Equal Opportunities for Women’s Career Free Essays

Women often experience male dominated barriers when they seek to rise to the top of organization ranks. Despite the moves that have been made for equal opportunity employment, men and women that start in the same job often are not paid equally, and do not advance at the same rate. In a male dominated business world, the women are seen as weaker, less intelligent, passive, fragile, with a lack of commitment to their career often because of family obligations. We will write a custom essay sample on Equal Opportunities for Women’s Career or any similar topic only for you Order Now Managers often form alliances with those that tend to have the same background and lifestyle as themselves, since women are seen as different they cannot bond with those upper level managers and often get overlooked when new management positions are open. (Maume p. 483) The glass-ceiling is the lack of mobility for women in careers, due to prejudices against women†s ability to perform as well as men. Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, known as the Glass Ceiling act, established the glass ceiling commission to study and make recommendations about eliminating the barriers and to create opportunities to advance women and minorities. If men hold the higher positions, choosing who is most suitable for promotion it is likely that women will remain in the minority with power positions. Women often move into male jobs either because market conditions force employees to reach down into the labor queue to hire women or because men reevaluate and then vacate jobs. (Maume p. 483) Traditionally women are offer less opportunity for training than males, if women are not getting equal education for a company then it cannot simply be gender that may later cause poor performance in a higher management position. Training is often expensive, since companies as a whole feel that women are more concerned with family priorities they offer it to those they believe will stay the longest and in their (male) minds be most attentive, the men. Studies show that after 12 years 56% of white men will be waiting for promotions with 44% already advanced, while 85% of white women and 93% of black women will remain waiting for a promotion. Maume p483) Some men often feel that the glass ceiling does simply not exist and that women†s over all performance has been causing the divide in distribution of power. One example of this view is an article that was printed in Men†s Health magazine, although this is not scholarly it provided insight to the propaganda that is kept alive by men to other men. The article was titled â€Å"The Glass Ceiling has been shattered† and went on to describe that women were simply inferior in management positions. The writer Jeffrey Csatari believes that men did not build the glass ceiling. It was built by women†s poor performance, he sighted a study in the University of Minnesota that found female managers tend to hire timid and self effacing employees with no corporate potential, as opposed to male counterparts who hired self assertive and competent employees. (Csatari p. 43) This article was published in a national men†s magazine, with no mention about the training level of the managers studied, it may be variables in the training they were provided or job experiece rather than gender that caused the differences in employee choice. Men made the study standard, which made the test biased since men were writing the rules of which employee would be successful and which would fail, perhaps women do not simply make decisions on what is said but are closely attentive to body language as well. The economist Solomon Polachek holds a hypothesis that each occupation has a rate of atrophy that job skills depreciate with lack of use. Earnings power declines at atrophy, therefore if women plan to participate inconsistantly in the labor market they would best benefit from jobs with low atrophy rates like teaching and service work. Duncan p. 479) These jobs are often classified as women†s jobs, which have a traditionally lower starting salary than male jobs. If the view that Mr. Polachek holds were universal than it would make advancement for women almost impossible if they planned to have families and take off work for any period of time. Differences in male and female preferences in jobs do exist however and can account for some of the inequality in the business world. The Hawthorne Studies of the 1930†³s and studies since have shown that women choose positions that are more meaningful, with positive social relations as opposed to males that choose careers on basis of income potential. (Tolbert p168) The traditional views of women as the supporting partner and the man as the primary earner have become barriers for women that would like to advance. Job desegregation does not yet exist wide spread however, there has been occupational desegregation. Women have been entering into traditionally male jobs in increasing numbers. When a job gets a majority of female occupants the occupation tends to become a female â€Å"ghetto† with the males moving on to higher paying positions within that field. (England p17) The government has passed laws but women as a whole have to strive to break the perceptions men hold of their abilities. The double duties of women at work along with their life after hours, with household duties along with childcare should be examples of the strength of women†s abilities not as just a weakness. The alternative that men would like to perpetuate is that women should be more like men. Women are responding to the challenge of the workplace, some are moving to the higher levels, but through much adversity. The choice of many women is to start their own businesses such as Mary Kay cosmetics, and Avon that is female dominated. The abilities of a person to succeed are not rooted in their gender but in the individual goals and knowledge. Women are typically being kept from the higher level positions by men that consider only other males their peers, and women as inferior. If women have to strive to be more like men to advance in business, does this mean that they are to stop producing children and forgo the family that males are entitled to in order to achieve the equality that they deserve. Hopefully, women will be able to achieve both career and family without having to sacrifice one for the other, or be seen as weak. The ability to be a mother is a sign of dedication, commitment, and strength not weakness, as males believe. How to cite Equal Opportunities for Women’s Career, Essay examples

Sustainable Development free essay sample

This essay argues that sustainable development is the answer to the world’s environmental and economic problems. Its purpose is to outline my understanding of sustainable development and to discuss what the authors Ede (2008), Collier (2007) and Monbiot (2006) have contributed to it. For the purpose of this essay I am referring to ‘development’ in the context of human socio economic growth. Brundtland defines sustainable development as â€Å"development that results in the needs of the present being met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (Sutton, 2004). To begin I will analyise each of the authors perspectives and also provide my own based on my experience, and then highlight any similarities, gaps or differences between them. According to Monboit (2006), urgent change needs to take place to reduce our carbon emissions by 90 percent by the year 2030. If we do not then it is a very real possibility that we have missed our opportunity to cool the Earth’s atmosphere from heating which would result in a catastrophic outcome. We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainable Development or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, Monbiot believes it is possible to meet the challenge by adopting sustainable development, in particular through the development of environmental science and technologies. He explains that previous environmental campaigns have failed because the majority of environmentalist lack integrity, and that it is virtually impossible for anyone to be wholly sustainable unless there is a paradigm shift in society driven by changes in Government policy. The concept of sustainable development is complex, it encompasses the protection of the environment and people and aims to see an end to poverty (Sutton, 2004 pp 3). The need for change towards sustainable development is critical for the very survival of the human species however it seems they are their own worst enemy. Collier (2007) explains that there is a clear divide between people in developing countries and the poor countries (referred to as the bottom billion) which are stuck in what he calls development traps. One of the biggest problems in these countries is corrupt Governments. Collier refers to the poorest people in the world as the ‘bottom billion’ and explains that they have no option other than to turn to depleting the natural environment of its resources just to survive. People in countries such as Africa, are forced to mine minerals that are then sold on to the developing countries to use in technologies such as mobile phones and computers. Globalisation has only accelerated the problem because technology is essential to globalisation (McMahon, 2001). The result is that people are consuming and producing waste at an ever accelerating rate. It is what drives the economy, and so products are made to break down or they quickly superseded as a new model takes it place with ‘better’ features. Ede, 2008 pp 20) The shiny marketing of the latest and greatest gadgets, that claims to make your life easier and faster than ever before. Ede explains that marketing is not just about selling a product anymore, now it is also about selling an identity or a lifestyle. Ede explains that â€Å"waste is a psychological and social issue, not an engineering problem. † Unfortunately even people who are sustainably conscious fall victim to the evils of capitalism, there seems to be no escaping it however, Monboit (as quoted in Ede, 2008 pp 20) believes that through the power of people who choose to buy eco, a shift towards sustainability will occur. However, this is only a part of the solution because for any real change needs to occur it needs to be driven at Government policy level (Collier, 2007 pp 3). Similarly, the challenge for leaders in the green building movement is to influence the Governments to change or create policies that support sustainable development. My understanding of the concept of sustainable development stems from my five years of working in the sustainable building sector. The built environment is the single largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions (Morell, 2011). The concept of sustainability in the built environment is the same as ‘sustainable development’ in this unit which is to live more sustainably by relying more on solar energy, preserving biodiversity and not disrupting the earth’s natural chemical recycling processes (Miller, 2010 pp6). Another challenge the green building movement is faced with is to convince developers of the long term economic benefits of green building. Technology can provide a path towards sustainable development, for example a six star, green star rated building can reduce its energy consumption by nearly 90% (Bond, 2008). Monbiot shares this view as he too believes that global implementation of science and technology can help achieve sustainable development. Although each of the authors agree about sustainable development is the answer to the worlds most urgent environmental and economic problems, their views on how to gain economic balance differ. Ede considers that by eliminating our waste we are able to regain economic balance and Monbiot’s theory is that the shift towards green technology will bring balance.

8 Best Free Elementor Add-Ons for WordPress Compared

Looking to add extra functionality to the Elementor page builder? Then read on, as were taking a look at some of the best free Elementor add-ons availableElementor is one of the most popular WordPress page builders because of its flexibility, ease of use, and the fact that it has a powerful free version that you can extend withfree Elementor add-ons!While the default Elementor page builder has plenty of functionality already, these add-ons make things even better without requiring you to spend a dime.Though some have more full-featured premium versions, all of the free Elementor add-ons that well look at in this list are 100% free (obviously!) and give you new elements or otherwise new functionality. Lets check them out! PluginPriceWidgetsPro versionElementor Addons TemplatesFree14NoPress ElementsFree12YesAnyWhere ElementorFree8YesElementor Addon ElementsFree19YesNavMenu Addon For ElementorFree5NoHeader Footer ElementorFree8NoStylePress for ElementorFree4YesHotel Booking Elementor IntegrationFree10NoGo to top1. Sizzify Lite Elementor Addons and Templates Elementor Addons Templates Sizzify Lite Author(s): ThemeIsleCurrent Version: 1.3.2Last Updated: April 18, 2019elementor-addon-widgets.zip 94%Ratings 534,467Downloads WP 4.4+Requires This is our own plugin that we recently acquired and made part of the family (we covered the story more in-depth in our Transparency Report last month). It adds a number of elements to help Elementor work better with WooCommerce, as well as some other helpful elements.For WooCommerce, it adds buttons that you usually find in a store sidebar:Product categoriesRecent productsBest selling productsPopular productsFeatured productsProducts on saleBesides the WooCommerce-related widgets, the plugin also provides two post-related add-ons (recent posts and posts by category) and six new options for:Post gridPricing tableServicesContact formNewsletter formUser registration formAnd we are planning to add even more interesting fun ctionality, so even if you dont have a store, you can still use it for other purposes.Best for: online sellers who want to customize their e-commerce pages with interesting elements related to their productsWidgets type: WooCommerce (product categories, recent products, best selling products, popular products, sale, featured); single post elements (categories, recent posts, posts grid) and other (pricing table and services)Go to top2. Press Elements Press Elements Widgets for Elementor Author(s): Press ElementsCurrent Version: 1.7.2Last Updated: August 25, 2019press-elements.1.7.2.zip 78%Ratings 121,839Downloads WP 4.7+Requires This is a developer-friendly plugin that lets you use core WordPress elements in Elementor. For instance, you can add a preset site title, author box, business logo, or various post data to the Elementor page builder without having to recreate them again.The widgets are actually linked to these elements back-end code and are automatically generated w hen theyre requested.Once added in Elementor, you cant edit the site title or logo, since they are the default ones. Instead, you can customize them by doing things like:Making them bounceChanging their colorStyling them a bit to match the templates design.The nice part about this add-on is that it lets you save the design you created for a post and import it as a template for future (or past) posts and pages.Best for: developers and site owners who want to simplify their work by dragging back-end elements to the page builders front-endWidgets type: single post elements (title, excerpt, author, date, comments, featured image terms, custom field) global site elements (logo, title, description, counters)Go to top3. AnyWhere Elementor AnyWhere Elementor Author(s): WPVibesCurrent Version: 1.1Last Updated: August 14, 2019anywhere-elementor.zip 96%Ratings 173,515Downloads WP 4.4+Requires AnyWhere Elementor lets you save the templates that you create and embed them in other areas using  shortcodes. But thats not all.With this add-on, you can also create multiple layouts, add post elements, or create hooks to GeneratePress and OceanWP themes. I created a template via Elementor, pasted its shortcode in another post, and the template showed up there exactly as I built it.As for new elements, the add-on comes with the same post elements as Press Elements:ExcerptAuthor boxDateFeatured imageCommentsetc.You can find them in Elementor sidebar under AE name each. Best for: users who want to build beautiful Elementor templates and landing pages that can be easily transferred  across the site via shortcodes Widgets type: single post elements (title, excerpt, author, date, comments, featured image, terms, custom field)Go to top4. Elementor Addon Elements Elementor Addon Elements Author(s): WP VibesCurrent Version: 1.6Last Updated: October 2, 2019addon-elements-for-elementor-page-builder.zip 90%Ratings 425,760Downloads WP 4.4+Requires Elementor Addon Elements adds 16 neat new elements that havent been featured in any of the previous add-ons.Like:TimelineComparison tableFlip boxesText separatorsPricing tablesPost listsAnimated textVarious forms of text splittingGoogle MapTwitter integrationI personally like this plugin because it is easy to use, with no confusing functions, and adds awesome and interactive features to your content. That is, unlike the other free Elementor add-ons, its mainly just focused on giving you cool new ways to manipulate regular content.In short, this add-on is good if you want to animate your site a bit, but you can also use it to add a professional note to your business (brand).Best for: people who want to give their pages and content a new vibe via interactive, branding elementsWidgets type: mixed interactive elements (flip box, pricing table, text separator, shape separator, post list, animated text, text splitting)Go to top5. NavMenu Addon for Elementor NavMenu Addon For Elementor Author(s): ThemeIsleCurr ent Version: 1.1.6Last Updated: December 10, 2018navmenu-addon-for-elementor.zip 84%Ratings 305,148Downloads WP 4.4+Requires This is another great plugin that we acquired last month and we are looking forward to developing and expanding its features.As you can tell from the name, it will stylize and customize your menus via the Elementor interface by simply dragging and dropping a few widgets. Its important to mention that the tool doesnt create a new menu for you, it only adds new styling to the ones you already have on your WordPress dashboard.NavMenu Addon gives you three menus possibilities default menu, mega menu, and overlay menu to which you can add branding options and a search box. The overlay menus open in a full-screen overlay, lightbox-like window.Best for: non-technical people who want to customize and style their WordPress menusWidgets type: menu elements (mega menu, default menu, overlay menu, branding elements, search box)Go to top6. Elementor – Header, Footer Blocks Elementor Header, Footer Blocks Author(s): Brainstorm Force, Nikhil ChavanCurrent Version: 1.1.4Last Updated: September 19, 2019header-footer-elementor.zip 96%Ratings 948,856Downloads WP 4.4+Requires This add-on was made to let you create new headers, footers, and blocks (Gutenberg) in Elementor. Basically, you can design a header, footer, or block with Elementor and add it to your site.The only catch is that the plugin only works with 7 specific themes (all of which are popular themes for Elementor):NeveHestiaAstraGeneratePressOceanWPGenesisPhloxBest for: Neve, Hestia,  GeneratePress, OceanWP, Astra, and Genesis users who need fresh headers and footers, or want to be able to create blocksWidgets type: header footer elements (title, excerpt, date, author, terms, featured image, custom field, comments)Go to top7. StylePress for Elementor StylePress for Elementor Author(s): dtbakerCurrent Version: 1.2.1Last Updated: October 6, 2018full-site-builder-for- elementor.zip 84%Ratings 58,000Downloads WP 4.9+Requires StylePress is a complex plugin that lets you create a template via Elementor, save it, and then add it to various parts of your site. It also provides new elements such as:Email subscriptionSlidersStyled Google mapWordPress menusWhat I like about this plugin is that anything you create can be added anywhere on your site. For instance, I created a small landing page and I was able to use it as a homepage header, put it in single post content, on the search results page, or even make it show up as a 404 page. You can also remove your actual themes CSS and only keep what you designed with the page builder.With StylePress, you can practically create a new theme from scratch because you can put together various layouts and templates and add them where they belong on the site.StylePress has two concepts:Inner  Style is the one you use in posts and pages and may vary from page to page.Outer Style is the same throughout the who le website and includes the header, logo, footer, and sidebar.In short, this plugin lets you create templates for both styles and arrange everything to make it look like an actual theme design. Just create a layout and assign it to a style and a page type.Best for: coders and non-coders who want to design their site entirely (or partially) with Elementor if you use this plugin, you can create your own themeWidgets type: mixed elements (WordPress menu, email subscription, page slider, styled Google map)Go to top8. Hotel Booking Elementor Integration Hotel Booking Elementor Integration Author(s): MotoPressCurrent Version: 1.1.1Last Updated: May 13, 2019mphb-elementor.zip 0%Ratings 14,466Downloads WP 4.6+Requires Hotel Booking Elementor Integration add-on is new on the market and is designed specifically for the MotoPress Hotel Booking plugin. Its main aim is to help people edit the Hotel Booking plugin shortcodes visually in Elementor. Basically, this integration add-on cr eates user-friendly shortcode generators that are easy to use for non-tech people who build vacation rental WordPress websites.There are several widgets you can add in Elementor without a need to go back and forth to shortcodes and then posts/pages:Search availability form (check-in, check-out dates, number of adults)Search resultsProperties listing (or individual properties by IDs)Accommodation ratesBooking formCheckout formKeep in mind that these Elementor add-ons only work if you install MotoPress Hotel Booking plugin!Best for: people who build lodging WordPress websites and rent our their properties onlineWidgets type: mixed elements (single accommodation and properties listing, booking form, check-out form, search availability form, accommodation rates)Go to topThat concludes our comparison featuring the best free Elementor add-ons. Did we miss anything? If you are using other interesting plugins that add nice elements to Elementor, we would love to find out what they are.And b y the way, if youre using any of the plugins we presented in the post and want to share your opinion with us, we cant wait to read it, so tell us what you think. Check out these 8 free @elemntor add-ons for #WordPress

Free Essays on Reach Out And Touch Someone...Or Not

The issue of sexual harassment is not a new one. It has existed since the beginning of time; however, it has not gained notice until recently. In fact, women did not â€Å"start winning sexual harassment lawsuits until the mid 1970s† and the â€Å"first sexual harassment lawsuit to reach the Supreme Court was not decided until 1986† (Brown 43). The exact reasons for this phenomenon is not known but a better understanding of what sexual harassment encompasses can be gained by looking at the people it affects, defining what it is, when it occurs, where it happens, and why it does take place. To begin with, sexual harassment is â€Å"pervasive† occurring â€Å"in all social and economic classes† and that no person is immune (Stark 50). For example, Anita Hill, a Yale educated African American law professor, announced that she faced sexual harassment at the hands of Supreme Court judge nominee Clarence Thomas. In contrast to Hill’s higher socioeconomic status, Sheila Bensen, a 45 year old self employed Caucasian woman, was also a victim of sexual harassment (Benson 31). Nor does sexual harassment occur only among women contrary to popular belief (Schultz par.12). For example, in the Goluszek v. Smith case, a male â€Å"electronic maintenance mechanic† was belittled and cast out by his fellow workers. They â€Å"mocked him for not having a wife† and â€Å"used gender based images to assault his competence† (Schultz par. 13). Thus, it quite safe to say people of â€Å"all ages, classes, shapes, colors, and sizes† are possible targets of sexual harassment (Morris 32). What exactly is the definition of sexual harassment? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines it according to the guidelines of â€Å"three basic forms: (1.) quid pro quid, (2.) retaliation, and (3.) hostile environment. ...Quid pro quid is Latin for ‘what for what’ â€Å" (Stark 55). It is typically â€Å"a situation where a supervisor penalizes a subor... Free Essays on Reach Out And Touch Someone...Or Not Free Essays on Reach Out And Touch Someone...Or Not The issue of sexual harassment is not a new one. It has existed since the beginning of time; however, it has not gained notice until recently. In fact, women did not â€Å"start winning sexual harassment lawsuits until the mid 1970s† and the â€Å"first sexual harassment lawsuit to reach the Supreme Court was not decided until 1986† (Brown 43). The exact reasons for this phenomenon is not known but a better understanding of what sexual harassment encompasses can be gained by looking at the people it affects, defining what it is, when it occurs, where it happens, and why it does take place. To begin with, sexual harassment is â€Å"pervasive† occurring â€Å"in all social and economic classes† and that no person is immune (Stark 50). For example, Anita Hill, a Yale educated African American law professor, announced that she faced sexual harassment at the hands of Supreme Court judge nominee Clarence Thomas. In contrast to Hill’s higher socioeconomic status, Sheila Bensen, a 45 year old self employed Caucasian woman, was also a victim of sexual harassment (Benson 31). Nor does sexual harassment occur only among women contrary to popular belief (Schultz par.12). For example, in the Goluszek v. Smith case, a male â€Å"electronic maintenance mechanic† was belittled and cast out by his fellow workers. They â€Å"mocked him for not having a wife† and â€Å"used gender based images to assault his competence† (Schultz par. 13). Thus, it quite safe to say people of â€Å"all ages, classes, shapes, colors, and sizes† are possible targets of sexual harassment (Morris 32). What exactly is the definition of sexual harassment? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines it according to the guidelines of â€Å"three basic forms: (1.) quid pro quid, (2.) retaliation, and (3.) hostile environment. ...Quid pro quid is Latin for ‘what for what’ â€Å" (Stark 55). It is typically â€Å"a situation where a supervisor penalizes a subor...

Political Corruption in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Corruption in America - Research Paper Example The American government has been observed as corruption free from the viewpoint of other countries. Many of these states have contended that such attribute is the reason why America has become a superpower. However, if one is to critically assess the history of the American government, it can be observed that U.S. before was in truth and in fact struggling to eradicate the prevalent problem of corruption in its local and national level of government. Considerably, there have been many political personalities who have been charged and arrested for violating the anti-corruption law. To cite, U.S. Congressman Duke Cunningham in 2005 was charged with having conspired to commit bribery, wire fraud and tax evasion (Rozen 15; Meyers 14). He then decided to resign and relinquish his post. Later on, he was convicted and sentenced to over eight years of imprisonment and ordered to pay a whopping amount of more than one million dollars in restitution (â€Å"Duke Draws† A01). Notably, thi s type of corruption has been referred to as political corruption which poses danger to democracy and good governance and undermines the legitimacy of the government and its democratic values (Gore). According to Heidenheimer and Johnston, â€Å"political corruption involves a public official who violates the public’s trust in a manner which harms the public interest by knowingly exploiting his or her office for clear personal and private gain in a way which runs contrary to the accepted rules and standards for the conduct of public office so as to benefit a third party† (42). In this sense, there are two ideas which can be derived from this definition, corruption and the culture of corruption. There is a culture of corruption if a public officer does a corrupt act because he or she expects to be given a reward.

Imagining the Nation in British India Term Paper

Imagining the Nation in British India - Term Paper Example The prohibition of the practice in the year 1829 was considered to be an important step towards the emancipation of the Indian women. It is argued by Lata Mani that the women who were central to this practice had no role in the debate and the controversy was more about the meaning of Hindu tradition, the place of worship and the role assumed by the colonial state. She questions the motives of the British in the abolition of the practice. In her writings, she has shown how the colonial bureaucrats were divided in the intervention in the practice on the ground of the political implications of the issue. The role of the British in the mediation in a local matter cannot be considered as one based on humanitarian grounds. The author questions the objectives of the mediation as the practice of sati was initially condemned by the British but was later covertly approved by them and as a final stand they banned the practice officially. This transformation of stand only proves the views of the author that the acts of the British were not one based on humanity but were influenced by vested interests. When they understood that the open denouncement can cost them politically they approved it but later on in a bid to establish their political supremacy in a foreign country they banned the practice. Lata has also highlighted the scriptural interpretation related to widowhood. She explains how Rammohun Roy, a nineteenth-century noted Bengali reformer, interpreted the scriptures. The scriptures refer to the prescriptive tests that describe the rules of social living. Lata viewed these interpretations as an understanding mode that developed side by side along the colonial rule. Rammohun Roy highlighted that as per the brahmanic scriptures the sati can only be voluntary without any coercion. In her work she has also tried to draw attention to the role of Walter

Social Media from a Functionalist Perspective

Social Media from a Functionalist Perspective Introduction Late modern society is a network society (Castells, 1997). Devices such as smart phones are portable connect individuals in a complex system of interaction via emails, Facebook, Linkedin, Mumsnet, BlackBerry Messenger which support the functionalist vision. Social media sites are social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that function for the purpose of enabling the interaction between millions of individuals whenever, wherever and about whatever given subject they wish to communicate. By the end of 2013 Facebook had 1.23 billion subscribers (Sedghi, 2014). This growth amounted to 170 million new subscribers in 2013 alone (Sedghi, 2014). The main use of Facebook is to maintain socially cohesive contact with friends and family which supports the functionalist vision of society (Ofcom, 2011).   It is argued by C. Wright Mills (1956) that society is manipulated into a social order by the one-directional rhetoric of the mass media. In contrast, social media sites are capable of bi- directional interaction with others which is socially cohesive and supports the functionalist vision of society. However, this is not always the case. This paper provides a critical evaluation of the function of social media sites firstly by providing an overview of functionalism and secondly by illustrating how social media both supports and contradicts the functionalist vision of society. Functionalism The positivist approach of structural functionalists involves analysing society from a macro-sociological perspective. They view society as a set of interrelated institutions which form a whole (Abercrombie et al., 2000:145). Such institutions include the family, education, politics, law, the media, organisations, economics and religion (Abercrombie et al., 2000:145). These form the agents of socialization which the shape behaviours that form a public consensus among which they do through constant institutional interaction (Durkheim, 1893:50). Durkheim focused on the consequences of social change between two eras; pre-modern [mechanical] society and industrial [organic] society (Durkheim, 1893).   Pre-modern agrarian society was cohesive, tied by kinship with a collective consciousness of norms, which were constantly reinforced through socialisation and interaction (Durkheim, 1893). The shift from the simplicity of the mechanical society to the complexities of organic society impac ted negatively on kinship and collective values as individuals undertook multiple forms of work in this new mode of production; capitalism (Durkheim, 1893). Durkheims (1893) analysis of organic society extends an analogy originally devised by Spencer (1820–1903) whereby he likens society to the human body insofar as both have interdependent parts that must function for survival (Coser, 1893 [1997]: xvi).   If any organ [institution] malfunctions, the body social [society] becomes unstable (Durkheim, 1893). As such, each organism [individual] has a specialist role within these institutions which it performs for the social good; not least because their own survival depends on it (Durkheim, 1893). Appropriating active social change is not advised because the institutions and the body social will be destabilised causing anomie (Durkheim, 1893). Anomie is a causal factor of social instability as a result of the inequalities in the division of labour as a result of some organisms outperforming others (Durkheim, 1893). This differentiation exacerbated the stratification that formed hierarchies in the new industrial workforce which pola rised rich and poor (Durkheim, 1893). Social Dysfunction In a modern context, anomie also descended on the British inner cities for similar reasons in August 2011 when the dysfunction of the political, legal and educational institutions failed to meet the needs of the body social (Durkheim, 1893). Merton argues that institutional dysfunction which can be the unintentional consequences of latent functions (Merton, 1968:105). In contrast, adaptations to society by institutions are manifest functions which are deliberately applied (Merton, 1968:105). The manifest functions involved (Merton, 1968: 105). As Merton asserts, such functions are targeted towards individuals in diverse statuses, subgroups the larger social system and culture systems such as limiting opportunities to education through welfare reforms for British working class youths (Merton, 1968:106). The response by disaffected youths was the riots that ensued across the UK in 2011 which was orchestrated using the free service BlackBerry Messenger [BBM] (Lewis et al., 2012). BBM is a free service in which one message can be disseminated to hundreds of recipients instantly who then forward the message to the hundreds more (Lewis et al., 2012). The social cohesion resulting from BBM extended to a temporary truce between otherwise rival gangs which is a positive function of interaction (Lewis et al., 2012). The riots came to an abrupt end when BlackBerry disconnected the service thus illustrating how solidarity depends on interaction (Lewis et al., 2012). Twitter was also accused of inciting the riots but it was later proven that the 2.5 million riot-related tweets showed solidarity against the rioters whilst also recruiting individuals to help with the clean-up process which serve the functionalist vision of society (BBC News 2011: [Online]). Similarly, the anomie in Egypt and Tuni sia was corrected by implementing the overthrow of their relative dictators which was mobilised via Facebook (Bouteflika, 2011). The Social System It is also argued that crime is necessary, inevitable and functional because it elicits the solidarity of the law-abiding public whose anger culminates in the public shaming and punishment of the offender (Durkheim, 1893). Crime therefore serves to redefine the moral boundaries which supports the functionalist vision of society (Durkheim, 1893).   Unlike the riots, social stability occurs when all of the component parts are fully functioning producing a system of equilibrium (Parsons, 1951which is contingent upon the strength or weaknesses of the interactive relationships between the institutions (Parsons, 1951: [1999: 84). In this context, Parsons (1951) claims that actors are goal-achieving and have alternate ways of achieving goals such as through education which is universal and equal (1951:130). In contrast, Merton argues that society sets the cultural goals but fails to provide the institutional means to achieve them (1938:100). While Durkheims functionalist vision is positivist in its assumptions that organisms are homogenous, Talcott Parsons theory of The Social System recognised that society comprised of a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other (1951 [1991]: 3). Parsons (1951) argued that the social system is contingent upon a set of four prerequisites which include: adaptation in times of social change due to one of the institutions malfunctioning; goals involves achieving certain goals in society; integration is the reliance that actors will identify with their social group; and latency involves maintaining the foundations of the social system such as through solid family socialisation.   Mumsnet This would never be tolerated by the UKs top parenting site Mumsnet which is an interactive forum run by parents for parents (Mumsnet, 2015: [Online]). Mumsnet offers advice to parents on pregnancy, education, money, and work (Mumsnet, 2015: [Online]). Within these discourses advice ranging from breastfeeding to university education is all designed to educate and optimise how parents raise their utmost for their children (Mumsnet, 2015 [Online]).   In this context, Mumsnet clearly supports the functional vision of society as it interacts with most of the institutional organs of the body social most all of the institutions (Mumsnet, 2015). According to Maxwell and Aggleton, (2013:139) Mumsnet contains symbolic and ritualistic undercurrents that allow the class disparities to surface. For example, Mumsnet has a strict netiquette whereby husbands and children are identified within the posts by individuals as DH [dear husband] DS [dear son] and DD [dear daughter] which denotes ritual whilst imposing middle class values on working class families.   Parsons argues that the primary problems and strains centre on the role of the wife and mother †¦ The easy solution is for her to be completely excluded from the occupational system by confining herself to the role of housewife (1951:128).   However, Mumsnet mothers consider themselves professional mothers who can juggle their work-life balance with ease (2013:139). For example, class disparities are evident in an exchange on Mumsnet between several mothers on children watching TV. For example, We cant all be Mother Earth I wouldnt listen to some of the militant mums on here Being pregnant is no reason to be lazy parent to your toddler How judgey some people can be about a little TV At least the child isnt strapped in a buggy with a packet of crisps and a bottle of coke Nowt wrong with crisps and a bottle of coke Exactly, as long as theyre organic (Maxwell and Aggleton, 2013:138) Such class differentiations are glaringly evident on Mumsnet who sell themselves as professional mothers who are well versed in child rearing (Maxwell and Agglegate, 2013). While functionalists overlook class in their macrosociological analysis, Mumsnet is class led and intimidating it is a site for those mothers who do not fear militant mothers or those labelled as Mother Earth (Maxwell and Agglegate, 2013:139). While in principle the mother and homemaker serves the functionalist vision of society, through rituals and cultural practices, the fact that many Mumsnet mothers are working or unmarried will contradict this vision as being negative to children (Maxwell and Aggleton, 2013). The collective consciousness that perform rituals and totemic symbolisation provides a cauldron of collective effervescence for the religious (Durkheim, 1915: 469). Religion which is the most socially cohesive element of the institutions collective life awakens religious thought (Durkheim, 1915: 469). (Coser, 1915: xx). Evidence of such effervescence surrounds Christmas, weddings Bar Mitzvahs and funerals is displayed on social media sites because religion is an eminently collective thing (Durkheim, 1954: 47). Death is also a ritual and a commodity as people flock to mourn the departed; this collective mourning is replicated via social media (Durkheim, 1954; Bell, 1992). Durkheim argued that all societies were divided by the sacred and the profane; the sacred are the totemic objects that are reserved for religious rituals which are emblematic of the clan or tribe, community or society; this is the case across the globe as all primitive religions adopt   the sacred/profane dichotomy (Durkheim 1915: xx). Sacred totems evoke emotional attachment whereas the profane represents everyday objects that are used routinely (such as social media devices) (Durkheim, 1915: xx). However, such totems are only sacred because individuals deemed them as such (Durkheim, 1915). To this end, Durkheim dismisses the centrality of a God in religion; it is the society itself that is God (19). It could be argued that the online community also worships itself as social media sites are central to society (Preston, 2011: [Online]). For example, in the previous week to the time of writing, the Facebook page Jesus Daily received 26.6m Likes and 3.2m interactions (Facebook, 2015: [Online]). Similarly, In a Facebook post by a Jesuit priest supporting the Supreme Court decision to legalise gay marriage Rev. James Martin asserted that: No issue brings out so much hatred from so many Catholics as homosexuality. Even after over 25 years as a Jesuit, the level of hatred around homosexuality is †¦ unbelievable to me, especially when I think of all of the wonderful LGBT friends I have (cited in Gibson, 2015: [Online]). The Reverends message went viral receiving 18,000 posts,140,000 shares and 400,000 likes on Facebook (Gibson, 2015:[Online]).However, Pope Benedict warned Catholics that human interaction in physical terms was crucial (Preston, 2011: [Online]). Similarly, a Presbyterian reverend urged individuals to experience the physical sensation of water in Baptism [and] hold hands in a service of worship (Preston, 2011: [Online]). This illustrates how religion is mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols (Parsons, 1979:6). Durkheim argues that forbidden, beliefs and practises assists the solidarity to one moral community called a church (Durkheim, 1995:44).   A Church is not simply a priestly brotherhood; it is a moral community (Durkheim, 1995: xxii-xxxii). The anomaly lies in the founder of Jesus Daily,   Aaron Tabor who is actually doctor and finds time to update Jesus Daily with Biblical texts (Preston, 2011: [Online]; Drescher, 2011 ). Similarly, the retw eeting of Pope Francis tweets comes second only to Barak Obama (1954: 47). This is evidence of a shift towards maintaining a less secular online identity which supports the functionalist vision of society for its cohesive qualities.   In contrast however, radical religiosity contradicts the functionalist vision. ISIS uses YouTube to showcase its killing; Twitter to increase its presence and Facebook to radicalise and recruit young British Muslims from a distance because criminals are often the result of instinctive, irresistible feelings that they often spread to the innocent object (Durkheim, 1893:47; Engel, 2015). While Twitter is constantly deleting ISIS accounts, ISIS is more intelligent than terrorists of the past which most definitely contradicts the functionalist vision (Engel, 2015). Conclusion In conclusion it is evident following a critical evaluation of the debates above that social media on the whole supports the functionalist view of society in maintaining to high degree the social stability of the body social. 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