Is the Family a Fabricated Thing

Introduction The family has traditionally occupied a central place in society with communities hailing it as the basic unit of society. Families provide the social core in all societies and the nuclear family is present in all societies in the world. The unifying function of the family has been credited with the development and advancement of societies since time immemorial.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the Family a Fabricated Thing? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For this reason, the family unit is unanimously considered as the basic building block of a successful and functional society. This is the ideal institution within which children are created and brought up in a protected environment until they are able to take care of themselves. The family also serves as a tool for socialization since the shared moral and social values of the community are inculcated in the children withing the family setting. For these reasons, the family is assumed to be an innate experience with some authors suggesting that the family is a natural institution. However, this notion has been questioned by anthropologists whose studies have led them to question the â€Å"naturalness† of the family unit. The findings of these scholars have led them to conclude that the family is not a natural thing but rather a construction of the society. This paper will set out to discuss the ideas of some of the most outstanding anthropologists of the 20th century, Adam Kuper, David Schneider, and Claude Levi-Strauss, in order to show that the family is a fabricated thing. The Idea of the Family The family is regarded as the basic unit of society and at its most base level; it is made up of a man, woman, and their children. Kuper (1982) states that the family preceded the formation of the society and in these early stages, it comprised of a male figure who exercised jurisdiction over his wives and children. Each family paid no regard to the other and acted in its own self-interest. The aggregation of families was the next step in social evolution and the ties of kinship became the basis of societies. The family provided the basis on which societies were ordered with expanded extended families serving as the social core.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reproduction is universally considered to be the basis of family relations since each person must have a biological father and mother. This simple parent-child relationship makes it possible to perform genealogical tracing since it is a biological fact that a man and a woman must be involved in procreation. Therefore, the concept of kinship was formulated based on this blood relation and relationships though marriage unions between previously unrelated parties. The naturalness of the family has been presupposed for many centuries due to th e prevalence of this social grouping. However, the arguments made by anthropologists suggest that the family is a cultural construct. Family: A Fabricated Concept Adam Kuper’s Ideas Adam Kuper suggests that the family was formulated as an organization through which people could live in harmony and accomplish greater exploits. Before the concept of family, each individual acted at his own discretion and there was no order or system of laws in place. Kuper (1982) records that the original state of human society was characterized by promiscuity rather than family life and this status quo was detrimental to the raising of children. This primitive existence was unsustainable since violence and anarchy reigned. The family unit emerged as a more ordered system of procreation within which the child could exist in a more secure environment. As the family concept became more sophisticated, legal paternity became recognized and the child could grow in an environment where he/she had a m other and a father. The extended patriarchal family group provided the basis for jural order and continuity (Kuper 1982, p.73). The earliest form of government was therefore based on the family concept. The political ideas were grounded in the assumption that â€Å"kinship in blood is the sole possible ground of community in political functions† (Kuper 2008, p.723). The family was formulated as the best structure to foster social stability and encourage good governance. The prohibition of some relationships in some cultures while the same relationships are allowed in others is further proof that kinship is a culturally constructed concept. Human beings formulate the laws governing who should marry whom and therefore forms a family and they vary from society to society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the Family a Fabricated Thing? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kuper (2008) documents that in the nine teenth century, there was no crime in incest, and there were no rules articulating which marriages were allowed or forbidden. Before the 1880s, incest was an acceptable practice in England and there were no laws against the practice. The social perception of incest only underwent a radical change when the danger of sexual relations between fathers and daughters, or brothers and sisters began to be publicized by the National Vigilance Association. Following this, incest came to be conceived of as an offence with a victim. Because of this change in public perception, the British Parliament passed a Law in 1907 that made incest a crime and criminalized sexual relationships between members of the immediate family. As such, the family is a fabricated institute that is prone to changes based on the public needs. Kuper (2003) argues that the family was necessary to ensure survival in the primitive societies where division of labour was necessary. In these pre-modern societies, the nuclear family comprised of male and female enabled the parties to specialize in various activities for sustenance. The males typically acted as the hunters while the females were gatherers within a nuclear family setting. This economic function increased the value of the family and kinship was integral for survival Kuper (2003). It is conceivable that without the economic need of family, this institution would never have been created. Further reinforcing this supposition is the observation by anthropologists that with the rise of the individualist modern society, the economic functions of family have shrunk and each sex can manage to exist without the need of the other. Another indication that family is a fabricated concept is the difference in preference placed on a particular side of the family by different cultures. While some cultures emphasize on matrilineal descent (kin from the mother’s lineage), others emphasize on patrilineal descent (kin through the father’s lineage ).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, the location of residence differs with some cultures promoting marriage residence at the mother’s family house while most promote residence at the father’s family house (Kuper 2003). If the family was a natural construct, there would be universal preferences and all cultures would follow the same conventions. The fact that different ideals are practiced by different cultures proves that family is a human construction. The rapid changes in society that were experienced in the 1950s and 1960s demonstrated that the family was not an integral component of the society. During this period, consensual unions became widespread and the traditional family unit was dismantled in some circles. Some people began to view the family as a major source of discontentment within the society and this greatly discredited the nuclear family as an unshakeable institution. The sentiments of the time are best articulated by Leach who asserts, â€Å"far from being the basi s for the good society, the family with its narrow privacy and tawdry secrets, is the source of all our discontents† (Kuper 2003, p.332). The nature of partner relationships has also experienced significant changes over the decades with a marked decline in the importance of the social origin of a partner being exhibited in all modern societies. In the past, great weight was placed on marriage with major kinship involvement in the process (Dykstra 2006). Today, marriage unions are primarily a matter of personal choice and preference with the families on both sides of the partners being involved only marginally. In addition to this, the frequency with which family unions are dissolved has risen tremendously. The increased rate of marriage dissolutions is blamed on the heightened emphasis on the emotional side of relationships, which leads to higher expectations and demands by both partners on each other (Dykstra 2006). In traditional marriage unions, emphasis was placed on the s ocial and material benefits of the union. Claude Levi-Strauss’s Ideas Claude Levi-Strauss is credited with advancing the Structuralism theory in which he argued that the phenomena of the external world are apprehended as having distinct characteristics because of the way our senses communicate these perceptions (Voss 1977). Human beings are predisposed to categorize things into separate units or segments and assign these things named classes. Any material object of culture or belief system is in imitation of human apprehension of nature (Levi-Strauss 1970). Man’s perception of nature as segmented is therefore responsible for his view of society as ordered. Advocates of the family as a natural unit might argue for the â€Å"natural† nature of the family structure since it exists universally. Both primitive and civilized societies have some concept of family, which is typically made up of females and at least one male figure either related to the female(s) by bloo d or by marriage. Levi-Strauss refutes this assertion by highlighting that cultures are bound to have some similarities since they are all products of human minds (Voss 1977). For this reason, universal features such as the family unit can occur. Levi-Strauss suggests that the basis of marriage rules was to create bonds between otherwise unrelated people. He argues that the since pre-historic times, communities had the option of intermarrying among themselves or giving away their women to other communities (Johnson 2003). The communities that gave away their women cemented political alliances and thus reduced the risk of being annihilated by superior enemies. The incest taboo was formed out of the need to enforce exogamy and therefore increase the society’s chances of survival. Voss (1977) best articulates this idea by stating that â€Å"if survival of a society is dependent upon alliance, strong sanctions against incest must be interdicted† (p.28). The family concept was formulated as an important unifying force through which the social cohesion was fostered and propagated. Levi-Strauss formulated the alliance theory in which he argued that sibling groups were linked through the exchange of sisters in marriage thus extending sibling solidarity to larger groupings (Kuper 1982). Levi-Strauss argued that â€Å"all the pre-modern societies of the world were organized on the basis of cross-cousin marriage† (Kuper 2008, p.726). He further stated that the family as a function of marriage was an institution that was formulated to create and maintain alliances. These alliances took place through the exchange between groups as people married for strategic reasons such as to strengthen political alliances (Levi-Strauss 1969). Kinship served the practical purpose of preventing war by setting up a diplomatic alliance between groups. The class structure that is based on family status is a cultural construction. Levi-Strauss considers the practice of to temism an expression of the differences among members of the society. Totemism, which is the naming of individuals or clans after particular plant or animal species, was a widespread practice since historical times (VonSturmer 1970). This practice emerged from the need of man to develop a system of social ordering by giving different class structures. Human beings are able to distinguish each other according to their mutual social status, which is normally articulated in the form of social classification. David Schneider’s Ideas Throughout the 19th century, Americans held the view that the family relationship was biologically given and of huge importance to the society. Many Europeans also shared this assumption and they presumed that kinship was a biological outcome. However, Schneider argues that if this were the case then the same set of ideas would have been developed by other peoples across the world. This is not the case and the family structure varied from continent to continent, and tribe to tribe. For this reason, David Schneider suggested that kinship was a function of civilization and not a feature of primitive society. According to this anthropologist, there is nothing natural about kinship and it is the production of the society. Social conventions alone may lead to a family relationship even if there is no biological relationship between or among parties. This view is corroborated by Johnson (2003) who reveals that a person is regarded as family based on some socially prescribed duties and privileges that the person fulfils in his/her relation to others. The manner in which people act towards each other is based on the concept of kinship, which is a construction of man. Schneider (1984) argues that there is no such thing as kinship and that â€Å"kinship† is in fact a creation of anthropologists and it has no concrete existence. Schneider (1984) suggests that family is a social construction that is useful for the allocation of right s and their transmission from one generation to the next. The family was formulated as an entity through which continuity could be guaranteed. Patrilineage in many societies served as a landholding corporations with parents leaving property to their children. Dykstra (2006) notes that resources are â€Å"passed down from one generation to the next, in the form of gifts or inheritances for example, or in the form of financial support† (p.1). Schneider (1984) theorizes that biological kinship is culturally constructed and it was formulated to help establish paternity with a fair degree of likelihood. He elaborates that primitive man lived at a time when promiscuity prevailed and there was no way of establishing who the child’s father was. The concept of â€Å"marriage of pairs† was formulated to help establish paternity and this was the earliest and greatest act of human intelligence. The bonds and ties that are attributed to the sexual reproduction that occurs in the family setting are not natural but a function of the society. Schneider (1984) observes that sexual relations can occur and have significance even outside kinship. However, the social and cultural attributes that are created when sexual reproduction occurs in a nuclear family setting are formulated by the society. Biological relations are for this reason afforded special qualities by the society. This has led to the ties being regarded as natural and inherent in the human condition. The ties between biologically close members are not natural since they would not be special without the social and cultural connotations ascribed to them. The socialization process is responsible for inculcating the concept of kinship in children. As a child grows up in the family, he/she is taught the logic by which his/her specific culture classifies kin and these concepts become ingrained in him/her. The child is often ignorant as to what kinship terms such as â€Å"uncle†, and â€Å"aunt y† mean but he/she is brought up to attach special meaning to the relationships. Schneider (1984) points out that the classifications of â€Å"relatives† may extend beyond the simple biological and genetic relationships with stipulated descent being included in the categories. Without the socializing process, the concept of the family would die out as individuals would not be confined to this socially prescribed structure. Schneider strongly rejects the understanding that family has to do with reproduction and he assertively declares that kinship is essentially undefined and vacuous which since it has little that can justify it (Read 2003). The inadequacy of blood relationships for a definition of family is accentuated by the inability for this consanguinity to account for practices such as adoption that still make fatherhood and motherhood possible. Read (2003) argues that it would be more convincing to state that family is a social convention rather than a function of procreation and parturition. Schneider argues that the family is a fabrication since some cultures do not have words that can reasonably translate to â€Å"father† or even â€Å"child†. In his ethnographic work among the Yapese, Schneider noted that the relationship between the biological father and offspring could not be translated as â€Å"father† and â€Å"child† in the English sense of the word (Schneider 1984). The Yapese people were able to exist without this genealogically based kinship relationship and even the passing down of property from generation to generation was not done on the basis of biological relationships. Further Evidence In addition to the thoughts of the renowned anthropologists referenced herein, current developments in the family structure provide more evidence that the family is a cultural construct. The traditional gender-specific division of labour has had to change with the increased participation of women in the labour mark et. Dykstra (2006) notes that the interaction between the partners who make up the family has become â€Å"more of a matter of negotiation† with the traditional gender-specific notions being all but discarded in most developed nations. The recent legitimization of gay and lesbian family formation in many Western countries further reinforces the assertion that family is a fabricated concept. For centuries, homosexual relationships were frowned upon by societies with severe penalties being imposed on individuals who engaged in these unions. Schneider (1997) reveals that the notion of sodomy was so abhorred in Western culture that if â€Å"justified killing and enslaving so many in the 15th and 16th centuries† (p.271). This has changed and homosexual unions are today tolerated on a greater scale. Schneider (1997) notes that gay and lesbian rights are today asserted with antidiscrimination laws and fringe benefits being accorded to this previously marginalized sub-group. T he traditional notion of family has had to be reinvented as non-heterosexual couples form relationships and become â€Å"families†. Discussion The idea that family is a fabricated concept has led to the fall of kinship studies as modern anthropologists have abandoned the subject due to the many internal problems and theoretical weaknesses contained in it (Kuper 2003). In spite of the different approach taken in their arguments, the three thinkers analysed in this paper, Levi-Strauss, Kuper, and Schneider all contend that family is a cultural construct. The paper has demonstrated that the prevalence of families in all communities is not an indication of their naturalness. Renowned anthropologists such as Levi-Strauss have demonstrated that the seemingly universal concept is not an indication of the naturalness of the family unit. Rather, it is a statement of the scientific operations of classification of objects and phenomena which occurs in both Western and primitive societie s. The universal family structure as we know it is a product of identical mental manipulations, which explains the seemingly self-consistent systems exhibited all over the world. The fact that the family unity is â€Å"not what it used to be† is proof enough that the family is a fabricated unit that keeps evolving with the culture of the society. In the recent past, alternative household organizations such as single-parent families and singles have become prevalent hence necessitating a review of the importance of the nuclear and extended family. These realities suggest that the assumption of genealogy or biology as the basis of the family is faulty since if this were the case, the family structure would remain static through time. In spite of the understanding that the family is a fabrication, this unit will continue to play an important role in society. The nuclear family is still the engine-room of socialization and it continues to bestow economic benefits for its members. Even Schneider (1984) acknowledges that kinship is a privileged institution since it is the major building block out of which all social systems are constructed. Conclusion This paper set out to examine the ideas of prominent anthropologists in order to demonstrate that the family is a fabricated thing. A review of these ideas has revealed that family is an ideological illusion constructed by man over the centuries. The paper has demonstrated that the concept of family started from the individual actor playing for economic and political advantage and using the family as a tool for social cohesion. The paper has convincingly shown that most aspects of kinship are not natural but rather the social construction of various societies over the centuries. The family relationship is not primarily one of genealogical and reproductively, instead, it is culturally specified and the manner in which it is expressed and perceived is a fabrication. It can therefore be authoritatively stated that family is not inherently human or universal; rather, it is a cultural construction that is arbitrary and variable in nature. References Dykstra, A 2006, Family relationships: the ties that bind, Amsterdam Study Centre for the Metropolitan Environment, Amsterdam. Johnson, C 2003, Claud Levi-Strauss: The formative years, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Kuper, A 1982, ‘Lineage Theory: A Critical Retrospective’, Ann. Rev. Anthropol, vol. 11, no. 1, pp.71-95. Kuper, A 2003, ‘What Really Happened to Kinship and Kinship Studies’, Journal of Cognition and Culture, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 329-335. Kuper, A 2008, ‘Changing the subject – about cousin marriage, among other things’, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, vol. 14, no.1, pp. 717-735. Levi-Strauss, C 1969, The Elementary Structures of Kinship, Beacon Press, Boston. Levi-Strauss, C 1970, The raw and the cooked, John and Harper, New York. Read, D 2001, What is Kinship? In The C ultural Analysis of Kinship: The Legacy of David Schneider and Its Implications for Anthropological Relativism, University of Illinois Press, Urbana. Schneider, D 1984, A critique of the study of kinship, University of Michigan Press, Michigan. Schneider, D 1997, ‘The power of culture: notes on some aspects of gay and lesbian kinship in America today’, Cultural Anthropology, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 270-274. VonSturmer, J 1970, Claude Levi-Strauss: the anthropologist as everyman, Cornell University Press, Ithaca. Voss, S 1977, ‘Claude Levi-Strauss: The Man and His Works’, Nebraska Anthropologist, vol. 145, no.1, pp. 21-38. This essay on Is the Family a Fabricated Thing? was written and submitted by user Doctor Spectrum to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition and Examples of Denominal Nouns

Definition and Examples of Denominal Nouns A denominal  noun  is a noun that is formed from another noun, usually by adding a suffixsuch as villager (from village), New Yorker (from New York), booklet (from book), limeade (from lime), lectureship (from lecture), and librarian (from library). Many denominal nouns are context sensitive (see Contextual Constructions, below). Examples and Observations Nouns like Nixonite, bicycler, and saxophonist are formed from concrete nouns like Nixon, bicycle, and saxophone by derivation. There is a plethora of idiomatic cases of this sort in English, but what innovative examples mean can vary enormously from one occasion to the next, depending on certain cooperative measures between the speaker and addressees. Each has an unlimited number of possible meanings, or so it appears. Denominal nouns, then, although they have stricter requirements than, say, possessives or compound nouns, are also contextual expressions. (Herbert H. Clark, Arenas of Language Use. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1992)The fact that a denominal noun is not the result of a direct derivation from the action itself may explain the difficulties in interpreting denominal formations. The meaning of denominal nouns may not be directly related to the action performed by the referent... (Alexander Haselow, Typological Changes in the Lexicon: Analytic Tendencies in English Noun Formati on. Walter de Gruyter, 2011) Contextual Constructions Contextual constructions arent merely ambiguous, having a small fixed set of conventional meanings. They have in principle an infinity of potential non-conventional interpretations, each built around a conventional meaning of the word or words it is derived from...  Contextual constructions rely on an appeal to contextto the participants common ground. They always require non-conventional coordination for their interpretation. (Herbert H. Clark, Using Language. Cambridge University Press, 1996) Deverbals and Denominals: Nouns Formed With the Suffix -ant Let us turn to the deverbal person noun forming affix -ant (defendant), which denotes a personal or material agent. . . . [P]ossible verbal bases involve those ending in -ify, -ize, -ate, and -en. A look at Lehnert (1971) and the OED shows that, almost without exception . . ., these verbs are subject to the domain of agentive noun forming -er/or. The rival suffix -ant has a somewhat peculiar distribution, since its attachment is partly lexically governed (i.e. unproductive) and partly rule-governed and productive. In the semantically distinguishable domains of medical/pharmaceutical/chemo-technical and legal/corporate jargon, -ant can be used productively to form words denoting substances and persons, respectively, as evidenced by the following examples disinfectant, repellant, consultant, accountant, defendant, to mention only a few. (Ingo Plag, Morphological Productivity: Structural Constraints in English Derivation. Mouton de Gruyter, 1999) Related Reading AffixAffixationAnthimeriaContextConversion Denominal Adjective  and  Denominal Verb DerivationNeologismNominalizationVerbingWord Formation

Human development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Human development - Essay Example Willingham dispels this is as mere speculation, but public opinion considers this as the long-awaited evidence to justify how to judge people and identify their capabilities. The advancement of neuroscience over the years has been at an awe-inspiring speed. However, it has attracted diverse misconceptions and myths in terms of the cognitive ability of the brain. Several scientific findings have led to these assumptions and myths, and there applicability in the class setting by teachers is largely debatable. The left-brain versus right-brain distinctions continues to elicit varied reactions from the media and the populace. The analysis by scientists about the functioning of each hemisphere provides a better interpretation on understanding students, girls, and young children. In terms of students, it is not true that right-brained students should avoid the education system and concentrate on their artistic side. Such assumptions may prejudice the thinking of parents who may choose not to educate their children through the normal schooling system, claiming that their brains hinge on the right hemisphere. Considering the information is not entirely credible, it may be risky to use it in learning materials. There are books that already present such information to students and teachers. Neuroscientists have tried to diffuse the unnecessary propaganda, but their efforts are fruitless. Both hemispheres of the brain coordinate to process information. In case one side is better, it is only by a slight margin with marginal advantages. In consequence, this means that educational material should consider whole-brain thinkers and individual needs of students, rather than focusing on faulty and unsubstantiated myths. The cognitive differences between boys and girls are statistically real, but at the same time, are too insignificant to determine provision of instructions across the genders. Evidently,

Political Science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Science - Research Paper Example From the study it is clear that Charles E. Schumer became a leader who finds common sense solutions to national issues. Moreover, Schumer has built a reputation for tirelessly fighting for New York by visiting all the 62 counties each year while talking to constituents on emerging issues and finding solutions. In practicing some of his policies and implementation, on March 16, 2015, Schumer blasted the current amendments by the federal department of housing and urban development of withdraw of federal funds promised to change housing units of towns and communities around New York City. This paper concerns the federal department which promised to change local infrastructure developments in the city to march with the current economic requirements on housing. Schumer policies on national development enabled him face the federal government and insisted on development that the national government and the federal government had earlier promised communities and towns within New York City. Schumer believes in reaching people and working with then through consultations to enable development. The federal government was to bring change to the towns of Elbridge, Skaneateles, and Onondaga, which he consistently pushed for the changes the federal government had earlier promised. The federal government approved CDBG funds within the communities in September 2014 and instead it became reluctant about the development. Schumer believes in transparency and accountability of the government in accomplishing some of their duties promised to the natives.

Business Ethics and Communication

Business Ethics and Communication Negotiation: Negotiation can be defined as a strategy by which individuals settle contrasts or any disputes. It is a procedure by which trade off or understanding is come to while keeping away from contention and dispute. Negotiation is a technique by which individuals settle contrasts. It is a procedure by which compromise or understanding is come to while keeping away from contention. In any contradiction, people justifiably expect to accomplish the most ideal result for their position (or maybe an association they speak to). Nonetheless, the standards of fairness, seeing common advantage and keeping up a relationship are the eyes to an effective result specific types of negotiation are utilized as a part of numerous circumstances worldwide undertakings, the legitimate system, government, modern question or household connections as examples. Notwithstanding, general negotiations can be learned and connected in an extensive variety of exercises. Arrangements can be of incredible advantage in settling any distinctions that emerge amongst you and others. Negotiation is a discourse between at least two individuals or gatherings, expected to reach an understanding, resolve purpose of distinction, or pick up preferred standpoint in result of exchange, to produce heaps of activity, to can anticipate individual or aggregate favorable position, to craft outcomes to fulfill different interests of two people parties required in arrangement handle. Negotiation is a procedure where every gathering required in arranging tries to pick up leverage for themselves before the end of the procedure. Negotiation is proposed to go for trade off. Arrangement happens in business, non profit associations, and government branches, legitimate procedures, among countries and in individual circumstances, for example, marriage, separate, child rearing, and everyday life. he investigation of the subect is called negotiation hypothesis. professional arbitrators are often particular, for example, union moderators, influence buyout mediators, peace negotiators, hostage mediators, or may under different titles, for example, representatives, administrators, etc. Negotiation Theory: The establishments of negotiation theory are choice examination, behavioral basic leadership, amusement hypothesis, and negotiation investigation. Another grouping of hypotheses recognizes Structural Analysis, Strategic Analysis, Process Analysis, Integrative Analysis and behavioral examination of negotiations. People ought to make partitioned, intelligent choices; and negotiation investigation considers how gatherings of sensibly brilliant people ought to and could make joint, communitarian choices. These hypotheses are interleaved and ought to be drawn closer from the manufactured point of view. Negotiation Process: With a specific end goal to accomplish an attractive result, it might be valuable to take after an organized way to deal with negotiation. For instance, in a work circumstance an addressing may should be organized in which all gatherings included can meet up. i) Preparation and Planning: Prior to the begin of negotiations one must know about clash, the history prompting to the negotiation the general population included and their view of the contention desires from the negotiations and so forth. ii) Ground Rules definition: Once the arranging and technique is created, one needs to start characterizing the guidelines and methodology with the other party over the negotiation itself that will do the negotiation. iii) Clarification and Justification: At the point when beginning positions host been traded both the gatherings will clarify enhance, illuminate, support and legitimize their unique requests. This need not be fierce. iv) Bargaining and Problem Solving: The quintessence of the negotiation process is the genuine give and take in attempting to hash out an assention, an appropriate deal. It is here where concessions will without a doubt should be made by both sides. v) Closing and Implementation: The last stride in the negotiation process is formalization the understanding that has been worked out and creating and strategies that are essential for execution and observing. Influence of Negotiation in business outcomes: The nature of a negotiation relies on two things; the nature of the essential relationship between the gatherings included and the nature of the correspondence that happens. A decent association with great correspondence between gatherings ought to empower fruitful negotiation. A poor association with poor correspondence is probably not going to add up to much. The way of a relationship thusly has an effect upon the nature of correspondence inside it. In the event that we dont believe somebody, we are in risk of either dismissing what they say or searching for shrouded implications that might possibly really exist. The way of a relationship impacts intensely upon negotiation and is a noteworthy affecting variable on the probability of tasteful results. Subsequently we will take a gander at connections from another edge that of force and perceive how this new perspective is probably going to affect arranging strategies. When we get to be distinctly mindful of something or somebody interestingly, we go into an association with that thing or individual. Connections can be straightforward your association with somebody who serves you in a shop, or complex your association with your mom. As connections turn out to be more intricate, they can be distinguished by a developing level of reliance as it were, the amount we require whoever or whatever it is. 1.2 Skills of Negotiation: Some of the effective negotiation skills are as: i) Problem Analysis, ii) Active Listening, iii) Emotional Control, Verbal Communication, Collaboration and Teamwork, Decision Making ability, Interpersonal skills, etc. Approaches of Negotiation: There are four approaches of negotiation that are defined as under: i) Win-Lose Approach: This is likewise called aggressive, zero entirety, or asserting quality approach. This approach depends on the preface that one individual can win just to the detriment of the other. ii) Lose-Lose Approach: This arrangement approach is embraced when one arranging accomplice feels that his own particular advantages are debilitated and he does whatever he can to guarantee that the result of the negotiation is not reasonable to the interests of the other party too. iii) Compromise Approach: This approach gives a result which is some change over the dilemma result. To stay away from a predicament, both sides surrender a part of what they had initially looked for and settle for something not as much as that. iv) Win-Win Approach: This arrangement approach is likewise called as collective or making esteem approach. It is better than all arrangement approaches. It brings about both the gatherings feeling that they are accomplishing what they needed. Tactics of Negotiation: Six most important tactics of negotiation are as: i) Sharing information ii) Rank order priorities iii) Know target price and walkaway terms iv) Make first offer v) Do not counter too low vi) Counter offer should make both parties satisfied Part 2 2.1Â  Developing strategy by using negotiation theory and process in order achieve positive outcome for the business: Taking the case Between Kiwi Bank and Investor Be understandable and manufacture esteem. This is vital, and its what isolates the great mediators from the bosses. When you have a solid faith in what youre negotiating for, you will sparkle. Turned into an ace at introducing your considerations and thoughts with the goal that others see the esteem. A tip on the best way to do that wellÂÂ   is to be immediate while displaying a circumstance. Be clear about what is normal. Examine approaches to apply how it can happen. Dont just discuss what requirements to happen. Give and Take: At the point when a man surrenders something or yields on part of a negotiation, dependably try to receive something consequently. Else, youre molding the other party to request increasingly while diminishing your position and esteem. Keeping up an adjust will build up that both sides are equivalent. 2.2Â  Meeting notes: When you have an issue, when theres something you participate in with Kiwi Bank that requires understanding so it turns into a negotiation, the principal exhortation is to think in association terms, truly concentrate on a shared objective, of getting expenses out, for instance, and make inquiries. Try not to make requests or statementsyou know, would we be able to do this better et cetera. In the event that the association with Kiwi Bank is really an organization, negotiating to determine contrasts ought not jeopardize the tenor of the association. Dont invest energy complaining. Be issue solvers. Approach Kiwi Bank by saying, We should cooperate and drive costs down and create it so much less expensive you dont need to supplant me, in light of the fact that on the off chance that you work with me I could improve. Learn from and campaign with individuals and their accomplices who have validity, and with individuals having issues in the field. Dont disregard little issues or let things rot. Do not let Kiwi Bank turn out to be more than 20% of your organizations business. Its difficult to consult with an organization that controls yours. Never go into a meeting without a reasonable plan. Make great utilization of the purchasers exposure. Leave with answers. Try not to make casual conversation. Come to the heart of the matter; their time is profitable. Convey fundamental issues to the surface. Assault them head on and discover determination up close and personal. Trying to feign Kiwi Bank is never a smart thought. There is dependably somebody willing to do it less expensive to pick up the business. You need to regard the relationship as a marriage. Correspondence and bargain is critical. Dont underestimate that in light of the fact that the purchaser is youthful they dont recognize what they are discussing or that it will be a simple offer. Most youthful purchasers are extremely driven to climb inside the organization and can be a portion of the hardest, most taught purchasers you will experience. Know your item the distance from the creation stance to the end utilize. Odds are your purchaser does, and will anticipate that you will be much more proficient. Part 3 3.1Â  Reflective report in order to analyse performance in applying negotiation strategy: Dissects a progression of effective arrangement making systems valuable when negotiating with a capable accomplice Kiwi Bank, the nzs famous bank, sold $315 billion worth of products in 2006. With its determined concentrate on EDLP (ordinary low costs) and the ability to represent the moment of truth; providers, an association with Kiwi Bank is either the Holy Grail or the kiss of death, contingent upon ones point of view. There are various media records of the corporate stone monument riding its providers into the ground. In any case, shouldnt something be said about the individuals who figure out how to survive, and flourish, while managing the exemplary hardball arbitrator? In Sarah Talley and Frey Farms Produce: Negotiating with Kiwi Bank and Tom Muccio: Negotiating the PG Relationship with Kiwi Bank, HBS educator Jim Sebenius and Research Associate Ellen Knebel demonstrate two altogether different associations doing only that. The cases are a piece of an arrangement that include hard dealing circumstances. The idea of win-win dealing is a decent and effective message, Sebenius says, yet a great deal of our understudies and administrators confront partners who arent occupied with playing by those standards. So what happens when you experience somebody with a lot of force, as Kiwi Bank, who is additionally a definitive non-debatable accomplice? The case points of interest how PG official Tom Muccio pioneers another provider bank organization amongst PG and Kiwi Bank. Based on closeness (Muccio migrated to Kiwi Banks turf in Arkansas) and developing trust (both sides in the end disposed of expound legitimate contracts for Letters of Intent), the new relationship concentrated on building up a joint vision and critical thinking process, data sharing, and by and large moving far from the most reduced shared element estimating issues that had characterized their communications beforehand. From 1987, when Muccio started the progressions, to 2003, in the blink of an eye before his retirement, PGs deals to Kiwi Bank developed from $350 million to $7.8 billion. There are evident contrasts amongst PG and a much littler substance like Frey Farms, Sebenius notes. Kiwi Bank could plainly live without Frey Farms, however its quite difficult to live without Tide and Pampers. References Negotiation Process [Online] Retrieved from: https://iedunote.com/negotiation-process-five-steps (Accessed on 29-12-2016) Negotiation Theory [Online] Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiation_theory (Accessed on 29-12-2016) Negotiation and business outcomes [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.shell-livewire.org/business-library/employing-people/management/resource-management-working-with-suppliers/Negotiation-4-Relational-influence-and-power/ (Accessed on 30-12-2016) Negotiation tactics [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/12/05/six-surprising-negotiation-tactics-that-get-you-the-best-deal/2/#2d18685837e9 (Accessed on 30-12-2016) Negotiation Approaches [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.managementstudyhq.com/approaches-to-negotiation.html (Accessed on 30-12-2016) Developing strategy [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.vistage.com/blog/growth-strategy/six-successful-strategies-for-negotiation/ (Accessed on 30-12-2016)

Research Proposal Childhood Obesity Essay

The topic of this research proposal is addressing childhood obesity in the United States. This epidemic has been going on for many years now and has become an issue most recently being addressed by the United States government through their task force, which hopes to end this problem. By reviewing the many factors involved which include economic boundaries for the children’s families, early education in nutrition, and progress made in battling this epidemic thus far, we will be able to determine when it is the best time to introduce good nutritional knowledge and application, as well as physical activity, for children in the United States in hopes of ending this problem overall. In order to determine this answer, the researcher will need to research the changes that have taken place thus far by reviewing articles that show what certain states have been actively promoting healthy eating and physical activity, like in Portland ME who has educational programs for residents. This program also allows for scholarships for these programs for families who cannot afford the classes. The researcher will also have to review articles in the ProQuest database that show what has been studied so far regarding nutrition for young children as well as other sources like the White House website articles related to the task force being led by First Lady Michelle Obama. The researcher will also need to show an overview of the current problem at hand with one in three children in the country qualifying as obese. The researcher will review some of the problems that may be contributing factors like target marketing to children by fast food establishments and limited physical activity by children today, By reviewing all of this information, the researcher should be able to show progress made toward ending this problem and answer when good nutrition and physical activity should be introduced in a child’s life.

Gillette’s Acquisiton of Duracell Essay

The purpose of this report is to first discuss the reasons why Duracell’s performance has been decreasing over the past four years, and then recommend some strategic actions Gillette should take to turn Duracell around. This report will begin by providing a brief introduction on the acquisition of Duracell by Gillette, followed by the reasons it lacked success, and finally end with the proposed recommendations for Duracell. Currently, Gillette’s operating segments include personal grooming, small appliances, and oral care products, and the portable power segment. In the portable power segment, Duracell’s major competitors consist of Energizer and Rayovac while new and emerging ones included Sony, Kodak, Panasonic, and other private label brands. The collective entrance of these competitors in the 1990s is the primary reasons for Gillette’s lack of success in the battery industry, discussed below. The key reason Gillette has been unable to achieve the same success in batteries that it has with shaving products is due to the competitive dynamics in the alkaline battery industry. The period of four years from 1997 to 2000 experienced rapid technological innovation in the alkaline battery industry by not only the major players but also from new and small entrants in the industry. Two of these small players were Sony and Panasonic. Sony introduced its â€Å"Stamina Line† of batteries in 1997, which was quickly followed by Panasonic’s â€Å"Panasonic Plus† to compete with Duracell’s â€Å"Copper top† line. Within the same year, the Rayovac Corporation replaced its existing battery with the Rayovac â€Å"Maximum† and priced the product at 20 per cent below the two industry giants – Duracell and Energizer. In the following year (1998), however, Gillette launched its first upgrade of Duracell’s offerings named the â€Å"Duracell Ultra†. This new line did not replace the original â€Å"Copper Top† line that was competing with the product of Sony and Panasonic in the previous year but rather, followed Gillette’s regular move with shaving upgrades of placing a premium on its items. Therefore, Ultra was priced at a 20 per cent premium over the older technology. Nonetheless, the competition was still pouring in. The advent of Energizer’s â€Å"Advanced Formula† happened to be in the same month as Gillette’s Ultra and was claimed to last nine percent longer than the than the Ultra. The major drawback for Gillette, however, was that no price premium was placed on the new upgrade by Energizer and was introduced at the same price point as its previous product. In contrast to Energizer’s upgrade as well as stiff competition from other players, Gillette launched the â€Å"new† Ultra in February of 1999 which claimed better performance. This was rebutted by Energizer’s â€Å"super premium† line of batteries described as e2 (launched in June 2000) and was priced four to six percent higher than Ultra. Finally, in the same month, Duracell announced its third generation of Ultra with more efficiency but no increase in price. This all showed Gillette’s inconsistency in terms of pricing and lack of strategy. It is clear that the introduction of the Ultra led to a series of new innovations of alkaline batteries by both Energizer and Gillette. Gillette had hoped that its innovations would be differentiated products and be perceived industry-wide as unique and valued. However, the company set too high a price premium in order to achieve differentiation for batteries and customers simply did not accept the price/performance proposition Duracell offered its customers. Further, the differentiation strategy that must provide uniqueness valued by customers did not exist as customers perceived batteries to be commodities. One publication of Consumer Reports even indicated that the â€Å"moral on battery shopping is simple: buy by price. This clearly contradicts Gillett’s strategy of price premiums for differentiated offerings and is the prime reason for Gillette’s lack of success. In other segments of Gillette’s business, such as personal grooming, customers are willing to pay premiums for shaving products because they feel an attachment to those products as they are used daily. Attempting to transfer this strategy onto batteries did not work because customers perceived batteries as a commodity not used in their daily routine. On the other hand, companies like Rayovac have simply followed a cost leadership strategy and have seen increases in their operating margin of 32% from 1998 to 1999 and 66% from 1999 to 2000, respectively. The reasons for Gillett’s lack of success in batteries have been outlined above. In terms of strategic actions that Gillette should take, it first needs to deviate from its â€Å"differentiation† only policy that it has used for its shaving products because it is clear that batteries are perceived as a commodity and customers will not accept high price premiums. The proposed recommendation is to achieve competitive advantage by integrating an overall cost leadership strategy with differentiation. This type of strategy is generally harder for competitors to duplicate and will enable Gillette to provide two types of value to customers: differentiated attributes (high quality in batteries, reputation) and lower prices (through lower costs in value-creating activities). The idea is to provide unique value to customers in an efficient manner. In other words, Gillette needs to adopt the cost leadership strategy and attain parity on the basis of differentiation relative to competitors. Duracell needs to be able to stay â€Å"on par† with competitors with respect to differentiated products. In effect, the company needs to pursue overall cost leadership positions in its batteries segment, but still needs to pay attention to emerging higher performance alkaline batteries. In more practical terms, Gillette can first achieve cost differentiation with an aggressive approach to adopting efficient-scale facilities. Tight cost and overhead control can lead to economies of scale where per unit costs will significantly decrease with larger production runs, larger facilities, and allocating fixed costs (such as marketing and R&D) across more units produced. On the other hand, closing down plants in areas of slumping sales can lead to greater efficiencies in costs. Together, these policies will protect Gillette from rivalry of competitors such as Energizer and Rayovac (and new entrants) due to Duracell’s strong existing market share (43%) and reputation in the industry. Moreover, Gillette needs to eliminate small costs that can cumulate over a period of time to yield substantial gains. For example, marketing expenses have accumulated to $370 million from 1998 to 2000 simply because of new product launches each year but without necessity for batteries. These expenses can be controlled by simply conducting secondary market research and analyzing external sources more carefully such as Consumer Reports as they have indicated that consumers are buying batteries by price. Finally, Duracell can still provide its customers the unique value they desire through its reputation and brand loyalty. Introducing a new and improved product with high quality every two years (rather than every year) will allow customers to seek new quality and value while maintaining customer loyalty. These are the proposed recommendations for Gillette when considering a turnaround strategy for the portable power segment and Duracell.