Fonterra Organisation Analysis

Fonterra Organisation Analysis In this assessment I would like to discuss about Fonterra organization which is famous for the service of its milk and other dairy products. Fonterra is a multinational company providing its services all around the world. Its head office is situated in New Zealand because it is a kiwi company. Fonterra have partnership with other companies and co operates with the farmers as well. Fonterra deals with more than 140 countries and it covers 33 % part of the world in dairy products. Part 1 Demographics Fonterra is the company which deals all around the world. In business there is one important thing that we have to be really careful while we communicate in all departments. In Fonterra also so they have to communicate well with their staff and their stakeholder as well. It is not easy to proper communicate in big organisation but they do really well. Effective communication in the organization and experienced staff- In business communication staff plays an important role because they take message from people and pass to top level of organisation. So they have to hire professional and experience staff so it easy to communicate for them with all department and all other people. They make clear context and understand easily, so it will be easy to give feedback because they understand very well what exactly want to know. For example I work in wine store when we get any Chinese customer, its really hard for us to understand him and explain what he wants to know. Thats why we have Chinese staff as well because they can talk in their language which helps them to understand easily. In Fonterra they organize meeting in the end of month or annually. Different modes of communication- They communicate across the world through different ways of communication like media newspaper fax and phone email letter etc. Effective communication is the part of business and they do same things. They have their head office in Auckland New Zealand. They have branch office all around the world which helps them to make easy communication. Organisational Goal: The goal of Fonterra is that to be famous and successful dairy company all around the world because of their service quality and performance. Every organisation has their own goal but to achieve the goal they use different strategies and plans as well. Before to take any decision first thing that they discuss all things and make clear to everyone about their goal. Their main objectives are- They want to expend their business in different countries. Company want to improve the level of customer satisfaction. Provide information to customers more quickly and efficiently. High awareness of health and safety measures. Awareness of rules and regulations of every country in which Fonterra is running its business. Before make any policy, they take feedback from people so it will be easy for them because they know very well what people expecting from them. To achieve their goal, they have to care about those people who link with organisation. They hire the people through all around the world. So it will easy to communicate with supplier and customer because they will communicate in different languages. They will provide any information what they want to know. They will provide information day and night through whole year which help them to achieve their goal. Organisation culture and Ethics These two things are really important in an organisation. People have different values experience and attitude because everybody has their own thinking and belong to different religion and culture. Ethics also play an important role in business. Ethics means about moral values, everybody have moral values where they decide what is good or bad. For example farmers expect more prices for their milk and they feel like organisation do not give them much importance even company giving them proper attention. Another example is china where Fonterra going in loss even them applies the same vision which they apply to other countries and making profit there. Behind of this, there is one reason because they are from different culture, values and expectation from the organisation. Thats why they have to create their vision behalf on the people expectation and values. Management of knowledge resources In organisation, there is really important thing that how you manage your knowledge resource. If you manage your knowledge resource in well way, you can run your business successfully. The same thing applies in Fonterra as well but they use really well their knowledge share ideas to each other. They know very well in business its really hard to rely on one country when you have business all around the world. Thats why they import and export from other countries as well. They always communicate all other companies and people as well to get information about the market. Quality of product They always care about their quality of products thats the way where they can attract more people to invest money and more customers as well. When they export their products that time they provide health certificate as well. They hire staff all around the world because in this way they can communicate well with the people and know them better. For example I am basically from India so I have more information about the people like what they exactly expect from the company than about any other countries. Human resources- They know very well importance of the farmers and they always try to make them happy and now they take decision that farmers can have their own share in company. They know very well so in this way they can encourage the farmers to increase their productivity. They always follow the rules. They always care about environment and they communicate with farmers and all other person who link with company. For example last time they warn farmers that if they will not follow the rules so they ready to face problems and their milk not be collected. Group Dynamics: There is always easy to work in group rather than individual. Because it is really effective to work in group specially a big company like Fonterra. There is really hard to work in without participation of all department of the company. When you work in group it is easy to support the people in group it is really beneficial. In group it is easy to clarify the problems and in group it is easy to find the solution of those problems. There is no barrier while they communicate; there is no difference of juniors or seniors. Improvement in relations- People are specialised in their field when they work in group, it is better opportunity to know each other. Here they can share their ideas to each other. Helps in making new and innovative ideas- In groups the different people suggest different types of ideas. There is another thing about group that they have small groups where people can express their idea and its easy to explain and understand. In this way we can say that if Fonterra is famous company all around thats result of their group work. They use different ways of communication while they work in group. Meeting management: Meeting management in an organization there are lots of importance of meetings but we have to be careful while we in meeting .we have meeting because of some purpose. In Fonterra also have meeting monthly or annually. Where people come from all department and they discuss about their strength and weakness. They decide like what position they have in market and where they stand now. What they need to improve their weakness and how they can perform much better. Following are the things we have to concentrate on: Select the person- the first thing about meeting that we have to make sure that that are coming to the meeting. We have to confirm that they are able to come or not. Send the agenda- in Fonterra they send agenda to those people who are going to participate in meeting, so in this way they can know about agenda and they can prepare some work for meeting, so it is easy to discuss in meeting. Time and place- we have to decide time and place and tell to every participant trough mail, Phone txt or fax and just make sure that is that it is right for them to come on that place and time. We have to start meeting on time, so there is lesson for those entire participant who comes late and they can come in time next time. Provide hard copies of agenda- it will be easy for everyone, they have chance to discuss more about the agenda. Purpose we organise meeting for any purpose .so we have to be careful when we in meeting that are we going in right track, we have to discuss all those points which we have in agenda. We have take opinion from all participants so we can discuss and give them feed back as well. Clarify the Agenda and role we have to clarify the agenda and the roles of all participants. It will be easy for them to understand because they know abjectly what they have to do after that they will try to give their best. It is really beneficial for the organisation. Meeting progress we have to evaluate the meeting like we have to see that everybody is interesting to take part in discussion. In meeting thats really important that they present there physically and mentally as well. In the end we have to finish meeting on time and just make sure that it shouldnt get boring because if meeting takes long time it start to get boring, there is no point of meeting when participant start to get tired and get bored. Stakeholders: Here I am going to talk about of those people, organisation, people or societies which are link or affected by company or those act which are done the company. Fonterra is really big company so there is lot of stakeholder. Farmers- Firstly I would like to talk about farmers, more than 10000 farmers co operate the company, so they always communicate with them they have meeting with them and keep in touch with them through different type of communication, where they listen and give them feedback as well, for example Fonterra decide that farmers can own and control by their own, this decision will really attract more farmers so thats also a way of communication. Government- Fonterra always communicates with government like before to take any project approval etc. they communicate with them through different ways media mails letter and meeting as well. For example last time, they have problems with use of water and to throw wastage of production in the water. That time they collect information about this matter from all responsible people and provide to government. Other dairy companies, they have commitment to other dairy company and communicate with them trough video conference, teleconference even they are far from each other but there is no matter. Investors- Investor invests their money which helps to grow the company. Fonterra also sales shares in some countries to make it economically better. Employee- Employees play a vital role in the expansion of organizational business and give their best to run the company. Fonterra give them proper attention while they communicate different ways like- online, email, phone, fax etc. Customers- Customers are the main stakeholders of any company. It depend on them what response they give for any product or company .they communicate with them through newspaper media and advertisement, for example last time they have offer buy any two product of Fonterra and get 25% off on those product. Thats also way of communication. Network: Network in Fonterra they use different type of communication. They are really conscious about people when communicate with them but it depends what method they using while they communicate. They use different aspects of communication such as: Intrapersonal communication: In Fonterra they make small group where they communicate to each other. Mass communication: It is really easy way of communication. In this method we communicate through media channel like radio TV or news paper .for example we get the news about Fonterra that they doing well and contribute a lot in economy of New Zealand and they are going to increase the price of some products. We get all those news through newspaper radio and TV. Internal communication: In Fonterra there is lot of importance of internal communication. They communicate with all departments in the company and all stakeholders as well. Moreover, they discuss about their aim and performance, provide all information to them. Which helps them to find out the problems? Besides this, they tell them what their responsibilities and what they have to do. In the company they doing well communicate to each other through different methods. They have another good thing that they listen and understand to each other and give them feedback as well .they have clear context so which makes easy to understand for everyone. Conclusion: Fonterra is the famous and popular company because of their product and services. They care about everyone around them. They always complies laws and rules which makes them different from others. The communication process is really easy even the company is worldwide. The culture of organisation is very friendly which help everyone to enjoy the work and encourage them to give their best at workplace. At the end we can say that it is not an easy jobs to the mange the things but them doing well. Recommendations: Suitable place- First thing I would like to recommend that the production place is too far from the market area or where they sale their product. Some time it is really difficult to communicate and also wastage of time and money because staff have to go one place to another place. Special focus- Another thing is that they have to concentrate more where they are facing loss like- china. It will help them a lot to make profits. They also encourage the more farmers to come in dairy industries which will beneficial for them and farmers as well. In this way they can increase their productivity and profitability.

The Big Bang Theory Essay -- Science Astronomy Scientific Essays

The Big Bang Theory There have been many theories concerning what the universe looks like, how it became this way, and where it is going. The most popular theory that people hold today is that the universe began when all the matter ever present in the universe was contained in a tiny speck and that spec exploded. This is known as the Big Bang. This theory has developed a great deal since it was first conceptualized and continues to evolve today. Many different scientists have had a hand in this. Throughout time people have held different ideas of what the universe looks like, from the Aristotelian universe centered around the Earth to the Copernican universe with our Sun at the center. After Sir Isaac Newton invented physics, natural philosophers started to think that perhaps at one time there were no planets or stars but a cloud of matter. Then the gravity that is inherent to matter, which is what Newton explained, pulled the matter together into clumps and that is how the stars and planets formed. There has also been the question of how old the universe is. Until the theory of the Big Bang the most widely held belief was that which the Catholic church taught, that is that the world was created on October 23 at 9 o’clock in the morning 4004BCE. This is the date that Newton himself would have been taught. This was obtained by Archbishop James Ussher going through the Bible and recounting the generations of people born from Adam and Eve all the way up to Jesus. Scientists before the publication of Newton’s Principia did not argue this number, simply because they had no way of testing and refuting it. (Gribbin, 11) After Newton’s work, the scientific community finally had a place to start. Newton himself stated that a ... ...tant because it gives us a good scientific basis for the beginning of the universe and a tool to use to see how it will progress. The big bang may not give a beginning as precise as 9 o’clock October 23 4004 BCE, but we truly do believe that it is a great deal more accurate. References: - Gribbin, John. The Birth of Time. Yale University Press. New Haven. 1999. pp.221 - Goldsmith, Donald. The Runaway Universe. Perseus Books. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2000. pp. 222 - Parker, Barry. The Vindication of the Bid Bang. Plenum Press. New York. 1993. pp. 339 - Trefil, James S. The Moment of Creation, Charles Scribner’s Sons. New York. 1983. pp. 217 - Schaefer Dr. Henry "Fritz" III. "The Real Issue, Stephen Hawking, The Big Bang, and God". 1994. Online. n. page Apr 20 2001. Available http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9404/bigbang.html

Role Theory

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence through Role Theory: A Concept Paper Introducing Role Theory Role theory is a sociological framework that has been used to explain sets of relational patterns between people across varying contexts. It seeks to explain one of the most important characteristics of human social behavior – the fact that how people act, behave and speak are not separate, unique, disconnected but rather, are reflective of certain patterns and arrangements that depend on the social context and the actors in these contexts (Mangus, 1957; Biddle, 1986). To illustrate, within the context of an intimate relationship such as marriage, violence between partners can be tied to the particular patterns and arrangements of acting, behaving and speaking between partners – such as earning money, rearing children, taking care of the home and initiating sexual relations. Although several versions of the theory have been explicated by scholars, there appears to be agreement that role theory is mainly about three interrelated concepts: (1) patterned and characteristic social behaviors, (2) parts or identities as assumed by social participants, and (3) scripts or expectations for behavior that are understood and followed by actors in a particular social context (Biddle, 1986). For instance, adopting a role theory perspective to understanding intimate partner violence necessitates looking at the patterned and characteristic social behaviors of intimate partners in a relationship, the parts or identities that each partner plays in the relationship, and the scripts or expectations that are interpreted and adhered to by the partners in a particular relational context, specifically in situations of violent encounters. Furthermore, the theory also allows for an understanding of the relationships among the individual, collective and structural levels of society (Turner, 2001), as it deals with the organization and connection of social behavior between the micro, macro and intermediate levels of society. Thus, within role theory, an analysis of intimate partner violence entails looking into the individual behaviors of partners in a violent relationship and tracing the linkages of these behaviors to the social structures that exist in a particular society. Defining Roles Central to role theory is the concept of role. Several definitions have been ascribed to the concept of role in the literature. On a general level, the concept of role includes a description of behaviors, characteristics, norms and values held by a person (Thomas & Biddle, 1966). Another definition identifies role as a cluster of behaviors and attitudes that are understood as belonging together, such that a person is considered as acting consistently when enacting the various components of a single role and variably when he or she fails to do so (Turner, 2001). For instance, the traditional masculine role can be characterized as aggressive, ambitious, dominant, independent and persistent whereas the traditional feminine role can be illustrated as agreeable, courteous, sympathetic, trusting, understanding and warm (Ellington & Marshall, 1997). As such, a partner who plays the masculine role must enact behaviors and attitudes that are typical of this role, such as being aggressive, dominant, independent and agentic. For this partner cast in the masculine role, to be passive, dependent and agreeable implies incompatibility with the traditional masculine role. Specifically, a role may refer to behavior that is expected of people who occupy particular social categories such as statuses (or positions) in both formal and informal systems (Montgomery, 1998 as cited in Lynch, 2007; Biddle & Thomas, 1979 as cited in Lynch, 2007). Roles may also be reflective of the cultural values and norms in a particular society (Zurcher, 1983 as cited in Lynch, 2007). Roles may also be conceptualized as a resource that social actors try to utilize to achieve certain social goals (Callero, 1994). This assumption suggests two things: (1) that human agency is facilitated and expressed through the use of roles as resources, and (2) that roles are employed as tools in the establishment of social structures (Baker & Faulkner, 1991 as cited in Callero, 1994). Most social roles exist in pairs or sets. Thus, roles can be conceptualized as related through distinctive role relationships (Mangus, 1957). As such, there could be no husband role without a wife role and no parent role without a child role. In the context of intimate violence, there exists the perpetrator-victim role set. As organized patterns of social behavior, roles are of several types (Mangus, 1957). Roles may be ascribed to the individual, imposed upon an individual or achieved by the individual (Mangus, 1957). Sex and gender roles are ascribed to or imposed upon an individual (Mangus, 1957). For instance, one has to assume the masculine role if one is male or the feminine role if one is born female. On the other hand, one’s roles in groups and occupational systems, such as leader, mediator or peacemaker, are achieved roles. Roles may also be understood as generic or specific. Some roles may be pervasive, persistent, generalized and highly important to a person’s life while other roles may be limited, subordinate, temporary, isolated and unimportant to a person’s life (Mangus, 1957). To illustrate, in a violent intimate relationship, the roles of perpetrator and victim may be the predominant configuration in the relationship. On the other hand, these roles may also be seen as isolated to particular relational contexts and thus understood as subordinate to other roles such as father, mother, breadwinner and caretaker. Roles may also be highly abstract or they may be concrete (Mangus, 1957). Abstract roles emerge from social systems of statuses and are expressed as generalized moral standards (Mangus, 1957). Examples of abstract roles are evident in universal expectations of honesty and justice. Status roles include rights and duties that emanate from a given position or office (Mangus, 1957). Illustrations of status roles can be seen in the entitlements and obligations that are given to persons of authority, such as managers, leaders or decision-makers. Turner (2001) also identified four broad types of roles: (1) basic roles, (2) position or status roles, (3) functional group roles, and (4) value roles. Basic roles refer to roles that are associated with gender, age and social class (Banton, 1965 as cited in Turner, 2001). These are considered basic roles because they apply to a wide range of situations and because they tend to alter the meaning and taking up of other types of roles. The second type of roles, position or status roles, correspond to positions in organizations or formally organized groups (Turner, 2001). Occupational and family roles may be regarded as examples of position or status roles. Functional group roles are the informal behavior patterns that arise spontaneously as persons take on situational identities during social interactions (Benne & Sheats, 1948 as cited in Turner, 2001). Examples of functional group roles are mediator, coordinator, critic, counselor, leader and follower. Finally, value roles are similar to functional group roles in that both types of roles emerge spontaneously from the social interaction. However, value roles tend to be attached to very positively or negatively valued identities (Turner, 2001). In intimate relationships, examples of value roles can be the roles of hero, villain, saint, sinner, perpetrator or victim. After providing an overview of role theory and the concept of roles, we now turn to explain the two major approaches to understanding role theory. Two Main Approaches to Understanding Roles A review of the related literature identified two main approaches to understanding roles: (1) the traditional structural-functional approach and (2) the interactionist approach. In this section, we highlight the characteristics of each approach as well as provide an explanation of the major assumptions within each perspective. We also provide illustrations as to how each approach can help enlighten our understanding of intimate partner relationships. Finally, we discuss the limitations of each approach. Traditional Structural-Functional Approach The structural-functionalist tradition of role theory focuses on how roles, as fixed components of complex social structures, cultures or social systems, influence the behavior of people (Lynch, 2007). Two related strands of role theory are embedded within this approach – structural role theory and functional role theory. Structural role theory concentrates on social structures, which are understood as stable organizations of sets of persons (called â€Å"social positions† or â€Å"statuses†) who share the same patterned and characteristics behaviors (roles) that are in relation to others sets of persons in the structure (Biddle, 1986). This particular strand of traditional role theory refers to parts of organized groups as â€Å"status† and to the fixed behaviors expected of persons occupying a status as â€Å"roles† Stryker, 2001). Thus, roles may be conceptualized as the dynamic aspect of statuses or social positions, with roles corresponding to rights and duties attached to statuses or social positions (Stryker, 2001). Within this strand, roles are understood as existing prior to the social interaction of people who occupy the statuses or soci al positions, as roles originate from the accumulated experiences of past individuals who have previously occupied a status or social position (Stryker, 2001). The second strand of traditional role theory – functionalist role theory – highlights the characteristic behaviors of persons who occupy social positions within a stable social system (Biddle, 1986). Within this strand, roles are conceptualized as the shared and normative expectations that prescribe and explain these characteristic behaviors (Biddle, 1986). Functional role theorists view the enactment of roles as something that is learned through an understanding of social norms in a society as well as something that accomplishes certain functions in social systems (Biddle, 1986). Both structural and functional strands of the traditional approach to role theory emphasize social structures as antedating roles, such that roles are seen as imposed on the individual (Turner, 2001). Thus, within this approach, the roles of perpetrator and victim can be understood as emanating from social structures such as gender. For instance, the masculine role has often been identified with being the dominant partner, the primary breadwinner, the decision-maker and the enforcer of rules in the household. On the other hand, the feminine role has often been linked with being the subordinate partner, the caretaker of the home and the supporter of the husband and children. Such role configurations may put partner occupying the masculine role at an advantage while setting the partner playing the feminine role at a disadvantage, thus making them vulnerable to becoming perpetrators and victims of intimate violence (Mihalic & Elliot, 1997). Furthermore, this approach also points to socialization as the process by which persons learn to take on and perform particular roles in society (Stryker, 2002). Thus, when persons in social relationships conform to the expectations that are attached to statuses and supported by social norms, they tend to gain approval from other people who occupy related statuses and adhere to similar norms; such approval then reinforces the learning and enactment of roles (Stryker, 2002). Research has shown that typical school practices tend to create children’s identities as boy and girls (Martin, 1998 as cited in Fox & Murry, 2000). In particular, findings showed that teachers tend to treat boys’ voices as different from girls’ voices, such that the former were allowed to be louder and more as compared to the latter. Presumably, such gender role socialization contributes to the accrual of privileges to the masculine role and the corresponding accrual of disadvantages to the feminine role. In addition, both strands of the traditional structural-functional approach to role theory agree on the assumption that society, social systems and social structures shape individual behaviors (Brookes, Davidson, Daly & Halcomb, 2007). Analysis within this approach also starts from an examination of the social structure (Biddle, 1986). As such, within this approach, an examination of intimate partner violence will proceed from an investigation of the social systems and social structures that influence violent behaviors between partners in an intimate relationship. Furthermore, such an analysis will look into the cultural norms and values that sustain the social systems and social structures implicated in the phenomenon of intimate partner violence. However, several limitations of this approach have been raised in the related literature. According to Lynch (2007), this approach paints roles as relatively inflexible structures that are difficult to combine. Furthermore, by focusing on social structures, the traditional approach to role theory fails to take into account the mental, experiential dimension of role enactment (Lynch, 2007), thus regarding persons as automatons who take on roles mechanically. As such, this approach tends to be limited in its view of intimate partner violence as mechanically carried out by individual persons according to their status or position in the social structure, without taking into account the variability and diversity of experiences related to this phenomenon. Also, as it has difficulty accounting for individual level negotiations where actors may switch or combine roles, this approach also treats the variability and flexibility of roles as problematic (Lynch, 2007). Thus, traditional role theory is unable to address issues elated with non-conformity, social change and social systems that are not well-formed (Biddle, 1986). For instance, given instances of intimate partner violence where both partners inflict violence upon one another, traditional role theory proves to be limited in its explanation of intimate violence as emanating from the social structure. Within this approach, role changes such as when the perpetrator becomes the victim and the victim becomes the perpetrator become problematic and difficult to explain. The traditional structural-functional approach to role theory has also been criticized as advancing a one-sided view of society, with its emphasis on consensus, cooperation and continuity in social life along with its seeming blindness to disagreement, conflict and change (Stryker, 2001). Finally, scholars have also criticized the traditional approach to role theory as rationalizing and reinforcing the existing social order (Stryker, 2001). Interactionist Approach The interactionist approach to role theory arose from the symbolic interactionism perspective in sociology and as such gives importance to the roles of individual actors, the development of roles through social interaction, and the processes through which social actors understand and interpret their own and other people’s behavior (Biddle, 1986). Thus, this approach focuses on how roles emerge in social interactions and how individuals are able to influence behavioral expectations through social negotiation (Lynch, 2007). Within this approach, a role is conceptualized as neither fixed nor prescribed, but rather, something that is continuously negotiated by persons in social interaction (Mead, 1934 as cited in Lynch, 2007; Blumer, 1969 as cited in Lynch, 2007). Using this approach to understand intimate partner violence therefore necessitates looking at how partners in a violent relationship interact with one another as well as how they, negotiate, take on, impose or reject specific roles. In contrast to the traditional approach to role theory which highlights social systems and social structures, the interactionist approach emphasizes social processes such as communication, interpretation and negotiation (Lynch, 2007). Theorizing within this approach assumes that the relationship between personal, behavioral and social variables is reciprocal (Plummer, 1991 as cited in Lynch, 2007). As such, the interactionist role theory approach to xamining intimate partner violence will tend to focus on how partners communicate, interpret and negotiate particular issues in their relationship. As opposed to the traditional approach to role theory that posits the unidirectional influence of social structure on individual action, the interactionist approach opens up the possibility that personal and behavioral variables may influence social structural variables. For interactionist theorists, social actors interpret and enact their own roles by imagining the roles of others actors in t he social interaction (Turner, 2001). Thus, far from being automatons who take on roles mechanically, people are viewed as interpreting, negotiating and shaping their own roles to be able to interact effectively with other people who take on related roles (Turner, 2001). In this approach, analysis starts from an examination of the patterns of social interactions among individuals and groups of individuals (Turner, 2001). As such, research on intimate partner violence using this approach will look at the interpretative, negotiated and dynamic nature of violent interactions between partners. Some challenges to the interactionist approach to role theory have also been raised. One of these challenges criticized the interactionist approach for failing to take into account the influence of social institutions and structural forces on the role enactment process (Lynch, 2007). Thus, little attention is given to the structural constraints that impinge on roles (Biddle, 1986). To illustrate, although intimate partner violence can be analyzed by studying the social interactions where violence occurs, it is also important to trace the occurrence of intimate violence to social structures that impose and influence the roles that people enact. In addition, as the interactionist approach tends to focus on specific instances of social interactions, interactionist theorists sometimes fail to discuss the contextual limits of their assumptions (Biddle, 1986). Also, while the approach acknowledges the reciprocal relationship between personal, behavioral and social variables, it still fails to explain how these relationships feedback and affect succeeding role enactments (Lynch, 2007). Summary of Limitations of Two Main Approaches to Role Theory In his work on proposing an integration between role theory and positioning theory, Henriksen (2008) cited important limitations of the two main approaches to role theory. These limitations represent a summary of the difficulties that are encountered when using the traditional structural-functional approach and the interactionist approach to understanding social phenomena such as intimate partner violence. On the one hand, the traditional structural-functional approach seems to ignore individual action and its influence on social structure (Henriksen, 2008). Furthermore, a structural-functional approach to role theory also appears to be limited in examining the finer grains of social interaction (Harre & van Langenhove, 1999 as cited in Henriksen, 2008; Harre & Moghaddam, 2003 as cited in Henriksen, 2008). On the other hand, the interactionist approach appears to focus on social interactions, without taking into account the influence of social structures on the patterning and stability of such interactions. The interactionist approach has also been criticized for its limited attention to the social span of social interaction (Henriksen, 2008). It is based on these limitations of role theory that we propose an integration of role theory with positioning theory, in view of providing a better understanding of intimate partner violence at the structural, interactional and discursive levels. References Biddle, B. J. (1986). Recent developments in role theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 12, 67-92. Brookes, K. , Davidson, P. M. , Daly, J. , & Halcomb, E. J. (2007). Role theory: A framework to investigate the community nurse role in contemporary health care systems. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 25 (1-2), 146-155. Callero, P. L. (1994). From role-playing to role-using: Understanding role as resource. Social Psychology Quarterly, 57 (3), 228-243. Ellington, J. E. & Marshall, L. L. (1997). Gender role perceptions of women in abusive relationships. Sex Roles, 36 (5/6), 349-369. Fox, G. L. & Murry, V. M. (2000). Gender and families: Feminist perspectives and family research. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 1160-1172. Henriksen, T. D. (2008). Liquidating roles and crystallizing positioning: Investigating the road between positioning theory and role theory. In F. Moghaddam, R. Harre, and N. Lee (Eds. ), Global conflict resolution through positioning analysis (pp. 41-64). New York: Springer. Lynch, K. D. (2007). Modeling role enactment: Linking role theory and social cognition. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 37 (4), 379-399. Mangus, A. R. (1957). Role theory and marriage counseling. Social Forces, 35 (3), 200-209. Mihalic, S. W. & Elliot, D. (1997). A social learning theory model of violence. Journal of Family Violence, 12 (1), 21-47. Stryker, S. (2001). Traditional symbolic interactionism, role theory and structural symbolic interactionism: The Road to Identity Theory. In J. H. Turner (ed. ), Handbook of Sociological Theory (pp. 211-230). Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. Thomas, E. J. & Biddle, B. J. (1966). Basic concepts for the variables of role phenomena. In B. J. Biddle & E. J. Thomas (Eds. ), Role theory: concepts and research (pp. 51-65). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Turner, R. H. (2001). Role theory. In J. H. Turner (ed. ), Handbook of Sociological Theory (pp. 233-254). Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York.

Smoking Tobacco Products and Electronic-cigarettes

Smoking became a staple of Southern United States culture when its environment proved perfect for growing and harvesting tobacco. With Kentucky and North Carolina â€Å"accounting for 71% of tobacco grown in the United States,† it is easy to see how the smoking culture is so deeply embedded and loved by southerners (â€Å"Economies†). Since the birth of this relationship in the late eighteenth century, a plethora of research has shown many negative side effects of smoking tobacco, such as: cancer, increased risk for respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease, and tooth decay (â€Å"Economies†). This, along with recent bans put in place by a growing number of cities that make it a crime to smoke in public places, has paved the way for a new†¦show more content†¦In a strange turn of events, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association are all against the bill. They claim it is an attempt by big tobacco companies to undermine local ordinances, which would be abolished and unified to the new state law (McGrory). This whole situation seems rather ridiculous considering both the advocates and the opposition want to see electronic cigarettes regulated by age, the same way as conventional cigarettes. Furthermore, state and local governments and corporations seem puzzled with how to treat electronic cigarettes in public and in the workplace. Most cities have already outlawed smoking regular cigarettes in public places. Most corporations banned the use of cigarettes on the job years ago and even have designated times and places to light up. Do electronic cigarette smokers face the same destiny? Many city and state officials hope so. The introduction of the electronic cigarette has provided the perfect loop-hole for smokers to avoid breaking the law and left lawmakers perplexed until now. Minnesota has set forth a bill that will ban the use of electronic cigarettes anywhere that conventio nal cigarettes are banned on the basis that there is no way for the public to know what harmful chemicals are in e-cigarettes or the amount of nicotine inhaled (Irmen). Through a recent phone survey conducted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, seventy nine percent ofShow MoreRelatedElectronic Cigarettes: A Safer Alternative? 1074 Words   |  4 PagesAbout 42 million Americans smoke spirits smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States and the health benefits from stop smoking outweigh other smoking interventions. Existing smoking cessation programs have high failure rates if no nicotine replacement is being used, however, smokers who use nicotine replacement therapy or more likely to stop smoking than those without. 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E-cigarettes are now becoming more widespread, especially among young people. The electronic cigarette industry is growing rapidly in the United States due to the rising demand, which is stirring up opinions and research among the masses