Dick Hebdige argues that subcultural style should be regarded as a Essay

Dick Hebdige argues that subcultural style should be regarded as a semiotic form of resistance against authority - Essay Example Culture is an indispensable part of social life. From this point of view, culture is also necessarily related to politics even if the particular relationship is not standardized, in terms of its forms. Hebdige has thoroughly explored the potential relationship between culture and politics. In his book ‘Subculture: the Meaning of Style’, first published in 1979, Hebdige uses examples from cultural trends developed in Britain during 1970s (Blake 1998, p.97). Emphasis is given to the cultural trends, especially in terms of music and dress, of youths in different subcultures (Blake 1998, p.97). The research on this subject has led Hebdige to the assumption that social relations can be influenced by the cultural background of the parties; for politics, a similar view could be developed (Blake 1998, p.97). The view of Hebdige that subcultural style should be regarded as a semiotic form of resistance against authority is evaluated in this paper. Reference is primarily made, pri marily, to the concept of subculture, as described in the study of Hebdige. Then, two examples are employed for showing the value of the views of Hebdige if they are used in practice. It is proved that, indeed, subcultural style can be used as a form of resistance against authority. Still, the implications of such use are rather difficult to be identified. Neither can it be said that a particular subcultural style has been found to be effective in supporting a strong resistance against authority. 2. Hebdige and subcultural style as a semiotic form of resistance against authority 2.1 Key points of Hebdige’s view in regard to subcultural style For Hebdige, subcultures are related to two key terms: ‘conjuncture and specificity’ (During 1999, p.441). More specifically, Hebdige promotes the idea that subcultures are not limited to a particular aspect of life or to a particular area (During 1999, p.441). Rather, subcultures can be identified ‘almost everywhereâ⠂¬â„¢ (During 1999, p.441) being influenced though by specific conjunctures (During 1999, p.441). The term ‘conjunctures’ (During 1999, p.441) in the above use reflects not just the cultural and social trends developed in a particular region but also the political and economic conditions of the region (During 1999, p.441). It is in this framework that subcultures are created and developed (During 1999, p.441). At the next level, these subcultures change as they are adopted by people in different social classes and of different age (During 1999, p.441). Through the above transformation process a high range of styles appears (During 1999, p.441). It should be noted that the notion of subculture as developed by Hebdige is based on the continuous opposition with the system, leading to a phenomenon described as ‘resistance through style’ (Muggleton and Weinzierl 2004, p.86). The particular type of subculture has been characterized as heroic, indicating a strong willingness for fighting the system, including politics (Muggleton and Weinzierl 2004, p.86). However, today subculture has been slightly transformed; a transmission to ‘a post-heroic phase’ (Muggleton and Weinzierl 2004, p.86) has been unavoidable since the willingness of people to fight the system has been gradually reduced. On the other hand, the value of subculture for evaluating the social trends for opposing the system remains significant (Muggleton and Weinzierl 2004, p.86). When efforts are made for evaluating the power of subculture within a particular society the following fact should be taken into consideration: subculture, as described by Hebdige, needs to ‘represent noise, disturbance and blockage of the system of representation’ (Muggleton and Weinzierl 2004, p.86). If the above requirement is not met, then the social

Internet Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet Literacy - Essay Example This may be a challenging task especially to those who are not so open-minded about technology and changes however it becomes a liberating experience also to those who come to a learning experience that fulfill one’s dreams. A friend has always been afraid to try the internet nevertheless needed to learn how to use it due to the demands from his work. Being in his forties, his fear was usually fed with the words like ‘you cannot teach an old dog new tricks’ and was challenged considering he is not a dog, he learned and discovered the internet. The process was not easy for both the learner and teacher but it was a fulfilling job they both went through. The student struggled on remembering things about the computer and how to work on it while the teacher made every effort to make instructions simple and clear. Frustrations may have occurred as the learning went but they were turned to joy for every discovery the learner made. Reading vast information from the intern et changed my friend’s perception not only on technology but almost about a lot of things. He says he had come to a deeper understanding of many things as he used the internet as a means for educating himself, reading not only the words but the lives of other people. Writing may not be the job he is paid to do yet he considers he uses a lot from his internet literacy to enhance his information literacy to write the remaining chapters of his life. In considering the elements that this individual and other individuals have learned from their experience with internet literacy, it’s clear there are a great many elements. One of the major elements is the influence that understanding social media has on individual’s lives. While it is not difficult to join a social network, such as Facebook, there is a slight process in learning how to implement it for the greatest gains. As I became more involved with Facebook I recognized that it offered me the opportunity to remain in contact with old friends and people that I otherwise would have lost touch with. This has the effect of enriching my life and giving me a greater perspective on the world. In other contexts, social media has allowed me to join communities of people with similar or specific interests. For instance, individuals interested in literature, cooking, or sports are able to join communities where they are able to discuss their interests. Such aspects of internet literacy are not merely significant in that they allow individuals new forms of communication, but indeed, they also change the very nature of social relations. In understanding social media, rather than having to venture for hours to visit conventions or lectures, one now has direct access to experts in many fields through Twitter. In learning how to implement these elements of internet literacy one can truly make profound life changes. Another highly important element relating to internet literacy are the benefits it holds for education. I recognize that learning how to use the internet is a form of education itself. Still, within this journey one also recognizes that the internet holds the key to a world of skills and opportunities. One of the first instances I remember is spending time in Wikipedia researching history and a variety of topics, the breadth of information and insight I gained from this experience was truly paradigm shattering. As I became more experienced with internet literacy I recognized that in addition to Wikipedia one could read full-texts of books and find more substantial internet sources. In addition to improving my knowledge, it gave me a greater appreciation for the nature of academic research. As I further expanded my understanding of internet liter

The Importance Of Entrepreneurship And Innovation

The Importance Of Entrepreneurship And Innovation It is known to all that entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as an important driver of economic growth, productivity, innovation and employment, and it is widely accepted as a key aspect of economic dynamism: the birth and death of firm and their growth and downsizing. As firms enter and exit the market, theory suggests that the new arrivals will be more efficient than those they displace. Existing firms that are not driven out are forced to innovate and become more productive in order to compete. Many studies have given empirical support to this process of creative destruction according to Joseph Schumpeter. There is no doubt that innovation were, are will be extremely important for the individual and society. Today, people increasingly realize that innovations are even more critical that in the past. Thus, industrial competition is increasingly cruel and companies must continuously bring innovative products and services to the global market. To survive, companies need creative and inventive employees whose novel ideas are, to a certain extent, a necessity for the companies continued existence and future success. Consequently, modern society indeed requires highly able citizens who can produce innovative solutions to current challenges and contribute new ideas that aid in the development and growth of the market for a particular product or service. Contemporary society, without doubt, is highly reliant on innovations. The future will be synonymous with innovation. Despite the quite evident importance of innovations in the life of any organism, one should acknowledge that the phenomenon o f innovation is far from well understood. Terms and definitions Innovation is the specific function of entrepreneurship, whether in an existing business, a public service institution, or a new venture started by alone individual in the family kitchen. It is the means by which the entrepreneur either creates new wealth-producing resources or endows existing resources with enhanced potential for creating wealth. (Drucker, 1985) Creativity and innovation are not synonymous, but Innovation= Invention+ Creativity+ Exploitation (Rosenfeld and Serso, 1990). Innovation is one of ways to explore change as an opportunity for a business or service. Innovation can be taught and learned (Drucker, 1985). On the average about sixty percent of all jobs in the U.S. are generated by firms with twenty or fewer employees. Large firms with over five hundred employees generate less than fifteen percent of all the jobs (Birch, 1979). Students can also work for large companies as leaders within then large company, but must see small business as a viable option. According to Timmons (1989) defined that Entrepreneurship is a human, creative act that builds something of value from practically nothing. It is the pursuit of opportunity regardless of the resources, or lack of resources, at hand. It requires a vision and the passion and commitment to lead others in the pursuit of that vision. It also requires a willingness to take calculated risks 2.0 Identification of Opportunities and Generating Ideas The first challenge may occur to the business start-ups is to find the real opportunities from the changing business environment. According to Lowe and Marriot (2006), the starting point of business start-up is to identify the where a gap in the market might exist to where changes in the market might act as a catalyst for developing a new solution that customer will need. Muzyka (2000) explains that opportunities come in many ways, shapes and forms and entrepreneurs, while not needing to have the idea themselves but must structure a business around the idea. Lowe and Marriot (2006) emphasized that many opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship come from applying technology or bringing new ideas into the functional areas of a business to create change within and established market. According to Ansoff and Mcdonnell (1990), when facing the unexpected events, the organization who can responds to the opportunity and threat more innovative than its competitor, the organization is more likely to succeed, apart from Ansoff and McDonnell s point of view, Drucker (1985) also suggested that, the unexpected event that triggers off a new demand. For example, demands for construction following the earthquake and tsunami. Individuals think creatively and build knowledge from their own experience and expertise that will lead to potentially commercializable opportunities, however, Lowe and Marriot (2006) argued that an organization can work against the creative capability. There are several methods that can be used to generate business ideas. Firstly, entrepreneur can use someone else s ideas to start their own business, often some else s idea is interesting but not commercially exploitable; however, the idea can be modified and developed into a real market opportunity. Secondly, entrepreneur can use his or her own knowledge to make observations about the market gaps and opportunities. The knowledge can be from work, hobbies or just simply reflecting on normal life experiences, all of these knowledge can transform into the new business ideas. Thirdly, according to Lowe and Marriot (2006), the market is crowded with services and products, so it is important to identify the market gap and generate new pro duct or service to meet their own specific needs. Fourthly, Baron and Shane (2005)discuss the importance of intelligence in creativity and suggest that entrepreneurs need to balance three components to achieve successful intelligence: (1) creative intelligence to come up with new ideas, (2) practical intelligence to identify ways to develop these ideas and (3) analytical intelligence to evaluate the ideas and determine whether they are worth pursuing. 3.0 Business Plan 3.1 The importance of business planning for start-ups Cater and Dylan (2006) suggested that Planning is generally perceived as a curial element in the survival of new and small business. The business plan is just a plan and like any other plan, the only way to see if it really works is to monitor its progress at regular intervals, (Butler, 2006) so that the entrepreneur will be able to respond to any potential problems which may occur in the future and if necessary, the entrepreneur will also be able to change the business strategy straight away. There are three main reasons why entrepreneur need to produce a business plan: First, the business planning process acts as a very efficient method of focusing the ideas of potential entrepreneurs in terms of defining their objectives and assessing their own abilities to organize and run the business (Butler, 2006). The business plan can also help to test the feasibility of the business proposal before the actual implementation or commit to any substantial expenditure or investment. Typically, the business plan would be prepared before the start-up or acquisition of the business. Second, there are only few entrepreneurs who have their own resources to fund their business, most are faced the challenge to raise external finance, it may not occur at the start-up stage but probably when they wish to expand their established business. For these persons, possession of a good business plan is crucial to their future. A clear description of how the entrepreneur will exploit the business opportunity allows investors to decide whether the project is a worthwhile investment and assess the risk attached to it. (Frank, Plaschka and Roessl, 1989, p.191) Third, the processes of the business planning produce the parameters and specific targets (Butler, 2006) which provide a yardstick, which can measure the progress and profitability of the business. Again, this planning activity is a prerequisite to starting or acquiring a business but, apart from that, it is also part of the ongoing process of running a business and should be continued as an ongoing process, long after the initial start-up. 3.2The layout of the business plan The importance of the business plan has been discussed in the previous section, this section will suggest a basic structure for the business plan: The Business Idea is the preliminary section to demonstrate the basic background information about the proposal, and it also helps to stimulate the reader s interest for a further reading. The section of The Proprietors of the Business will describe the proprietors key skills and abilities which would help to make the business successful. According to Butler (2006, p.17), the business plan must act as a sales document to convince the lender of the viability of the proposal, so this section is the key to that process and must therefore be concise, positive and upbeat (Butler, 2006, p.28). The Resources Required section will identify the capital investment requirements of the business (Premises, transport, plant and equipment) and other resources required (personnel, raw materials, consumables, etc.) and also show the reasons why they needed. (Butler, 2006, p.35) The section of Financial Plan will identify the budgetary plan and also will forecast the cash flow and the profit. In the Marketing section, it will analyse the marketing sector which the business plan to operate, and also will demonstrate what kinds of marketing policy will be used. The Implementation of the Proposals section will show the way in which the business will operate, the timetable for the Implementation of the proposal and discuss any possible contingencies. The last section will be Summary, it will summarise the belief in the potential Profitability and viability of your business proposal and the potential of success.

Drug Abuse in Canada :: Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse

Drug Abuse in Canada Introduction Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments. Canada’s Drug of Choice: Marijuana   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrary to popular belief the rate of illicit drug use is actually on the decline. The most commonly used drug in Canada is Marijuana. According to the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey, 44.5% of Canadians surveyed said that that used pot at least once in their lifetime.14.1% reported that they have used marijuana in the past twelve months. Those individuals that have used in the past year varies greatly, with 20.8% not having used at all in the past 3 months, while 204.9% claiming that they have used only once in the past 3 months. 16% reported that they used monthly, 20.3% was weekly, with only 18.1% reporting to be using daily. The province with the highest usage is British Columbia with an average that is significantly higher than the national level, at 52.1%. British Columbia also has the highest past year usage compared to the national average at 16.8%.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As with alcohol, men (50.1%) are more likely than their female counterparts (39.2%) to have used marijuana during their life time. The same sample of men (18.2%) and women (10.2%) have used marijuana in the past year. This is up from 5.7% for men and 2.4% for women in 1993, over three times higher for the men and four times for the women. The younger generations, like men, are more likely to use marijuana, with approximately 70% of those between the ages of 18-24 years old having tired it at least once. The youngest age group sampled, 15-17 years old, almost 30% of them used cannabis in the past year, peaking at 47% with the age group18 & 19 year olds. After this point usage within the past year tends to decline with only 10% of the population surveyed claiming they still use marijuana.

Coaching in the Workplace

DEVELOPING COACHING SKILLS FOR THE WORKPLACE ACTIVITY 1 Introduction In this report I will describe two types of coaching and how coaching can be directive and non-directive. Also, I will explain two differences between coaching and other learning and development methods. I will identify 3 benefits of coaching to the organization and an explanation of 3 ways that coaching can be used to meet organization objectives. Moreover, I will explain the meaning of coaching culture and therefore 2 options for developing it within an organization.And in conclusion, I will identify 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of developing in house coaching. 2 types of coaching * Sports Coaching: This is what many people think of when they hear the word â€Å"coach†. A â€Å"player† is helped to develop their skills by a â€Å"coach†. On the other hand, the term sports coach encompasses a wide range of roles and approaches, from the football manager on the touchline, through one-to-one coaches for athletes and players, to specialist coaches for fitness and health.There are also coaches who focus on the ‘mental game’, helping sports players fine-tune their psychological preparation for high-pressure events. * Executive coaching: is a form of business coaching which is typically aimed at developing senior managers, directors and key players within a business setting. It may enhance current performance, taking skills and abilities to a new level and help individuals adapt to new situations or it may address poor performance. This type of coaching may also be termed Leadership Coaching or Performance Coaching as it tends to target the same audience and similar issues.How coaching can be directive and non directive? 1. Directive: Is where the coach offers you solutions, tools and techniques for moving forward. You may like to be offered solutions however the danger is that the solution may not be appropriate for your situation and consequently may not feel fully committed to the solution provided. 2. Non-Directive: Is coaching in the true sense of the word where the coach simply asks you questions to allow you to find your own solutions. A on-directive coach will certainly not offer you advice and rarely even give you suggestions, although through skillful questioning they will help you to see your situation from a different perspective, gain clarity, uncover options, challenge inconsistencies and hold you accountable to your actions. 2 differences between coaching and other learning and development methods Other learning and development method chosen has been counseling that it means to give advice to someone. It’s a process in which a person is helped to explore the situation and find solution or answers for a problem.Therefore, counseling can be used to address psychosocial as performance issues and coaching does not seek to resolve any underlying psychological problems. It assumes a person does not require a psycho-social intervention. By counseling, the goal is to help people understand the root causes of long-standing performance problems and issues at work and by coaching, the goal is to improve an individual’s performance at work. 3 benefits of coaching * Greater aware about the company objectives * Better communication within teamwork Gives the purpose and vision to go ahead to the good way 3 ways that coaching can be used to meet organizational objectives * An improvement of the personal performance improves organizational performance with an increase of benefits * Improved cross functional interaction and efficiency. People do business with people and that means a better result of sales. * Greater efficiency through less fractious relationships and sulking and that improves staff retention and a creation of a great place to work. Many people would like to work to the company.Coaching Culture * It’s an organizational setting in which not only formal coaching occurs, but also, most or a large segment of individuals in the organization practice coaching behaviors a means of relating to, supporting and influencing each other 2 options for developing a coaching culture within an organization: * Training and developing house coaching: deliver training entirely in house or through fund payment of a consultant to deliver training to some employees as coaches. Basically it’s the internal coaching creates and designed in the company. Buying in coaching expertise: deliver coaching through external coaches’ experts and independents of the company. 3 advantages of developing in house coaching * Cost and available resources (cheaper) * Knowledge of business and industry (vision of the company goals, about what’s going on) * Can be flexible (any moment and any situation) 3 disadvantages of developing in house coaching * Confidentiality (without prejudice to the good faith contract of the company) * Willingness to open up (no feel comfortable) * Qualif ications and experience (risk bad coaching habits)

A Review of Tom Piazza’s City of Refuge Essay

It was mid-August on a hot summer day hurricane Katrina damaged a city, New Orleans, possibly for a lifetime. The novel: City of Refuge by Tom Piazza gives readers an omniscient point of view of two families lives during this tragic event. The Williams family from the Lower 9th Ward and the Donaldsons originally from the upper Midwest who had made their way to New Orleans share the same traumatic experience; in different ways of the levees breaking from hurricane Katrina changed both of their lives forever. On Friday morning Craig Donaldson saw on the news that Hurricane Katrina had moved into the Gulf, heading in their direction. Craig and Alice, his wife contemplated leaving the following day or the day after for Oxford, Mississippi. Saturday morning started out rocky. Malcolm, their son, woke up with a burning fever. With all of this going on Craig prepared for their evacuation by getting the house in order before Katrina hit on Sunday. Around mid-day they decided to get on the road; unfortunately, the highway was backed up. Craig then decided to take a different route on a two-lane highway; traffic flowed at first but that too got backed up. Due to the extensive amount of traffic and the effects of the storm, they stopped at a hotel. They had wanted to stay with Alice’s parents but there were too many complications of not having enough room space, so her mom says. They waited at the hotel until the weather was clear enough for them to continue driving. Alice’s mother insisted she call her Aunt Jean and Uncle Gus who lived in Chicago. After Alice made the phone call, they decided to make their journey back to the Midwest. When they arrived in Chicago her family presented them with great hospitality and said they could stay as long as they needed. Alice decided to enroll Annie their daughter into school. During this time Alice was still taking care of Malcolm and helping her aunt and uncle around the house. The hurricane took a toll on Craig. One particular day while at his favorite cafe shop called Blue Horizon he noticed everyone appeared to be in a â€Å"happy-go-lucky-mood,† and this began to irritate him. He became upset because everyone took their lives for granted; no one was experiencing what he was going through. Craig became depressed and easily irritated. There would be times where he would take a deep breath and tears would run down his face and he would not know why. He recognized these symptoms and labeled himself as having Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. He started to accept that his home in New Orleans would never be the same. Alice comforted him during this time, even though she was going through the same experience. After time went on, things started turning from bad to good. Craig received a phone call from his old college friend, Peter. Peter suggested that Craig write a column for the â€Å"CHI EYE†. They felt this would be a good way for Craig to vent and write about his evacuation experience as well as his experiences in Chicago. Peter told Craig he would receive $1000 a week for 1500 words. When Craig received his first check, he took Alice out on a romantic date. As weeks went by Alice settled in Chicago; she secretly started searching for apartments and houses. She looked at Chicago as the place where her growing family lived before they went to New Orleans. Alice enjoyed living back in the Midwest; she did not feel that the damaged city of New Orleans was a good place for her kids, and she did not want to live like an â€Å"urban pioneer† for the rest of her life. She was ready to settle down and New Orleans was not the place for her at the time. Alice brought to Craig’s attention that they could not live in her aunt and uncles attic any longer. She told Craig she was looking into their future by house hunting. Craig took the new information as a stab in the back. He felt hurt and betrayed by his wife because she did not want to move back to New Orleans. Craig felt that their family might not be able to make it during this rough time. He contemplated on whether he should leave and return back to what he called home (New Orleans) and break up the family or stay for the kids’ sake and feel like a disintegrate parent. Craig and Alice sat together and started expressing their feelings about how they felt on their current living situation. The heart to heart conversation made him realize he was making the wrong decision for his family. He was caught between starting a new life and returning to their old one. They both experienced self-knowledge during this time and achieved a new basis for themselves. They both realized that they were experiencing the same struggle, stress, and both wanted to be a happy. Although Alice had her opinion of New Orleans, she did miss the town but deep down Craig also wanted to start a new life. Craig has come to accept the idea of walking away from New Orleans; he saw how his friend, Bobby, experienced difficulty letting New Orleans go. Bobby and Jen, friends of the Donaldsons, became defensive when they heard Craig did not want to return to New Orleans because of Alice and their kids and also Alice’s concerns for the overall city. Craig tried to explain from Alice’s point of view why they should not return so that Bobby and Jen would understand. Craig and Bobby had different perspectives on the situation and completely different life styles. Bobby and Jen needed to realize that this was not a safe environment for Craig and Alice’s kids. They remained friends even with their new life differences. Craig returned to New Orleans acknowledging a new perspective; the importance of why he loved the city remained during Mardi Gras.