So, it's currently about 10°C outside, I need to wear a jacket inside, and my upstairs tenants are running MULTIPLE air conditioners.

Are my tenants (on an "utilities included" rental agreement) being assholes, or is this just "landlord brain" kicking in? 'Cuz seriously, I can't afford the bill from the ppl upstairs, & they don't seem to give a shit... am I missing something?

♚  ━━━  ❛ ALL ABOUT AUGUST.

G E N E R A L  —

NAME.         his full birth name is august ahn-evergreene, his last names being a combination of his maternal and paternal last names because his mother wasn’t going to allow her children to not have her last name in some fashion. however, in his twenties he drops evergreene and only uses ahn as his last name due to a rift with his mother / wanting an identity separate from her ( he’s not fond of his father either but he has a habit of leaving town so it’s easier for august to distance himself from that part of his family’s ‘legacy’ ).

AGE.         he appears in his late 20s ( 27-30 ) but is around 60 years old due to the extended lifespan of a mage.

HEIGHT.          he stands at 6′1 ( 185.42 ). no, he’s not a sloucher and is the type to internally judge people who do because stand up straight wtf?

WEIGHT.          170 pounds ( 77.1kg ). he’s lean and not overly muscular; doesn’t do much heavy physical activity anymore due to his current ‘condition’.

ETHNICITY.         korean-filipino american mage. he comes from a bloodline of magic-users. if commenting on his natural magical prowess, expect a dry ‘of course, i was breed to be.’ in response.

OCCUPATION.           he is what the people of crescent creek call ‘the overseer’, the highest sitting member of the council of novema ( or just ‘the council’ for short ). they are the ones who ‘govern’ the town and its people, establishing laws and stepping in to resolve high-level matters between residents if it should come to it. with the council needing to hear matters from the magi, vampires, fae, werewolves, and other beings, august has a constant headache.

GENDER.          cis-male.

SEXUAL & ROMANTIC ORIENTATION.         he would state that he’s heterosexual but admittedly he’s never fully explored his sexuality enough for that to be a definite statement. he hasn’t seriously dated in a very long time™ and it isn’t interested in changing that.

MBTI.         INTJ-A,  The  Architect  —  it can be lonely at the top. as one of the rarest personality types – and one of the most capable – architects ( INTJs ) know this all too well. rational and quick-witted, architects may struggle to find people who can keep up with their nonstop analysis of everything around them. these personalities can be both the boldest of dreamers and the bitterest of pessimists. architects believe that, through willpower and intelligence, they can achieve even the most challenging of goals. but they may be cynical about human nature more generally, assuming that most people are lazy, unimaginative, or simply doomed to mediocrity.

S P E C I F I C S  —

FAVOURITE  FOOD.           he’s very particular about getting his three meals a day in if he can but he probably has the most fondest for food that was often served at dinner time with his family or when all his cousins spent time at his lola’s house when they visited her. dishes such as bopis, kimchi, pancit canton, tocino and rice, korean styled steak, etc. are personal favorites.

FAVOURITE  DRINK.           his day isn’t complete without having a nice, chilled glass of vintage red wine during dinner ( and maybe just drinking straight from the bottle by the end of the night ). he does enjoy drinking rosé during a nice breakfast or lunch depending on the bottle.

FAVOURITE  HOBBY.          brooding. joking aside, he does enjoy sparring matches, ‘magical’ based sparring matches. he does practice taekkyeon ( korean martial arts ) and enjoys mixing spells in by shocking opponents, blocking their spells with his own wards, etc.

FAVOURITE  SCENT.             the smell of freshly cut grass as well as the scent of pomegranates, vanilla, cinnamon, and musk. the former is bittersweet and nostalgic, reminding of his years as a teen: when he was young, oblivious, and only had to be concerned about being late to football / soccer practice. the latter reminds him of someone he would rather forget.

FAVOURITE  PERSON.        i. his twin brother, ansel ahn. his death still hurts and he’ll always partially blame himself for it - despite the fact that there would’ve been nothing he could’ve done to change it. ( this is the part where that wand.avision quote is inserted in ). the loss of his brother dramatically changes the course of his life. ii. his lola, nora evergreene. she grounds him a lot. one of the few times he’s at peace is when he visits her for brunch every third saturday of the month. iii. his ex, audrey cramer. he would never admit it out loud though - at least not anymore.

T E N   F A C T S  —

he’s well versed in magical creatures : one of the 'gifts’ of being the overseer is the ability to traverse pass the veil - a barrier / entry way that exist between ‘earth’ and the many dimensions that exist beyond it. this ability, however, is one that has fallen out of use over the past few decades. ever the abnormally, august makes use of this ability for his own personal agenda. outside of the different races that already live within crescent creek ( witches, vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. ), there are those that prefer to live freely in their own worlds rather than live in secrecy on earth. so yes, he has met unicorns and he thinks most of them are actually assholes.

on the nature of the veil : the origin of the veil itself is a mystery. all that is known that about its existence is that many millennium ago, those from different dimensions ( or ‘worlds’ ) were able to freely pass through it without the need of assistance or a spell. as time progressed and humanity began to rise, passage through the veil became increasingly more restricted, leading to entry ways within the veil being sealed and only accessible through the leader in each world ( ex. the overseer in crescent creek ). although the town of crescent creek has always traded with other towns, cities, etc. pass the veil, many of those trades have slowed to a stop entirely as those dimensions have become inaccessible. to somewhat ease panic and concern, the council has framed the issue being due to other dimensions permanently closing themselves off from earth ( a situation that has previously happened some worlds ). in truth, the veil itself has become 'infected’ by a foreign spell that’s led to the blocking of entry ways that lead into other worlds. due to not knowing the source of the spell and its affect on the veil, the knowledge of its presence is unknown to most people in crescent creek. // note: this is more of an overall ‘lore’ fact that explains the backdrop of what’s going on in this ‘world’ to understand other facts about him. in the grand scheme of things, this wouldn’t come up when interacting with him.

he doesn’t believe in astrologists, psychics, fortune tellers, etc. : which may seem contradictory considering he’s a literal magical being but in his experience, it’s typically humans pushing pseudoscience or mages using their magic to con clueless humans. people in that line of ‘work’ are hacks to him - especially since he’s seen it first hand with his own father’s profession.

over the past twenty years, he’s been continuing his brother’s research : ansel, his older, twin brother, had been studying the distortions within the veil in secret before his death a decade prior. although the status of the veil was supposed to be concealed to those outside of the council’s reach, ansel confided in his brother before his death. in august’s eyes, whatever spell that’s taken over the veil is an active threat and with the backing of onyx crane, a vampire on the council, and his cousin, faye evergreene, he began an almost obsessive-like determination to complete his brother’s work and find answers - even if it’s to his own detriment. // *note: with a big soap opera trope being people returning from the dead, it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that ansel, is in fact, not actually dead. he used a storm that hit the town as a means to fake his own death ( disasters that kill off characters is usually a soap opera storyline that happens during ‘sweeps’ period ) and left town for his own agenda.

the youngest overseer to sit in the council : his status as the overseer is one steeped in controversy due to...a variety of reasons: an overseer typically is replaced by another council member by vote or an apprentice to the overseer should they have one after an overseer’s death, resignation, or if they’ve been forcefully discharged from the position. none of these things applied to august’s own mother, tala ahn-evergreene, when he usurped her - blackmailing the council by threatening to expose the truth about the current threat of the veil. // *note: in every ( american ) soap opera, it is a staple to have a ‘thing’, whether it be a business, a central institution in town ( ex. a hospital ), or a position ( CEO of a company, chief of staff at a hospital, etc. ) that many of the characters are tied to or even fighting for control over. ELQ, the quartermaine’s family business on general hospital, often have storylines where family members are fighting over shares of the company, who should run it, or the family teaming up to oust an outsider that’s taken over the company ( funnily enough, there is a story like the latter happening on the show right now ). the point here is that being the overseer or even sitting on the council of novema is that ‘thing’ that people fight over to be on for various reason. 

he takes his personal upkeep very seriously : there’s a lot of things one could say about crescent creek’s current overseer but no one can ever say they’ve seen august ahn not look put together when he’s out and about ( this is him going out publicly basically ). as someone who values consistency and control in his life but pretty much never has it, august actually highly treasures the time spent doing his morning / nightly skincare routines, getting his acupuncture treatments, and so on. he supports the self care movement essentially.

he ( as well as his siblings ) once witnessed one of his father’s affairs : it was an awful experience. -10/10. doesn’t recommend. this incident shapes his attitude towards relationships in general and how he operates within them. august has a very black and white attitude about relationships: you are either with him 100% or you’re not with him at all. it’s unhealthy and he has to unpack that. // *fun fact: this is actually a real event that happened with this family back in the sims 2 over ten years ago - they just all had different names, were a different race, and so on at that point.. they’ve changed a lot:tm:. 

may be an active suspect for murder : it happens. when marlena cramer, a former council member, suddenly passes on, the town is overtaken by a wave of a grief...that soon becomes shock and suspicion when her death is rules to be from unnatural causes. between being one of the last people to see her alive and reports of him wanting her off the council, august becomes one of the prime suspects for her murder case. // *note: whodunit’s are probably up there with ‘who’s the daddy’ storylines in terms of being the most common soap opera staple ( ex. who shot j.r. on dallas ).

voted most likely to be successful in his HS yearbook : august was the picture perfect prom king, the jock that was friends with everyone on campus, and the one everyone expected ride off into the sunset with his hs sweetheart. on paper, august was well rounded - some would say outright perfect. today, those who knew him in high school would shake their heads and ask themselves what happened to the boy who always smiled at them when he passed you by in the hallway or whose laughter could easily be heard the loudest in a classroom. august, as he is now, is a stranger to those that once knew him.

it’s happening gradually but he is, in fact, dying : many of the worlds that had become unaccessible were not only blocked off but were actively decaying - many of its residents fleeing to other worlds before they were forever trapped in a dying one while others locked their entry ways to stop the spell from spreading to their own homes. the overseers in crescent creek were restricted from traversing the veil themselves due to the unknown risk of the spell, a rule that august actively ignores. every time he travels through the veil, the more the spell slowly eats away at him - a fact that he is well aware of and he has no desire to stop. he will keep traveling worlds ( and helping those he can ) until he finds the source of the spell and kills its caster himself.

FIVE  THINGS  HE  LIKES.

visiting the sauna. the heat helps with his internal pain.

eating home-cooked meals.

getting hydrafacials ( james_franco_so_good.gif ).

smoking with his cousin, faye.

blasting emo music as he gets drunk, questions his life choices, and stares at the ceiling

FIVE  THINGS  HE  DISLIKES.

feeling used.

disloyal / uncommitted people

selfishness.

tough, chewy steak.

cheap wine.

COMMON  WORDS / PHRASES  THAT  ANNOY  THEM.         during a misunderstanding or argument, the worst thing to tell him is that he ‘doesn’t understand’. even if the person is somewhat correct, august is a person that prides himself on being an objective observer of a situation, rational in his thinking, and not someone who lets his emotions dictate his choices. saying something like that to him would just further annoy him.

PERSONALITY  TYPES  THEY  PREFER.        those who are smart, loyal, and efficient. those who are willing to dirty their hands on occasion, and believe that the ends do justify the means.

PERSONALITY  TYPES  THEY  AVOID.       selfish and incompetent people, those who proceed to waste his time, useless people in positions of powers, jerky unicorns.

WHAT  DO  YOU  FIND  DIFFERENT / DISTINCT  ABOUT  YOUR  PORTRAYAL?

         the whole concept of this ‘world’ is based around soap opera cliches and tropes so the character is intentionally ‘tropey’ and meant to pull from different fictional men from the genre - as well as outside of it. i would say him being the leading man is unique within itself because people of color in soaps ( at least within american soaps which this is all inspired by ) are generally never the leads or involved in what i actually watch soaps for: the drama, the love stories, the scheming, the cheating, etc. they’re usually the straight men to the white characters; living well off but boring lives and are rarely given front burner stories. all black people in a soap opera are usually always going to somehow know each other, only date each other, etc. you can switch black people out with latinos, asians, etc. and it would still be true. the characters of color are easily written off as a result of this.

        in general, soap operas are very white - and still are today. they have a history of casting white people as mexican characters, ex. lindsay hartley as theresa on passions. asian american soap characters are severly lacking - i could probably count the amount of i’ve seen on screen. a black actress formerly on general hospital mentioned how people jokingly called the show ‘generally white hospital’ behind the scenes. chad.wick bos.eman left all my children because of how much of a stereotype his character was - and he was right ( ironically, michael b. jord.an was his recast ). some shows are getting better, bold and beautiful currently has a story involving two characters cheating ( one of which is black ) and it’s hot af but it’s still not enough for the times we’re in. this isn’t a problem exclusive to soaps either - most media has a problem with this. people of color aren’t getting lead roles and especially not romantic lead roles - even if they do, the shows always make it a interracial romance with a white person ( ex. bridg/erton ) as if people of color of different races are incapable of dating each other.

         finally, i’ve noticed that you rarely see asian american men portrayed as romantic leads or desirable ( at least in a non-fetishized way ) in western media. that’s pretty lame:tm: so that was also a factor when i revamped audrey’s love interest ( parts of ‘old’ him still exist, ex. him being a jock / king of the school as a teen, a complicated relationship with his brother, etc ). anyway, stan august uwu.

tagged by:   i took it from myself. tagging:   anyone who wants to.

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terrible with the brightness of gold, 6/6

(cherik fic, viking au, subtle a/b/o)

(part 1 here, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5)

Thanks so much for your patience, everyone! I’m not dead!! Here’s the last part for this section.

Warning in this part for discussion of child murder, some dub con elements, and threats of self harm.  

----------

Throughout the rest of dinner, Charles is left alone to process what has just happened and what it means for him. On the edges of his awareness, a rowdy song rings through the hall and inebriated Vikings toast their victory.

It’s clear from Lehnsherr’s announcement that he plans to make England his base and home, even if he intends to continue his conquering outwards. It’s an unprecedented move and Charles can’t begin to account for it; but, regardless of the cause, he must readjust his plans for these new circumstances.

Around him the torches burn low once more, and this time aren’t replaced. The drunken singing and reveling tapers off and the hall slowly begins to empty of its occupants.

“Come.”

Charles looks up to find Lehnsherr’s hand filling his field of vision, once again extended towards him. It seems that most of their interactions thus far have consisted of the other commanding him about.

He ignores the gesture, and stands on his own, figuring his rudeness can this once be excused.

As they leave the hall, Charles following behind Lehnsherr, he doesn’t make eye contact with any of its denizens. He doesn’t want to know what he will find in their gazes.

Fortunately most of the remaining men are too drunk to take notice of them.

To his surprise, rather than heading back to the keep he finds himself being led towards the city gates. Lehnsherr, then, is not setting up in the palace, at least not yet. He wonders if this is a decision moved by habit or a sign of lingering mistrust: the keep, while secure, could well be breached from within the city.

At least he gets his own horse this time.

The moon is bright, and its light is enough to guide their way back to the camp.

They are alone, and for a split second Charles thinks of running. He could turn his horse around, break off in another direction. He’s a good rider, and it would take him only a few minutes to reach the woods: a terrain with which he is familiar and Lehnsherr and his men are not. But it’s just a fleeting thought. What keeps him here is not Viking force, but his loyalty to his people, his sense of duty, and the mission he has yet to accomplish.

He re-adjusts his grip on the reins and moves on.

He pays little attention to his surroundings as he rides. Horses’ eyes are keen and can see well in the dark; he trusts his mount to carry him safely. Instead, Charles considers the fact that he is once again facing marriage to a stranger.

He’s survived it once, and he can do it again. He and his husband of fourteen years had never been particularly fond of each other, but all things considered Sebastian hadn't treated him badly. He was never overly cruel (to Charles, at least). The Black King had recognized in him an asset; a keen mind, an aptitude for statecraft, and had taken care to shape his young spouse accordingly, treating him as well as any useful object.

They had had what might be called a workable relationship--and perhaps in time something like that could be crafted again. But right now, that’s of little importance. Right now all that matters is how this new development can help him to complete his mission: namely that Lehnsherr has inadvertently given Charles a position of strength from which to bargain.

The camp is still bustling but slowing down when they arrive back. Charles dismounts and hands his reigns over to a figure in the waiting party--a boy, perhaps a page of some sort. He looks very young to be a part of a Viking war party, and Charles feels a pang of sympathy.  

As Lehnsherr leads the way back through the camp, they are flanked by several men. Some carry torches, others seem to be reporting back to Lehnsherr, exchanging tidbits of information in low tones. Occasionally he sees them look over to him, a half-step behind, with curious glances.

They weren’t at the banquet, of course. They wouldn’t yet know.

They weave through the tents and presently stop outside what Charles is surprised to recognize as the tent from this morning. It was so plain, unlived-in that he would never have imagined it belonged to Lehnsherr--though maybe if he had he might have seen some of this coming. 

Lehnsherr detaches the heavy train of his cloak, sweeping it off his shoulders and handing it over to an attendant. He’s giving instructions to someone else, but Charles doesn’t really pay attention. He doesn’t speak Danish, anyway.

At last they begin to disperse, exchanging a short phrase that could be ‘good night’. Lehnsherr lifts the tent flap and gestures for Charles to walk in ahead of him. He goes.

After the evening’s events, this at least is not unexpected. There are all sorts of reasons for Lehnsherr to want to bed him: to bind their engagement, to stake his claim in the eyes of his men—plus the fact that Lehnsherr has been fighting without omega company for quite some time. He imagines it’s been many nights since the man had someone to warm his bed. And Norsemen have a more relaxed approach to the vows of marriage, not requiring them in order to sanctify their conduct.

“I’ve no intention of hurting you,” Lehnsherr says shortly and gruffly, perhaps misattributing Charles’ silence to fear. “We Danes respect our spouses.” He's already started stripping off his battle layers. Putting aside the thick, leather gambeson, unlacing his vambraces. Someone has left several candles burning, bathing the tent in a gentle glow.

It is this ridiculous assertion that finally pulls Charles out of his stupor.

“Oh really?” he huffs, “Do you respect them enough to ask their consent to marry them?”

Lehnsherr’s head snaps back towards him—perhaps surprised by this spark of energy after his relative docility since dinner.

He levels Charles with a measured gaze before responding. “There wasn't enough time to consult you, and there seemed little point, knowing you could hardly refuse.” He leaves the final part unsaid; that their last interaction hadn’t left him in the mood to confer. He goes back to tending to his garments, folding them and piling them neatly, and finally, unbuckling his sword and laying it to the side.

“So which am I, then? Your prisoner or your spouse? As I assure you, I won’t be both.”

Lehnsherr huffs a laugh as he turns back to Charles, now wearing just a light tunic. “You’re quick, I’ll give you that.”

And then those hands are on him, grasping Charles and pulling him in closer to capture his mouth in a kiss—

Charles firmly pushes him back. Straight to it, then. “You’ve still not answered my question, Your Grace.”

Rather than reply, Lehnsherr crowds forward once more, the corners of his mouth curling up into a smirk, carrying this interaction with an infuriating air of humour. As though Charles poses no threat. Charles backs away as Lehnsherr advances. His foot seems to catch on the edge of the piled furs that make up the sleeping place, and he stumbles, falling back onto their cushioned surface.

With a hungry look, Lehnsherr prowls over him.

And then he freezes.

“Not a sound to your men,” Charles quietly directs, his boot knife resting lightly across the back of the other man’s neck, his heart beating wildly.

The sharp edge of the blade has fixed them close together, their breath mingling and sharing the same space.

“You would attempt to kill me in a camp surrounded by my own men?” Lehnsherr’s voice is threaded with amusement, but he’s being carefully still, the bite of the knife discouraging him from taking any action.

“Perhaps I would. Perhaps my only goal is your death, consequences be damned.”

“Then I would already be dead and we wouldn't be talking. No.” appraising eyes sweep over his face, intent. “You’re too clever for that.”

Charles pushes down the flush of pleasure at the rarity having his intelligence recognized as vastly inappropriate. Besides, the other didn’t intend it as a compliment, merely an observation—and he is perfectly right. Even if Charles managed to kill Lehnsherr, the guards outside could quickly gut him, and then would feel free to exact a bloody retribution on the city and all of its inhabitants, something that Charles has already shown his unwillingness to risk.  

He craves the clarity of distance.

“Very well, then; how about this? You want me as your consort to legitimize your claim to the throne of England.” He says it as statement but there’s an element of question in it that is resolved when Lehnsherr doesn't blink nor challenge his words. Feeling some satisfaction at his powers of assessment, he continues: “I will play along, provide you with an English heir, even, but first you must give me what I want.”

“And what might that be?” Lehnsherr asks indulgently

“My children. You must promise to spare their lives.” 

He wishes they were further apart for this conversation, not pressed close in a parody of intimacy. Rather than the proximity of their bodies, he focuses on the other’s eyes, trying to discern Lehnsherr’s thoughts from his gaze.

“What makes you think they're in any danger?”

Lehnsherr’s trying to rile him. “They’re the last legitimate heirs to the throne, thus their claims far exceed your own. I understand your situation: in order to stabilize your own position, you’ll seek eliminate any threats, and I’m not naïve enough to assume our union will protect them.”

The other’s face takes on a thoughtful, more serious expression than his earlier amusement.  

“Say that I do have plans to harm your children. What might induce me to spare them? As the greatest threats to my rule, surely it’s in my best interests to remove them.”

Charles senses this is more an intellectual exercise than a direct threat--at least for the moment--but just hearing the words inflames him. The knife digs in just a little more, drawing a hiss from Lehnsherr.

“They’re children. They have no plots or schemes, no interest in ruling anything. I’ve already sent them to Normandy, as no doubt your spies have informed you. They will stay there, you have my word, far from here and no threat to you, as long as you give me yours that you will not send assassins after them.”

“So I let Shaw’s vipers wriggle free? To sting another day.” His face is impassive, but there’s a new intensity underlying Lehnsherr’s words. The difference on the surface is barely perceptible, but Charles senses that he is betraying a depth of feeling long hidden.

“My children are not vipers! I protected them from that. Why would I encourage ambition in them when, so far down the line of succession, it would only get them killed? Sebastian saw little reason to shape them to his will, the spare children of his political second marriage. I remained useful to him, and he left them alone. It was our agreement. Of course he could never have imagined that in just a few months of battle you would slaughter all of their siblings.” Or that Charles would be here, lying in bed with their killer. “Would you have the blood of innocents on your hands? Even if they had inherited the predation of their sire, they care for me deeply. They would never attack here if they thought it might endanger my life. Wasn’t that in your thoughts when you arranged this marriage? Besides, I would hate to think that a warrior of your supposed might is afraid of a couple of children.”

This last dig, a transparent attempt to goad the other man, draws a hint of a smile to his now mollified lips.

“Well, your Highness, even if I were willing to concede to your wishes, tell me, what reason do I have to do so? You have no leverage when my death would bring you nothing.”  He leans back just a bit more as though to emphasize his point, pushing his throat a little further into the blade.

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

Lehnsherr’s eyebrows raise. “Then, please, enlighten me.” His flippancy and distraction creates Charles’ advantage. He puts sudden pressure on Lehnsherr’s throat and rolls them, turning until their positions are reversed, and he straddles Lehnsherr. He lets the other’s faint look of surprise fuel his next words.

“I suppose you imagined that I would quietly acquiesce to your plans, for fear of you, or for the privilege of remaining royal consort---or perhaps because I’m simply too meek and too pliable to do otherwise. But I would do anything for my children. Even die.”

Perfectly calm now, he pulls the knife back from Lehnsherr’s throat and moves it to his own, pressing down against the skin. The other’s eyes widen slightly, revealing, for the first time that evening, a hint of uncertainty.

Lehnsherr tries to sit up, pushing himself up on his hands. Charles holds out his other hand in a stalling gesture and presses the knife further into his own throat. A bead of blood wells up where they meet, the sting of it sharpening his thoughts.

“Stop.”

There’s not force behind the word, and yet Lehnsherr lowers himself back down.

One corner of Charles’ mouth twists up in a grim smile.

“As you've so astutely pointed out, I’m not a fool— and you’ve revealed a vulnerability in your plan. You need me to legitimize your claim on England. But it would be only too easy to turn this knife on myself. And how would that look?—Erik the Conqueror ruthlessly murders the defenceless omega consort of his dead rival—or, better still, his own consort (thank you for that). With the span of your kingdom, you can’t afford the resulting upset; your men can’t be everywhere. Not to mention that my family in Normandy would hear of my death and feel obligated to seek vengeance against the perpetrator.”

Lehnsherr is watching him avidly, now, his eyes bright with something unnamable.

“So the way I see it you have two options: spare the lives of my children and gain a compliant, strategically advantageous spouse; or refuse my bargain and live with the consequences.”

The warlord seems to consider his words.

“Done.”

“Done?” For all that he has been angling for this outcome, it feels unreal to hear it spoken aloud.

“I agree to your terms, Charles of Normandy.”

The wave of emotion that flows through him is strong—but Charles has the presence of mind to stutter-- “Swear it.” -- before he lets it carry him away.

“I swear to you on my sister’s grave that in exchange for your cooperation your children will come to no harm from me--nor anyone in my service.”

Charies’ eyes flicker over his face, searching for signs of veracity, sincerity; and Lehnsherr returns the gaze in an in entirely different mood, expression rapt, a bright, almost eager look in his eyes.

Charles finds no signs of deception and in the resulting wave of relief, relaxes his arm marginally--and Lehnsherr presses this advantage.

He grabs Charles’ wrist, pries knife from his grasp and tosses it to the side. In one fluid motion he flips them back over, pushes Charles back into the furs and leans forward to take his mouth in a kiss.

Lehnsherr kisses him roughly, like a man used to taking what he wants; but there's another layer underneath, a tenderness that undoes him. It sends hot streaks of want slithering up his spine. He grabs at Lehnsherr’s shoulders, shocked, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away.

For a brief moment, Charles lets himself reciprocate, gives in to his surprising desire. He breaks from his paralysis and returns the kiss, pushing back against Lehnsherr and matching his fervour.

And then, using surprise to his benefit, he pushes up one of his knees and shoves Lehnsherr off of him with all of his strength.

While Lehnsherr is momentarily stunned, collapsed on his side and fallen off the edge of the furs, he snatches up his knife from the ground, grabs a thick blanket from the pile, and removes himself to the farthest corner of the tent.

“We’ll wait until we’re married,” he says. 

The words suggest a firmness that doesn’t quite make it to his voice, as he tries to ignore his racing pulse, hide how he’s affected.

When no response is forthcoming, he looks back over to Lehnsherr and finds him still stunned, looking vaguely winded. And then he can’t help it--a laugh bubbles up out of him, borne of relief and vaguely hysterical. Perhaps his thrusting knee had brushed some sensitive areas.

“Glad we could come to an agreement.”

He half-expects Lehnsherr to come after him, like a brute; but when the other finally moves it is just to blow out the candles, plunging the tent into darkness.

When Charles works up the courage to look back over, he sees that Lehnsherr has turned away to face the tent wall, seemingly committed to sleep.

He can hardly believe it. 

He has done it all, rescued his people, preserved the lives of his children. Everything that haunted his nightmares, that had kept him awake for days on end, has been resolved. 

He breathes out. 

And then, in a tent in the middle of the Viking camp, surrounded by his enemies on all sides, he at last falls into a deep and dreamless sleep.

------------

Thanks all for following! This fic started with just two images: Charles waiting on a beach, and threatening Erik with a knife in bed. I was inspired by the story of the 11th century King Cnut and Emma of Normandy.

After the death of her husband King Aethelred, Emma (his second wife) held a besieged London for months alone against the Danes. Less than a year after the city was surrendered to Cnut, they were married. There has been much speculation around the fact that, despite the custom of the time, and Cnut’s swift execution of other potential claimants to the throne, Emma’s two children from her first marriage were not killed but survived in exile.

I think my next step is editing this part bit more until I’m somewhat satisfied and uploading it to ao3, and then I may develop more in this series. I have some ideas of what to cover, for one, this fic didn’t really have time for Erik’s backstory/motivations, but let me know if there’s something that you’d like to see. :)

Thank you all for your amazing support and encouragement!!

The Fashion Show

The Runway

As I’ve progressed through Twitter’s cold, violent, and virtual theater of war amidst the rhetorical conflict that is 2020, which is not (figuratively) dissimilar to the frozen and bloody tundra of Russia circa 1941-1944, what I’ve realized is that this struggle is one of aesthetics rather than principle. Individuals with considerable online followings aren’t concerned with much beyond the consolidation of their brands, and that means walking a certain walk. In Feminist sexualities, race and the internet: an investigation of suicidegirls.com, Shoshana Magnet “argues that the capitalist market serves to depoliticize queer activist movements and assimilate their members – drawing ‘social movements focused on winning rights’ into ‘market-based tactics and objectives”. The individuals I’m following, some of whom are queer and most of whom are “activists” of some sort, are selling something, and they strut that something while walking the virtual runway.  

The Models

Rick Wilson is the only white person I’m tracking, and his Twitter feed is unsurprisingly devoid of anything related to people of color; he really doesn’t even try to broach issues related to minority communities, which isn’t shocking for a former GOP strategist (he clearly hasn’t shed ALL of their values). The only people-of-color related visibility on his Twitter are the occasional photos/gifs he posts in a comedic context, seemingly as a way to address the whiteness of his online presence. Wilson comes off as the anti-Trump/GOP persona for white people that still aren’t particularly comfortable with people of color. In a selfie Wilson tweeted out on February 17th, he’s featured in a large, idyllic looking backyard enjoying his morning coffee (or so I assume that’s what it is) and flanked by two dogs running around in the background; the text accompanying the photo reads, “morning. I have had two days off the road from the book tour and I’m starting to feel human again”. I believe Wilson’s aforementioned tweet symbolizes his brand perfectly: He’s the embodiment of classic Americana, but with a neo-conservative twist (he’s staunchly anti-Trump, as his most recent book’s title, Running Against The Devil: A Plot To Save America From Trump – And Democrats From Themselves, suggests) that serves to draw (some) conservatives, centrists, and (some) liberals into his following.

Mehdi Hasan, as a liberal journalist, man of Indian descent, and a self-professed Muslim, is very active in addressing and criticizing the oppression of various minority groups on Twitter; most of his recent tweets target some issue pertaining to minorities, such as this one condemning Mike Bloomberg for unethically surveilling/targeting Muslims in New York: [2/27/20] “Finally, finally!, Bloomberg gets asked about his spying on Muslims in New York and his answer is... to double down and defend it as the right thing to do. (He also brazenly lies about what it involved.)” Having said all of that, Mehdi is not very conservative/traditional regarding his religion, at least not in terms of sartorial choices, in fact he dresses very white, but that’s most likely due to the (probably negative) attention such a cultural performance could engender for someone with as large a following as himself. In New Media, Old Racisms: Twitter, Miss America, and Cultural Logics of Race, J. David Cisneros & Thomas K. Nakayama address the prevalent issue of racism online (specifically on Twitter) and connect the issue to Nina Davuluri, who is a woman of Indian descent (like Hasan) and the 2014 winner of the Miss America title; here’s a tweet they point out directed at Davuluri: “How the fuck does a foreigner win miss America? She is a Arab!#idiots...congratulations Al-Qaeda. Our Miss America is one of you”. This is likely the kind of attention Hasan is trying to avoid by presenting himself and his brand the way he does. In a selfie Hasan uploaded on 2/10/20, he’s wearing a suit in front of a Starbucks with fellow, blue-checkmarked-Twitter-user (not to mention, white man) Andy Lassner; this is about as safe and culturally innocuous as one can play it on Twitter.  

Patti Harrison, as a trans woman of color and the dual-minority category that places her in, puts less focus on ethnic minorities like herself (I could only find a single instance of Asian advocacy on her Twitter from months ago, but the person she was advocating for was also trans), but more of a focus on trans-related issues (maybe because that garners more attention on Twitter?). I’m not entirely sure what counts as Vietnamese sartorial chic, but she doesn’t represent it, instead vying for outfits that looks as if they came out of Carrie Bradshaw’s (of Sex and the City fame) closet, as evidenced by a selfie she tweeted out on 1/24/20. In general, she doesn’t seem to put a huge spotlight on neither trans nor Asian matters on Twitter, and I believe it’s because she represents the 2 aforementioned cultural minorities and as such she would engender double the amount of potential negativity; she’s not dissimilar to Mehdi Hasan in this case with his Indian and Muslim identity. It comes off as rather tragic to me that one would have to choose between which minority identity one performs.  

In Tweets, Tweeps, and Signifyin’: Communication and Cultural Performance on “Black Twitter”, Sarah Florini talks about a concept known as “signifyin’”: “Black users often perform their identities through displays of cultural competence and knowledge. The linguistic practice of ‘signifyin’,’ which deploys figurative language, indirectness, doubleness, and wordplay as a means of conveying multiple layers of meaning, serves as a powerful resource for the performance of Black cultural identity on Twitter... Signifyin’ is often...derived from Black Vernacular English and phonetic spellings that convey specific pronunciations. Often, this is a relatively minor modification like ‘wit’ (with), ‘tryna’ (trying to), or ‘you’ instead of ‘your.’”  In other words, signifyin’ abbreviates online language to more accurately portray offline language/pronunciation, which subsequently consolidates Black culture online. The two Black women who I follow don’t engage in signifyin’ very much on Twitter, but for different reasons: Kashana Cauley does well with bringing issues regarding people of color to the forefront of her Twitter, but she is very careful with diction, probably due to her occupation as a writer (which causes me to ponder that particular industry and its whiteness). There are minor instances of Cauley signifyin’, though, such as in this tweet from February 16th: “Kinda wild how the most far-left, extremist, militant position you can take on health care is that people should have it”; the “kinda” was a very minor example of her signifyin’, but it’s something, and besides that she also performs Black culture via her publicly displayed hairstyle (the image in question is her current profile pic), which she wears in its natural fashion. Cauley ultimately is willing to perform Black culture on Twitter much more-so than the other Black woman on Twitter that I’ve been paying attention to.

Candace Owens (the aforementioned other Black woman that I’m following) has no problem invoking Blacks on Twitter, and in fact makes many Black-centric arguments, but framed through a conservative (and thus white, due to the demographics of the conservative ideology) lens. Owens makes it a point to deliberately style her tweets without the use of signifyin’, i.e., she tweets like a white person because she’s appealing to her conservative brand; the pinned tweet on her account exemplifies this as well as demonstrating her intent on selling more copies of her book (not unlike fellow conservative Rick Wilson): [8/6/19] “LET’S GO AMERICA!...After 2 years of fighting and challenging the status quo— I finally wrote it. The book Democrats don’t want Minorities to read. BLACKOUT: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape From The Democrat Plantation. Available for pre-order on Amazon today!” In addition, many of Owens’ tweeted selfies are of her dressed like a white woman (with always-straightened hair, in contrast to Kashana Cauley’s display of her natural hairstyle) while appearing on (the veritably conservative) Fox News; she seemed to take particular pride in a pic of her with President Donald J. Trump (Fox News’ favorite person) tweeted out on January 21st. Owens’ brand is as translucent as the skin-color of the majority of her followers.

Vladimir Lenin, when he was walking the political runway, once said: “Politics begin where the masses are, not where there are thousands, but where there are millions, that is where serious politics begin.” Lenin was a man of strong principles, and he was memorialized by his country via the former name of one its most well-known cities (formerly Leningrad, currently St. Petersburg). Leningrad during the second world war was the site of a 2+ year siege (9/8/1941-1/8/1944), but Russia persevered and were critical to fighting off the threat of Nazi Germany; the Russian people who fought and died during said siege were, ostensibly, like Lenin, men and women of principle. These individuals I’m tracking on Twitter, with their potential access to people numbering in the millions, are capable of engaging in the “serious politics” Lenin referred to, but are they people of principle? If they can be bought and seduced by capitalism and its associated power, an ideology despised by Lenin, and are fearful of repercussion from those with views antithetical to their principles, then I’d argue that they do not share the aforementioned strength of principle, and considering the theoretical power they possess, that should worry us all.  

300+ TOP CALL CENTER Interview Questions and Answers

CALL CENTER Interview Questions :-

1. What You Know About Call Center? The call center is mentioned as a service desk wherein in surplus calls are handled. The main intention of a call center is to solve customer issues and make them happy. The customer service agent attends the calls and satisfies the customers by all ways. 2. Mention The Types Of Call Center And What Is The Difference Between Them? Inbound call center and outbound call center are the two types of call centers. In an inbound call center the call center associate or customer service officer will receive calls pertaining to customer queries. For example: customer calling up the telecom company in order to know the present tariff plans bills, internet services and more. In an outbound call center, the customer associate will make outgoing calls to customers which can be business related or sales related. Examples can be call received from banks regarding personal loans. 3. What Do You Like About Being Employed In A Call Center? The answer can be to work as a part of a team, the environment which is fast paced. The answer can also be mentioned as communicating with various customers and solving their issues. Since products and services keep changing, the graduate is kept updated on the various changes and learns new skills. Also mention few positive examples that you have experienced and enjoyed as a call center executive. 4. Why Did You Leave Your Last Position? This is one tricky which must be answered carefully as it may seize you anytime. It is always good to answer in a positive tone. You can mention that the job role wasn’t challenging and appropriate to your skills. You can also mention that the workload was discontinuous and you spent most of the time idle. Another important advice is that you should never speak ill about your previous employer if so they may assume that you would do the same with them too. 5. What Do You Consider As An Important Aspect Of A Successful Call Center? With this interview for call center, the interviewer will get to know your understanding of what a call center needs to deliver. A successful call center is one which delivers the requirements of the customer which includes stable performance, reliability, and prompt responsiveness. Also, remember to share few metrics such as resolution rates and response time which helps in calculating efficiency. The main requirements of the customers from call center agents are accurate responses, which is knowledgeable and professional. 6. Can You Do A Job That Requires You To Stay On The Phone All Day? Before you go for a job at a call center you should know that the focus of the job here is “voice” which needs you to be on phone for quite a long time. So, the interviewer expects a “Yes” as an answer to this question. 7. What Is Onshore Outsourcing? When a business process is outsourced from a company in one country to another country in the same country – it is called onshore outsourcing. 8. What Is Near Shore Outsourcing? When a work process is outsourced to a nearby country, it is called near shore outsourcing. For EX: If a business process is outsourced from a company in USA to a company in Mexico or Canada – it is near shore outsourcing. 9. What Is Off-shore Outsourcing? When a work process is outsourced to a different country which is not nearby – it is called off-shore outsourcing. For Ex: of USA outsources a work process to India- it is off-shore outsourcing. 10. What Is The Difference Between A Bpo And A Call Center? Call center is a subset of BPO.

CALL CENTER Interview Questions 11. Have You Ever Worked In A Call Center Before? If So, How Long Did You Work There? The purpose of this is to see if you already have some experience of working at a call center. If so, tell the interviewer about your experiences and what you learnt there. If you do not have a work experience, don’t panic, stay calm and say “I don’t have a first hand experience of working at a call center but this is what I know about them and I look forward to work for one.” 12. Why Do You Want To Work In A Call Center? Relate the qualities you have to the requirements of a call center job like, good command over the language(English), team working capabilities, patience, good listening skills etc. and say that you think, these skills will make you successful in the industry. Also, talk about the prospects for the industry and how you think you can grow with it. 13. What Are The Works Of Team Leader In Call Center? To Take care of the team with motivation. Checking on daily performance of each team member which includes (Shift and Break Adherence, AHT, Occupancy, Ring time and of course quality, and give them the feedback on area of improvement and tracking attendance,remote or nice call monitoring, taking escalations and taking team meetings and also giving update about the new information on floor. 14. What Is Cdma? CDMA ,means code division multiple access 15. What Does Customer Satisfaction Mean To You? Customer Satisfaction mean,dealing with customer in a proper or positive way.Every individuals are different so there need and satisfactory leave also different.So the main task of a employee of a call center is to make them understand that they are also concerned about their problem. 16. What Is The Difference Between Bpo And Call Centre ? A Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) organization is responsible for performing a process or a part of a process of another business organization; outsourcing is done to save on costs or gain in productivity. A call center performs that part of a client?s business which involves handling telephone calls. A call center, for example, might handle customer complaints coming in over a telephone. Thus, a call center can be considered a BPO organization. 17. What Is Backend? A back-end database is a database that is accessed by users indirectly through an external application rather than by application programming stored within the database itself or by low level manipulation of the data (e.g. through SQL commands). A back-end database stores data but does not include end-user application elements such as stored queries, forms, macros or reports. 18. What Is The Definition Of Quality? Quality is a parameter based on conservation with the customer. it contains good knowledge of productivity ,active listener, opening and closing script, goodcommunications skills .and probing skills also. 19. What Is B.p.o? B.P.O. Means Business Process Outsourcing which deals with CRM ( Customer relationship management.). IN the BPO call are made & receive. It can be inbound or outbound. it is just like a help-desk where customer query are solve. It is basically link between the customer & its company. 20. What Is Inbound And Outbound ? In inbound process we just satisfy the customer and solve the problem related to our company. And, in out bound process, we just call the customer and selling the company products. 21. What is a virtual call center? The virtual call center provides a technology or software service, through which the customer associate or agent can connect to their customer from any location. This technology involves the host server and the equipment to run the call center. This service is rendered on a monthly or annual subscription. Agents can connect to the host server and can get access to the customer data. The benefit of a virtual call center is that you can work from home. 22. Do you like multi-tasking or you prefer to tackle one problem at a time? Depending on the situation, I could do multi-tasking or could tackle one problem at a time. But multi-tasking always has the upper hand because it increases your efficiency at the call center. 23. What if the customer is not happy with your answer or solution? If the customer is not happy with the answer or solution, then I will ask the customer to hold the line and pass on the call to a manager or a team leader. 24. What will be your approach to improve customer service? For improved customer service, my approach would be to take feedback from the customer and ask them how we can improve in solving their problem and render them a good service. 25. What will you do in a situation where system shuts down and you still handling customer on the phone? In the middle of handling phone, if the system crashes, then I will ask the customer to hold for some time till I get power back up and if not then try to resolve his/her problem with my knowledge. The best thing in such a situation is to ask the customer to call back or note his contact details so you can call once the system is back. 26. What are the key attributes of a call center executive? The key attributes of a call center executive are Friendly attitude Ask the right questions Accurate answers to the customer query Professional phone relationship Be the face of the organization View a customer’s complaint as an opportunity to gain the customer’s respect Resolve complaints patiently 27. How to deal with the difficult customer? To deal with a demanding customer, you need to do the following things Listen to customer actively Rephrase their concerns Present a viable solution Take action and follow up Fix the problem at hand immediately Use the feedback Reduce the unpleasant situation by doing proper research and preparation 28. How do you measure good customer service? Customer service can be measured on the following basis, Number of repeat customers Number and type of customer complaints received Number of referrals given by current customers Sales figure if service is product based Customer satisfaction surveys Benchmarking service with competitors The rate at which number of customers enrolled in your service Number of returns 29. How can you turn down a request from a valued client? To turn down a request from a valued client, you have to Remain polite and well mannered Adhere to company’s policies Explain the situation or reason for denial Try to remain reliable to customer 30. How would you handle negative feedback from angry clients? To handle negative feedback from angry clients, Customer representative should be able to manage customer without being dominated He should not be overwhelmed by a disapproving customer Try to listen and understand customer issue before going after suggestions or solution 31. How one can improve customer interactions? To improve customer interaction, Admit your mistakes even before your customer does and apologize Take follow up if a problem is solved Practice active listening, so your customer feel heard Try to identify a common interest or liking with the customer 32. What steps will you take to deal with an unsatisfied customer? Apologize and offer a better option Act quickly and resolve the customer complaint Take responsibility for what made a customer unhappy Compensate customer with a better deal or free service 33. How can you create new opportunities for customers proactive engagement? Use internet service to contact a customer on social media Use mobile often to reach maximum customers by sending personalized context-relevant offers or services Customer Interactions must be relevant to customers interest to gain their trust and encourage them Analyze the customer data and behavior using a business intelligence tool to understand its expectation for the service you offer Use cloud platform to keep your service updated with the latest technology and with minimum expenses 34. What are the important things you need to take care of implementing a CRM solution to your business? Before implementing a CRM solution to your business, you need to take care of the following things CRM strategy: CRM only works when there is a clear picture of why the organization is doing it and how it helps to improve customer service Choose the right CRM partner: A best CRM solutions are flexible and have a full integration capability with any other systems in your business Identify the highest priority: Implement a CRM solution for the highest priority and return area first 35. How can you get responsive customer feedback? To get responsive customer feedback, Offer feedback options on every page of your site Present visitors with easy feedback form by giving them a selective option Give visitors easy-to-use rating systems Give option for a newsletter to skip or to register Deliver feedback to the responsible person directly via email notification Avoid multiple choice of answers instead encourage customer for descriptive feedback 36. How the analysis of departed customer help your organization? Departed customer analysis can help your organization in the following ways: Get valuable insight on why your customer departed from you Which competitor is being selected to replace your company service What was the expectation of your former clients Help to understand weakness and gaps within the product line or services. 37. Name the factors you need to take into consideration before conducting a survey for customer service satisfaction Before conducting a survey for customer service satisfaction, First, consider the objective of the survey Make your survey accessible online Keep open-ended questions and keep survey narrative Consider negative feedback equivalent to the positive feedback it is equally important Select the survey method that can yield real information in real time Target putting questions that are relevant to service 38. Name useful online tools that can be used for better customer service For better customer service tools that are used Freshdesk Zendesk Assistly Zoho support Kayako UserVoice Conversocial Get Satisfaction etc. 39. What is the key aspect that helps improve customer service? The key aspect of improving customer service, Data analysis: Analyze the preferences of customers based on the data collections Automation of business process: To improve customer satisfaction and to speed up the business process implement the automation of the business process Self-service optimization: Explore new ways for customer interaction with your business Workforce effectiveness: Integrate new tools and technology to improve customer service 40. How can you improve customer service without spending any money? I have retrieved several support emails that we received from our clients and figured out that several questions were asked repetitively. I searched online forums and knowledge base to find out the solution for these questions. I made a document of the solution, which is now accessible to the customer. It was cost effective and helped reduce common repetitive questions from the client. 41. How can you build customer loyalty? To build customer loyalty, you need to Track customer retention by surveying your customers Analyze the data to see how many customers are new and how many are returning for your service Focus on converting new customers into returning customers as a plan of your customer retention plan Encourage employees to build connections with customers Solicit feedback from the customer, so they feel that their opinions matter 42. What factors do you need to take care of while creating a customer newsletter? While creating a customer newsletter, you need to include the following – General information about your company Purpose of the newsletter- Promotions, events, upcoming sales, and new services/ products Any photos related to the content Any discount or coupons that may be included in your offer 43. How to deal with abusive/slang using customer? To deal with abusive customers, Give a positive response: Assure the customer that you are there to help him and tell them that you require specific information from them to carry forward Personalize the conversation: Personalize with the conversation and call the customer by name and refer to their company by the name Declare your intent and boundaries: Let your customer know that you can solve the problem, and their demands are reasonable. You should not allow the customer to continue if they are too much aggressive; it’s time to use other strategies Transfer the call: The best way is to switch on the call to the most experienced personnel or supervisor. Sooner you transfer the call, the customer will calm down –it’s natural psychology. Discontinue the conversation: Warn customer if he continues with abusive slang, you will end the conversation. If the customer is still abusive even after speaking to them politely, it’s better to discontinue the conversation by telling them to contact the customer service complaint department for further discussion. 44. How can you resolve the problem to customer’s Satisfaction? To resolve the problem to customer’s Satisfaction, you need to follow the following techniques. Talk to the customer: Standard emails or letters might work in some cases, but often you can achieve more quickly with a phone call. It will make feel customer more personal and understand their complaint Figure out the problem and requirement: Listen carefully to your customers need carefully and ask them what they want Ask about wider issues: Ask open-ended questions like – is he happy with your service or product? What other feedback does he want to give? Offer something back: If a customer has a genuine issue with the service/product, and there is a chance of losing him/her, it’s better to give him some offer/discount/coupons, etc. to encourage him/her to stick to your service. Confirm your solution: In order to avoid dispute after coming up with a solution on the phone, it’s better to take follow up by email or letter Regular follow up: This is where most people miss… get a member of your staff to check that all is well. It will help to minimize the common problem faced by customers. 45. How do you deal with the question you don’t know the answer that customer asked? If you don’t know the answer to the questions Never say, “I don’t know.” Instead, say, ” Hold on while I look for the information.” Tell the customer it’s technical information and requires a specialist. I’ll get back to you shortly with some possible solution You can also tell customer following – It’s a timely question and requires some time to gather XYZ information As per the latest information what we suggest to you. I can answer that in part, but like to consider it further and get back to you. Do anything else that seems proactive while putting them on hold or passing a note to colleagues. You can also keep them engaged by asking questions 46. What would you do if the customer says that it took you long to resolve an issue? If a customer says that it took you long to resolve an issue, First, ensure to the customer, that you are not far from him, and was busy with his task all the time You have to give him an expression that he or she is the only customer you are worried for If required give him the explanation of the whole operational path and the areas where the task can get slower 47. How to deal with the customer having a language barrier? To deal with a customer having a language barrier, Install translation aids on customer service workstations Offer chat, email or customer support options in their native language if possible on top of the phone calls Hire additional personnel with the language skills needed to work with this customer segment Enroll language barrier procedures that can be used when handling foreign customer calls 48. How to deal with unreasonable customer demands? To deal with unreasonable customer demands, To avoid conflict with your potential customer, you can always offer him a reasonable option Pre-qualify your customer, before allocating anything to your customer make sure you understand well your customers demand Say-no without hesitation if the demand is illegitimate Keep your patience while dealing with such unreasonable customer demands 49. How to deal with customers who deny paying for service/product? Work with the customer not against him: Try to figure out the exact reason why he is not willing to pay without getting angry on him. Be friendly and try to come up with possible options and plans that might resolve the situation Communicate often in writing and document everything: Always start with a non-threatening written message asking for the prompt resolution by a specific date Don’t get personal or angry: Try to listen to customer with empathy it might be possible that your customer is in real financial crisis, so instead of losing your nerves try to handle a situation with empathy Turn to collection service at last: Turning down to an attorney or collection agency should be your last resort. Also, remember that a collector takes a hefty portion of any recovery while legal steps will include the cost of hiring an attorney and other hidden charges. 50. Our call center is involved in activities that bend many laws, would you still work with us? Pay is huge Personal ethics and integrity are indispensable to me while selecting my place to work. I will have to decline regretfully. CALL CENTER Questions with Answers Pdf Download Read the full article

Fixing Tech’s Gender Gap: 10 Questions with Author Therese Huston

With male leaders outnumbering women four to one, the tech industry has notoriously been a gentleman’s club. Still, more and more women are “leaning in” and finding their places at the table in technology and science. But are their voices equally valued?

DreamHost takes this issue to heart and has been working to support women in tech for years.  And that’s why we reached out to author Therese Huston.

“When it comes to decision-making and leadership, men are from Mars, and women are from a less respected part of Mars,” Huston says. The author of How Women Decide: What’s True, What’s Not, and What Strategies Spark the Best Choices,  Huston shares her insights on challenges facing women in tech — and how we can all do better to make sure every voice is heard.

Therese Huston

1. What challenges do women face in a male-dominated field?

A really common complaint — and one backed by research — is that women have to keep proving their competence. People are more likely to notice women’s mistakes and to remember them longer; while with men, we tend to remember successes longer and more readily forgive mistakes.

Related: 6 Things Women in Tech Are Sick of Hearing

2. We like to think that all good ideas are valued and recognized. How true is that in practice?

Sadly, credit is not always given where it is due, especially when it is due to a woman. I’ve heard countless stories about women making a suggestion that doesn’t get picked up, but then when a guy makes the same suggestion later, all of a sudden everyone is enthusiastic about it.

Researchers studying mixed-gender work teams in male-dominated fields found that when a group’s successful problem solving was evaluated by an outsider not present for the collaboration, if it wasn’t specified exactly who did what, it was automatically assumed that a man was the top performer and deserves the credit. That’s really concerning, especially when management teams are doing reviews or considering promotions.

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3. What are some key differences between how men and women make decisions?

Actually, research by neuroscientists is showing that under normal circumstances, men and women actually approach a problem the same way. But put them under stress — maybe with a deadline, the threat of a product being cut — and you’ll see a difference. Men suddenly become much more drawn to risks and big rewards than normal. Women do the opposite; they want to do what they know will work, what has worked in the past, what they know they have the full resources to accomplish.

I like to use baseball as an analogy: Men want to go for the home run, which is very difficult to accomplish but offers a big reward, while women aim for the more tried-and-true goal of getting on base. What you want in stressful circumstances is a mix of both strategies.

Unfortunately, all too often in tech at the management level, it’s just a room full of men. What that says to me is that we really need to tap more gender balance in our leadership teams and to listen to the women who get there.

4. How true is it that women rely on emotion in decision-making?

You’ve heard the phrase “woman’s intuition” — but probably not “man’s intuition.” We think of women as going with their gut or following their heart. However, the research shows that women tend to take a more analytical approach; they are more likely than men to do research and analyze possible scenarios and pros and cons. It’s actually the men who are more likely to go with their gut and what “feels right” as opposed to doing the necessary analytics.

5. How are women’s decisions received differently than men’s are?

There’s ample evidence that women’s ideas are more scrutinized. A Yale researcher asked people to read about a scenario in which a male or female leader in a traditionally male occupation made a costly mistake. They then evaluated how good or bad a leader they thought that person was.

When a male leader showed poor judgment, his rating dropped about 10 percent, while a woman making the same mistake suffered three times the penalty, and some people even called for her demotion.

When we scrutinize a woman’s mistakes much harsher than a man’s, that makes it all the more difficult for women to simply be promoted within the organization, let alone reach the c-suite. In tech you’re told to fail early and fail often — but that only really applies if you are a guy.

6. Is it only men who are guilty of gender bias?

Not at all. Women will often think that men’s ideas are more credible, though they are likely to disavow that if you ask them. We all live and work in the same culture and are subject to the same unconscious biases.

7. Sounds like we have a long way to go. How can women make sure their voices are heard?

One of my favorite techniques is amplification. This idea actually came from the Obama administration. Women were finding that their ideas weren’t being heard or given due credit, so they began to amplify one another in meetings: If one woman in the meeting suggested an idea, another woman in the meeting would immediately speak up, name and credit the first woman, and repeat her idea. The women later reported getting credit for their ideas and more opportunities to contribute.

Amplification translates well to tech, where women can team up with each other or a male colleague, and it doesn’t come across as aggressive — a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” trait commonly criticized in female leaders.

Related: What It’s Like to Be a Black Woman in Tech: A Q&A with Kaya Thomas

8. How can women advocate their ideas without being dismissed as overly aggressive?

There is some fabulous research recently looking at which types of aggressive behaviors work for women in meetings and which don’t. Talking louder or getting angry, for example, is not liked. But one aggressive technique that doesn’t seem to lead to penalties for women is interrupting.

It might feel awkward to interrupt — it certainly does for me — but it’s effective. I don’t mean you should spend the whole meeting talking over everyone, but if there is something you really want to say, then say it. No one is going to call on you; if you’re waiting for a pause, it’s not going to happen.

If you, like me, find the thought of interrupting painful and stress over finding the right moment, try counting backward from ten and when you hit one, blurt out your idea, no matter what. Interrupting gives you a huge surge of adrenaline and helps you stay enthused in the meeting, rather than tuning out and giving up.

Another strategy to help women — or really, anyone — to give their ideas a boost is to frame it as a question. So say “Would it be possible to … “ instead of “What we need to do is … “ Research shows that this phrasing invites discussion and gives ideas more airtime. The phrasing can be a little tricky for women because there’s a fear that they are sounding soft and asking for permission, but it is actually an effective strategy for both men and women looking to get their voices heard.

9. What can men do to support their female colleagues? 

For one, they can partner up with the women in their group and try the amplification technique — or simply get in the habit of amplifying good ideas. Prompts as simple as, “What I like about Emily’s idea is . . .” or “I think Samantha suggested that earlier” ensure that women get credit for their ideas.

Managers or others who may want to help without coming across as patronizing could pass along the article about amplification in the Obama administration to team members, starting a conversation about this issue and what everyone can do to help.

Related: Six Women Programmed the First Computer . . . And Didn’t Get the Credit

10. What can tech companies — like DreamHost — do to help?

They need to put conscious strategies in place to counteract unconscious gender biases. In meetings, those in management could make a habit of asking to hear input from someone who hasn’t spoken yet. That creates an opportunity for women to speak up, along with anyone else who might need more time to think through their comments.

Saying something as simple as, “Wait, I want to hear what Julia has to say,” can open the conversation, as can bringing the conversation back to an idea that may have been interrupted. Managers could also take the time to write down the division of roles, so when the work is being analyzed later, women will get credit for the work they’ve done.

Related: 30 Ways to Be an Ally for Women in Tech

Now Share Your Voice

We’d love to hear your take! What are some biases you’ve noticed in the workplace? How have these affected you or your co-workers? What strategies have you used to make sure yours — and other’s — ideas are equally heard and valued? And have you tried any of Huston’s techniques? Join us on Twitter and Facebook to start the conversation.

The post Fixing Tech’s Gender Gap: 10 Questions with Author Therese Huston appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

from Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/fixing-tech-industry-gender-gap/

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

NCERT Class 12 Sociology Chapter 5 Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Sociology: Indian Society

Chapter 5 Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q. 1. How is social inequality different from the inequality of individual? Ans. : Individual inequality refers to destructiveness and variations among individuals in their psychological and physical characteristics. Social inequality refers to a social system where some people are getting opportunity to make use of the resources and others are not. Some people are at a higher level in terms of wealth, education, health and status while others are at the lowest level. Social inequality gets manifested in following forms: (i) Social stratification 

(ii) Prejudices (iii) Stereotypes 

(iv) Discrimination 

Q. 2. What are some of the features of social stratification? Ans. : 

The key features of social stratification are :

(i) Social stratification is a characteristics of society, not simply a function of individual differences. It is society-wide system that unequally distributes social resources among categories of people. For example: In the most technologically primitive societies-hunting and gathering societies, little was produced, so only rudimentary social stratification could exist. In more technologically advanced societies, where people produce a surplus over and above their basic needs, however, social resources are unequally distributed to various social categories regardless of people’s innate individual abilities.

Social stratification persists over generations:

(ii) It is closely linked to the family and to the inheritance of social resources from one generation to the next. A person’s social position is ascribed, i.e., a child assumes the social position of its parents. Births dictate occupation e.g. a Dalit is likely to ‘ be confined to traditional occupation such as agricultural labours, scavenging or leather work, with little chance of being able to get high paying white-collar or professional work. The ascribed aspect of social inequality is reinforced by the practice of endogamy, i.e., marriage is usually restricted to members of the same caste, ruling out the potential for breaking caste line through intercaste marriages.

Social stratification is supported by patterns of beliefs and ideology:

(iii) No system of social stratification is likely to persist over generations unless it is widely viewed as being either fair or inevitable. For example, Caste system is justified in terms of the opposition of purity and pollution, with Brahmans designated as the most superior and Dalits as the most inferior by virtue of their birth and occupation. Not everyone, thinks of a system of inequality as legitimate. Typically, people with the greatest social privileges express the strongest support, while those who have experienced exploitation and humiliation of being at the bottom of the hierarchy are most likely to challenge it. Q 3. How would you distinguish prejudice from other kinds of opinion or belief? Ans. : Prejudice refers to pre-judgement, i.e., an opinion made in advance. Prejudice refers to pre-thought opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. Prejudice may be either positive or negative. A prejudiced person’s pre-thought views r are .generally based on hearsay rather than on direct evidence. This word is generally used for negative pre-judgements. On the other hand, an opinion is a judgment about someone or something, not necessarily based on fact and knowledge. Q. 4. What is social exclusion? Ans. : Social exclusion is the combined result of deprivation and discrimination that presents individual or groups from participating completely in the economic, social and political life of the society in which they live.Social exclusion is structural i.e., the outcome of social processes and institutions rather than individual action. In this process, the individuals may cut off from total improvement in the broader society. Q. 5. What is the relationship between caste and economic inequality today? Ans. : In the hierarchy of caste system each caste has a specific place and social status. There has been a close correlation between social or caste status and economic status. The high’ castes were almost invariably of high economic status. On the other hand, the “low’ caste were almost always of low economic status. However, in the 19th Century the link between caste and occupation had become less , rigid consequently, the link between caste and economic status is not as rigid today as it used to be.At the macro line things have not changed much. The difference between the privileged a high economic status sections of society and disadvantaged (a low economic status) sections still persists. Q. 6. What is untouchability? Ans. : Untouchability is a social practice within the caste system in which members of the lowest castes are thought to be ritually impure to such a limit that they cause pollution by mere touch or even sight. Untouchable castes are at the bottom of the hierarchical system. These low castes are excluded from most social institutions. It is an extreme and vicious aspect of the caste system. It uses stringent social and ritual sanctions against members of castes located at the bottom of the purity pollution scale. They are considered to be outside the caste hierarchy. Q. 7. Describe some of the policies designed to address caste inequality. Ans. : At the state level, there are special programmes for scheduled tribes and scheduled castes. Because of massive discrimination practised against them, special provisions have been made for them. The OBCs have also been added to this special provisions.

The laws passed to end, prohibit and punish caste discrimination, especially untouchability are: (i) Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850, disallowed the curtailment of rights of citizens due solely to change of religion or caste. It allowed entry of Dalit to government schools. .

(ii) Constitution Amendment (93rd Amendment) Act of 2005, for introducing reservation for OBCs in institutions of higher education.

(iii) Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, to abolish untouchability (Article 17) and introduced reservation provisions.

(iv) 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act revised and strengthened the legal provisions against Dalits and Adivasis. Q. 8. How are the Other Backward Castes different from die Dalits (or Scheduled Castes)? Ans. : Untouchability was ttie most visible and discriminatory form of social inequality. Despite this, there was a large group of castes which were of low status and were also subjected to varying levels of discrimination. The ex-untouchability communities their leaders have coined, another term, Dalit’, which is now the generally accepted term for referring to these groups. The term Dalit literally means ‘downtrodden’ and conveys the sense of an oppressed people. However, the constitution of India recognises the probability what there may be groups other than SCs and STs who suffer from social advantages. These groups were described as “socially and educationally” backward classes or other backward classes.” The OBCs are neither part of the formed castes at the upper end of the caste hierarchy, nor the Dalits at the lower end. The OBCs are a much more diverse groups than the Dalits. Q. 9. What are the major issues of concern to adivasis today? Ans. : The tribes, were considered to be “people of the forest’ whose special habitat in the hilly of and forest regions made their economic, social and political attributes. At present, except the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country which are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. The regions where tribal population are concentrated, their economic and social conditions are much more than those of non-tribals. However, after independence Adivasi lands were acquired for new river and dam projects. Consequently, millions of Adivasis were displayed without any adequate compensation or rehabilitation. The resources of Adivasis are being taken away in the name of *03110031 development’ and ‘economic growth’. For example projects such as Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada and the Polavaram Dam on river Godavari would displace hundred of thousands of Adivasis. The policy of economic liberalisation is leaving Adivasis to greater destitution. Q. 10. What are the major issues taken up by the women’s movement over its history? Ans. : Scholars and social reformers have shown that the inequalities between men and women are social rather than natural. The women’s question became prominent in the 19 th Century. Raja Rammohun Roy’s attempt to reform society, religion and status of women in Bengal. He undertook the campaign against “Sati” which was the first women’s issue to receive public attention. Jyotiba Phule was from socially excluded caste and he attacked both caste and gender discrimination. He established the Satyashodhak Samaj with its primary emphasis on truth seeking. ” Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made efforts to reform Muslim Society. He wanted girls to be educated, but within the precincts of their homes. He stood for women’s education but sought for a curriculum that included instruction in religious principles, training in arts of housekeeping and handicrafts and rearing of children. Tarabai Shinde a Maharashtrian housewife, wrote, Stree Purush Tulana as a protest against the double standards of a male dominated society. Women’s issues emphatically surfaced in 1970s . The burning issues were rape of women in police custody, dowry murders and gender injustice, etc. The new challenges have come in the form of social bias against the girl child sex ratio which is falling very « sharply. Q. 11. In what sense can one sly that ‘disability’ is as much a social as a physical thing ? Ans. :

The disabled are struggling not because they are physically or mentally challenged but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs.

In the Indian context, one of the leading scholars of disability, Anita Ghai, argues that the invisibility of the disabled can be compared to the Invisible Man of Ralph Ellison which is a famous indictment of racism against African Americans in the USA.

Common features of the public perceptions of disability are:

1. Disability is understood as a biological factor. 2. Whenever a disabled person is confronted with problems, it is taken for granted that the problems originate from his/her impairment. 3. The disabled person is seen as a victim. 4. Disability is supposed to be linked with the disabled individual’s self perception. 5. The very idea of disability suggests that they are in need of help.

In India, in a culture that looks up to “bodily perfection’, all deviations from the “perfect body’ signify abnormality, defect and distortion. Lables such as “bechara’ accentuate the victim status for the disabled person.

The roots of such attitude lie in the cultural conception that views an impaired body as a result of fate. Destiny is seen as the culprit, and disabled people are the victims. The common perception views disability as retribution for the past karma (action) from which there can be no reprieve. The dominant cultural construction in India, therefore looks at disability as essentially a characteristic of the individual. The popular images in mythology portray the disabled in an extremely negative fashion.

The very term ‘disabled’ challenges each of these assumptions. The disabled are rendered disabled not because of biology but because of society.

The social construction of disability has yet another dimension. There is a close relationship between disability and poverty. Malnutrition, mothers weakened by frequent childbirth, inadequate immunization programmes, accidents in overcrowded homes, all contribute to an incidence of disability among the poor people that is higher among people living in easier circumstances.

Disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the family.

Recognition of disability is absent from the wider educational discourse. This is evident from the historical practices within the educational system that continues to marginalize the issue of disability by maintaining two separate streams—one for disabled students and one for everyone else.

The concepts of inclusion is still an experimental concept in our educational system which is restricted to few public schools only.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/3gxHyLl

BlackFridaYAY!

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a cell phone I'd dislike to have had to make. Its predecessor was a multi-award-winning phone, just simply because it packed all the electrical power of the 'normal' Galaxy S6 and but... that curved edge. I was not alone in loving it, whipping it out proudly when attainable. The more you use Samsung Pay out, the a lot more rewards you get.3 Earn ten factors for every single qualifying obtain and get rewarded with everything from a Samsung Rewards card to a Gear VR. Global Steel Exchange was a joint venture formed in 2000 between Samsung, the United States-based Cargill, the Switzerland-primarily based Duferco Group, and the Luxembourg-based mostly Tradearbed (now element of the ArcelorMittal), to take care of their online purchasing and selling of steel. Hello Alan! We're really sorry if you have been experiencing some challenges with the Samsung+ app. In the imply time, please restart your device. You can also go to Settings - Applications- Application Manager - Samsung+ - Clear cache. If soon after that and it nevertheless performing the identical problem, call us at one-855-795-0509 for help. Thanks! You've Received to test this! We have mind-blowing sessions (and surprises) planned for VR enthusiasts at SDC. Immerse by yourself in under no circumstances just before observed experiences… if you dare! That speaker is 1 of the handful of missteps on this telephone. It really is downward-facing, gets effortlessly blocked by my hands when taking part in a game and it sounds tinny and distorted at substantial volume. I guess front-dealing with speakers weren't integrated so the screen surround could be stored minimum, but it can be nevertheless a disappointment when a speaker sounds this negative. The greatest way to check a new cell phone? Travel with it. 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GPS is a bit tardy but I imagine because the memory is off the shelf with out upgrade. A couple other complications that I can live with. Hoping to come across that Samsung fixed the situation, I went to and discovered that the firmware versions have yet to be updated. Get one particular of the modes—”Scan for deleted files”, Scan for all files” or Sophisticated Mode”. The usual alternative is the 1st one particular, which conserve you time. Samsung's On series is a great and cheap merchandise. Lots of men and women are willing to put them as their new mobile phones. The 2016 edition of the On series improve to a specified extent, which also attracted a good deal of end users. Now, the industry for the On series items are On5, On7 and On8. Though a extended time it was assumed that the five.5 inch model would be launched later on in the current marketplace rumors recommend that the greatest variant with a four.7-inch iPhone 6 will be launched the exact same time. Possibly then takes place that in constrained volume. Indicator up for the most current updates from the Accelerator which include entry to our newest item releases, events and occupation listings. If you have your settings in your DVR all dorked up from making an attempt 386 various settings just reset the DVR to factory settings and start out in excess of. From the DVR, Process, Sytem Mangement, Settings, Default. The admin password is now back to default 4321. Get the inspiration you need to keep at your very best. With sophisticated fitness monitoring,² built-in GPS and a standalone music player,³ the Gear Fit2 tends to make it a lot easier than ever to reach your goals. 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The Samsung Galaxy Stardust is a smartphone newly accessible with Tracfone support. (It is also readily available with Straight Talk) This cellphone initially appears equivalent to the LG Optimus Fuel, and in particular the Samsung Galaxy Ace Type, but it does share some attributes with the LG Greatest 2. Samsung is nonetheless to specify which processor designs are available in which areas, but we do of program know there are two sorts - the Samsung Exynos and the Qualcomm Snapdragon. What the firm has explained is that CPU functionality will be 30% a lot quicker than the Galaxy S6 series while the GPU has a 64% uplift. Samsung does have an interesting and rather Computer-like option to efficiency-associated heat this time though - the handset contains a heat pipe filled with water, and when the SoC heats up the water turns to vapour just before being cooled by means of a heatsink. Intelligent.

NCERT Class 12 Sociology Chapter 5 Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Sociology: Indian Society

Chapter 5 Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q. 1. How is social inequality different from the inequality of individual? Ans. : Individual inequality refers to destructiveness and variations among individuals in their psychological and physical characteristics. Social inequality refers to a social system where some people are getting opportunity to make use of the resources and others are not. Some people are at a higher level in terms of wealth, education, health and status while others are at the lowest level. Social inequality gets manifested in following forms: (i) Social stratification 

(ii) Prejudices (iii) Stereotypes 

(iv) Discrimination 

Q. 2. What are some of the features of social stratification? Ans. : 

The key features of social stratification are :

(i) Social stratification is a characteristics of society, not simply a function of individual differences. It is society-wide system that unequally distributes social resources among categories of people. For example: In the most technologically primitive societies-hunting and gathering societies, little was produced, so only rudimentary social stratification could exist. In more technologically advanced societies, where people produce a surplus over and above their basic needs, however, social resources are unequally distributed to various social categories regardless of people’s innate individual abilities.

Social stratification persists over generations:

(ii) It is closely linked to the family and to the inheritance of social resources from one generation to the next. A person’s social position is ascribed, i.e., a child assumes the social position of its parents. Births dictate occupation e.g. a Dalit is likely to ‘ be confined to traditional occupation such as agricultural labours, scavenging or leather work, with little chance of being able to get high paying white-collar or professional work. The ascribed aspect of social inequality is reinforced by the practice of endogamy, i.e., marriage is usually restricted to members of the same caste, ruling out the potential for breaking caste line through intercaste marriages.

Social stratification is supported by patterns of beliefs and ideology:

(iii) No system of social stratification is likely to persist over generations unless it is widely viewed as being either fair or inevitable. For example, Caste system is justified in terms of the opposition of purity and pollution, with Brahmans designated as the most superior and Dalits as the most inferior by virtue of their birth and occupation. Not everyone, thinks of a system of inequality as legitimate. Typically, people with the greatest social privileges express the strongest support, while those who have experienced exploitation and humiliation of being at the bottom of the hierarchy are most likely to challenge it. Q 3. How would you distinguish prejudice from other kinds of opinion or belief? Ans. : Prejudice refers to pre-judgement, i.e., an opinion made in advance. Prejudice refers to pre-thought opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. Prejudice may be either positive or negative. A prejudiced person’s pre-thought views r are .generally based on hearsay rather than on direct evidence. This word is generally used for negative pre-judgements. On the other hand, an opinion is a judgment about someone or something, not necessarily based on fact and knowledge. Q. 4. What is social exclusion? Ans. : Social exclusion is the combined result of deprivation and discrimination that presents individual or groups from participating completely in the economic, social and political life of the society in which they live.Social exclusion is structural i.e., the outcome of social processes and institutions rather than individual action. In this process, the individuals may cut off from total improvement in the broader society. Q. 5. What is the relationship between caste and economic inequality today? Ans. : In the hierarchy of caste system each caste has a specific place and social status. There has been a close correlation between social or caste status and economic status. The high’ castes were almost invariably of high economic status. On the other hand, the “low’ caste were almost always of low economic status. However, in the 19th Century the link between caste and occupation had become less , rigid consequently, the link between caste and economic status is not as rigid today as it used to be.At the macro line things have not changed much. The difference between the privileged a high economic status sections of society and disadvantaged (a low economic status) sections still persists. Q. 6. What is untouchability? Ans. : Untouchability is a social practice within the caste system in which members of the lowest castes are thought to be ritually impure to such a limit that they cause pollution by mere touch or even sight. Untouchable castes are at the bottom of the hierarchical system. These low castes are excluded from most social institutions. It is an extreme and vicious aspect of the caste system. It uses stringent social and ritual sanctions against members of castes located at the bottom of the purity pollution scale. They are considered to be outside the caste hierarchy. Q. 7. Describe some of the policies designed to address caste inequality. Ans. : At the state level, there are special programmes for scheduled tribes and scheduled castes. Because of massive discrimination practised against them, special provisions have been made for them. The OBCs have also been added to this special provisions.

The laws passed to end, prohibit and punish caste discrimination, especially untouchability are: (i) Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850, disallowed the curtailment of rights of citizens due solely to change of religion or caste. It allowed entry of Dalit to government schools. .

(ii) Constitution Amendment (93rd Amendment) Act of 2005, for introducing reservation for OBCs in institutions of higher education.

(iii) Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, to abolish untouchability (Article 17) and introduced reservation provisions.

(iv) 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act revised and strengthened the legal provisions against Dalits and Adivasis. Q. 8. How are the Other Backward Castes different from die Dalits (or Scheduled Castes)? Ans. : Untouchability was ttie most visible and discriminatory form of social inequality. Despite this, there was a large group of castes which were of low status and were also subjected to varying levels of discrimination. The ex-untouchability communities their leaders have coined, another term, Dalit’, which is now the generally accepted term for referring to these groups. The term Dalit literally means ‘downtrodden’ and conveys the sense of an oppressed people. However, the constitution of India recognises the probability what there may be groups other than SCs and STs who suffer from social advantages. These groups were described as “socially and educationally” backward classes or other backward classes.” The OBCs are neither part of the formed castes at the upper end of the caste hierarchy, nor the Dalits at the lower end. The OBCs are a much more diverse groups than the Dalits. Q. 9. What are the major issues of concern to adivasis today? Ans. : The tribes, were considered to be “people of the forest’ whose special habitat in the hilly of and forest regions made their economic, social and political attributes. At present, except the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country which are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. The regions where tribal population are concentrated, their economic and social conditions are much more than those of non-tribals. However, after independence Adivasi lands were acquired for new river and dam projects. Consequently, millions of Adivasis were displayed without any adequate compensation or rehabilitation. The resources of Adivasis are being taken away in the name of *03110031 development’ and ‘economic growth’. For example projects such as Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada and the Polavaram Dam on river Godavari would displace hundred of thousands of Adivasis. The policy of economic liberalisation is leaving Adivasis to greater destitution. Q. 10. What are the major issues taken up by the women’s movement over its history? Ans. : Scholars and social reformers have shown that the inequalities between men and women are social rather than natural. The women’s question became prominent in the 19 th Century. Raja Rammohun Roy’s attempt to reform society, religion and status of women in Bengal. He undertook the campaign against “Sati” which was the first women’s issue to receive public attention. Jyotiba Phule was from socially excluded caste and he attacked both caste and gender discrimination. He established the Satyashodhak Samaj with its primary emphasis on truth seeking. ” Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made efforts to reform Muslim Society. He wanted girls to be educated, but within the precincts of their homes. He stood for women’s education but sought for a curriculum that included instruction in religious principles, training in arts of housekeeping and handicrafts and rearing of children. Tarabai Shinde a Maharashtrian housewife, wrote, Stree Purush Tulana as a protest against the double standards of a male dominated society. Women’s issues emphatically surfaced in 1970s . The burning issues were rape of women in police custody, dowry murders and gender injustice, etc. The new challenges have come in the form of social bias against the girl child sex ratio which is falling very « sharply. Q. 11. In what sense can one sly that ‘disability’ is as much a social as a physical thing ? Ans. :

The disabled are struggling not because they are physically or mentally challenged but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs.

In the Indian context, one of the leading scholars of disability, Anita Ghai, argues that the invisibility of the disabled can be compared to the Invisible Man of Ralph Ellison which is a famous indictment of racism against African Americans in the USA.

Common features of the public perceptions of disability are:

1. Disability is understood as a biological factor. 2. Whenever a disabled person is confronted with problems, it is taken for granted that the problems originate from his/her impairment. 3. The disabled person is seen as a victim. 4. Disability is supposed to be linked with the disabled individual’s self perception. 5. The very idea of disability suggests that they are in need of help.

In India, in a culture that looks up to “bodily perfection’, all deviations from the “perfect body’ signify abnormality, defect and distortion. Lables such as “bechara’ accentuate the victim status for the disabled person.

The roots of such attitude lie in the cultural conception that views an impaired body as a result of fate. Destiny is seen as the culprit, and disabled people are the victims. The common perception views disability as retribution for the past karma (action) from which there can be no reprieve. The dominant cultural construction in India, therefore looks at disability as essentially a characteristic of the individual. The popular images in mythology portray the disabled in an extremely negative fashion.

The very term ‘disabled’ challenges each of these assumptions. The disabled are rendered disabled not because of biology but because of society.

The social construction of disability has yet another dimension. There is a close relationship between disability and poverty. Malnutrition, mothers weakened by frequent childbirth, inadequate immunization programmes, accidents in overcrowded homes, all contribute to an incidence of disability among the poor people that is higher among people living in easier circumstances.

Disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the family.

Recognition of disability is absent from the wider educational discourse. This is evident from the historical practices within the educational system that continues to marginalize the issue of disability by maintaining two separate streams—one for disabled students and one for everyone else.

The concepts of inclusion is still an experimental concept in our educational system which is restricted to few public schools only.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/3gxHyLl

NCERT Class 12 Sociology Chapter 5 Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Sociology: Indian Society

Chapter 5 Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q. 1. How is social inequality different from the inequality of individual? Ans. : Individual inequality refers to destructiveness and variations among individuals in their psychological and physical characteristics. Social inequality refers to a social system where some people are getting opportunity to make use of the resources and others are not. Some people are at a higher level in terms of wealth, education, health and status while others are at the lowest level. Social inequality gets manifested in following forms: (i) Social stratification 

(ii) Prejudices (iii) Stereotypes 

(iv) Discrimination 

Q. 2. What are some of the features of social stratification? Ans. : 

The key features of social stratification are :

(i) Social stratification is a characteristics of society, not simply a function of individual differences. It is society-wide system that unequally distributes social resources among categories of people. For example: In the most technologically primitive societies-hunting and gathering societies, little was produced, so only rudimentary social stratification could exist. In more technologically advanced societies, where people produce a surplus over and above their basic needs, however, social resources are unequally distributed to various social categories regardless of people’s innate individual abilities.

Social stratification persists over generations:

(ii) It is closely linked to the family and to the inheritance of social resources from one generation to the next. A person’s social position is ascribed, i.e., a child assumes the social position of its parents. Births dictate occupation e.g. a Dalit is likely to ‘ be confined to traditional occupation such as agricultural labours, scavenging or leather work, with little chance of being able to get high paying white-collar or professional work. The ascribed aspect of social inequality is reinforced by the practice of endogamy, i.e., marriage is usually restricted to members of the same caste, ruling out the potential for breaking caste line through intercaste marriages.

Social stratification is supported by patterns of beliefs and ideology:

(iii) No system of social stratification is likely to persist over generations unless it is widely viewed as being either fair or inevitable. For example, Caste system is justified in terms of the opposition of purity and pollution, with Brahmans designated as the most superior and Dalits as the most inferior by virtue of their birth and occupation. Not everyone, thinks of a system of inequality as legitimate. Typically, people with the greatest social privileges express the strongest support, while those who have experienced exploitation and humiliation of being at the bottom of the hierarchy are most likely to challenge it. Q 3. How would you distinguish prejudice from other kinds of opinion or belief? Ans. : Prejudice refers to pre-judgement, i.e., an opinion made in advance. Prejudice refers to pre-thought opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. Prejudice may be either positive or negative. A prejudiced person’s pre-thought views r are .generally based on hearsay rather than on direct evidence. This word is generally used for negative pre-judgements. On the other hand, an opinion is a judgment about someone or something, not necessarily based on fact and knowledge. Q. 4. What is social exclusion? Ans. : Social exclusion is the combined result of deprivation and discrimination that presents individual or groups from participating completely in the economic, social and political life of the society in which they live.Social exclusion is structural i.e., the outcome of social processes and institutions rather than individual action. In this process, the individuals may cut off from total improvement in the broader society. Q. 5. What is the relationship between caste and economic inequality today? Ans. : In the hierarchy of caste system each caste has a specific place and social status. There has been a close correlation between social or caste status and economic status. The high’ castes were almost invariably of high economic status. On the other hand, the “low’ caste were almost always of low economic status. However, in the 19th Century the link between caste and occupation had become less , rigid consequently, the link between caste and economic status is not as rigid today as it used to be.At the macro line things have not changed much. The difference between the privileged a high economic status sections of society and disadvantaged (a low economic status) sections still persists. Q. 6. What is untouchability? Ans. : Untouchability is a social practice within the caste system in which members of the lowest castes are thought to be ritually impure to such a limit that they cause pollution by mere touch or even sight. Untouchable castes are at the bottom of the hierarchical system. These low castes are excluded from most social institutions. It is an extreme and vicious aspect of the caste system. It uses stringent social and ritual sanctions against members of castes located at the bottom of the purity pollution scale. They are considered to be outside the caste hierarchy. Q. 7. Describe some of the policies designed to address caste inequality. Ans. : At the state level, there are special programmes for scheduled tribes and scheduled castes. Because of massive discrimination practised against them, special provisions have been made for them. The OBCs have also been added to this special provisions.

The laws passed to end, prohibit and punish caste discrimination, especially untouchability are: (i) Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850, disallowed the curtailment of rights of citizens due solely to change of religion or caste. It allowed entry of Dalit to government schools. .

(ii) Constitution Amendment (93rd Amendment) Act of 2005, for introducing reservation for OBCs in institutions of higher education.

(iii) Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, to abolish untouchability (Article 17) and introduced reservation provisions.

(iv) 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act revised and strengthened the legal provisions against Dalits and Adivasis. Q. 8. How are the Other Backward Castes different from die Dalits (or Scheduled Castes)? Ans. : Untouchability was ttie most visible and discriminatory form of social inequality. Despite this, there was a large group of castes which were of low status and were also subjected to varying levels of discrimination. The ex-untouchability communities their leaders have coined, another term, Dalit’, which is now the generally accepted term for referring to these groups. The term Dalit literally means ‘downtrodden’ and conveys the sense of an oppressed people. However, the constitution of India recognises the probability what there may be groups other than SCs and STs who suffer from social advantages. These groups were described as “socially and educationally” backward classes or other backward classes.” The OBCs are neither part of the formed castes at the upper end of the caste hierarchy, nor the Dalits at the lower end. The OBCs are a much more diverse groups than the Dalits. Q. 9. What are the major issues of concern to adivasis today? Ans. : The tribes, were considered to be “people of the forest’ whose special habitat in the hilly of and forest regions made their economic, social and political attributes. At present, except the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country which are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. The regions where tribal population are concentrated, their economic and social conditions are much more than those of non-tribals. However, after independence Adivasi lands were acquired for new river and dam projects. Consequently, millions of Adivasis were displayed without any adequate compensation or rehabilitation. The resources of Adivasis are being taken away in the name of *03110031 development’ and ‘economic growth’. For example projects such as Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada and the Polavaram Dam on river Godavari would displace hundred of thousands of Adivasis. The policy of economic liberalisation is leaving Adivasis to greater destitution. Q. 10. What are the major issues taken up by the women’s movement over its history? Ans. : Scholars and social reformers have shown that the inequalities between men and women are social rather than natural. The women’s question became prominent in the 19 th Century. Raja Rammohun Roy’s attempt to reform society, religion and status of women in Bengal. He undertook the campaign against “Sati” which was the first women’s issue to receive public attention. Jyotiba Phule was from socially excluded caste and he attacked both caste and gender discrimination. He established the Satyashodhak Samaj with its primary emphasis on truth seeking. ” Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made efforts to reform Muslim Society. He wanted girls to be educated, but within the precincts of their homes. He stood for women’s education but sought for a curriculum that included instruction in religious principles, training in arts of housekeeping and handicrafts and rearing of children. Tarabai Shinde a Maharashtrian housewife, wrote, Stree Purush Tulana as a protest against the double standards of a male dominated society. Women’s issues emphatically surfaced in 1970s . The burning issues were rape of women in police custody, dowry murders and gender injustice, etc. The new challenges have come in the form of social bias against the girl child sex ratio which is falling very « sharply. Q. 11. In what sense can one sly that ‘disability’ is as much a social as a physical thing ? Ans. :

The disabled are struggling not because they are physically or mentally challenged but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs.

In the Indian context, one of the leading scholars of disability, Anita Ghai, argues that the invisibility of the disabled can be compared to the Invisible Man of Ralph Ellison which is a famous indictment of racism against African Americans in the USA.

Common features of the public perceptions of disability are:

1. Disability is understood as a biological factor. 2. Whenever a disabled person is confronted with problems, it is taken for granted that the problems originate from his/her impairment. 3. The disabled person is seen as a victim. 4. Disability is supposed to be linked with the disabled individual’s self perception. 5. The very idea of disability suggests that they are in need of help.

In India, in a culture that looks up to “bodily perfection’, all deviations from the “perfect body’ signify abnormality, defect and distortion. Lables such as “bechara’ accentuate the victim status for the disabled person.

The roots of such attitude lie in the cultural conception that views an impaired body as a result of fate. Destiny is seen as the culprit, and disabled people are the victims. The common perception views disability as retribution for the past karma (action) from which there can be no reprieve. The dominant cultural construction in India, therefore looks at disability as essentially a characteristic of the individual. The popular images in mythology portray the disabled in an extremely negative fashion.

The very term ‘disabled’ challenges each of these assumptions. The disabled are rendered disabled not because of biology but because of society.

The social construction of disability has yet another dimension. There is a close relationship between disability and poverty. Malnutrition, mothers weakened by frequent childbirth, inadequate immunization programmes, accidents in overcrowded homes, all contribute to an incidence of disability among the poor people that is higher among people living in easier circumstances.

Disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the family.

Recognition of disability is absent from the wider educational discourse. This is evident from the historical practices within the educational system that continues to marginalize the issue of disability by maintaining two separate streams—one for disabled students and one for everyone else.

The concepts of inclusion is still an experimental concept in our educational system which is restricted to few public schools only.

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