Sociology of Work and Industry

Sociology of Work and Industry No matter what society one lives in, all human beings depend on systems of production to survive. For people in all societies, productive activity, or work, makes up the largest part of their lives- it takes up more time than any other single type of behavior. Defining Work Work, in sociology, is defined as the carrying out of tasks, which involves the expenditure of mental and physical effort, and its objective is the production of goods and services that cater to human needs. An occupation, or job, is work that is done in exchange for a regular wage or salary. In all cultures, work is the basis of the economy or economic system. The economic system for any given culture is made up of the institutions that provide for the production and distribution of goods and services. These institutions may vary from culture to culture, particularly in traditional societies versus modern societies. In traditional cultures, food gathering and food production is the type of work occupied by the majority of the population. In larger traditional societies, carpentry, stonemasonry, and shipbuilding are also prominent. In modern societies where industrial development exists, people work in a much wider variety of occupations. Sociological Theory The study of work, industry, and economic institutions is a major part of sociology because the economy influences all other parts of society and therefore social reproduction in general. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a hunter-gatherer society, pastoral society, agricultural society, or industrial society; all are centered around an economic system that affects all parts of society, not just personal identities and daily activities. Work is closely intertwined with social structures, social processes, and especially social inequality. The sociology of work goes back to the classical sociological theorists. Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber all considered the analysis of modern work to be central to the field of sociology. Marx was the first social theorist to really examine the conditions of work in factories that were popping up during the industrial revolution, looking at how the transition from independent craftwork to working for a boss in a factory resulted in alienation and deskilling. Durkheim, on the other hand, was concerned with how societies achieved stability through norms, customs, and traditions as work and industry changed during the industrial revolution. Weber focused on the development of new types of authority that emerged in modern bureaucratic organizations. Important Research Many studies in the sociology of work are comparative. For instance, researchers might look at differences in employment and organizational forms across societies as well as across time. Why, for example, do Americans work on average more than 400 hours more per year than those in the Netherlands while South Koreans work more than 700 hours more per year than Americans? Another big topic often studied in the sociology of work is how work is tied to social inequality. For instance, sociologists might look at racial and gender discrimination in the workplace. At the macro level of analysis, sociologists are interested in studying things such as occupational structure, the United States and global economies, and how changes in technology lead to changes in demographics. At the micro level of analysis, sociologists look at topics such as the demands that the workplace and occupations place on workers’ sense of self and identity, and the influence of work on families. References Giddens, A. (1991) Introduction to Sociology. New York, NY: W.W. Norton Company. Vidal, M. (2011). The Sociology of Work. Accessed March 2012 from everydaysociologyblog.com/2011/11/the-sociology-of-work.html

Question Response form Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Question Response form Case Study - Essay Example Dick inherited problems at Modrow plant; he was not included in initial planning and spent a lot of time in getting up to speed. His friendly and easy going attitude was not appreciated in the English plant as well as the Modrow plant by Canadian workers, as his casual strolls were considered as suspicious and steadily his stature and authority as a plant manager was undermined by the workers. The limitations he had as a leader was his inability to understand accounting practices and delegating tasks to his sub-ordinates, as a result he started taking interest in minor or unimportant issues of the plant. This micro management kept him away from core issues rising from expansion and modernization of the plant. His attempts to gain insights by spending time in manufacturing area were not ideal and a trusting behavior towards middle management should have brought better results in implementing the changes he wanted. He was not furnished by the relevant information by middle management a s they had doubts about his abilities as a leader additionally his obsession for gaining insight from workers left the middle management with lack of trust in him. In order for a successful change to come whether it is cost saving initiative, modernization or expansion Dick should have paid attention to more strategic issues of the time and used his time for inculcating trust within management, there are many leaders who lack the technical knowledge or experience but they achieve results by leaving the technical aspects of the work to technical staff communicating with their line managers and not seeing everything as a potential for cost saving initiatives. A gradual or incremental change would have helped Dick in first normalizing the situation due to his appointment ahead of local operating staff, gain trust of managers by staying away from the workers followed by understanding the modernization and expansion challenges. This change is suggested keeping the personality of Dick in consideration, consequently an authoritative leader would have opted for a rapid change while resisting forces would have been removed or sidelined. Dick was not authoritative and it was sheer nuisance that made him show anger towards the foremen, the strategic change approach best for him was the above said incremental one with less suspicion and exploration towards prevailing methods used by workers (Daft, 2010). Question 2. The change or improvement measure proposed by Dick to the foremen was justified and could have saved costs, what Dick missed in bringing this change was the consideration of issues faced by workers and how they wanted to work. The reason foremen disagreed with him was due to his lack of trust in him as a leader, alternatively Dick should have requested the siding manager to implement the new method of scrapping. Dick did not follow the chain of command nor did he uphold his stature as a plant manager, as a result he was ignored by the foremen and the workers a like. Change is always faced by resistance; this resistance comes from confusion or the need to continue status quo hence such resisting elements should be dealt by the managers by addressing concerns of the workers and explaining value addition to them and to the organization. Even though Dick’s intentions were good but his approach led to the

Not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Not sure - Essay Example Shortly after he fled, he traveled on road when it comes. Discussion It contained his real father, King Laius of Thebes and his bodyguards. When they ran it almost Oedipus attacked them, killing guard and his father, thinking they were bandits of road, and therefore unconsciously fulfilled prophecy. When he realizes he is devastated. It really helps question that you cannot escape past. Fact that and his father, however, is the important factor in exile later in history. When he discovers that King Laius was his real father, he sees that does not run away, he could have avoided this disaster as the whole. It just goes to show that hindsight is always 20/20; Oedipus saw this and realized his mistake. Understanding that he cannot go back and change your past is also the major theme of story. This fact too plays the big role in his mental collapse later in story. After he killed his father, he goes further down road when he, told him that if he cannot answer her riddle correctly, it wou ld kill him. It is possible to solve riddle of her and she kills herself in anger. When word was that which led to ( whose king he recently killed ) to adopt it as their new king, thanking their true king was killed by bandits, and give him queen, Queen Jocasta (his mother ) for their wedding. They lived happily for many years and had four children. When Oedipus learns about heinous crime he has committed, he almost dies. After disgrace of his country, and he launched himself and his daughter Antigun leave Thebes. Later, he died in exile in temple of Apollo in colon. Before he left Thebes, but he says he will do great things before he died, he told him reserved. He speaks with great arrogance at end of game when he said Creon to take care of her daughter and says he will do before you die. It is being able to still accomplish great things, even after these terrible crimes, such as incest and regicide. Understand that you cannot change or escape past, and you can achieve anything, ev en after committing heinous crimes in your life all that Oedipus sees his error after his life was ruined, and he sees he could stop (Sophocles 78-122). When you look at your life and see something that leads to bad consequences do, you see most often how you could have easily avoided, usually the small part in origin of whole ordeal. Throughout story, Oedipus haste or lack of patience is most obvious. Wanting to put the end to mystery of Laius’s death as quickly as possible, Oedipus kill or deport those who have information. Teiresias tested Oedipus' patience in early history of information, which he held in his hand, you have experience! This forward accusing Tiresias was bad, especially as Tiresias predicted end of history. If Oedipus was more patient and waited, he would not have been so upset about future or whipped, which was happen. However, this is not just the feature take its supreme authority. Oedipus displays of anger throughout story, which did not help at all. L atest sign of that was worst enemy of any Oedipus was his own veracity. Whenever new facts are presented, Oedipus gave them the honest opinion. Once he was the suspect, who was involved Oedipus, he admitted, I think I am disgusting my own ignorant edict. Oedipus retained no evidence its future potential foreclosure and loss of his royal status. As history has risen to highest point, Oedipus preserved evidence of shepherd, that it was the terrible hearing, but it needs hear

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Globalization - Essay Example This essay stresses that economic globalisation is also evident in the global restructuring and readjustment of industries. Movement from labor-intensive to capital-intensive production is increasing in developing countries. Due to competition for the international markets, economic globalisation has taken a different trend. Mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances are now normal to improve competitiveness. Examples are international economic and financial organisations, such as World Bank controlled by the west. As a result, the West uses this advantage to promote and control economic globalisation. Through the control of these institutions, they can control less developed countries and influence their economic development agenda. China's quick entry as a WTO member also goes to show how much nations are interested in being part of economic globalisation. This paper makes a conclusion that in the wake of accelerated economic globalisation less developed countries find themselves in a dilemma. Should they isolate themselves from the process, they will surely not benefit from technology transfers. FDIs are sidelined in the development process. Participation also carries its risks. The developed countries dominance in the process of economic globalisation will reduce them to mere annexes of the developed countries. As a result, there is need to safeguard interests of developing countries in the development of new economic orders.

Dc Power Supply Report Essay Example for Free

Dc Power Supply Report Essay Overview The goal of this experiment was to construct a power supply that would convert a 120-volt 60 Hz input ,such as that received from a wall socket, to a 12-volt dc voltage output with a ripple factor less than 0. % making it suitable for the operation of small electronic devices. Block Diagram Schematic Diagram Discussion The 120-volt rms 60 Hz input was used to represent a wall socket. To reduce the voltage from 120-volts to 12-volts a 10 to 1 step-down transformer was placed in the circuit. An FWB bridge was implemented to convert the AC signal to a DC signal. A voltage regulator was added to stabilize the output. Capacitors were also added to aid in the stabilization of the output signal. The capacitor values as well as the value of the load resistor were manipulated achieve the ideal output. Results Conclusion Utilizing the procedures apparatus discussed in this report, an output reasonably close to the ideal output was produced. The amount of components used in the experiment was minimized to reduce the overall cost of the circuit. However it was necessary to add capacitors to reduce the ripple voltage.

Effects of Globalization on Zimbabwe

Effects of Globalization on Zimbabwe Introduction Globalization is as much a part of the modern world as the air we breathe. Especially in the United States, it seems that everywhere you look you can find products made from China, India, Japan, or Taiwan. From our electronics to our silverware, and even the very food we consume, Americans participate in the global market on an everyday basis. What is not so obvious to the average American might be the way in which this global market operates. One important function of the global market is to give countries access to resources that cant be found domestically. However, at a national level America, has a set of rules for fair trade between companies, states, and individuals. There is a high amount of interest in promoting the welfare of each domestic party. Historically, international affairs have been handled much differently. Colonization and the exploitation of other countrys resources have been a common trait of the past few centuries. In addition to accessing resources in other countries, globalization has also been used to circumvent the established fair trade and labor laws in developed countries. If a manufacturer were to pay ten dollars an hour to a factory worker here in the United States, they might be able to find labor in a less-developed country, where there are more relaxed or no labor laws, for a tenth of that amount. This cheap labor might take the form of a poor farmer, a single mother, or even a young child (Elsbeth 2004). This also means that globalization isnt only affecting those who work for low wages in less-developed countries, but it is also affecting domestic labor in the United States by outsourcing available jobs. This paper will focus on Zimbabwe and how globalization has contributed to its poor current situation. Ultimately, globalization in Zimbabwe has been a means to funnel more wealth to already developed nations while sacrificing local economies and living conditions. It has put Zimbabwe into large amounts of debt, threatening its existence as a truly independent nation, and thrown the countrys infrastructure into a tailspin that it has yet to recover from. Development of Capitalism in Zimbabwe The modern history of the territory that would come to be called Zimbabwe begins with one of the earliest forms of globalization; colonization. In the late 19th century, Zimbabwe was colonized by the British because of their interest in mining the territory for precious metals (Alexander 2006). This was the beginning of globalization in Zimbabwe, and as with most instances of globalization, its motives were not pure. The British had no interest in spreading wealth to the area, but instead this was an instance of a developed country looking at the un-utilized resources of a lesser-developed country and wanting to utilize them for their own gain. The colony would remain as such for over seventy years. Policy and housing settlements over this period of time would favor Europeans over the indigenous African population, further proving British motives as not being about whats best for the Zimbabweans (Alexander 2006). In the mid 1960s, the situation in Zimbabwe would deteriorate between the British, who were becoming less prevalent in the area, and rival African factions seeking to gain their independence. The end result would be a civil war between a white-minority government (which declared its own independence from the United Kingdoms) and African-majority factions that lasted for over a decade, along with political turmoil in the region that still exists even today (Alexander, 2006). All of this happened while the British were able to get up and leave, leaving the country to deal with its newfound internal problems by itself. Without deviating too far from the purpose of this paper by delving into specific historical events, a summary of the modern history of Zimbabwe paints an accurate picture of what capitalism, and by extension globalization, has done to the country. A developed country entered a less-developed country in order to make a profit, upset the existing power structure, exploited the lands and its indigenous people, and then left the mess for others to try to pick up when it became no longer worth it to be there. This is a recurring theme in globalization and the world market. Poverty in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a country that lives ridden with poverty and disease. Despite having natural resources like gold, copper, iron and lithium, 68% of the population lives under the poverty line. 80% of the people in Zimbabwe are unemployed, and even those that are employed are seeing the money they earn diminished because of hyperinflation caused by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe printing excessive amounts of money to fund their budget deficit (CIA World Factbook). The International Money Fund (IMF) has also cut off their support of Zimbabwe due to Zimbabwes inability to pay back past loans and refusal to enact IMF reforms (CIA World Factbook). However, there have also been claims that IMF and World Bank reforms in the past have hurt Zimbabwe and only made the poverty there worse. Programs that were aimed at globalizing Zimbabwe by funding urban businesses have only succeeded in raising the private incomes of a select few, pushing further class distinction between the rich and poor and doing little to settle Zimbabwes national debt. Some experts claim that the focus must be on promoting the interests of the majorities, like putting price-controls on staples like maize, in order to promote the type of growth that raises the standard of living and can endure as something more than a get rich quick scheme for the already wealthy (Kawewe Dibie 2000). A possible motive for providing these developed companies in less-developed countries with incentives and funds is that they are able to get involved with the global market and provide products at cheap prices to the developed world. There have been many accusations that the IMF and the World Bank favor developed countries when they restructure less-developed countries economies. The World Bank itself claims that their proposals to Zimbabwe have been aimed at supporting social welfare, assisting the fight against AIDS and assisting Zimbabwe in assessing their land use and agricultural exports. However, as of September 13, 2007, Zimbabwe still owed the World Bank 521 million U.S. dollars and the IMF 134 million U.S. dollars (World Bank 2008). A debt like this gives the World Bank and the IMF, a part of the developed world, a large amount of power over Zimbabwe. Whether that power is or has been abused or not, it is important that Zimbabwe recover so that it can begin asserting its own economic structures to support its own people. Only then will Zimbabwe enjoy the benefits of the developed world. Effects on the Population Zimbabwe, like most nations dealing with globalization, has seen an increase in city life in recent history. When globalization affects a nation, subsistence farming that feeds that nations people often becomes more modernized. This means that land owners attempt to have less people working their lands, because if they can replace paid labor with cheaper technology then they pay less to produce equal, or sometimes greater, yields. Then these can be sold into the international market where they make a select few in the developing nation money and drain the food supply for many others. This model of globalization has particularly affected women and children in Zimbabwe. With the increase in city life has come a need for those in poverty to send their children to work in order to support their families. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that HIV/AIDS runs rampant through Zimbabwe, often breaking up family structures when a mother or father become too ill and can no longer work. For many, there just isnt any choice. Robson Elsbeth, the author of several articles focusing on the sociology of Zimbabwe, argues that child labor is a necessary evil for developing countries right now. Elsbeth calls the western idea that children should grow up happy and playing, with little to no responsibility, a myth for much of the developing world. There is simply no way to support these families otherwise. Perhaps the best thing we can do for these children at this point is to simply recognize the work that they do. If western nations stop fooling themselves, they can put pressure on Zimbabwean leaders to help improve the lives and working conditions for those children that have to work by recognizing them as a legitimate work force, rather than standing around in denial and doing nothing to help the situation (Elsbeth 2004). To the west, it may be somewhat tragic, but this is part of the reality of life faced by less-developed nations struggling to make money for their countries in the international market. A good model for the type of progress that Elsbeth argues for can be found by looking at Zimbabwean women since the end of colonial rule in Zimbabwe. They were recognized as a legitimate work force, and as such they have been receiving higher average incomes, better healthcare and greater amounts of education. From this involvement in education and the work force, they have been able to secure public official jobs and have more and more political influence (McFadden 2005). If children can follow the model of progress that Zimbabwean women have already created, they would be able to have a larger voice. However, even for women, the recent political strife in Zimbabwe has threatened to diminish their status once again, with several woman (among other men, though) have been ejected from their spots as public officials (McFadden 2005). Disease and Healthcare As has been mentioned, HIV/AIDS is a national epidemic in Zimbabwe. In 2001, there was an estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, which represented 24.6% of the total adult population (CIA World Factbook 2008). That essentially means that one out of every 4 adults had HIV/AIDS, and since then Zimbabwe has shown little signs of progressing. If you combine this problem with the financial problems and national debt that Zimbabwe is in discussed earlier in this paper, it is not hard to predict that there would be many people living with HIV/AIDS and without sufficient healthcare. Distributing methods of safe sex is something that gets very little, if any, funding, and once an average person does become affected it is very hard for them to find the sorts of treatment that can prolong their lives and help them deal with it (Zimbabwe Benefit Foundation 2008). As tragic as this is in its own right, it also has a cyclical effect on some of the things previously mentioned in this paper. As has been discussed, often HIV/AIDS has renders people too sick to work, or left families with a dead mother or father. This means more people living in poverty, and more families having to send their kids to work rather than to get an education. This, generally speaking, will relegate them to poverty in their adult lives as well. HIV/AIDS, and their health care systems inability to deal with it, is a huge contributor to the cycle of poverty in Zimbabwe (AVERT 2008). Indigenous Religions With globalization comes the spread of ideals. Western religion has gained a huge foothold in Zimbabwe. Throughout the colonial period and even up until now, Christian missions have flooded Zimbabwe converting indigenous populations into westernized Christians. Current estimates show that only 24% of the Zimbabwean population remains strictly adhered to indigenous beliefs. The rest of the population is made up of 25% Christians, 1% Muslim and 50% syncretic (a mix of Christian and indigenous beliefs) (CIA World Factbook 2008). Environmental Problems in Zimbabwe Many of the environmental problems being experienced in Zimbabwe are things we have seen before; air pollution from industrial compounds, deforestation to make room for building or agriculture and a decline in certain wildlife populations. However, Zimbabwe is faced with a major crisis regarding one important natural resource, and that is water. Polluted water is a huge problem in many rural parts of Zimbabwe. The water is flowing down from developing areas, polluted by many different sorts of industrial and agricultural wastes or compounds, and infecting the rural water supply. The problem is that there is no great infrastructure to help bring these people safe water. For the most part, the only existing infrastructure for water exists in the cities (Derman Ferguson 2003). At the risk of sounding like a parrot, it must be mentioned again that Zimbabwes current financial crisis affects yet another part of life in Zimbabwe. How does a country find the money to bring safe water to its own citizens if it has none to do so with? Unfortunately, with the amount of money Zimbabwe owes, the welfare of their citizens gets pushed off the table as the main priority of the Zimbabwean government. Theres only so much they can do. Relief Measures Relief measures are being taken by some international organizations in order to try to better the lives of citizens in Zimbabwe. Organizations like the Zimbabwe Benefit Foundation attempt to raise money to support programs that help those with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, as well as providing funds to help educate children and the less fortunate in Zimbabwe. Their efforts are there for help empower citizens, which will hopefully produce a bottom-up effect and make them active leaders in their country (ZBF 2008). Yet developed nations themselves are seeing the unstable situation in Zimbabwe are placing things like sanctions on them. Citing human rights violations in which Zimbabwe has conducted a concerted campaign of violence, repression, and intimidation on their citizens, the United States put a sanction on Zimbabwe in 2004. These sorts of responses arent uncommon, but it remains to be seen if they actually help the citizens in trouble. Can keeping the government of a poor society poor help the financial crisis and thereby help Zimbabwean citizens? Conclusion Poverty in Zimbabwe has been a cyclical effect, often perpetuated by the financial crisis in which the Zimbabwean government is in severe debt. The funds borrowed have been used to fight wars for control of the government ever since British colonial forces moved out of Zimbabwe, leaving behind an upset power structure with no system of rebuilding in place. This has all lead to the suffering of Zimbabwean citizens through poverty, disease and death. Globalization in Zimbabwe has only been successful in funneling more wealth to already developed nations through the use of colonies and exploitation of natural resources, while sacrificing Zimbabwe itself. It has put Zimbabwe into large amounts of debt, leaving its citizens to suffer and to try to pick up the pieces. Reference Page McFadden, Patricia (2005). Becoming Postcolonial: African Women Changing the Meaning of Citizenship. Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism. 6(1), 1-22. Elsbeth, Robson (2004). Hidden Child Workers: Young Carers in Zimbabwe.Antipode, 36(2), 227-248. Derman, Bill Ferguson, Anne (2003). Value of Water: Political Ecology and Water Reform in Southern Africa. Human Organization, 62(3), 277-288. Kawewe, Saliwe M. Dibie, Robert (2000). The Impact of Economic Structural Adjustment Programs on Women and Children: Implications for Social Welfare in Zimbabwe. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 27(4), 79-107. Central Intelligence Agency (2008). CIA World Factbook. Retrieved July 26, 2008 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/zi.html Zimbabwe Benefit Foundation (2008). Empowering Zimbabweans. Retrieved July 26, 2008 from http://www.zbf.org.uk/ Boucher, R. (2004). Zimbabwe: Sanctions Enhancement. U.S. Dept. of State. Retrieved July 27, 2008 from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/30091.htm AVERT (2008). HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe. Retrieved July 26, 2008 from http://www.avert.org/aids-zimbabwe.htm The World Bank (2008). Zimbabwe. Retrieved July 27, 2008 from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/ZIMBABWEEXTN/0,,menuPK:375744~pagePK:141132~piPK:141121~theSitePK:375736,00.html Alexander, Jocelyn (2006). The Unsettled Land: State-making the Politics of land in Zimbabwe. Ohio: Ohio University Press.

Love :: essays research papers

It's a crazy thing to do, really. That two young people should together reach out and take hold of their future in this way--should determine that, come what may, it will be a future together--can hardly make sense. Unless, perhaps, God makes sense of it for us. For the miracle and the mystery of marriage is that God permits us to exercise just a little of his own creative power--to determine this one thing about our future: that it will be a future together. And having permitted us to be as creative as he himself is, God then asks us--and invites us--to learn also to be as steadfast and faithful as he is. What might God hope to accomplish through such a crazy invitation? God has in mind to get something done in us and to us. Stanley Hauerwas, who teaches theology and ethics at Duke Divinity School, and who almost never fails to be provocative, once wrote that the most basic law of marriage could be stated in a sentence: "You always marry the wrong person." He went on to explain: "The one thought to be Mr. Right turns out not to be. Ms. Right tends to show up after marriage. But the adventure of marriage is learning to love the person to whom you are married.... Love does not create a marriage; marriage teaches us what a costly adventure love is." He's deliberately made the point a little provocatively, but it is nonetheless true. Of course, for anyone who is married, it is true that you may not be married now to the person you once thought you were marrying. Five years from now, or ten years from now, the person sitting next to you won't necessarily be the person you thought you were giving yourself to. So if marriage requires us to choose just exactly the right person ... well, we're in very big trouble. The target keeps shifting. Marrying means promising to be faithful to someone who may keep changing. And so, the church does not ask today, "Christopher, do you love Hannah?" but rather, "Christopher, will you love Hannah?" "Hannah, will you love Christopher?" Marriage, therefore, exists not primarily to make us happy but to make us holy--though in the long run, of course, there can be no happiness apart from holiness. But it's holiness that God is after. And so in marriage God goes to work on us--begins to teach us what it means, what it will require of us, to love even just this one person as God loves each of us, with steadfastness and faithfulness.