Category: Christmas

Holiday Blues

Have you heard of the wild Black Friday stories, such as a woman punching another over a toy? What about people fighting each other over the last flat-screen television? Sadly this is what the holidays have come to. This time of year is known as a time when Americans spend a ridiculous amount of money during the holidays. Sales such as Black Friday cause Americans to lose the real meaning of the holidays, a time to relax and spend time with family. Americans gravitate toward overspending and the number of materialistic items to the point where we ignore that it is the season to spend time with family.

Americans tend to overindulge in the amount of money they spend around the holidays. Many stores such as Walmart and Target set out Christmas decorations months before the holiday comes around. Stores also send out their Christmas catalogs months in advance, so they can draw customers to “find the lowest prices.” One can also find an influx of Christmas commercials right after Halloween and even before Halloween. Since an abundance of store advertisers targets the consumer’s attention to spending money on items such as presents and decorations they forget that the holidays are supposed to be a time to relax and spend time with family. Instead, this puts stress on the consumer to find the perfect present, buying ingredients for the different meals, or decorations such as Snowman blow-ups that can be found outside numerous amount of American homes. In my family, we treat all holidays equally; we do not jump right into Christmas. During Halloween, one can see fall wreaths outside of our home with straw, pumpkins, and fall-colored leaves on them. When walking into our home one will see fall-colored and scented candles that fill the house with the aroma of pumpkin spice that makes one feel right at home. Every year we host Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I love this time because I can spend time with my family which we tend to overlook. After all, our everyday lives are very busy. My household tends to stay in this state until after Thanksgiving when it is time to start getting ready for Christmas. Once it becomes the Christmas season, we swap all of our fall decors for Christmas ones. We put out our fake Christmas tree with gold and burgundy ornaments and beads that wrap around the tree. We change out our fall candles with Christmas-scented candles, so our house smells like vanilla and gingerbread. In our dining room, we set up our Christmas china, which are plates, cups, and saucers with little Christmas trees on them. One can also hear Christmas songs such as “Last Christmas.”Similar to Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Dinner is held at our house with our immediate family. My parents are minimalist when it comes to the holidays because they focus more on the family aspect of the holiday season. They also do not spend a vast amount of money during the holiday season. My family uses the same decorations every year, so we do not spend as much money as some Americans do. My family just spends money on food and presents because my parents know what the top of their budget is so they do not go over it. In my adult life, I hope to do what my parents do, not slurping on gifts and having minimal decorations because after Christmas they do not stress about money like other parents, and it is all I have ever known so I am content with it. I enjoy keeping the holidays very simple because I can focus on the family aspect of the holidays instead of the spending and stressing side of the holidays. Compared to my view of America’s spending during the holidays, James Livingston’s article brings up a different point of view of America’s spending during the holiday season.

In “Americans, Thou Shalt Shop and Spend for the Planet,” Livingston brings up the idea that America’s consumer culture is fine the way it is today. Livingston acknowledges both sides of America’s consumer culture, but he identifies with the argument that there is nothing wrong with our culture. Americans spend an immense of money during the holidays. I do agree with his point that when Americans spend money they are helping the economy, such as with Japanese cars. They are cheaper, last longer, and more efficient for gas mileage. I don’t agree that we should embrace the fact that Americans do spend a vast amount of money during the holidays. This article gives a standpoint that is different from many other articles on the topic. I agree up to a point on the amount of money spent around the holidays. When Livingston starts writing that we should embrace it is where I have to disagree. Even though it helps the economy short term, it still leaves people who have a vast amount of credit card bills they have to pay before the next holiday season; some Americans do not pay it all off by the time the next holiday comes. I also disagree when it says that spending is “good for the soul.” I disagree with this because, in the end, the amount of spending during the holidays leads to stress and overconsumption. It leads Americans to take the materialistic objects they own for granted, so they believe they can purchase whatever they want without knowing their limitations. It follows my line of thoughts on spending because Livingston says that America’s consumer culture leads us to live a vapid empty life (Livingston par 6). I agree with the concept because I think it just makes us greedy and self-centered. Since holiday commercials are prominent this time of year, this is why many Americans become consumed with shopping rather than spending time with family.

With all holiday commercials, advertisers make it easy for consumers to fall prey to the claim of the advertisement. A holiday Amazon commercial, shows a woman looking at a Christmas photo of her daughter while she is on the bus. She then goes on the Amazon app to buy a gift for her daughter. The commercial then shifts to the Amazon factory where the boxes are singing a song. The boxes are shown being shipped to where they belong. In the end, it shows the woman’s daughter receiving the Amazon package with a smile. Amazon is trying to convince the consumer that it is common to be away from your family during the holidays, but just because one cannot see them does not mean that they love any less. The woman is a bus away from her daughter, but this does not mean that she loves her daughter any less. The woman uses the Amazon package to show her daughter that she still loves and is thinking about her. Her daughter feels her mother’s love with her, even though she is not physically present, so this is why she hugs the package at the end of the commercial because she can feel her mother’s love. The commercial taps into pathos because when the boxes start singing in the factory it is perceived as a heartwarming commercial because it shows that no matter the distance one can always feel the love from your loved ones. It is effective because it shows that ordering presents online helps people to spend more time with family. When the woman returns home to her daughter it allows her to spend time with her daughter because she already knows that her daughter got her Christmas presents. It is also effective because it truly convinces the audience that Amazon is the perfect way to show one’s loved ones, who are away from home during the holidays. It makes the audience wonder if it is worth spending time in stores looking for a present or if is it better for one to spend time with their family for as much time as possible because one will never know who will not be home for Christmas. It causes the consumer to wonder if Amazon is the best way to send one’s love through a present when they are not home for Christmas. The increase in online shopping has also caused Americans to be consumed in shopping rather than spending time with family.

With online shopping, Americans fall into the trap of believing that online shopping is a quick and easy way to spend time with family. In Figure One, the background is in the living room; it has a mantle covered in Christmas decorations, the fireplace burning, and a decorated Christmas tree, but the background is blurred, so the focus is on the huge stack of presents wrapped in red wrapping paper, the computer, and the woman holding her credit card with a happy smile on her face. The woman is sitting on her couch dressed in Christmas colors with a Santa hat, which shows her Christmas spirit. Figure one is trying to claim that one can still be in the Christmas spirit and overjoyed while online shopping. The woman is full of happiness because she is getting all of her Christmas shopping done online without consuming so much time while finding the best deals online. The commercial taps into pathos because the audience can see how excited the woman is by doing her holiday shopping online. It is effective because it conveys the message of still being able to spend time with family while being in the Christmas spirit when one shops online. It is because online shopping is a quicker and rather simple way of shopping, it leads the audience to believe that online shopping is the way to go in terms of time consumption and efficiency. Even though figure one makes a convincing claim that by shopping online one can spend time with family and stay in the holiday spirit, Americans still can get so caught up in online shopping that they ignore their family so they find the “perfect” gift.

Americans have lost the purpose of the holiday season due to overspending and focusing on the number of materialistic objects they will receive. Based on my family life during the holidays, it leads me to believe that America’s consumer culture reveals that Americans spend too much on holiday items, rather than spending time with family. It is because of holiday commercials such as Amazon and online shopping, that it allows consumers to believe that shopping online is a more efficient way to shop during the holidays, but this is false. Even though it may seem more efficient, shopping online causes people to scroll for hours on websites until they find the “perfect” gift they are looking for, which takes away time that could be spent with family. Overall, Americans tend to lose the true meaning of the holiday season by buying holiday items, such as Christmas presents, trees, and dinner.

Works Cited

1. Livingston, James. “Americans, Thou Shalt Shop and Spend for the Planet.” Wired, Conde Nast, 7 Mar. 2018, www.wired.com/2011/11/st-essay-consumers/. Commercial link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OITWgx8K6Ko
2. https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/articles/2016-11-17/6-hacks-for-holiday-shopping-online

Perspective

This assignment was required to watch the documentary called “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”, and to explain the theoretical perspective that was assigned to us. The two theoretical perspectives that will be talked about more in depth in this essay are psychoanalytic theory and trait theory. Sigmund Freud was a neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis created a better understanding of the human mind and personality. Freud’s theory states that our personality is made up of three components that consisted of the id, ego, and superego. Ego helps develop the young child’s response to the real world. Id’s unconscious energy constantly strives for a type of satisfaction to basic sexual and aggressive drives.

The superego is a part of the personality that, represents internalized ideals and provides types of judgment standards. Our conscious awareness is like the part of an iceberg that floats above the surface. Beneath our awareness is the larger unconscious mind, with its thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory proposed that childhood sexuality and unconscious motivations influence personality. Trait theories examine characteristic patterns of behavior. For example, every one of us has a unique trait and curiosity that helps motivate us in a way that only we can understand.

Summary of Behavior

The Grinche personality is best defined as a mean, anti-social, and cold-hearted wicked character who lives far away from the Whoville on the top of a high mountain in a cave with his dog Max in the documentary. The Grinch is known very well for hating Christmas and plans on ruining Christmas by stealing presents and vandalizing the Whoville’s houses. At the beginning of the documentary, the Grinch is an obnoxious character with a bad temper and bad attitude and has a heart that’s two sizes too small beating in him. He meets a little girl one night in Whoville named Cindy Lou Who and she decides that she likes the Grinch after that one night and wants to bring him back to Whoville to redeem himself. The Grinch stole all the presents trees and Christmas decorations from the houses and put them in a bag to throw over a cliff. When the Whoville awoke with no presents and Christmas decorations not even a crumb for a mouse they continued to celebrate the holiday of Christmas instead of being sad and gathered in a circle and continued to sing. The Grinch grows this feeling of happiness inside him that he had never felt before when he hears the Whovilles singing forgets about ruining Christmas and finally gets into the Christmas spirit. He feels guilty for what he has done and stops the presents from falling over the cliff.

The day of Christmas that the Grinch had ruined, he then promised to ruin their Christmas by stealing the Who’s presents and cutting the rotisserie chicken. He goes from someone who hated Christmas to loving Christmas at the end of the movie and finally redeems himself.

How Theory Explains Personality

One other perspective different from the one that was assigned to me is Social-cognitive theory. It’s different from the other ones that were assigned to me because it explores the interaction between people’s traits and their social content. Albert Bandura’s theory believed that we learn many of our behaviors either through conditioning or by observing and imitating others. Social-cognitive is similar to trait theory by Sigmund Freud because they both involve patterns of behavior influenced by others around you.

Standards of Assessment and Evaluation

A good test defines three important properties of any good psychological test validity, reliability, and standardization. The number of questions you answer correctly, on an intelligence test could reveal almost nothing. To know how well you performed, you would need some proof of information of your comparison. The scores help the next testing group by helping future groups compare different results throughout the year or month. If you take the test following the same procedures, your score will be meaningful when compared with others. This process is called standardization. Knowing your score in comparison with other groups helps the standardization group learn that the results won’t tell you much unless the test has reliability. A reliable test gives accurate scores, no matter who takes the test or when they take it. To check a test’s reliability, researchers test people many times to see different variations in the outcome. The higher the correlation, the higher the test’s reliability. High reliability does not ensure a test’s validity the extent to which the test measures or predicts what it promises. Using a miscalibrated measure can cause inaccurate results and could affect the experiment. Your results can be very reliable depending on the score you get.

Testing the Grinch

The test I would use in my office with my client would have to be the IQ test. This test is not only for young children but also for adults and helps determine scores of an individual’s intelligence, memory, and processing speed. Someone who could be using a psychoanalytic perspective could help the Grinch with the insight of understanding his awareness and help improve himself. The Humanistic theory focuses on our inner capacities for growth and self-fulfillment. The Grinch strongly dislikes the Whos at first but as the movie continues he learns how to socialize better and communicate better with the Whos. The Whos only knew the Grinch by hearing false rumors and never really got the time to get to know him. Even after what he did to their presents and other belongings they decide to accept the Grinch for who he is and invite him to join the circle they were in to sing along with them. The Grinch regained his self-esteem and regained the trust of the Whovilles. Information that was gathered throughout the

The short story A Christmas Memory, which is written by Truman Capote, is a story about a small child and an older person celebrating Christmas together. They have many rituals that they complete every year, and the beginning talks about them. But, in the end, the 2 characters get separated, never seeing each other ever again. This invokes sorrow in the reader, knowing that the 2 best friends will never see each other again. Truman Capote structures the story in a way to creates an effect of sorrow.

Capote structures the story in a way that the happy part is in the beginning, and the sad part is at the end. This structural technique that he is using gives the reader a feeling of happiness at first, but that quickly transitions into sorrow. On the second to last page, the author says, “This is our last Christmas together.” This immediately makes the reader feel sad. They talk about the struggles Buddy goes through at Military school and the struggles the lady goes through at home. He then describes Queenie the dog’s death. This increases the intensity of the sorrow felt by the reader. Then, the old lady back home starts to become weaker and weaker and stops making fruitcakes altogether. Then, she dies. This is the climax of the story, which makes it even sadder. Buddy then goes on to say that he was severed from an irreplaceable part of his heart. The plot structure was a vital component of the story and the effect it created on the reader. The way the author structured it was very important in making the person feel sadder and making the effect stronger. The reason the plot structure played a huge role in the effect was that the reader would subconsciously compare the beginning and the end of the story to come to an emotional conclusion. Putting the sad part after the happy part was so that in comparison, the sad part would seem a lot sadder and would leave the reader with a feeling of sorrow

Truman Capote utilized plot structure and its versatility to his advantage to create a feeling of sorrow in the reader. Sorrow plays a big part in the overall tone and mood of the story. The way that he put the happy part in the beginning and the sad part in the end helped to amplify the effect of sorrow.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ with loved ones. Or at least that was the point of this holiday, because it seems that many have lost sight of what Christmas is really all about.

Between the decorations, the constant advertising, and the millions of Christmas lists made each year, it easy to see why we have lost the true meaning of Christmas. You can’t go anywhere without seeing some sort of Santa decoration or sales sign in stores windows, and that’s because it has become so commercialized.

People focus so largely on the materialistic side of it that they can’t take time to appreciate the true meaning of this season. Around this time each year, kids will make sure to come up with a huge list of gifts for Santa, a figure that their parents claim gives them the presents under their tree on Christmas day. Don’t get me wrong – I always loved the idea as a kid of Santa delivering my toys to me that his elves made me, but I don’t think I ever really appreciated what Christmas was all about until I was older.

Beneath all the glitz and glam, I came to a better realization that Christians all around celebrate this special day for the birth of Jesus who ultimately gave up his life for us. He did something so incredible and selfless for all of us, and as a child, I definitely did not appreciate it as much as I should have. I, like most other kids out there, loved Christmas mainly for the presents and didn’t really understand what we were exactly celebrating and why.

It is sad to hear stories of kids crying because they didn’t get the present they wanted or didn’t get as many presents as they thought they would. It’s even sadder hearing about parents who hate Christmas because of all the preparation and shopping that they feel they have to put into it. It has become all about the gifts, and not enough about the actual meaning.

While this is a day to celebrate Jesus, it is also a day to remember what Jesus did. Jesus helped those in need such as the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, the outsiders. He provided the help to anyone who needed it. As Christians, we have always been taught to love thy neighbor, and it’s time we started acting on what our religion preaches. The Christmas season is the perfect season to feed, donate, and share some time with the lonely and homeless, as well as appreciating our loved ones that surround us. It’s a time to really feel the ‘true spirit of Christmas’ through the helping of others.

I am by no means trying to be a Scrooge. I love Christmas just as much as the next person does, but maybe, just maybe, people can start to acknowledge again that there is more to Christmas than the fairy tinsel and the sparkling lights and the extravagant presents. Because if I were to ask kids today the question, “What is the true meaning of Christmas?”, I’m afraid those things will be the most common answers.

Lately, there have been many media expressing their feelings. We no longer need to feel a reason to give something to the special people who plan our lives. Numerous gift ideas on letters to mail that send messages that facilitate expressing or expressing our various emotions and feelings. Although for effective use in the central way, the message through the word becomes wonderful. The variety of cards recently acquired ranges from signed paper ID cards to high ticket designers. Recent developments in the use of the Internet have provided an opportunity for everyone or anyone to send our needs via e-cards. It helps you collectively create cards that embrace music with your own messages and animations to please and entertain your recipients.

Where it all started in 1843, the early Christmas cards were written in the European country. However, the card business did not establish itself until twenty years later. In the dark sepia, the Christmas card was lithographed on hard cardboard five 1/8 by three 1/4 inches, and it shows a family party on the lower floor, admitting that you have a Merry Christmas and a happy one New Year. It has been reported overall that it was published in the former workhouse at 12 Bond Street London, as the cottage’s treasury works. The value was 1s. First known as a Christmas card, the sons of Charles’s animal scientists were created in 1860 on a large scale. That they had a congratulatory measure of three to two inches. Because these days it was usual to leave a greeting after work in a house. These Christmas and legal holidays were the precursors to a card ID card.

The development of the Christmas card story in the late 19th century was very risky, but today’s cards do not have the gift of spiritual symbols on any of the cards. Hand-painted cards were heavily influenced by the art movement, widely circulated in the twenties. In the 1930s, the cards were popularized by animated film characters such as Popeye and Mickey Mouse. The rise of Christmas cards has left many living cards in the guise of new technology. Humor was introduced in the fifties. Santa Claus was shown on a card with no working TVs. Informal cards found the center in the sixties as Santa made fun of him and several cards showed signs of peace. New inventions allowed the cards to unfold and contain the foil. In the seventies was Athletic Santa companion to the public too mad to be in good shape. In the 1980s, the sophistication was huge. Short looks at the art as it progresses as technology improves. An agent shows up to Santa as he continues his crazy footage on public maps. Traditionalism returned somewhat in the nineties. The cards contained sheets of snowy landscapes and Christmas trees. The year 2000 depended on technology. Many card users used the Internet to order and send their Christmas cards, which prevented the need for a personal partner envelope. However, those who are traditionally still can purchase and email their cards.

From home-made cards and Christmas letters to e-cards, times are edited, which is unique to any occasion when it comes to delivering your needs. Whatever the event, create an unforgettable and exclusive home card. Christmas letters make Christmas a hit because it’s time to get in touch with people and write about them in the years to come. E-card thanks, though, for limiting each other a little to the invention. So the hassle and time of investing is low, which is because with changing times, everyone adapts to the current high-speed source of Christmas needs.

Holiday Blues

Have you heard of the wild Black Friday stories, such as a woman punching another over a toy? What about people fighting each other over the last flat-screen television? Sadly this is what the holidays have come to. This time of year is known as a time when Americans spend a ridiculous amount of money during the holidays. Sales such as Black Friday cause Americans to lose the real meaning of the holidays, a time to relax and spend time with family. Americans gravitate toward overspending and the number of materialistic items to the point where we ignore that it is the season to spend time with family.

Americans tend to overindulge in the amount of money they spend around the holidays. Many stores such as Walmart and Target set out Christmas decorations months before the holiday comes around. Stores also send out their Christmas catalogs months in advance, so they can draw customers to “find the lowest prices.” One can also find an influx of Christmas commercials right after Halloween and even before Halloween. Since an abundance of store advertisers targets the consumer’s attention to spending money on items such as presents and decorations they forget that the holidays are supposed to be a time to relax and spend time with family. Instead, this puts stress on the consumer to find the perfect present, buying ingredients for the different meals, or decorations such as Snowman blow-ups that can be found outside numerous amount of American homes. In my family, we treat all holidays equally; we do not jump right into Christmas. During Halloween, one can see fall wreaths outside of our home with straw, pumpkins, and fall-colored leaves on them. When walking into our home one will see fall-colored and scented candles that fill the house with the aroma of pumpkin spice that makes one feel right at home. Every year we host Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I love this time because I can spend time with my family which we tend to overlook. After all, our everyday lives are very busy. My household tends to stay in this state until after Thanksgiving when it is time to start getting ready for Christmas. Once it becomes the Christmas season, we swap all of our fall decors for Christmas ones. We put out our fake Christmas tree with gold and burgundy ornaments and beads that wrap around the tree. We change out our fall candles with Christmas-scented candles, so our house smells like vanilla and gingerbread. In our dining room, we set up our Christmas china, which are plates, cups, and saucers with little Christmas trees on them. One can also hear Christmas songs such as “Last Christmas.”Similar to Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Dinner is held at our house with our immediate family. My parents are minimalist when it comes to the holidays because they focus more on the family aspect of the holiday season. They also do not spend a vast amount of money during the holiday season. My family uses the same decorations every year, so we do not spend as much money as some Americans do. My family just spends money on food and presents because my parents know what the top of their budget is so they do not go over it. In my adult life, I hope to do what my parents do, not slurping on gifts and having minimal decorations because after Christmas they do not stress about money like other parents, and it is all I have ever known so I am content with it. I enjoy keeping the holidays very simple because I can focus on the family aspect of the holidays instead of the spending and stressing side of the holidays. Compared to my view of America’s spending during the holidays, James Livingston’s article brings up a different point of view of America’s spending during the holiday season.

In “Americans, Thou Shalt Shop and Spend for the Planet,” Livingston brings up the idea that America’s consumer culture is fine the way it is today. Livingston acknowledges both sides of America’s consumer culture, but he identifies with the argument that there is nothing wrong with our culture. Americans spend an immense of money during the holidays. I do agree with his point that when Americans spend money they are helping the economy, such as with Japanese cars. They are cheaper, last longer, and more efficient for gas mileage. I don’t agree that we should embrace the fact that Americans do spend a vast amount of money during the holidays. This article gives a standpoint that is different from many other articles on the topic. I agree up to a point on the amount of money spent around the holidays. When Livingston starts writing that we should embrace it is where I have to disagree. Even though it helps the economy short term, it still leaves people who have a vast amount of credit card bills they have to pay before the next holiday season; some Americans do not pay it all off by the time the next holiday comes. I also disagree when it says that spending is “good for the soul.” I disagree with this because, in the end, the amount of spending during the holidays leads to stress and overconsumption. It leads Americans to take the materialistic objects they own for granted, so they believe they can purchase whatever they want without knowing their limitations. It follows my line of thoughts on spending because Livingston says that America’s consumer culture leads us to live a vapid empty life (Livingston par 6). I agree with the concept because I think it just makes us greedy and self-centered. Since holiday commercials are prominent this time of year, this is why many Americans become consumed with shopping rather than spending time with family.

With all holiday commercials, advertisers make it easy for consumers to fall prey to the claim of the advertisement. A holiday Amazon commercial, shows a woman looking at a Christmas photo of her daughter while she is on the bus. She then goes on the Amazon app to buy a gift for her daughter. The commercial then shifts to the Amazon factory where the boxes are singing a song. The boxes are shown being shipped to where they belong. In the end, it shows the woman’s daughter receiving the Amazon package with a smile. Amazon is trying to convince the consumer that it is common to be away from your family during the holidays, but just because one cannot see them does not mean that they love any less. The woman is a bus away from her daughter, but this does not mean that she loves her daughter any less. The woman uses the Amazon package to show her daughter that she still loves and is thinking about her. Her daughter feels her mother’s love with her, even though she is not physically present, so this is why she hugs the package at the end of the commercial because she can feel her mother’s love. The commercial taps into pathos because when the boxes start singing in the factory it is perceived as a heartwarming commercial because it shows that no matter the distance one can always feel the love from your loved ones. It is effective because it shows that ordering presents online helps people to spend more time with family. When the woman returns home to her daughter it allows her to spend time with her daughter because she already knows that her daughter got her Christmas presents. It is also effective because it truly convinces the audience that Amazon is the perfect way to show one’s loved ones, who are away from home during the holidays. It makes the audience wonder if it is worth spending time in stores looking for a present or if is it better for one to spend time with their family for as much time as possible because one will never know who will not be home for Christmas. It causes the consumer to wonder if Amazon is the best way to send one’s love through a present when they are not home for Christmas. The increase in online shopping has also caused Americans to be consumed in shopping rather than spending time with family.

With online shopping, Americans fall into the trap of believing that online shopping is a quick and easy way to spend time with family. In Figure One, the background is in the living room; it has a mantle covered in Christmas decorations, the fireplace burning, and a decorated Christmas tree, but the background is blurred, so the focus is on the huge stack of presents wrapped in red wrapping paper, the computer, and the woman holding her credit card with a happy smile on her face. The woman is sitting on her couch dressed in Christmas colors with a Santa hat, which shows her Christmas spirit. Figure one is trying to claim that one can still be in the Christmas spirit and overjoyed while online shopping. The woman is full of happiness because she is getting all of her Christmas shopping done online without consuming so much time while finding the best deals online. The commercial taps into pathos because the audience can see how excited the woman is by doing her holiday shopping online. It is effective because it conveys the message of still being able to spend time with family while being in the Christmas spirit when one shops online. It is because online shopping is a quicker and rather simple way of shopping, it leads the audience to believe that online shopping is the way to go in terms of time consumption and efficiency. Even though figure one makes a convincing claim that by shopping online one can spend time with family and stay in the holiday spirit, Americans still can get so caught up in online shopping that they ignore their family so they find the “perfect” gift.

Americans have lost the purpose of the holiday season due to overspending and focusing on the number of materialistic objects they will receive. Based on my family life during the holidays, it leads me to believe that America’s consumer culture reveals that Americans spend too much on holiday items, rather than spending time with family. It is because of holiday commercials such as Amazon and online shopping, that it allows consumers to believe that shopping online is a more efficient way to shop during the holidays, but this is false. Even though it may seem more efficient, shopping online causes people to scroll for hours on websites until they find the “perfect” gift they are looking for, which takes away time that could be spent with family. Overall, Americans tend to lose the true meaning of the holiday season by buying holiday items, such as Christmas presents, trees, and dinner.

Works Cited

1. Livingston, James. “Americans, Thou Shalt Shop and Spend for the Planet.” Wired, Conde Nast, 7 Mar. 2018, www.wired.com/2011/11/st-essay-consumers/. Commercial link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OITWgx8K6Ko
2. https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/articles/2016-11-17/6-hacks-for-holiday-shopping-online

Question

Evaluate the conflict management strategies applied by an organization of your choice in Zimbabwe

Introduction

Conflict is present in group dynamics. Whenever people are brought together as a group to work on a project or in the workplace, conflict in inevitable. This is because of differing work ethics, goals, needs, or attitudes. Every manager, therefore, requires skills in managing their team in order to resolve conflicts as they arise in the workplace. Conflict can be either functional or dysfunctional. Functional conflict is also known as constructive conflict. Dysfunctional conflict can be described as destructive conflict. It is important that any conflict that arises is dealt with quickly and professionally to avoid the issues affecting morale and productivity. Unresolved conflicts waste time and energy and reduce productivity and cooperation among the people with whom you work. In contrast, when conflicts are resolved, they strengthen relationships and improve the performance of everyone involved (Kim, Nicotera, and McNulty, 2015). This discourse will evaluate the conflict management strategies applied by Chloride Zimbabwe in its day today handling of conflict within its environment.

Conflict

Views of Conflict

Verma, (1998) explains the following views of conflict

(i) The traditional view (the 1930s-1940s)

The traditional view assumes that conflict is bad, always has a negative impact, and leads to declines in performance as the level of conflict increases. Therefore, conflict must therefore be avoided. According to this view, conflict is closely associated with such terms as violence, destruction, and irrationality according to this view. Conflict in the traditional view must be reduced, suppressed or eliminated at work places. It is therefore the duty of the manager free the organization of any conflict, often using an authoritarian approach.

(ii) Human relations view

The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group. Another view is the behavioral or contemporary view, also known as the human relations view, it emerged in the late 1940s and held sway through the 1970s. It contends that conflict is natural and inevitable in all organizations and that it may have either a positive or a negative effect, depending on how the conflict is handled. Performance may increase with conflict, but only up to a certain extent, and then decline if conflict is allowed to increase further or is left unresolved. The approach advocates acceptance of conflict and rationalizes its existence due to the potential benefits from conflict, managers should focus on managing it effectively rather than suppressing or eliminating it, (Verma 1998).

(iii) The contemporary approach

It views inter-group conflict as an inevitable consequence of organizational interactions, caused by primarily by the complexities of our organizational systems. Through such mechanisms, the solutions of conflict may help to bring about positive organizational change.

(iv) Interactionist view of conflict

This is the latest view that assumes that conflict is necessary to increase performance. This view encourages conflict based on the belief that a harmonious, peaceful, tranquil, too-cooperative organization is likely to become static, apathetic, stagnant, and unable to respond to change and innovation. This approach encourages managers to maintain an appropriate level of conflict enough to keep the organization self-critical, viable, creative, and innovative.

(v) Resolution-Focused View of Conflict

This view believes that conflicts produce stress, which may lead people to become more close-minded and adversarial.

Conflict management strategies

According to Robbins and Judge (2013), Conflict is a process that begins when one party perceives another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about. Conflict management is the extent to which a public manager restrains subordinates from fighting and arguing, and encourages them to resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. Helps to settle conflicts and disagreements between subordinates. (Mandy et. al). Conflict occurs between people or groups, it often arises from competing for resources, power, and status. In family set-ups members may compete for attention while individuals compete for jobs and wealth. In the early 1970s, Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann identified 5 conflict resolution strategies that help people handle a conflict and reach an agreed resolution. Thomas and Kilmann based their strategies on the choices people make about how assertive or cooperative they will be in a conflict. Everyone has a different, preferred approach to managing conflict in the workplace; understanding these strategies can help move a project or team forward when a conflict occurs. The key to managing conflict successfully is tailoring your response to fit each conflict situation instead of just relying on one particular technique. Each technique represents a different way to achieve the outcome you want and to help the other person achieve at least part of the outcome that he or she wants. There are several types of conflict that may arise in the workplace, including task, process, and relationship conflict (O’Neill, Allen, & Hastings, 2013).

At Premier Service Medical Society Hospital, the following strategies are commonly used, avoidance, accommodation, compromise, and collaboration.

Figure 1: Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions (Thomas 1992), Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations p.668

i. Avoiding

No winners, no losers

This strategy leads to loss for all due to its uncooperative nature. Some people argue that avoidance is not a true conflict resolution strategy because the conflict is not resolved and neither party is satisfied (Hamilton 2008). This is when people seek to withdraw from or ignore any conflict, usually because feeling uncomfortable about the confrontation outweighs any possible reward from resolving it. The problem is that this strategy does not really resolve the issue because there is a lack of contribution to the conversation.

For example, a ward nurse at PSMAS might request for time off during Christmas holiday, however, during this period the hospital will be busy and all staff members are aware that they should be on standby. As a result, the nurse in charge will reject the request. The ward nurse will proceed to see a doctor for off sick as a way of avoiding confronting the nurse in charge. Usually, both persons involved feel frustrated and angry. There are some situations in which avoiding the issue might be appropriate, such as when tempers are flaring or when strong anger is present. However, this is only a short-term strategy; it is important to get back to the problem after emotions have cooled.

ii. Accommodation

I lose, you win

With accommodation, one person accommodates the other at his expense but often ends up feeling resentful and angry. Accommodation does not always lead to a satisfactory resolution to an issue and leaves the door open for more assertive members of the group to take control.

When a member in conflict gives in just to keep the peace, it isn’t necessarily helpful. In the given Christmas situation, the charge nurse would put her own concern aside and let the ward nurse have his or her way, possibly even working for you during the scheduled slot. The charge nurse loses and the ward nurse wins in this situation, however, this may set up conflict among staff who might also need such a favor in the near future. Accommodation is best used at PSMAS when it is noted that conflict would create serious disruption, such as arguing, or when the person with whom you are in conflict has the power to resolve the conflict unilaterally? In this response to conflict, differences are suppressed or played down while agreement is emphasized.

iii. Compromise

You bend, I bend

Compromise or bargaining is the strategy that recognizes the importance of both the resolution of the problem and the relationship between the two people. Compromise is a moderately assertive and cooperative step in the right direction, in which one creates a modified win-lose outcome. The problem lies in the reduced staffing that will occur for a short period. The compromise may not be satisfactory for either party, but it may be offered as a temporary solution until more options become available. Compromise can increase staff morale. This strategy emphasized that each member of the group gives up something so that no member gets everything, although often no one is completely happy with the final resolution. This is considered to be the best outcome. In the given Christmas situation, the charge nurse at PSMAS, will compromise with the ward nurse by allowing him or her to have Christmas evening off with his or her family but not the entire week

iv. Collaboration

I win, you win

Collaboration deals with confrontation and problem-solving at the base of the conflict. There is usually high concern for the problem, the outcome, and the relationship. It deals with confrontation and problem-solving. The needs, feelings, and desires of both parties are taken into consideration and re-examined while searching for proper ways to agree on goals. It is fully assertive and cooperative. Each member of the group is allowed to contribute and then issues are resolved by establishing a shared solution that all can support.

In the Christmas situation, ward nurse and the charge nurse discuss the week of Christmas vacation and the staffing needs and agree that the ward nurse will work the first three days of that week and the charge nurse will work the second half of that week. In this situation, both persons are satisfied, and there is no compromising what is most important to each person. Usually, this method is used to accommodate the diversity of culture which exist within PSMAS where some might need off to go to church and some might need time to go for traditional ceremonies. At PSMAS collaboration can be done through individuals where one employee will cover for the other one so that when he or she needs time off also the other staff will cover up.

v. Competing

I win, you loose

People who are overly assertive rather than cooperative enter into conflict resolution with the intention of winning. With this strategy, one person wins and the other loses, pushing out any chance of seeing a different perspective. As a result, this is not usually a good strategy for resolving conflicts within a group.

Conclusion

Conflict can be healthy if it is managed effectively. Conflict management requires a combination of analytical and human skills. Every project participant should learn to resolve project conflicts effectively. Good conflict managers work at the source of conflict. To resolve it permanently, they must address the cause of the conflict and not just the symptoms of it. They should concentrate on building an atmosphere designed to reduce destructive conflict and deal with routine frictions and minor differences before they become unmanageable. The key to resolving conflict with a positive outcome includes looking for a win-win situation, cutting losses when necessary, formulating proactive conflict management strategies, using effective negotiation and communication, and appreciating cultural differences among project stakeholders.

References

1. Robbins, Stephen P.(1999), Organizational Behaviour, Eight editions, Prentice Hall of India
2. Robbins, Stephen P. (2004) Organizational Behavior – Concepts, Controversies, Applications. 4th Ed. Prentice-Hall
3. Scott, W. Richard. (2007) Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural, and Open Systems Perspectives. Pearson Prentice Hall
4. Sources: Thamhain, W. I., & Wilemon, 0. L. (1975). Conflict management in project life cycles. Sloan Management Review, 16(3),
5. Posner, (1986). What’s all the fighting about? Conflicts in project management. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, EM-33(4), 207—211.
6. Williams, M. (1987, September). How I learned to stop worrying and love negotiating. Inc. Magazine, p. 132.
7. Bobbins, S. P. (1974). Managing organizational conflict:A no nt raditional approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
8. Robbins (1974).
9. Baker, S., & Baker, K. (1step-by-stepe/on budget: A step by step guide for managing any project. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
10. Thamhain, H.J., & Wdemon, D. L. (1975). Conflict management in project life cycles. Sloan Management Review, 16, 3 1—50.
11. Kezsbom, D., Schilling, D., & Edward, K. (1989). Dynamic project management practical guide for managers and engineers. New York: Wiley.
12. Thomas, K. W, & Schmidt, W H. (1976). A survey of managerial interests with respect to conflict.
13. Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge; Organizational Behaviour
14. Dr. Karam Pal; Management Concepts and Organizational Behaviour
15. Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge; Organizational Behaviour
16. Yukl, G., Guinan, P. J., and Sottolano, D. Influence tactics used for different objectives with subordinates, peers, and sup eriors. Group & Organization Management, 1995, 20, 275;Buchanan, D., and Badham, R. Power, Politics and Organizational Change. London: Sage, 1999, 64.
17. Buchanan, D., and Badham, R. Power, Politics, and Organizational Change. London: Sage,1999, 193.

Introduction

Precise scheduling and estimation of costs and resources necessary for a business project are crucial elements of successful project management. For a manager, it is vital to be able to collect data about the activities obligatory for work to be completed and estimate the amount of workforce, time, and resources to provide the result by a deadline. The project management methodology helps identify the most effective ways to achieve results in particular conditions.

The paper analyzes the tree trimming project managed by a Christmas tree timber Thomas Johnson. The actions of the manager will be examined from his schedule completion, project performance, as well as the alternative utilization of other methods and techniques. Proper carrying out of cost estimating and earned value methodology, projects management techniques for scheduling the activities are crucial for the successful performance within the project.

Schedule Analysis

The success of any project lies in the accurate application of scheduling and estimating techniques. However, as Wilson (2014) suggests, the successful result does not only depend on the correct identification of necessary resources, estimating costs, and the decision of a sequence of activities. It is also essential to “design and initiate schedule, cost, and quality controls” (Wilson, 2014, p. 9). This idea helps to analyze the work of a project manager in a proposed situation. According to the suggested scenario, a timber Thomas Johnson counted the Christmas trees in the field which was about 24,000.

He trained his crew to trim the trees with special machetes and agreed with the customer for a $30,000 lump sum for the work to be completed. Upon receiving the first partial payment after five days of work on the project, Thomas calculated that approximately 6,000 trees had been trimmed that makes 25% of work done, with the payment for this part of work equal to $7,500. Regarding these calculations, Thomas’ project is on schedule because for 25% of completed work he received 25% of total agreed payment. Thus, the work activities are planned and carried out according to the project schedule.

Earned Value Utilization Analysis

In project management, it is important to accurately evaluate the budget earned on different steps of work proceeding to analyze the schedule variance and the stage of the project completion. From this perspective, earned value as a “budgeted amount of cost for work scheduled to be accomplished plus budgeted for the level of effort or apportioned effort activity” done during a given period (Kezner, 2017, p. 514).

To utilize earned value in schedule analysis properly, a manager should include it in a calculation of schedule variance where planned value has to be deducted from the earned value (Wilson, 2014, p. 232). However, Johnson does not utilize the concept correctly because he evaluates his schedule performance according to the share of earned value in the total sum. The manager in the suggested scenario does not identify planned value in his project.

Schedule and Cost Variance

One of the primary responsibilities of a project manager is the establishment of control over the activities during the process of project work. According to Wilson (2014), a manager can control the process of work with constant readiness to adjust the achieved results to the requirements and adding “improvements to cost and schedule” (p. 4). Therefore, the recognition and control of schedule and cost variance within a project contributes to its successful performance.

Upon the fifth-day partial work completion, Thomas should estimate the schedule variance deducting planned value for the period from the actual earned value. If the result is “zero,” the project is on schedule. However, if it is negative, it means that the project is behind schedule when the positive schedule variance shows that the work is over schedule (Wilson, 2014). To set up cost variance, Thomas should use the formula “CV=EV-AC,” where CV stands for cost variance, EV – earned value, and AC – actual cost (Wilson, 2014, p. 232). These calculations would help the manager to evaluate his project according to budget spending and would enable him to adjust the activities accordingly.

Methods for Changes in the Project

In case of any changes applied to the project upon the customer’s request, there should be specific methods considered to address the changes without cost or schedule losses. Any change in a project scope should be carried out within the established rules that do not contradict with the initial goal set before the manager (Kerzner, 2017). If Thomas was asked to change the form of the trees trimmed, he should use the method that requires “an assessment of the customer’s needs and the added value” (Kezner, 2017, p. 751).

Also, it would be necessary to analyze the available resources in comparison to the required ones, as well as the time and costs needed to carry out the changes. Thomas had already trained the team to trim the trees into a cone shape. If he were asked to change the shape, he would have to spend time and costs to train the team a different technique of trimming and probably would need additional tools, other than machetes. All these variables should be taken into consideration when applying the project scope change.

Agile Methodology Applied for the Project

Thomas could accelerate the completion of his project if he utilized the agile methodology in his work. This method is designed to eliminate diverse problems in traditional management concentrating on constant improvements during the project life cycle, tending to complete work before schedule, and adjusting work according to requirements (Krezner, 2017). Prioritizing people and collaboration and utilizing participative leadership style, Thomas would be able to improve the productivity of his team’s work by the inclusion of each of them into the process.

Analysis of the Project with the Estimated Quote

Assuming that the original sum agreed with the customer was estimated, Thomas performance on the project could be evaluated as an insufficiently accurate. If the cost was an estimate, the timber should have adjusted the costs according to the completion of a part of project and negotiate changes with the customer. Utilizing top-down methodology of cost estimating on the later stages of the project development would help Thomas recognize the weak and strong sides of the project and make necessary adjustments.

Conclusion

Concluding the discussion, it is obvious that the trees trimming project manager could have used diverse methods and techniques of project management to improve his performance. However, the calculations made at the initial stages of work activities showed that the team is on schedule. However, Thomas did not utilize the concept of earned value correctly, not taking into consideration the planned value of the project. A utilization of agile methodology and proper schedule and cost variance analysis would help Thomas increase the level of productivity of his workers and meet the requirements and changes of the customer.

References

Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (12th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

Wilson, R. (2014). A comprehensive guide to project management schedule and cost control: Methods and models for managing the project lifecycle. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Every year Thanksgiving dinners are made, and a few weeks later, families gather to celebrate Christmas. In the first one the center is a symbol that says we were foreigners once and have found a home. In the second the center is a star on a tree that tells that once upon a time someone came to make it possible for us to say thanks.

In the first one there is a mad scrambling to prepare the food and then pause for a lengthy prayer, while in the second; more time is needed to prepare food, shop, exchange gifts, and then open them.

There are a variety of ways to understand the importance of these two but the best way perhaps is to see it from the eyes of a child. When a little one looks at Thanksgiving and Christmas he sees differences as well as similarities. But at the end of the day it does not really matter much because he received what he came for: a heart to be filled with love and a stomach full of goodies.

You cannot fool a child by saying that Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same. This is because he will surely tell you that the two are different. He knows that it has something to do with time and seasons.

Thanksgiving he will say is synonymous to falling leaves, dry crusty leaves in the backyard, in the front yard and even inside your shoe if you let them come in. Christmas on the other hand is pure white. There is snow falling gently on the bare trees as if to provide a blanket to protect them from the cold.

On Thanksgiving day Mom is focused on perfecting the turkey while on Christmas she is focused on perfecting the tree and all that goes with it, the decorations as well as the gifts under it. She has a mental list a mile long and she constantly reminds herself not to give Uncle John and Grandpa the same gift as last year.

Thanksgiving, a little child will say, is all about God and his blessings. And in the same breath he will tell you that Christmas is all about Santa Claus and his gifts. He will also tell you with a twinkle in his eyes that for Thanksgiving the most anticipated time of the day is the evening when family and friends are gathered for dinner.

But for Christmas the most anticipated time of the day is sunrise, for no one was able to sleep thinking about the heap of presents under the beautiful tree. On Christmas Day the color red comes from the gift wrappings, on Thanksgiving Day the color red comes from the cranberry sauce.

On Thanksgiving Day a turkey or two can escape the chef’s terrible cut. Sometimes a politician can be seen on TV forgiving one and letting that turkey go. But on Christmas time no one heard of a pig saved from the chef’s knife, perhaps all of them are needed for the Christmas ham. All of these a child will tell you to be the reason why Thanksgiving and Christmas cannot be the same.

However, the same child will tell you that although there are differences between these two, there are also similarities that cannot be ignored. The first one is the busybodies that dart back and forth transforming a home into something like a beehive because of the energy and the determination to finish a task before deadline. Then there is also the sweet smell of cooked food that comes from the kitchen.

Thus, it does not matter what the season is, whether it is fall or winter as long as Thanksgiving and Christmas is in the air Mommy brings out the cooking utensils and buy the ingredients required because it is cooking time. He will also tell you that on Thanksgiving dinner he keeps hearing two words – calories and weight. Everyone seems guilty that they are eating good food.

The same thing happens during Christmas dinner, Aunt May keeps on talking about weight and calories while Uncle Roger tries to adjust his belt buckle, perhaps he wants to eat more but he is full.

When dinner time is near you can hear Mom’s voice get a little louder and the pitch a lit bit more discomforting but the child will say that it is alright, he knows it is either Thanksgiving or Christmas because Mom wants to get things done while the little ones want to laugh more and not spend time on the chores.

A child is also remembers with fondness Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day because it is a day without classes – no exams, no quizzes, time to bring out the game consoles and play until past bedtime. And finally the child will end the interview by saying that there are similarities between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is the happiness it brings.

Conclusion

There are different ways to try to understand Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is even a variety of ways to understand their meaning and significance by comparing and contrasting the two. But a better way perhaps is two see them from the eyes of a child. Even with their limited grasp they can already articulate that there are indeed major differences between these two occasions.

It has something to do with the time and seasons. It is something to do with the purpose why people celebrate Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day a few weeks apart.

There is therefore a difference between the type of food served and the time of the day that is most important for a child. Dinner time and opening gifts are two important things but there is a major difference in the values attached to both. There is therefore a difference in the kinds of activities. But at the same time a child will also tell you that there are similarities. Good food and the smiles on the faces of the people.

There is buoyancy in the air that can easily lift ones spirit even if the rest of the year it has been dragged down by problems and challenges. And finally the child will say that at the end of the day, whether it is Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, it does not really matter for him because he had received what he came for: a heart to be filled up with love by family and friends and a stomach full of goodies.

As of today, the suggestion that human societies can be categorized as primitive, on the one hand, and advanced, on the other, is considered politically incorrect. This, however, does not undermine the suggestion’s factual appropriateness, as the considerations of political correctness do not affect the actual state of affairs, in this respect. In my paper, I will explore the validity of the above statement at length, in regards to what appears to be the discursive significance of Richard Borshay Lee’s article Eating Christmas in the Kalahari.

When discussing the concerned subject matter, I will promote the idea that it is precisely the primitive people’s endowment with the sense of a mechanical solidarity (as defined by Emil Durkheim), which allows them to maintain the integrity of their traditional societies, while simultaneously denying them the prospect of a socio-cultural and technological advancement.

In his article, Lee expounds upon his experience of having bought an ox for the members of one of the Bushmen tribes in Africa, so that the animal could be slaughtered by them, during the course of these people participating in their traditional Christmas festivities.

However, even though Lee made a deliberate point in choosing the biggest ox out of those available for purchasing, the Bushmen appeared utterly dismayed by the fact that in their eyes, the animal in question was too small and skinny. As one of the tribe members pointed out: “Everybody knows there’s no meat on that old ox. What did you expect us to eat off it, the horns?” (Lee 1).

Initially, Lee did not know what to make out the tribesmen’s reaction, as there appeared to be no reason whatsoever for them to complain about his Christmas offer. Nevertheless, as time went on, it started to dawn upon Lee that the reason why the Bushmen were so critical about the slaughtered ox, is that it was their way of preventing him from growing too prideful, on the account of having succeeded in appeasing them in reality.

Moreover, as it appeared later, downsizing each other’s hunting-related accomplishments represents a commonplace practice among the Bushmen, because it helps them to maintain the inner stability of their tribes. Apparently, the earlier mentioned practice is meant to discourage particularly successful tribesmen from aspiring to claim the position of a leadership, which would threaten the interests the tribe’s elders.

As it was implied in the Introduction, Lee’s account can be best discussed within the conceptual framework of how Emil Durkheim used to reflect upon the notions of mechanical and organic solidarities. According Durkheim, in archaic (primitive) societies, people’s individual identities are being ‘dissolved’ within what happened to be this society’s ‘collective archetype’.

This explains why in primitive societies, people tend to lead highly ritualized lifestyles while striving to objectualize themselves within the surrounding environment – hence, their endowment with the mostly tribal (mechanical) sense of solidarity (Durkheim 140).

As it was shown in Lee’s article, while possessing the rudimentary understanding of the fact that certain preconditions should be created for tribesmen to refrain from challenging each other’s positioning, within the tribe, the Bushmen could not come up with any better (as the mean of encouraging the tribe members to live peacefully), than practicing the ‘ritual of humility’.

This presupposes the tribesmen’s automatic assumption that one’s strive to attain a social prominence is necessarily counterproductive, as it is being potentially capable of undermining the harmony of interrelationships within the tribe.

Nevertheless, such an assumption, on the part of the Bushmen, is exactly what prevented them from being able to evolve beyond the Stone Age, as it is namely the never-ending competition between the society’s members for a particular environmental niche, which sets this society on the path of progress.

Due to their intellectual primitiveness, it never occurred to the Bushmen that it is possible for people to be simultaneously competitive and moral/tolerant, as it happened to be the case with individuals in Western industrialized societies, the integrity of which is maintained by the citizens’ willingness to profess the virtue of an organic solidarity.

People that practice an organic solidarity understand that it is not solely the particulars of their kinship-relationship with each other, which cause them to act in one way or another, but rather the specifics of their professional affiliation and their varying ability to relate to a number of cognitively abstract notions, such as morality or ethics, for example.

In its turn, this is being made possible by the fact that in industrialized societies, people are encouraged to distance themselves from what happened to be their animalistic instincts, as the main prerequisite for them to be able to rise to the position of social prominence. This, of course, makes these people naturally predisposed towards entering into ‘social contracts’ with each other, which empowers them even further, as functionally independent but thoroughly integrated parts of the society.

Thus, we can well assume that the fact that the Bushmen profess the virtue of a mechanical solidarity signifies these people’s inability to rise above their genetically predetermined perceptual and cognitive atavism.

The validity of this suggestion can be well illustrated in regards to the scene in Lee’s article, where the tribe member reflects upon what the Bushmen consider the actual purpose of their existence: “We love meat. And even more than that, we love fat. When we hunt, we always search for the fat ones, the ones dripping with layers of white fat… fat that slides down your gullet, fills your stomach and gives you a roaring diarrhea” (2).

In other words, it is specifically the sheer strength of the Bushmen’s animalistic instincts, which define their existential mode more than anything else does. This creates a specific dead-end circle – being unable to exercise a rational control over their atavistic urges, the Bushmen do not evolve cognitively, which in turn prevents the functioning of their societies to be observant of the principle of division of labor.

Consequently, this leaves Bushmen with no other option but to practice a number of essentially meaningless rituals, as the mean of preventing their tribes from being destroyed from within. However, whereas, this practice does appear sensible, as a ‘thing in itself’, it makes it rather impossible for the Bushmen to remain on the path of a continual evolvement – hence, these people’s socio-cultural and technological backwardness.

I believe that the earlier deployed line of argumentation, in regards to what should be considered the discursive implications of Lee’s article, is fully consistent with the paper’s initial thesis. Apparently, there is indeed a good rationale in referring to the particulars of one’s ‘cultural uniqueness’, as such cannot be discussed outside of what accounts for the measure of his or her evolutionary fitness. This, of course, exposes the methodological fallaciousness of culturally relativist sociological theories.

Works Cited

Durkheim, Emil. The Division of Labor in Society, London: Macmillan, 1984. Print.

Lee, Richard Borshay 1969, Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. 2013. Web.