Sport and Identity Formation

Sport and Identity Formation Sport and Identity: Essay Proposal How Does Rugby Union Shape And Reflect Identity In Northern Ireland? Despite the increased interest and understanding of identity, the concept itself remains something of an enigma (Fearon, 1991, cited in Hooti Mahmoudi, 2013). The meaning of identity as we now use it, is not well captured by dictionary definitions. Our present idea of identity is a recent social construct, and a rather complicated one. Even though everyone knows how to use the word properly in everyday discourse, it proves quite difficult to give a short and adequate summary statement that captures the range of its present meanings (Gleason, 1983, pp. 910-930). A short definition by Hogg and Abrams (1988) state that identity is peoples concepts of who they are, of what sort of people they are, and how they relate to others (p.2), and when a set of people who hold a common social identification are categorised together they form a social group. These groups of collective identities can be constructed around many forms and circumstances, for example, nationality, race, gender, sexuali ty, religion and many more. Woodward (1997) adds to this by suggesting that Identity marks the ways in which we are the same as others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and the way in which we are different. Often identity is most clearly defined by difference (Woodward, 1997, pp. 1-2).   When analysing the definition, its clear that Hogg and Abrams as well as Woodward are only talking about people. Other authors (Elliott, 2007; Mead and Morris, 1934) suggest that objects and symbols can also be used to express and forge a sense of self. This further demonstrates the complexity of defining identity. Identity in the context of sport can unify and/or divide. It can show common ground or expose differences. Sport can be used as a tool to show how people see themselves and how others see them. It is a potential platform for the construction and display of identity (Maguire, Jarvie, Mansfield, Bradley, 2002). One example for the display of an identity through sport is national identity. If the concept of nations being an imagined community (Anderson, 2006) is accepted, then Bairner states that Sporting competition arguably provides the primary expression of imagined communities with the nation appearing more real in the domain of sport (Bairner, 2005, p. 105). It is around the subject of national identity that I will form my topic of research for the essay. I want to explore the ways in which Rugby Union helps to shape and reflect national identity in Northern Ireland, a county divided for many decades by two main ideologies. The first is the, mainly protestant, unionist ideology. P eople who follow this ideology believe that Northern Ireland, part of Great Britain, should continue some form of political union with Great Britain and thus, view themselves as British. The second, mainly catholic, nationalist ideology is opposed to such a union and favours a unified Ireland, and thus, view themselves as Irish'(Cronin,1999, p. 143-146). Then there are people who consider themselves as Northern Irish. They are either politically neutral or take on a mixture of beliefs from both sides of the community so I will have to consider this during the essay. I want to explore this looking solely at Rugby Union as it is unique and significant that the Irish national team compete as a united nation against Scotland, Wales and England and, as such, have a large nationalist following in Northern Ireland. In contrast, the Ulster Rugby Union side that also incorporates counties from both sides of the border has a large unionist following in Northern Ireland. The academic rationale for my choice of topic is that it is only in the last decade that a more heterogeneous approach to identity construction in this subject area generally has been acknowledged and followed (Hassan, 2002). There isnt a lot of research on how Rugby Union shapes and reflects identity in Northern Ireland but there are sections of research by other academics and authors which will be useful. The concepts of identity will allow me to explore this sectarian divide and understand how both sides of the community can use Rugby Union to display which side of the ideological line they stand on and/or if it can also be used as a tool to unite the conflicting sides of the community. The topic, with its deep historical and political complexity, will also allow me to further explain identity as a socio-logical concept that is ever changing, fluid and complicated. To do this I will use the Identity and Difference theory by Woodward (1997). The reason for this is that my topic will mainly focus on two main nationalities and ideologies. People with the same nationality and ideology share a sense of geographic space, beliefs, and history with other members of that community, whilst excluding those who do not belong. Difference is central to the shaping of many collective identities and is often used as an active form of social exclusion, particularly when political problems between groups occurs (Woodward, 1997). One could argue that for some people in Northern Ireland being Protestant, unionist or British can be defined as much by not being Catholic, nationalist, or Irish. Other forms of identity could also be explored in the final piece to further explain the topic. Looking at another form of identity could allow a better understanding or explanation of a range of things related to the topic, for example, social class to expand on the historical context. In terms of social interaction, the middle classes were more integrated than the working classes and the rise of the Irish middle class, in part a response to political developments in Northern Ireland, inevitably led to Catholics being socialised into rugby (Hassan, 2002). Other forms of identity include race, religion, sexuality, profession, age, gender and many more. With every form of identity that is explored, better understanding and a more in-depth knowledge can be attained. I will also have to read up on some relavant secondary research, particularly the books and studies of Cronin (1999), Woodward (1997) and Bairner (2005) in preparation for the final piece. References Anderson, B. O. R. (2006). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. New York: Verso Books. Bairner, A. (2005). Sport and the Irish: Histories, identities, issues. Dublin: University College Dublin Press. Cronin, M. G. (1999). Sport and nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic games, soccer and Irish identity since 1884. Dublin: Four Courts Press. Elliott, A. (2007). Concepts of the self. Cambridge: Polity Press. Gleason, P. (1983). Identifying identity: A semantic history. The Journal of American History, 69(4), 910. doi:10.2307/1901196 Harris, J., Parker, A. (Eds.). (2009). Sport and social identities. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Hassan, D. (2002). A people apart: Soccer, identity and Irish Nationalists in Northern Ireland. Soccer Society, 3(3), 65-83. doi:10.1080/714004886 Hogg, M. A., Abrams, D. (1988). Social identifications: A social psychology of intergroup relations and group processes. New York: Routledge. Hooti, N., Mahmoudi, Y. (2013). Identity Discordianism under the trepidation and duplicity of human essence: A trenchant investigation on Luigi Pirandellos war. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(7), . doi:10.4304/tpls.3.7.1209-1213 Maguire, J. A., Jarvie, G., Mansfield, L., Bradley, J. (2002). Sport worlds: A sociological perspective. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers. Mead, G. H. H., Morris, C. W. (1934). Mind, self, and society; from the standpoint of a social behaviorist (17th ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago press. Woodward, K. (1997). Identity and difference. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage in association with the Open University.

Capital Budgeting Case Essay

In the two capital budgeting cases corporations (A and B) have different revenues values and expenses as well as variable depreciation expenses, tax rates and discount rates. The members of our team had to compute both corporate cases NVP, IRR, PI, Payback Period, DPP, and project a 5-year income statement and cash flow in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The future cash flows of the project and discounts them into present value amounts using a discount rate that represents the project’s cost of capital and its risk is what’s needs to forecast the investment. Next, all of the asset’s future positive cash flows are reduced into one current value number. Subtracting this number from the original cash expense required for the investment provides the net present value (NPV) of the investment. Using the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV) measurements to evaluate projects often results in the same findings. Relationship between Net Present Value and IRR Net present value of an investment is equal to the â€Å"present value of its annual free cash flow less the investments initial outlay† (Kewon 2013 pg 310). Whenever the NPV is greater or equal to zero we should accept the project, whenever the NPV is negative the project should be rejected. Internal rate of return answers the question of what â€Å"rate of return will the project earn† (Kewon 2013 pg 316). IRR is the â€Å"discount rate that equates the present value of the project’s free cash flows with the project’s initial cash outlay† (Kewon 2013 pg 316). The discount rate is the rate that is used within capital budgeting that allows for the net present value of cash flow within a project to equal zero. The higher the IRR the  more desirable the project is versus the lower the IRR the less desirable the project is. In consequence, the NPV method indirectly assumes that cash flows over the life of the project can be invested at the project’s required rate of return, whereas the use of the IRR method suggests that these cash flows could be invested at the IRR. The better statement is the one made by the NPV that the cash flows can be reinvested at the required rate of return because they can either be returned in the form of dividends to shareholders, who demand the required rate of return on their investments, or invested in a new investment project. (Keown, 2013). The NPV shows that Company B is worth more than Company A. After expenses, taxes and depreciation the company has a value that is better to acquire Corporation B because of a higher IRR of 16.94% and NPV of $40,252.02 than Corporation A whom has an IRR of 13.05% and a NPV of $20,979.41. Net Present Value Corporation A $20,979.41 Corporation B $40,252.02 However, with the NPV that Corporation B have it will be give the corporation, over 5 years, a current value cash return of about $40K above the 11% required rate of return. In other words, this plan will not only meet the 11% required rate, but it will give the company an additional $40. Internal Rate of Return When a project is reviewed with the hurdle rate in viewpoint, then the greater the IRR is above the hurdle rate, the greater the NVP, and on the contrary, the more the IRR is below the hurdle rate , the lower the NVP. When using the IRR, the decision rules are as follows: If IRR > hurdle rate, accept the project If IRR< hurdle rate, reject the project. In order for a project to be accepted, the IRR must be greater than or equal to the hurdle rate. If the company is deciding between projects, then the project with the highest IRR is the project to be accepted. As we look at the IRR for both corporations we see that Corporation B is higher than Corporation A and this is why we as a team choose Corporation B. Corporation A 13.05% Corporation B 16.94% Profitability Index, Payback Period and Discount Payback Period The Profitability Index (PI) is just a number and anything 1.0 or higher is confirmation for the project that is being evaluated. The PI is a type of ratio that gives the higher NVP per dollar on an investment. It is better used when you have more than one project comparing. When making decision making measures for the PI methods the best project should be the one that pays off the initial cost outlay. The PB is the less method used in doing a capital budgeting because it does not consider the time value of the money earned in the project. Looking at Corporation B is shows that it will take 3.31 years to payback the cash inflow to the original cash outflow or the cost of the project. So when making a decision on which corporation to use in PB it is best to take the project that pays off the initial cost outlay in less time. If we look at the PI and PB for Corporation A and Corporation B we will see that Corporation B is much better project than Corporation A. Profitability Index Payback Period Corporation A 1.08 Corporation B 1.16 Corporation A 3.64 yrs. Corporation B 3.31 yrs. The Discount Payback Period (DPP) does consider the time value of money. It is computed somewhat like the PB method and the only difference is that DPP method uses the discounted cash flow. As we look at the DPP for Corporation A and Corporation B we see that again Corporation B is less time to pay back the cash flow: Corporation A 4.6 yrs. References Keown, A. J., Martin, J. D., & Petty, J. W. (2013). Foundations of Finance, 8th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781269882194/id/ch10lev2sec2 Keown, A. J., Martin, J. D., & Petty, J. W. (2013). Foundations of Finance, 8th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781269882194/id/ch10lev2sec5

Causes of the Dust Bowl Essay

One of the most devastating environmental crises that occurred in the United States was the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl began shortly after the Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930’s. It affected everyone, farmers and consumers alike, in its path negatively. The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s was caused by four major factors: drought, climate misconception, poor land management, and most importantly, wind erosion. The first of the four major factors is drought. During the Dust Bowl and the 1930’s there were four major periods of drought. The first lasted from 1930 to 1931, the second occurred in 1934, the third in 1936, and the last period of drought lasted from 1939 to 1940. The Great Plains had experienced periods of drought before and no major problems had occurred, so the main problem was that the farmers did not have enough time in between the periods of drought to recover because they were so close together. Another issue was that the droughts occurred at the same time as the economic downfall known as the Great Depression. This meant the farmers did not have the money to spend to help their crops. Also, many farmers simply believed that the droughts would end and that the rains would come soon as they had many other times in the 1900’s (Drought). Climate misconception played a large role in the creation of the Dust Bowl as well. The misconceptions about the climate and the annual rainfall in the Great Plains first began in the nineteenth century when people first began to settle in the area. Many of these settlers believed that they would always get enough rain to grow healthy crops because they settled on the land during years with abnormally high amounts of rain. Another reason people believed that the land would always be good to farm is because they were fed propaganda by railroad companies and land boosters. Even though there were several periods of drought that occurred before the 1930’s and the Dust Bowl, people were encouraged by the rains that always came soon after. The farmers’ misconceptions of the climate and annual rainfall also affected the way they farmed the land (Causes). Poor land management is one of the two most important causes of the Dust Bowl. The farmers were not able to manage their land well because they were not aware of the different techniques they should have used on their farms in the Plains. One of the techniques that the farmers should have used was crop rotation. Crop rotation would have been a great help in keeping their soil in larger clumps, whereas when the farmers repeatedly planted wheat in the soil, the nutrients were used up and were not replenished. This caused the soil to break up into a dust-like consistency that made the soil easier to be swept away by the winds. Farmers also should have had a year round ground cover on the soil to prevent the wind from sweeping it away, but the farmers were not aware of the heightened risk of wind erosion because they had not had to deal with it in the past. The last technique that the farmers should have used to help manage their land is known as shelter belting. Shelter belting is the process of planting trees and bushes in order to slow and block the winds that blew across the otherwise flat ground of the Great Plains. Another issue with the way the farmers managed their land was that they switched from the lister (a type of plow commonly used by farmers in the 1900’s) to the one way disk plow. The one way disk plow was favored by the farmers because it made plowing the field easier and much faster, but the downside to the new invention was that it left the soil even more susceptible to wind erosion (The Dust Bowl). The last factor that contributed to the Dust Bowl is wind erosion. Wind erosion is considered to be the most important and the most preventable cause of the environmental crises. It has since been proven that the size of the farm is directly related to the amount of wind erosion that will occur on the land. Experts say that the smaller the farm is the more wind erosion there will be on the land because larger farms are necessary to finance and benefit from erosion control. Small farmers on the other hand need to cultivate more of their land more intensely and they usually do not earn enough money to be able to spend anything on soil conservation. Many historians and researchers blame the overabundance of small farmers who did not participate in erosion control for the extent of the wind erosion during the 1930’s and they blame the Homestead Act of 1862 for bringing these farmers to the Plains. The Homestead Act gave away hundreds of thousands of  land plots that ranged from about 160 acres to about 320 acres even though agricultural experts recommended that the farms should be about 700 acres to 1200 acres to minimize wind erosion. The farmers that moved onto the land that was given away were the kind of farmers that did not implement the soil conservation tactics that were necessary to prevent the Dust Bowl in the Great Plains (Wind Erosion). In conclusion, drought, climate misconceptions, poor land management, and wind erosion were the four main causes of the agricultural tragedy of the 1930’s. These four factors came together at the beginning of the 1930’s to create what is now known as the Dust Bowl which lasted until the end of the decade. Thankfully, an environmental crisis like this has never taken place again in the United States and thanks to the organizations founded after the Dust Bowl, such as the Soil Conservation Service, our generation and the generations that follow will not have to live through the hardships that another Dust Bowl would cause.

Land form Pattern and Processes essays

Land form Pattern and Processes essays Chapter 1 Land form Patterns and Processes 2. List the zones of the earth. For each zone state the thickness, and two features of each. (A) Inner Core: 2700 km, solid and made mostly of iron with lesser amounts of nickle. (B) Outer Core: 2300 km, molten and made mostly of iron and nickle (C) Mantle: 2900 km, divided into lower and upper levels, the asthenosphere is in plastic state, sometimes acting like a liquid (D) Mohorovicic Discontinuity: -, Boundary between mantle and lithosphere, at which earthquake waves abruptly change speeds. (E) Lithosphere 1-100 km, lowest density, solid and rigid, and can be divided into layers one under the ocean basins and one making up continents. 3. (A) What are the two main materials that make up the lithosphere? The two main materials that make up the earths lithosphere are aluminum and magnesium. Minerals are the combination of elements. 3. (C) What are the two most common elements in minerals? The two most common elements in minerals are oxygen and silicon. 4. What is the difference between igneous and sedimentary rock? Igneous: rock forms when molten substance underneath the surface, called magma or lava cools down and crystallizes. Sedimentary: Forms when groups of rock pieces merge and cement together. Metamorphic: referring to the change in a rock from its original from by heat or by pressure beneath the earths surface. Metamorphic rock is a rock thus changed. Topography: the natural and human features of the earths surface. 7. (A) What are the two types of flat regions? The two types of flat regions are plains and plateaus. Plains: is frequently found along the coastal areas or at lower elevations. Plateaus: are another type of flat region unlike plains, they have been raised upward into higher elevations by movement of earths crust. 8. What is the difference between a hill and a mountain? The difference between a hill a...

Diversity in Organizations Essay

Diversity in Organizations Essay Diversity in Organizations Essay Diversity in Organizations Gregory Wright BUS 610 Organizational Behavior Peggy Morrison Monday April 9, 2012 Most people agree that cultural diversity in our workplaces utilizes our country’s skills to its fullest, and contributes to our overall growth and prosperity. The reality of this situation is that progress is slow. While we are in the midst of the longest period of economic growth this country has ever seen, the gap between the â€Å"haves â€Å" and â€Å"haves nots† continues to widen. One of the main reasons for this has been the lack of diversity in corporate America. When a diverse workforce is not developed form top down, African, Hispanic, and Asian Americans are unfairly relegated to lower-skilled, lower-pay positions and are not able to fulfill their true potential. Diversity is and should be an important component for every organization in today’s business climate. The workplace has been growing ever more diverse since the late 1960’s, with important laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 giving various groups greater equality and increased rights in the workplace. Diversity has increased because the workforce has seen an increase of people such as: women, people with different sexual orientations, immigrants, those with minority groups or representing a minority religion, and those with disabilities. Companies that understand and integrate these differences into their company culture stand to gain a great deal of various opinions and input when it comes to the company’s overall operational tactics. Organizational culture can be loosely defined as the shared assumptions, beliefs, and normal behaviors of a group. This group consists of the individuals within a company and each individual person in the company contributes their ideas, based partially on their beliefs and experiences outside of the workplace, to affect how the workplace operates. Companies that embrace the different perspectives and opportunities that can be offered with a diverse workforce allow opportunities for more constructive and effective performance in the company. In addition the company culture also dictates how the company operates on a daily basis, down to the basic structure of the company. I read in one article that company culture can be composed differently; either as a structured or unstructured and as a friendly or more market based culture focusing on results instead of friendliness among employees. It is also important to understand an organizations culture so that the proper direction can be given. Additionally, gathering input from the employees and overlooking the company’s cultural composition, including the future company vision would allow company leaders to create an environment that allows the company culture to mesh with a diverse workforce. It will more than likely be difficult for companies to undergo such an in-depth o f their cultural and diverse compositions, but an understanding of the most basic company principles will allow the successful company to build a company culture that engenders a diverse workforce to propel the company forward to heightened success. Companies that expend the time and effort to embrace, understand, and develop diversity approaches will see a company culture that works harder, creates a more hospitable working environment, and ultimately increases company profitability. Culturally diverse organizations experience a wealth of benefits, including more ideas from a widely diverse group of people, which when aligned, will create more energy expendable on reaching unified company goals. One of the core values of the United States is equal opportunity and favoritism of an

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Total Quality Management - Essay Example TQM is based on the practice and assumption that problems should be dealt with at the point of origin itself. Each process in any business, like sales, marketing, operations, finance, production, planning, personnel, technical, have parameters of input. If the input is wrong, the output is bound to be wrong. Wang suggests that the correction should be made at the input level itself, which minimizes the chances of a wrong output. Silos also agrees that every aspect and every process of the business system should be involved so that all functions – vertically and horizontally across all levels are covered (1999 cited by Cannon, 2002). Although there have been modification to the adaptation of the TQM, the essential principles of this management philosophy remains the same. This paper will highlight how Marriott considered the TQM in their hotels. Marriott International has always been known as an employee-oriented family atmosphere organization. As service expectation of the existing customers and potential customers have gone up, and as TQM is a management philosophy based on continuous improvement, Marriott felt the need to consider TQM in their company to be able to deliver quality service and to sustain their image in the competitive market. To be able to consider TQM in their organization, Marriott first ventured to define TQM in their own style. To them, TQM meant: The philosophy of the founder of Marriott was â€Å"Take care of Marriott people and they will take care of Marriott guests† (Cannon, 2002). They were in essence attempting to satisfy both their internal and external customers by the TQM approach. They believe that â€Å"Hands-on managers† are absolutely vital to continuing the Marriott culture. The managers need to possess the people skills in being able to support, inspire, encourage, lead and listen to associates. Employees leave the organization or form unions when they are dissatisfied with the management. With the

Comparative Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Comparative - Research Paper Example The journey represents the physical journey as well as the inner journey. The writers have chosen to use the symbol of a journey because they want us, the reader, to embark on this path of discovery with the protagonists. Both writers have used setting and symbols extensively to signify the start, the progress and the end of the journey. They have also masterfully created protagonists we can identify with, and as we travel on with the protagonists we are made aware of their feelings and beliefs and we end up empathizing with the protagonists because we could relate to their trials and embrace their humanity as our own, â€Å"the hold upon us of a character in fiction, for instance, is its ability to remind us of all those actual people who are therein described†. (Feibleman, 1949) In â€Å"A Worn Path†, Welty has endowed her protagonist, â€Å"an old Negro woman called Phoenix Jackson† (Welty, 1941, paragraph 1) with a physical quest to make her way to town. This physical journey is also an inner quest in search for immortality. Welty has painted the setting, that of a cold December morning and the character of a very old woman in the first two paragraphs. The antics of an ancient woman are fully described and the likeness of old Phoenix grows clear to us. In just the first few lines, Welty has fully planted this old and wrinkly woman before us and presented us with a suspending question at the same time, why is this â€Å"very old and small† (Welty, 1941, paragraph 1) woman making a journey alone in the cold? Similar to Welty, Rhys has also used a symbolic journey in her work â€Å"I used to Live Here Once†. Rhys has endowed her protagonist with a physical journey across a river to return to a place she has once lived in. The physical journey is deceptively simple. In actuality, the journey is also a journey of nostalgia and atonement and carries the enormous weight of memories. The start of the journey begins with the protag onist â€Å"standing by the river† (Rhys, 1976, paragraph 1). The protagonist describes the stepping stones with great detail. Each one is different but the stones are exactly as she remembers and this is significant because in the scenes after, she seems uncertain of the way things should look. Like Welty, Rhys has presented us with a suspending question here, what has taken place that makes the protagonist reacts thus? The missions of the quests in both works are not made clear to the reader till the end of the story. However, both Welty and Rhys have used the setting extensively to show the protagonist’s progress with the journey, the passing of time and their state of mind. The characters of old Phoenix and the ghost girl are fleshed out so well that towards the end of the journey, not only are the quests explained, we also empathize with the characters. As old Phoenix embarks on her journey, Welty let us know that old Phoenix is familiar with the path but the jour ney is long. Along the journey, old Phoenix has to cross different terrains. The pinewood at the onset of the journey marks the starting point of old Phoenix’s inner quest for immortality, as pine trees are often associated with immortality. The quest is not without a struggle. It is an uphill battle but old Phoenix is resolute. She then has to make her way through a forest of oak trees, oaks representing strength and wisdom to be gained. At this point, Welty has aptly