...this can be seen as Elitism (Pareto, 1935) but essentially it is the ability to do something For example, in the UK system, there are many accounts of both Elitism and Pluralism but realistically, we live in an Elitist state. The definition of authority is based on the power or right to act in a particular way and to influence others. To excise authority, consent is needed. Some may argue that there are three types of authority: charismatic authority, traditional authority and rational-legal authority (Weber, 1958). It can be argued that authority is used to excise social control (McLaughlin, 2008) and even that we, as humans, need authority in order to live (Seligman, 2003). An example of authority in the UK system could be the Prime Minister, as he has the power to “give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience” (Collins English Dictionary, 2009). The definition of legitimacy has many forms and shapes but some may argue that it derives from something that is right and proper. “Legitimacy has both a normative and a sociological meaning” (Keohane and Buchanan, 2006). This argues that normative legitimacy is the right to rule whereas the sociological meaning is the belief to have the right to rule. It can also be said that, legitimacy can be applied to many structures such as states, governments, policies or leaders. This basis is used in UK’s contemporary society. The government in power has legitimacy as it is compliant with the...
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...and explain its implications for feminist theory Click here and here for two recent articles on contemporary Feminism from the New Statesman Magazine and here for a recent Observer article on biology, culture and gender. Click here for Varieties of Feminism In many past societies men and women have performed significantly different social roles and despite a range of economic, political and social changes such differences persist to a considerable extent in the contemporary world. For example in the case of the UK women are still more likely than men to take disproportionate responsibility for childcare and housework; their employment opportunities, although improving, are still worse than men’s and although they finally gained the right to vote in 1928 they are still much less likely than men to become local councillors, MPs or government ministers. There has been great controversy surrounding the extent to which these differences in social roles are explicable by biological sexual differences or by gender differences which are socially constructed rather than biologically determined. Sexual differences refer to biological differences between males and females such that there are variations between males and females in their chromosomes, their reproductive organs and their relative production of different hormones which in turn result in a range of physical differences. Males are on average hairier, have deeper voices and are more prone to baldness in later life. They...
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...Outline and asses the Weberian explanations of the changing structure in the contemporary UK In the last century the class structure in the UK has dramatically altered. In 1911 80% of employment was within a manual sector, meaning that under the registrar-generals model of social stratification they would have been described as working class. By 1995 according to Savage 67.3% of the population would be considered to be middle class. This was due to the closure of the heavy industries throughout the 1980’s and the increase in service occupations. The structure of the upper class has changed dramatically, as the ‘nouveau riche’ experience intragenerational movement the old upper class face loosing their birthrights due to issues such as inheritance tax. Furthermore women now form a bigger proportion of the workforce because of the emancipation of women which was caused by feminist movements and the feminisation of the workplace due to the reduction of manual work. Weber furthered on originally Marxist ideas, claiming that an individual’s class arises from the person’s market situation, meaning there is a division between those who have considerable property meaning they can live off the proceeds and the propertyless that have to sell their labour. However Weber furthered this, as of course, within the propertyless there are those who are able to sell their labour for a higher price, and unlike Marx, Weber saw that more than just different occupational groupings could form classes...
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...Is it suitable for Multicultural Organizations to inherit the assumption that Work Life Balance Policies are Gender Neutral? Introduction Definition Work Life Balance is not a homogenous concept, and not amenable for precise definition as different people interpret WLB differently; the ideal ‘balance’ can vary at stages of the life cycle (Chandra, V., 2012). Experts within the field have faced difficulties in trying to define the concept, regardless of the wealth existing literature on the subject. WLB policies have been defined as ‘those that enhance the autonomy of workers in the process of coordinating and integrating work and non work aspects of their lives (Felstead et al, 2002). From an employees perspectives it is the maintenance of a balance between work and family responsibilities. This definition allows for a wide range of policies to be included under the guise of WLB initiatives. WLB policies in an organizational setting include, but are not limited to, flexible working arrangements, child and dependent care and family and parental leave (Bardoel, 1998). Importance Many Human Resource Professionals, employers associations, government departments, trade unions, academics and voluntary organizations around the world are currently debating and often enacting, policies and practices designed to promote work life balance (Fleetwood, S., 2007). The effective management of WLB is an issue increasingly recognized as of strategic importance to organizations...
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...1. Introduction Equality and diversity in the workplace has become a central topic in the debate within the human resource management literature. Traditionally, society has been divided into different social classes, which arise from different aspects such as access to material resources, access to education and employment opportunity. These divisions in class differences have reflected and have fundamental influence over employment relationships (Williams and Adam-Smith, 2009). However, inequality nowadays is more complex. It has gone beyond the issue of class differences, thus the lack of equality and non-discrimination framework impedes the progress of equality and diversity in contemporary organisations (Fawcett Report, 2013). The presented paper builds on the existing literature on the topic of equality and diversity in the workplace, and aims to examine the role of trade unions, governments and human resource managers in promoting equality and diversity within organisations. Particular difficulties of advancing equality in practice are investigated and solutions to overcome these issues are discussed. Overall, the paper is structured into three main sections. To begin, a short outline of different approaches used in addressing equality and diversity will be considered. The first main section highlights the role of the stakeholders in promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. The second section evaluates numerous challenges preventing the promotion of equality...
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...HRM to businesses in general has been argued to be central and fundamental in order to better enable their business activities and for the fulfilment of their business objectives. In discussing the Resources, Competences and Strategic Capability of Businesses, Johnson and Scholes (1997, Ch 4, p147), say of HRM - “This is a particularly important area which transcends all primary activities. It is concerned with those activities involved in recruiting, managing, training, developing and rewarding people within the organisation”. Others have found evidence that HRM practices can significantly improve a firms performance and for example Dessler (2000 p18) cites research which claims as much as 30% differences (improvements) in financial performance which were attributed to differences in HR practices in banks. He continues to note a study (p 19) which identifies that in 97 metalwork manufacturing plants “Similar evidence of the HR-Performance link has been found”. Elsewhere, as Redman and Wilkinson, Editors (2001 Ch 1, p10) point out, Strategic Human Resource management (SHRM) theory holds that “an organisation’s human resource assets are potentially the sole source of sustainable competitive advantage” This serves to illustrate that HRM has been placed in a central position in an idealised corporate strategy (as in Storeys 1992 normative or prescriptive model) and that some academics have sought to support this theoretical position with analysis and research. Counter to this...
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...PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND RECONCILIATION Name Course Institutions Date Introduction Socially developed and just societies have been founded upon theological intervention. The political actions and Christian involvement in the reconciliation process have been embraced in the contemporary Australian politics. The differences between the indigenous and non-indigenous Australians have been influenced by the absence of knowledge, respect, and understanding. According to the analysis of the theological principles involved in reconciliation, forgiveness and truth are the most paramount virtues of the Christian ways. The aim of the Christian involvement in the public reconciliation domain is to develop a truthful public relationship. Public theology helps in explaining the responsiveness of the indigenous perspectives concerning diversified policy matters. This paper aims at discussing some of the theological principles applicable in the indigenous reconciliation in Australia as well as the lessons that Christians derive from participating in public reconciliation debates. Reconciliation in Indigenous Australia The theological principle of forgiveness has been embraced in the political platforms as a way of ensuring reconciliation. The catholic and the Methodist churches have proposed forgiveness as a way of achieving a conflict free society among the indigenous people. The churches mentioned have also accommodated a large number of people with whom they have connected the...
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...Green Marketing -A case study of British Airways By Daniel Szuster A Master Thesis in Culture, Communication and Globalisation at Aalborg University January 2008 Title: Green Marketing, a case study of British Airways Signs: 133.188 Supervisor: John Hird ----------------- Daniel Szuster Table of Contents Introduction 5 Methodology 7 The Meaning of Green 8 Introduction 10 Theoretical Framework 11 Background Information 13 Theoretical Framework 14 Green Marketing 15 Environmental management 15 Why green marketing? 17 Marketing defined and corporate social responsibility 22 What is Green Marketing? 25 Green marketing strategies 28 Implications for organisations 30 Green Consumerism 34 Consumer behaviour research 35 The green consumer 38 The green buying process 41 Influences on purchase and consumption decisions 47 Global Warming and the Impacts of Climate Change 49 Human caused global warming 49 The impacts of climate change 50 The opposition to human caused global warming 52 Background Information 53 British Airways 54 Past and present 54 Carbon Offsetting 55 Datamonitor’s SWOT analysis 58 The British Green Consumers 59 Perception and Attitudes in Relation to the Environment 59 Information on the environment 62 Solutions to environmental problems 65 SWOT Analysis 67 Strengths 68 Weaknesses 71 ...
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...eclectic and theoretically fragile. This is especially the case with regards to consumption and its implications for understanding the ‘dark tourist’. Thus it is suggested that the dimensions of dark tourism consumption have not been extracted or interrogated – only assumed. Consequently, with death and the nature of dying at the crux of the dark tourism concept, this article calls for the development of consumer behaviour models, which incorporate contemporary socio-cultural aspects of death and dying. It is suggested that this in turn will lead to a better understanding of consumer motives within the dark tourism domain. Keywords: dark tourism, death, contemporary society, consumption By Philip R.Stone Lancashire Business School Department of Tourism and Leisure Management University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE United Kingdom Tel: Fax: Email: (+44) 01772 894 769 (+44) 01772 892 927 pstone@uclan.ac.uk Philip R. Stone is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management, at the University of Central Lancashire (UK). He teaches across a range of...
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...Green Marketing -A case study of British Airways By Daniel Szuster A Master Thesis in Culture, Communication and Globalisation at Aalborg University January 2008 Title: Green Marketing, a case study of British Airways Signs: 133.188 Supervisor: John Hird ----------------- Daniel Szuster Table of Contents Introduction 5 Methodology 7 The Meaning of Green 8 Introduction 10 Theoretical Framework 11 Background Information 13 Theoretical Framework 14 Green Marketing 15 Environmental management 15 Why green marketing? 17 Marketing defined and corporate social responsibility 22 What is Green Marketing? 25 Green marketing strategies 28 Implications for organisations 30 Green Consumerism 34 Consumer behaviour research 35 The green consumer 38 The green buying process 41 Influences on purchase and consumption decisions 47 Global Warming and the Impacts of Climate Change 49 Human caused global warming 49 The impacts of climate change 50 The opposition to human caused global warming 52 Background Information 53 British Airways 54 Past and present 54 Carbon Offsetting 55 Datamonitor’s SWOT analysis 58 The British Green Consumers 59 Perception and Attitudes in Relation to the Environment 59 Information on the environment 62 Solutions to environmental problems 65 SWOT Analysis 67 Strengths 68 Weaknesses 71 ...
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...failed” (Siebold, Reuters UK). This dire statement was pronounced in the midst of a German society torn by cultural tension between Germans and Muslim immigrants. In theory, a society that embraces multiculturalism is one in which two or more cultures coexist whilst harboring mutual respect for the other’s values and lifestyles and upholding a common national identity (Parekh 6). Multiculturalism implicitly assumes cultural equality, the notion that no culture is superior to another. The idea that cultural differences should be encouraged and protected is currently embraced by many Western political thinkers. The twenty-first century is an era of unprecedented globalization and cultural diffusion. However, the mingling of different cultures is often followed by disastrous consequences as seen in the turbulent political situation in Germany (Siebold, Reuters UK). Although Jonathan Swift wrote his travel satire Gulliver’s Travels in an age when multicultural societies had yet to emerge (indeed, cultural imperialism was the zeitgeist of the eighteenth century, an idea quite antithetical to multiculturalism), the cultural clash that Swift’s protagonist Lemuel Gulliver experiences with the foreign peoples he comes into contact with and observes between individuals within these societies portend the divisive aspects of human nature that preempt the possibility of a multiculturalist ideal. Gulliver is not a detached observer: his interactions with these societies eventually lead to his...
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...Essay: Evaluate the role of education in society. Consider issue of gender in your response. Also, consider how such factors may impact on a person’s life chances. This essay will examine the role of education in society and an analysis of inequality in relation to Gender. It will discuss briefly education and examine the different theoretical approaches to education followed by an analysis of inequality using information on statistics of inequality in British education in relation to gender and attainment. This essay will Identify and evaluate key policy developments in education provision designed to bridge the gap of gender inequality in British education. The role of education in society has been among the major issues in contemporary sociological and political debate. According to Iannelli and Paterson (2005) education is a major factor that helps determine the jobs and social class positions of individuals in society. As an institution of sociology, education plays a dominant role in transmitting prevalent ideologies of society by providing pupils with the curriculum and hidden curriculum as well as the skills that will prepare them physically, mentally and socially for their life chances (Clark 2005). Educational institutions play a very important role in reducing social inequalities. Over the last century British schools experienced very important changes and moved from a selective system to a comprehensive one in the 1960s and 70s. Much research has shown that the...
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...Critically examine the relationship between different social groups and their religious beliefs and practice There are important differences between social groups and their religious participation and in the types of belief they hold. There are clear gender differences in religious beliefs and participation. Sociologists have put forward several explanations for gender differences in religious belief and practice however these tend to focus on the reasons for women’s relatively high levels of participation rather than men’s lower levels. While the priesthoods of most religions are male, more women than men participate in religious activities and believe in God. For example, in 2005, 1.8 million women in England were churchgoers, as against only 1.36 million men. Miller and Hoffman (1995) identify two main theories explaining women’s greater religiosity. Firstly there is differential socialisation where women are taught to be more submissive and passive than men and these characteristics are associated with being more religious. Traditional religions tend to expect their followers to be passive and obedient. The second theory is structural location where women take part in religion because of their social roles. Men are more likely to take on the instrumental role whereas the women take on the expressive role. This gives women more time for church-related jobs. However as sociologists go on to quote this research and take these factors into account they have criticised it...
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...MUD08243876 Differences in cultural capital mark the differences between the classes” Pierre Bourdieu How do class, gender, sexuality or race work in relation to taste today? Using at least two key theorists discussed on the course, explain how ideas of taste are presented in any two media texts. The concept of good taste and class has always been a sensitive subject for those perceived as lacking enough taste or class to fit in the higher echelons of society. Historically, taste. class and it’s symbols have always been defined by the social elite. It was been incredibly difficult for outsiders to gain access to the knowledge that ensured the ruling class were in a position to define taste for the rest of the population. There has however always been a drive in the lower classes to earn acceptance and even entry to the higher class of society. This drive has been a major factor to the success of capitalism, giving birth to mass production and economic well fare. Renowned french sociologist Pierre Bourdieu theorised on cultural, social and symbolic values in order to analyze what constituted taste and class. (Swartz, David. 1997) Bourdieu believed that if one possessed a great deal of cultural capital (knowledge of the arts, language or artistic flair) one would be perceived as a higher class than someone without the same knowledge. Bourdieu argues that all members of society exist in a multidimensional social space:...
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...Global Journal of Human Resource Management Vol.3, No.3, pp.58-73, May 2015 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) HISTORY, EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE Kipkemboi Jacob Rotich1, Moi University, School of Human Resource Development, Department of Development Studies, P.o Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya. ABSTRACT: Various attempts have been made towards tracing the historical development of the discipline of Human Resource Management (HRM). However, these initiatives have largely been concentrated on certain specific periods of time and experiences of specific countries and regions such as Australia, the USA, the UK and Asia (Nankervis et.al, 2011; Kelly, 2003; Ogier, 2003). This paper attempts to document the entire history of the discipline of Human Resource Management from a holistic perspective. The evolution and development of HRM will be traced right from the pre-historic times through to the postmodern world. Major characteristics in the evolution and development of HRM will also be examined and documented. KEYWORDS: Human Resource Management (HRM), evolution, history INTRODUCTION Defining Human Resource Management (HRM) According to Armstrong (2006) Human Resource Management (HRM) is defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets – the people working there who individually and collectively...
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