Strengths And Weaknesses Of Functionalist And Conflict Theory Sociology Essay

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Functionalist And Conflict Theory Sociology Essay Social and cultural theories are often used when studying and applying knowledge to sports. The theories in society often provide a framework for asking research questions, interpreting information and being able to uncover the deeper meanings and stories that are associated with sports, they also enable citizens in the society to become more informed so that we can apply what we have learned from the research and being able to apply it in the world that we live in. Theories also enable people to see things in new angles and perspectives and give us the ability to make informed decisions about sports and how sports participation can be used in our lives, communities, families and societies. The six main theories used in sport have many points and can overlap with each other but only two are going to be discussed in this study. The two theories chosen to compare are functionalist theory and conflict theory. Functionalist theory is a macro sociological theory that is based on the characteristics of social patterns, structures, social systems and institutions such as family, education, religion, leisure, the economy, media, politics and sport. If all these social institutions are organized and co-operate with one another around a set of core values functionalist theorists assume that the entire social system will function properly and efficiently. Society in functionalism has a view that it is an organized system of interrelated parts that are held together by shared values and established social arrangements that help maintain the system in being in a state of equilibrium and balance. When sociologists use functionalist theory they split it into two parts, the first concept of interdependent parts is all of the social institutions (media, religion, sports, politics and economics) and how they are linked together. In the tradition of Talcott Parsons and his conception of functional imperatives (goal attainment, adaptation, latency and integration) functionalists argue that there are four basic system needs for any society in sports (team, clubs etc) to run smoothly and that everyone will benefit. The four principles are Adaptation In order to survive in a society it is essential that members learn to adapt to changes in the social structure and culture. Another important element to survival is the emphasis on being physically fit as it is required for most sports. Goal Attainment This is the motivation of individuals to achieve societys goals through socially accepted means. Sport is preoccupied with tracking the success and failures of its participants however it also teaches participants that if they work hard enough it will lead to victory meaning success. Integration Sport promotes social connections between people and gives them the opportunity to co-operate with each other in a group and a community. It also provides a feeling of social identification as well as a source of personal identity. The society must keep itself together. Latency (pattern maintenance and tension management) Each system must maintain itself in a possible state of equilibrium for as long as it can without any outside disruptive influences. Many forms of pattern maintenance are provided by sport primarily through participation where the participants are taught to accept an authority structure that is well defined for example athletes knowing that referees have the authority over them to make sure they stick to the rules of the sport. Functionalist theory in sport generally leads to the conclusion that it is popular in society because it can maintain the values of character that help to preserve stability and order in social life. Functionalist theory also supports sporting policies that help and recommend the growth of competitive sport programmes, developing coaching education programmes, in the case of youth sport there is an establishment on criminal bureau checks and qualification checks on coaches before working with younger children. The theory also supports the establishment of training centres for elite athletes so they can maintain their top-level performance and making sure to have increased surveillance and drug testing so they are able to supervise and control the actions of athletes by preventing those taking drugs so they cant cheat their way to attaining a better sporting performance. People in society who have positions of power tend to favour functionalist theory as it is based on the assumption that society is organised for benefiting the people in that society of equality and that in any dramatic way it should not be changed. While functionalist theory is a popular approach it does have some weaknesses. The weaknesses of functionalist theory is that it tends to lead to exaggerated accounts of positive consequences of sports and sports participation however it mistakenly assumes that there are no conflicts of interests between the different citizen groups in society such as women, people with disabilities, racial groups and people who are economically poor in society yet it doesnt recognise that sport can privilege or disadvantage people more than others. The theory also ignores the powerful historical and economic factors that have influenced social events and social relationships. Functionalist theory is centered on the idea that there is a consensus in the values and norms of society and that social institutions found within a society are integrated and function together. In contrast conflict theory looks at the role of power and the inequality found throughout society and how sport is shaped by these economic forces and used by people with economical power to increase their influence and wealth. Conflict theory is based on the ideas of Karl Marx (1818 1883) which rose to importance during the 1970s because of the growing disenchantment with functionalist theory. This theory of Karl Marx views sports as being built on the foundations of economic power. In societys that are capitalistic you see that relationships and social arrangements are organised around wealth, money and economic power for example in the United States its easy to point out the owners of the sport teams as they are benefiting financially from the expense of elite athletes, the coaches that work alongside the athletes and the spectators who watch the sport. Like functionalist theory conflict theory is based on the assumption that society is like a social system however conflict theory focuses on the needs of capital rather than the general system needs. Theorists of conflict theory explain that a society which is capitalist will not be able to survive and grow without exploiting any workers for the sake of boosting financial profits; they also suggest that if radical changes are to be concluded in sport and society by prevailing justice and fairness they need to identify the negative consequences that sport has. Once these changes are made sport will become a source of creative energy, expression and physical well-being. People who live in capitalist economies are generally not comfortable with the assumptions and conclusions of conflict theory because they say it has a negative effect and does not fit into their ideas about society and sport as they feel uneasy with the conclusions of calling for radical change in the current organisat ion and structure that they already have. Much of conflict theory is directed at sports which are dominated by spectators. Conflict theorists if they had the choice they would increase the control that athletes and other sporting participants have to promote sport at local community level so that it benefits all classes of people rather than just all elite athletes. Meaning the working class would have more influence of sport than the rich class giving them more motivation for participation and eliminating profits. Many conflict theorists favour players unions that confront pro-team owners and are supporting organisations that help to guard against public tax money being used to benefit wealthy people. Ideally any public resources would be used to help aid sponsoring sports that are designed to improve physical fitness, political awareness and include placing the element of fun into activities. Conflict theorists (Leonard 1980; Rigauer2004) would also campaign for athletes at all levels to have representation with making dec isions about sport in organisations so Olympians would be able to vote on policy questions that concerned the staging of the Olympic Games. Conflict theory also has three major weaknesses. The first weakness is that the theory tends to ignore the possibility that sport in capitalist societies can and may involve experiences that give individuals and groups power. Conflict theorists talk about how sport is organised to maximise the control that wealthy people have over other members in a capitalist society. The conflict theory approach doesnt acknowledge that sport can take many forms of serving interests in the have-not society and denies that any participation in sport can be a personal creative and liberating experience that will inspire members of society to make economic changes that will help to promote equality in exiting capitalist societies. Secondly conflict theory ignores the importance of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age and many other factors when it comes to explaining how people want to identify themselves, how they relate to other members in the society and how they organise the social world in whi ch they live. Often its leading people to overlook the possibility that inequalities and power in any society are based on factors other than economic and social class differences. Thirdly the theory assumes that all aspects of social life are determined economically and is shaped by the needs of having capital in society and profit motive. Theorists of conflict theory focus on the assumptions that of economic factors when studying sport however they tend to overlook participation and recreational port for healthy living. Functionalist theory and conflict theory both focus on the needs of society and how sport can relate to the satisfaction of the system needs. The theories dont inform us about sport in everyday life and the ways in which people are active agents who are participating in the processes of sports and societies that are organised and changed. They both also ignore that sport and social constructions emerge in peoples everyday life when they struggle to decide what is important and how they are going to collect organisation in their lives.

Google: Entry to China Essay

Google is widely known as a technology company that created a search engine site proven to be a helpful tool for most people because it helps you find the most relevant answer from the all the websites. This led to their success in the US market and worldwide. However, Google faced numerous criticisms on their business strategy to enter China, a market widely known for its government’s restrictions on content on the Internet, often referred to as the â€Å"Great Firewall of China† (As cited in Hoegberg, 2013, para. 2). With potential of long-term financial gain of doing business in China, should Google continue to do business with a market that is in conflict with its business motto? Google Background When founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin collaborated on creating a search engine site in 1996, their mission is to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web (â€Å"Our History in Depth†,n.d., para. 4 & 5). The company later on received recognition from PC Magazine as the search engine of choice (â€Å"Our History in Depth†,n.d., para. 9). Then in 2004, Google, Inc. offered an IPO at $85 and closed at $194 at year-end 2004 reaping the IPO investors a healthy gain (Travlos, 2012, para. 1). Post-IPO Google, Inc. means finding more sources for revenue for the company. Google ventured outside of the web search engine market by creating applications for mobile, media brosing, home & office, social media and the list goes on and on (â€Å"Products†, n.d.) and revenues are generated from online advertising or their own product: Ad words (â€Å"Adwords†, n.d., para. 1). With tremendous growth of the company, Google founders have embraced the i nformal corporate motto â€Å"Don’t be evil† and also developed an ethical code of conduct for both internal and external audiences (as cited in Martin, 2006, p. 5). China Background Martin reports that in 2006 China has a population of 1.6 billion people and is an attractive market for many U.S. companies (Martin, 2006, p. 6). Also, with China’s transformation to a market economy (Zimmerman, A., & Fey, R, 2001, p. 15-28), George Magliano, an economist at IHS Automotive, states that â€Å"This is the wave of the future† and that â€Å"The Chinese market is going to grow faster than the U.S., and it will continue to be this way† (Hirsch, 2011, p. 1). The rapid growth of Internet use in China is being accompanied by more sophisticated official efforts at censorship as stated in the report issued by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), an organization under the official Chinese Academy of Science, (â€Å"China politics: Internet censorship grows more sophisticated†, 2003, para. 1). Google in China In 2000, part of Google, Inc. global strategy was to enter the Chinese market creating a Chinese-language version of the website, and because of the regulations in China, the server is housed in the US (Martin, 2006, p. 12). However because of complex Internet infrastructure of Chinese government, the site became inaccessible and slower performance than other sites (Martin, 2006, p. 13). This became an issue to the users and therefore losing market share (Martin, 2006, p. 13). Google reached a deal with the Chinese government to create Google.cn, a site that is in compliance with Chinese regulations on censorship (Martin, 2006, p. 13). Strengths Google.com is a trusted name worldwide as a search engine site and that there was no need to advertise since Google users typically share the information with anyone, hence most individuals common answer to a question is to â€Å"Just Google it† (Clark, Greniuk, Riherd, Rome and Yu, 2010, para. 2). With its global reach and growing traffic, online advertisers would allot budget for spend with Google.com as part of online marketing strategy to reach online consumers, potentially reaching 1 billion Global unique visitors (â€Å"Google Reaches 1 Billion Global Visitors†, 2011, para.1). Weaknesses Google entered China with their mission, stated on their website â€Å"organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful† (â€Å"About Google.com†, n.d., para.1) which is in contradiction to Chinese government’s ideology on Internet censorship is â€Å"If you open the window for fresh air, you have to expect some flies to blow in† (â€Å"Internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China†, n.d., para. 3). Google executives clearly did not follow this ideology when the company first entered China. As a result, Chinese government has added a strain on the company’s efforts to gain market share. Threats The â€Å"Great Firewall of China† limits the searching capabilities of terms on the internet in China, even keywords such as Freedom are off limits to users (â€Å"Internet Censorship in China†, 2012, para. 3) this hinders Google to operate and provide their services to Chinese consumers. Then this led to loosing market share to Baidu.com (â€Å"Baidu vs. Google†, 2010, para. 5). Alternative Strategies Google possess the technology and resources to create products (â€Å"Our products and services, n.d., para.1) that would meet Chinese government regulations as Larry Page, co-founder and CEO, would describe Google.com, the â€Å"perfect search engine† as something that â€Å"understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want† (â€Å"Products†, n.d., para.1). This should have been the initial business strategy to avoid criticisms and struggle to meet demands of Chinese government and the internet users in China. Oppose to negotiating with Chinese government, because this can be damaging to company’s image to China and the Chinese citizens. Google decision to create Google.cn is a clear contradiction to the company motto however when the Utilitarianism philosophical approach is applied as part of the strategy â€Å"promote the happiness of others, even at the expense of our own projects, our integrity, or the welfare of our friends and family† (Hills, 2010, p. 225), the results may offset the implications to company’s reputation and plans to gain market share in a country where business practices are very different from theirs. Since corporate ethics will be questioned, perhaps a partnership with small technology companies in China and other local program opportunities that would steer the message of the company’s decision to bow to Chinese government regulations. In addition, hiring Chinese executives and employees would be an ideal start as the company enters a market like China. These individuals have lived, and survived the political and economic intricacies of Chinese market. They are the ones that have the working knowledge, and learning from other companies that passing the helm to strong local replacements is essential for sustained profitable growth (Hsieh, Lavoie, and Samek, 1999, para. 1). Recommendations China is known as the Kingdom of Bamboo because it has the most bamboo of any country in the world (â€Å"Bamboo and Chinese Culture†, n.d. para. 1). In addition, Bamboo’s resistance to stretching and its ability to support weight are at least double those of other kinds of wood, making bamboo an ideal material for houses, scaffolding, supporting pillars, and work sheds (â€Å"Bamboo and Chinese Culture†, n.d. para. 8). That being said, doing business in China would be similar to working with bamboo, it is resilient to change and therefore adapting to the market is the recommended strategy. Even if it means changing the Company’s product and ideologies so that the company may prosper in the long term partnership with the local government and gain market share. Google.cn business model would be the initial offering because it adheres to government regulations and there won’t be any struggle in reaching the local market. And even with the criticisms that will arise from this decision, the financial gain and respect from the local market is what every company would want to achieve in this market, therefore it would be not just Google that will benefit from this, but also the citizens of China. Who knows in the future, when censorship is no longer in existence, Google can finally launch their products that are in compliance with company’s motto and provide the oppressed Chinese market of this freedom to view information without censor. In the end, the majority may benefit from this.

Acne Dressing project Essay

Introduction In early 2005 T.C. Chung, the departmental head of 3M Taiwan healthcare division was facing a decision whether to launch a product called Acne Dressing in Taiwan. The Taiwanese subsidiary had been transformed from a petty sales office in 1969 to one of 3M’s most extensive and successful subsidiaries in the 2000’s. The development project has a couple of major problems that need to be solved before Acne Dressing can be kicked off in Taiwan. Chung had the product go through 3M’s evaluation system and now he’s facing a big question – what to do with the product and how to make rational decisions about the future. In this case answer we analyze the problems that need to be solved if the launch is to be done. We address these problems and offer concrete recommendations for Chung and his team on how to continue with the project. Although Chung seems to be quite inexperienced and in need of support, the powerful 3M resources for product development and the knowledgeable project team consisting of different departments in 3M will provide him with all the resources he needs. Analysis As the development of Acne Dressing is a strongly technology-based project, the company HQ was heavily involved in the NPIS review that the product ultimately passed. Some aspects of the final form on the product however, still remain not clear enough. During the review process the local financial and technical divisions took part in finding ways to transform Hydrocolloid Dressing into a marketable product which costs were reasonable. The extent of this analysis seems not to have been adequate, as in the final stage of the review the HQ raised the issue of the potentially very costly product development. As this was the main concern raised by 3M HQ, it should be  carefully looked into and further analysis done. There were two additional concerns, these raised by the local project team. Firstly, according to the teams review, the potential customer group for acne treatment products in Taiwan seemed to be used to traditional methods for acne treatment. However, 3M had already noted that especially teenagers were using other kinds of products to help with acne – e.g. 3M’s Micropore Surgical Tape. Another thing to note relates to the fact that at this point nurses were the primary consumers of 3M hydrocolloid dressings. The case states that nurses had a tendency to cut the product into small pieces and use those pieces for superficial skin blemishes. This shows 3M that well-educated users of the product had already started using it for their planned purpose and in an innovative way – even without 3M asking them to do so. Secondly the team concluded that there are no similar products as Acne Dressing in the taiwanese market. As this was the case, the information on customer behaviour and potential sales was limited. This strongly suggested that customers would need to be educated to realize the potential of the new product. During the time there was an ongoing hype for do-it-yourself health care in TW during the time, and people were actively looking for new ways to look healthy. This fact suggests that the target groups of Acne Dressing could well be very receptive for the marketing of never-seen-before products. Conclusions Chung has multiple options concerning the product. With help from HQ, he should analyze the process costs of transforming the high-end hydrocolloid materials into customer-size Acne Dressing. The team should calculate if the material could be reworked into a usable size with the designs made by technical service department, and specifically focus on the costs of manufacturing. If the process is costly, the retail price of the product might be too high for the average 15-35 years old customer. A layman’s idea would be to cut down the size of the package and redesign it so it would be used like a plaster, of which one can cut suitable sized pieces for use. Also, the project team should have the HQ laboratories conduct a proper research on the dressing’s effectiveness against acne. This would be crucial in marketing efforts especially as the customer group is used to ‘traditional’ scientifically proven acne-treatment methods. A thorough  research for all hea lth effects is not needed with this position innovation because the material has already proved its value in hospitals around the world. This would follow the position innovation strategy through product upgrading (John Wiley & Sons, 2009). As 3M’s marketing department sees an opportunity in the new product, this would be a great possibility for a nation wide marketing campaign around the new product. With the risk that the price might be too high for some consumers, it should be sold in three different varieties of packages. Small, medium and large. The small package would be aimed at a segment that could not afford to constantly use the product. It could be used for the absolute worst kinds of acne induced blisters. Also the small package would work as an low risk purchase for the customers. After the product proved its excellency, the consumer would gradually move on to the medium and large packages. As the product would be quite new and require consumers to change the way they purchase health-care, it is important to emphasize two aspects: sampling and user experiences. This would be achieved by letting consumers test the product and see its effectiveness. Then it would be important for the user experiences to be distributed in nation-wide campaigns in the largest media platforms. Recommendations The Acne Dressing is a great product for the current market situation. It has gone through 3M’s organization-wide evaluation system, NPIS, without too many challenges. The product should be launched if the financial and technical service approve of the costs of manufacturing and deem the product positive. Chung must trust his local team and their advice, and abandon HQ’s advice in this matter. Should Acne Dressing prove to be a tremendous success in Taiwan, the possibilities for expanding are huge. As 3M Taiwan already has expanded to China, bringing in a new product to the market of a billion people could be business transforming. The whole acne market in the world is estimated to reach revenues of over $3 billion by 2016 (Wood, 2010). Chung must remain firmly behind the decision and trust the local team in Taiwan. The pessimism of the headquarters are not to be taken into wider consideration as long as necessary additional analysis is done. References Bibliography: Wood, L. 2010. Research and Markets: The Global Acne Market Is Estimated To Reach Revenues of $3.02 Billion by 2016 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Of 0.7%. [online] Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/07/idUS223712+07-May-2010+BW20100507 [Accessed: 30 Sep 2013]. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2009, Managing Innovation (Lecture slides)

My Grandfather Essay - 1024 Words

My Grandfather- The Gift of My Life If I could be like anybody, I would wish to become more like my late grandfather, whose memories have inspired me to strive for success, like the smell of old, dusty books which reminds me of his admiration on learning. An avid collector, he had many books, most of which went unread. He owned books on everything from medicine to Spain, to several sets of encyclopedias. After he faced health problems, he came less to the library and read fewer books. They became just part of the scenery, collecting only dust and memories. I have read a few now, after he is gone, and each time it brings back a hurt like a sore that refuses to heal. But I suppose it is a quest of sorts, because if can take on his thirst†¦show more content†¦This house had two floors with three bedrooms on the top floor and the storage rooms, where some of the goats also stayed, on the ground floor. The house was built in the late 1800s before my father was born, it was my grandfather’s skills in organizi ng family members and his strategic direction, of delegating the business operation to his several sons, according to their skills and abilities. The result is a strong group interaction that has created the foundation of our family business, which is considered one of the most successful family businesses in Yemen. However, I believe it is his independent endeavor that established his early success in business, as is evident by the roughness of his hands, a roughness resulting from the labor of his work throughout his life. At the same time, my father told me he would hold my fathers hands, so gently with his rough hands when having a conversation with my father. The saddest part of my memories of grandpa was the day my father took me along with him to visit my dying grandfather, whose eyes seemed to be drifting aimlessly around the room while his body and face remained numb. I still recall staring at his tanned and wrinkled skin that covered his forearms and showed his veins in painful detail, and at the way he sometimes used his heel to scratch at his other leg. I suppose it is hard not to notice a kid who has his face turned towards you week after week, year after year. ButShow MoreRelatedMy Grandfather887 Words   |  4 Pagesever think about the lives my grand-parents and great-grand-parents led. Maybe this hig tech world has desensitized us to our emotions, or maybe we have lost touch with our spiritual selves. Whatever the case, it seems that in todays modern world, most people dont think or worry about people who lived in a different time than today. Why should my ancestors be of importance to me? After thinking about this topic, I began to realize the importance of knowing more about my relatives. Sometimes aRead MoreMy Grandfather700 Words   |  3 PagesAs a young man, I was raised by my Grandparents. 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To me they meant the best memories of my grandfather. They meant how he would take us fishing and while we waited for a bite he would tell me stories of playing professional football while I played with the dice. To me they meant the last memories of my grandpa. My grandma and grandpa lived only 2 hours away in a tiny town just outside of State College, the town was called Hollidaysburg. My grandpa had lived there his whole life. He played sports for the local