Organizational Theory Essay Writing Techniques. RMIT UniversitySlide 2 Essay Writing Introduction:...

Organizational Theory

Essay Writing Techniques

RMIT University Slide 2

Essay WritingIntroduction:

• Main Argument (highlighted in red)• Statements of Intent (highlighted in blue)



Good Examples


Cultural regulation is increasingly crucial since the world is changing so rapidly that our values and social practices are constantly being redefined.

In this modernized world, much of our culture is influenced by mass media, especially what we watch on television and listen to on the radio. Hence, a persistent debate on cultural regulation centres around media regulation, in particular, broadcast indecency which is about what is inappropriate content and when can such content be broadcast, if at all.

The focus of this essay will be on free-to-air broadcast since that is the centre of broadcast indecency laws in America. The issue of whether regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should regulate broadcast indecency depends on whether one follows the conservative or liberal schools of thought. However, with the rise of independent watchdogs like the Parents Television Council (PTC) in America, the question of re-regulating broadcast indecency is constantly debated.


The mass media has been a constant site of debate on issues of regulation and de-regulation of cultural material, with sexual morality being one of the most contested aspects. This essay shall aim to show the constant tension between regulation and de-regulation through the case of Janet Jackson’s exposed breast in 2004 Super Bowl broadcast.

The controversies surrounding sexual representations and practices arise when different groups have different perspectives and stances on cultural regulation.

The discussion shall first begin with an introduction to the cultural values, beliefs and norms underpinning U.S. entertainment policies, after which, I shall explore various parties; mainly the Federal Communications Commissioning (FCC) and CBSs’ different views on cultural regulation. This shall be followed by assessing the impact of this airing on the general viewing population, where the idea of technology and globalization will come into place. Finally, there will be an evaluation of the pros and cons of the regulation/de-regulation/re-regulation with the views of the Parents Television Council will be taken into account. This will help to frame the argument of why the courts should be the ultimate authority on regulation of broadcast indecency. Yet, the courts should not be the only authority involved in this regulation process; an uphill task of striking a delicate balance of regulation and de-regulation in mass media is required.


How tattoos function to establish identity cannot be discussed without an understanding of the perspectives on identity which are broadly divided into the essentialist and non-essentialist views. Essentialists believe there is one clear set of characteristics, shared by people, which remain unchanged through time. In contrast, non-essentialists believe in the non-fixity of identities since they are socially constructed by and in cultural meanings and practices (Woodward, 2002).

Both perspectives discuss identity through their views on the body, which needs to be considered in the modern context where we are presented with a plethora of choices to altering our bodies. As such, today, we speak of body projects in affluent societies like Singapore where the body is treated as a project, open to reconstruction according to the owner’s preferences (Shilling, 2002). Tattoos would certainly figure as a body project.

To analyse the use of tattoos, this essay will focus on the non-essentialist perspective which sees the body as something dynamic. The context of this discussion will be the growing popularity of tattoos in Singapore, especially among youth. In particular, Norbert Elias’s ideas will be used to discuss whether the industry should be regulated to ensure that they do not impulsively get tattoos.


Culture is a fluid, ongoing process and cultural change, inevitable as it is, occurs at the collective and the individual level. To discuss its occurrences at these two levels as absolutely separate and independent entities would be, however, misguided. Collective culture shapes the individual, much as the individual can attempt to manipulate culture. In this essay, I am going to discuss how collective culture can be changed by processes of cultural diffusion, changes in collective conscience, and the formation of subcultures, as well as how the individual is shaped by these changes and processes and how he can consciously manipulate culture if he chooses to.



Bad Examples (see my comments)


In this article I shall try to address some of the sharper questions that are rightly asked about broadcasting regulation. Is it a form of censorship, a kind of restraint of trade, a block on freedom of expression, an enabler of cultural and political rights? I hope to arrive at some answers in a relatively indirect way by exploring a few selected examples of the philosophy and practice of regulation, and by drawing my examples from different periods and different countries, specifically from Britain and from the United States of America. I hope it will be apparent from these examples that regulation is subject to a changing political and social context and I suggest that we might see these changes in terms of a kind of ebbing and flowing of regulatory practice in the twentieth century. Each approach requires an evaluation to assure the desired outcome is achievable. Regulation and deregulation does not always achieve the purpose for which they were intended. When we make decisions about these types of actions, we must be careful to understand the principles. There are critical areas of society, which require that regulations be in place. Examples of these are medicine, safety, national security, anti-trust, environmental, utilities, national defense, food, and disaster relief.

- Do not ask questions for the sake of asking questions. If you ask questions in your introduction, you need to deal with these questions.

- Be confident, do not use phrases like “I hope”. You are writing an academic essay, not making a Christmas wish list. Instead, just write, “It will be apparent…”


Family, throughout the centuries, has been a controversial subject to a lot of sociologists and other people of the academic world. What is the family? People will give you various definitions of the word ‘family’, as it is a very personal thing to each of us. This is because due to the different ways we are brought up, in different kinds of family units. We have different ideals, definition of the word “family”.

- The term “people” is always ambiguous. Who are these “people”? Instead, be specific as to which group of individuals you are referring to.


Essay WritingNever Write Like This!!! You are not writing your own diary.

Taking the ever popular sit-com Friends for example, most of the characters are not [blood] related, but they looked so close and empathetic, and affectionate towards each other. I begin to ponder that sometimes, even I could not be there all the time for my sister whenever they are in plight, as say, Joey towards Rachel when she got pregnant. Thus, I begin to place questions in my head like, “Could this be called a family or are they just friends?”


Essay WritingMain Body:

• Paragraphing– Content: 1 or 2 key issues– Style: Academic (proper paragraph lengths) NOT

Journalistic (short lengths like newspaper paragraphs or web articles)

• How to link paragraphs together– Key words/phrases


Essay WritingHow to Link Paragraphs Together:

Example 1

As stated earlier, having a sociological imagination allows us to not look at phenomena at face value. This can be illustrated through the following example. In M. Harris’ research on “India Sacred Cow”, he helps us unravel the mystery that is one of the major tenets of Hinduism.



Example 2

When talking about the family, there is a tendency to quickly relate it to the nuclear form of family that is the traditional form of family.



Example 3

Besides the above mentioned, the alternative family is on the rise. More homosexual couples are receiving “recognition” from the world these days as compared to the past.



Example 4

Finally, as stated in C .W. Mills’ work, the sociological imagination allows one to recognize the interplay of biography and history. Through this, we can understand that culture is in fact a continuous process and is constantly changing. For example,…


Essay WritingConclusion:

• Summary of Main Points• Reiteration of Main Argument


Essay Writing

Conclusion

Good Examples


In conclusion, the essay has shown how the combination of social and economical factors creates the constant debates on regulation/de-regulations/re-regulations. There is the constant struggle of the different meanings and interpretations of cultural material, with some of the aspects viewed to be too important to be left alone in the unregulated markets. At the same time, mass media institutions would capitalize on the notions of self-regulation and appeal to liberalism and commercial ideologies in order to assert the importance of individual citizen’s rights to free choice. Hence, there is a need for the state to exert its authority on the regulation of broadcast indecency. This would address the continuous tension between regulations, de-regulation and re-regulation that varies according to political, socio-economical circumstances. It is of particular importance that the courts take into consideration views of various groups and people. This will help to ensure the implementation of policies that preserve social order without limiting the pursuit of economic regeneration in terms of personal leisure and consumption of mass media.


In conclusion, this essay has attempted to examine the use of body tattoos as a body project by using various theories. It has discussed how cultural essentialism based on an assumed shared history and culture, has imposed on the contemporary bodies the negative identity of a gangster. This was followed by analysis of this body project by using the social construction theories. Although it seems to be a fairer way of evaluating body tattooing by attributing the identities of bodies to the social and cultural factors, it has diminished the importance of body as a material and physical entity (Shilling, 1997, p101). Hence, Shilling’s theory of socio-natural body would then be more helpful as it take into account both the social factors and biological aspects of body. This was then linked to Bourdieu’s theory of the body, as physical capital captures the idea of the body as personal resources and social symbols of identity that contributes to the production of social differences. Finally, we have explored how Elias’s characteristic of the civilized body: socialization, rationalization and individuation, could be relevant to the societal and individual’s development of this form of body project in Singapore.


In conclusion, the sociological imagination can thus help us see through the social constructs of society in terms of culture. It cannot be said that all cultural practices are cast in stone and thus cannot be contested. But relying on the sociological imagination, we are thus able to understand the underlying reasons of certain cultural practices and the reasons for following such practices. They could be out of economical or political reasons that certain cultural practices are maintained. Thus, by using the sociological imagination, one will ultimately be able to look beyond the surface and dig deeper into our cultural practices and traditions that we uphold in this modern world that we live in.


Essay WritingReferencing: Para-phasing

(Author, Year)

Lack of variability in a product is an important measure of its quality (Shannon 2003).

OR

Shannon (2003) describes the role of statistics in

minimising product variability.


Essay WritingReferencing: Direct Quotation(Author, Year, Page Number)

Statistical thinking can be defined as a ‘set of thought processes and value systems that focus on understanding, managing and reducing variation in the output of the firm’ (Shannon 2003, p. 5).

ORShannon defines statistical thinking as a ‘set of thought processes and value systems that focus on understanding, managing and reducing variation in the output of the firm’ (2003, p. 5).

Organizational Theory Essay Writing Techniques. RMIT UniversitySlide 2 Essay Writing Introduction:...

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