Monday, September 30, 2019

Internet Filters Essay

When browsing the Internet, users may encounter a filter. Filters are programs that remove or block certain items from being displayed. Four widely used Internet filters are anti-spam programs, web filters, phishing filters, and pop-up blockers. An anti-spam program is a filtering program that attempts to remove spam before it reaches an Inbox or forum. Spam is an unsolicited email message or posting sent too many recipients or forums at once. The content of spam ranges from selling a product or service, to promoting a business opportunity, to advertising offensive material. Spam also may contain links or attachments that contain malware. If an email program does not filter spam, many anti-spam programs are available at no cost on the web CITATION Clark p 35-37 l 1033 (Clarck 35-37). Web filtering software is a program that restricts access to certain material on the web. Some restrict access to specific websites; others filter websites that use certain words or phrases. Many busines ses use web-filtering software to limit employee’s web access CITATION Fin14 l 1033 (Finch and Redder). Some schools, libraries, and parents use this software to restrict access to minors. A phishing filter is a program that warns or blocks users from potentially fraudulent or suspicious websites. Phishing is a scam in which a perpetrator sends an official looking email message that attempts to obtain someone’s personal and/or financial information. Some phishing messages ask people to reply with their information; others direct them to a phony website or a pop-up window that looks like a legitimate website, which then collects their information CITATION Lan14 l 1033 (Lane). Some browsers include phishing filters. A pop-up blocker is a filtering program that stops popup ads from displaying on webpages. A pop-up ad is an Internet advertisement that suddenly appears in a new window on top of a webpage. Many browsers include a pop-up blocker. People also can download pop-up blockers from the web at no cost CITATION Fin14 l 1033 (Finch and Redder).

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Economy, Religion, Government & Education

The essence of politics is power. Power is the capacity of people or groups to control or influence the actions of others, whether those others wish to cooperate or not. There are three mechanisms for controlling the actions of others: reward, punishment, and controlling of information.Authority and power legitimating Two classification of Power that categorized by Sociologist: Legitimate power – Power used in a way that is generally recognized as socially right and necessary. Illegitimate power – Power used without social approval. Example: Gangsters who demand and receive protection money from a shopkeeper y threatening violence are using illegitimate power. Government agencies that demand and receive a sales tax from the same shopkeeper are using legitimate power. Democracy – literally means â€Å"rule of the people. In a true democracy, the powers of government derive from the formal consent of the governed, and citizens have a right to participate in decisi on-making process. In a representative democracy, the most common type, citizens vote for officials to represent them. Only in very small democratic systems can each citizen affect government by direct involvement; this hype of democracy is called participatory or direct democracy. Totalitarianism – is run by a single party, in which there is governmental surveillance and control over all aspects of life.The totalitarian state creates an official ideology, a total world view and a set of rules of behavior. Rival worldviews are suppressed, rival religious groups are persecuted, and the works of many artists and intellectuals are censored. Authoritarianism Authoritarianism – ultimate authority is vested in a single person. The ruler may be either a monarch (a hereditary ruler), or a dictator (someone who as come to power and typically holds that power by means of force). Ideology and political parties do not play a major role in the authoritarian regime.There are importa nt differences between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes: An authoritarian regime is one that does not tolerate political opposition but is prepared to allow institutions and sectors of society to function free of the state provided they do not engage in political activity. A totalitarian regime is one that seeks to impose state control over every institution of society, regardless of whether it engages in within an all-embracing political design. Berger, 1986:83-84) Authority refers to legitimate power that is institutional in nature.Max Weber classified the main sources of social authority into three types: Traditional authority is authority that is conferred by custom and accepted practice. In a hereditary monarchy, the power of the head of the government is legitimated by birth. Charismatic authority is authority that is generated by the personality or exceptional personal appeal of an individual. Legal-rational authority is authority that rests on rationally established ru les. State – Some legitimate power or authority is found in every group or organization.Formal and Non-Formal Education Informal education is learning through interaction with others in the group. Non- formal education consists of sets of definite learning goals and objectives. Non- formal education is not covered by traditional school system. Social organizations, private companies, government offices, livelihood training centers, and other institutions administer non-formal education. Formal education is synonymous with â€Å"school. † It sets definite goals and objectives reached through systematized, formal instruction methods. Schools are run by the state, by private individuals or reparations, or by religious groups.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Managerial Accounting Notes

Accounting chapter 7 managerial accounting Exercises Lambert Fabrication, Inc. , uses activity-based costing data for internal decisions. The company has the following four activity cost pools: Activity Cost PoolAnnual Activity Producing units5,000 machine-hours Processing orders1,000 orders Customer support200 customers OtherNot applicable The â€Å"Other† activity cost pool consists of the costs of idle capacity and organization-sustaining costs. The company traces the costs of direct materials and direct labor to jobs (i. . , orders). Overhead costs—both manufacturing and non-manufacturing—are allocated to jobs using the activity-based costing system. These overhead costs are listed below: Indirect factory wages$100,000 Other manufacturing overheadS200,000 Selling and administrative expense$400,000 To develop the company's activity-based costing system, employees were asked how they distributed their time and resources across the four activity cost pools. The results of those interviews appear below: Results of Interviews of EmployeesDistribution of Resource Consumption Across Activities Producing Processing Customer UnitsOrdersSupportOtherTotals Indirect factory wages40%30%10%20%100% Other manufacturing overhead30%10%0%60%100% Selling and administrative expense0%25%40%35%100% a. Using the results of the interviews, carry out the first-stage allocation of costs to the activity cost pools. Producing Processing Customer UnitsOrdersSupportOtherTotals Indirect factory wages $ S S $ SOther manufacturing overhead Selling and administrative expense.. Total overhead cost $$ $___ ___ $ $__ ____ Chapter 7 b. Using the results of the first-stage allocation, compute the activity rates for each of the activity cost pools. (Activity rates are not computed for the â€Å"Other† activity cost pool because these costs will not be allocated to products or customers. ) Computation of Activity RatesActivity Cost Pools Total CostTotal ActivityActivity Rate Producing units $ machine-hours $ per machine-hour Processing orders $ orders $ per order Customer support $ customers $per customer c. Data concerning one of the company's products are listed below: Product W562 Selling price$100 Annual sales (units)1,000 Direct materials per unit$24 Direct labor per unit$6 Machine-hours per unit1. 5 Orders processed80 Using the activity rates you derived in part (b) above and the above data, compute the total amount of over ¬head cost that would be allocated to product W562.Overhead Cost of Product W562 Activity Cost PoolsActivity RateActivityABC Cost Producing units$per machine-hourmachine-hours$ Processing orders$per orderorders Customer support$per customerNot applicable Total $__________ d. Using the data developed above for product W562, complete the following report. Product Margin—Product W562 Sales$ Costs: Direct materials$ Direct labor Producing units Processing orders ________ Product margin $_______________

Friday, September 27, 2019

Evaluate for a case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluate for a case - Essay Example In addition, the reason for locating new blood donors, while taking help of medical consultants, was the loss in business, which Plasma International could foresee, due to the above-mentioned reason. However, Plasma tried to exploit the new donors, which were innocent tribal people who wanted to sell their blood for money. The whole issue came to surface due to discovery of the scam by a Tampa paper. According to its reports, Plasma made millions of Dollars in little time, by buying cheap blood and selling the same to needy patients in United States at exorbitant prices. The treatment of blood as a commodity in United States is vastly different from the system of blood supply followed in Britain, where the National Health Service entirely depends on voluntary donors. According to theory of Capitalism, capitalist theories stress on the fundamental issue of profit motivation in any business venture. Although the theory of capitalism may apply to the business style of Plasma International, it goes beyond doubt that the whole business did not follow any moral ethics. According to theory of Utilitarianism, the business motive should be to bring maximum good to optimum number of people. However, in this case, the benefit has gone only to Plasma International and none else, as both blood donors and receivers were cheated by the company. Kantian theory has application for British model of treating blood as a human need, instead of trading it as any other commodity. Hence, system followed in Britain certainly has several advantages, over the American system, particularly since human blood and lives are involved. This theory relates to getting satisfactory fulfillment of human needs by employing voluntary means. At the same time, the theory underlines the fact that one’s actions or thinking should not interfere in the freedom of others. Human needs, for this

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence Assignment

Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence - Assignment Example As a function of these carryovers, the stakeholders within the firm, both leadership and line employees, find it difficult to exercise the full potential that the brand could integrate with the end consumer. Moreover, the loss of efficiency has effects on the net level of profitability and the level of competition the firm can integrate within the market. 2.1 Challenges (need review) Currently, Solent Sport suffers from a range of issues; the majority of these problems can be fixed by the proper use and application of BI. Firstly and most importantly, the firm must seek to perform a thorough review of what is currently working and what needs improvement. In this way, the following discussion will centre upon the way that the can maximize its potential by the correct application of BI within its component parts. As such, a cursory review of the firm lends the analyst to understand the technological systems that manage business interaction are both antiquated and serving to constrain t he level of analytical inferences that could be drawn from more updated packages that are currently on the market. Moreover, a business level analysis of the firm lends the researcher to understand that the technological shortcomings are only one small part of what hampers the business prospects. (6)Communication issue - A far greater issue lies in the fact that the means of communication have been cut between employees, middle management, and upper level management. As a function of this, the means by which informed decisions can be made have been greatly reduced. As the analysis of the key determinants has shown, BI can greatly facilitate the business process and create a synergy that would otherwise...   Currently, Solent Sport suffers from a range of issues; the majority of these problems can be fixed by the proper use and application of BI.   Firstly and most importantly, the firm must seek to perform a thorough review of what is currently working and what needs improvement. In this way, the following discussion will centre upon the way that the can maximize its potential by the correct application of BI within its component parts.  As such, a cursory review of the firm lends the analyst to understand the technological systems that manage business interaction are both antiquated and serving to constrain the level of analytical inferences that could be drawn from more updated packages that are currently on the market.  Moreover, a business level analysis of the firm lends the researcher to understand that the technological shortcomings are only one small part of what hampers the business prospects.(6)Communication issue - A far greater issue lies in the fact that the means of communication have been cut between employees, middle management, and upper level management.   As a function of this, the means by which informed decisions can be made have been greatly reduced. As the analysis of the key determinants has shown, BI can greatly facilitate the business process and create a synergy that would otherwise not be realized.Moreover, seeking to perform shock changes to such a system without speaking to these needs first will most certainly result in only a nominal or partial degree of overall success.  

The Positioning, Entrepreneurial and Cognitive Schools of Strategy Essay - 1

The Positioning, Entrepreneurial and Cognitive Schools of Strategy - Essay Example It is most commonly used in conducting research on linguistic, history, communication, psychology, political science, education and the study of complex organizations (Waltz, et al, 2010). Strategy content research is especially used in conducting research targeting the often extremely turbulent nursing and healthcare research programs because it is able to provide a basic and relevant approach is suitable in both approaching and retrieval of information and data from a large number of sources in a manner that can be perceived as being more objective and systematic in comparison to intuitive listening or reading this is, in addition to its utility as, a feasible tool in data analysis strategy when one conducts qualitative research (Waltz, et al, 2010). When applied in the conduction of quantitative research, the method invokes the objective simplification and reduction of the recorded data and language to a simple set of categories each representing frequency, intensity or presence of selected characteristics. Strategic thinking is critical in order for one to be able to engage in an effective, strategic planning process. There are several actions that a person can undertake to enable them conduct an effective, strategic planning process. A person needs to try and engage in activities, whether physical or mental that support and encourage the development of strategic thinking on their part. Individuals are encouraged to try and participate in creative art forms. It also greatly aids an individual if the said individual secures the services of a good mentor or coach who can be able to guide them through essential reflective processes involving critical reflection, critical dialogue and critical inquiry. This should be done until it eventually becomes a habit (Sloan, 2012). The use of Constructivist approach can also aid in ensuring adequate mental processes are carried out before an effective mental planning process can be carried

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Essay Part 1 & Part 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Part 1 & Part 2 - Essay Example The greenery of the path as revealed by the grass on both of its sides represents a well conserved environment. Looking at the picture, it is almost impossible to fail noticing how smooth the terrain of the path is. It is this smoothness which makes walking or riding along the path to be both relaxing and ambient. The freshness of the atmosphere along the path is depicted by the surrounding vegetation which makes the path a place where an individual will always long to walk or ride along. The safety that bikers are accorded in riding along the path is demonstrated by the fact that the path is relatively far from the main highway. Figure 2 below is that of a wall which I consider to create a need to do something about it. The wall which is located in semi-busy part within town is seen by a considerable number of people who pass by it. The people who pass along the wall must consider it a significant part of the town. As depicted by the picture, the wall is not exactly appealing. This is demonstrated by the graffiti on the wall which is not artistic at all. It is because of this that I consider that the wall must be repainted so that it would be appealing. On a closer look on the picture, it is realized that some parts of it are actually falling down. This leads to the conclusion that if the wall cannot be repaired and repainted, them it needs to be removed. The current situation of this wall clearly gives the town a bad image. This is so especially for visitors and tourists who would be in town for the first time. Additionally, this wall evidently shows that a lot less is being done to improve the image of the town. The recommendation for making changes or improvements on the wall is therefore basically aimed at making it appealing and interesting to walk along as opposed to its current unattractive look. Figure 3 below shows a picture of a Macbook Pro. This product is a cultural artifact

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Future of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Future of Globalization - Essay Example The main person responsible for coining the term globalization is considered to be Theodore Levitt. He wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review in the year 1983 titled ‘Globalization of Markets’ in which he emphasized the whole phenomenon and as to what he actually meant by coining this term in the first place. With the passage of time, the phenomenon has grown at a steady rate whereby the setting under which it is held is one that focuses on the global patterns related with the sociological findings. Globalization, for that matter, is also remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a worldwide scale more than anything else. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common however is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent rat race nonetheless. The movement of com modities, people, information, money, technological developments, organizational infrastructures, legal frameworks and so on and so forth have only proved to all and sundry that globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long. The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives, which we intend to delve further in this paper. Globalization entails within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better. Having said that, we need to understand that globalization is not just a phenomenon, it is the science of human evolution and since man has for long held fast to this belief, there can be no reason as to

Monday, September 23, 2019

Leadership as privilege Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership as privilege - Essay Example (Zapke-Schauer, 2005) Definition of leadership is not an easy subject. There are many things that have to be taken into consideration if someone tries to comprehend the actual structure of leadership. The pattern of leadership varies from person to person and, moreover, this pattern becomes clear when a leader passes through problematic situations. It is his/her moves, which define the pattern of leadership. The pattern also decides the direction in which the organization will be moving. And, obviously, the matter of success is entirely based on it. (Northouse, 2006) Leadership is a topic, which may be found discussed in books, journals and other places where the critics talk about it. But, actually, it is a matter of practical experience. Popularity of leadership as a topic has mainly been caused by the development of some major companies in the world under some valuable leadership. Literature is a field where leadership has always been praised. It is considered as a great human activity in this field. In this article my point is to judge leadership in a business oriented field. Management is quite clearly related to leadership from this point of view. But there are some differences between these two and sometimes there is also a conflict between them. Many of us have a wrong conception of what leadership is. That is why making big assertions about it goes completely in the wrong direction when a person is even not aware of what his topic is. Executive manager is a position of any company, which is wrongly taken to be the post of a leader of th e organization. Leadership never means any designation. It can be seen in anyone starting from a manager to a labor. Vision is the main thing, which establishes a leader, and with this ability he/she can guide the others in the organization. (MacNamara, 2008; Nurmi, Kaynak, and Darling, 1997) To state it in a very simple way, leader is the person who can influence the others present in the organization. Everyone has his/her own opinions but the leader is the person who decides the final step. This privilege is given to him/her as the person has proved the success earlier. To understand how a leader shows the way to an organization and motivates the other people, we shall take the example of Warren Buffet, the world famous businessman. We shall discuss how he guided Berkshire Hathaway to the company's huge success. Warren Buffet the great businessman was born on 30th August 1930 in Nebraska, USA. His father was a stockbroker and may be this had a great influence on Buffet's interests. Columbia Business School was where Buffet had his education. After many struggle he established himself as the greatest investor the world has ever seen. His relationship with Berkshire Hathaway began in the year 1962 when he commenced buying stock in this company. Today, along with the company's growth, Berkshire Hathaway has also made Buffet the richest man in the world crossing even the records made by none other than Bill Gates. Mary Buffet, Warren's daughter-in-law says that patience and wisdom are the keys to success for him. (Clark, 2007) Oliver Chace was the founder of Berkshire Hathaway and the company came into existence in the year 1839. The main reason why Warren Buffet is remembered in the scenario of Berkshire Hathaway is his strategy of investment and a great leadership in directing the company as a CEO. Many of the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Raina Petkoff and her Cover-up Essay Example for Free

Raina Petkoff and her Cover-up Essay Bernard Shaws works make us doubt principles and ideals, which we accepted without a question. The economic status of the Petkoffs is one of wealth, and the fact that they are rich makes us think of a well-mannered and educated family, especially the young girl. The young girl should give us a sense of nobility and in fact she does in this story. The young girl in Arms and the Man gives us the impression that she is an ideal daughter, lover and citizen. But is she really? This girl tries to portray this stereotypical personality but proves not to be quite the noble girl she plays. At a certain point she sees herself in a very compromising position and is forced to change. As the play begins and we start getting to know this girl, Raina Petkoff we start noticing that she is a bit vain. The stage directions go as follows: On the balcony a young lady, intensely conscious of the romantic beauty of the night, and of the fact that her own youth and beauty are part of it (1561). This excerpt takes away some of the innocence she portrays in a subtle way. The next deception comes when the Swiss enters through the window; instead of screaming for help she decides to help him hide. She even lies to the Bulgarian officer who is looking for the Swiss, betraying her own country. Raina and the Swiss get to know each other a little, and with his experience he can see right through her. He instantly discovered the superficial coating over a very rough interior. The mother, Catherine, proves to be the same when she abandons her patriotism and loyalty and helps the Serb officer to hide and even escape the next morning. Like father, like son they say. But the biggest surprise comes when the Swiss or Serbian officer or Bluntschli blows Rainas cover. Raina is outraged or pretends to be when Bluntschli throws the truth at her face. He calls her a liar and insists on it. She gets furious at first, but gives in when she realizes shes got no way out. Her reaction is: I! I!!!How did you find me out? (1591). And here she confesses that the noble attitude and the thrilling voice is just a cover-up. This is Rainas turning point. We could say that at this point she went from being a girl to being a woman; at this point she matured. Another important fact to my case is the picture of herself she left in the jacket for Bluntschli to find, and the message it contained. My chocolate cream soldier (1603) is the name Raina gives Bluntschli in the dedication of the picture. This title given to Bluntschli suggests some type of affection that at this point is obvious but if the audience had learned of it as it happened chronologically it would be very shocking. After the turning point described above, Raina becomes a more outgoing and sincere person. She describes her own cover-up personality as a noble attitude and thrilling voice (1591) to Bluntschli. Raina also says Bluntschli is the first person that didnt take her fake personality seriously. She confesses to the point that she mocks the people who believe her noble self by saying: I did it when I was a child to my nurse. She believed in it. I do it before my parents. They believe in it. I do it before Sergius. He believes in it (1591). That incident of calling her a liar made Raina mature. It was a turning point in the life of this character and in the plot of Arms and the Man. Bernard Shaw uses his comedies to criticize many ideals by mocking them. In the case of Arms and the Man he takes the nobility of a wealthy, respected family and destroys it by mocking many of its aspects. In this essay I analyze how Shaw takes the view of innocence of a young, noble, rich girl and changes it to make it crude reality, he makes the Petkoffs look like common people with very little nobility. Works Cited Shaw, George Bernard. Arms and the Man. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 5th Ed. New York: McGraw, 2002. 1561-1604.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Sociology, Germov and Smith

Sociology, Germov and Smith Introduction We often think of theory as somehow divorced from reality, but we actually make use of theories every day of our lives (Germov 2009, p. 25). In this assignment I will examine two theoretical perspectives. I will then discuss their similarities and differences in their approach to studying health and illness. I then aim to discover which perspective has greater contemporary relevance in todays society. The two theoretical perspectives I have chosen to investigate a structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism. I chose these two perspectives as I am interested in finding more information about them both, I would like to discover more information about how they relate to health and what perspective is has more relevance today. According to Germov (2009, pp. 26) A theory is an explanation of how things work and why things happen. They allow us to make sense of our world by showing us how certain facts are connected to one another to show us the answers to the how and why questions of life (Germov 2009, p. 26). Germov (2009, pp. 26) states: A theory attempts to simplify reality and generalise its common and related features relevant to the topic at hand. The sheer variety of social life and the diversity of human behaviour mean that there is no single sociological theory of everything. Many social theories have been developed over the years. There are seven main theoretical perspectives including structural functionalism, Marxism, Weberianism, symbolic interaction, feminism, contemporary modernism and post-structure/postmodernism (Germov 2009, p. 27). However I have chosen to only investigate two of these theories, functionalism and symbolic interactionism. Functionalism is the oldest and dominant theoretical perspective in sociology (McClelland, 2000). The key theorists for this perspective are Emile Durkeim and Robert Merton (Germov 2009, p. 27). Emile Durkheimis considered to be the father of sociology. He is credited with making sociology a science, and having made it part of the French academic curriculum as Science Sociale. Emile Durkheim gave many lectures, and published an impressive number of sociological studies during his lifetime. His lectures and studies were on subjects such as religion, suicide, and all aspects of society (emile-durkheim.com 2002). This perspective is built upon twin emphases: application of the scientific method to the objective social world and use of an analogy between the individual organism and society (McClelland, 2000). It studies the way social structures function to maintain stability and social order (Germov 2009, p. 27). Summary Structural-functionalism is a consensus theory, meaning that it sees society as built upon order, interrelation, and balance among parts as a means of maintaining the smooth functioning of the whole. Structural-Functionalism views shared standards and values as the basis of society, focuses on social order based on unspoken agreements between groups, and views social change as occurring in a slow and orderly fashion (Unc.edu 2004). Functionalists accept that change is sometimes necessary to correct social dysfunctions, but that it must occur slowly so that people and institutions can adapt without confusion (Unc.edu 2004). Structural Functionalism has made a number of main assumptions which focus on several levels of analysis society, community, individual and social unit. The assumptions include that societies and social units such as families and organisations are held together by orderliness and cooperation, societies work best when they function smoothly as an organism and that the system may be static or involved in an ordered process of change. Another assumption made by structural functionalism is that the nature of one part of the system has an impact on the form that the other parts can take. Also those external environments adapt to each other and more (Unc.edu 2004). Functionalism focuses on the MACRO level, meaning it looks at large-scale social institutions like society compared to looking at international networks such as the government. Structural functionalism pays little attention to individual agency and personality development. The functionalist analysis of health care has been mainly influenced by Talcott Parsons. He viewed the health of individuals as a necessary condition of a stable and ordered society. He conceived illness as a form of deviance meaning he viewed it as stopping people from carrying out various social roles which were essential to the functioning in society (Germov 2009, p. 30). In other words, when you are sick you are not being a productive member of society. The general idea is that the individual who has fallen ill is not only physically sick, but now adheres to the social role of being sick. The pathway to health was achieved through the sick role. Being Sick is not just a state of fact or condition, it contains customary rights and obligations based on the social norms that surround it. The theory outlined two rights of a sick person, the sick person is exempt from normal social roles and the sick person is not responsible for their condition. The obligations are that the sick person should try to get well and that the sick person should seek technically competent help and cooperate with the medical professional (Millon, Blaney Davis 1999, p. 446). An example of this is that students often have to supply a medical certificate to support their case for not performing their students roles of not turning up to class or submitting work on time. Symbolic interactionism is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. This perspective has a long intellectual history, beginning with the German sociologist and economist, Max Weber and the American philosopher, George H. Mead, both of whom emphasised the subjective meaning of human behaviour, the social process, and pragmatism (McClelland 2000). According to Smith (2001): Max Weber was born in 1864 and looked at sociology in terms of it being an extensive science of social action and in the beginning he would only focus on specific social contexts. Somewhat in contrast to this belief, he later believed that one of the most distinguishing characteristics of a society is their change or shift in motivation that is caused by structural or historical forces. Symbolic interactionists focus on agency and how people construct, give meaning and interpret their behaviour through interaction with others (Germov 2009, p. 33). The main assumption is that humans create reality through their actions and the meanings they give to them. Therefore, society is the cumulative effect of human action, interaction, and interpretation, and these are more significant that social structures, hence the focus of the perspective (Germov 2009, p. 33). For interactionists, humans are pragmatic actors who continually must adjust their behaviour to the actions of other individuals. We can adjust to these actions only because we are able to interpret them. Germov (2009, p. 33) states: Symbolic interationism provides a theoretical bridge between sociology and psychology by concentrating on a small-scale interaction and how this impacts on individuals identity or image of themselves. An example of the quote above is when someone is to receive a compliment regularly such as you are attractive and intelligent the reaction can impact on what you believe and how you behave. In contrast to functionalism which focuses on the MACRO level, symbolic interationism focuses on the MICRO theories meaning it looks more on individuals and their everyday interactions with others and small-scale social groups and organisations (Unc.edu 2004). Symbolic interactionism emphasises that health and illness are social constructions that vary over time and change between cultures. Meaning that what is considered an illness is socially defined and passes through a social lens that reflects the culture, politics, and morality of a particular society and a certain point in time (Germov 2009, p. 33). Therefore an illness in one culture may be considered a wellness in another culture. Also now in the 21st century a plump woman would be considered healthy where as a thin woman would most likely be seen as unhealthy (Anderson Taylor, p. 540). Both functionalism and symbolic interactionism are sociological theories. There are a wide variety of sociological theories which can be grouped together according to various criteria. One of the most important of these is the distinction between structural or macro perspectives and social action or micro perspectives. These perspectives are different as they approach the analysis of society in different measures. Functionalism is an example of a macro perspective because it analyses the way society as a whole fits together whereas symbolic interactionism is a micro perspective as it stresses the meaningfulness of human behaviour and denies that it is primarily determined by the structure of society (Langhoff 2002). I believe that the perspective with the most contemporary relevance is structural functionalism. Parsons views are correct in saying that the health of individuals is a necessary condition of a stable and ordered society. The sick role ask people to supply evidence when not being able to perform their normal social role. This has contemporary relevance as for example, in todays society if people are unable to work they are to supply a doctors certificate to prove they were deemed unfit to work and contribute to society. This is because as according to Parsons, illness disrupts the normal functioning of society; therefore it is important that the sick are encouraged to seek expert help so that they can return to performing their social role (Germov 2009, p. 30). Conclusion Furthermore, functionalism has contemporary relevance because of the rights and obligations stated before are true when discussing society today. If people are sick they are exempt from normal social roles and they are usually not responsible for their condition. The obligations are also true as when sick, it is looked upon that if the sick person is unable to perform their social role they should try to get well and that the sick person should seek expert help and cooperate with the medical professional. After investigating the theories of functionalism and symbolic interactionism it is clear that functionalism has more contemporary relevance in society today. However over time social theories change as society itself changes and new knowledge, ideas and capabilities emerge (Germov 2009, p. 39). Bessants and Watts 1999 study (cited in Germov 2009, p. 38) state that sociologists constantly hover between and in and out of different traditions, and specific social theories are not as neat or coherence as grouping then into theoretical perspectives implies. This meaning that sociologists tend to include a range of perspectives into a specific theory. This essay has focused on sex and gender and the nature vs. nurture concept and in doing so as assessed Freuds notion of anatomy is destiny. After gaining an understanding of the concepts associated with the nature vs. nurture concept it can be suggested through research that there is no evidence to prove that one concept is of greater significance to the development of a child. In saying this it can be concluded that Freuds notion of anatomy is destiny is still relevant today in society, however is not the underlying factor that contributes to the development of a child. It can now be suggested that although the nature theory is always going to contribute to the development of a child, more research is suggesting and offering evidence to believe that the nurture theory contributes significantly to the development of a child.