Organizational Change Management Theory

Organizational Change Management Theory People and Organization Management in the Built Environment Organizational Change Management Theory Introduction- To understand change in an organization, it is important to study an organization and its culture. This is because, changing an organization is nothing but changing its culture which ultimately causes change in performance. An Organization can be defined as â€Å"social arrangement of consciously coordinated activities for achieving controlled performances in the pursuit of common goals†. (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 238) Organizational culture can be defined as â€Å"characteristic, spirit and belief of an organization [†¦] generally held about how people should behave and treat each other in an organization [†¦] and attitudes to change.† (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 238) Depending on the market requirements, an organization is setup according to- resource allocation, production capacity, technological requirement etc. This is why organizations have to constantly change to adapt to the ever-changing market while securing the organizations perspectives. Depending on the market situation, it can be a crisis change or chosen change. Organizational change can be developmental (doing better than current situation), transitional (implementation of new desired state) or transformational (evolutionary new state). (Price and Chahal, 2006) But whether it is intended or forced, the company needs to change in order to remain competent. Change management helps resist the effect that change in the market has on an organization, increasing the importance of change management over the years. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Changing an organizational culture affects the people involved in it in various ways like change in job profile, learning new techniques, job cut, etc. So, it becomes necessary to manage all the people involved, to successfully implement change while not disturbing the companys goal. This makes change management a complex process. Considering different orientations like planning, stake-holder management etc. change management can be defined as- A continuous aggregation of processes, instruments and techniques, to improve the efficiency of the organization in problem solving and target attainment, achieved by eliminating the causes of resistance to change, working in an organized and systematic way, from both company and employee perspectives. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Change process: Since the whole change process is very complex, let us consider a case-study to understand it better. We will analyze it using three models of change management, after which we will attempt to draw a strategic change management framework which can be used in any organization. Our case-study will also be critically analyzed against this framework. Case-study Aluminium Company of America (ALCOA) (1990) plant at Swansea is the company under review. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Senior managers of this company realized the need to review their plant culture and processes. They presented their case to the ALCOA board at Pittsburg, USA emphasizing on the companys present and desired state. The board was convinced about the need to change. Senior managers then established a taskforce to take the responsibility of the change program. It had 12 members ranging from employees, production managers, engineers, personnel, operators and craftsman. The task force drew the following Vision Statement- ‘To help establish ALCOA, Swansea, as a model company by developing a plant that contributes to the long-term prosperity and security of the company and its employees. (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 245) In 1991, the taskforce drafted the internal document comprising of some important elements and strategies including vision, need to change, benefits, critical factors, resistance, etc. The ‘plan to overcome resistance was: â€Å"[] we must go forward and improve or cease to do business†. (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 245) The taskforce reviewed and changed their manufacturing processes and procedures by benchmarking with other companies like ALCOA Tennessee, Cadburys etc. They observed no initial resistance while implementing new processes and procedures. But, later they noticed some symptoms like reduced productivity and they observed the reasons, as employee aspects like working practices, multi-tasking, pay, arising because of the old structure of organization having seniority and unionized systems. To overcome this, the workforce appointed a new team, which developed a system by analyzing the organizations present and desired state. They changed the working philosophy of the plant workforce and the basis for remuneration. They conducted a series of workshop trainings for the entire workforce. Though this entire process was difficult, they observed improved performance at the start of 2000. They were very close to their targets. The new reduced workforce was highly committed and motivated. But afte r all this success, ALCOA Swansea unexpectedly closed down in 2003. The senior management blamed overcapacity and slow market growth for failure. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Analysis: Although the senior management blamed overcapacity and slow market growth, it clearly indicates that they failed to analyze the market and adjust to it by aggressive marketing, necessary lay-offs etc. To understand the reasons for the failure, we will analyze the case-study using three models viz. The Leavitts Model (1965), Weisbords six-boxes (1976), McKinsey 7S Framework (1981-82). Leavitts Model: Leavitt focused on four variables in the organization, their interdependence and their influence on the change process. The variables considered are- * Task and subtasks- Those which are involved in achieving the target. * People- Who carry out the task. * Technology- Which is adapted to achieve the task. * Structure of the organization- In terms of authority, communication, workflow etc. Interlinking of the variables suggests that this is an interactive and continuous process. He did not take external factors into account. (Falletta, 2005) In our case-study, the first factor to vary was ‘Task. Change managers decided to change the companys plant culture and processes. Then they appointed a workforce, so the second variable changed was ‘People. Then ‘Technology and ‘Structure changed as a result of the changed plant processes and procedures that is change in the working philosophy and remuneration. But later on, an outbreak of resistance demanded a change in the human variable as well as the Structure. This resulted in the creation of a new highly motivated workforce. This increased the companys productivity and changed the sub-task, which was to win enough projects for the workforce to keep them motivated and achieve the ‘vision. But, the senior management was not a part of the task force and became an external factor leading to ignorance of vital marketing function. Considering the slow market growth, the change managers could have changed either ‘Technology or ‘People variabl e; that is they could have sold some machinery or reduced the workforce to achieve the desired productivity. Ignorance of all these resulted in failure of the change process and ultimately company closure. Weisbords six-boxes: Weisbord considered six broad categories as shown above. When compared with Leavitts model, there are three different factors considered- * Relationship- The way in which people interact with each other and with the technology. * Rewards- Given to workforce for performance. * Leadership- Common leadership tasks including the equilibrium between the other factors. External environment is also considered in this model unlike Levitts model. It also tells us about the importance of input and output in relation to the external and internal environments. It does not highlight much on interconnectivity of all the internal factors (Falletta, 2005). In our case study, Relationship between the team was maintained well, making it highly motivated. Relationship between people and technology was also maintained which was achieved through training. Provision for rewards was made by changing the basis for remuneration. But, the Leadership failed. This is because of the failure to analyze the balance between external and internal inputs and outputs like reduced market growth, less productivity and profitability. This may be the result of lack of co-ordination between senior and junior management and non inclusion of senior management in the task force. When the junior managers observed lesser productivity than expected, senior managers should have made an attempt to get more jobs by aggressive marketing or should have reduced the manpower. The ‘vision was partially achieved. Though they tried to achieve employee security by retaining them, the companys perspective of long term prosperity and security was not achieved and the proc ess failed. McKinsey 7S Framework: This model was drawn by the employees at McKinsey, who did corresponding research in business and industry. It considers seven variables which are- * Strategy- The plan in allocating resources to achieve the target. * Systems- Existing processes followed in the organization. * Staff-Different categories of personnel. * Skills- Different capabilities. * Style- How key managers behave to achieve the goal. * Shared value- The significant guiding concepts common among the organization. The interconnectivity between these is shown by the shape of the model. The author advises that the company cannot just change one or two variables to change the whole organization. In order to achieve long term benefit, variables should be changed to become more congruent as a system, suggesting that change is a continuous process. It does not consider external environment. The concept of the performance or effectiveness is not clear in the model. (Falletta, 2005) In our case-study, Shared values are the ‘vision statement as this is the common goal of all the employees. Skills were as per the requirement of the change process which was achieved through training. Production Systems were as per requirements, but Financial Systems needed more check on productivity and profitability. Staff and Style failed because of lack of coordination between senior and junior managers due to non-inclusion of the senior management in the task force, making them an external factor. As a result, they were unable to establish system to take care of shared values. Strategy failed as the company did not allocate more staff in marketing team, while production team needed lay-off. Hence, the vision was not achieved and company closed down. Strategic framework of Change management We will draw a six step strategic framework to help implement change in any organization. We will also analyze our case study using this framework. The main distinguishing characteristic of this framework is, that it considers the detailed role of all those involved in the change management process. 1. Preparing the organization This initiates the thought process. The first step is to study the organizations present state to determine its change capacity to have a realistic vision. Studying the organizations present routines gives an understanding of how the organization operates which guides about its performance in a specific routine. This will again strengthen the understanding of organizational operations and will guide about relevant performance. (Feldman, 2003, p. 729) Change managers then interact with different stakeholders to understand the need to change to achieve the right purpose and agree on the organizations desired state, considering internal and external drivers of change. This helps managers list out broad types of cultural and technological changes required. This is then conveyed to the entire workforce along with the benefits the company and employees would get through the change. This helps win their confidence and make them feel secured and involved. Care is taken not to convey informat ion about a specific group or individual to avoid the feeling of mistrust amongst the whole organization. (Price and Chahal, 2006) In our case study, this step was implemented effectively. Organizational analysis for present and future state was done perfectly and it was conveyed to people in such a way that everybody was convinced about the need to change. 2. Developing the process Vision is the guiding statement of the change process which relates the companys ultimate goal, making it the most important step of the change management process. The vision and objectives should be realistic and clear. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Change managers first decide three groups viz. implementation team, range of stakeholders and workforce. Feedback from step one is analyzed and used as the basis to find out different change strategies. All these strategies are then evaluated against certain questions which are * Does the option have a clear perspective and a systematic approach? * Does the option support organizational or personal goals? * Were all the working environments and source perspectives considered? (Price and Chahal, 2006) Different change strategies analyzed above are again brainstormed and evaluated within the group and a final strategic process is decided which can even be the combination of some of the options evaluated. Finally a working document is drafted. Different sections in the draft include- Background, Vision, Goal, Objectives, Design, Implementation plan, Timescales, etc. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Implementation plan should include important aspects like cultural development, employee mobilization, knowledge management, incentive systems, transformation map, and stakeholder management. It is observed that 10% to 30% of companies fail to plan for this. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Cost-benefit analysis is a very important aspect of change. Every change costs something which can be categorized as economic and psychological. Economic cost is related to expenditure incurred, while psychological cost is the strain caused when people try to adjust to the change. (Newstrom and Davis, 2000) So this cost-benefit analysis is required to determine the worthiness of change. Only 40% of the companies think that cost-benefit analysis is a must because all activities are investments that must pay off in the end. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) In our case study, the vision statement was well written and the implementation plan was fairly drawn. But they failed to apply the Cost-benefit analysis at the right time and could not recognize that their resources were over assigned. Also, they failed to plan for the changing market situation, therefore could not adjust to the market growth. 3. Test support This is the phase before the final planning stage. Once the strategic process is decided, management ensures that the team is still enthusiastic about the plan. This is the last opportunity to review all the documentation and accommodate any last minute developments before the actual implementation. This stage confirms the decision about the strategic process. (Newstrom and Davis, 2000) In our case study, this step was either not taken or not mentioned in the article. But, it ultimately did not affect the process. 4. Communication Successful communication of vision and objectives at the right time, to the stakeholders and the people affected by the change is the key to success. In order to link strategic and operational change, it is necessary to communicate it ending on a warning. (Whipp and Pettigrew, 1992) Implementation team should identify the effect change has on the groups as well as on the individuals. While assigning new jobs, they should try to cooperate with the employees to the highest degree possible and make them feel involved. â€Å"When people think about what actions they are to take in an organizational routine, they are not confined to thinking about performances of the routine they are enacting but may think broadly about a wide variety of organizational performances†. (Feldman, 2003, p. 729) Change managers need to be proactive in reducing the amount of resistance by having the ‘plan to overcome resistance ready. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Personal communication, conflict management, leadership development and team building are the most important aspects of effective communication. Retention management is the most overlooked aspect observed in nearly 50% of the companies. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) In our case study, communication with employees ended on a warning note as given in the plan to overcome resistance. Change was communicated successfully and the managers cooperated with the workforce resulting in successful restructuring of the organization; correcting all the defects. 5. Implementation This is a crucial phase of the process. Change managers follow the implementation plan and continue to do so till the end. If not done properly, there is a great risk of encountering resistance which can be recognized through symptoms like reduced productivity, gossips/rumors, etc. When recognized, its source needs to be identified and treated according to the ‘plan to overcome resistance drawn at step 4. (Price and Chahal, 2006) There are some common implementation barriers observed, such as- too many activities without prioritization, no sustained monitoring of activities (observed in more than 40% of the companies). Other barriers are- constant reorganizations of the company, inadequate support from line management, inadequate readiness to take responsibility etc. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) In our case study, implementation of the plan was successful in the beginning. When they observed resistance, they took necessary action against it. But it was not followed till the end. The plan was to increase the productivity. When the market slowed down, necessary action should have been taken like workforce reduction or aggressive marketing to bring sufficient jobs for the highly motivated workforce. 6. Evaluation Change managers can evaluate the effectiveness of the process using Key Performance Indicators, at any stage of implementation. Generally, planning engineer or implementation team is not involved because of the obvious vested interests. Middle management can do it better, with unbiased views. This can be done with process inspections and audits. New processes can be reviewed and compared with the chosen process. After doing so, if any problem is identified, necessary adjustments need to be made to the process; this can be repeated several times. This continues and the process becomes a driver for the next change. (Price and Chahal, 2006) In our case study, this step was almost neglected by the change managers. They either failed to analyze the less productivity resulting from the slow market growth or failed to incorporate necessary changes in the process to achieve the vision. Conclusion: Change management is a very complex process because of the different factors involved in it. Though there is no globally accepted model, we can use different models in the same situation. Some models are easier to use, while others need more critical analysis according to the situation. It depends on the change manager to adapt a certain process. If all the steps are followed through, keeping the vision in mind, we can successfully implement change. Otherwise it can be as disastrous as company closure.

Adorno notes Essay

Theory Adorno argues that Capitalism provides society with the products of a ‘culture industry’ in order to keep them passive to their positions and prevent them from questioning it. Capitalism uses culture as a way of securing the status quo – by providing society with the norms and values of the dominant class. Popular culture is the reason for society being passive towards their positions and uninterested in overthrowing the capitalist system – through ‘reminding’ them that this is the way it hould be. Cultural industries produce unsophisticated, repetitive products rather than something which may lead society to question life. They produce programmes with hidden messages which are absorbed by the viewer, enforcing the norms and values of the capitalists. False needs are created by the capitalist system in order to keep society in a placid state, wanting something that they have been told they should want but that they do not need. This is created and satisfied by the capitalist ystem while also working in their interest. In television, the difference between high and low culture barely exists as it is so easily accessed by everyone and so class distinctions fade – unlike the opera where it is only accessible to a few and so is still seen as high culture. Adorno uses the example of an underpaid schoolteacher who is living in poverty but is clever and so the underlying message is that she will be okay because she is intelligent. He argues how dangerous the use of stereotypes are ithin television, he uses the example of a young, pretty girl who the viewer should instantly like because she is pretty, ‘a pretty girl can do no wrong’ and so even when she does do wrong, she gets off very lightly with it. Lecture notes Critical theory not keen on television – not for effect of violence/propaganda Mass audience – same thing sold at the same time, different to live/art TV – entertainment, not art = big audience = big profit – repetitive, series, seasons, run on investment hrough advertising Compound industrial form, tv is accumulation of radio/film/plays/ music/novels Dumbling down? tv is art, – freedom of the art to express anything, mass culture, – makes money, profits, advertising Critique of ideology – obscures real conditions of existence, smooths over issues/contradictions, system of ideas for everyone, relies on compliance of workers with system Critical theory – commercial/ capital interests dominate Critique/opposition/reason suppressed TV more complex – more layers, can be critical

An Experience of a life time

â€Å"Get to bed, Dharam,† my mother shouted. The excitement, the adrenaline pumping in me, kept me awake all night. I was trying to imagine myself in India, wondering what it was going to be like: the people, the country, the weather, I couldn't keep the energy inside of me; I just wanted to get there and see it for myself. The following morning, I gave my love and best wishes to my family and departed from Manchester International Airport. I then found myself on air India Flight heading to my destination Delhi. It was 5:00 am when we arrived in India. The smell hit me straight in the face, the heat firing at 36'Celsius came gushing at me; the people were rushing around like ants on a summer's day! I was in the fourth dimension it was nothing like I had imagined. The hooters and revving engine of the cars that cluttered the busy streets merged in a great cacophony of sound. There were people begging for money, there were people making food on stoves on streets having lived in England it was a sight I was not familiar with. Music came from all directions not just of songs it was the engines of cars and there hooters. I was amazed how different it was compared to England; it was hot, sticky, and noisy and overpopulated. Although I was extremely tired, I was also excited because this was a different atmosphere from what I had seen before, it wasn't just another holiday; it was my first time out of the country. At that time I didn't really think about England, I was too concerned about what my dad's family were going to think about me because this was the first time I had seen them in my life. Then questions started to come into my mind like will they like me? Will I like them? What do they look like? Would I fit in with them? As I got out of the airport I heard someone shout my dads name I didn't have a clue who it was but I realized it was someone from my dad's family I didn't ask who it was because I was too concerned about what was going on, but one thing I noticed straight away was that the people and animals were walking on the roads without a care in the world. My first reaction was, â€Å"God, where have you bought me†? That was the first time I missed home but as my journey progressed I was then fascinated with the way the country was. As the week ended I had settled in and got used to the environment. In one hot week I visited most of New Delhi and all the temples in New Delhi, but as the week ended my heart started to pound just as it was when I arrived at the airport. I knew the time had come to visit my other relatives. As I sat on the train staring out of the window, the sun was hitting me straight in my face. I started to think what I going to say to them. As the train stopped at Kurukshetra, we caught a taxi to my aunt's house. I took a deep breath and went in. There were my cousins sitting down watching cricket; they got up and greeted me. I felt like I had met them before, I got a warm feeling from them. My cousins introduced me to all their friends and showed me one of the biggest zoos in India where you could a touch baby lion. At first I didn't touch it because I thought to myself that it was a lion. But my cousin finally persuaded me too. My two days in Kurukahetra went so fast but I knew that I would return. My next stop was at Patiala in the northwest in the state of Punjab, to see my dad's grandmother. This time I wasn't as nervous as I was before. As I came off the bus I felt different. I was used to the road and cars everywhere. Patiala was different from Delhi and Kurukshetra, it was cleaner and there were no animals running around there was also no pollution. I stayed in Patiala for a week because I found it clean compared to the other cities. I visited my Dad old school and saw where he had worked. As he was showing me I could see that he felt very emotional leaving his home country. After a week in Patiala, I headed back for Delhi to visit my mum's parents who were visiting from England I couldn't wait to see them because I new they could speak the same language as me. Two days later we went to Agra to see the TajMahal; I was so amazed to see how magnificent the marble brickwork was and by the stunning architecture. There were people visiting from all over the world. As we went inside the TajMahal, it was dark the guide with a torch came over and told the story behind the TajMahal. He told us that Shah Jahan made this for his beautiful wife as a memorial; Shah Jahan chopped the hands off his workers after the building was completed so that they couldn't make another building like the TajMahal. I was beginning to realize why Shah was so obsessed with the TajMahal and why he didn't want it duplicated. As I went to my hotel I then thought to myself, â€Å"Now I can understand why so many people visit the TajMahal† Before, I'd thought it was just another building. I was now my third week in India time had passed by very quickly. As I was looking out of the window I was thinking about England, thinking, â€Å"What are they doing back at home? † I was missing my bed and fish and chips also the toilets, the Indian toilets were just like a whole in the ground. In that week I didn't want to stay in India, I was home sick, I was fed up looking at people with no legs or no arms and families with children who were only five or four years old asking for money, the poverty was too great, I just wanted to go home. As the week ended my dad and I decided to go back to Kurukshetra where my cousins lived. I stayed there for two weeks and went to the golden temples in Amritsar. As we got to Amritsar it was dusty and had animals all over. As we walked in side the golden temples it was amazing and peaceful, you could not hear any of the noises from outside. I felt like I was in heaven I was amazed with the beauty I hadn't seen anything better before in my life this also made be proud to be a Sikh. My dad woke me up at five o'clock in the morning to have a Shannon (which is a bath). It is said to purify you of your sins. We stayed there for two days and went to Patiala. As we got to Patiala it was holy this was a festival of colours happens once a year on March 3. As I was new, the town people decided to get me, to show how they play hoily. One man came from behind and threw a bucket full of colours. After 12 o'clock hoily was finished so I decided to have a bath. As I went in no water came I then started too appreciate that I was from a richer country, they told me the water comes on at five o'clock. As time went on the colours started to dry and crumble, it made me feel itchy and irritable. As the week ended there were two weeks left for me to go home. I knew time was coming up to go back. One part inside of my wanted to stay and the other didn't. 48 hours! The clock was ticking. I looked at the calendar and my emotions ran I had the feeling that someone was taking pieces of my heart away. Will I ever come back? Will I ever see these people again? I felt depressed. I didn't want to go home, well not yet. I enjoyed myself so much that I didn't want to leave. I sat in the room where I slept and looked at all four walls of the room and said,† Dharam you're going home to your family. † I checked again to see if I was missing anything. I then went out and spent the rest of the day with my friends also enjoyed the Indian food. I bought some gifts for my family and got ready for my journey to Delhi airport. I said my final farewells and realized the adventure was over and I was returning back to reality, back to England. When I got into the aeroplane, my tears ran down my face as I looked out of the window all I could manage was a wave.

Why I Should Be A Teacher - 1676 Words

For most of my life I have wanted to be a teacher. The biggest reason why I want to be a teacher is because I want to help students like my teachers have helped me. I was homeschooled until sixth grade, and once my parents put me into that school; I have wanted to become a teacher. Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed helping people. I always look for things that I can to do to help people and with teacher I can inspire students every day. I want to change my student’s lives, by teaching then to want to learn. I want them to have great characters and leave my classroom everyday having learned something new. Learning about each of the five philosophies has helped me understand how I can become a better teacher. The Purpose of Schools†¦show more content†¦Cultural transmission helps students understand the society and learn from what is around them. I believe that schools are important to have because it allows students to explore many different subjects and well as it allows them to grow into who they want to be. The Subject Matter There are five different types of teaching philosophies. Three of them, progressivism, social reconstructionism, and existentialism, are student-centered philosophies. While the other two, essentialism and perennialism are teacher-centered. Each of these philosophies has a different take on what should be taught in schools. Student-centered philosophies are more focused on teaching their students to understand how they can change the world. Progressivist’s curriculum focuses on being flexible and the subjects are molded to the needs of the students. Social reconstructionism curriculum focuses on social, political, and economic needs and subjects are taught to help students understand what are socially meaningful actions. Existentialism curriculum focuses one each students choosing their own direction and pace of their learning. These are the three student-centered philosophies and how they view the curriculum. Teacher-centered philosophies tend to emphasize the passing of knowledge, information, and skills form the older generation to the younger one. Essentialism curriculum focuses on the core classes, like math and science, and traditional American virtues. Perennialism curriculum

The Egyptian Kingdoms And Ancient Egypt - 932 Words

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Egyptians were polytheistic meaning that they believed in multiple gods instead of just one. There are two groups of gods that the Egyptians worshipped, the sun gods and the land gods. River gods were considered land gods. The sun was a source of life so it was worth worshipping. The gods had different names and forms based on their role that they played in Egyptian religion. For example, and Egyptian ruler had the title â€Å"Son of Ra†. Ra was an Egyptian sun god. King Menes united the upper and lower part of Egypt and created the first royal dynasty.Show MoreRelatedUnderstanding The New Kingdom Of Egypt1723 Words   |  7 PagesUnderstanding the New Kingdom of Egypt Perhaps no other culture has intrigued the human imagination as that of ancient Egypt. From the Ancient Greeks, who treated Egypt with venerable respect, to Alexander the Great, and Napoleon, who felt it was imperative to go there, few other cultures have represented so much of universal value to all humans. 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Persuasive Essay On Junk Food - 2000 Words

Most people agree that every living being on this planet earth needs to eat to stay alive and well, but most food nowadays is not even considered a healthy option yet we still consume it. The reason behind that is junk food simply tastes better because it is faster, cheaper, and easier to consume. Many people that are actually watching what they are eating are pushing the government relentlessly to have the unhealthy food that people love and enjoy more expensive so they can ultimately just give up and start paying for the cheaper alternative, healthy food. Countries outside of the United States of America have started this heavy taxation on soft drinks and have seen positive results in this experiment and is leading the US to think if†¦show more content†¦Considering junk food is known as food with a high amount of calories but has little to no nutritional value, there needs to be a push to have the food induced with more nutrition. The reason for is that people are still g oing to push to go and grab that delicious fast food that they so enjoy, but if there is some bit that can make it less unhealthy so be it. In the consumer report The New War On Obesity, the article stated, â€Å" Sugary drinks are a logical choice. They’re a major contributor to daily American calorie intake-roughly 7 percent of all calories consumed- while contributing little to no nutritional value†(49). This citation clearly demonstrated that people see the fact that a sugary beverage has a little amount of calories in the can so people just go ahead and think of it as not even an issue. The calories intake is not the problem, the problem is that this drink has no benefits to this and has a crazy amount of sugar in such a small amount. This matter can be resolved if there people that can reach the future generation easy by educating that they are ruining their life in the long term. There have been many speakers that have came to plenty of schools and gave a 30 minute lecture on why sugar is bad. While the speakers thinks that he/she has made a difference to the kids in their viewpoint of sugar, but little do they know most of the kids will not care or just forget about in the nextShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Junk Food944 Words   |  4 PagesWhile deciding what to eat one night when I was left to fend for myself I came to the realization: if I wanted something healthy I am going to have to spend more money to get the same amount of food of a meal of unhealthy food. I decided on either getting a salad from subway (starting at around 6.50 depending on what type of meat you choose and an extra 1.50-2.50 for a drink) that usually fills me up for an hour and then I am rummaging around for something else. Or a fill up meal from KFC (startingRead MorePersuasive Essay On Junk Food787 Words   |  4 Pagesproblem. 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Ideologies, Narrative, Stereotypes and Discourses free essay sample

In this essay I will discuss and argue how each concept works according to various theorists and how they work in shaping the individual habitus. A stereotype is a group concept that is usually negative and judgmental in nature. A Stereotype describes a group with certain personality traits and inhibits a more open and reflective understanding about the diversity among any given social group (Perkins 1997). Stereotypes work because they re-present a view in reality that we all recognize, otherwise they would fail to work as stereotypes (Lacey 2009). In today’s society most people believe everything they hear, and categorize people based on false standards that religion, the media and the government have given them and told them is right. Gender and racial inequalities, for example, are socially constructed and it is something we are automatically born into. Breaking away from this to create any form of change is considered not normal and ‘out of character’. This further encourages the molds of stereotypes as everything you do and everything you see others do can be categorized under any particular label whether it because of their gender, race, religion, class, sexuality or age. Stereotypes whether negative or positive help shape the individual habitus as they are the activation or encouraged thoughts about particular types of groups or specific ways of doing things from the view of society. According to Bourdier stereotypes have a real danger in creating a more of less long-term individual habitus. (Lane, Dr. Karen 2013)Â  The habitus may be positive or negative. When it is negative and constantly reinforced through popular images of stereotypes we delimit people’s life chances drastically and unfairly. When discussing discourse French philosopher and social theorist Michel Foucault stated that the idea refers to the production of knowledge through language which gives bounded meanings to material objects and social practices (McCorkle, N. Angela, 2013) In more detail discoures are groups of statements comprising language that represents knowledge about a topic and involve the individual analyzing context (historical and social forces) plus text (discourses embedded in programs) and audience reception. Discourses create different meanings and change realities for different people in time and over time. For example the way we picture the role of the family unit and what we believe to be true. (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013) they regulate what can be said, who can say it and when and where they are allowed to. (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013) Discourse works similarly to stereotypes as whoever has the power creates the knowledge. With Stereotypes the group who creates them has the power and we as the individual re-present the stereotypes as we recognize them (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013). The way discourse works in shaping the individual habitus is evident in channel 10’s program The Biggest Loser. The Biggest loser places a large emphasis on the discourse that people are unable to be happy if they are extremely overweight. According Oullette and Hay, shows like the biggest loser (and any other program based on changing individual’s lifestyles) work by shift blame from the concept of ‘political government intervention’ to a ‘government of the self’ (Ouellette, L. amp; Hay, J, 2008) Ideology is basically a system of meaning that helps define and explain the world and that makes value judgements about the world (Croteau, David, Hoynes, William, Milan, Stefania, 2012). Ideology is related to but broader then concepts such as world-view, belief system and values. Ideologies do not necessarily reflect reality accurately but often they present a distorted version of the world. (Croteau, David, Hoynes, William, Milan, Ste fania, 2012). Karl Marx believes that the ruling class control ideology and used a trick to create an illusion of fairness and harmony (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013) This plainly brings into question human agency and free will however one can argue that those influenced still have the ability to change it (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013). Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci argued that cultural domination is never fully achieved and that audience awareness is evident but again cultural domination is always in contention (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013) Gramscian thesis of Hegemony also argued that ruling groups can maintain their power through force, consent, or a combination of the two (Croteau, David, Hoynes, William, Milan, Stefania, 2012) Hegemony is not simply about ideological domination (one groups belief are imposed on another) but rather it operates at the level of common sense about the assumption made about social life and what individuals believe to be natural (Croteau, David, Hoynes, William, Milan, Stefania, 2012) Stereotypes are related to ideologies as they are both seen as not reflecting reality accurately. Being ideological is adhering to ones beliefs in the face of the overwhelming contradictory. Making a stereotype is a generalization therefore there is always contradicting evidence. However discourse is the opposite as it is language and language is reality. I would argue, based on Marxist theory that the way the individual habitus is shaped by ideology is that individuals will conform to the beliefs and all things ‘natural’ according to the group with the most power. Their ideas, thoughts and actions will be controlled by the dominant ideology. This creates less individuality and more agreement in view and opinion in society. However according to Gramsci’s theory of Hegemony operating on the level of common sense audiences are not easily or always convinced that the system operates in their best interests. Ultimately, therefore, he believed that audiences exercise agency (Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013). Therefore the individual habitus is shaped through self-awareness and self understanding and personal opinions therefore it allows more room for freedom thinking creating more ideas and more individuality. O’Shaughnessy and Jane Stadler define the narrative as a ‘basic way of making sense of our experience. ’ Generally speaking, we, as human beings, tend to hink of all of our experiences through narrative (O’Shaughnessy, M. and Stadler, J. 2008). Levi Strauss, a French anthropologist, believed the way we understood certain words depends not so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but more by our understanding of the difference between the word and its binary oppos ites. (Minns, Lauren, 2012) Many films in society today contain binary opposite. Binary opposites is a means of cultural classification that splits the world into sets of dualistic opposing categories such as good versus evil, insane versus sane and human versus supernatural. (O’Shaughnessy, M. nd Stadler, J. 2008) Strauss believed that binary oppositions tied in with Dominant ideology. Dominant ideology is the set of common values and beliefs shared by most people in a given society, framing how the majority think about a range of topics (Tidswell, Corey, 2010) Point of view, the positions cameras take and whose viewpoint they show the viewer (O’Shaughnessy, M. and Stadler, J. 2008), dominant discourses and hierarchy of discourses. Another theorist Tzevan Todorov believed there to be 5 stages of Narrative sequence. The first sequence is where the narrative begins and that’s equilibrium, everything is happy and safe. The next stage is disruption; an event happens that creates tension. Realization is when the characters realize the problem and try to fix it. Restoration in the next stage and this is when the problem or event is solved and equilibrium is again restored, therefore the film has a happy ending (Healey, Elizabeth,2011). The film the Dark Night is a perfect example of both Strauss theory of Narrative and Todorov’s theory of narrative. The story follows Todorov’s theory beginning with equilibrium, then disruption followed by realization and restoration of equilibrium. The Dark Knight is riddled with a number of social issues and binary oppositions. Good versus evil is an obvious opposition, as is the hierarchy of discourses dealing with, firstly, gender roles and, secondly, stereotyping. Thus, the dominant ideology in the film is that men are dominant gender. From the point of view of a number of characters, The Dark Night is centered on and framed through Batman himself. Over the course of the film Batman grows from a disheveled former super hero back to his original powerful, evil slaying self, a grown and more empowered man. In the end Cat-woman, a female is also a hero, thus reinforcing the notion feminism is still a necessity. According to Todorov’s theory individual habitus can be shaped by the way a person interprets their individual narrative. When they are happy something might go wrong therefore according to Todorov they will subconsciously follow the stages of theory or chain of events until their equilibrium is restored. I could argue also that when considering Strauss theory the way and indviduals life will lead is based on experience. The outcome they wish attain will be learnt through past events and learning from mistakes. The media are implicated as central actors through the spoken word, through pictures, through sound, lighting, bodily gestures and movements, clothing and appearances. Al of these are languages because they all create meaning and ideas. Individual habitus will always be shaped by component of mass media such as narrative, ideologies, discourse and stereotypes. Whether the habitus is shaped negatively or positively it will still be shaped. According to Strauss our independent habitus will be shaped by passed experiences, and Todorov believes our idea of what should happen will determine our habitus. I have also argued how according to Foucault dominant Discourses will always shape the individual habitus through playing on the emotions of viewers and using governing policies to attain particular messages. Stereotypes will continue to shape individual habitus until people stop conforming to them whether they be negative or positive. Marxist theory of ideology allows for the independent shaping of habitus. This helps create more individuality among society. However in saying that society is difficult to shape when not everyone is participating to do so. References: *Barker,Chris. 007, ‘Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice’ SAGE publications, 18th May 2013 lt;http://reader. eblib. com. au. ezproxy-f. deakin. edu. au/(S(vyyzj4mv4f1x5x2hqivzbt5r))/Reader. aspx? p=585413amp;o=154amp;u=VUfJjDoccCISH%2fJL9tmIPg%3d%3damp;t=1369692183amp;h=4124B759F7B13440AD90DBAD29E56F710465A7AFamp;s=8810865amp;ut=484amp;pg=115amp;r=imgamp;c=-1amp;pat=n#gt; Bourdieu, P,1992, ‘The logic of practice’, Polity Press, Cambridge *Croteau,David, Hoynes, William, Milan, Stefania, 2012, Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences, SAGE Publications Inc. , California. Healey, Elizabeth, 2011, Narrative; Tzvetan Todorov’s Theory, Heathenmedia, May 27 20133, lt; http://heathenmedia. co. uk/radiostar/2011/10/31/narrative-tzvetan-todorovs-theory/gt; Laberge, S,1995, ‘Toward an interpretation of gender into Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital’, Sociology of Sport Journal, 12, 131–146 *Lacey, N. 2009, Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies, Second Edition, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan. *Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013,Topic 4: Discourse Analysis, Deakin University, May 27th 2013 lt;https://d2l. deakin. edu. au/d2l/le/content/176579/viewContent/1731294/Viewgt; *Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013, Topic 2: Film and Television Narratives, Deakin University, May 17th 2013, lt;https://d2l. deakin. edu. au/d2l/le/content/176579/viewContent/1731292/Viewgt; *Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013, Topic 3: Ideology, Deakin University, May 27th 2013 lt;https://d2l. deakin. edu. au/d2l/le/content/176579/viewContent/1731293/Viewgt; *Lane, Dr. Karen, 2013 Topic 1: Media Representation, Deakin University, may 28th 2013, lt; https://d2l. deakin. edu. au/d2l/le/content/176579/viewContent/1731291/Viewgt; McCorkle, N, Angela, 2013, Discourse, retrieved 28th May 2013, lt; http://quizlet. com/20943972/subjectivity-and-representation-flash-cards/gt; Minns, Lauren, 2012, Strauss Binary Opposites, Lauren Minns, May 27th 2013 lt;http://www. slideshare. net/laurenminns/strauss-binary-opposites#gt; Noble, G, amp; Watkins, M. 2003, ‘So, how did Bourdieu learn to play tennis? Habitus, consciousness and habituation. ’ Cultural Studies, vol. 17, Issue 4, p520-538. *O’Shaughnessy, M. and Stadler, J. 2008, ‘Narrative structures and binary oppositions’, Media and Society, 4th edition, south Melbourne, Oxford University Press *Ouellette, L. amp; Hay, J, 2008, ‘Makeover television, governmentality and the good citizen. ’ Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, Vol. 2 Issue 4, p471-484, 14p *Perkins, T. 1997, ‘Rethinking Stereotypes’ in O’Sullivan T. and Jewkes Y. (eds), The Media Studies Reader, London, Hodder Arnold. Shilling, C, 1993, ‘The body and social theory’ Sage publications Inc, California Tidswell, Corey, 2010, A2 Media Practical, May 27th 2013 lt;http://a2mediacorytidswell. blogspot. com. au/2010/10/narrative-theories-levi-strauss-binary. htmlgt; Wysocka, Paulina, 2013, ‘Gender Inequality and Stereotypes’ May 18th 2013, lt;http://uicsocialtheory. weebly. com/12/post/2013/04/gender-inequality-and-stereotypes-paulina-wysocka. htmlgt; http://socialpopblog. wordpress. com/about/