Theory as a Bridge between the Personal and the Public Essay Example for Free

Theory as a Bridge between the Personal and the Public Essay In his seminal work called â€Å"Sociological Imagination†, C. Wright Mills attempts to shed light on the processes and patterns through which individual troubles and public issues are closely related. For Mill, sociological analysis is the key to understanding the dialectics between personal troubles and public issues. II. What Constitutes the Sociological Analysis? The epistemological premise of sociological enquiry is based on its ability to understand the concrete nature of personal troubles in the abstract nature of public issues. In other words, sociological analysis in its ontological position is an abstraction of the overarching phenomena. According to Mill, sociological imagination is constituted by the ability to see through the core of the social and the soul of the personal and the complex interactions between them, while without being blinded by any. Based on this idea, Mills (2000) points out that â€Å"the most fruitful distinction with which the sociological imagination works is between ‘the personal troubles of the milieu’ and ‘the public issues of social structure†. As an individual, one would experience his/her problems as personal but such problems still may well derived from the general problems from within the society. Therefore, sociological imagination has to give its due to both the larger social forces and the individuals and groups. It is the mutually interactionist nature of both social forces and individuals that matters. Behaviors are not only shaped by the social forces, but also individual actions too influence the course societal dynamics. III. Conclusion Sociological imagination is always interactive. It demands a balance of approach in looking at the specific problems of individuals as they often closely assembled to the wider social context. On the other hand, the social context too is necessarily linked to the actions and behaviors of individuals and groups. Reference Mills, C. W. (2000). The Sociological Imagination. 40th Ed. New York: Oxford.

Who I would take to dinner :: essays research papers

Given the opportunity to invite five people to a dinner party, I thought about what I should serve, who would be my server, and which five people I will invite. To start off this infamous dinner party I chose to have it at the Santa Barbara Hotel in California. I picked out the largest banquet room, and had it stocked with art supplies, music equipment, and various other items. I chose to serve anything and everything, sushi, watermelon, pasta, meat, liquor, etc. I chose to invite five very different people, Andy Warhol, Ross Pero, Victoria Taylor, Cheech and Chong, Ja Rule, and of course myself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of my all time favorite artists is Andy Warhol. I wanted him to be at my party to ask what inspired his whole idea of pop art and if he would do a portrait of myself and the dinner party. Warhol seems like a very emotional and mixed up person and I would just like to meet him one time to experience Warhol.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media gives Ross Pero a bad image. An image that gives the public visualizations of his appearance. I have always wanted to see Pero in person. I want to see if his ears are really that big. I don’t want to put down his intelligence so he will also inform us of world news and anything else his mind holds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a series of movies that these two star in, and their names are Cheech and Chong. They will liven up the atmosphere and try to get everyone to smoke marijuana. I made them something special for them to eat while they were at my party, pot leaf soup and hash brownies. I have wondered what it would be like to be Cheech and Chong to see how much of there brains were really left and marijuana they could smoke.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Victoria Taylor is my God Mother, she is my living day role model. She owns a high fashion clothing store in Portland, Oregon. I wanted her to come because she really knows how to get people going and how to have great parties. She respects different people which makes her a prime choice to come because she would not be â€Å"weirded† out by my guests.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My last guest is music artist Ja Rule. He is a rap/ hip hop artist, but his voice and appearance is really nice. I wanted him to come to my party to not only be a guest but to perform, that is what the music equipment is for.

Midsouth Chamber of Commerce

Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (MSCC), a non-profit member supported organization that lobbies state government for local businesses, needed to update its IBM AS/400 based UNITRAK system to a more advanced structure to meet the growing demands of employees and members. Dick Gramen, a former computer trainer for an insurance broker, who had no experience with the AS/400 computer or the UNITRAK software, was hired for the job. After struggling to learn the previous hardware, software, data structure and organization operations, he urged MSCC's executive committee to purchase the IBM RS/6000 computer system (a system he was familiar with) to enhance MSCC's computing capabilities. Despite Leon Lassiter’s (vice president of marketing) admonition, the executive committee unhesitatingly granted Gramen's request. Shortly thereafter, Gramen accepted a contract with the inapt and inexperienced vendor, Data Management Associates (DMA) to develop the software and convert the UNITRAK database into the new system. Gramen did not review the contract in great detail and sent it to MSCC president, Jack Wallingford for approval. Even worse, Wallingford, without having any outside specialist or corporate counsel to review the document, blindly signed the contract. The contract later revealed no explicit or quantifiable performance standards for the services to be provided, and that DMA only offered a certain number of free development hours for the creation of the software. Moreover, DMA had the right to increase the price of services and products provided at its discretion, while limiting its financial and performance liabilities. Not surprisingly, DMA encountered a myriad of problems from the moment of implementation. And as difficulties with the software conversion mounted, DMA quickly used up the development hours, and started billing the MSCC for the work beyond the free hours guaranteed. Consequently, the relationship between DMA and the MSCC declined. The software installation was subsequently stopped within a few months due to erroneous billing issues and the lack of progress. Additionally, the MSCC could not receive reimbursement from DMA to buy another system or hire another vendor to formulate the required software since it had already made full payment (which implied acceptance of the software system). Before long, it became apparent that Gramen did not possess the necessary expertise to maintain and support the hardware platform or solve problems regarding software implementation. In my opinion, MSCC could have avoided this predicament if upper management had initially chosen a qualified individual to manage its Information Systems. Gramen failed to carefully assess the existing data resource and rushed to install a new system. He also overlooked the organization's operations, and disregarded meaningful feedback from Lassiter, one of MSCC’s senior business leaders. Needless to say, the agreement with DMA ought to have been reviewed by someone who specializes in computer software contracts prior to signing. When Lassiter officially took over as President, he hired Sage Niele as financial officer and vice president of operations. This was a prudent maneuver by Lassiter given that he could no longer afford to leave Gramen in-charge of MSCC's information systems. Niele earned her MBA from Wharton School of Business, and had formerly performed systems management tasks for a large pharmaceutical company in the Midsouth area. She also managed her own information systems and financial consulting business. Niele began gathering information from the MSCC staff on the deficiencies of the computer system as well as the needs of the organization. At the same time, she sought support from the executive committee and key board members to determine the vision of the MSCC for the operational future. This bottom-up and top-down approach was effective, and it flattened her learning curve about the MSCC and its current information systems. She also identified several RS/6000 compatible software packages that were worthy of further investigation, and sent only ‘billable' payments to DMA. I believe Niele is off to a pretty good start. By analyzing the present information system and understanding the organization's needs, she will eventually be able to develop a well-organized strategic plan that will put an end to MSCC's long history of poor operational decisions. In conclusion, Niele must consult other vendors for the development of the needed software seeing as the DMA software module will most likely never become operational. On the other hand, if this option is not viable and proves to be more costly in the long run, she must recommend the acquisition of a suitable up-to-date computer system, and ‘reengineer' MSCC's entire information system in order to improve efficiency. References: 1. Brown, C. V. , DeHayes, D. W. , Hoffer, J. A. , Martin E. W. , & Perkins, W. C. (2009). Managing Information Technology (6th ed. ). (pp. 192-200). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2. Brown, J. (2002). Midsouth Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:JUu8KurO1bcJ:www. obscure. org/~perky/uofr/fall2002/ISYS203U/MidSouth. pdf+midsouth+chamber+of+commerce&hl=en&gl=bh&sig=AHIEtbQeM3WcQZul-rFxO4h0x5-OQb7qtQ

Compare And Contrast Greek Civilization With Other...

Portfolio Compare Contrast Greek Civilization with Other Civilizations Civilization is the period in which humans develop and organize their community in an advanced form in different aspects. As time was fleeting the ancient Greek civilization was starting to shape and adopt many alterations which started to center a more stable community. Just as the Greeks there were other civilizations developing some similar to the Greeks attributes and some differing them in different aspects. During the 9th century the interactions amongst the Greeks and Phoenician deepened. They combined their cultures in many artistic and literary customs from each other, reforming them to costume their own purposes. This instigated the renewal of seafaring†¦show more content†¦extensive commercial contacts with the cities around the Nile such as Beni Salama, Maadi, and Sinai Peninsula, and the upper reaches of the Nile some several hundred miles to the south. A degree of cultural cohesiveness was already de veloping, fostered by shared interest and trade. (Ancient Egypt And the Eastern Mediterranean Chapter 1). These agricultural practices of the Egyptians were different than to the Greeks seafaring. Shortly, economic, political, and social cooperation between the Greeks and those around them became compulsory and similar. As shown in the Greek Colonization Map (chapter3) the procedure of Greek settlement became stronger on the coasts of Anatolia lastingly changing the cultural geography of the Mediterranean world and the swap of cultures from the Greek to others and vice versa, as a fast result of trade. The western shores of Anatolia held the Greek culture strongly for the following thousands of years. A large amount of Greeks settled in southern parts of Italy which the Romans called Magna Graecia â€Å"Greater Greece.† The hunt for bazaars, possessions, and trade paths indorsed more understanding between cultures. Trade involving long distance was significant for a new arising economy but also the pipeline for concepts, and technical growth. Egyptians admired Greek’s pottery and wool while, the Greek’s revered the Egyptians Canaanite glass, and amulets. A s seen in Egypt And Its Neighbors Map (Chapter 2) this led to a greater mutualShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Greece and Rome1159 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Compare/Contrast Compare/Contrast Greece Rome Compare/Contrast Page 1 â€Å"And what he greatly thought, he nobly dared.† Homer â€Å"Wherever the fates lead us let us follow.† Virgil Not all roads lead to it and it mostRead MoreMesopotamian Literature : The Civilization1005 Words   |  5 PagesCivilization came a long way since what it first was. Human creativity was the root of the evolution of civilization. The basics of human survival in the Stone Age were creating fire, heat, clothing, and food from the surrounding resources of the lands. There were also many different cultural aspects among people in this age. In early Mesopotamia, the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians had a communal outlook on religion. Although their religious outlook was the same, they viewed the world in many differentRead MoreEssay on Compare and Contrast Egypt and Mesopotamia901 Words   |  4 Pagesaround the Nile River, while Mesopotamia developed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Egypt and Mesopotamia grew into complex civilizations. Politically, both Egypt and Mesopotamia had a government with one main ruler, but Egypt had a centralized government with a pharaoh, while Mesopotamia had a decentralized government with a king. Socially, both civilizations were patriarchal, but Egypt was more lenient towards women while Mesopotamia was stricter. The political and social structures ofRead MoreAncient Greek Architecture : The Doric Style And The Ionic Design Essay1610 Words   |  7 PagesThere are three types of columns found in ancient Greek architecture but two of the three columns are: The Doric style a nd the Ionic design The Doric style is rather sturdy and its top (the capital), is plain. This style was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. The Ionic style is thinner and more elegant. Its capital is decorated with a scroll-like design (a volute). This style was found in eastern Greece and the islands. 2). The ushabti (also called shabti or shawabtiRead MoreCompare and Contrast Essay: Ancient Egypt and Greece812 Words   |  4 PagesWord Count: 806 Compare and Contrast Essay: Ancient Egypt and Greece There are many mysteries to life, ancient civilizations created religion to explain these mysteries. Many ancient civilizations believed in religions that worshiped more than one god or goddess, this is called polytheism. Both the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Greeks practiced polytheism. For both ancient civilizations religion was an important part of daily life. Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks had similar creationRead MoreA Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, By William Wordsworth And On First Looking Into Chapman s Homer1190 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstanding. Both â€Å"Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey† and â€Å"On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer†, depict different aspects of sublimity. In â€Å"Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey†, it often relates sublimity with Nature; On the other hand, â€Å"On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer†, the author of the poem demonstrates how Keats feels sublime on while re ading the English translation by Chapman of Homer’s poem. As demonstrated in the poem of â€Å"Lines Written a Few Miles above TinternRead MoreThe Contrast and Comparison Between the Ancient Greeks and Romans1483 Words   |  6 PagesThe ancient Greeks and Roman civilizations both began their histories with the emergence of city states. Both of these civilizations made contributions to the Middle East. The Greeks had made a wild spread of discoveries on several fields. This included astronomy by Ptolemy, geometry by Euclid, and the philosophy of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius of his Stoic philosophy. Because the Greeks were widely known as a creative and prestigious race, the Romans were influenced by the Iliad (Homer’s legendaryRead MoreTopics in Cultural Studies1250 Words   |  5 Pages Abstract When comparing and contrasting the cultures of Greek and Roman civilization, there are many noted similarities and differences. This paper will focus on a few of the prominent features and attempt to define the differences, while noting the similarities. INTRODUCTION TO THE HUMANITIES Compare and contrast distinguishing elements and features of early Greek and Roman cultures, to include: * Government * Geographical Terrain * Economic andRead MoreThe Effects of the Scientific Revolution Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pagespoint. We all too often overlook many of the global events that ultimately helped develop a universal method for understanding and manipulating the world that we know today. My intent in the sentences and paragraphs to follow is to outline, compare and contrast the impacts and surrounding events in scientific advancement prompted by Chinese ingenuity and Europe’s new knowledge from Asia, Africa and the Americas. The first source that I would like to spotlight is a document titled, â€Å"China, TechnologyRead MoreConfucius And Aristotle On Virtue1318 Words   |  6 PagesConfucius and Aristotle on Virtue This essay compares two philosophers of two very different and distinct backgrounds. Confucius’s ideas were developed as a result of his involvement and manifestation in the ancient Chinese culture while Aristotle’s ideas were a result of his absorption and existence in the ancient Greek culture. Subsequently, both philosophers touched on subjects of a similar nature quite frequently, so as, what constitutes virtue or good ethical character and conduct. According