Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Exam - Assignment Example Entrepreneurship involves implementation of alternative ideas to develop a business venture which is profitable (Chapman, 2012). An entrepreneur should be able to conceive alternative ideas from time to time. Since opportunities are available for a specific period, entrepreneurs should be able to implement the most profitable alternatives and will vary as situations vary. Therefore, before any investment is undertaken, an entrepreneur should be able to regulate all available alternatives and then select the most viable from the available alternatives. Innovation results to efficiency in production both in terms of time saving and resource utilization (EMAP Ltd. 2010.) Skilled and creative individuals have different alternatives of producing commodities. They will apply the most effective approach in each situation thereby resulting to effective utilization of resources. For example, utilization of automated teller machine (ATM) in the banking system has resulted to increase in the number of transactions completed in a day. This has resulted to a tremendous growth of the banking industry across the globe. Quality improvement results from efficient in utilization of resources. To obtain excellent quality, the producers have to utilize current technology (EMAP Ltd, 2010). Excellent quality products have minimal rejects and utilize all available resources effectively. Due to decline in waste as a result of excellent quality product, the producers are able to gain more from their production activities. For example, hospital offering excellent medical services will have minimal legal cases and will also increase their clients hence increase in productivity. An excellent leader should establish a team through whom they will be working together. A team leader should be someone who can be able to coordinate all the members to achieve desired results (Team Building Leadership,

Business and Social Approaches to Social Media Essay - 1

Business and Social Approaches to Social Media - Essay Example Identifying how this particular tool is now being used and identifying the ways that it can work for others that are using the Internet is then creating a different approach to connecting online. Theories of Social Media The use of social media for businesses is one which relates specifically to the ability to connect with others online through specific mediums. The social media platforms consist of areas which users can interact and connect with other like-minded users. The growth of this has led to platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and business areas where others can connect. The concept is now known as web 2.0, where interaction and user-generated content is providing more applications and alternatives for those that are online. The concept of using these tools is based on the demographics, ability to display a specific message to viewers and the ability to collaborate with business ideas that will attract potential customers to a business (Kaplan, Haenlein, 2010). Th e approach which is now being taken with social media has allowed the main concept to transform the way in which many are approaching business and interactions. When searching for the user-generated content, there is the ability to connect with others that are interested in specific ideologies, consumerism, and choices. A business can specify demographics, target markets and other concepts that are from a given profile. From this, there is the ability to transfer information and knowledge about the business and to create a connection to customers. This creates a social graph, in which one business connects to potential customers and begins to expand with the specific target markets that are available through the interactions and known interests that are listed on the various online portals (Qualman, 2011). The concept which has been used with approaching target markets has also led to the promotional mix is a model which is followed. This has been built into a hybrid model that is u sed for communicating with others and for interactions that are able to get specific results with online marketing. Consumer to consumer communications as well as promotions from businesses is the two main focuses of the hybrid promotional mix that is used for user-generated content. This occurs with the main promotion, advertisement or page that is listed on a social media site or website. The consumer then has the ability to focus on direct responses by commenting on the promotional tools with engagement. For businesses, this means that the promotions need to have positive responses from consumers while ensuring that the discussions work in favor of the business. The promotional mix that is needed is then based on gaining a sense of control with the promotions that are used for the social media portals (Mangold, Faulds, 2009). The interactions with customers and the way which this is associated with the promotional mix are then leading to the need to put the public relations of a business as the main priority. The amount of control that is a part of the user-generated content is based on finding a way to build credible forms of marketing and interactions that are online. The use of effective communication, ability to increase exposure and creating a strong presence and brand loyalty are some of the focuses that are a part of using social media online.  

BOOK REVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

BOOK REVIEW - Essay Example Eating is a basic human need and the author is sending a message that the book can be considered as an essential element for survival, taking all the meaning in and not specifically. On page 7, the author compared reading the bible to stepping out of the cave into the real world based on Plato’s analogy. Parts two and chapter three is about learning from the bible and not using the content to personal advantage. In page 22, it is expressed by the author based on the bible that it is important to eat the book because it should be nourishment. The third part until the fifth part explores the different roles of scriptures such as being the text that give lessons to learn, the form which is about following the way of Jesus, and as script which is to be shared to the world (pp. 22-76). The second and third chapters are in depth look on the specific concepts and teachings and the manner of understanding them. Topics within the chapters Lectio Divina and The Company of Translators pr ovide structure to the teaching and scriptures and point out the importance of participatory reading. The author has the last part of the third chapter to the issue regarding translation of the bible and the effect on understanding its content. Reading the book can encourage readers to read the bible. It is a different, open and light approach to a serious literary work that is respected by faith. The title can be considered as a witty way to denote the urgent need to imbibe the message of the book since it is essential to human beings’ survival. The author’s being religious is greatly reflected in the book. His passion regarding his faith and the need to make people realize that eating the book or metaphorically digesting its content is evident in every line. Even the last half where the author has the initiative to translate the bible from the original language to be able to achieve the message version reflects the need he

What sources of information do learner use to get a skill outside of Essay

What sources of information do learner use to get a skill outside of the formal education system - Essay Example These sources of information often avail information to the learner although, at times the learner may be unconscious of it. These sources of information include personal learning experience, families, friends, information and communication technology, digital media, internet, community members among other sources. Acquiring a skill for doing a particular job from people experienced in that line is probably the best way of learning. For instance, interacting with people experienced in rock climbing can help one acquire the technique in the most effective way. Safety techniques for using build anchors use belay devices, use karabiners and quick draws for the beginners of rock climbing can best be learnt together with the experienced climbers who are experts. Also several exercises outside classroom can help one develop a particular skill. Thus several years of gymnastics improves one’s ability to practice yoga. Students may try new things and upon failure to achieve their set objectives, they get assistance from family members (Knight 14). Through family members, a student may acquire a unique skill through copying what the other members of the family do for instance, marrying a vegetarian partner or having a vegetarian parent can make one become vegetarian. Friends from work places or r esidential places can also help one acquire a particular skill. Therefore, doing and attempting to do, forms the basis of a student’s natural acquisition of skills (Volpe 149). Primarily, parents are regarded as the primary educators to their children. For instance, living with a deaf parent can help one acquire the skills of using sign languages (Juul 108). Through a strengthened relationship between the learner and the parents, a learner acquire relevant information that help him impact relevant skill outside classrooms. Parents avail this relevant information to the learners through story telling in the form of narratives, spiritual teachings

Globalization and Its Impact Essay Example for Free

Globalization and Its Impact Essay Globalization has a major impact on the management of human resources in developing countries like India. The roles and responsibilities of Human Resource Departments are transforming as the modern business faces pressures of globalization. With accelerating globalization, organizations have had to change and new trends have set in even in the management of human resources. Globalization has forced organizations and their human resources to redefine their strategies. It is necessary for the management to invest considerable time and amount, to learn the changing scenario of the Human Resource Department in the 21st century. Now organizations need to place greater emphasis on attracting human capital rather than financial capital. In order to survive the competition and be in the race, HR Department should continuously update itself with the transformation in HR. Suitable HR Policies that would lead to the achievement of the organization as well as the individuals goals should be formulated. The prime objective of the paper is to identify issues related with Globalization and its impact on Human Resource Development. The paper focuses on a number of outcomes of globalization, which promotes human resource development. It also states about several factors that inhibit the human resource development. Finally, the paper provides few strategy recommendations to develop human resources of developing countries in a changed situation of political economy of trade liberalization. Several articles of the renowned thinkers and practitioners are consulted to get a clear concept of the topic in respect to objectives mentioned above. Besides, different other publications were also consulted to make the paper informative and objective oriented. Keywords: Globalization, Human Resource Development, Management of Human Resources, HR Challenges, HR Policies ; Strategies. INTRODUCTION: Globalization is the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the braking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and human resource across borders. Globalization as an effective instrument of international exchange of goods and services has to have a human face, based on ethical consideration rather than on cut throat competition. It should play a positive role in reducing economic and social disparities within and among, the nations. It should be also effective tool for improving sustainable development. In the era of globalization, with the increasing competition, locally or globally, organizations must become more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within this change in environment, the HR professional has to evolve to become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within the organization. In order to succeed, HR must be a business driven function with a thorough understanding of the organization dig picture and be able to influence key decision and policies. In general, the focus of todays HR mangers is on strategic personnel retention and talents development. In todays aggressive global market it has become necessary for organization to expand internationally to gain competitive advantage. Globalization has forced organization and their human resources functions to redefine their strategies. It is necessary for the management to invest considerable time and amount, to learn the changing scenario of the Human Resource Department in the 21st century. In order to survive the competition and be in the race, HR Department should continuously update itself with the transformation in HR. Suitable HR Policies that would lead to the achievement of the organization as well as the individuals goals should be formulated. HR Practitioners of every organization and also for those who have significant interest in the area of Human Resource Management should realize the growing importance of human resource and understand the need to build up effective HR strategies. Peoples are important assets. Placing this value on employees, requires the organization to emphasize on human resource practice, including reward for superior performance, measures of employee atisfaction, careful selection of employees, promotion from within, and investment in employee development. Just taking care of employees would not be enough; new HR initiatives should also focus on the quality needs, customer-orientation, productivity and stress, team work and leadership building. The researcher has thrown light on the emerging HR trends and discusses HR issues in various industries like Financial Services , IT, Power, Healthcare etc. It is valuable for practicing HR managers of every organization and also for those who have a significant interest in the area of Human Resource Management, to realize the growing importance of human resource and understand the need to build up effective HR strategies to combat HR issues arising in the 21st century. INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF HRM The human resources management approach which has been gaining the attention of management professionals during the last decade has become the need of the hour due to various reasons. Widespread industrial unrest, growing trade union influence on work force, strained worker management relationship, increasing gulf between management and their people, emergence of militancy in trade unionism, and the growing conflict in the industrial relations scene have resulted in the workers getting out of gear of the management in many organizations in India. This has made the managements to think in terms of carrying their workers with them. Convincing the workers of the managements concern for them may, perhaps, go a long way in getting along with them and ensuring their better performance. This has naturally resulted in the present human resources movement. Humanization of work environment in countries like Japan, quality of work life movement in countries like United States, and the quality circles approach in India itself have initiated action to attain better organizational commitment among the work force. The human resources approach is in consistency with these movements. Changes in business environment have substantially affected the approach to manpower. Technological changes are prominent among them, computer revo1ution, introduction of microprocessor, CNC machines in manufacturing operations, mechanization and automation of office operations, quick communication systems like satellite communication and facsimile introduction or robots, electronic revolution, and such other new developments have revolutionized the vital areas of business. Operational efficiency or manpower must cope with such a revolutionary change in the technology which necessitated a new approach to manpower. Globalization of business is another important aspect of change which takes place in the business environment of today necessitating a human resources approach to manpower. It is not only those Indian firms operate and compete abroad, but they have to compete with multinationals and foreign firms in India itself. Business philosophy, skills, expertise, efficiency and particularly global corporate citizenship philosophy fostered by internationally successful firms necessitate Indian firms to deliberately update their perspective to suit the internationally emerging trends. In conformity with the human resources approach emerging globally, Indian managers must also foster a human resources philosophy to guide their management practices. A widespread feeling now influences at least some management practitioners that the technological development has gone to the extent of machines taking over the human jobs. For example: highly skilled milling, grinding and lathe machines are replaced by CNC machine tools which can take over, not only manual functions but even the intelligent human functions and Robots can lake up human functions in place of real human beings. Increasing influence of illusions tend to reduce the importance of human role. In fact no machine can replace man. The more the technological development, the greater would be the dependence on man. One simple error a computer makes can lead to havoc, where skill and intelligence of man are indispensable. Greater the technological development, greater skill and technical capability are required of people who operate. Obviously greater human approach to people would be required. Moreover installation, monitoring of machines, production, operation, maintenance and controlling the operations need large number of trained and skillful people. Technicians, repairers and service people are also necessary. The more the technical development and automation, the more would be the dependence on human beings. There would, therefore, be greater need for humane approach to manpower. Similarly use of more capital intensive methods would result in greater productivity of men necessitating greater motivating and greater human resources approach of management. Large scale production, increasing effects of recession, technical and technological developments and so on have opened up new training needs for the people at work. Human resources development programmes have therefore; become the need of the hour. Government policy of importing technology has also necessitated introducing new facilities and avenues for training and development. Fresh initiatives and emphasis on research and development in the realm of industry also led to a new policy of human resources development to cope with the increasing demand for technically capable people. Resultantly a need arose for a new approach to human resources.

Rachel Carsons Silent Spring

Rachel Carsons Silent Spring Rachel Carsons Silent Spring and the Environmental Movement Thesis: In Silent Spring Rachel Carson starts an environmental movement by informing the public of the dangers of pesticides, which causes a shift in views towards pesticides and the harm they do to the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DDT is WW II insecticide designed to rid the troops of disease carrying insects such as lice and mosquitoes (Graham 56). Paul Hermann Muller, the chemist who invented DDT, was even awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology Medicine. However no research was done on the environmental impact of the chemicals. DDT soon became the miracle pesticide used everywhere until concerns began to surface as animals began dying off.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem with DDT is that it does not break down into harmless chemicals, so the dangerous compounds are passed through the food chain (Graham 15). Because DDT is fat soluble, it is ingested by an animal and then stored in its fat. As DDT passes through the food chain, the amount in the animal increases. When DDT is sprayed on a crop field, insects feeding on the crops will ingest the DDT. These insects are eaten by larger insects, which are eaten by song birds, which are eaten by birds of prey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An example of the accumulation of DDT can be seen in Californias Clear Lake during 1957. Although the water only contained .02 parts-per-million of DDT, small fish could have 2,000 parts-per-million and birds could have even more (Graham 15). On a wider scale the population of birds of prey was decreasing. DDT was again the culprit. The effect that DDT had on raptors was that it would not kill the adult birds but would weaken the egg shells and cause them to break; this causes the adults to be unable to reproduce and a decrease in population. This effect was what first seized Rachel Carsons attention and brought her to write Silent Spring (Kidd, Kidd 102). â€Å"The more I learned about the use of pesticides, the more appalled I became. I realized that here was the material for a book. What I discovered was that everything which meant most to me as a naturalist was being threatened, and that nothing I could do would be more important† (Carson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rachel Carsons Silent Spring was published in 1962 and was immediately meet with criticism from farmers and pesticide companies; this was known as the â€Å"Noisy Summer† (Henricksson 71). â€Å"Many farmers and others in the business of agriculture were convinced that a ban of DDT would harm their prosperity† (Kid, Kid 104). Upon Reading Silent Spring, John F. Kennedy had the Science Advisory Committee look into the pesticide issue. The results the committee discovered were a turning point in the battle against pesticides: â€Å"It acknowledged the benefits of chemical pesticides, but it condemned the overuse and careless application of pesticides. It also acknowledged the accuracy of Rachel Carsons scientific research and endorsed her position† (Henricksson 80). When the report was published in May 1963, Rachel Carson now had the support she needed from the Government. This galvanized a major environmental movement. This resulted in a paradi gm shift to occur between the years of 1962 to 1980. Laws were passed to protect the environment. In 1967 the Environmental Defense Fund, EDF, was determined to ban DDT in the U.S after noticing to the decline in birds of prey and the research in Silent Spring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By 1972 DDT was banned in the United States only ten years after the publication of Silent Spring. Sadly Rachel Carson, who died in 1964, never witnessed her triumph. But in her wake was an environmental movement that had only just begun. In 1970 the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, was formed by President Nixon, but â€Å"it was Rachel Carsons call for an ‘independent board in the government that brought the EPA into existence† (Henricksson 80). The EPAs role was to monitor the environmental policy of the United States by enforcing laws passed by Congress. The EPA picked up where Rachel Carson left off, â€Å"An article in the EPA Journal referred to the organization as ‘the extended shadow of Rachel Carson† (Henricksson 80).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The EPA was not the only program brought about by the influence of Silent Spring. The National Environmental Policy Act was enacted in 1969 focused on assessing the environmental impact of any governmental project. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the first Earth Day which occurred on April 22, 1970. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act were all passed by 1976, all with the intention of protecting the environment (Harlan 118). Rachel Carsons call to protect the environment is still being heard today by our politicians. In 1996 President Clinton enacted The Food Quality Act which requires the EPA to again review the effects of pesticides (Milestones). Vice President AL Gore cites Rachel Carson as an inspiration in his book An inconvenient Truth. When Gore was a child his mother read Silent Spring to him and his sister Gore 10). Gore writes, â€Å"The books lessons made a huge impression on us. The way we thought about nature and the earth was never the same (10).† Now AL Gore is one of the main spokespersons of a new environmental war, global warming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Initially DDT was considered a miracle pesticide because it was cheap and efficient. At this point the environmental effects were unknown. Rachel Carson brought these effects to the attention of the public in Silent Spring. Originally met with controversy she soon won over the publics opinion, with the government backing up her research. The government followed suit with agencies and acts that protected the environment, like the EPA. Rachel Carsons message affected legislation then and now. Environmentalists like AL Gore cite Rachel Carson as an influence to their work. When Rachel Carson published Silent Spring she was the catalyst that started the Environmental Movement, and her ideas are still being used in todays Environmental Movement.

Phenomenological Perspective And Theoretical Framework Sociology Essay

Phenomenological Perspective And Theoretical Framework Sociology Essay The aim in this chapter is to offer the foundations on which I base my methodological approach and data analysis. In this section I will clarify theoretical issues which I have examined and informed my work. I outline a framework that highlights the interconnectedness of the macro and micro in explicating the actions and policies of local government in implementing the renewed race relations approach. In this regard, the chapter covers a range of important issues and introduces a number of theoretical concepts relating to race relations and equality. For work of this sort to have meaning it has to embody a rigorous conceptual analysis which underpin a critical theory approach. These definitions are located in a broader theory of oppression and intrinsic discrimination and inequality. Below are the concepts which have informed my approach, these concepts will allow me to examine and understand the complex situation. Phenomenological perspective To state that research doesnt happen in vacuum / isolation acknowledgement of historical and social influences will shape the research Objectivity/subjectivity Positionality Structuration theory Through social action that structures and agency are shaped. Rejects Parsons functionalism subjectivity And also hermeneutics approach on agency He argues his theory of structuration reveals how the micro (personal) is shaped by the macro (social systems) Read Positioning chapter in 1984 book. Social practices ordered across space and time refer to the actions of individuals and groups understood in their social, cultural and historical context. A key element of this theory, therefore, is the attempt to understand reality in terms of structure the significance of social divisions and other aspects of social organisation and agency the exercise of choice. While many forms of social theory address either structure or agency, structuration theory is characterised by a focus on structure and agency and the ways in which they are intertwined. In understanding the ability to participate in community matters what is needed then is an appreciation of both structure and agency. It is not a matter of either or, nor is it an underemphasising of the role of agency by concentrating on the social structures to the almost total exclusion of issues of choices, intentions, wishes, fears and aspirations, or an overemphasising of the role of agency, failing to recognise the power role of social structure in shaping, enabling and constraining the actions of individuals and groups. Our agency is rooted in the complexities of social systems but is not determined by them. Racism, discrimination and oppression are also imbedded in those social systems. Power Power is a central feature of the struggle to promote social justice and equality. It is envisaged power in this study will be played out in many ways. In a practical sense, it is the local government who holds the power both with policy and resources (staff, time, organisation, money), in this case the dominant party, to eliminate the inequalities faced by minority groups. Power analysis is useful in identifying resistance to change as this does not rely solely on the While in the workings of organisations power is transparent in the formal decision-making process, work by Hunter study of decision makers and places of net-working , Mills study of power elite, Bachrach and Baratzs power is,exercised by containing the scope of decision-making to relatively safe issues (p. 6). Steven Lukes (1974) three dimensional framework of power identify other ways in which power may operate. In this study I am informed by Lukess three dimensional framework of power as it illuminates the different dimensions where power operates. Lukes theory is built on earlier theories on power which he addresses in his book Radical View. Dahls one dimensional model of power is conceived of as intentional and active in the political arena by political actor groups, and power consists in defeating the opponents preferences. The focus is on decision-making behavior on issues where there is an observable conflict of subjective interests as revealed by policy preferences. Criticism of this view, is that power is not only reflected in concrete decisions. Individuals can limit decision-making to non-controversial issues by keeping certain topics off the agenda and argued that power should be analysed by two-dimensional model of power. According to Lukes, the two-dimensional view of power is limited in that it focuses only on observable conflicts, whether overt or covert. Lukes claims power can also by influencing, shaping, or determining his wants and preferences. Another second criticism is that this view is too committed to behaviorism, that is to the study of concrete decisions, whereas inaction can also be the outcome of socially structured and culturally patterned collective behavior. The third point on which this view is seen as inadequate is in its claim that non-decision-making power only exists where there are grievances which are denied entry into the political process in the form of issues. However, Lukes argues that power can be also exercised by preventing grievances by shaping perceptions and preferences in such a way as to secure the acceptance of the status quo since no alternative appears to exist, or because it is seen as natural and unchangeable. This he refers to as the insidious/invisible third dimension of power, through which the relatively powerless came to internalise and accept their own condition, and thus might not be awa re of nor act upon their interests in any observable way. Lukes third face of power was inspired by Gramscis ideas about hegemony and manufacture of consent as the means by which the willing compliance of workers is secured in capitalist societies. In practical terms, Gramscis insights about how power is constituted in the realm of ideas and knowledge expressed through consent rather than force. Lukes contrasts two meanings of hegemony: the first as an unconscious psychological process that is cultural and internalised, and the second a more conscious, wilful and coordinated strategy of domination. Hinson and Healey (2003, 4) further write that [Invisible power] is exercised in part through control of the institutions that shape and create meaning: religious institutions, the media, mass consumer culture, popular ideas about government, etc. Although the concept of power is used, it is itself is highly contested. What accounts for the highly contested nature of the concept of power? One explanation is that how we conceptualize power is shaped by the political and theoretical interests that we bring to the study of power  Lukes 2005, p63.   Some theorists define power as getting someone else to do what you want them to do (power-over) whereas others define it more broadly as an ability or a capacity to act (power-to). Many very important analyses of power in political science, sociology, and philosophy presuppose the former definition of power (power-over). As Steven Lukes notes, Dahls one-dimensional view of power, Bachrach and Baratzs two-dimensional view, and his own three-dimensional view are all variations of the same underlying conception of power, according to which A exercises power over B when A affects B in a manner contrary to Bs interests (1974, 30). Similarly, but from a very different theoretical background, Michel Foucaults highly influential analysis presupposes that power is a kind of power-over; and he puts it, if we speak of the structures or the mechanisms of power, it is only insofar as we suppose that certain persons exercise power over others (1983, 217). Feminists refer to this kind of relation as a specific kind of power-over relation, namely, one that is unjust and oppressive, they also refer to this kind of relation as oppression, patriarchy, subjection, and domination to those over whom power is exercised, this oppressive power will be discussed below. For the above section should I include Huner and Mills ways in which way power is used to manage people , manipulation and coercion see separate document how power works Global effects local While this is local community study, I am drawing upon the study of international developmental work by Gaventa and colleagues. Firstly, they contend that effects of globalisation have changed the spatial relations of power, therefore, power increasingly should be understood not only at the local, national or the global level, but also in their inter-relationships p4 (ESRC undated). The ripple effects of 9/11 in the US and the increase in Islamophobia, the renewed race relations can be seen in this context. Places where power is held Although in the past it was the local government who controlled and made the decisions in the city and neighbourhoods, governance is now characterised by multiple intersecting actors, arenas and networks. The decision making arenas in which power may be found have become increasingly more varied and porous. Especially with the increase in arms-length-companies, social enterprises (joint private and public projects). Therefore attention to the decision-making in such spaces require equal focus in the study of power and decision makers. Who says they have become more porous? Gaventa There are different approaches to understanding and analysing power, I will use the powercube approach offered by by Gaventa and team which is based on Lukes three faces dimensions of power three faces. The power cube is an analytical device, which can be used along with other approaches to reflect on and analyse how strategies for change in turn change power relations: The approach, developed over the years is largely based on studies of community groups based in southern hemisphere. The theoretical approach grew originally as a way of exploring how powerful actors control the agenda through and the ability of less powerful actors to build their awareness and action for change.   The powercube is a framework for analysing the  levels,  spaces  and  forms  of power, and their  interrelationship.   It is useful in exploring various aspects of power and how they interact with each other.   The  levels  dimension of the powercube refers to the differing layers of decision-making and authority held on a vertical scale, including the  local,national  and  global. The  spaces  dimension of the powercube refers to the potential arenas for participation and action, including what we call  closed,  invited  and  claimedspaces. The  forms  dimension refers to the ways in which power manifests itself, including its  visible,  hidden  and  invisible  forms. The powercube can build on and be used to further explore the  expression of power:   power over, power to, power with, and power within. In the study, where the dominant group have to bring about change for minority groups, expressions of power such as power-over by actors who are instructed to make changes. The power lens will also help to identify partnerships which help to generate power-with across wider range of actors/ groups. The empirical work should highlight power-within as minority communities self-determine within the community to work towards improving their lives. In this respect, the power lens will illuminate sources of claimed space by the mobilisation of networks and supporters within the neighbourhood. John Gaventa takes invisible power further. In the powercube, invisible power need not be limited to intentional acts of thought control by the powerful, but can also be seen as self-reproducing social processes in which the thinking and behaviour of the powerful and powerless alike are conditioned by pervasive norms. Invisible power in the powercube can therefore embrace both meanings of hegemony its structure and agency and points to the need for appropriate strategies for engaging with both forms of invisible or internalised power. This third face of power is likewise treated by VeneKlasen and Miller (2002) as a multidimensional barrier to effective citizen participation, requiring well-designed tactics for building self-awareness, self-esteem and power within to challenge dominant norms such as gender and racial discrimination. Their practical methods are grounded in experiences of womens organising and empowerment, and recognises the direct links between gendered norms in society and the fragile condition of womens power within. Invisible power in this sense bridges agency and structure. The use of power analysis is effective in uncovering/ identifying resistence and compliance to changes rather than relying solely on the formal decision-making process. Critical race theory Relationship to other movements Critical race theory builds on the insights of movements such as anti-racism and radical feminism to which it owes a large debt. CRT also draws from certain European philosophers and theorists such as Steven Lukes, Antonia Gramsci, as well as from the American radical tradition exemplified by such figures as Sojourner Truth, W.E.B. Du Bois. race equality policies are developed by white people/the oppressors themselves. CRT also shares a sympathetic understanding of group empowerment. Racism/Discrimination The term race is problematic The term race itself is problematic, a clear understanding of the term race is paramount in understanding what is racism and what impact this has on institutions and people. While the term race is used, Miles and Phizacklea (1982), have suggested that race should be dispensed with as an analytic category because the very use of the term reproduces and gives legitimacy to a distinction, existence of different human races, that has no scientific status or validity. Thus, an analytic category helps to perpetuate and legitimises the notion that race is a meaningful term (Miles and Phizacklea 1984). Although this may be the case at one level, to deny the significance of race this also obscures the ways in which it has real effects both in material and representational terms (look up this quote and amend) (Anthias 1990). While it is clear that races do not exist, in any objective scientific reality, it is clear that it does exist as a category /group which is reflected in political and popular discourse (Solomos). Race is a way of constructing differences (Anthias and Yuval-Davis, 1993, Cashmore and Troyna 1983, Gilroy, 1987). Race is a social category used in reference to divisions within a particular society. Cashmore and Troyna, suggest that race should be seen as a stigmatized identity forced on other people. Similarly, Modood (1988) proposes that race relates to mode of oppression, how a group is categorised and subordinated. Race theorists such as Bonnet 1993, Gilroy 1987, Brah 1996 and others understand the notion of races as a social construct. As Bhavani argues the development of race as a spurious scientific category is a consequence of imperialism and colonization. It is this scientificism which informed, (and still informs), prevailing ideologies of biological superiority and inferiority among human beings on the basis of race. Jackson and Penrose (1993) argue that race is so rooted in the way we think about the world that we tend to take the category for granted. It is through the apparent naturalness and immutability that racist ideology works. Although the terms race and racism are themselves contradictory, the terms are useful as a way of categorizing the systematic mistreatment experienced by people from black and minority ethnic communities and is used in this study. Donald and Rattansi (1992) suggest that instead of starting with the question as to whether race exists, it is more useful to ask how the category operates and how racial frames of reference are articulated and deployed, and with what consequences (p1). Race and ethnicity used interchangeably The terms race and ethnicity are often used interchangeably, the terms are generally distinguished in that race evokes a biological and genetic referent while ethnicity refers to cultural and religious difference and kinship (Gunaratnam).  The term ethnicity has been preferred in some quarters; however, ethnicity is also linked to liberal notions of multi-ethnic societies and multi-culturalism which have a tendency to obscure the force of racism with their celebrations of benign pluralism. Race theorists argue the markers and signifiers that racism uses need not be those of biology and physiognomy but can be those of language, territorial rights or culture (Anthias p24). P.262 Rolston ethnicity slowly became term used to discuss the internal conflict in Northern Ireland not its history, inequalities, structural policies or action. p.257 Rolston use of postmodernist language in policies, work etc. there is not any mention of historical legacies such as Thus the unequal relationship s, where the Irish and blacks were the oppressed by the British suppressers is ignored, in a way attempts are made to blank out the history . Racism works through oppression, and the form of oppression can be through discrimination, bias, prejudice and bigotry Bluemenfeld. Anti-racist theorists have drawn upon theories of oppression to examine how racism works, two key themes are prevalent. Firstly, there is the awareness is a system of oppression that not only stigmatises and affects the dominated group but also does psychic and ethical violence to the dominator group as well. The second theme is that racism functions not only through overt, conscious prejudice and discrimination but also through unconscious attitudes and behaviours of a society that presumes an unacknowledged but pervasive white cultural supremacy. The concept of unmarked and unacknowledged norms bolsters the power position of the dominant group. For instance, by group identities, the dominant group have positive value, while labelling the dominated groups as minorities. While in the UK, racism is popularly understood to be white people having power over black people, Rolston points to anti-Irish racism, which exists in the UK. Rolston argues there are similarities between black oppression and Irish national oppression. In both cases, the root cause of conflict and inequalities is not addressed but hidden behind a veil of multiculturalism which is articulate through the use of postmodernist language. Ethnicity, diversity, integration, tolerance, difference,cultural awareness is considered to be all that is needed. The study of racism has shown that it operates through systems of oppression. This often involves a dominant group who knowingly or unknowingly exploit and reap unfair advantage over members of subordinate or target groups (Johnson 2004). The dominant group also has economic, political or social, power over the subordinate group. (Essed and Goldberg 2002)suggests that racism is created through routine practices by people. They describe racism as both structure and process. It is structure because dominance and discrimination exists and is reproduced through the formulation and application of rules, laws, and regulations and through access to and the allocation of resources. As a process, it exists in the everyday practice where it is reproduced and reinforced, adapting continually to the ever-changing social, political and economic societal conditions. It becomes normal to the dominant group to see others as different and inferior particularly in relation to the colour of their skin (Bhavnani 2005). Everyday racism refers to forms of discrimination that manifest themselves in systematic, recurrent, familiar practices. Everyday racism is infused into familiar practices, it involves socialized attitudes and behaviour (Johnson 2004). Racism also serves to deny full participation in economic, social, political and cultural life by the essence that they posit (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992; (Gunaratnam 2003). However, there is not a unitary system of signification that can be labelled racist nor is there a unitary perpetrator or victim. This position requires addressing the ways in which the categories of difference and exclusion or the bias of class, gender and ethnicity incorporate processes of racialisation and are intertwined in producing racist discourses and outcomes Anthias (1992 (p3). Include different levels that racism can operate from SCIP (Pincus). There more ethnicity and culture matters the more its characteristics are represented as relatively fixed, inherent within a group, transmitted from generation to generation, not just by culture and education, but by biological inheritance (Gunaratnam 2003). Cultural difference has largely displaced the notion of biological difference, as a basis for excluding or inferiorising, both in discourse and practice (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992) and recently faith has been used as categorising difference (Cantle 2007). Anthias and Yuval-Davis (1992) argue that exclusionary practices that are formulated on the categorization of individuals into groups whereby ethnic or racial origin are the criteria of access or selection then they are endemically racist. They content that racism is not just about beliefs or statements, but about the ability to impose those beliefs or world-views as hegemonic, and as a basis for denial of rights or equality. Racism is thus embedded in power relations of diff erent types. Whilst it is known that racism is not only carried out by white people but also by black people, it should not be confused with the occasional mistreatment experienced by whites, with the systematic and institutionalized mistreatment experienced by people of colour (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992). The studies of oppressive behaviour, attitudes and structures have been studied by other oppressed categories such as feminists. Iris Young has oppression names a family of concepts and conditions, which can be divide into 5 categories: exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence (Young). Marxist explanations of racism is that class divide. In using the concept of race there is the danger of essentialising difference. There are difficulties and contradictions involved in working with the concept, as other concepts such as gender, class, sexuality, ableism also impact on how people live. Hall further argues that the interactive nature of racial or gender categories should be recognised as a complex process and a set of factors through which identity is formulated and contested. Constructions of race as of class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity interact, fuse with or displace each other in an on-going process of confrontation and negotiation (Hall, 1992). Culture Institutional racism While institutional discrimination had been recognised by anti-racist to exist, it was as significant marker in racism in that institutional racism was publicly exposed and put on the political agenda in the Macpherson Inquiry published in 1999. (Back et al 2002). For the purposes of the Inquiry the concept of institutional racism which was applied was The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people 6.34 Oppression can also be structural. Its causes are embedded in unquestioned norms, habits, and symbols in the assumptions underlying institutional rules and the collective consequences of following those rules. Some groups suffer as a consequence of often unconscious assumptions and reactions of well-meaning people in ordinary interactions, media and cultural stereotypes and structural features of bureaucratic hierarchies and market mechanisms in short, the normal processes of everyday life Young. Need to bring social structures and institutional contexts under evaluation as these are at least partly the cause of patterns of distribution of jobs or wealth. Young has noted three primary categories- decision-making structures and procedures, division of labour and culture (p22). Young argued that Justice should refer not only to distribution, but also to the institutional conditions necessary for the development and exercise of individual capacities and collective communication and cooperation (p37 Power to omit The decision makers have the power to keep and control the topic on the agenda for discussion. Thus by not addressing issues which are pertinent to minority groups the decision makers collaborate in the discrimination. Impact of racism on BME and WHITE communities The impact of racism in British society can be seen in the racialised and gendered forms of class exploitation either as homeworkers or in low-waged occupations on employers premises (Amrit Wilson). Race significantly affects black womens experiences of treatment in areas such as education, the health service and the labour market (Brah 1991). The influence how black people are represented in popular culture and the mass media (Modleski 1986) Points to include in definition of racism From the discussion above, the following points have been identified as appropriate to include in the working definition of the term racism which will be used in this study. Although the terms race and racism are themselves contradictory, the terms are useful as a way of categorizing the systematic mistreatment experienced by people from black and minority ethnic communities (BME). The systematic mistreatment experienced by people from BME communities is a result of institutionalized inequalities in the social structure. In denying people from BME communities, full participation in economic, political and social power, a self-perpetuating imbalance occurs. This imbalance consistently favours members of some ethnic and cultural groups at the expense of others. The consequences of this imbalance pervade all aspects of the social system and affect all facets of peoples lives. The systematic mistreatment of any group of people generates misinformation about them, which in turn becomes the explanation of or justification for continued mistreatment. Racism exists as a whole series of attitudes, assumptions, feelings and beliefs about people of colour and their cultures which are a mixture of misinformation, fear and ignorance. Participation and citizenship Participation of general population Big Society Although the concept of participation or community participation as it is often known, has been around since 1970s?, in the UK it has re-emerged with renewed vigour in the last decade. Participation and engagement are terms used intermittently today. While there are differences in the meaning of these terms there is also a lot of overlap. These terms are associated with the importance of involving wider groups of people in decisions, services and design, it is often thought services should be client-led, user-led for the service to be more effective. Concerns about a democratic deficit in the accountability of public services, and an increasing view that lay citizens, members of the public and service users have an important contribution to offer to the improvement of public-service provision, have given rise to a variety of new initiatives in local government, health and social care, and other fields (see, e.g., Barnes, Newman and Sullivan, 2007). Race perspective Participation from citizens rights to citizens responsibilities Participation allows people to be part of the democratic process, sense of belonging, and part of the decision making. However, the process of racial discrimination excludes black people from fully participating in society and being equal members in all the structures of the society. It is often the case, black peoples role is limited to being the clients service-users. Black people are excluded from participating to a greater extent. The multiculturalism policies did not address the deep rooted racism epidemic within the UK. It was merely about steel drums and samosas. As discussed earlier, racism excludes black people from fully participating in societies.