W.E.B. Du Boisâ€His Greatest Contributions to Sociology

Renowned sociologist, race scholar, and activist William Edward Burghardt du Bois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on February 23, 1868. He lived to be 95 years old, and during the course of his long life authored multiple books that are still deeply important to the study of sociology—in particular, how sociologists study  race and racism. Du Bois is regarded as one of the founders of the discipline, along with Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Harriet Martineau. Civil Rights Pioneer Du Bois was the first black man to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He was also one of the founders of the NAACP, and a leader at the forefront of the movement for black civil rights in the United States. Later in his life, he was an activist for peace and opposed nuclear weapons, which made him a target of FBI harassment. Also a leader of the Pan-African movement, he moved to Ghana and renounced his U.S. citizenship in 1961. His body of work  inspired the creation of a critical journal of black politics, culture, and society called  Souls. His legacy is honored annually by  the American Sociological Association  with an award for a career of distinguished scholarship given in his name. Illustrating Structural Racism The Philadelphia Negro, published in  1896, was Du Boiss first major work. The study, considered one of the first examples of scientifically framed and conducted sociology, was based on over 2,500 in-person interviews systematically conducted with black households in the seventh ward of Philadelphia from August 1896 through December 1897. In a first for sociology, Du Bois combined his research with census data to create visual illustrations of his findings in bar graphs. Through this combination of methods, he clearly illustrated the realities of racism and how it impacted the lives and opportunities of this community, providing much-needed evidence in the fight to disprove the supposed cultural and intellectual inferiority of black people. Double-Consciousness and The Veil The  Souls of Black Folk, published in  1903, is a widely-taught collection of essays that draws on Du Boiss own experience of growing up black in a white nation to poignantly illustrate the psycho-socio effects of racism. In Chapter 1, Du Bois puts forth two concepts that have become staples of sociology and race theory: double-consciousness and the veil. Du Bois uses the metaphor of the veil to describe how black people see the world differently from whites, given how race and racism shape their experiences and interactions with others Physically speaking, the veil can be understood as dark skin, which, in our society marks black people as different from whites. Du Bois recounts first realizing the veils existence when a young white girl refused his greeting card in elementary school: â€Å"It dawned upon me with certain suddenness that I was different from the others †¦ shut out from their world by a vast veil.† Du Bois asserted that the veil prevents black people from having true self-consciousness, and instead forces them to have double-consciousness, wherein they have an understanding of themselves within their families and community, but also must view themselves through the eyes of others who see them as different and inferior. He wrote: It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.   The full book, which addresses the need for reforms against racism and suggests how they might be achieved, is a short and readable 171 pages.   Racism Prevents Class Consciousness Published in 1935,  Black Reconstruction in America, 1860–1880  uses historical evidence to illustrate how race and racism served the economic interests of capitalists in the Reconstruction-era southern United States. By dividing workers by race  and fueling racism, the economic and political elite ensured that a unified class of laborers would not develop, which allowed for extreme economic exploitation of both black and white workers. Importantly, this work is also an illustration of the economic struggle of newly freed slaves, and the roles they played in reconstructing the post-war South.

The Storm by Kate Chopin - 1238 Words

Kate Chopin is writing so many great stories about whatever she sees. Kate has many Wonderful stories such as, (The Storm, Desiree’s Baby, A Pair of Silk Stocking, A Respectable Woman, and The Story of an Hour). There is one story in particular that catches my mind which is â€Å"The Storm†. 0In Kate chopins era, women are seen as nothing more than a wife and have to stay with their husband for life. Chopin shows a dramatic scene between Alcee and Calixta during the time of a storm that is passing by. Chopin states a non judgemental spot about refraining from morals about the purity of marriage especially calixta. Chopin drenches in â€Å"The Storm† a strong feminist and makes a good question about marriage. The presence of Calixtas sexual desire and its intensity make this story revolutionary in its feminist statement about female sexuality. Chopin uses the conceit of a thunderstorm to describe the development, peak, and ebbing of passion in the encounter betwee n Calixta and Alcee. At first, Calixta is unaware of the approaching storm, just as her sexual desire might be on an unconscious level; yet, as the storm approaches, Calixta grows warm and damp with perspiration. Chopin does the obvious by these two events when she writes that Calixta, felt very warm . . . she unfastened her white saque at the throat. It began to grow dark and suddenly realizing the situation she got up and hurriedly went about closing windows and doors (Part 2 Paragraph 1). Calixta is beginning to feelShow MoreRelatedThe Storm by Kate Chopin1332 Words   |  6 Pages The first thing I noticed about Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Storm,† is that it is utterly dripping with sexual imagery and symbolism. Our heroine, if you will, seems to be a woman with normally restrained passions and a well-defined sense of propriety, who finds herself in a situation that tears down her restraint and reveals the vixen within. I wonder if it was intentional that the name Calixta makes me think of Calypso – the nymph from Greek mythology. If half of the sexual symbolism I found in thisRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin844 Words   |  4 Pages Kate Chopin writes a short story named â€Å"The storm.† The plot of the story where the author shows two married couples, a total of five people and two of them have an affair. We can see a woman who is a mother, a lover and a wife and her different reaction while performing each one of the different roles. After the storm the characters seem to reveal hidden aspects of them. The story begins when Bobinot and his son Bibi are at Fregheimer’s store and decide to stay there due to a storm that is comingRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin Essay1508 Words   |  7 Pages Kate Chopin was an American author who wrote the short story â€Å"The Storm†. It takes place somewhere down in Louisiana at a general store and at the house of Calixta, Bobinot who is the wife of Calixta, and their son Bibi. The other character in the story is the friend of Calixta, Alcee Laballiere. The story begins with Bobinot and Bibi in the general store to buy a can of shrimp; meanwhile, at home, Calixta is at home doing chores when a storm develops, which makes her worry about Bobinot and BibiRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1205 Words   |  5 Pagesmain character, Calixta, is interrelated with the setting of the story, â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin. In â€Å"The Storm†, setting plays the role as a catalyst that ignites Alcee’s and Calixtaâ€⠄¢s passion that then runs parallel with the storm. As their relationship builds together, Calixta’s natural desires become fulfilled; which without an outlet on the ability to express our emotions and natural desires, conflicts and storms result in our lives. In the beginning of the story, Calixta is very much intoRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin869 Words   |  4 Pagesespecially true in Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Storm.† Calixta went outside of her marriage for a sexual affair with Alcà ©e when he unexpectedly showed up and a storm came through. The three most prominent literary elements that were addressed in â€Å"The Storm† were foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting. First, there is foreshadowing in the story. Bae and Young agree that foreshadowing is when a story implies that something will happen in the future without saying it (1). In â€Å"The Storm,† an example ofRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1649 Words   |  7 Pageslike writers in present day, Kate Chopin was a writer who wrote to reflect obstacles and instances occurring within her time period. Writing about personal obstacles, as well as issues occurring in the time period she lived, Chopin proved to be distinctive upon using her virtue. Kate Chopin was a determined individual, with true ambition and ability to produce writings that reflected women on a higher pedestal than they were valued in her time. â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin is a short story written toRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin851 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin was written in 1899 but was not published until several years later. She understood how daring her piece was and never shared â€Å"The Storm† with anyone. Chopin was born in 1851 to a wealthy father and an aristocratic mother. At the age of nineteen, she married and moved to Louisiana with her husband, Oscar. Chopin is known for writing realistic but sexually rich literature. Her short story â€Å"The Storm† conveys sex as a joyous part of her life and not a destructive one. Read MoreKate Chopin s The Storm Essay1339 Words   |  6 Pagesfamous writer Kate Chopin once said, â€Å"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.† The Awakening, (1899). Kate Chopin was widely recognized as one of the leading writers of her time. She was an American author of short stories and novels. She was born on February 08, 1850 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. She died on August 22, 1904, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Written in 1898 but not published until it appeared in The Complete Works of Kate Chopin in 1969, The Storm has been widelyRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1221 Words   |  5 PagesI also disagreed with â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin, because it suggested that it is possible to be with more than one person at any given point. To me, love is trust, and without trust, love is nonexistent. Marriage is a commitment, a promise to be both trusting and trustful. To betray that agreement is not to love. Calixata expresses â€Å"n othing but satisfaction at their safe return† (727) and this reader has to wonder how she cannot feel guilt. Alcee wrote a â€Å"loving letter† to his wife, and this readerRead MoreKate Chopin s The Storm883 Words   |  4 PagesBasically, the setting in the short story of Kate Chopin ‘The Storm’ presents a clear demonstration of an illicit but a romantic love affair. Indeed, the title has been used perfectly to signify the adulterous love affair. Most importantly, it is evident that the storm has not been used as a mere coincidence but instead it has been used to steer the story and the affair forward. In fact, the storm has been significant during the start of the story, during its peak and ultimately in the end. Although

Analysis Of Michael Francis Moore s The Columbine High...

Born in 1954, Michael Francis Moore is an American documentary filmmaker. His opening documentary, Roger Me, â€Å"launched his career as one of America’s best-known and most controversial documentarians† (In IMDB). However, his documentary that studies the events of the Columbine high school massacre is what put him on the map. Bowling for Columbine won the Academy Award for Documentary feature in 2002. His notable films also include Fahrenheit 9/11, the highest-grossing documentary of all time that presents a contentious view on the presidency of George W. Bush. His latest documentary, Where to Invade Next, premiered in the US on October 2, 2015. Apparent in all his films, Moore is unafraid to make use of entertainment to discuss political, economic, industrial, cultural, and social concerns that informs, provokes, and sometimes, manipulates its audience. Moore utilizes the documentary form of filmmaking that adapts to the shifts in popular culture where entertainment value is crucial. Though his chosen subject matter are commonly treated in a scholarly and profound manner, he remains critical by treating these topics in a comedic and sardonic manner. Apart from being a filmmaker, Moore is also a television screenwriter through his political comedy show TV Nation, an author of eight books, journalist, actor, and a political activist. Perhaps Fahrenheit 9/11 is considered Moore’s most intriguing documentary. Premiered in the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, Fahrenheit 9/11 is

Nestles Growth Strategy free essay sample

Nestle is one of the oldest multinational businesses in the world. It was founded by Heinrich Nestle in 1866 in Switzerland. At first they distributed â€Å"milk food† which comprised of powdered milk, baked food and sugar. Due to the size of Switzerland and the limited opportunities, Nestle was forced to look at other countries for growth opportunities. In 1905 they merged with Anglo Swiss and added condensed milk and baby formulas to their product line. Nestle’s long term investment policy became evident when they built milk and infant food processing plants in the USA and Britain in the late 19th century and in Australia, South America, Africa and Asia in the first 3 decades of the 20th century. In 1929 they acquired a Swiss chocolate maker and expanded into the chocolate business. Nestle then developed Nescafe, the world’s first soluble coffee drink which revolutionised the food and beverage industry. After World War 2, further acquisitions were made in the food business which cemented Nestle as a major player in the food production industry. They have 500 factories in 76 countries and their products are sold in 194 countries which is nearly every country in the world. In 1998 Nestle sales were at SWF 72 billion ($ 51 billion), but only 1% occurred in Switzerland and similarly only 3% of its 210 000 employees are located in Switzerland. Nestle was the leading manufacturer of infant formula, powdered milk, chocolates, instant coffee, soups and mineral waters and number two in ice-cream, breakfast cereals and pet food. Although Nestle had achieved fantastic growth and profitability through the acquisitions of other companies and also through the development of innovative products via its Research and Development (RD) division, they realized that in order for the company to continue to grow, other strategies would have to be explored. New markets needed to found and more innovative products needed to be developed to suit these markets. Nestle also employed novel approaches in their staffing policy and management structure and elevated the importance of its sustainability priorities. The following pages will describe the journey taken by Nestle and more importantly whether, the new strategies and innovations have been successful. Introduction Although Nestle was successful, they were concerned with maintaining their growth rates. The developed markets of Europe and North America were saturated and Nestle knew that they would soon lose their market share due to increased competition from other multi-nationals with diverse but similar product lines such as Heinz, Kraft and ConAgra. Price wars would diminish profits as retailers would play manufactures off against one another thus driving prices down. Consumers were also moving away from larger scale manufactured brands and moving towards nationwide supermarkets and discount stores who introduced their own private brands. In response Nestle began to focus on the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America to sustain and increase their growth rates. The governments of these developing nations adopted market oriented policies which presented attractive business opportunities which a multinational company like Nestle could not ignore. There was also an economic and population growth in these developing nations that Nestle could exploit. Although these countries were still poor their economies were growing rapidly, which in turn would increase consumer income. Historical precedence has shown that once consumers start to earn more they tend to substitute their basic foodstuffs for branded items such as those manufactured by Nestle. This was the market opportunity that Nestle was interested in. Nestle also decided that long term investments with innovative advertising were worth the effort and financial outlay as the rewards were going to be substantial. They also decided to use local skills and ingredients to customize products for their local markets. Their RD was producing innovative items to suit the countries that they were targeting. Their management structure was also innovative as they focused on a decentralized organisation where the local units were responsible for most of the day to day decision making. Nestle supplemented these local units by sending experienced managers to provide operational assistance. The company is further organised into 7 strategic business units (SBU) that are responsible for certain products and all the high level strategic decisions and business developments for that product. Nestle also has 5 regional organisations representing five major geographical zones that assist with the overall development process. In addition Nestle’s integration of sustainability considerations in their core operations both locally and globally was a strategic and successful manoeuvre. The responses in the following pages, to the 4 posed questions, illustrate that the strategy used by Nestle was indeed successful for its growth. Question 1 Does it make sense for Nestle to focus its growth on emerging markets? Why Yes it does make sense for the reasons listed below. Firstly Nestle faced a growing challenge in maintaining its growth rate in the current markets that it was involved in. The population growth had stagnated whilst the population growth was predicted and expected in the emerging markets. The current developed markets were becoming saturated and there was increased competition from rival companies. The emergence of nationwide supermarkets and chain stores allowed for the emergence of private label brands, which only increased the price competition. This resulted in retailers bargaining down the price of goods which meant smaller profit margins for the manufactures and also lower rate of production. The emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America presented the opportunity for growth for Nestle. Although these countries are poor, their economies were growing rapidly. Nestle saw this as an opportunity to achieve higher growth returns and a bigger market share in the long term. Another reason that the emerging markets looked so promising was the governments of these countries were pursuing market-oriented economic policies resulting in attractive business opportunities. If we take into consideration that if the current economic growth occurs, income levels will rise and consumers will want to use branded foodstuff instead of local items thus creating huge opportunities for companies such as Nestle. Another reason why this strategy makes sense is that by entering the markets before their competitors, Nestle could build a brand name and reputation and be in a favourable position. They also concentrated on selling basic food items and focused on a few strategic brands. This narrow market focus allowed Nestle to be the brand leader in the markets of emerging economies. As the consumer income and brand confidence levels increased Nestle began introducing their more upscale products and thus cementing their brands in the markets. Nestle did not want their â€Å"global brands† in the emerging markets. Instead they concentrated their efforts on optimizing the local market for their ingredients and processing technology and also a brand name that locals were comfortable with. The amount of local content in their products, I believe made Nestle so successful in emerging markets. Question 2 What is the company’s strategy with regard to business development in emerging markets? Does this strategy make sense? Yes, the strategy used by Nestle makes sense and judging by their success worldwide this strategy works. They use their RD division to great advantage and their focus on long term investments is very successful. The customizing of products to suit local markets is a great strategy that benefits both Nestle and the local market. Nestle strategy was to enter the emerging markets early and build a substantial and commanding position before their competitors. This was a calculated risk as consumers could easily reject their product in favour of local ones. However Nestle ingrained themselves into the market by using local ingredients and local processing technology. Nestle customized a product for the local market rather than introducing a global brand. They also offered affordable products of high quality to meet the emerging market needs. Another business strategy that Nestle employed was to initially focus on a limited number of products in the markets. Once they had developed a strong position with these products in the market and the spending power of the locals increased, Nestle than introduced their more upscale products like mineral water and prepared foods. Nestle also puts sustainability before profitability by investing in infrastructure that is required, like in China and Nigeria. Although it may seem like a costly undertaking the long term benefits will be sustainable and substantial. Once again this type of investment benefits both the local market and Nestle. People in the local market remember these actions and Nestle has created brand loyalty within this market. Nestle’s strategy of investing early in emerging economies, building sustainable business, improving infrastructure and customizing products to suit local needs with a strong emphasis on local ingredients and local processing methods is proving to be a great success. Question 3 From an organizational perspective, what is required for this strategy to work effectively? Nestle needs to continue to focus on long term investments, where sustainability rather than profitability if the focus. Long term investments may seem expensive but by creating a sustainable product, Nestle profits are guaranteed. When there is long term investment in an economy, the local population tend to remember the investing company and thus product and brand loyalty is created. The other requirement needed for this strategy to work is Nestle needs to continue to invest in its RD division. Nestle needs to ensure that they stay ahead of their competitors by producing innovative products to suit the emerging market’s needs. They also need to ensure that their productions of these products are both fast and efficient as well as of a high quality. Nestle must also continue to customize products to suit the emerging market rather than introducing global brands. The continued use of local ingredients and processing methods is also critical to the success of this strategy. Another requirement for this strategy to work effectively is for Nestle to continue to keep local staff when an acquisition is made. The locals tend to have a better understanding of the market and Nestle can send in their senior managers who have the experience and knowledge to assist the local teams with production planning and other aspects that the locals may need assistance with. Nestle can also continue to train the local managers at their facility in Switzerland where the Nestle culture and strategy is shared with them. Question 4 Is Nestle’s management structure and philosophy aligned with its overall strategic posture? Nestle management structure is aligned with its overall strategic posture. Just as Nestle tends to customize products to suit local markets, they also make the local units responsible for operating, pricing marketing and distribution decisions. Staffing and human resources are also left to the responsibility of the local units. The company is also organized into seven worldwide strategic business units (SBU) that focus on high level strategic decisions and business developments. The SBU are also responsible for acquisitions and market entry strategy. Each SBU has its own product or products to focus on. For example while one SBU focuses on coffee and beverages another one will focus on ice cream and confectionery. This strategy allows for all the products under the Nestle umbrella to be equally developed. The importance of the SBU is underlined by the fact that in the past two year nearly two thirds of Nestle’s growth has come from acquisitions. Running in parallel to the SBU structure Nestle has divided the world into five major geographical sites like Europe, Asia and North America. The regional teams focus is on the overall development process. We can thus say Nestle is a decentralized organisation with the local, SBU and regional teams all having their own focus area to expand and develop but all integrating into the overall Nestle strategy. At times this sort of segregated management structure fails, like it did in Japan. The SBU was not convinced that the cold canned coffee was worth the investment and did not allow for their RD team to develop a product to suit the local market. Nestle at that time was the dominant instant coffee brand in Japan. This mistake allowed Coca Cola to enter the market and capture 40% of a $4 billion a year market. Nestle only entered the market in 1980 and hold only 4 % of the cold canned coffee market in Japan. This is one instance where the SBU did not take the advice of Nestle’s local partner, but these mistakes are the exception rather than the rule. For the most part the decentralized management structure that Nestle employs works very successfully for them. To ensure that its worldwide operations are in synergy, Nestle makes use of what it calls its â€Å"expatriate army†. This army consists of 700 managers who spend their time on foreign assignments. They assist local teams with their various abilities, be it planning, finance etc. and their drive. They also tend to propagate the Nestle culture and strategy. Nestle also uses management development programs to create managers that pull people together consistently and persistently in the pursuit of Nestle strategies and culture. For managers to have a better understand of the Nestle’s way, they are brought in various stages of their career to be developed. This is the type of long term investment that Nestle has for its people, which is similar to the long term investment that Nestle employs in emerging markets. Just as Nestle decided that investment in emerging markets is critical for its growth, investment in its people is just as critical. Although the local, SBU and regional teams tend to focus on their own responsibilities and goals, the management development program ingrains the Nestle culture and strategy. In addition, Nestle realised the importance of sustainable practices to drive its growth. It identified three areas of priority: accessible and affordable nutrition, water management and resource protection and supporting rural development, recognising that their growth strategy became redundant without elevating these areas. Nestle then focussed its operation in ensuring that these priorities are achieved in a number of initiatives through their Nestle Health Science institute and other joint ventures to ensure that they integrated a holistic consumer-centric approach in relation to health and nutrition. This reinforces the company’s corporate culture that in addition to complying with legal requirements, they have to ensure their activities are sustainable and create significant value for society. This is referred to as Creating Share Value in-house. Conclusion Nestle’s growth strategy underpinned by its innovative and sustainability priorities is a fantastic success. Their foray into the emerging market and economies has grown and continues to grow the company. The benefits are not only for Nestle, but the country that they invest in. Nestle also invests in local people and provide vital skills and training. Nestle’s focus on developing sustainable products with sustainable practices in the emerging markets has endeared themselves to the local market ensuring support where it counts most – the bottom line. Although there were certain â€Å"failures† like in Japan, where a SBU did not heed the advice of the local unit, the success Nestle achieved in other countries out-weighs these hiccups. I believe that Nestle has learned from this mistake and moved on. Their training programmes are second to none and the Nestle culture and strategy is shared with managers to pass on. In my opinion Nestle can be used as a blue print for other companies to use, if they want to succeed. The focus on the emerging market coupled with an innovative management structure as well world class training methods together with a cutting edge RD division has allowed Nestle in my opinion to be the leaders in their field.