Why Do Some People Modify Their Bodies and What Light Does Sociology

Body modification has been prevalent in society for centuries. It is defined as "the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancements, a rite of passage, and religious reasons, to display a group affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression." (Wikepidia.org). Put in its simplest term body modification is defined as â€Å"deliberately alter one’s physical appearance† (St. Leone, 2012, para.2). Throughout history, people have modified their bodies to follow certain traditions or as a way of identifying with their culture. There are many reasons why people modify their bodies and these reasons are viewed differently depending on several factors. Body modifications can be carried out purely for aesthetic reasons to create the ‘perfect body’ or one in which the individual believes will make them socially accepted within their group or society. Some forms of body modification involve legitimate practices and are considered to be perfectly acceptable in certain cultures. However, other modifications are said to involve the violation of moral boundaries and overstep social boundaries. This essay will identify some of the different ways in which people modify their bodies. It will also consider the sociological concepts that are related to body modification to provide answers as to why people carry out these changes. In recent decades there has been a greater focus on body modification practices in society and the reasons why people change their bodies. Body modification involves the deliberate altering of one's physical appearance. Although body modification is often associated with piercing and tattoos there are a number of other methods and practices so... ... Sage. Ferrante, J. (2013). Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. London: Cengage Learning. Fixers. (2014). Body Modification Fix. Retrieved fromhttp://www.fixers.org.uk/news/9479-11226/body-modification-fix-on-itv.php Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity. Langman, L. (2003). Culture Identity and Hegemony: The Body in a Global Age. Current Sociolgy 51(3-4) 223-247. doi:: 10.1177/0011392103051003005 Patterson, S. (2001). Tattoos and Women. [Weblog] Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~urbanflk/body_art/patterson1.html Shilling, C. (2003). The Body and Social Theory. London: Sage Publications. St. Leone, L. (2010). The Art and History of Body Modification. Lightspeed Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/the-art-and-history-of-body-modification/ Why Do Some People Modify Their Bodies and What Light Does Sociology Body modification has been prevalent in society for centuries. It is defined as "the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancements, a rite of passage, and religious reasons, to display a group affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression." (Wikepidia.org). Put in its simplest term body modification is defined as â€Å"deliberately alter one’s physical appearance† (St. Leone, 2012, para.2). Throughout history, people have modified their bodies to follow certain traditions or as a way of identifying with their culture. There are many reasons why people modify their bodies and these reasons are viewed differently depending on several factors. Body modifications can be carried out purely for aesthetic reasons to create the ‘perfect body’ or one in which the individual believes will make them socially accepted within their group or society. Some forms of body modification involve legitimate practices and are considered to be perfectly acceptable in certain cultures. However, other modifications are said to involve the violation of moral boundaries and overstep social boundaries. This essay will identify some of the different ways in which people modify their bodies. It will also consider the sociological concepts that are related to body modification to provide answers as to why people carry out these changes. In recent decades there has been a greater focus on body modification practices in society and the reasons why people change their bodies. Body modification involves the deliberate altering of one's physical appearance. Although body modification is often associated with piercing and tattoos there are a number of other methods and practices so... ... Sage. Ferrante, J. (2013). Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. London: Cengage Learning. Fixers. (2014). Body Modification Fix. Retrieved fromhttp://www.fixers.org.uk/news/9479-11226/body-modification-fix-on-itv.php Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity. Langman, L. (2003). Culture Identity and Hegemony: The Body in a Global Age. Current Sociolgy 51(3-4) 223-247. doi:: 10.1177/0011392103051003005 Patterson, S. (2001). Tattoos and Women. [Weblog] Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~urbanflk/body_art/patterson1.html Shilling, C. (2003). The Body and Social Theory. London: Sage Publications. St. Leone, L. (2010). The Art and History of Body Modification. Lightspeed Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/the-art-and-history-of-body-modification/

The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad Essay -- Iliad essays

The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad The Iliad presents a full range of valorous warriors: the Achaians Diomedes, Odysseus, and the Aiantes; the Trojans Sarpedon, Aeneas, and Glaukos. These and many others are Homer’s models of virtue in arms. Excelling all of them, however, are the epic’s two central characters, Achilleus, the son of Peleus and, Hector, the son of Priam. In these two, one finds the physical strength, intense determination, and strenuous drive that give them first place within their respective armies. Further, in their inner struggles they together present a complete archetype of the hero. The Homeric vision of the hero presents Achilleus and Hektor resolving the paradox of embodying the ideals of their communities and at the same time standing utterly apart from their fellow humans. This conflict between alienation from and integration with all of humankind first arises in the question of the heroes’ motives; this implies different choices of Other or Self, in which one finds i mplications for leadership and response to human fate, respectively. It is the struggle of interests and destinies—their own against their communities’—that takes them beyond the frame of ordinary human life. The basis for the heroes’ actions arises from the conflict between concern for self and concern for others—their egoistic and altruistic impulses. The former draws them to seek eternal glory for themselves, establishing a corpus of deeds that men will recount in song and story for generations. The latter places the safety and wholeness of the community as the highest cause, fulfilling the role of protector and preserver. While one first encounters Achilleus and Hektor formally fighting for someone else’s honor—Achill... ...or perfects this balance; that they experience both aspects of each self-combat brings them to the very limits of humanity. Moreover, each is made complete by the other, since each spurs the other to supreme glory and tests his resolve to attain greatness. The image of the final confrontation between Achilleus and Hektor crystallizes the heroes’ place in the natural order: even as they stand just beyond the walls of the city, so they stand just outside the gates to endless life. Though they cannot ultimately escape their deaths, they nevertheless journey farther than any man on the path to immortality in the present—experiencing humanity in its fullest degree, yet also touching the divine. NOTES 1. The author wishes to dedicate this essay to Mrs. Martin Luther King 2. Homer, Iliad, trans. Richard Lattimore (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951). The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad Essay -- Iliad essays The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad The Iliad presents a full range of valorous warriors: the Achaians Diomedes, Odysseus, and the Aiantes; the Trojans Sarpedon, Aeneas, and Glaukos. These and many others are Homer’s models of virtue in arms. Excelling all of them, however, are the epic’s two central characters, Achilleus, the son of Peleus and, Hector, the son of Priam. In these two, one finds the physical strength, intense determination, and strenuous drive that give them first place within their respective armies. Further, in their inner struggles they together present a complete archetype of the hero. The Homeric vision of the hero presents Achilleus and Hektor resolving the paradox of embodying the ideals of their communities and at the same time standing utterly apart from their fellow humans. This conflict between alienation from and integration with all of humankind first arises in the question of the heroes’ motives; this implies different choices of Other or Self, in which one finds i mplications for leadership and response to human fate, respectively. It is the struggle of interests and destinies—their own against their communities’—that takes them beyond the frame of ordinary human life. The basis for the heroes’ actions arises from the conflict between concern for self and concern for others—their egoistic and altruistic impulses. The former draws them to seek eternal glory for themselves, establishing a corpus of deeds that men will recount in song and story for generations. The latter places the safety and wholeness of the community as the highest cause, fulfilling the role of protector and preserver. While one first encounters Achilleus and Hektor formally fighting for someone else’s honor—Achill... ...or perfects this balance; that they experience both aspects of each self-combat brings them to the very limits of humanity. Moreover, each is made complete by the other, since each spurs the other to supreme glory and tests his resolve to attain greatness. The image of the final confrontation between Achilleus and Hektor crystallizes the heroes’ place in the natural order: even as they stand just beyond the walls of the city, so they stand just outside the gates to endless life. Though they cannot ultimately escape their deaths, they nevertheless journey farther than any man on the path to immortality in the present—experiencing humanity in its fullest degree, yet also touching the divine. NOTES 1. The author wishes to dedicate this essay to Mrs. Martin Luther King 2. Homer, Iliad, trans. Richard Lattimore (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951).

How The Internet has Affected the Music Industry Essay

When Tim-Berners Lee dreamt up the, then, crazy idea, of an inter-global network, I’m sure very few people had the same optimism in believing that it could happen in the future. Over the last ten years, the Internet has evolved from just web pages to e-mail, to online gaming, to viewing sport and film previews, and to buying and downloading music online. The Internet has now become one of the music industry’s greatest markets, estimated to reach over 25% of sales in five years. This may be true, yet the Internet is also one of the music industries greatest enemies. For some years now online shopping has been available to anyone with a credit card and an Internet connection. E-commerce retailers such as Amazon.com sell everything from garden tools, to C.D’s and mini-discs. It is only in the last couple years however, that online shopping has taken off. Before this the public and businesses alike had not been taking full advantage of this phenomenal asset, which has been proven to save companies millions. It was only with the creation of Windows 98 and other Internet programs that people were sure that their credit card numbers and personal details could not be viewed by another person, or ‘hacked’. Once this huge hurdle was overcome, the way we used the Internet and the effect it had on the music industry had changed forever. The close relationship between the Internet and the music industry has led to many dramatic revolutions. First of all it has changed the way in which we purchase music. It has also opened up a new medium for record companies and musicians to promote their music, and now consumers can listen to music via technology such as RealAudio. Also, with peoples Internet connections getting faster all the time, and now with the invention broadband Internet, you can listen to music through Internet Radio Stations whilst still surfing the Internet, a new technique called ‘streaming’. From a consumers point of view this is all excellent news, and I am sure there is yet more to come. But from the music industry’s perspective, not all of this new technology is helping their cause. Many areas of the music  industry have been affected in a bad way, areas such as musicians and record companies worry about copyrights, songwriters and music publishers also worry about copyrights, and distributors and high street retailers worry about sales, and they should be worried as C.D shipments went down by 7% in the first six months of 2002. Copyrights are based on control of the market: how and when a copyright work is used. So the Internet has changed the foundations of the music industry. Because it is so easy and inexpensive to create a website, this makes it easy to put someone’s copyrighted work on to your website and the Internet, therefore making it available for anyone to listen to or copy. As many consumers will still download this copyrighted music for free it is obvious that they do not believe that copyrights stand for much. This is all part of a much larger problem, controlling the distribution of copyrighted music on the Internet, a task that surely is near impossible with so many websites committing copyright fraud. The most famous example of copyright fraud occurred on June 1, 1999. With Microsoft’s supreme dominance over the computing industry and the Internet, not many other companies get a look in. In the end it took a first year university student called Shawn Fanning with the help of funding from his uncle to disrupt the balance of power. It was with the creation of an MP3 website called Napster that the public really took to downloading music from the Internet. Up until the formation of Napster, the technology had been available but had not really made it into the mainstream. You might say that it was Napster that revolutionised the way we obtain music from the Internet, not the new technology. There was however, one fatal flaw with this website. All the music that was being ‘shared’, had copyright to its name, and Napster was using these songs without paying the record companies. So on December 7, 1999, The Recording Industry Association of America sued Napster for copyright infringement. They were asking for damages of $100,000 each time a song was copied. This however did not stop Napster operating as normal, it was only when they were sued by the hugely popular rock band Metallica that Napster was prompted to take action, or at least look like they were taking action. It was on October 31, 2000 that Napster announced a new partnership with  Bertelsmann-RCA in which Bertelsmann put  £26,000,000 into Napster to keep it going. Then on July 26, 2001 a federal judge ordered to shut down Napster, but the music industry’s elation did not last long, just two days later it was up and running again. Now Napster is working together with major record companies EMI, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal to develop a system where consumers using the service will pay per song or a monthly subscription fee. This is a new system, which will attempt to benefit everyone. So despite the early indications that all this technology would go to waste, Microsoft, the record companies and Internet companies seem to have sorted themselves out. The Internet may have once been a huge enemy for the music industry, but it seems like the Internet is now on its way to having an extremely positive affect on the music industry.

Burger King Holdings Inc.

Burger King Holdings Inc. was formed in 23 July 2002 and incorporated in Delaware. The holding company restaurant system includes restaurants owned by the company and franchises. The company is the second largest fast food hamburger restaurant chain (BurgerKingHoldingsInc, 2008). Controls set by the company The controls set by the company are to ensure that the financial statements provide reasonable assurance on the reliability of the financial statements and financial reporting.Internal controls ensure that the financial statements are prepared according to GAAPs. Internal controls ensure correct maintenance of records, transactions are recorded according to GAAPs and the prevention of unauthorized use or disposal of company’s assets. The effectiveness of the internal controls should be reviewed regularly to determine their adequacy although the controls put in place may not prevent and detect misstatements given its limitations due to changing conditions or degree of compli anceExamples of controls are the security and business controls put in place to prevent access and use of personal information possessed by the company that if leaked, may expose the company to litigations (BurgerKingHoldingsInc, 2008) Financial statements The total revenues for the company have been growing over the years. The total revenue in 2004 was $1. 7 billion rising to $2. 4 billion in 2008. The company’s revenues are generated by franchise and company owned restaurants.In year 2008, 88% of sales were from franchise restaurants. The operating income and net income over the same period grew from $73 million in 2004 to $ 354 million in 2008 for operating income while net income rose from $ 5 million in 2004 to $ 190 million in 2008 The diluted earnings per share i. e. earnings after adjusting for dilutive effects rose from $106. 1 in 2004 to $ 137. 6 in 2008 Total assets grew from $ 2. 5 billion to $ 2. 6 billion in 2008.Total stockholders equity also witnessed growth f rom $ 716 million in 2007 to $ 845 million in 2008 Net cash flows from operating activities grew from $67 million in 2006 to $ 243 million in 2008 Other aspects of the company’s performance is the opening of 202 new restaurants which brings the company’s total number of restaurants to 11,505 as of June, 30 2008 Techniques to analyze financial statements The financial statements are prepared and disclosed according to the GAAPs as well as presented according to the SEC regulations.The financial statements have been presented based on the reportable segments of the company i. e. USA and Canada EMEA/APAC and Latin America. As seen earlier, the company’s revenues are generated from company’s restaurants and franchise restaurants. The analysis has also been done according to the source of revenue Comparison of restaurant sales from the three reportable segments has been done in the financial statements (BurgerKingHoldingsInc, 2008) ImpactThe preparation of the financial statements according to reportable segments helps the company to formulate strategies for the various business segments in line with their performance. Comparison of sales growth in the segments over the years helps the company to evaluate the performance of each source of revenues thus formulate strategies that can improve growth References BurgerKingHoldingsInc. (2008, August 28th). Form 10-k. Retrieved April 10th, 2009, from Burger King Holdings Inc. : http://media. corporate-ir. net/media_files/irol/87/87140/BKC_AR08/10-k. html

Personal Creativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Creativity - Essay Example The main difference is that innovation mostly involves improvement of an idea initially created by a different party while creativity involves one’s own idea. With respect to the current highly competitive and ever dynamic world creativity has become the greatest perquisite in solving the serious global macro economic problems in the four economic eras of agricultural, industrial, informational and innovational activities. Chapter 2 Description and Contextualization of the Event The event involved preparing our friends Mary's14th birthday scheduled for the coming weekend. We were six of us, me, 15 years of age, molly 14, Jane 14, Juliet 16, Meg 15, and Mary the birthday girl. Having initially prepared another friends birthday party two months ago and ended up to be a success, my friend Mary also requested me to prepare hers. The main idea here was to come up with an event, which will please all our friends and remain as long as forever in their minds. Most of Mary’s fri ends were her schoolmates and therefore, having the party at her home  would not have been possible for her  since her home was far away from school and so it would have been for most of her school friends to attend. According to the school rules, taking of alcohol, playing loud music and staying awake past midnight was prohibited and therefore, my presence was needed  in organizing the party especially when it came to keeping  all her schoolmate guests entertained despite the rules. The actual date was on a Friday but we had to push it to that Saturday when the students were free (Csikszentmihalyi, 2006). Mary had received 700 dollars grant from the parents to organize for the party and so we had to budget on that money to make it a success. The main venue was the music room, which was free that Saturday. That Friday morning, Meg and Juliet went shopping for decorations to decorate the music room while Mary and I went to one of our teachers, Mrs. Jones to check on the birth day cake’s progress. Mrs. Jones our music tutor had offered to bake a birthday cake for Mary for she was among her favorite students. We also sent reminders to our guests by dropping notes under their doors and texting others. It the evening we headed for the music room where we transferred all the music instruments to the store and rearranged the chairs for convenient intermingling among the students. We packed snacks in well-designed boxes bearing Mary’s birthday message we had previously ordered to be designed by the arts senior class. Among the snacks included biscuits, candies, crisps, nuts and a glass of juice. There were some voluntary entertainers from the music class so I planned their order of presentation in the party. The party was scheduled to start at 1600hrs and end at around 2200 hours. Among the distinguished invited guests was Mrs. Jones our music tutor and Mr. Johnson the patron for exceptional events in school. By Saturday lunchtime I had made sure the room was well decorate, chairs arranged and the birth day was already decorated and on the table. Chapter 3 Analysis and Evaluation Preparation Preparation with respect to my event involved collecting data, which justified that my concern for the success of Mary’s party (Benson & Proctor, 2003).The data collected was the amount of money we had, number of guests we had expected, the sitting capacity in the music room. I also had to consider the

Marketing case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Marketing case analysis - Essay Example Brand contribution is the margin that the company gains from the sale of its products. That means that the costs have to be relatively lower so that the company can achieve its desired margin. Brand equity refers to the positioning of the company products. Positioning is a critical part of marketing because it directly affects the sales volume of a company. The first issue that the director of marketing should deal with should be brand equity. Brand equity will include the positioning of the company’s products. That involves the advertising part of marketing. The company should carry out a marketing campaign that is aimed at targeting the customers of the company. The company should come up with the target market in which it should direct its marketing towards. That will ensure that the company does not waste its funds on unnecessary marketing. The company can also carry out a research that will enable it to know the distribution of its customers. For example, the company can come up with a questionnaire that will ask the customers where they reside and the convenient place that they would prefer to purchase the product from. That will enable the company to locate its products in retail stores in which most of its customers population reside in. that will increase the sales volume of the company and that will make the product mo re profitable (Ali 8). After the brand positioning has been established, the next part will be brand sales. Brand sales will involve the company increasing the sales volume. That will be made possible if the product positioning is done perfectly. That implies that the product should be within the reach of the target customers. The company can therefore carry out a marketing campaign that will be around the area where the customers are heavily populated. That will ensure that there are first purchases and repeat purchases. The first purchase can be done by the company carrying out a promotion

Managed crisis public relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managed crisis public relations - Essay Example audiences for this plan include the government, customers, employees, stakeholders, the media, regulatory bodies, the affected passenger and his family, as well as the national public. The crisis communications plan seeks to deliver a specific message to each of the above audiences. The plan seeks to reassure the audience of the company’s commitment to working on resolving the issue of promoting the safety of passengers and providing them with remarkable transportation services. The company will rely on the principle of prompt communication as well as providing constant updates concerning the situation. The company seeks to reassure the government, its customers, and the public of its commitment to promoting high levels of safety. The company will also update the public on the progress of the affected passenger and the measures taken to compensate him. The spokesperson will exhibit high levels of confidence and remain accurate concerning the incident to ensure that the public does not have speculations. The company will rely on different forms of media to communicate effectively. There is a salient need for the company to identify a crisis communications team that will take charge of all the communication processes concerning the recent event. The formation of the crisis communications team should take place with immediate effect because there is an urgent need to provide the government, our customers, as well as the public with information. Crisis communications team should identify a reliable spokesperson and develop a communications policy that all the members of the staff must obey. The crisis communications team will exhibit immediate response by notifying the management team of the company concerning the recent incident. Moreover, the team will develop proper media alerts and call for a press conference that will allow the identified spokesperson to give detailed information to the public and the government. The crisis communications team will review the