Insider epistemology Essays

Insider epistemology Essays Insider epistemology Essay Insider epistemology Essay The view that you have to be one to know one, that to understand a group you must be a member of that group, is known as insider epistemology (Fay, 1996, p. 9). In my work I will try to explain and define this thesis, making it more tangible through the use of examples both of situations for with insider epistemology seems valid and of instances in which group differences have tried to be overcome. I shall then go on to present problems and questions that arise with it; amongst others whether it is at all possible to place people in categories, to what extent we are able to understand anyone but ourselves and, for that matter, whether we can even understand ourselves. Finally, I shall suggest a reconciliation of the thesis with its counterarguments by introducing a more precise definition of the phrase you have to be one to know one. In our society today we tend to take one of two approaches toward people in some way different to ourselves: we either condemn their actions as wrong and try to impose our own viewpoint on them, or we resist judgement by saying that their frame of mind is so substantially different to ours that we couldnt possibly understand and even less criticize their actions. I would like to focus on this second approach. Whether we are speaking about youths from troubled backgrounds with an early criminal record, or about a far-off tribe with seemingly strange customs, or about the way of life of monks in the 13th century; the belief is that unless we were there to experience what they did, or unless we belong to their group, we have no way of understanding them. In other words, to know them we must be them, the claim of insider epistemology. Insider epistemology maintains that to know other insiders one has to be an insider oneself (Fay, 1996, p. 9). It is saying that you cannot understand a Muslim unless you are a Muslim yourself, a Russian peasant unless you are a Russian peasant yourself. James I. Charlton speaks of the innate inability of able-bodied people, regardless of fancy credentials and awards, to understand the disability experience (Bridges, 2001). The reasoning is simple: how could you possibly understand a group if you have not grown up in their surroundings and with their experiences? Various literary works illustrate this: Jung Changs Wild Swans, for example, only became such a moving and inspiring account because written by a person who experienced Chinese history of the 20th century first hand. She was able to tell the story of her family in a political and historical context without having to resort to research and second hand accounts. She might have even felt quite offended had an outsider written her story claiming to know exactly how she felt and exactly what she went through; she would probably consider her experiences to be unique and not likely to be truly understood by anyone but her family and herself and perhaps not even by her family because they did not have the exact same experiences as she did. This position that each person has privileged access to his or her own mental states and processes (Fay, 1996, p. 10) is called individual methodological solipsism (Merton, 1972, p. 5) and is a more radical form of insider epistemology. It argues that only I can know my own mind, so I can never know whether experiences and sensations are the same for other people: does the colour red look the same to others (Fay, 1996, p. 10)? Does pain feel the same if experienced by another? A train of thoughts which can make us feel truly lonely indeed! Throughout time there have been a number of attempts to transgress the b oundaries separating groups from each other and go native (Smith, n. d. ). John Howard Griffin painted his face black and travelled through the south of the USA during the height of racial segregation to be able to experience the treatment of a black man (Fay, 1996, p. 13). Liza Crihfield Dalby wanted to write her PhD on the life and experiences of a Japanese geisha, and thought the only way to do this was to live as a geisha in Kyoto for a year (Dalby, 1983). It would seem that by doing this they would be able to gain an insider perspective on the culture and group they were living with? Yet herein lies the illusion: no matter how long they played their insider role, it would remain a role. Their upbringing had instilled in them a set of values and beliefs, by themselves perhaps unrecognized or unacknowledged, but nevertheless existing and fundamentally different to that of the group they were studying. Furthermore, if ever they were to find themselves in a precarious situation, they would always be able to resort back to their original identity, and not have to bare the consequences as a black man or a geisha might. They are able to wear the mask of an insider, but under the mask the outsider stays the same. This can be further illustrated: if we say that the social and cultural world shape a person or groups identity, regarding the fact that society and culture differs hugely from place to place, and insist on the fact that to understand an insider you must be an insider yourself, then we must conclude that any understanding between groups is impossible. This, in turn, would mean that social science would become radically unlike hard science (Smith, n. d. ), because no research would be possible on a neutral and objective basis. In fact, every group would have to be in charge of its own social research, be its own social scientist (Fay, 1996, p. 12). Still, if we are not able understand another group, we would consequently also not be able to understand the research done by an insider social scientist of the other group. Each group would be its own isolated unit and incapable of sharing any knowledge. However, there are problems to be found in using the word group. By picturing a group as a homogenous set of individuals, we are categorizing its members as all being equal and being members of only that group. We are forgetting that categories as broad as women, South American, adopted children, etc. are no indication of individual identity and experiences. Indeed, by placing all adopted children in the same group, we are neglecting the fact that adoption can be a completely different experience for one child compared to another. The differences between members of one group may actually outweigh their similarities (Bridges, 2001, p. 3; Fay, 1996, p. 53) and insiders of groups may insist on a distinction being made between each other, therefore Argentineans might find it offensive to be put in the same category as Bolivians or vice versa. But if we carry these divisions within categories further, then we must distinguish between Argentineans from Buenos Aires and those from Patagonia, in Buenos Aires between the poor and the wealthy, within the poor between the homeless and people living in small shacks, within the homeless between men and women, within men between old and young, and so on until there is no more than one person left for each category which takes us back to the theory of solipsism, that only I can know myself, and therefore to the impossibility of mutual understanding. In social research difficulties may arise as many of the political and ethical dilemmas ( ) stem from the researchers simultaneous occupation of a status as insider and outsider in relation to those they are researching (Charles, 1997, p. 394), since boundaries between groups are never clear-cut. But this evokes the idea that ultimately, if I am the only person left in my category and nobody from outside my category can truly understand me, I must know my own self best, and this idea we must question. For many instances come to mind where we dont really understand ourselves. When writing an exam, for example, we are not conscious of all the thought processes going on within our head and we would have a hard time explaining how we wrote it. Fay writes that the mind does not have an unmediated knowledge of itself (1996, p. 19), meaning that we cannot necessarily interpret the experiences and feelings we have. Similarly I have no detailed recollection of the day my dog was put to sleep, it went by in a blur. Not only did I not have full knowledge of myself on that day but with time it has changed further: my personal account of that day would probably be very inaccurate because tinted by my emotions and patchy with suppressed memories (Bridges, 2001, p. 2). Furthermore, it is well known that a stressed person is the last to realize or acknowledge it, what is needed is precisely a person on the outside a doctor, a parent, a wife to diagnose the symptoms and look at our taken-for-granted experience through ( ) the eye of a stranger (Bridges, 2001, p. ), so from an outsider perspective. Our insider perspective does not necessarily work to our advantage because, as Fay puts it, knowledge of what we are experiencing always involves an interpretation of these experiences (1996, p. 19). Likewise, being a member of a group does not always give us the best knowledge of it. For example, a sports player is not automatically the best sports commentator (Fay, 1996, p. 20), and being a native speake r of a language often means that you have more difficulties explaining grammar rules than a non-native speaker. Merton is his studies found that the judgements of insiders are best trusted when they assess groups other than their own (1972, p. 18). Distance can create better knowledge because it gives a wider view of things: Fay gives the example of Hitlers biographers who were able to understand him not in the sense of being sympathetic toward him but of giving an accurate account of his character and motivations precisely because their distance enabled them to make a connection between internal emotions and external situations (Fay, 1996, p. 24). But how can we reconcile this argument with the one made earlier that Jung Chang was only able to write such an extraordinary account because she was an insider? Maybe the answer lies in that knowledge does not rely solely on whether one is a member of a certain group or not. Knowing something implies that we understand its meaning and have made sense of it, not that we have an empathetic understanding of it. Fay compares making sense of something with trying to decipher a difficult poem rather than trying to achieve some sort of inner mental union with its author (1996, p. 25). Sensitivity and criticality are the relevant criteria to understanding rather than being an insider or outsider to a group whether we are speaking about women, Muslims or Russian peasants. An insider may however be more aware of the issues at hand; he may not have the automatic ability to truly understand but his status might facilitate it. If we really had to be one to know one, most of our world today would become pointless: media, research, welfare, etc. Why be informed about the war in Iraq if we can neither understand the Iraqis nor the soldiers nor the politicians? Why make any judgement, any protest? Because our insider status as human beings gives us the sensitivity to reject violence and suffering, even if we are outsiders on all other factors.

Information security management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Information security management - Essay Example Taking a step back, there is value in situating a risk assessment process for Accounting Company in the context of a cycle for managing risks. The chart below situates this particular exercise for Accounting Company in terms of a cycle that includes the (1) assessment of risks and determination of needs; (2) the implementation of controls and policies; (3) the promotion of awareness; and (4) monitoring and evaluation; all occurring within the context of a central point of focus (United States General Accounting Office 6): Meanwhile, a compilation of risk assessment approaches for information security that is taken from best practices of many different top organizations in the US has distilled the most important elements of an effective security risk assessment as follows: (1) the identification of threats that could significantly impair crucial assets and operations; (2) estimation of the likelihood of the occurrence of such identified threats; (3) the identification and prioritization of assets and operations in order to determine the most crucial assets and operations to protect in cases of the occurrence of the identified threats; 4) the estimation of probable losses in the event of the occurrence of the threats, to included losses from the costs of recovery, for the most important assets and operations (5) the identification of interventions for risk mitigation, where the emphasis is on the cost-effectiveness of such interventions; and (6) the documentation of the results and the development of a plan of action (General Accounting Office 6). To be sure, while the above outlines a generic information security risk assessment approach that is the common denominator for all kinds of effective, best practice, approaches, the literature actually details many different kinds. Including a matrix approach (Goel and Chen), and many other different best practice

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example Jake Barnes of Ernest Hemingway’s novel â€Å"The Sun Also Rises,† is the hero, as he possesses these qualities of head and heart. This hero knows the values of simple pleasures of life and finds the meaning of existence in them in trying circumstances. Hemingway places Jake into tragic situations to test his mettle, and shows how Jake does not submit to them meekly, and emerges with credit to set examples to others. Those who come into his contact have no option but to praise his disposition and learn something of the leadership qualities that are needed in a war situation. Pressure does not create any adverse reactions in his dealings. Jake is not a hero in terms of physical strength, but of the mind. His understanding of life is profound and he is not affected with success or failure. Sincere and skillful performances are his concerns. Jake has two types of values. One set is related to the army of which he is the integral part and another set relates to his personal values. He will not, under any circumstances violate the army rules but adds dignity to them with his personal values. His code of morality inspires even the enemy that is at war. Thus humanity and morality always triumph over enmity. The successful execution of the balancing act in a difficult situation is the hallmark of a true hero like Jake. The aftermath of World War I left harrowing societal situations. Jake’s war-incurred injury has turned him sexually impotent. However, he still has romantic urges, both intellectually and sexually. In the first part of the novel, a prostitute Georgette LeBlanc, catches the imagination of Jake and though he is unable to have any sexual relations with her, he still hires her and confesses, â€Å"[I had] a vague sentimental idea that it would be nice to eat with someone." (24) The generation, immediately after the war, finds itself directionless and destination-less. In such a grim situation anyone will turn cynical, but not Jake. He i s physically challenged from the war. He is part of the aimless and scared war survivors, but the important traits of his charismatic personality are depicted brilliantly by Hemingway. Nowhere in the novel is Jake a resigned character. He has his emotional problems, besides his physical disability. His sacrifice wins him the accolades of an Italian General who exclaims, â€Å"You†¦.have given more than your life. What a speech! I would like to have it illuminated to hang in the office.†(39) Jake’s disability affects his life from both ends, physically as well as emotionally. From the physical angle he is unable to consummate his love for Brett Ashley, and the tragic part of the relationship is, he must spend his time being in nearness to the one who is most dear to his heart at that turn of his life and he has daily interactions with her. He accepts his handicap that would have crushed any man, with great sense of equipoise. He does not exploit his physical handic ap to emotionally blackmail Brett, and he tries to overcome his plight with courage showing great understanding. He does not escape from the reality. He is desperate, but he will not compromise with the reality of his intense internal suffering arising out of his physical handicap. Hemmingway describes the plight of Jake brilliantly in the brief conversation that takes between the two lovers. This is the fitting finale to the story of the novel. â€Å"

Deviance Behavior Criminal

Deviance Behavior Criminal Deviance: Is It In the Eye of the Beholder? Abstract Deviant behavior is described as actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms. This paper will examine what the various types of deviance and will present the important theories of deviance. There is often the argument that deviance is in the eye of the beholder but after research I found out that it is not quite true. Deviance is an established abnormality in individuals and society and sociologist have been seeking to find solutions for it for decades by applying various theories upon this abnormality. There are seven major theories of deviance that are further followed by sublistings of variations on themes. These theories are differential association, anomie, Marxian conflict, social control theory, labeling, utilitarian/deterrence and routine activities. Deviance is also broadly categorized into three basic forms of rule breaking behavior; good, odd and bad behavior. It is now realized that though many acts maybe deviant they may still not constitute bad or criminal behavior. But they are still socially reprimanded because of their nature such as highly inappropriate modes of dress. There is the absolutist stand in viewing deviance and the relativist stand. The absolutist stand places all blame of the deviant act upon the individual while the relativist stand is more lenient in taking into account the larger picture that considers societal factors and other influences in causing deviant behavior. The modern day sociologist is considered to be a relativist who believes in taking the middle road when analyzing deviant behavior. According to Shur (1965), ‘The societal reaction to the deviant, then, is vital to an understanding of the deviance itself and a major element in—if not a cause of—the deviant behavior. Deviance: Is It In the Eye of the Beholder? When it come to an attempt to ascertain whether or not deviance is in the eye of the beholder, the fact is that all the research that is related to deviance only proves that it is a phenomena that is not in the eye of the beholder but a valid and recognized form of socially abnormal behavior. In any given society of the world, deviance is an established of behavior that breaks out of the recognized norms and requires to be corrected in order for the normal flow of social life to progress. Deviance describes actions or behaviors that clearly violate cultural norms including formally and informally enacted rules as well as informal and formal violations of these rules, regulations and norms. This paper will try to depict how deviance is seen, created, challenged and enforced. Deviance is an act defined as the deliberate violation of the cultural norms of a given society. The most prevalent form of deviance is crime of any sort or the violation of societal norms enacted by a society that have been formally enacted into criminal law (What is Deviance?) Deviance has been recognized as an integral part of every society and hence is studied as a sociological science. In being studies as a science of society, there is little doubt that deviance should be considered to be in the eye of the beholder. The sociology of deviance is based on the study of deviant behavior as the recognized violation of cultural norms. It also deals with the creation and enforcement of those norms. It is important to understand that certain deviant behaviors may not be recognized as such by all societal standards. In other words, not all societies have rules that would disallow all forms of behavior. But still every society does have its own set of social rules that when broken, consti tute deviance for the members of that particular society. Rather on the contrary, deviance is defined in relative terms with different societies having different ways to view the same behavior (Sociology of Deviance). Many of the theories that are related to deviance and criminal behavior are simple and uncomplicated stating one or two explanatory principles that apply to all instances of the particular form of deviance that is being explained. These are also called simple theories that are conventionally classified into six or seven major categories and have sublistings of variations on themes. The categorical schemes that are most popular are related to strain, learning, labeling, control, opportunity, psychodynamic and biological. According to Pearson and Weiner (1985) the simple theories that are most important are differential association (Sutherland and Cressey 1978), anomie (Merton,1975), Marxian Conflict (Bonger 1916; Quinney 1970), social control (Hirschi 1969), labeling (Becker 1963; Gove 1975, 1980; Schur 1971), utilitarian/deterrence (Andenaes 1974; Becker 1968; Cornish and Clarke 1986; Gibbs 1975; Tunnell 1992; Zimring and Hawkins 1973) and routine activities (Cohen and Felson 1979) ( Tittle, 1995). Sutherland and Cresseys theory of differential association is considered to be one of the most prominent social learning theories. Sutherlands research was focused on white collar crime, professional theft and intelligence and disputed the notion that crime was a function of peoples inadequacy in the lower classes. He did not consider crime to stem from individual traits or from socioeconomic positions but to be a function of a learning process that could affect any individual regardless of culture. The acquisition of behavior is a social learning process rather than a political or legal process. Consequently the skills and motives that are conducive to crime are learned as a result of contact with pro-crime attitudes, values, definitions and other related pattern of criminal behavior. The basic principles of differential theory are that criminal behavior is learned, learning is a byproduct of interaction, learning occurs within intimate groups, criminal techniques are learned, perce ptions of legal code influences motives and drives, differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority and intensity, the process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal with anticriminal and criminal influences involve all of the mechanisms that would be involved in any other learning process and that criminal behavior is an expression of the general needs and values but it is not excused by those general needs and values because non-criminal behavior is also an expression of the same needs and values (Seigel, 2005). The theory of anomie was presented by Robert Merton and it explains the occurrence of crime as well as wider disorder and deviance. This theory is considered to be a wide ranging and essential sociological explanation for deviance. Merton borrows the term anomie from Durkheim and rejects individualistic explanations of crime and criminal behavior stating them to be socially learned. He also says that there are social structural limitations imposed on access to the means to achieve these goals. The focus of his work is on the position of the individual within the social system rather than on personality characteristics. He says, â€Å"Our primary aim lies in discovering some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in the society to engage in non-conformist conduct† (Burke, 2005). This theory is based on the work of Karl Marx and views a dominant class as being in control of the resources of society, using its power to not only create institutional rules but entire belief systems that support this power. The theory looks at the structure of society as a whole in trying to develop explanations for deviant behavior. According to this theory the economic organization of capitalist societies is responsible for producing deviance and crime. Since this scenario causes certain groups in society to have access to less resources in capitalist society they are hence forced into deviance and crime to sustain themselves. The high rate of economic crimes such as theft, robbery, prostitution and drug selling is explained by conflict theorists to be the result of the economic status of these groups. Contrary to emphasizing values and conformity as a source of deviance, as done by functional analyses, the conflict theories view deviance as the direct result of power relations hips and economic inequality (Andersen, Taylor, 2006). The theory of social control was offered by Hirschi and it evolved from many previous contributions. The primary concept of the theory is the ability to deviate from normative behavior. Many people do not engage in deviant behavior because of their bond to society. Social bond was also conceptualized by Hirschi on the basis of the attachment of the individual to others, commitment to conventional lines of action, involvement and belief in legitimate order. These four components were regarded by Hircshi as being independent and having a generally negative association with the chances of engaging in deviant behavior. It was his opinion that when the elements of social bond were weakened, the probability of delinquency and deviancy increased (Weis, Crutchfield, Bridges, 2001). Labeling theory is considered important in the study of deviance since it focuses not only on crime but also the situation surrounding the crime. It goes beyond viewing the criminal as a robot like person whose actions are predetermined by also recognizing that crime is often the result of complex interactions and processes. Decisions to commit crimes and other acts of deviance involve the action of a variety of people that include peers, victims, police and other key characters. Additionally, labeling also fosters crime by guiding the actions of all parties involved in these criminal interactions. Actions that are considered insignificant and innocent when committed by one person are considered provocative and deviant when committed by another who has been labeled a miscreant. On the same note, labeled individuals may also be quick to judge, take offense and misinterpret the behaviors of others due to their past experiences (Siegel, 2004). Sociologist clam that when a person becomes known as a deviant, and is ascribed deviant behavior patterns, it is as much, if not more, to do with the way they have been stigmatized, then the deviant act they are said to have committed. As a matter of fact, labeling theory has subsequently become significantly dominant in the explanation of deviance. This theory is also often referred to as rationale choice or â€Å"economic† theory. The main idea of the theory is that all human acts are decisional and that any behavior is more easily understood in terms of relative costs and benefits. When the cost of any behavior exceeds the benefit or utility for any individual he or she will in all likelihood forgo it. But when the benefits exceed the cost, the behavior will follow. Hence if one could learn the costs and benefits of different courses of actions it would make it easy to explain and predict what will happen (Tittle, 1995). The theory of routine activities asserts the fact that high crime rates in the US have always been a part of normal life. The main concept of the theory are taken from the insights of a number of other perspectives on crime and victimization such a the free-will basis of human action or rational choice and empirical studies that reflect that patterns of crimes and victimization differ in time, in location and in the social distance between the victim and the offender. The key claim of the theory if that the patterns of victimization and crime are the result of the everyday interaction of the potential offenders, suitable targets, and guardians. It is the interaction of these three variables within geographical space and in time that eventually determines the rates of crime and delinquency in modern society (Beirne, Beirne, Messerschmidt, 1999). Deviance is broadly categorized into three basic forms of rule breaking behavior; good, odd or bad behavior. Deviance that could be considered good or even admirable but which still breaks out of social norms is something akin to heroism such as putting ones own life in danger in an attempt to save the life of another person. There are many behaviors that may be considered odd even though they may not be criminal. They are considered odd because they are different than behavior that is shown by other people. Examples of this deviance range from outlandish or inappropriate modes of dress, mildly eccentric behavior such as a person who sees nothing wrong in sharing their house with 50 cats to outright madness. Bad behavior is what the name implies it to be; law breaking or criminal behavior that in some way is seen as being something more than simply outlandish or eccentric. The different kinds of behavior in this category constitute crime, violence, crimes against property and the lik e dependant on the time and place at which they take place (Types of Deviance). Though the definition of deviance and the different ways of interpreting it have undergone much research over the years, the fact that there is indeed such behavior in every society that clearly deviates from the norms of that society and hence constitutes deviant behavior hasnt changed. According to Rock (1973), â€Å"The common sense definition has not changed: the absolutist orientation still prevails. Not so for social science. Sociologists in particular now realize that, contrary to common sense, the identification of and reaction to deviance in everybodys life is no different from other areas of life: these processes hinge on one persons interpretation of another persons deeds. The chief difference between interpretations in other areas of life and those in deviance lies in the use of a moral yardstick when deviance is interpreted. To be sure, what is seen a deviant is part of everyday knowledge of common-sense reality. But it is a socially constructed reality† (Rosenber g, 1983). Because most of the world does have a socially constructed view of deviance, it makes people view the act and not the actor. Societies, heritages, morals passed down from generations, and religious preferences have all blinded individuals from using their own personal judgments and common sense. My interest in this particular topic had a lot to do with my free will of judgment in reference to how I myself viewed deviance and although I guide my kids into what is believed to be right and wrong, I also teach them to make their own decision on what they consider to be deviant in their eyes. As times change, so does the world and although some things are more acceptable, values remain the same. However, if one really wants to understand the way deviance is viewed, created, challenged and enforced, one has to take a much deeper view. It is not enough to focus on the individual deviant and the means of society trying to transform a behavior into some acceptable normal thing; one also needs to examine those who insist on this transformation and who have defined it as deviant in the first place. In some cases, it may be the actual values or the way people judge and label deviant behaviors that is more deviant than the acts or behaviors itself. In conclusion, after examining the types of deviance and the different theories of deviance it can be surmised that it wont be logical to say that â€Å"deviance is simply in the eyes of the beholder†. Deviance is a recognized social ill. It also needs be mentioned here that there are two ways in which sociologists view deviance; the absolutist way and the relativist way. The absolutist are not willing to cut any slack at all in the discussing of deviance being an effect of environment, society and other factors related to it laying all blame of the deviant behavior entirely on the individual. To the contrary, the relativists are the ones who present their case in a manner akin to â€Å"so deviance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder†¦almost every conceivable human characteristic or activity is pariah in somebodys eyes† (Simmons, 1969). In modern times most of the sociologists are relativists where they claim that human action is neither inherently deviant nor inherently nondeviant but dependant of the effects of the environment and society as well. However, in determining the validity of deviance it is best to adopt a middle position which is neither strictly absolutist nor strictly relativist. Given the growing diversities of societies all over the world, it is only by adopting this middle path can one truly judge deviant behavior and seek plausible solution to it by applying the theories of deviance upon them. According to Schur (1965), ‘The societal reaction to the deviant, then, is vital to the understanding of the deviance itself and a major element in—if not a cause of—the deviant behavior. In my opinion, deviance is in the eyes of the beholder nonetheless, it is still a societal ill that first needs to be treated as such before solutions can be sought to remedy it. References Andersen, M. L., Taylor, H. F. (2006) Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Pp. 170 (Thomson Wadsworth 2006) Beirne, Beirne, P., Messerschmidt, J. W. (1999) Criminology: Third Edition. Pp. 215 (Westview Press, 1999) Burke, R. H. (2005) An Introduction to Criminological Theory. Pp. 100 (Willan Publishing 2005) Rosenberg, M. (1983) Introduction to Sociology. Pp. 404 (Routledge 1983) Siegel, L. J. (2004) Criminology: The Core. Pp. 173 (Thomson Wadsworth 2004) Siegel, L. J. (2005) Criminology. Pp. 226 (Thomson Wadsworth 2005) Sociology of Deviance. Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 12, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_deviance Tittle, C. R. (1995) Control Balance: Toward a General Theory of Deviance. Pp. 1 (Westview Press 1995) Types of Deviance. Retrieved on July 15, 2008 from http://www.sociology.org.uk/wsdo2.htm Weis, J. G., Crutchfield, R. D., Bridges, G. S. (2001) Juvenile Delinquency: Readings. Pp. 364 (Pine Forge Press 2001) What is Deviance? Retrieved on July 15, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/tdeddins/deviance.htm

Cost Management & Cost Control Essay

In broad sense, both the terms have the same meaning. Yet cost management seems to connote broader perspective. Cost control to an un-initiated may mean cutting down the incurrence of cost or expenditure every time or in every situation. In reality it is not always so. In many specific situations, many times, one has to spend or incur cost in order to gain or make more money. It is in fact like an investment. Cost management sounds better then. Profits Making profits or running with surpluses is an essential objective of any organization whether a business organization, non-government non-profit making trust or government. Profit = Revenue (or Price X Units Sold) – Overall Costs (or All Expenses) One can make more profit by: * Increasing the price * Selling more units * Reducing costs In globally competitive environment, increasing the price is not always feasible, Therefore, one has to resort to increasing the sales volumes or decreasing the costs. Overall Cost Reduction: Better Strategy If you do some quick calculations, you may find that: * Increasing the sales volumes by say, 5% will increase the profit by only by that much percentage i.e. 5% increase in profit. * On the other hand reducing the overall cost by 5% may increase the profit in the range from 20% to 45%. Cost Build-up There are two ways of looking at as to how products or services start costing. Conventional Way Cost = Direct Labor Cost + Direct Material Cost + Overhead Cost Activity Based Costing (ABC) Way * Various activities are performed. * Activities attract resources like man, machine, material, money, time and information. * These resources mean money or cost. * Number of activities multiplied by costs attached to the resources consumed by the activities = Overall Cost Cost Reduction Methods Conventional * Reduce direct labor expenses * Reduce direct material expenses * Reduce overhead expenses Non-conventional * Reduce or eliminate (non-value adding) activities * Reduce the consumption of the resources by these activities and even by value adding activities. Cost Management/Control by Controlling Non-Value Adding Activities * Product or services go through processes. * Processes consist of activities. * Activities are: value adding and non-value adding. * Therefore, reduce and finally, eliminate non-value adding activities. * One may think of spending money on value-adding activities if the returns because of putting that extra money (investment) exceed the invested amount. Cost Management/Control by Controlling Seven Notorious Wastes 1. Waste of overproduction 2. Waste of waiting 3. Waste of transportation 4. Waste of processing itself 5. Waste of stocks 6. Waste of motion 7. Waste of making defective products/services

Michelle Obama Speech NAACP Essay

In Michelle Obama’s speech â€Å"Remarks to the NAACP National Convention,† she laments that childhood obesity is a serious issue in America today, back when she was young children were always out playing and being active, nowadays children would rather sit inside and play video games then do anything else. Since most children are seldom most of the time and spend hours upon hours watching television â€Å"every extra hour of TV they watch is associated with the consumption of an additional 167 calories.† (423). Children aren’t just becoming lazier, they’re actually becoming more and more unhealthy as time goes on developing â€Å"diabetes and cancer, heart disease, asthma.† (420). In an effort to try and help fix childhood obesity Obama launched the â€Å"Let’s Move† campaign, which even features commercials on Disney Channel showing the Disney celebrities outside playing some kind of physical activity. The four main points to this campaign are; The first one consists of giving parents knowledge to give their children healthy food not fast food. The second point states that the government is attempting to replace fatty foods in schools with healthier options, regardless of how the children will feel about it. The third part of the campaign is just trying to show children that being active actually is fun, it doesn’t just have to be challenging. The final point Obamas’ campaign states is that all families no matter what their income is, wealthy or struggling, should have the ability to get fresh and healthy food without breaking the bank. Works Cited Page Obama, Michelle. â€Å"Remarks to the NAACP National Convention.† They Say / I Say with Readings. Ed. Gerald Garaff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 417-433. Print.

Similarities Between Roman And Roman Cinema - 1506 Words

Numerous influences established Roman theatrical entertainment. Etruscan and Greek antecedent are what predominantly shaped ancient Roman entertainment. Etruscans were people who lived in modern day Tuscany and parts of Umbria (Beacham, 1991). Rome inherited all attributes of the Etruscan religious festivals, where various theatrical performances were given, ranging from acting to chariot racing. For instance these carnival-like festivals occurred to please the gods though theatrical offerings. Another element that the Etruscans contributed was the importance of music and usages of masks and dance. In Etruria, music was accompanied in most activities varying from sacrifices to daily work (Brocket, 1995). Additionally roman theatrical†¦show more content†¦The contrasting from, Fabula Togata were comedies based on Roman material and subjects that provided the audience with situation of domestic and day-to-day life. Plautus and Terrance were the only two authors who had survivi ng roman comedies. Titus Plautus (251-184 BC) wrote around 205 works, but only 21 comedies survived (Wickham, 1992). All his plays are based on Greek new comedy by would add many Roman allusions. He was admired for his Latin dialogue, poetic manner, and witty jokes in his comedies. These characteristics were what described him of having â€Å"comical powers†. Publius Terentius Affer, best known as Terrance (195 – 159 BC) was also a very famous comic with six surviving plays. He would have complex plots, as he would combine more than one Greek original. Identifiable characteristics in his work would be the use of everyday language and the use of double plots (Brocket, 1995). (ENDING) Roman tragedy was not a prominent theatrical form during the rise of the Roman Empire, however it was highly regarded by the audience during the republic (Brocket, 1995). Although no actual plays survived, it is through fragments, titles and notes that indicate how most of them were adapted from Greek originals. In fact these tragedies were barely based on Roman subjects themselves. The main differences in these plays from the