Culture - Definition, Discussion and Examples

Culture is a term that refers to a large and diverse set of mostly intangible aspects of social life. According to sociologists, culture consists of the values, beliefs, systems of language, communication, and practices that people share in common and that can be used to define them as a collective. Culture also includes the material objects that are common to that group or society. Culture is distinct from social structure and economic aspects of society, but it is connected to them — both continuously informing them and being informed by them. How Sociologists  Define Culture Culture is one of the most important concepts within sociology because sociologists recognize that it plays a crucial role in our social lives. It is important for shaping social relationships, maintaining and challenging social order, determining how we make sense of the world and our place in it, and in shaping our everyday actions and experiences in society. It is composed of both non-material and material things. In brief, sociologists define the non-material aspects of culture as the values and beliefs, language, communication, and practices that are shared in common by a group of people. Expanding on these categories, culture is made up of our knowledge, common sense, assumptions, and expectations. It is also the rules, norms, laws, and morals that govern society; the words we use as well as how we speak and write them (what sociologists call discourse); and the symbols we use to express meaning, ideas, and concepts (like traffic signs and emojis, for example). Culture is also what we do and how we behave and perform (for example, theater and dance). It informs and is encapsulated in how we walk, sit, carry our bodies, and interact with others; how we behave depending on the place, time, and audience; and how we express identities of race, class, gender, and sexuality, among others. Culture also includes the collective practices we participate in, such as religious ceremonies, the celebrati on of secular holidays, and attending sporting events. Material culture is composed of the things that humans make and use. This aspect of culture includes a wide variety of things, from buildings, technological gadgets, and clothing, to film, music, literature, and art, among others. Aspects of material culture are more commonly referred to as cultural products. Sociologists see the two sides of culture — the material and non-material — as intimately connected. Material culture emerges from and is shaped by the non-material aspects of culture. In other words, what we value, believe, and know (and what we do together in everyday life) influences the things that we make. But it is not a one-way relationship between material and non-material culture. Material culture can also influence the non-material aspects of culture. For example, a powerful documentary film (an aspect of material culture) might change people’s attitudes and beliefs (i.e. non-material culture). This is why cultural products tend to follow patterns. What has come before in terms of music, film, television, and art, for example, influences the values, beliefs, and expectations of those who interact with them, which then, in turn, influence the creation of additional cultural products. Why Culture Matters to Sociologists Culture is important to sociologists because it plays a significant and important role in the production of social order. The social order refers to the stability of society based on the collective agreement to rules and norms that allow us to cooperate, function as a society, and live together (ideally) in peace and harmony. For sociologists, there are both good and bad aspects of social order. Rooted in the theory of classical French sociologist Émile Durkheim, both material and non-material aspects of culture are valuable in that they hold society together. The values, beliefs, morals, communication, and practices that we share in common provide us with a shared sense of purpose and a valuable collective identity. Durkheim revealed through his research that when people come together to participate in rituals, they reaffirm the culture they hold in common, and in doing so, strengthen the social ties that bind them together. Today, sociologists see this important social phenomenon happening not only in religious rituals and celebrations like (some) weddings and the Indian festival of Holi but also in secular ones — such as high school dances and widely-attended, televised sporting events (for example, the Super Bowl and March Madness). Famous Prussian social theorist and activist Karl Marx established the critical approach to culture in the social sciences. According to Marx, it is in the realm of non-material culture that a minority is able to maintain unjust power over the majority. He reasoned that subscribing to mainstream values, norms, and beliefs keep people invested in unequal social systems that do not work in their best interests, but rather, benefit the powerful minority. Sociologists today see Marxs theory in action in the way that most people in capitalist societies buy into the belief that success comes from hard work and dedication, and that anyone can live a good life if they do these things — despite the reality that a job which pays a living wage is increasingly hard to come by. Both theorists were right about the role that culture plays in society, but neither was  exclusively  right. Culture can be a force for oppression and domination, but it can also be a force for creativity, resistance, and liberation. It is also a deeply important aspect of human social life and social organization. Without it, we would not have relationships or society.

Sarah Osborn And The Bullets Would Not Cheat The Gallows

Who is Sarah Osborn and why is she important? This primary source analysis will provide information about Osborn and what she did in order for us to briefly answer these two important questions. This primary source is referenced as Sarah Osborn, â€Å"The bullets would not cheat the gallows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is Sarah Osborn’s deposition before the Court of Common Pleas in Wayne County, New Jersey, in 1837 but was excerpted from The Revolution Remembered: Eyewitness Accounts of the American Revolution, ed. John C. Dann in 1980. Prior to this class and primary source I never even heard of Sarah Osborn, but after reading this deposition I obtained an understanding of who she was. This deposition was originally intended for the court, as it was Osborn’s testimony of her and her husband’s experiences in the Revolutionary war in order to claim their veteran pensions. However, John C. Dann decided to excerpt this deposition for the general public specifically focusing on historians and women for the purpose of explaining women’s unaccredited participation in the Revolutionary war, using Sarah Osborn’s personal testimony as a prime example. Sarah Osborn decided to testify before the Court of Common Pleas in New Jersey in 1837 because Congress had made it possible for Revolutionary war veterans to claim their pensions and she felt she was obligated to receive her pension for her actions during the war. In her deposition, Osborn explains all the dangerous duties she performed on the battlefield whenShow MoreRelatedA Woman’s Retrospective of the American Revolution Essay2537 Words   |  11 PagesSarah Benjamin went before the deposition on the twentieth day of November, 1837 in the Court of Common Pleas of Wayne County, Pennsylvania. This deposition intended to validate claims for receiving pension benefits owed to Mrs. Benjamin from a previous marriage; an Aaron Osborn, veteran of the Revolutionary War. Her case founded itself on the numerous acts of Congress over the previous decade--in particular the Comprehensive Pension Act of 1832 and subsequent acts of Congress from July 4, 1836

Employee Development in the Interior Ministry in Jordan †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Employee Development in the Interior Ministry in Jordan. Answer: Project Background Employees are regarded as the most important asset for an organisation. The ultimate success of any organisation is dependent on the quality of its workforce and the efficiency with which they perform. The employee development refers to those activities that are aimed at improving the skills and competencies of employees working in the organisation and provide them with the opportunities for their growth and development. It is necessary for the managers to acknowledge and respect the efforts made by the employees in order to motivate them and develop a sense of belongingness among them towards the company. For the efforts made by the employees, they usually expect something in return, money is one such motivating factor (Kraiger et al., 2014). However, not all employees are motivated just by the money factor, certain employees need the opportunities where they can develop their talent, skills, and competencies to face the future work challenges. Employee development activities are important in an organisation. It allows the employees with the facilities to enhance their existing knowledge and skills to work better at their job profiles and, which in turn helps in increasing the overall organisational productivity. The company employs the development activities to make the employees aware of the developments and changes in the organisations and prepare them for the adverse and unforeseen conditions that they may face while performing their jobs. The development activities offered by the companies not only help the employees with their professional growth but also with their personal growth. These activities enable the employees to attach themselves positively with the working of a company (Wilson, 2005). They become aware of the fact that the success and progress of organisation will actually be a success of their own. In this context, the proposed research study seeks to examine and study the significance of employee development in an organisation. It aims at exploring various methods that are used by the organisations as a part of the employee development activities and seeks to analyse its impact on the performance of the employees. The study will be conducted with specific reference to the Interior Ministry in Jordan. On the examination of literature, it is evident that training and development are emerging as a significant tool that can influence the satisfaction and performance level of employees. If the employees are provided with enough opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills base, they are likely to be satisfied with their jobs and tend to perform better (Lee and Bruvold, 2003). In this respect, this research study will serve to be significant in examining the impact of employee development on the performance of employees with specific reference to Interior Ministry in Jordan. It will provide a strategic guidance to not only the Ministry but also other organisations as to which methods can be adopted by them for employee development and the manner in which the performance of employees can be influenced. This research study will also serve as a foundation for the future researchers who seek to explore the field of employee training and development. Literature Review According to Harrison (2012), employee development may be defined as a joint initiative taken by the employers and employees to enhance the knowledge and skills of an employee. It is a source for the employers to nurture and develop an employee to make him a reliable resource for the organisation and eventually add up to the better performance of the overall enterprise (Harrison, 2012). It is primarily initiated to keep the employees motivated and aware of the recent developments in the industry. In the perception of Khan, Khan and Khan (2011), employee development plays an important role in an organisation. Training and development activities initiated in an organisation is likely to make the processes and the employees efficient, as it reduces the mistakes that are committed by the employees while performing their tasks. This reduction in the errors lowers down the cost of production and enables economic use of the resources and waste minimisation. In addition to this, it provides a boost to the morale of the employees and reduces absenteeism. The literature provides that when employees are provided with ample opportunities for their growth, they develop loyalty towards the organisation and starts enjoying their job, which reduces the absenteeism and turnover in the organisation (Khan, Khan and Khan, 2011). It also helps in change management as more and more of employees are involved in the change process and are provided with the facilities to adjust their skills and competencies as required by the changes. In support of the above arguments, Salah (2016) added to the context stating that in the Jordanian private transport companies, there is a positive relationship between the employee performance and the training and development practices. The literature indicates that the major impact of the employee development practices is not only on the performance of employees but also to the overall organisation. These activities are aimed at improving the existing knowledge in the employees and teaching them new skills which are required to perform the job roles. Learning these new skills helps in eliminating the human errors, contributes to the personal and professional development of employees which in turn keep them motivated. This eventually helps the employees in performing better and increasing the organisational productivity and effectiveness (Salah, 2016). In the context of the methods that are used by the organisations for the development of employees Richenhagen (2013) stated that there are different methods available for the development. It is not necessary that a method which is successful in one organisation serves the same purpose in the other organisation. However, most commonly used methods for employee development includes job rotation, on the job training methods, performance appraisals, allowing employees to work in teams, conferences and seminars, and off-job training methods. It is essential for the human resource managers to carefully plan the development programs depending on the nature of the job, employees capabilities, and skills set (Richenhagen, 2013). These methods ensure that the employees work towards the improvement of their knowledge and skills and contribute to the success of the organisation. The review of the literature reveals that there is a lack of information available on the methods that are used by the Interior Ministry and the impact of the employment development practices on the performance of employees of Interior Ministry in Jordan, which creates a literature gap. This research study, therefore, will be an attempt to fill this gap and analyse the role that employee development plays in increasing the performance of employees in Interior Ministry in Jordan. Objectives The objectives of a study reflect the intended outcomes of a research which a research intends to achieve and which are responsible for providing a flow to the information (Collins, 2010). Following are the objectives developed for this study: To understand the concept of employee development To examine the significance of employee development in an organisation To analyse the methods that are used by the organisations in the process of employee development To determine the impact of employee development on the performance of employees working in the Interior Ministry of Jordan Research Question What is the impact of employee development on the performance of employees working in the Interior Ministry of Jordan? Methodology The research will make use of the positivist paradigm as the focus of this study is on deriving logical results regarding the methods that are used by the organisations for the employees development (Gratton and Jones, 2010). The research will use the deductive approach as it focuses on making a contribution to the existing theories of employees training and development (Bergh and Ketchen, 2009). This approach will also help in examining the significance of the employee development for the Interior Ministry in Jordan. The proposed study will adopt the exploratory research design which will help the researcher in conducting the study in an objective and analytical manner. As the proposed study seeks to determine the impact of employee development on the performances of employees, this research design will be appropriate (Edmonds and Kennedy, 2012). The data for the study will be gathered with the help of both primary and secondary data collection methods. Under the primary data collection methods, the focus will be on collecting the qualitative data. For this semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 5 managers working in the Ministry of Interior, Jordan. The managers will be selected with the help of the convenience sampling method to reduce the time, cost and efforts of the researcher in the data collection (Black, 2009). The interview method will be used because it will help in gathering the personalised response of the managers and obtaining a high response rate for the study(Lim and Ting, 2013). For the secondary data resources, the data will be collected with the help of books, magazines, journals, and online articles. It will help the researcher in synthesising the opinions and ideas of various scholars and academicians which would further assist in providing a foundation for the study. The data gathered from the interviews will be analysed and presented with the help of thematic analysis method. Timeline Key Activities (Milestones) Time-scale (Plan of action) Resources required (Equipment, software, personnel etc) Chapter1- Introduction 1 Month N/A Chapter 2- Literature Review 2 Months Secondary sources- books and peer reviewed journals Chapter 3- Research Methodology 1 Month Primary and secondary data collection and analysis tools Chapter 4- Data Analysis and Discussion 2 Months Interviews as a primary data collection tool and the result will be analysed using thematic analysis technique Chapter 5- Conclusion, Recommendations and Future work 1 Month N/A References Bergh, D. D. and Ketchen, D. J. 2009. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Black, K. 2009. Business Statistics: Contemporary Decision Making. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Collins, H. 2010. Creative Research: The Theory and Practice of Research for the Creative Industries. London: AVA Publishing. Edmonds, W. A. and Kennedy, T. D. 2012. An Applied Reference Guide to Research Designs: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. London: SAGE. Gratton, C., and Jones, I. 2010. Research Methods for Sports Studies. Taylor Francis. Harrison, R. 2012. Employee Development. Universities Press. Khan, R.A.G., Khan, F.A. and Khan, M.A. 2011. Impact of training and development on organizational performance.Global Journal of Management and Business Research11(7), pp. 63-68. Kraiger, K., Passmore, J., Rebelo dos Santos, N. and Malvezzi, S. 2014. The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Training, Development, and Performance Improvement. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Lee, C.H. and Bruvold, N.T. 2003. Creating value for employees: investment in employee development.The International Journal of Human Resource Management14(6), pp. 981-1000. Lim, W. M. and Ting. D.H. 2013. Research Methodology: A Toolkit of Sampling and Data Analysis Techniques for Quantitative Research. Germany: GRIN Verlag. Richenhagen, M. 2013. Simply Management. Bloomington: iUniverse. Salah, M.R.A. 2016. The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and Productivity. International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research 5(7), pp. 36-70. Wilson, J.P. 2005. Human Resource Development: Learning Training for Individuals Organizations. London: Kogan Page.

social research Essays (333 words) - Academic Disciplines, Articles

Jacari Gentry Assignment 1 "Sociology shouldn't be confused with social philosophy. It is not a point of view about the way things ought to be. Rather, sociology deals with the way things are. Moreover, sociology is more than just an opinion about the way things are." After reading this article, I now have a better outlook the concept of sociology and ways to better myself in society. In this article, it educated me on how the term sociology is really the use of critical thinking. In this article it talks about how sociology is a science used to explain how people develop their way of thinking. If people used critical thinking more then the world would be a better place to live in. It allows for people to expand their minds and think more logically. It helps the issue with problem solving because it eliminates factors that aren't important to the situation. Sociology also helps with the way that we live our daily lives together as a society. People have developed their own beliefs and culture through the use of sociology. It explains why we are able to get along. We all have the freedom to have our choices of religion and speak any language we would like. It's the job of a sociologist to study the way we connect with each other. Human interaction is important because it's what makes the world go around. We buy, trade, and sell with each other. Through those interaction is where we build relationships and that can carry from one generation to another. In the end, it must be known that the study of sociology is a concept that is needed in society. It's important to understand and find new ways to interact and build as a society. The world changes everyday we go to sleep and wake up. It's up to us to decide if we want that change to be positive or negative. We can always correct issues between humans with the use of sociology.