Ideas and Values Shape Who You Become in Society Essay Example for Free

Ideas and Values Shape Who You Become in Society Essay Most people strive to have a good social standing and the ideas and values they hold on to can often influence their place in society. Society dictates which ideas and values will be accepted and which will be rejected. The values that stick with us the most are usually taught to us as children and help to influence who we become. In Girl and Good People, the characters were raised to have religious values and to behave in a way that will make it easy for them to fit into their society. The main characters in these stories had their values imposed on them at a young age, and helped to shape who theyve become and how they behave in society. Read more: Good people by David Foster Wallace  essay Religion is a cornerstone for the characters in both stories. They are taught what is acceptable in their religion, in this case Christianity, and realize certain actions could alienate them from their social groups. In Girl, the girl is given specific instructions on how to behave, including dont sing benna in Sunday school (Kincaid, 120). She is taught that singing folk music on the Lords day is improper, and even though she doesnt sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school (120), she is explicitly told a few times not to do it. There, it is important for her to be on her best behavior. On Sundays she is shown she must try to walk like a lady and not the slut you are so bent on becoming (120) because how she is perceived on Sundays can be detrimental to her public image. In Good People Lane A. Dean Jr and his girlfriend Sheris values weigh heavily on their thoughts as they consider their options when making a momentous decision. The two are very religious and theyd prayed on it and talked it through from every different angle (Wallace, 152). They are worried about how their society will perceive them and if they are still good people if they go through with having an abortion and never really mention the word in conversation. Even  on the phone they speak in a kind of half code in case anybody accidentally picked up the extension (153). Neither of them goes to a friend or even religious leaders to talk about their situation, not Pastor Steve or the prayer partners at campus ministries, not his UPS friends or the spiritual counselling available through his parents old church (152) because they are ashamed. Specifically, Lane feels like he knew now why it was a true sin and not just a leftover rule from past society (152). In Girl and Good People, the main characters religious values have an affect on who they are in society, a good person or someone who gets to touch the bread (Kincaid, 121). Even though Lane Dean and Sheri had made the appointment, they were still uncertain of their decision. Lane knew he couldnt make up his girlfriends mind because he knew if he was the salesman of it and forced it upon her that was awful and wrong (Wallace, 152) and he knows it isnt his place to make a decision for her. However, he wishes he could know what Sheri is thinking and get her to open up and say enough back that he could see her and read her heart and know what to say to get her to go through with it (152). Sheri knows Lane Dean is a good person, and that he respects her enough to know he cannot force her to side with him, but he still wishes he could persuade her to have the abortion. Ultimately, it is Sheris decision to have the abortion, or cancel the appointment. Similarly, included in the long list of instructions in Girl is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child (Kincaid, 120), so the girl can decide for herself whether or not to have an abortion. Beside how to make medicine, the girl is taught other gender specific lessons that include cooking, sewing, laundry, and grocery shopping. She needs to learn how to sew in order to hem a dress so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming (120) and looking indecent in public. All of these instructions are aimed to make it easier for the girl to find a husband by teaching her how you set a table for dinner with an important guest†¦ how to behave in the presence of men who dont know you very well (120). Understanding of gender roles and how to behave around men, or be a wife, are important lessons for the girl to learn in order to survive in her society. Class affiliation plays a role in the upbringing of the girl. She is instructed to wash the white clothes†¦ and put them on the stone heap(119) and when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesnt have gum on it(119-120) because it doesnt matter which social class she belongs to, she still needs to have clean, well-made clothes. Sewing is a useful skill for her, because she cannot afford clothes that are already made, or even premade fabric. Harsh words and phrases that are repeated throughout the story such as slut and wharf-rat boy accentuate the point that there is a certain way for her to behave in society and that if she acts like a slut or associates with wharf-rat boys, people will view her as being lower than them. Unlike the girl, Lane A. Dean Jr seems to belong to the upper middle class based on his name, and the fact that he attends junior college while living at home with his parents. He was named after his father, and perhaps this close affiliation with the patriarch of his family makes him apprehensive of confiding in his parents about his situation. He is close with his mother as well, and she thinks Sheri is good people†¦she made this evident in little ways (150). Lane is worried their decision and their sins mean they will no longer be viewed as good people to the people in their upper class society and knows Sheri can neither [have an abortion] today nor carry a child alone and shame her family (155). Trying to fit in to society, whether upper or lower class can be an arduous task with many lessons to learn and roles to play. Knowing your place and where you fit in determines your success. The ideas and values imprinted on youth to build character and deter bad behavior allow them to conform to society. Works Cited Mays, Kelly J. ed. _The Norton Introduction to Literature._ Portable 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2013. Print. Kincaid, Jamaica. Girl. Mays 119. Print. Wallace, David Foster. Good People. Mays 149. Print.

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Capital Punishment What type of society kills its own people? The American culture’s morals have accepted the death penalty as a reasonable punishment. However, who gives us the power to determine when someone’s life should end. People who murder others should be punished and pay the price of their crime, but not killed. Our society feels so strongly that murder is wrong and criminals should be killed. In actuality, we are committing the same horrid deed. Capital punishment is wrong for many reasons. Several states in our country have adopted the death penalty as a reasonable act. However, there has been no dramatic decline in violence among these states and others. Proving capital punishment does not deter crime. People are still killing and committing other horrible acts of crime. Another reasons the he death penalty is wrong is that it does not prove to be an effective punishment. Some criminals may look as dying as a way out. They would rather die than spend the res t of their lives in prison. Also it does not provide peace, justice, or happiness for a victim or their family. Robert Willies raped Debbie Morris and was later killed by lethal injection. Debbie Morris found no peace in Willies death. â€Å"Justice didn’t do anything to heal me. Forgiveness did.† (â€Å"Dad Man Walking: The Victim Who Survived† Debbie Morris and Gregg Lewis) A death of a criminal will not erase the past or make a victim’s life complete. Another negative of capital punishment is the high cost. Many dollars are spent during the legal cases and for things such as providing witnesses. Many people who are for the death penalty believe it costs more money to house a criminal in jail. That is wrong, if we can abolish the luxuries many inmates have, the cost is not as high. That way, a prisoner will the way he should live. Above all, capital punishment is morally wrong. A society that is so rich and powerful should not kill each other. We have n ot been given the power to kill someone.

Case Study – Nike: Spreading Out to Stay Together

Case Study: Amazon: Nike: Spreading Out to Stay Together Nike, Inc. is an American  multinational corporation  that is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. The company is headquartered near  Beaverton, Oregon, in the  Portland metropolitan area. It is the world's leading supplier of  athletic shoes  and  apparel  and a major manufacturer of  sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$24. 1  billion in its fiscal year 2012 (ending May 31, 2012). As of 2012, it employed more than 44,000 people worldwide. The brand alone is valued at $10. Billion making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses. Nike and  Precision Castparts  are the only  Fortune 500  companies headquartered in the state of Oregon, according to  The Oregonian. The company was founded on January 25, 1964 as  Blue Ribbon Sports  by  Bill Bowerman  and  Phil Knight,  and offic ially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1978. The company takes its name from  Nike  the Greek goddess of victory. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro,  Nike+,  Air Jordan,  Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including  Cole Haan,  Hurley International,  Umbro  and  Converse.Nike also owned Bauer Hockey (later renamed  Nike Bauer) between 1995 and 2008. In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world, with the highly recognized trademarks of â€Å"Just Do It† and the  Swooshlogo. Discussion Questions: 1. When Nike CEO Phil Knight stepped down and handed his job to Bill Perez, he stayed on as chairman of the board. In what ways could Knight’s continued presence on the board have created an informal structure that prevented Perez from achieving full and complete leaders hip of Nike?Answer: Informal structures are the shadow organization that represents the actual working and communication relationships that may not resemble the formal organizational chart. When knight remained on the board, old communication relationships may have survived his departure from the CEO position, cutting Perez off from valuable information. Knight’s access to the informal communication network may have worked to spread rumors to Knight and back down the communication chain. These rumors may have contained inaccurate information, caused resistance to change and distracted members from their work.This may have reinforced Perez’s position as an outsider. 2. How can Nike utilize both traditional and newer organization structures to support the firm’s heavy strategic commitment to outsourcing? Answer: Network structures use information technology (IT) to link with networks of outside suppliers and service contractors. This outlines Nike’s efforts to outsource many nonexecutive responsibilities to reduce overhead. In addition to outsourcing production, the research and marketing business centers listed in the case could be part of a network structure.Other functions may include design, advertising, licensing, compliance sports and entertainment marketing. 3. Given the problems Nike has had with sweatshop labour being used in some of its foreign contractors, are there subsystems of the firm that need to be run with a mechanistic rather than organic design? Give examples to support your answer. Answers: Mechanistic designs are highly centralized and bureaucratic with an emphasis on command and control. This might suggest that mechanistic designs are appropriate for manufacturing in foreign countries.Organic designs are adaptive, decentralized and tend to respond to change more quickly. This would probably be a good fit for an organization that has far flung operations in different countries with different cultures that try to respond to rapidly changing technology, fashion, customer demands and economic conditions. Nike’s manufacturing subsystem should be run with mechanistic rather than organic so as to protect the image brand and its original designs. The design should be utmost unique and further differentiated, not conforming to culture.Design is could be one competitive advantage so it is important that the manufacturing of the products are conformed to the original ideas of the maker, uninfluenced by any other factors involved in its manufacturing process. Example of this idea is the use of differentiation strategy of companies to gain competitive advantage. 4. Further Research—Gather information on Nike’s recent moves and accomplishments, and those of its rival Adidas. Are both firms following the same strategies and using the same structures to support them? Or, is one doing something quite different from the other?Based on what you learn, what do you predict for the future? Will Nike stay on top, or is Adidas the next industry leader? The advertising strategy differs from company to company. Generally, Nike believes in spending 5-7% of its revenues in advertising and endorsement. Nike has planned to spend $4. 2 Billion until 2014 for endorsements alone. With the huge size of Nike, it is tough for other companies to allocate a big amount for their marketing expenses. Moreover, Nike has always an edge when it comes to advertising and marketing. The table below shows the advertising strategy for the major players in the industry.Company| Strategy| Nike| * Endorsing Athletes * Sponsoring Sports events * City based advertisements * Banners ; Billboards * Themes on bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in world| Adidas, Reebok| * Sponsoring Sports events * Endorsing Athletes * Themes on improving performance of every athlete in the world | Puma| * Mixing influence of sports, lifestyle ; fashion * Puma concept retail stores * Puma fashion shows * New stuff advertising campaigns * Building seasonal momentum during holiday seasons| Other companies| * Minimal or less advertising based on stores|Nike has invested a lot so far in developing a premium brand that implies high quality and care for the customer. Nike has a wide range of products ranging from athletics to life style and also in different price ranges. Therefore, it is always a challenge to fight against brand dilution within Nike. The following gives an idea of the customer’s perception of the brands. Company| Branding message and strategy| Nike| Athletic, Influential, Outgoing, Aggressive, hi tech, futuristic, retro cool American way of living Associated with Athletes at top of their sportTo bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in world| Adidas, Reebok| Clear, orderly, Practical, hi tech, Sophisticated, Sincere Conservative European style To improve performance of every athlete in the world Associated with elite soccer players/teams, NBA stars, Hip hop artists| Puma| Elegant, colorful, fresh, spontaneous, individual, metropolitan, international Mixing influence of sports, lifestyle ; fashion Fashion brand, performance ; casual footwear, fringe, extreme sports| Other companies| Based on their product lines. Generally not a strong brand message|In general, Nike’s shoes are associated to be of high quality and stylish. Reebok’s are comfortable and casual, and the Adidas brand boasts superior performance and is â€Å"perceived as a professional, technically orientated brand with strong European roots. Nike fields some of the best in class technological practices and has a few patents to its credit. Nike emphasizes on these and has developed a lot of new products with use of high technology and sophistication. An example of that is the microprocessor shoe to give great experience and comfort to the customer.However, Adidas is also working on high tech innovations to provide high quality shoes. Lately, Adidas and Nike have been doing entertainment based marketing campaign by forming alliances with technology/entertainment companies. Nike had an alliance with Apple to sell Nike shoes with Apple iPods while Adidas tied up with Microsoft to sell Adidas goods with Microsoft Xbox gaming systems. So far the success of these alliances is yet to be quantified. Nike follows a 100% outsourcing strategy. Most competitors follow the outsourcing strategy.Exceptions to this are New Balance and other smaller players. New Balance claims that 75% of its production is from the US and other small companies produce in the US as well. In general, Nike might still be the industry leader if it compensates its weaknesses in organizational structures with different strategies such as focusing on innovation and development, following differentiation and pricing-based strategies, and investing on sustainability research. References: http://www. nike. com/ph http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nike,_Inc. http://www. scribd . com/doc/91701683/Case-Study

Recovery for the Tutsi People in Rwanda - 758 Words

There is a saying in Rwanda that Rwandans must swallow their tears. They do. If they did not, they would surely drown. - (Palmer, 1995, p. 459) Recovery is a traumatic, long term process for anyone involved in genocide. Rwanda had been through so much in a short period of time. During the recovery process there were many trials and tribulations. There were many parts of recovery needed in order for the people of Rwanda to go back to living a somewhat normal life. Some key types of recovery needed were economical, political, social, mental, and demographical. Recovery was not easy for the Tutsi people of Rwanda. Paul Kagame became president in Rwanda in 2000; with the help of Kagame, the Tutsi defeated the Hutu extremists in 1994 (source #1). Economically the recovery process has been somewhat successful for the Tutsi people. The country has outlawed plastic bags, because it is better for the environment and helps to keep streets clean. According to Isobel Coleman, of the Huffington Post, â€Å"Rwanda has enjoyed robust economic growth since the dark days of genocide. In the past decade and a half, per capita GDP has nearly tripled, admittedly from a desperately low base.† Ranked by the World Economic Forums on their latest Global Information Technology Report Rwanda is now the most network-ready nation in East Africa (source #2). The World Health Organization found that Rwanda spends most of their budget on health care. Overall, economical recovery was not much ofShow MoreRelatedRwanda And The Rwandan Genocide Essay1256 Words   |  6 PagesRwanda is a country located in the middle of the African continent. The two ethnic groups present in the country lived in peace under their monarch until the arrival of Europeans. The Belgians arrival into Rwandan is what split the two ethnic groups of the Tutsi and Hutus, making them identify themselves with ID cards. 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