Also what are 2 examples of specific cases e.g. The way the media has portrayed the Michael Jackson death, etc
By: Blake
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Filed under Religion & Spirituality by on Nov 19th, 2010. 
By: Rathe
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Filed under Higher Education (University +) by on Nov 19th, 2010.
So what I need to know is: what equipment do I need, how do they act, etc.
Thanks in advance!
By: Ookami Shounin
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Filed under Birds by on Nov 19th, 2010.
By: Rachel
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Filed under Other - Society & Culture by on Nov 19th, 2010.
Perhaps you have heard people say we have a dummying down problem in the United States. Many academics have wondered if this is true and many psychologists say that it is. Some people explain the problem, as a one of nature and nurture.
These people say that we have a dummying down of our society because those who are of less intelligence tend to produce the most offspring and have the most children even though they cannot pay for them. The same people say that the more intelligent and wealthy people have less children and therefore we are repopulating our society with more poor people, who are uneducated and genetically inferior. (this is what they say?)
This of course is not politically correct to say however, it is said often and I have heard such words uttered in many coffee shops across the country. It’s hard to say if this is actually true, as we know even very poor people who work very hard overcome all the barriers of society and can easily make it into the upper class. That is in the United States of America of course.
Education seems to be the key along with hard work ethic, which comes from strong nurturing from the family. It would appear that there is a dummying down of society and this is troublesome for the future of our nation.
The cause or the reason is probably not as important as what we do in the future to solve the problem. Proper education and the building of self-esteem along with hard work ethic, and proper mentoring can most likely solve this issue amongst human societies in America. Perhaps we should consider this in 2006 rather than calling each other stupid. Think on it.
By: Lance Winslow
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Filed under Society by on Nov 19th, 2010.
There are not exact guidelines for classes in the United States and different theories try to make it classified. Most Americans believe in a three-class model. They are the rich, the middle class, and the poor. America is a diverse society considering its culture, economy, politics and ideology which make different levels of wealth, income, education, occupation and social behavior. It is not easy sometimes to classify certain groups or people in a certain class.
One approach which is more common is based on cultural and economic diversity of the people and defines more of them in middle class.
“Sociologist Dennis Gilbert, William Thompson and Joseph Hickey as well as James Henslin have proposed class systems with six distinct social classes. These class models feature an upper or capitalist class consisting of the rich and powerful, an upper middle class consisting of highly educated and well-paid professionals, a lower middle class consisting of semi-professionals, a working class constituted by clerical as well as blue collar employees whose work is highly routinized and a lower class which is according to Gilbert is divided between the working poor and underclass.”
“A stratified society is one marked by inequality, by differences among people that are regarded as being higher or lower… it is logically possible for a society to be stratified in a continuous gradation between high and low without any sharp lines… in reality… there is only a limited number of types of occupations… People in similar positions… grow similar in their thinking and lifestyle… they form a pattern, and this pattern creates social class.” -Dennis Gilbert, The American Class Structure, 1998
The nominal approach believes that American society is sociologically and economically fragmented and it causes no clear class distinctions.
There are also some who believe in certain classifications, but the most common idea points out the American society as a highly developed one which frames a complicated class system. Again those who put vast majority of Americans among the middle class are more.
Class in the US is more based on the personal income and educational attainment for the people age 25 or older. It results in the hierarchy in which individuals find themselves.The members of the society are distributed among positions of varying importance, influence, and prestige. It describes the positions a person may be regarded in the society. The positions are not equal some are more agreeable than the others regarding their essentiality to the well-being of the society as a whole. There are some positions which are rewarded with prestige and income. The positions can be occupation related or not, like the role of being a parent or being a member of a wealthy family. The job role itself remains one of the most important status features in the United States and that is why the promotion at work is so important. The positions and jobs create opportunities to enjoy different services and facilities of the society which are not provided equal to all. For example the more money a person has the better clothes he can buy and it is related to the class the very same person belongs.
“It is impossible to understand people’s behavior… without the concept of social stratification, because class position has a pervasive influence on almost everything… the clothes we wear… the television shows we watch… the colors we paint our homes in and the names we give our pets… Our position in the social hierarchy affects our health, happiness, and even how long we will live.” -William Thompson, Joseph Hickey, Society in Focus, 2005
The nature of American lifestyle which is based on capitalism produces classes as well.
“We are proud of those facts of American life that fit the pattern we are thought but somehow we are often ashamed of those equally important social facts which demonstrate the presence of social class. Consequently, we tend to deny them, or worse, denounce them and by doing so we tend to deny their existence and magically make them disappear from consciousness.” -W. Lloyd Warner, What Social Class Is In America
To study the class system in the US different elements must be considered, some of them will be followed briefly in this article.
1. Income which is one of the most prominent indicators of class status. It has total influence on the class of people.
“It should be stressed… that a position does not bring power and prestige because it draws a high income. Rather, it draws a high income because it is functionally important and the available personnel are for one reason or another scarce. It is therefore superficial and erroneous to regard high income as the cause of a man’s power and prestige, just as it is erroneous to think that a man’s fever is the cause of his disease… The economic source of power and prestige is not income primarily, but the ownership of capital goods (including patents, good will, and professional reputation). Such ownership should be distinguished from the possession of consumers’ goods, which is an index rather than a cause of social standing.’-Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, Principles of Stratification
2. Education which is related to occupation and income. Higher education is required for many middle class jobs. Generally the better income provides better opportunities to study.
3. Culture which contains sub-cultures as well. It causes assimilation among people to be like the other classes maybe. As mentioned before US is a diverse country and it provides assimilation and generalization which will affect everything in people’s lives from the manner in which they raise their children, initiation and maintenance of romantic relationship to the color in which they paint their houses.
Also, agriculture and other industries are important studying about the class system in America.
The elements which mentioned and the others which were all studied by sociologists are used to define the social class in America as: upper class, corporate elite, middle class, upper middle, traditional middle class, lower middle class, working class and lower class.
By: Fatemeh Azimzadeh
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Filed under Society by on Nov 19th, 2010.
Wedding favors have become a “must” for most weddings. Brides cannot imagine having no wedding favors. As they launch preparations for the wedding, they begin looking at possibilities: candy, chocolate, candles, seeds, coasters, cookies, tea – the list seems endless. Unfortunately, for some, the list may seem to offer nothing that is both inexpensive and elegant. They may feel that they are forced to choose between the two.
Inexpensive, elegant wedding favors must exist, they reason, but where can you find them?
A Humane Society donation wedding favor may be the answer. These inexpensive, elegant wedding favors are a tasteful way of showing that you care for animals, and believe your guests care also.
Humane Society Donation Wedding Favors
Humane Society donation wedding favors are easy on the bride, and at such a busy time of her life, that alone makes these wedding favors a great choice. There is no shopping to be done. No boxes arrive, needing to be unpacked. Nothing must be assembled. No tags wait to be added.
To get Humane Society donation wedding favors, all you need to do is contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) through their website. A search engine will find it for you quickly.
Tell the ASPCA what amount of money you would like to donate to help care for animals. Then tell them how many guests you expect at your wedding. After that, just sit back and let the ASPCA do the rest.
The ASPCA will send you enough place cards for your entire guest list. The small white cards are quite elegant, each one bearing the ASPCA symbol on the front in silver. Beneath the silver symbol are the letters, ASPCA.
Humane Society donation wedding favors tell your guests that you have made a donation in their names “in lieu of a wedding favor.” There will be no indication of the amount you have given, so whether it is large or small, only you and the ASPCA representative will know.
Inexpensive, Elegant Wedding Favors
These inexpensive, elegant wedding favors offer you a number of advantages.
* Inexpensive: This is, of course, a relative term. A donation of $1,000 might be termed “inexpensive” if you are inviting 1,000 guests. You are getting wedding favors for a mere $1 per guest. If you are on a smaller budget, your wedding favor donation could be much less than $1,000. Perhaps you really have little to spend on any kind of wedding favors. A small flute-shaped bottle filled with bubbles, its white top said to look like champagne foam, might cost only $0.20 per guest, and that may be all you can afford. But suppose you donated the same amount to the Humane Society. You would still get inexpensive wedding favors, but they would not appear to be inexpensive. The ASPCA has no minimal donation amount. Nor do they limit donations at the upper end. Whatever you can give for your wedding favors is appreciated.
* Elegant: Those little champagne bubble bottles would not seem the least bit elegant. Most inexpensive wedding favors do not. The same amount of money, however, donated to the Humane Society, will give you elegant wedding favors that look as though your donation was much, much more. You will have gone from “tacky” to chic with one small action.
* Respect: Your friends are likely to respect your decision to make a donation in place of giving wedding favors. Many will probably compliment you on your gracious deed. You may even find that a few, looking forward to their own weddings, will ask how you made the donation.
* Satisfaction: You begin your married life knowing that you did something meaningful – showed compassion to animals in need. You will gain a sense of satisfaction from the knowledge that your wedding favors had real value.
How Much to Give
Humane Society donation wedding favors can be purchased for any amount, as noted above. The ASPCA will send as many wedding favor cards as you need. But how much do you want to give? Would you be willing to feed a cat for a year? Would you be able to donate enough to feed one medium-sized dog from now until your first wedding anniversary? Perhaps you could feed two, three, or four animals. Which ones would you choose?
Let these figures guide you as you choose a wedding favor donation amount. They show how much it would cost to feed different animals for one year. (Figures taken from the ASPCA website.)
* 1 gold fish – $20
* 1 small rat – $50
* 1 small bird – $75
* 1 guinea pig – $75
* 1 rabbit – $156
* 1 cat – $170
* 1 small dog – $160
* 1 medium dog – $310
* 1 large dog – $350
Perhaps the bridal couple was intending to get their own pet as soon as they returned from the honeymoon. If you put that money into Humane Society donation wedding favors, what difference could you make?
If you waited, and got your pet as a first wedding anniversary gift instead, how much could you donate for your wedding favors? Look at the annual cost (after purchase or adoption) of pet ownership for one year. Again, these figures are from the ASPCA website.
* 1 gold fish – $235
* 1 small rat – $340
* 1 small bird – $195
* 1 guinea pig – $645
* 1 rabbit – $911
* 1 cat – $715
* 1 small dog – $810
* 1 medium dog – $1,190
* 1 large dog – $1,580
Inexpensive, elegant wedding favors, in the form of a Humane Society donation, can cost as little or as much as you decide to give.
Helpful Tip
Years from now, when you look back at your wedding, you will be glad that you gave these wedding favors. When you make your donation, and order your wedding favors, don’t forget to order one for your wedding scrapbook.
By: Anna Hart
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Filed under 5795 by on Nov 19th, 2010.
In discussing American society and its structure, first of all I’m going to define social stratification itself and the bases on which this concept is founded. Then I’m going to discus which category is more applicable to the American society.
To give a general description, social stratification is ranking social groups based on the things they have in common and the things that are different among them. This categorization is basically made in three different ways:
1) State systems,
2) Caste systems, and
3) Class system.
In a state system the authority and power is monopolized in the hands of a narrow elite. In such society, the elites rule and the rest of people are bent to their will; like the feudal societies. In a caste system, a person’s place in society is given to him/her based on birth and ancestry. Thus the person cannot change his/her place throughout his/her life. And finally in a class society people are given status based on birth and also personal achievements and backgrounds. In other word people of such societies can change their status through their lives. Having said all this, we can now discuss the concept of social stratification in American society.
The history of America bears no sign of feudalism in it. Besides, as people of America were immigrants from other countries so the matter of birth was almost of low significance. Of course there were a number of British elite among the first settlers but they could not be proud of their ancestry in their new home as they were in their homelands; because every one had to work hard if s/he wanted to survive.
Therefore the conditions of young America were not suitable for the foundation of a feudal or caste system. So America took the form of a class system. But it’s clear that we can not relate the formation of a class society in America only to conditions America had in early ages. Some other factors have also contributed to the continuation of this system even to today America. Among these factors are: individualism, industry and job opportunities, and a tendency toward mobility.
In America the idea of individualism is so profound that it can be seen in every aspect of peoples’ lives. Individuals are preferred to societies and in this way personal achievement becomes the measure for giving a person his/her status in society. it is the individual who is responsible for his/her success and failure- it is interesting to know that 43 percent of people polled by Gallup believed “lack of effort as a reason people are poor” and “53 percent” believed “”strong effort” as a reason some people are rich”
Filed under Society by on Nov 19th, 2010.
An Outfit for your University Society
Being in college is a great way to expand your horizons and meet new people. The clubs and groups in college and at a university are wide and diverse, and give students the opportunity to meet other people who are interested in the same things and learn more about their interests. Having these great student organizations allow university societies to form among the students, and often student clubs experience a very close bond between the members. One great way for university societies to build unity and pride for themselves within the organization is through the use of a society outfit. The society can pick a specific article of clothing or outfit for their members to all own and wear at special events or just around campus. One great addition to any university society’s outfit is the personalised hoodie.
Personalised hoodies are perfect for any university society outfit. They’re comfortable, casual, and can be worn with anything. Many university groups enjoy using personalised hoodies because hoodies are very popular among college students, so having hoodies with the specific society on them is a great way to know that members will actually enjoy having the hoodies and wear them.
If you’ve decided to create a university society outfit, you must create exactly what that outfit will be. Some society’s have special sweat pants or shorts to go with a top or personalised hoodie, but many groups make outfits that are just a uniform top. This is because it’s difficult to find a pant or skirt that fits everyone and that everyone likes. What’s more, it’s more difficult to recognize that all members of a group are wearing the same bottoms. However, when everyone is hearing the same shirt or top, it’s much more obvious that the group is all wearing the same outfit. Personalised hoodies also offer more opportunity for creativity when designing the hoodie.
When creating your outfit, make sure to take your university society’s opinion in mind in the design of the personalised hoodie. For example, you’ll want to get a color scheme that everyone likes, so that people will want to wear the hoodie. You also want to make sure you create a design that the other people in your society will like. It’s a good idea to work with a couple different members of your group to come up with a design. Another option is to come up with more than one design, and let the members of your university society to vote on the final design. This helps make sure the members will like the personalised hoodies and will wear them around campus, which will help bring about pride within the organization and others will begin to recognize the organization and know what you stand for. Whether you’re an established university society, or you’re looking to start your own university society and are looking for ways to grow, using personalised hoodies is a great way to create an outfit for your members and built strength within the society.
By: Jamie Simpson
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Filed under Shopping And Product Reviews by on Nov 19th, 2010.
I’ve searched the site of the Society of Actuaries but I didn’t find any copy but only citations of the document in news and other studies. It seems to be that it’s outdated but nonetheless I need a copy of it.
I’d appreciate any help, like information on how to get it, if you can’t give me a copy of the document itself.
Thanks!
By: poi
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Filed under 5829 by on Nov 19th, 2010.