born Rich, it talked about living up to your family name and following in your parent’s footsteps. In Our Kinds of People it is just as important, although the context differs slightly, in that with the blacks it was not only a class issue but a color issue as well. In the book Lawrence Otis Graham even mentions that he had his nose altered and was instructed from his grandmother at a young age to stay out of the sun so his black skin didn’t get any darker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We think that Graham’s concerns about there being black elite are justified.

Accounting Records Required Essay

The general rule of the Companies Act of the Section 167(1) state that every company and the directors and managers thereof shall cause to be kept such accounting and other records as will sufficiently explain the transactions and financial position of the company and enable true and fair profit and loss accounts and balance sheets and any documents required to be attached thereto to be prepared from time to time, and shall cause those records to be kept in such manner as to enable them to be conveniently and properly audited. Thus, Beta Sdn Bhd, a private company, shall keep the accounting and other records of the company. The Beta Sdn Bhd, the company is required to keep records of the company’s financial transactions. The records must contain sufficient detail to enable the financial position of the company to be determined at any time and so that the directors can ensure that any profit and loss account or balance sheet complies with the requirements of the Companies Act 1965. The records should contain all details of any income and expenditure and a record of the company’s assets and liabilities. By virtue of section 167(3), the Beta Sdn Bhd should kept the records at the registered office that referred to in subsection (1) or at such other places in Malaysia as the directors think fit and shall at all times be open to inspection by the directors. See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at all times the ? nancial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the ? nancial statements comply with the Companies Act 1965. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and consequently for taking all possible steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. By virtue of section 169 (14) every balance sheet of the private company, Beta Sdn Bhd shall give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the period to which it relates and every profit and loss account shall give a true and fair view of the profit or loss of the company for the period of accounting as shown in the accounting and other records of the company, and without affecting the generality of the foregoing, every such balance sheet and profit and loss account shall comply with the requirements of the Ninth Schedule so far as applicable thereto.

Looking Glass Essay

Socialization is a sociological approach that attempts to explain how people learn cultural morals and the responses and emotions that differentiate us from animals that are driven merely by the drive to survive and reproduce. Socialization starts from the assumption that humans are more than animals that do whatever it takes to survive. Instead humans recognize that they are part of a group, and they observe other humans for guiding cues on how they should respond. When a baby is born it observes its mother to learn how emotions work and what the proper response to different events should be. Gradually as the child learns that it is a separate being from its mother and other humans it learns to think about its own reactions and responses and how they differ from those of other people. In this stage the child may deliberately test things out by trying a different response than the one approved by other people. Eventually, the child settles into a pattern of being able to regulate their own responses and empathize with what others want and how they respond. In this way socialization is a careful dance in which the developing human learns to balance their own independent desires and responses with those of t he people around them. George Herbet Mead Mead contributed to the concept of socialization by exploring how significant other people around a person affect that person. He showed socialization as a dialectical, or reasoning, process in which the human may have to decide between their own personal desires and those of the group around them. Mead also contributed greatly to the method of studying socialization by showing that verbal communication isn’t the only way people socialize each other. Instead nonverbal, symbolic communication is even more important. Mead’s work in showing the importance of nonverbal, symbolic communication has tremendous application for sociologists and psychologists. Also once a person is conscience of the nonverbal communication that people use they are able to notice a lot of things that other people don’t. This can lead to them being better managers, leaders, etc. Charles Cooley Cooley contributed to the concept of socialization by developing the â€Å"looking glass self† theory. This theory explains socialization as a reflection process in which a person develops a self-image that is constructed based on how other people view him/her. In this way a person is socialized by trying to adjust their self-image. Cooley’s work was probably the basis for labeling theory. It helps explain why in some cases people develop a negative self image that causes them to become worse, not better. Some people can’t reconcile their self-image with the desired self-image and once they label themselves as criminals, or drug users, etc they find it even harder to leave those patterns. The â€Å"looking glass self† theory could be used to help rehabilitate convicted felons and criminals by developing a better socialization process for such ones. John Bowlby Bowlby contributed greatly to the concept of socialization by exploring the manner in which children learn from their mothers. He described the early stages of socialization by analyzing the way mothers and babies communicated symbolically with eye dilations and facial expressions. The mother uses this symbolic communication to teach her child how to respond to threats and stresses by showing the emotion that the baby should and does imitate. Bowlby’s work has practical application in showing why children should spend as much time as possible with their mothers or with a mother figure during their early years. It explains why orphaned babies often don’t do as well emotionally if they don’t have someone to pick them up and teach them these responses through interaction. Bowlby’s work is also important because it suggests that single parent families where the mother must go off to work are a major disadvantage for the children as they don’t get as much of a chance to interact with their mother and learn those responses as they  should. Symbolic interaction and the looking-glass self In hypothesizing the framework for the looking glass self, Cooley said, â€Å"the mind is mental† because â€Å"the human mind is social.† Beginning as children, humans begin to define themselves within the context of their socializations. The child learns that the symbol of his/her crying will elicit a response from his/her parents, not only when they are in need of necessities such as food, but also as a symbol to receive their attention. Schubert references in Cooley’s On Self and Social Organization, â€Å"a growing solidarity between mother and child parallels the child’s increasing competence in using significant symbols. This simultaneous development is itself a necessary prerequisite for the child’s ability to adopt the perspectives of other participants in social relationships and, thus, for the child’s capacity to develop a social self.† The words â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† only hold relevance after one learns th e connotation and societal meaning of the words. George Herbert Mead described self as â€Å"taking the role of the other,† the premise for which the self is actualized. Through interaction with others, we begin to develop an identity about who we are, as well as empathy for others. This is the notion of, ‘Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.’ In respect to this Cooley said, â€Å"The thing that moves us to pride or shame is not the mere mechanical reflection of ourselves, but an imputed sentiment, the imagined effect of this reflection upon another’s mind.† (Cooley 1964) [edit] Three main components of the looking-glass self.  There are three main components of the looking-glass self (Yeung, et al. 2003). 1. We imagine how we must appear to others. 2. We imagine the judgement of that appearance. 3. We develop our self through the judgments of others. Studies of the looking-glass self The term â€Å"looking-glass self† was coined by Cooley after extensive psychological testing in 1902, although more recent studies have been published. In 1976 Arthur L Beaman, Edward Diener, and Soren Svanum (1979) performed an experiment on the Looking-Glass Self’s effect on children.  Another study in the Journal of Family Psychology in 1998, measured the validity of the looking glass self and symbolic interaction in the context of familial relationships. Self reflection study On Halloween night, 363 children trick-or-treated at 18 different homes in Seattle, Washington. Each of these 18 homes was selected to take part in the experiment and was in turn arranged in similar ways. In a room near the entry way there was a low table and on it was a large bowl full of bite sized candy. A festive backdrop was also placed in sight of the candy bowl with a small hole for viewing; behind the backdrop was an observer who would record the results of the experiment. The experiment was conducted in the same way at each of the 18 different homes, with each home conducting two different conditions of the experiment, self-awareness manipulation and individuation manipulation. All of the homes conducted both conditions; half of the homes conducting self-awareness manipulation while the other half conducted individuation manipulation. In each of the conditions a woman would answer the door commenting on the children’s costumes and inviting them in. She would then inst ruct the children to take only one piece of candy from the bowl and excuse herself to another room. Self-awareness manipulation Self-awareness manipulation was the first of 2 conditions performed in Beaman, Diener, and Svanum’s experiment. The self-awareness manipulation condition was performed with a mirror placed at a ninety degree angle directly behind the entry-way table fifty percent of the time. The mirror was placed in such a way that the children could always see their reflection in the mirror when taking candy from the bowl; the other half of the time there was no mirror in place and the children were left anonymous. Individuation manipulation There was some concern that the children involved in the study would only see their Halloween costumes and not their own self reflections, so a second condition was performed in Beaman, Diener, and Svanum’s experiment. This second condition was called individuation manipulation. The individuation manipulation condition was performed in the same way as the self-awareness  manipulation. After greeting the children the woman at the door would ask each of the children their name and where he or she lived. These questions were asked in such a way that the children would think nothing of it because many other homes asked the children their names on Halloween night; however, no effort was made to identify the children involved. Just as in the first condition, a mirror was used half of the time and was removed for the other half of the experiment. Results The children involved in the experiment were split into several different categories based on the results of the experiment. The criteria consisted of age, group size, and gender. Out of the 363 children involved in the study, 70 children transgressed when instructed not to. Children who arrived in groups were more likely to transgress than those children who arrived alone; 20.4% to 10.3% respectively. Children arriving with adults were not included in the study. Gender The genders of those who participated in the study were recorded by the unobtrusive viewer from behind the festive backdrop. Out of the 363 children, only 326 children’s genders could be determined because they were wearing Halloween costumes. Of those children whose genders could be determined there were 190 boys and 136 girls. While Cooley suggests that girls have a far higher impressionable social sensibility it was not the case in this study, as boys transgressed more often than girls. More boys transgressed with the mirror present, than without; 35.8% to 15.6%. This was the same for girls; 13.2% to 8.4%. Age While the exact age of each child could not be determined due to the children’s anonymity, approximate ages were given to each child by the unobtrusive observer. The average age of the children was eight years old. The results of the study were split up into different categories based on the approximate age given to each child. The age groups were as follows: ages 1-4, 5-8, 9-12 and 13 or older. The rate of transgression rose with the age of the child; the 1-4 year olds had a rate of transgression of only 6.5% while the 5-8 year olds transgressed 9.7% of the time. The two older age groups transgressed far more often than the younger groups; children aged 9-12 transgressed 23.6% of the time while the children aged 13 and older had a rate of transgression of 41.9%. Family study of the looking glass self The research article was included in the Journal of Family Psychology in 1998. The researchers, Cook and Douglas, measured the validity of the looking glass self and symbolic interaction in the context of familial relationships. The study analyzed the accuracy of a college student’s and an adolescent’s perceptions of how they are perceived by their parents. The 51 participants of this study included four family members (mother, father, college student and adolescent) who returned surveys. The families were primarily white and middle class. The college student and adolescent were paid ten dollars each, if each family member completed the survey. Three areas were investigated: assertiveness, firmness, and cooperation. In reference to the three areas respondents were asked the following: how they behave toward the target, how the target behaves toward them, and how they think they are viewed by the target. The study identified the looking glass self as a â€Å"metapercept ion† because it involves â€Å"perception of perceptions.† One of the hypotheses tested in the study was: If â€Å"metaperceptions† cause self-perceptions they will necessarily be coordinated. The hypothesis was tested at the individual and relationship levels of analysis. Findings of the familial study The study determined that the hypothesis is strongly supported at the individual level for cooperation for both college students and adolescents, but is only partially supported for assertiveness for college students. Also for college students, at the relationship level with their mothers the study supported assertiveness. There was an irregular finding regarding firmness in the mother-adolescent relationship that indicated that the firmer adolescents were perceived by their mothers, the less firm they rated themselves in the relationship. While there was not strong support of the hypothesis on the relationship level, on the individual level the findings suggest that how college students and adolescents think about themselves is directly correlated to how they think they are perceived by their parents. Looking glass self in contemporary society Using computer technology, people can create an avatar, a customized symbol which represents the computer user. For example, in the virtual world Second Life the computer-user can create a humanlike avatar that reflects the user in regard to race, age, physical makeup, status and the like. By selecting certain physical characteristics or symbols, the avatar reflects how the creator seeks to be perceived in the virtual world and how the symbols used in the creation of the avatar influence others’ actions toward the computer-user. See also Symbolic interactionism Notes 1. ^ The term is sometimes hyphenated in the literature, sometimes not. Compare, for example, the titles of Shaffer (2005) and Yeung & Martin (2003), below. 2. ^ From Charles Horton Cooley, Human Nature and the Social Order, New York: Scribner’s, 1902, pp. 152: â€Å"In a very large and interesting class of cases the social reference takes the form of a somewhat definite imagination of how one’s self–that is any idea he appropriates–appears in a particular mind, and the kind of self-feeling one has is determined by the attitude toward this attributed to that other mind. A social self of this sort might be called the reflected or looking glass self: ‘Each to each a looking-glass Reflects the other that doth pass.’ As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glass, and are interested in them because they are ours, and pleased or otherwise with them according as they do or do not answer to what we should like them to be; so in imagination we pe rceive in another’s mind some thought of our appearance, manners, aims, deeds, character, friends, and so on, and are variously affected by it.† References Beaman, Arthur L., Diener, Edward, and Klentz, Bonnel. â€Å"Self-Awareness and Transgression in Children: Two Field Studies.† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 37 (1979): 1835-1846. Cooley, Charles H. Human Nature and the Social Order. New York: Scribner’s, 1902. Confer pp. 183-184 for first use of the term â€Å"looking glass self†. Cooley, Charles H. On Self and Social Organization. Ed. Schubert Hans-Joachim. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. ISBN 0226115097. (pp. 20-22) Cook, William L., and Douglas, Emily M. â€Å"The Looking Glass Self in Family Context: A Social Relations Analysis.† Journal of Family Psychology 12, no. 3 (1998): 299-309. Coser, Lewis A., Masters of Sociological Thought : Ideas in Historical and Social Context, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1971. ISB N0155551280. He has a http://web.archive.org/web/20070814013608/www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Cooley/COOLWRK.HTML chapter] on Cooley and the Looking Glass Self. Hensley, Wayne. â€Å"A Theory of the Valenced Other: The Intersection of the Looking-Glass-Self and Social Penetration.† Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal 24, no. 3 (1996): 293-308. McIntyre, Lisa. The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. ISBN 0072885246. Shaffer, Leigh. â€Å"From Mirror Self-Recognition to the Looking-Glass Self: Exploring the Justification Hypothesis.† Journal of Cl inical Psychology 61 (January 2005): 47-65. Starks, Rodney. Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. ISBN 0495093440. (pp. 73-75) Yeung, King-To, and Martin, John Levi. â€Å"The Looking Glass Self: An Empirical Test and Elaboration.† Social Forces 81, no. 3 (2003): 843-879. Sociology – Cooley’s â€Å"The Looking Glass Self† Symbolic Interactionism, Sociological Theory, Charles Cooley Share Article | Jul 9, 2009 Nicholas Morine The looking-glass self is a popular theory within the sociological field known as symbolic interactionism. It explains a formation of self-image via reflection. Amongst prominent symbolic interaction sociologists, Charles Cooley stands out as an historic contributor to the field in the sense that he coined one of the largest theories applicable within it – the theory of â€Å"the looking glass self.† What is meant by this statement is a notion that, even as infants, human beings form their very selves from the reflections and responses gained by their earliest behaviours visited upon the â€Å"other,† or any participant in one’s earliest socialization. Three Main Components of The Looking Glass Self The rudiments of Cooley’s sociological theory can be reduced to three facets. One imagines how they appear to others.One imagines the judgment that others may be making regarding that appearance. One develops a self-image via their reflection; that is, the judgments or critique of others. There are not many among the general population who do not imagine how they must look to others, how their actions must look to those observing, and finally – changing themselves or perhaps rebelling against change due to the judgments of others they interact with. A large portion of personalities are determined by the reactions to appearance, speech, beliefs, actions, and so on. The reflections, or impressions, that people gain from other people in society are formative in nature – from the look on a doting mother’s face to that of a stern father when one has stolen a cookie from the jar – human beings are influenced by the exchange of symbols, and from the reacti ons one gains from those exchanges, from early infancy. Ads by Google Careers In Sociology Get your degree online faster than you think. Financial Aid Available. www.University-College.com Sociology Major College Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from American Public University. www.APUS.edu Understanding â€Å"The Looking Glass Self†, Symbolic Interactionism The looking glass self is directly related to self-awareness; indeed, self-awareness may be said to be formed via the process of undergoing the process coined by Cooley. The concept is somewhat related to the psychological concept of projection; human beings interpret the reactions of others that they socialize with in regards to appearance, speech, mannerisms (all symbols) and project these interpretations unto themselves. One’s self-awareness is thus heavily influenced by these social responses, and to some degree persons become reflections of what they see projected unto them by others – a summation of the symbolic interactions and exchanges between their selves and â€Å"the other.† When people receive a negative or condescending response to  their appearance from a variety of persons they might socialize with, they might begin to view themselves as less physically attractive or app ealing. When they receive a positive or encouraging response to jokes or comedy, they become more apt to engage in these social behaviours or to take pride in their verbal skills. In this way, people are directly moulded, influenced, and in some cases entirely built up around the reflections of themselves that they see in others. The medium used to express these feelings, especially in the earliest stages of development, is the realm of symbolic interaction. Not all cues are verbal, but a simple frown, snort of disdain, or look of amusement are all symbols which bear greater social meanings. Consider Cooley’s Words and Theory, â€Å"On Self and Social Organization† In order to understand this more deeply, one might lastly consider the following statement from Cooley’s On Self and Social Organization : â€Å"The thing that moves us to pride or shame is not the mere mechanical reflection of ourselves, but an imputed sentiment, the imagined effect of this reflecti on upon another’s mind.† Read more at Suite101: Sociology – Cooley’s â€Å"The Looking Glass Self†: Symbolic Interactionism, Sociological Theory, Charles Cooley http://political-philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/sociology_cooleys_the_looking_glass_self#ixzz0lW6kCgkr From Charles Horton Cooley, Human Nature and the SocialOrder. New York: Scribner’s, 1902, pp. 179-185. Charles Horton Cooley The Looking-Glass Self The social self is simply any idea, or system of ideas, drawn fromthe communicative life, that the mind cherishes as its own.Self-feeling has its chief scope within the general life, notoutside of it; the special endeavor or tendency of which it is theemotional aspect finds its principal field of exercise in a world ofpersonal forces, reflected in the mind by a world of personalimpressions. As connected with the thought of other persons the self idea isalways a consciousness of the peculiar or differentiated aspect  ofone’s life, because that is the aspect that has to be sustained bypurpose and endeavor, and its more aggressive forms tend to attachthemselves to whatever one finds to be at once congenial to one’s owntendencies and at variance with those of others with whom one is inmental contact. It is here that they are most needed to serve theirfunction of stimulating characteristic activity, of fostering thosepersonal variations which the general plan of life seems to require.Heaven, says Shakespeare, doth divide â€Å"The state of man in divers functions,  betting endeavor in continual motion,†Ã‚  and self-feeling is one of the means by which this diversity isachieved. Agreeably to this view we find that the aggressive self manifestsitself most conspicuously in an appropriativeness of objects ofcommon desire, corresponding to the individuals need of power oversuch objects to secure his own peculiar development, and to thedanger of opposition from others who also need them. And this extendsfrom material objects to lay hold, in the same spirit, of theattentions and affections of other people, of all sorts of plans andambitions, including the noblest special purposes the mind canentertain, and indeed of any conceivable idea which may come to seema part of one’s life and in need of assertion against some one else.The attempt to limit the word self and its derivatives to the loweraims of personality is quite arbitrary; at variance with common senseas expressed by the emphatic use of â€Å"I† in connection with the senseof duty and other high motives, and unphilosophical as ignoring thefunction of the self as the organ of specialized endeavor of higheras well as lower kinds. That the â€Å"I† of common speech has a meaning which includes somesort of reference to other persons is involved in the very fact thatthe word and the ideas it stands for are phenomena of language andthe communicative life. It is doubtful whether it is possible to uselanguage at all without thinking more or less distinctly of some oneelse, and certainly the things to which we give names and which havea large place in reflective thought are almost always those which areimpressed upon us by our contact with other people. Where there is nocommunication there can be no nomenclature and no developed thought.What we call â€Å"me,† â€Å"mine,† or â€Å"myself† is, then, not somethingseparate from the genera l life, but the most interesting part of it,a part whose interest  arises from the very fact that it is bothgeneral and individual. That is, we care for it just because it isthat phase of the mind that is living and striving in the commonlife, trying to impress itself upon the minds of others. â€Å"I† is amilitant social tendency, working to hold and enlarge its place inthe general current of tendencies. So far as it can it waxes, as alllife does. To think of it as apart from society is a palpableabsurdity of which no one could be guilty who really saw it as a factof life. â€Å"Der Mensch erkennt sich nur im Menschen, nur  Das Leben lehret jedem was er sei.† * If a thing has no relation to others of which one is conscious heis unlikely to think of it at all, and if he does think of it hecannot, it seems to me, regard it as emphatically his. Theappropriative sense is always the shadow, as it were, of the commonlife, and when we have it we have a sense of the latter in connectionwith it. Thus, if we think of a secluded part of the woods as â€Å"ours,†it is because we think, also, that others do not go there. As regardsthe body I doubt if we have a vivid my-feeling about any part of itwhich is not thought of, however vaguely, as having some actual orpossible reference to some one else. Intense self-consciousnessregarding it arises along with instincts or experiences which connectit with the thought of others. Internal organs, like the liver, arenot thought of as peculiarly ours unless we are trying to communicatesomething regarding them, as, for instance, when they are giving ustrouble and we are trying to get sympathy. â€Å"I,† then, is not all of the mind, but a peculiarly central,vigorous, and well-knit portion of it, not separate from the rest butgradually merging into it, and yet having a certain practicaldistinctness, so that a man generally shows clearly enough by hislanguage and behavior what his â€Å"I† is as distinguished from thoughtshe does not appropriate. It may be thought of, as already suggested,under the analogy of a central colored area on a lighted wall. Itmight also, and perhaps more justly, be compared to the nucleus of aliving cell, not altogether separate from the surrounding matter, outof which indeed it is formed, but more active and definitelyorganized. The reference to other persons involved in the sense of self maybe distinct and particular, as when a boy is ashamed to have hismother catch him at something she has forbidden, or it may be vagueand  general, as when one is ashamed to do something which only hisconscience, expressing his sense of social responsibility, detectsand disapproves; but it is always there. There is no sense of â€Å"I,† asin pride or shame, without its correlative sense of you, or he, orthey. Even the miser gloating over his hidden gold can feel the†mine† only as he is aware of the world of men over whom he hassecret power; and the case is very similar with all kinds of hidtreasure. Many painters, sculptors, and writers have loved towithhold their work from the world, fondling it in seclusion untilthey were quite done with it; but the delight in this, as in allsecrets, depends upon a sense of the value of what is concealed. I remarked above that we think of the body as â€Å"I† when it comes tohave social function or significance, as when we say â€Å"I am lookingwell to-day,† or â€Å"I am taller than you are.† We bring it into thesocial world, for the time being, and for that reason put ourself-consciousness into it. Now it is curious, though natural, thatin precisely the same wa y we may call any inanimate object â€Å"I† withwhich we are identifying our will and purpose. This is notable ingames, like golf or croquet, where the ball is the embodiment of theplayer’s fortunes. You will hear a man say, â€Å"I am in the long grassdown by the third tee,† or â€Å"I am in position for the middle arch.† Soa boy flying a kite will say â€Å"I am higher than you,† or one shootingat a mark will declare that he is just below the bullseye. In a very large and interesting class of cases the socialreference takes the form of a somewhat definite imagination of howone’s self–that is any idea he appropriates–appears in a particularmind, and the kind of self-feeling one has is determined by theattitude toward this attributed to that other mind. A social self ofthis sort might be called the reflected or looking glass self: â€Å"Each to each a looking-glass  Reflects the other that doth pass.† As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glass, and areinterested in them because they are ours, and pleased or otherwisewith them according as they do or do not answer to what we shouldlike them to be; so in imagination we perceive in another’s mind somethought of our appearance, manners, aims, deeds, character, friends,and so on, and are variously affected by it. A self-idea of this sort seems to have three principal element:the imagination of our appearance to the other person; theimagination of his judgment of  that appearance, and some sort ofself-feeling, such as pride or mortification. The comparison with alooking-glass hardly suggests the second element, the imaginedjudgment, which is quite essential. The thing that moves us to prideor shame is not the mere mechanical reflection of ourselves, but animputed sentiment, the imagined effect of this reflection uponanother’s mind. This is evident from the fact that the character andfreight of that other, in whos e mind we see ourselves, makes all thedifference with our feeling. We are ashamed to seem evasive in thepresence of a straightforward man, cowardly in the presence of abrave one, gross in the eyes of a refined one, and so on. We alwaysimagine, and in imagining share, the judgments of the other mind. Aman will boast to one person of an action–say some sharp transactionin trade–which he would be ashamed to own to another. It should be evident that the ideas that are associated withself-feeling and form the intellectual content of the self cannot becovered by any simple description, as by saying that the body hassuch a part in it, friends such a part, plans so much, etc., but willvary indefinitely with particular temperaments and environments. Thetendency of the self, like every aspect of personality, is expressiveof far-reaching hereditary and social factors, and is not to beunderstood or predicted except in connection with the general life.Although special, it is in no way separate–speciality andseparateness are not only different but contradictory, since theformer implies connection with a whole. The object of self-feeling isaffected by the general course of history, by the particulardevelopment of nations, classes, and professions, and otherconditions of this sort. * â€Å"Only in man does man know himself; life alone teaches each onewhat he is.† Goethe, Tasso, act 2, sc. 3. Charles Horton Cooley The Work â€Å"Self and society,† wrote Cooley, â€Å"are twin-born.† This emphasis onthe organic link and the indissoluble connection between self and society isthe theme of most of Cooley’s writings and remains the crucial contributionhe made to modern social psychology and sociology. The Looking Glass Self  Building upon the work of William James, Cooley opposed the Cartesiantradition that posited a sharp disjunction between the knowing, thinking sub-ject and the external world. The objects of the social world, Cooley taught, areconstitutive parts of the subject’s mind and the self. Cooley wished to removethe conceptual barrier that Cartesian thought had erected between the indi-vidual and his society and to stress, instead, their interpenetration. â€Å"A separateindividual,† he wrote, is an abstraction unknown to experience, and so likewise is society when re-garded as something apart from individuals. . . .† Society† and â€Å"individual s†do not denote separable phenomena but are simply collective and distributiveaspects of the same thing. . . When we speak of society, or use any othercollective term, we fix our minds upon some general view of the people con-cerned, while when we speak of individuals we disregard the general aspectand think of them as if they were separate Cooley argued that a person’s self grows out of a person’s commerce withothers. â€Å"The social origin of his life comes by the pathway of intercourse withother persons.† The self, to Cooley, is not first individual and then social; itarises dialectically through communication. One’s consciousness of himself isa reflection of the ideas about himself that he attributes to other minds; thus,there can be no isolated selves. â€Å"There is no sense of ‘I’ without its cor-relative sense of you, or he, or they. † In his attempt to illustrate the reflected character of the self, Cooleycompared it to a looking glass: Each to each a looking-glass  Reflects the other that doth pass. â€Å"As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glass, and are interested in thembecause they are ours, and pleased or otherwise with them according as theydo or do not answer to what we should like them to be, so in imagination weperceive in another’s mind some thought of our appearance, manners, aims,deeds, character, friends, and so on, and are variously affected by it.† The notion of the looking-glass self is composed of three principal ele-ments: â€Å"The imagination of our appearance to the other person, the imagina-tion of his judgment of that appearance, and some sort of self-feeling, such aspride or mortification.† The self arises in a social process of communicativeinterchange as it is reflected in a person’s  consciousness. As George H. Meadput it when discussing Cooley’s contribution, â€Å"By placing both phases of thissocial process in the same consciousness, by regarding the self as the ideasentertained by others of the self, a nd the other as the ideas entertained of himby the self, the action of the others upon the self and of the self upon theothers becomes simply the interaction of ideas upon each other within mind.† This somewhat abstract notion can be illustrated by a delightful examplewhich Cooley gave himself when he imagined an encounter between Alice,who has a new hat, and Angela, who just bought a new dress. He argues thatwe then have, I) The real Alice, known only to her maker. 2) Her idea of herself; e.g. â€Å"I[Alice] look well in this hat.† 3) Her idea of Angela’s idea of her; e.g.†Angela thinks I look well in this hat.† 4) Her idea of what Angela thinksshe thinks of herself: e.g. â€Å"Angela thinks I am proud of my looks in thishat.† 5) Angela’s idea of what Alice thinks of herself; e.g. â€Å"Alice thinks sheis stunning in that hat.† And of course six analogous phases of Angela andher dress. â€Å"Society,† Cooley adds, â€Å"i s an interweaving and interworking of mental selves.I imagine your mind, and especially what your mind thinks about my mind,and what your mind thinks about what my mind thinks about your mind. Idress my mind before yours and expect that you will dress yours before mine.Whoever cannot or will not perform these feats is not properly in the game.†Multiple perspectives are brought into congruence through continued multi-lateral exchanges of impressions and evaluations between our minds and thoseof others. Society is internalized in the individual psyche; it becomes part ofthe individual self through the interaction of many; individuals, which linksand fuses them into an organic whole. From Coser, 1977:305-307. Looking good, feeling fit: the relationship between body image and self-esteem This is a coursework site which you can investigate yourself but before you do, you need to be clear about some of the ideas around this topic. Some good links in left-hand margin, to help with the research for your coursework and hints for fieldwork here. Self image – some exercises and suggestions for fieldwork, for your coursework Self esteem Self Presentation Hints for Unit 2 Coursework Try the exercises below and keep your notes for your coursework. Self image In order to gain an idea of your own self image, ask yourself the following questions: What do you do well? What do you do badly? What is your strongest feeling? What is your strongest belief? What is your strongest desire? What is your oldest memory? What is your most shameful lie? What has been your greatest triumph? What has been your most wretched disaster? Who do you love? Who do you hate? Who do you like? Who do you dislike? Are you too tall or too short? Are you too thin or too fat? Are you too clever or too stupid? Who would you like to be? You will find that the responses to these questions fall into certain categories or aspects – emotional, physical and intellectual attributes (qualities or characteristics). These are the things that make up our self image. BACK TO THE TOP Ideal Self Look at your answers to the questions again. Depending on how truthfully you have answered, you may have a picture of your self which is realistic or possibly, your ideal self. Your ideal self is the perfect version of you, physically, intellectually and emotionally. We usually have three versions of ourselves in our heads at any one time, a realistic view of ourselves, an  ideal version which we try to live up to and a looking glass self (Cooley) – this is a version of ourselves that we have reflected back at us by other people, in the way they react to us. For example, we could have an ideal self where we are very kind people but the way people react to us suggests that that is not how other people see us. ACTIVITY Choose a recent digital photograph of yourself – a full length one, preferably. Use your picture editor to distort the picture as I have done below. Which one do you prefer? The third image is the true image. My ideal self would be picture three with slightly slimmer thighs! I have been all of these shapes but was a teenager when the very thin picture 2 – this was my natural shape then. Where do we get our mental image of what our ideal body shape should be? Listen to Sarah talking about the negative comments she gets about being naturally thin. Sources range from our parents, our peers and the media. Here are some possible role models for males and females. Females Males BACK TO THE TOP Suggestions for fieldwork Collect some images of different people with different body shapes – both male and female. Show them to an equal number of males and females, in three different age brackets. 1. Ask them to choose an occupation for each person – give them a selection of high status occupations, middle-ranking occuptions and low status occupations e.g pop star, film star, surgeon, politician, teacher, shop assistant, student, housewife etc. 2. Ask them to match a set of personality characteristics to each picture – give them a range such as out-going, cheerful, mean, bad-tempered, boring etc. 3. Ask them to rank the pictures in order starting with the image they would most like to be like and ending with the one they would least like to be like themselves. Self Esteem Self esteem is how we value ourselves or judge ourselves. Try this exercise to see how you rate yourself. Give yourself a score out of 10 for the following qualities: Patience Honesty Generosity Attractiveness Intelligence Kindness Popularity Creativity Wisdom Maturity Add up your scores and work out the average by dividing your total by 10. Compare your average score with other people in the group. Any surprises? Try this Internet on-line self esteem quiz http://www.queendom.com/cgi-bin/tests/transfer.cgi BACK TO THE TOP Can we recognise people with high or low self-esteem? Make a table of possible outward signs or characteristics of levels of self esteem e.g not making eye-contact etc. Make a role play in a small group and have people take on characters with various levels of self esteem. Use the table of characteristics you have gathered to help you. Let other people in the class watch your role play and guess which characters in your role play have high and low self esteem. Feedback from others Our self esteem can be affected in various ways by other people. Some groups of people have more effect on us than others. Three groups who are especially important are: Significant Others Reference Group Role Models Read this article about role models/heroes and listen to the radio programme/podcast. Self Presentation Our self image and level of self esteem will affect the way we present ourselves to others. Erving Goffman, in his book â€Å"The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life† discusses how we play ‘roles’ to manage the impression other people have of us. He uses the analogy of the theatre, ‘roles’ are like a series of parts we play in life. Think of some of the parts you play – I’ll get you started: Hints for Unit 2 Coursework Some ideas you might explore for your coursework are: Would you be a Size Zero? (Looking good, feeling fit) How does being thin affect your self-identity and self-esteem? (look at the fieldwork examples above) How do we interpret the images we see in the press of fashionable young men and women? Do we identify with them? See them as role models? What do we do with the feedback of others (looking glass self)? (read this article in the Daily Mail) What are the self-maintenance strategies we use to maintain our sense of self-image? Do men and women react the same way to feedback and role models about body image? Pretty in Punk: Can you be a ‘girl’ in a subculture? Traditional ideas of femininity – self image and feedback about being a ‘normal’ female? If you are not ‘pretty’ in the socially accepted definition – long hair, make-up, feminine clothing are you still attractive? Does it matter? How this is expressed in self-presentation through clothing, use of hairstyle, make-up, body shape etc. Good book by Laurain Leblanc Metrosexual Man: Are you one? Is the term ‘metrosexual’ just a fashion statement or is it more of a lifestyle choice or ideology? How do you define your male identity? Is about your personality characteristics? Your attributes? Through the way you present yourself – in clothing, hair or possessions or body shape – muscular, slender? Look at a series of men who ‘appear’ to define their maleness in less stereotypical ways than in the past. Read the article Men in Skirts Metrosexual man is over! Just what is it about moobs? The number of men having breast reduction operations in the UK is rising dramatically, but is this really the result of the media spotlighting the physical flaws of male celebrities? BACK TO THE TOP Sociology/Psychology 530 Lecture 1: DeLamater Exercise 1: Who am I? We have talked in class about how everyone is a â€Å"social object† for everyone else, and that each of us is also a social object to ourselves. In this exercise, we would like you first to take yourself as a social object and, looking at that object, to answer the question â€Å"Who am I?† ten times. That is, ask the question ten times and give ten discrete answers to it. Do it quickly, writing down words and phrases as they come into your mind without censoring them, until you have ten statements. Please do this without considering the other parts of the exercise. After you have done that, â€Å"take the role of the other†, with that other being one of your parents (choose one), and repeat the task. In other words, taking yourself as a social object from your parent’s perspective, list how your parent would answer the question, â€Å"Who is your name here?† Again, assume that your parent was asked to do this task quickly, listing the words and phrases as they come to his or her mind, without censorship, he or she had completed a list of ten answers. Finally, take the role of your best friend and do the same. The Extra Mile Ask one of the significant others themselves to answer the question â€Å"Who is your name here?† Compare his or her list to the list you made when you tried the same task while taking his or her role. Before You Write: Begin by examining your data (the lists you have generated). Consider some of the following: -How are the three lists similar? What words and phrases do all three people (in your opinion, of course) use to describe you? How might you explain the similarities? -How are the three lists different? How do you see yourself in ways that are different from the way you think these significant others see you? Again, how do you explain this? To what extent do you think the differences lie in how you may act differently with them? To what extent is it their needs that lead them to see you differently from the way you see yourself, or from the ways different significant others see you? To what extent might the differences artifacts of your, and your significant others’, places in larger social structures and institutions? Consider the data in light of available theoretical constructs and explanations: -How do theories of the self discussed in Chapter 4 of the textbook and in lecture help you to understand the image of yourself that you hold? To what extent do you believe that your self-image is the result of direct personal experience? To what extent is it a â€Å"looking glass self,† as symbolic interaction would explain it? With how much of it were you born? The Write-Up Draw some conclusions about the relationship of your data to the explanations offered in the course material. Select one central point around which to write your essay. The essay should make references to specific points or concepts from the course material, as well as specific references to relevant points of data.