Wednesday, October 30, 2019

An analysis of an ad campaign of your choice Essay

An analysis of an ad campaign of your choice - Essay Example Just like every other seller in the market, jewelers also rely on Christmas to make huge sales. They have achieved this by giving out some of the best Christmas campaign advertisements to persuade people to invest in Jewells specifically their jewels. This paper is going to do a comparison of two globally renowned reputable jewelers Christmas advertisements. The jewelers are Cartier and tiffany and co. and their Christmas advertisements which appeared across a range of platforms that is on TV, online on YouTube and billboards. In addition, this paper is going to analyze tiffany and co and Cartier with the consumer buying process. The consumer buying process can be defined as the process the consumer goes through before deciding on what product to buy. This process is a very crucial process in that it determines whether a consumer is going to buy ones products or another brand. It includes five known stages which are product recognition, information search by consumer, evaluation of a lternatives, purchase decision and post purchase behavior. Tiffany and co and Cartier both have a campaign adverts which means a series of adverts with the same target. They both recognize the consumer buying process in their adverts in that in tiffany and co. Christmas advert the name of the brand is first shown to tell the customer what products is being advertised and even at the end the name is put on the screen solely which is product recognition (Pride & Ferrell, 2006, 235). The same applies to Cartier whose name is printed in all the products shown on the advert as small inscriptions on the jewel boxes. The end of the advert is also dedicated to the brand name solely on the screen thus both companies have produced product recognition in their adverts. Color has been utilized by the two reputable jewelers as their main form of communication as the colors are synonymous with these brands. This showcases the jeweler’s knowledge on the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Databse Approach Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Example for Free

Databse Approach Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Each individual record is represented as a row, and each attribute as a column. Entity types are related to each other using  1:N  mappings, also known as  one-to-many  relationships. This model is recognized as the first database model created by IBM in the 1960s. The  network structure  consists of more complex relationships. Unlike the hierarchical structure, it can relate to many records and accesses them by following one of several paths. In other words, this structure allows for many-to-many relationships. The  network model  is a  database model  conceived as a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships. Its distinguishing feature is that the schema, viewed as a graph in which object types are nodes and relationship types are arcs, is not restricted to being a hierarchy or lattice. Example of a Network Model. The network models original inventor was  Charles Bachman, and it was developed into a standard specification published in 1969 by the  CODASYL  Consortium. The  object-oriented structure  has the ability to handle graphics, pictures, voice and text, types of data, without difficultly unlike the other database structures. This structure is popular formultimedia  Web-based applications. It was designed to work with object-oriented programming languages such as  Java. The dominant model in use today is the ad hoc one embedded in  SQL, despite the objections of purists who believe this model is a corruption of the relational model since it violates several fundamental principles for the sake of practicality and performance. Many DBMSs also support the  Open Database Connectivity  API  that supports a standard way for programmers to access the DBMS. Before the database management approach, organizations relied on file processing systems to organize, store, and process data files. End users criticized file processing because the data is stored in many different files and each organized in a different way. Each file was specialized to be used with a specific application. File processing was bulky, costly and inflexible when it came to supplying needed data accurately and promptly. Data redundancy is an issue with the file processing system because the independent data files produce duplicate data so when updates were needed each separate file would need to be updated. Another issue is the lack of data integration. The data is dependent on other data to organize and store it.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Nicholas Nickleby :: essays research papers

Nicholas Nickleby In Nicholas Nickleby ,the play, Dickens dramatically portrays real life through his characters and the experiences they face. In the play the characters are very straight forward with their emotions and everything they do seems so extreme , but at the same time real. An example of this realism, in the play, is the character of Ralph Nickleby. He is a very conniving person who uses people and takes advantage of them whenever he gets the opportunity to do so. Personally he reminds me of a greedy business man who enjoys taking people and draining them for everything they are worth. Then when they run dry he is all of a sudden not their friend. Ralph Nickleby always seemed so evil and cold. I see many similarities between the characters of Ralph Nickleby and Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. They both are very greedy men who only care about themselves. Another very good example of realism in the play is Ralph Nickleby’s niece and nephew. Nicholas Nickleby and his sister Kate are very benevolent people. They are very caring and excepting of others. They reach out to the people who need it the most. When Nicholas saw Smike and the rest of Dotheboys Hall he was shocked and saddened to see how they were treated by the Squires. Nicholas and Kate are almost opposites of their uncle, Ralph. Smike is one of those people who make you feel bad when you feel sorry for your self because even though he had never really received love from anyone he was a loving and caring person. He was grateful of what he had when he had nothing. He was very appreciative of Nicholas’ and Kate’s caring treatment to him and he always made that clear. He is somebody who we could all learn a thing or two from. The Mantolini’s are a family of snobby people. They own a dress shop where the rich go for their clothing and that makes them believe that they are God’s gift. They are trying too hard to fit in with the rich

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Is Pvc Acceptable for Gas Furnace Flue?

Is PVC an acceptable vent material for flue gases? Installing a new water heater or furnace can be tricky for the novice HVAC technician. There are many checks that need to be done and codes that need to be followed. While not being complete with the internals can lead to a harmful situation, one of the most important decisions that you will have to make is what material you should make the flue out of. Most furnace flues are made out of a metal material which is a proper decision do the high temperatures released through the flue during the use of the furnace.Due to the cost of metal, some technicians have chosen to use PVC pipe as material for furnace flues as a less expensive alternative. Polyvinyl Chloride, otherwise known as PVC is a hard plastic pipe typically used in plumbing applications. Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe is the third most widely produced plastic in the world behind only polyethylene and polypropylene. Wikipedia quotes that PVC is â€Å"cheaper and stronger than more traditional alternatives such as copper or ductile iron.It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizes, the widely used Phthlates. In this form, it is used in clothing , upholstery, and electrical insulation. † After inspections of commercial and residential installations, Inspectors have discovered that using PVC pipe can lead to destructive and possibly harmful conditions. It was noted that if the water heater scales up due to minerals in the water supply, it can cause the flue gas temperatures to rise which can lead to the fittings and pipe melting.Melting of the PVC pipe can be very dangerous. If behind a wall or in the ceiling, a melted pipe can leak condensation and create mold growth behind drywall. Even more dangerous is the release of carbon monoxide gas out of a melted pipe. Carbon Monoxide is a lethal gas and can lead to a fatal situation. Manufacturers sometimes recommend using PVC for their installations. Research has found that although th ey recommend using PVC pipe, it is not necessarily safe and I would not recommend using it due to the melting hazard.The funny part I find is that although there is not a standard in any of the codes in the United States for PVC or plastic combustion flue vents, most manufactures ask you to reference the U. S. code. There is a Canadian standard which allows temperatures of the flue to exceed the temperatures limits of the manufacturer of the PVC material. The Canadian standard (ULC S636) covers the venting of gas fired appliances. It classifies the temperatures of the venting systems in three different classes.The fist class is a class one venting system for gas fired appliances producing flue temperatures of 135 degrees C (275 F) but not more than 245 C (473 F). A class two venting system produces temperatures of 135 C (275 F). A class three venting system is classified into 4 temperatures. 1) up to and including 65 C. 2) up to and including 90 C. 3) up to and including 110 C. 4) u p to and including 135 C. I did a little research on a major manufacture of PVC and other plastics, JM Eagle, and could not find any PVC manufactures that can reach those limitations as gas flue temperatures can reach above 250 F.In closing and after my research, I find that using Stainless steel for your gas furnace or boiler flue is not only essential but necessary as a safety precaution. Although it is a little more expensive, you will not have the melting hazard and the risk of the release of Carbon Monoxide. ———————————————————————————————————- References: http://www. plumbingengineer. com/may_11/code. php Is PVC an acceptable vent material for flue gases? By Ron George CPD http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride www. jmeagle. com

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Dance Essay

Jameisha Tucker Divine Purpose Dance Team 08. 01. 11. Co-Captain Admissions Essay The term captain is synonymous with the term leader. By definition, a leader is someone who is in an advanced position to take the initiative in order to go forth and show the way. A dance captain should be able to make intelligent and creative decisions quickly and efficiently. Being a dance team captain for the Mighty Marching Lions has so much more to do with choreography and precision. Because we are a part of a Christian marching band, our purpose and our duty to fulfill that purpose is ten times greater than that of a traditional marching band. Without God, we would not have this grand opportunity and because of that we have to do things differently than the world would. We as band members are all working towards a goal which is ministering and showing the world the power of youth through the will of God. A captain must be able to effectively communicate and build a positive relationship with the team. A good relationship between captain and team is essential to the success of the team. Without it, everyone may not be on one accord and to accomplish our goals we all have to look and think like one. Every team has there issues and there is always going to be a time when someone is upset with someone else. Although our actions and words may not always project to be what we intend them to be, there are always reasonable solutions that can be taken in order to avoid altercations. We are of God and therefore we need to try our best to always show the love of God. I believe that I do posses many qualities of a leader. I am always pushing and striving to be greater. There may be times where I do get a dance move right away but I go home and practice until I feel I have mastered that move. I enjoy the fitness that we do before practice because I want a stronger body so that I can be a better dancer. I have a very independent personality and it is only because I want to be the best Christian, dancer, and overall person that I can be. One of our dance tattoos is â€Å"NO COMPROMISE†. I do not ever want to compromise myself or my beliefs to fit it. A leader never â€Å"fits in†. I always try my best to follow instructions because I know that this dance team is not only for me, it is for the world. We have to show the world the light. In this band you have to become selfless and know that when you are performing it is so that we can reach the world and save lives. Although I am also a dancer on my school’s dance team I would still be very committed to Divine Purpose. My contributions to this dance team would be enthusiasm, hard work ethic, and dedication. I am very excited to be apart of this dance team. I have been apart from the very beginning. I remember our first performance at the WE Fest on that very small stage. We didn’t even have team T-shirts but we tried to dance our hearts out. Moments like those are ones I never want to forget. I cannot wait for the incoming dancers to begin so that our team can grow and flourish. Pastor Powe is always preaching on legacy and I want to be able to leave one for future dancers. Dance Essay Jameisha Tucker Divine Purpose Dance Team 08. 01. 11. Co-Captain Admissions Essay The term captain is synonymous with the term leader. By definition, a leader is someone who is in an advanced position to take the initiative in order to go forth and show the way. A dance captain should be able to make intelligent and creative decisions quickly and efficiently. Being a dance team captain for the Mighty Marching Lions has so much more to do with choreography and precision. Because we are a part of a Christian marching band, our purpose and our duty to fulfill that purpose is ten times greater than that of a traditional marching band. Without God, we would not have this grand opportunity and because of that we have to do things differently than the world would. We as band members are all working towards a goal which is ministering and showing the world the power of youth through the will of God. A captain must be able to effectively communicate and build a positive relationship with the team. A good relationship between captain and team is essential to the success of the team. Without it, everyone may not be on one accord and to accomplish our goals we all have to look and think like one. Every team has there issues and there is always going to be a time when someone is upset with someone else. Although our actions and words may not always project to be what we intend them to be, there are always reasonable solutions that can be taken in order to avoid altercations. We are of God and therefore we need to try our best to always show the love of God. I believe that I do posses many qualities of a leader. I am always pushing and striving to be greater. There may be times where I do get a dance move right away but I go home and practice until I feel I have mastered that move. I enjoy the fitness that we do before practice because I want a stronger body so that I can be a better dancer. I have a very independent personality and it is only because I want to be the best Christian, dancer, and overall person that I can be. One of our dance tattoos is â€Å"NO COMPROMISE†. I do not ever want to compromise myself or my beliefs to fit it. A leader never â€Å"fits in†. I always try my best to follow instructions because I know that this dance team is not only for me, it is for the world. We have to show the world the light. In this band you have to become selfless and know that when you are performing it is so that we can reach the world and save lives. Although I am also a dancer on my school’s dance team I would still be very committed to Divine Purpose. My contributions to this dance team would be enthusiasm, hard work ethic, and dedication. I am very excited to be apart of this dance team. I have been apart from the very beginning. I remember our first performance at the WE Fest on that very small stage. We didn’t even have team T-shirts but we tried to dance our hearts out. Moments like those are ones I never want to forget. I cannot wait for the incoming dancers to begin so that our team can grow and flourish. Pastor Powe is always preaching on legacy and I want to be able to leave one for future dancers.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Analyse how Robert Zemeckis builds up tension and suspense in the time travel scene in Back To The Future Essays

Analyse how Robert Zemeckis builds up tension and suspense in the time travel scene in Back To The Future Essays Analyse how Robert Zemeckis builds up tension and suspense in the time travel scene in Back To The Future Paper Analyse how Robert Zemeckis builds up tension and suspense in the time travel scene in Back To The Future Paper Essay Topic: Film The director of back to the future, Robert zemeckis creates the feeling of tension and excitement brilliantly, especially as it is of the science fiction genre. Such things as camera angles, lighting, music, diagetic sound and setting are the wide range of media effects used to build up tension and excitement. Zemeckiss purpose throughout the film, but especially in the scene where the time travel takes place, is to capture the audiences attention by controlling their emotions and feelings towards both characters and what is happening in the film. The film Back to the Future is of a science fiction genre. The genre of a film is what type or sort of film it is, there are plenty of different type of genres ranging from horror and thriller to comedy and romance. A film genre is defined by what it is about, like a comedy would be a film that has plenty of jokes and makes you laugh. A horror would be a film that may involve a thickening plot, gory scenes and mystery. A film that has a science fiction genre tends to follow a certain trend, they all involve a hero (Doc), villain/bully (Biff), helper/assistant (Marty), a scientific idea (the car/ taking people to the future), quest (taking Marty back to the future), twists (Marty and his mum) and suspense (lightning striking and car engine failure). Throughout the film a number of different camera angles are used, this enables the director to portray the scene, characters emotions both physically and mentally and create excitement and suspense brilliantly. The time travel scene/final scene starts off with a low-angle establishing shot towards the clock this shows how powerful the clock is to the storyline and sets the scene. During this scene the camera often shifts upwards to show the storm, this creates even more excitement. High angled shots are used these make the characters look diminutive and that nature is more powerful than man. Close ups are used very often, when Marty cant start the car a close up is used on Martys face because it is trying to make the viewer think what is going on inside Martys mind. When the car does finally start you get an objective shot from the windscreen to show the relief on Martys face. When Doc slips a low angle shot looks up at him showing his vulnerability, then a close up is seen as it enables you to see that he is just hanging in mid-air and that you can see that the Doc is thinking. The director also cuts form one shot to the next very quickly this creates the atmosphere and shows the panic on the docs face and in his actions. The surrounding is also set better this way I feel. Every time the clock strikes another minute you get a shot of the clock as it makes you more aware that time is running out for them. The scene ends with a pan shot of what is left, the Doc and small blaze from where the car tyres were, this signifies by having a pan shot that the commotion is over. During the scene the lighting is very gloomy this is to portray the fact that a storm is brewing and it creates more excitement and suspense if there is dark lighting and occasional flashes of bright light. You can also sense a moody feeling being created by the lighting this shows the pressure and nervousness the characters must be feeling. When the Doc is in front of the clock, when he has just slipped the lighting is used to show a silhouette of him on the clock face this is a piece of lighting brilliance. A contrast of light/dark is seen throughout, this adds to the atmosphere. When the lightning strikes the whole scene becomes bright and still has big bursts of light. The bursts of light are when the lightning hits the clock, when the Doc pushes the two cables together and when the pole hits the cable and Marty goes back. Music plays an important role in catching the audiences attention and in the building and making of suspense. The music can be used to change a persons mood, either making them more excited or calming them down with a dramatic or a suspense moment. All the way through the film there is some sort of background noise. This varies from orchestral to the clock ticking. The orchestral music has many a different types of instruments involved. All these instruments together create a fuller sound, adding to the excitement already built. The music in this scene is very tense and scurrying like and in some parts very fast, and also tends to speed up when something dramatic has happened thus emphasising that time is running out. At the very end of the scene once Marty has been sent Back to the Future, there is immediate silence, this acts as a complete contrast between the previous frantic ambiences. The silence is then followed by a single brass instrument playing the same military tune as before. The fact that there is now only one solitary instrument playing emphasises that Doc is now on his own. As the camera pans out the empty scene, a radio plays a tune current to the time, this shows that normality has returned. The sounds used in the film are the clock ticking, clock bell ringing and both human voices of Marty and Doc can also be heard. The diagetic sounds create added excitement and worry, when the bell rings it interrupts a crucial moment and worries the audience. The ticking of the clock is significant because its shows that time is passing by, therefore they dont have much time left, this makes the audience uncomfortable as they are worried. The two main characters of Marty and Doc are used brilliantly to get the audience excited and also maintain the audiences enthusiasm in the film, as it is never a dull moment in the film because you dont know what each character is going to do next. The two characters are very different from each other. The Doc is a desperate yet brave, eccentric, quick-thinking, persistent character. He will do anything to make his invention work. Marty however is powerless, very trusting towards the mad Doc and also a typical teenager as he has bad time keeping and bad luck through out. The Doc is dressed smartly and like a typical scientist this makes you take him seriously, but you soon find out hes as mad as a hatter. Marty is dressed like a typical teenager, jeans etc as he is a teenager the things he does are normal. The setting of this scene is in and around the clock tower, this is important as it signifies the importance of the clock in the film because it makes the clock the main attraction/centre piece. By having the clock in this scene it shows that time has been a major effect on the outcome of the film, their lives and others around them. It shows the film to be about past/present and future. As this scene also evolves around lightning (it being struck at a particular moment), its a dangerous thing to happen because they are trying to control it, this makes it even more unpredictable. The atmosphere is created even more as at every minute you get a shot of the clock this symbolises that time is running out. During the scene there is a lot of bad luck, as nothing seems to go right, Martys late, tree falling, car not starting and Doc slipping are examples of the misfortunes that occur. Marty is wearing 1980s style cool clothes i.e. body warmer, the audience now identifies that Marty is a helpless and typical unknowing teenager. The lighting during the scene is dismal very bleak and mainly dark, this helps the scene to become more unpredictable and filled with panic and excitement. The high angle shots show throughout that nature is the over-powering effect in this scene. The mise-en-scene is the overall style of an extract, film in this case. It is what the director is trying to achieve and the ways he achieves these things. The variety of media effects used throughout this film by Zemeckis makes the film more exciting and creates more tension. The constant orchestral sounds in the background speed up when a scene is getting more exciting or when something has gone wrong, this adds to the audiences emotions. Likewise when a frantic bit has finished a bang or quick flash of light signifies that this bit of commotion is over. The ranges of camera angles enable us to see the surroundings, the clock, the actions of each character and the emotions of each character. Close ups are used to show emotions on faces, pan shots are sued to show surroundings and high-angle, low-angle and long shots show what the characters are up to. Without all these different and brilliantly planed media effects Back To The Future would not of been the success that it was.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Diversity as a Black NFL Player Professor Ramos Blog

Diversity as a Black NFL Player In Mychal Smith’s article â€Å"Colin Kaepernick’s protest might be unpatriotic. And that’s just fine† Mychal speaks on the real reasons Colin Kaepernick took a knee that day during the national anthem. For Liberty and Justice for ‘all’. In Colin Kaepernick’s own words, â€Å"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.† With President Donald Trump downplaying it as only utter disrespect to our troops and our Nation as well, we as citizens separated the real reasons as to why Colin Kaepernick did it in the first place. Colin Kaepernick wanted to shine a light on all the police brutalities that have been going on every day in our country as well as the many other injustices that happen to people of color in this nation. While many others stood in support, or rather I should say kneed in support with Colin, it is Colin Kaepernick who is still left without a job. H e is currently awaiting trial for challenging in collusion of grievance against the NFL. Many call Kaepernick’s kneeling to be unpatriotic and refer to this as ‘Anthem Protests’. Though the time and place were chosen deliberately, Mychal believes the flag and the anthem are not the reasons for the protest, but the symbolism the flag and anthem represent. Colin believes his actions by kneeling that day was the start to bringing a light upon injustices everywhere in our country. Even if it meant knowing he would be seen as an outcast or someone who disrespects America. In Mychal Smith’s words, â€Å"The protest does not need to be recast as patriotic. Patriotism is not higher virtue than justice.† Yet what Colin Kaepernick did could be known as patriotic as he fights for citizens of this nation who battle diversity on a daily basis. Questions: Should NFL players take the kneel? What would be a better way for Colin Kaepernick to protest to get his point across world-wide? Do you believe Colin Kaepernick is being blacklisted by the NFL? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/12/colin-kaepernicks-protest-unpatriotic-justice By: Carmella Lindo Tyrone Ross Eric Kazos

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Airport Noise and Pollution Can Effect Your Health

Airport Noise and Pollution Can Effect Your Health Researchers have known for years that exposure to excessively loud noise can cause changes in blood pressure as well as changes in sleep and digestive patterns, all signs of stress on the human body. The very word â€Å"noise† itself derives from the Latin word â€Å"noxia,† which means injury or hurt. Airport Noise and Pollution Increase Risk for Illness On a 1997 questionnaire distributed to two groups (one living near a major airport, and the other in a quiet neighborhood), two-thirds of those living near the airport indicated they were bothered by aircraft noise, and most said that it interfered with their daily activities. The same two-thirds complained more than the other group of sleep difficulties, and also perceived themselves as being in poorer health. Perhaps even more alarming, the European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies. The E.U. estimates that 20% of Europe’s population (about 80 million people) are exposed to airport noise levels it considers unhealthy and unacceptable. Airport Noise Affects Children Airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development. A 1980 study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away. A 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby. A 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland, and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five-decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings. The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered. Citizen Groups Concerned About Effects of Airport Noise and Pollution Living near an airport also means facing significant exposure to air pollution. Jack Saporito of the U.S. Citizens Aviation Watch Association (CAW), a coalition of concerned municipalities and advocacy groups, cites several studies linking pollutants common around airports (such as diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide and leaked chemicals) to cancer, asthma, liver damage, lung disease, lymphoma, myeloid leukemia, and even depression. A recent study pinpointed ground taxiing by planes at busy airports as the source of large amounts of carbon monoxide, which in turn appears to increase the prevalence of asthma within 10 kilometers of the airport. CAW is lobbying for the clean up of jet engine exhaust as well as the scrapping or modification of airport expansion plans across the country. Another group working on this issue is Chicago’s Alliance of Residents Concerning O’Hare, which lobbies and conducts extensive public education campaigns in an effort to cut noise and pollution and rein in expansion plans at the world’s busiest airport. According to the group, five million area residents may be suffering adverse health effects as a result of O’Hare, only one of four major airports in the region.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Japanese America Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Japanese America - Coursework Example Furthermore, no citizen showed any betrayal to their nation. As the procedure to send Japanese Americans to camps began, many lost all their materialistic needs since they had little or no time to gather their belongings. In addition, several people took advantage of that as the citizens were required short sell their possessions. At the time of World War II, Americans drastically feared attacks from foreign enemies. The attack on Pearl Harbor was just another incident that â€Å"fueled the fire.† Hence, for many Americans, detaining Japanese Americans and throwing them into camps seemed justifiable. Ironically enough, history has a strange way of repeating itself. After the attacks in September 11, many Muslims faced a similar situation as many were deported, arrested, and tried for crimes they did not commit. Obviously, my view is different since the modern society is propagating for civil rights. Consequently, during the WWII era,. Although Truman had a tough decision to ma ke, I do not agree with his decision for several reasons. First and foremost, the bomb killed 70,000 people and another 70000 died from radiation. The bomb flattened the city killing tens of thousands of civilians and left the city in chaos with big clouds of smoke and decay. From Truman’s perspective, it was a different thought as he wanted the war to end as soon as possible.

Sexual Harassment and Availing Resources to Guardians and Instructors Research Paper

Sexual Harassment and Availing Resources to Guardians and Instructors - Research Paper Example The ethnography is an instrument, often utilized in sociology and anthropology inscription. It recapitulates notes on a certain group of individuals assembled over a period. Ethnography is the scientific depiction of dissimilar ethnicities and traditions. This volume by Pascoe explores the intricate landscape of sexuality and gender distinctiveness in high schools. The exploration is prudent and perceptive. This study took place under a period of eight months in an ethnically assorted working-class high school; River High. This volume illuminates masculinity as a field of denotation as well as a group of social practices. The technique of scrutinizing masculinity is eccentric. Masculinity is not only presented as a gendered procedure but also as a sexual one. In the volume, the ghost of the homosexual becomes a punitive method for regulating heterosexuals. In addition, it regulates the homosexual males as well. The homosexual dialogue is extremely related to gender as well as sexuali ty. Additionally, this volume attempts to delve into both male and female sexuality (Pascoe 3). The volume commences with a scene that underscores the divergent premise of masculinity at River High. The Mr Cougar contest evidently elucidates the intersecting dynamics of ethnicity, bodies, sexuality, gender, social class, and organizational procedures that represent adolescent masculinity in a situation. The setting is perfect for the study of sexual characteristics and sexuality. Two nerds Craig and Brent convert from un-masculine geeks who cannot guard their girlfriends into heterosexual, brawny males. This masculinising procedure occurs via an alteration of bodies, the affirmation of ethnic privilege and portrayal of heterosexuality. This scene depicts that heterosexuality is central to masculinity.  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Discuss how psychological research into false memories has improved Essay

Discuss how psychological research into false memories has improved the reliabilty of eyewitness testimony - Essay Example The most important variables in eyewitness identification include perception, memory, communication and candour of the eyewitness. However, it has been a tough job for even trained observers to make accurate identification of the eyewitness. In this background, research in cognitive psychology on the subject of false memories proves to be greatly invaluable and such studies influence the reliability of eyewitness testimony immensely. As Daniel L. Schacter purports, experimental and theoretical studies of memory reveal that errors, distortions, and illusions are fundamental aspects of remembering and recollection. For the last two decades, there has been renewed interest in memory errors and distortions within psychotherapy and neuropsychology. â€Å"It is in the context of this debate that the term ‘false memory’ has come into common usage in psychological research. False memories refer to recollections that are in some way distorted or, in extreme cases, involve rememb ering events that never happened at all.† (Schacter, 1999, p. 193). Therefore, psychological research into false memories can greatly contribute to the reliability of eyewitness testimony and this paper makes a reflective exploration of how such examinations can improve the reliability of eyewitness testimony. ... The findings in the recent studies on the development of false memories prove that benign memories can be distorted in various ways during the process of encoding and retrieval. As Rowland W. Folensbee maintains, â€Å"research into false memories does not call into question the existence of memory processes that could maintain implicit traumatic memories. In fact, recent neuroimaging research offers support for the existence of flashbacks that not connected to explicit memory processes. (Folensbee, 2007, p. 119). Therefore, the recent studies on the process of recovering implicit memories have introduced a new way of understanding the working of false memories and these researches contribute to the comprehension of the fundamental aspects of memory. It is fundamental to realize that the cognitive psychologists have identified the occurrence of false memories and the recent experimental research in the area contributes to a better analysis of false memories. The significant connecti on between the recent psychological research into false memories and the reliability of eyewitness testimony cannot be questioned, because the developments in this area of neuropsychological research have contributed to the reliability of eyewitness testimony. One of the core aspects of the judicial process has been the reliability of eyewitness testimony and every attempt to improve its validity has great implications in legal psychology. According to Tversky and Fisher, it is fundamental for the participants in the judicial process to recognize the fallibility of witness memories. (Tversky and Fisher, 2000). The recent studies in neuropsychology concerning human memory focus on the susceptibility of the

By outlining the current global political economy, discuss to what Essay

By outlining the current global political economy, discuss to what extent the current global political economy undermines national development in the South - Essay Example The linkage of international banks, financial institutions, and trade illustrates the difficulties facing current government systems. There are suggestions that the current global political economy is beneficial to the Global South. In this paper, I will outline the extent to which the international political economy has undermined development in the South. With the advent of globalization, the relevance of the role of how nation state should manage economic systems in the development process has taken center stage. The reasoning behind this is that the economic systems presume that there is a political structure. Consequently, this means that development occurs in a global framework; at the same time, it arouses the question of the relevance of individual, national development plans. National development strategies become peculiar when there are other actors in the development process other than the nation state. The importance of understanding the nature of global political economy is because economic systems can not exist without stable political framework. The North- South divide of the world represents the developed and the underdeveloped world. This division can be conceived as ongoing due to the global arrangement of the political and economic systems. The Global North refers to the industrialized countries mainly in the northern hemisphere, while countries in the Global South are mostly found in the southern hemisphere; in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and Latin America (Kegley, 2008). The global political economy took a different turn after the oil shock of 1973. The member countries of OPEC established an oil cartel which saw the price of oil increased dramatically. Marxist offers the explanation that the oil crisis was not caused by OPEC but rather the Nixon administration. This premise asserts that the administration wanted to safeguard the interests of America capital and

Thursday, October 17, 2019

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

Green Building - Research Paper Example Without appropriate accommodation, the performance of the student may deteriorate due to varying factors an example being health. Most of the buildings in the city are pre-modern and thus the importance of giving or rather outlining a new design in which a building can get remodeled through. The contemporary world is faced with numerous problems one of them being pollution, it is important to go through a green design that can assist the students in having a conducive living environment while still the design maintaining environmental preservation which is effective for the community around. Client and Mentor In choosing of the means to reconstruct with regard to the client’s precision, it is important to understand the setting of the area. In the provided setting, looking out for all the environmental impacts comes in handy. The building is located in a busy location with a lot of traffic. It is thus important to understand that the cars passing by the building do not spend a lot of time at the location because the ground is rather weak. It is a requirement that the building uses rather tough tiles and the most recommended is the ceramic tiles. The client in this case is the expected occupant and since they are students, it is important to ensure that the building is not very complicated but just ideal. For an ideal contemporary building, it is important to use Ceramic. Ceramic is harder than stone and hence effective enough to use in places with clay soil and having many people around. In the making of such buildings, it is important to ensure that there is minimal use of space while still providing satisfactory area for people to use. The surrounding environment to the building should not have any building around it and should provide ample space for some form of field with grass. Grass is necessary seeing as the ground beneath is clay provides a rather smooth setting and environment for growth. Moreover, research has shown that having chemicals sprayed over the grass eventually leads to the clay soil beneath the foundation of the building stronger and can assist during the rainy season (Vasil, 2009, 77). Clearly, having ample grass space is not an aspect to conform to because it is a town setting but leaving space for it nevertheless is advisable in the setting. The mentor who i s the architect in this case should ensure that they pick the right type of soil for the job. Clay soil is strong and provides a great support for the foundation and the basement. This is from the way its particles join to form one large compact Substance. This substance leaves no space for air and thus makes it even harder. However, during the dry periods, the soil gets wet and the particles, having not supported themselves alone, end up breaking into pieces. This consequently has the building developing cracks and eventually falling to the ground, which is a hazard needless to state. Below is an example of a building in the initial stages of construction just before the pouring of concrete. An inspector is a vital mentor in the analysis of the already set foundation for the building. Most precisely an engineer ought to observe the already set foundation for the determination of the stability position that the building will have. Failure to analyze this may lead to the contractors and the builders carrying on with their work with no idea whatsoever of the sensitivity of the issue (Pearon, 2011, 102). The surveyor then comes in after this stage and determines the kind of footing to put depending on the type of building that the owner requires. In this case, a green building would require a rather high footing provided the soil formation and characteristics at the area. This is also

Discussion Board 4-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion Board 4-1 - Assignment Example Working with a client suffering from learned helplessness can prove to be very challenging and unworkable (Ungar, 2011). Special techniques and approaches have to the present and innovated to help tackle the complex counseling environment usually presented by learned helplessness. One of challenges working with a client suffering from learned helplessness is that they are also reluctant to take advice and counseling. This makes it difficult for counselors to succeed in engaging the clients in negotiation and navigation. Dully, a counselor fails to understand or know about the problems of clients. Another common challenge encountered when working with clients suffering from learned helpless relates to the difficulty to accept changes (Ungar, 2011). Victims of learned helplessness tend to be contented with the little they usually have as well as their contemporary conditions that, however, suffocates them. Counselors may struggle and apply many strategies, but fail to persuade individuals with the condition to adopt normal lifestyle. At sometimes, a counselor may consider transferring a client from one region where abuse erupts to a calm place designated for recovery alone (Ungar, 2011). The clients set to gain such favors may resist and insist on staying in th e same condition for a longer time. Some battered women have refused attempts by law enforcing officers and counselors intending provide them with alternative shelter, or arrest batterers after long time of enduring

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

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

Green Building - Research Paper Example Without appropriate accommodation, the performance of the student may deteriorate due to varying factors an example being health. Most of the buildings in the city are pre-modern and thus the importance of giving or rather outlining a new design in which a building can get remodeled through. The contemporary world is faced with numerous problems one of them being pollution, it is important to go through a green design that can assist the students in having a conducive living environment while still the design maintaining environmental preservation which is effective for the community around. Client and Mentor In choosing of the means to reconstruct with regard to the client’s precision, it is important to understand the setting of the area. In the provided setting, looking out for all the environmental impacts comes in handy. The building is located in a busy location with a lot of traffic. It is thus important to understand that the cars passing by the building do not spend a lot of time at the location because the ground is rather weak. It is a requirement that the building uses rather tough tiles and the most recommended is the ceramic tiles. The client in this case is the expected occupant and since they are students, it is important to ensure that the building is not very complicated but just ideal. For an ideal contemporary building, it is important to use Ceramic. Ceramic is harder than stone and hence effective enough to use in places with clay soil and having many people around. In the making of such buildings, it is important to ensure that there is minimal use of space while still providing satisfactory area for people to use. The surrounding environment to the building should not have any building around it and should provide ample space for some form of field with grass. Grass is necessary seeing as the ground beneath is clay provides a rather smooth setting and environment for growth. Moreover, research has shown that having chemicals sprayed over the grass eventually leads to the clay soil beneath the foundation of the building stronger and can assist during the rainy season (Vasil, 2009, 77). Clearly, having ample grass space is not an aspect to conform to because it is a town setting but leaving space for it nevertheless is advisable in the setting. The mentor who i s the architect in this case should ensure that they pick the right type of soil for the job. Clay soil is strong and provides a great support for the foundation and the basement. This is from the way its particles join to form one large compact Substance. This substance leaves no space for air and thus makes it even harder. However, during the dry periods, the soil gets wet and the particles, having not supported themselves alone, end up breaking into pieces. This consequently has the building developing cracks and eventually falling to the ground, which is a hazard needless to state. Below is an example of a building in the initial stages of construction just before the pouring of concrete. An inspector is a vital mentor in the analysis of the already set foundation for the building. Most precisely an engineer ought to observe the already set foundation for the determination of the stability position that the building will have. Failure to analyze this may lead to the contractors and the builders carrying on with their work with no idea whatsoever of the sensitivity of the issue (Pearon, 2011, 102). The surveyor then comes in after this stage and determines the kind of footing to put depending on the type of building that the owner requires. In this case, a green building would require a rather high footing provided the soil formation and characteristics at the area. This is also

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

American companies in Nazi Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American companies in Nazi Germany - Essay Example The need for automation of records plagued Hitler upon his ascent to power in early 1933. Hitler had a dream, to eliminate all Jews from Germany but he also needed to come up with a way to keep track of their deportation or their numbers in enslavement camps. International Business Machines (IBM)’s current technology had initially been produced for only one cause: to count. Whether it was people or company products, IBM had come up with a method to classify and enumerate (Black, Pp 23). It wasn’t long before IBM realized that the technology they had just given the world could do more than just count people or things. It could document data, process it, recover it and the most important part, it could analyze it. IBM had a subsidiary in Germany and the managers came up with an ingenious plan to customise these machines to tap into the furher’s needs; they had the Hollerith punch card technology and all they had to do was input the data that the third Reich wanted. In order to cash in on this opportunity they decided not to sell the machines but rather lease them to Hitler, making billions in the process. IBM knew that their products were being used for illegal purposes, and so to absolve themselves of any blame they would deny any collusion with the third Reich through structured denial of any oral agreements, contracts that were carefully crafted and using letters that had no dates on them (Black, Pp 35). It is important to note that Hitler persecuted and killed over 6 million Jews and that these numbers would not have been achieved had it not been for IBM’s technology. Upon achieving his dream of leading the Nazi, he made it his goal to identify and obliterate the country’s 6 million strong Jewish society. To everyone who followed Hitler, Jews were not just those who were practicing Judaism, but even those who had Jewish blood, in spite of their integration, whether it was due to them intermarrying, or even whether they had c onverted to Christianity. The first humane solution was to transport Jews out of the country’s ghettos using rail road lines. The next step was using the same to take them into death camps. They needed to do this with accurate timing such that the victims were able to be packed into a train and taken to execution facilities right on schedule. The coordination was such a multifaceted task, that it called for a computer Computers being nonexistent at that time, IBM had to use whatever technology they had at the time which happened to be the IBM punch card and card sorting system—a predecessor to the computer. IBM, primarily through its IBM’s subsidiary, made it their mission in life to make Hitler's program and dream of Jewish annihilation a technologic reality. The company knew people and companies the world over were in financial quagmires and with lots of profits in sight, they pursued this venture with unsettling success. IBM, using its own resources, designed , executed, and supplied this technology to Hitler's Third Reich. This was an under-taking that had never accomplished in the past the automation of human annihilation. IBM built more than 2,000 such machines that were sent off throughout Germany, and even more undocumented thousands throughout German-dominated Europe. At first the machines were used for subtle reasons of manipulation: food allocation for every location was organized in the order of databases, this allowed the Nazi to systematically starve the Jews. Where they required slaves for their factories such as ammunition companies, slave labour was easily identified, followed, and supervised largely through punch cards. Punch cards were so effective during that time that it is said that they even made the human ferrying trains run on

Monday, October 14, 2019

Theories Definition Essay Example for Free

Theories Definition Essay This essay discusses theory in a general perspective and some related concepts underpinning it. Kuhn is also presented as an example of an alternative theorist. Theories, according to Littlejohn (1992) are abstractions or frameworks for speculating, interpreting, guessing, understanding, evaluating, rationalizing, explaining or predicting complexity of phenomena, events, ideas, mathematical or logical discussions, human relations, and communication through observation and critical thinking. The basic elements of theories are (1) concepts, which are usually categorized, and (2) explanation, which identifies patterns in the relationships among variables and can be casual or practical. Theory, in a traditional perspective, is based on the premise of â€Å"knowledge as discovery†. It is modeled on the experimental natural sciences through hypothetico-deductive method that includes four processes: (1) developing questions, (2) forming hypotheses, (3) testing the hypotheses, and (4) formulating theory. This method can be done through variable analysis and it is based on the concepts of hypothesis, operationism, control and manipulation, covering laws, and prediction. Littlejohn cites Robyn Penman in describing alternative paradigm through the following five tenets: (1) Action is voluntary. (2) Knowledge is created socially. (3) Theories are historical. (4) Theories affect the reality they are covering. (5) Theories are value laden. The concept of metatheory is used in discussing the criticisms of the work of Kuhn because it describes and explains the similarities and differences among theories. The critics of Kuhn have also their own set of ideas or theories in explaining why Kuhn’s ideas are not accepted. Metatheory issues are grouped into three Major themes – epistemology (questions of knowledge), ontology (questions of existence), and axiology (questions of value). Thomas Samuel Kuhn (1992-1996), an American natural scientist and contemporary philosopher who contributed in the evolution of science principles, has contributed much in the history of and issues on science, culture, and policy in the academic, political, and business fields. Kuhn’s SSR provides his antithetical views in the philosophy of science in which, like Imre Lakatos and Paul Feyerabend, Kuhn emphasized the role and nature of â€Å"rationality† in the processes of science. Kuhn contends that â€Å"science operates as a social structure rather than as an impersonal entity advancing toward epistemological commitment† (Mackie, 1998, p. 25). He contradicts the concept of logical positivism which states that scientists choose between competing theories in a purely rational fashion (Philosophy of Science, 2004). Like William Whewell, Kuhn denies the overly systematic approach to science or the scientific method as the framework for inquiry (Prosise, Miller, Mills, 1996; Mackie, 1998; Roberts, 2000; Nickles, 2003). In SSR, Kuhn presented issues on the nature of and the role of community in scientific development. Thus, paradigm depends on the community to which a practitioner belongs (Roberts, 2000). He interprets the history of science based on the development of â€Å"paradigms,† which are not just simple theories but also â€Å"accepted examples of actual scientific practice [that] provide models from which spring particular coherent traditions of scientific research† (Kuhn 1970, 4, 10). Paradigms provide new information about the world and people’s behavior (Swirski, 1996; Mackie, 1998; Roberts, 2000). Kuhn argues that scientific thought advances through intellectually violent revolutions (Copulos, 2001). This asserts Kuhn’s statement the evolution of science is characterized by alternating periods of â€Å"normal† and â€Å"revolutionary† scientific activity, with the periods of normal science being far more common (Mackie, 1998, p. 27). For instance, a paradigm shift can be seen in the practice of medicine since alternative medicine has been discovered to be also a promising way of treating diseases but it remains a controversy (Copulos, 2001). It appears that the paradigm cannot be fully developed and evaluated solely in a rational manner based on the verification of facts. This approach impacts on the philosophy of science since it is accepted that a paradigm becomes a prerequisite to â€Å"understanding why revolutionary science occurs and why periods of normal science persist† (Mackie, 1998, p. 28). Kuhn is criticized in his vision of scientific revolution which was seen as maligned for its seemingly inconclusive historical perspective; his description of normal science because it implicitly redefined scientific activity; and his ambiguous usage of the term â€Å"paradigm† in different ways (Mackie, 1998). Specifically, Israel Scheffler (1967) argued that Kuhn is a radical irrationalist, subjectivist, irrealist, and relativist because he denies that science provides the basis for objective truth about reality at the perceptual-phenomenal level. Nickles (2003) adds that: â€Å"†¦Kuhn as a principal source of postmodern relativism and of culture-theoretical treatments of science generally†¦Other critics view Kuhn as intellectually conservative in important ways. ..Kuhn differed rather little from the logical positivists on crucial issues, especially assumptions about language and meaning. †¦Kuhns work is also politically conservative and elitist, so much so that, owing to its great influence, it has destroyed any attempt to develop a more democratic science policy for the foreseeable future† (p. 3). Despite the criticisms he received, Kuhn was able to defend his theories by defining his terms more carefully. His second edition of SSR (1970) made amendments and used â€Å"disciplinary matrix† to substitute for â€Å"paradigm† (Mackie, 1998). In the third edition of SSR, Kuhn denied the accusation of relativism and he further clarified his views to avoid misinterpretation (Dyson, 1999). The changes made by Kuhn in SSR shows development from ambiguity to a clearer explanation. As Littlejohn (1992) notes, theories are constantly evolving and they need to be mastered. As an alternative-paradigm theorist, Kuhn did the process of â€Å"fine-tuning interpretive framework for understanding the flow of events† (p. 25). Although Kuhn was criticized for his theories in his SSR, it is undeniable that his theories played significant role in describing, although not accurately, the development of science principles. Kuhn’s theory focused on rational assessment of ideas and it suits disciplines outside normal science because it is irrelevant to philosophy of science but is significant in the analysis of human behavior. References â€Å"Philosophy of Science.† (2004). The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition. New York: Columbia University Press. Dyson, F. (1999). The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet: Tools of Scientific Revolutions. Oxford University Press, Inc.. Kuhn, T. S. (1970). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2d ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Littlejohn, S. (1992). Chapter 2: Theory in the process of inquiry, Theories of Human Communication. Wadsworth Publishing Co, 25. Mackie, C. D. (1998). Canonizing Economic Theory: How Theories and Ideas Are Selected in Economics. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. Milton R. Copulos, (November 12, 2001). A Shift in Thinking about Medicine. Insight on the News 17(42), 46. Nickles, T. (ed.) (2003). Thomas Kuhn. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Prosise, T. O., Miller, Greg R., Mills, Jordan P. (1996). Argument Fields as Arenas of Discursive Struggle: Argument Fields and Pierre Bourdieus Theory of Social Practice. Argumentation and Advocacy 32(3), 111+. Roberts, L. J. (2000). Thomas Kuhns the Structure of Scientific Revolutions. ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, 57(1), 59. Swirski, P. (1996). Game Theory in the Third Pentagon: A Study in Strategy and Rationality. Criticism 38(2), 303+.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Fossil Fuels :: Coal Petroleum Natural Gas

Part One - Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fossil Fuels are the most important energy sources in our world today. The overwhelming majority of the energy used in the world comes from the burning of three major fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy. They are formed over a very long period of time; the fossil fuels on earth today were formed from plants and animals that lived up to 300 million years ago. These fossil fuels are found in deposits deep beneath the earth. The fuels are burned to release the chemical energy that is stored within this resource. Energy is essential to modern society as we know it. Over 85% of our energy demands are met by the combustion of fossil fuels. Part Two – Formation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Going back to the earlier days of Earth, the plants and animals that lived then eventually died and decomposed. The majority of these life forms were ocean dwelling forms of plankton. When these ancient ocean dwellers died, they accumulated on the bottom of a seabed; this is how a good portion of our fossil fuel reserves began. The actual transformation process of these prehistoric creatures is not known, but scientists do know that the pressure, heat, and a great deal of time go into the making of fossil fuels. Geologists are fairly certain that the beds of organic remains mixed with silt and mud to form layers. Over time, mineral sedimentation formed on top of the organisms, effectively entombing them in rock. As this occurred, pressure and temperature increased, these conditions, and possibly other unknown factors, caused organic material to break down into the simpler form of hydrocarbons, which are chains of carbon and hydrogen ranging from simple configuration to complex compounds. Another affect of extreme pressure is that the oil and gas which are various mixtures of hydrocarbons raise upwards to the surface. Exactly when in the conversion process and the nature of this migration is not known and is subject to conjecture. Oil and gas are found in the ground, not freely drifting up through the earth. This is because the hydrocarbons come across rock formations that they are unable to penetrate. Complex rock structures that effectively trap gas and oil are formed by tectonic plate activity, the same forces that shift continents. The most common formation that accomplishes this is called an anticline, a dome or arched layer of rock that is impermeable by oil and gas.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Claudius as Evil in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay -- William Sha

Claudius as Evil in Hamlet by William Shakespeare The abstract concept of evil has vastly transformed throughout human history, ranging for the supernatural and mystical to the very humans amongst whom we live. In modern times, evil has become an entirely ambiguous term. Who is evil? What is evil? Men like Adolph Hitler and Saddam Hussein have been garnered with the term ‘evil’ for their atrocities against fellow humans. Now it seems evil has a solely human significance; when a person violates the individual rights of others on a massive scale, he/she is evil. In Shakespeare’s time – the Elizabethan era – evil had a similar, but somewhat altered connotation in the human mind. Evil was an entity that violated the English Christian monarchial tradition. Therefore, a man such as Claudius, from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, a cold-blooded murderer and a ruthless manipulator, who uses â€Å"rank† deeds to usurp the thrown is in direct violation with the Elizabethan societal norms, and hence h e is an evil character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Elizabethan era, the royal crown was viewed as divinely touched and hence any action against the crown was an action against God. Claudius dismisses God’s right to control the crown by committing a â€Å"murder most foul† (I.v.27), yet he concedes that â€Å"there’s such divinity doth hedge a king† (IV.v.121). Claudius admits that God influences the monarchy and yet he chooses to violate the divine monarchial progression. Hamlet recognizes Claudius’ evil nature beyond simply the murder of his father; Hamlet sees that Claudius is corrupting all of Denmark. Claudius’ reign is compared to â€Å"an unweeded garden/That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature/Possess it merely† (I.ii.135-7), his influence causing the destruction of a previously beautiful environment. Claudius’ infectious evil must be eliminated, and Hamlet feels he is the only man who can do anything; he pulls out all the stops and i n the end accomplishes his goal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King Hamlet’s â€Å"foul and most unnatural murder† (I.v.25) tops Claudius’ list of egregious sins, but most of his offenses are psychological rather than physical. Using his mastery of manipulation, Claudius, the â€Å"incestuous† and â€Å"adulterate beast† managed to win â€Å"to his shameful lust the will† of the virtuous queen, Gertrude (I.v.42-6). Gertrude could not be persuaded to switch husbands without a little verbal tricker... ...er it be through direct divine action or controlled action of another; hence, Hamlet crusades against Claudius and eventually triumphs. A trail of bodies lines Hamlet’s path towards vengeance, but Claudius is revealed, the â€Å"yet unknowing world† is told:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How these things came about†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of carnal, bloody and unnatural acts;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And, in this upshot, purposes mistook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fall’n on th’ inventors’ heads.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (V.ii.359-64)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Claudius’ true nature is exposed; his treachery and heresy is fully recounted, and presumably he is sentenced to eternal damnation for his moral infractions. God’s will prevails in a fundamentally Christian tale of murder in the name of self-interest and revenge in the name of justice and morality. Works Cited: Joseph, Bertram. â€Å"The Theme.† Conscience and the King. London: Chatto & Windus, Ltd., 1953. 130-51. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992. Spencer, Theodore. â€Å"Hamlet and the Nature of Reality.† Journal of English Literary History (December, 1938): 253-77.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Dixie Chicks Among Esteemed Outlaws Essay

â€Å"Dixie Chicks Among Esteemed Outlaws,† by Ashley Sayeau is about the ordeals the Dixie Chicks endured particularly among the Nashville music establishment because of a statement made by lead singer Natalie Maines on the eveof the Iraq war. The author argues the the Dixie Chicks are just one of many artist who have been snubbed by the Country Music Association. To make her point the author compares the controversial lyrics of the Chicks to other â€Å"esteemed outlaws† in the genres history. Johnny Cash one of many vocal critics who was not ostracized because of his beliefs on war, or to his lyrics of â€Å"Men In Black.† Willie Nelson is another artist who was not personalized for his controversial beliefs or lyrics. One of our rights as American Citizens entitles us to â€Å"freedom of speech.† Therefore we should not be condemned for our beliefs. Male artist are not the only one before the Dixie Chicks to speak out on decisions made by the government. As the author points out women artist in the extended history of Country music have been vocalizing their beliefs and opinion that sometimes contradict their record labels and conservative fan base.Loreatta Lynn for example was a pretty controversialwomen’s advocate. She wrote her most memorable lyrics in the song â€Å"Dear Uncle Sam,† which was a early anti-Vietnam protest song. The Country Music Association acts in a cowardly and antithetical way when confronted with its â€Å"outlaws.† My personal beliefs os that of the authors. It is a atrocity on the Country Music Association to ostracize the Dixie Chicksconsidering how antipodal it is to the genre’s history.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

A cultural analysis of Greece Essay

This paper presents a cultural analysis of Greece and how this translates into the country’s business practices. The importance in such profiling can be seen in the emergence of many cross-cultural studies that aim to come up with an effective theoretical framework that guides international companies to relate to other companies from different countries with different cultures. One of these frameworks was formulated by a series of national studies conducted by Hofstede in which the author identified cultures according to five indices. Basically, Hofstede’s approach presents that culture can be described as a set of characteristics ingrained or â€Å"wired-in† to the brains and the psyche of the members of a particular society thereby affecting behavior. With such understanding according to national cultures, cross-cultural managers can therefore make use of this information that can serve as a basis for cross-cultural and international initiatives of the organization. In application, this paper examines Greece according to Hofstede’s five dimensions and how this translates into the country’s business culture; this paper then compares this with the business culture in the United States. The conclusion then leads to the identification of the different points of compatibility and conflict, and the areas which the Greek and the American business cultures can reconcile for a more successful business communications and relations. Global Business Cultural Analysis: Greece I. Section One Introduction Communication plays an important role in any cross-cultural relations, and in the aspect of business, communication in the international context spans beyond language and includes protocols, perceptions and other elements pertaining to business practices. According to Hendon, Hendon and Herbig (1996), the challenge is that although two or more parties are trying to reach an agreement aiming to serve each other’s interests, cultural factors — whether in terms practice and perception — significantly contribute to the processing of information that would lead to either the success or the failure of the negotiations or the management strategy should international companies decide to operate together. As Hendon, et al. (1996) pointed out, cultural aspects influence managers, thereby affecting their behavior; this also reflects at the organizational level thereby the degree of the embodiment of the national culture of these companies is constantly present. Cross-cultural issues have become crucial given that more and more businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities brought by globalization. One of the issues that emerged from this is that there was an identified potential point of conflict based on the precept that the differences in the values of the different groups may lead to problems, thereby jeopardizing the advantages offered by the global and international markets (Fontaine, 2007). As a result, international organizations have invested in cross-cultural management initiatives in order to create the most effective approach should the company reaches the point of venturing into foreign operations or cross-cultural negotiations. In addition to the organizational dimension in cross-cultural issues are the elements that can further influence the operations of any business. Kanungo (2006) identified that globalization ha also created a significant impact to the consumers’ behavior now that they are aware of the strong global forces; technological innovation; and the environment. These elements do not only represent modifications in terms of the markets and the societies global businesses cater to but also the potential overall shift and cultural perceptions that resonate at various levels, from the individual to the organizational behaviors. Which is why given that globalization has become a phenomenon that represents present-day reality (Steger, 2003), even companies who are not â€Å"internationalized† are still subject to many global forces such as buying or selling their supplies from sources overseas. It is also possible that the company may have to work with a foreign employee or a worker from a different cultural background. In any case, the instances of a â€Å"cultural add-on† has become more and more regular (Berger, 1998, 124). However, it is important to look at the many theoretical foundations on cross-cultural studies, especially as to how national cultures are perceived as an important influence in organizational and management behavior. There is one distinctive studies that can be considered to have created a substantial buzz in the entire context of cross-cultural studies: Geert Hofstede’s four dimensions, which would later add another component. Hofstede’s studies gave way to conclusions that would help in the different approaches towards understanding different cultures, and how these can also create effects at individual, organizational and national levels. Hofstede’s Four Dimensions One of the most commonly used model in cross-cultural studies is Hofstede’s four dimensions; these dimensions emerged from Hofstede’s studies on 40 different countries in which he identified four major prevailing factors in terms of the cultural aspect (Bjerke, 1998): ? Power distance ? Uncertainty avoidance ? Individualism/collectivism ? Masculinity/femininity In order to understand these four dimensions, it is important to look at how Hofstede views culture and how this plays a role in global business applications. Hofstede is renowned for his research on differences among countries in terms of their culture and how these differences are essential. Hofstede operated based on the concept that comparisons among cultures can play a significant role in the making the right decisions based on the acquired information about other cultures; this is deemed helpful when it comes to making negotiations and even designing business strategies should companies decide to enter a foreign market. Hence, Hofstede’s works have been founded on how the differences of these cultures are influential to behavior across may social levels. Hofstede’s dimensions tend to generalize groups, hence, for instance, multicultural nations are taken as a singular culture (Fontaine, 2007). The four dimensions Hofstede formulated are the main indicators that can identify the points of similarities and differences across these many national cultures (Vinken, Soeters & Ester, 2004). His studies on many national cultures have therefore served as a reference point among many cross-cultural managers. Hofstede’s approach is known to adapt a more scientific approach as he argued that cultures can be â€Å"measured† and analyzed (Hofstede, Neuijen, Ohavy & Sanders, 1990); such can be seen not only in his database which analyzed countries according to their measures in power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity but also in terms of how these factors can impact many organizational tasks such as business negotiations. Culture is therefore an important indicator of behavior and at the same time, it acts as a binding force that defines a group, a society or a region. The four dimensions Hofstede identified are based on how a culture can be also defined according to relations, attitudes and values; in specific contexts, it can be observed that these four dimensions that pertain to Hofstede’s definition of culture — â€Å"the programming of the mind that differentiates one group of another† (as cited in Fontaine, 2007, 125) — presents a predictable framework of characteristics. A fifth dimension was also introduced by Hofstede by including Confucian framework to his dimension, and he identified this as the long term/short term orientation. The long term/short term orientation, a recent addition to Hofstede/s dimension, was founded on the perceptions of time, and how this can affect the behavior of people. This dimension was based on the Confucian orientation with respect to past, present and future, and for Hofstede, this fifth dimension can reflect a society’s perception of time, especially as to how this affects their perseverance and regard for values, and how societies also wish to command respect and gain stability (Jacob, 2005). This orientation is seen as an important component as this can reflect how some people can act as based on their expectations with respect to time, such as, for instance, whether their actions are motivated by long-term causes or their short-term goals. The power distance aspect refers to a culture’s orientation towards authority. This orientation includes how people understand power and how power works in their communities. With this component, power distance serves as an indicator of equality such as whether some cultures tend to be more democratic or practices a great amount of inequality (Hofstede, 2001). Another index identified by Hofstede (2001) is the uncertainty avoidance. Generally, this refers to how society can tolerate uncertainty. This therefore shows how a culture may be more comfortable in a more structured and rational framework because the tolerance of ambiguity is low whereas some societies may tend to live in the uncertainty, hence, their systems do not adhere to strict rules. Individualism/collectivism pertains to how a culture tend to be more individualist and autonomous or the spirit of the collective fills the members of its society (Hofstede, 2001). In the former, there is a greater sense of independence because the individual is encouraged to think for himself or herself. A collectivist culture, its opposite, tends to have a greater degree of influence according to the social or cultural psyche and norm. Although individuals can be said to initially come from defined groups such as families, the degree of cohesion across social levels differs from one culture to the next. Last but not the least, the masculinity/femininity index measures gender roles in a culture, especially as to how each of these genders are positioned in the society. The values among these two genders are among the fundamental elements in any society because one tends to dominate the other, if not, the attempt to equalize roles can be said to be also present in some cultures (Hofstede, 2001). In addition to the aspect of the relevance of power in these roles, this indicator also describes whether the country is â€Å"masculine† or â€Å"feminine†; the former associates the culture as more assertive and competitive, thereby embodying the male characteristics whereas feminine cultures are viewed as caring and more modest. The strength of Hofstede’s approach is that the study and the gathered data have come up with a set of information that generally describes the national cultures thereby demonstrating a general sense how people in a certain country can be expected to behave. The five dimensions have served as an important framework and Hofstede’s model has served many nation-level researches especially as to how the applicability of his collected data can be regarded to be valid at a certain point (Smith, 2006). However, the model is not without any criticisms as this brings the issue on how many dimensions must be used as a means to measure culture (Smith, 2006). Another study conducted by Blodgett, Bakir and Rose (2008) that the model has limitations especially as to its validity among individuals. From this, it can be gathered that applicability of Hofstede’s framework mainly gives a good reference for a cultural overview of nation, but in more specific terms, there is still some debate as to the design of a more effective cross-cultural analysis model. II. Section Two Greek Culture: an Overview Greece can be easily associated with its glory during the antiquity, with the country immersed in a rich culture of intelligence and might, in addition to the production of several works of art and architecture that can be considered to still have an influence in the modern world. Hence, Greece has always had the impression of classicism, especially with the mark left by Hellenism in the world and Greek history transcending fact and has become an interesting subject for literary works. From political thought to mythology, Greek as a culture remains to be an object of fascination, especially as it has founded an important definition where the Western world begins in this Mediterranean archipelago. Culture can be basically defined through customs and traditions, and in Greece, albeit its development into modernity, has maintained a strong grasp for tradition; this tradition is defined by the roles played by religion and paganism in the country. Greece is dominantly Orthodox Christian although some variations of the faith, as determined by paganistic influences, can be seen to be present and also vary from island to island. This is why Greek culture is generally regarded to have a higher degree of mixed beliefs and that Greeks also tend to be superstitious (Buxton, 1999). Early Greek civilization has demonstrated a significant amount of intellect yet at the same time, the society was also driven by its mythological past. Such combination can be seen to present an attempt to balance myth and reason, and in modern Greece, this can be seen to have developed as modern Greek society remains to take pride in its past through the continuous presence of its customs and traditions, yet at the same time, modern Greek culture has demonstrated significant social changes that have take place in the last century. This is discussed by Mouzelis (1978) who mentioned how societal values remain to be dictated by its core values, and these core values, evidently, play a significant role in the definition of a society’s culture. The economy, in the past centuries, has created a significant impact to the social development of any society, and Greece, as it moved on to the modern times, had adapted to these changes. In the social context, Greece had demonstrated the ability to adjust to these new economic demands, and its society, inevitably, has redefined social classes. Its economy also started to redefine itself especially as to how it would define its role in the modern world. All in all, the modernization of Greece has created a degree of impact to its modern culture, but interestingly, Greek culture has strongly maintained what it has always been. As previously mentioned Greek culture has been distinct in terms of the roles religion plays in the lives of the people; this religion fuses the more organized leanings of the Christian Orthodox Church and the more paganistic or mythical practices that many Greeks still practice today. In addition to customs and traditions, Greek culture has maintained its strong identity across many cultural facets, from its art, music, food and wine. The Greek people has demonstrated a strong sense of resilience considering the number of wars they had to endure in the modern times. These wars include its conflict with the Ottomans in which the country fell under rule for a long time, the Balkan Wars, the First World War, and the Greco-Turkish wars. The country also fell under military dictatorship from 1967-1974. With their wounded past, the Greek people had redeveloped a strong national character that had adapted to the realities they faced, especially as Greece’s glory would seem to be stuck more in the past and the modernity seems to have favored more the Western nations (Chilton, Dubin, Edwards, Garvey, Fisher, & Ellingham, 2008). Interestingly, as Greece would struggle to find its place in the modern world, the Greek society and the people had gone through periods of diaspora in order to escape the conflicts at home. Those who were left behind would be stuck in the chaos of the country in which the economy would find a hard time adjusting to the greater powers coming from the western world, more specifically Europe. The Greek people experienced lack of opportunities in addition to poverty, especially as the country would prove to lack in enough economic resourcefulness until recently. Greece, for a significantly portion of the 20th century, was under-developed, but it was not until in the 1980s that the country would start to catch up and become more integrated with the rest of Europe (Chilton, et al. , 2008) There are some interesting factors in Greek culture that can be regarded to have influenced attitudes of its people. One of these concepts is filotimo. Although hard to translate, filotimo generally refers to the Greeks’ love for deep honor that they should possess; this goes well with anther important Greek characteristic of integrity which is about behaving as an upright individual. Although a sense of deep honor, as a translation, does not provide enough interpretation of the concept, filotimo can be considered to refer to a character that is highly desirable, but basically, it can be associated with a sense of self who is intrinsically good (Makedon, 1995). In addition to the concept of filotimo, modern Greece had emerged with additional cultural concepts in terms of character, and these are leventia and palikaria. Leventia refers to a sense of â€Å"manly excellence† thereby emphasizing the importance of having certain male characteristics. Leventia is paired with palikaria which also refers to the same meaning. As pair, possessing or being leventia and/or palikaria is about the ability to survive through hard times, especially if the individual or the family has been subject to a critical amount of duress. Having leventia and palikaria can gain an individual substantial admiration from those around him because of the display of a strong sense of self as seen in courage or proactiveness that addresses the source of any problem (Makedon, 1995). Last but not the least, albeit its painful periods of oppression, the Greek people have a great amount of love towards freedom. The love for liberty has always been a Greek characteristic, as seen from the ancient Greek civilization to the modern Greek society. Many themes in the Greek arts have portrayed the importance of freedom, and evidently, as the cradle of democracy, Greek culture had long wanted to fight oppression and aimed for a more liberal and democratic society in which they get to possess a certain amount of freedom despite the restrictions posed upon them (Makedon, 1995). Generally, these characteristics show how modern Greece have managed an important element of its identity, and that is its Orthodox church; however, despite the practice of orthodoxy, this aspect of â€Å"freedom† is practiced in such a way that the Greek people remains to have an open mind towards its paganistic past. In a way, the Greek culture can be regarded to have managed to lessen the conflict between mythos and logos, and today, the Greek people has been finding ways to make room for the modern and how it fits to its long standing tradition. Greek Business Culture Studies on the Greek business culture has had references to Hofstede’s cultural framework. In terms of the scores of Greece according to Hofstede’s four dimensions, Greece has the following measures in these four indices (Hofstede, 2001): ? Power distance index: 63 ? Individualism: 35 ? Masculinity: 57 ? Uncertainty avoidance index: 112 In terms of Greece’s score in the power distance index, this score shows how its people, according to Hofstede’s framework, demonstrates the emergence of the social classes in Greek society. This is to say that people are aware of the powers that are present in the society and they know their place with respect to that power. The score of the country in this index can be considered to be average, hence, demonstrating that although people do recognize the presence of inequalities in its society, they see the presence of means to get over certain barriers. The median score for this index is 55, and with Greece at 63, the amount of inequality is above average yet not as drastic as compared to other countries. Basically, this shows how hierarchy plays in the society which can be considered as a paradox considering the Greeks’ love for liberty and democracy. In a sense, such score shows how the Greeks have embraced reality and that certain powers have created a strong influence in the country. The next score shows that the country has lower measures of individualism thereby showing that Greece is a highly collective society. This shows how Greeks have a strong regard for family and community, and how individuals are strongly influenced by their environment. Kessapidou and Varsakelis (2002) mentioned that when Greeks enter an organization, there is already the expectation that the Greek employee expects to work for this company for the rest of his or her life, and at the same time, in exchange for this loyalty, they expect that the firm will also look after their family. The next indicator is masculinity, and Greece scored slightly above the global average of 50 (Hofstede, 2001). This is an interesting score as generally, the Greek society has demonstrated the strong male influence in terms of their position in the family and the society. The roles between males and females have been regarded to be also more distinctive, in which case the women know their positions and the limits of their power and influence. The uncertainty avoidance index shows the highest score for Greece, and based on this, there are many rules that prevail in the Greek society. Again, this is an interesting score because this contradicts the Greeks’ love for freedom, but then again, such rules and restrictions may have brought the Greek people to be hungry for more liberty in its societies. The many bounds in Greek society can be seen in its history where the country went through oppression through foreign occupancy and dictatorship. Overall, as employees, Kessapidou and Varsakelis (2002) discussed the characteristics of Greek employees, as follows (273): â€Å"For Greek people, the working culture is based on sense of honour, dignity, loyalty, and sense of duty reflected in the Greek word ‘filotimo’†¦ which is similar to the concept of ‘face’ as reported for China†¦ in these societies, ‘filotimo’ or ‘face’ becomes an asset for organizations. In cases, however, where expectations are not met, the personnel can be alienated†. From the results of Hofstede’s study, Greece can be summarized as â€Å"high power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance, collectivistic and masculine† (Joiner, 2001, 232). This profile, as translated into Greece’s business culture, strongly demonstrates its association with societal values. According to Hofstede (2001), among the four indicators in his cultural model, the most relevant in the aspect of organizational design can be attributed to power distance and uncertainty avoidance which is why these factors are important in assessing the relationship of national cultures and the organization. In the organizational context, the Greek business culture shows a strong sense of hierarchy and the partenalistic relations that exist in Greek companies; this is evident in the high score in the power distance. In further putting this with respect to Hofstede’s description of this dimension, the Greek society as well in Greek organizations, there is the accepted presence of inequalities in terms of the distributio of power. The acceptance in human inequality, interestingly, may not fair well with the Greek fundamentals on democracy but apparently, such cultural characteristic is more of an indicator of a strong sense of respect towards authority (Joiner, 2001). Leadership is therefore emphasized in Greek organizations, and in business, there is much dependence on the company’s leaders when it comes to making decisions. Such cultural factor can then be attributed to the historical development in Greece which, accoding to Psychogios and Szamosi (2007), lived in a society with the centralized Greek political system that highlights the â€Å"powerful state and the large public sector† (8). In terms of the reflection of Greece’s high uncertainty avoidance index, many studies have actually revealed that groups with hih uncertainty avoidance index demonstrate a fear of making decisios, hence, the presence of many rules that can be easily referred to. In Greece, according to studies by Bartholomew (1995), Bourantas, et al. (199), among others (as cited in Joiner, 2001), fear of decision-making has been found among Greek managers and subordinates, hence, much of these activities are left to the upper management. There is indeed the influence of culture in terms of the business’ own practices. Although this may not be true in all cases, the general perception towards Greek businesses reflect how the business culture have its foundations according to its societal values, these values are which influenced by the country’s culture. III. Section Three In Comparison with the US Business Culture Based on Hofstede’s cultural model, Greece scored high in power distance index, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance index, whereas it scored low in individualism. These scores translate to the Greek business culture of centralization, concentrated power, more distinct gender roles, and high reliance on the organizations to take care of the employees’ family. Greek employees are also found to possess the characteristics of loyalty, integrity and dignity, as guided by the concept of filotimo. In comparing this to the American culture, the contrasts can be immediately seen the differences in the scores Hofstede gave the United States (Hofstede, 2001). The US scored high in individualism, low in power distance index, uncertainty avoidance index, and long term orientation, whereas in terms of masculinity, the US scored above average. The similarities can be therefore seen in the masculinity aspect in which both shows that gender roles remain to be differentiated in the American business culture. However, the similarities end there. Based on the scores, the American culture can be described as highly individualistic, with a greater sense of equality and fewer rules thereby showing greater tolerance in new ideas and beliefs. Basically, the American business culture does embody these characteristics. As the country embraced capitalism and industrialization earlier than Greece, the country’s business culture tends to have a more progressive and liberal approach. There is a strong presence of market economy forces in the United States, and employees are also driven by the economic opportunitis presented to them. One of the important aspects in the American business culture is the presence of competition, and competition is present not only among businesses but among individuals as well (McCraw, 2000). Hence, unlike in Greece where a bulk of the important responsibilities are left to upper management, American organizations and their employees grab these opportunities to hold more responsibilities because it means more opportunities for them to gain better positions. Competitive is therefore a characteristic of the American business culture, and this makes sense according to the results of the scores of the United States according to Hofstede’s model. Although these scores and comparisons between national and business cultures can be regarded to be applicable, it should be noted that the degree of relevance may not be true in all cases. In addition to the challenges as to the validity of Hofstede’s model (Blodgett, et al. , 2008), there is also the case of change that can possibly take place at social and business levels. As discussed in the first section, the applicability is limited as to the relevance of national cultures to business cultures although the fundamentals of a national culture tends to become apparent generally. For instance, the Greek concept of filotimo can be considered to be true even at business levels, and at the same time, the collective spirit can be seen in how many Greek corporations are family-owned. Such is true in the case of the United States in terms of the masculunity scores. Although in some instances gender roles remain defined in the US, in the business world, more and more women have started to hold significant positions across many organizations. Therefore, the relevance of national culture perceptions are only true up to a certain extent but information such as those gathered by Hofstede’s studies serve as useful references to the basics of the social and business dynamics in a country. IV. Section Four Opening an American Business in Greece Based on the scores in Hofstede’s cultural framework, the USA’s national culture distance from Greece is at 3. 47 according to 42 surveyed American firms in the country (Kessapidou & Varsakelis, 2002). With this number, it can be assumed that there will be greater difficulty in the successful establishment of the American company in Greece; however, this may not be the case, and the same is true even if the company has a Greek affiliate. According to Kessapidou and Varsakalis (2002), the strength lies in the Greek’s characteristic to be collective, hence, they tend to comply with the requirements of the company. In addition, the concept of filotimo can drive Greek employees to perform better, thereby filotimo, in a sense, serves as a source of competitiveness, which is compatible with the American busines culture. However, there may be some problems in terms of the management aspect between the American and the Greek managers, or the Greek managers needing to comply with the demands of American management practices. Although there are highly centralized American companies, the delegation of power and responsibility is one of an American’ company’s assets, hence, should decisions need to be made, even some subordinates may step in and show a sense of leadership. This may intimidate Greek managers and employees, especially if the firm would have American employees working in the Greek operations. In addition, the Greek employees may think that the Americans are too aggressive and ambitious in the workplace, thereby possibly creating a rift among the employees. Hence, the recommendation is that prior to the establishment of the American operation in Greece, both sides need to be educated about the cultures they are about to encounter. Since that Greece is going to host the company, the American company needs to comply more with the Greek culture, but since it is the American company that is going to establish the business, the Greek employees and managers also need to