Solid Objects Virginia Woolf Essay Example for Free

Solid Objects Virginia Woolf Essay Virginia Woolf The only thing that moved upon the vast semicircle of the beach was one small black spot. As it came nearer to the ribs and spine of the stranded pilchard boat, it became apparent from a certain tenuity in its blackness that this spot possessed four legs; and moment by moment it became more unmistakable that it was composed of the persons of two young men. Even thus in outline against the sand there was an unmistakable vitality in them; an indescribable vigour in the approach and withdrawal of the bodies, slight though it was, which proclaimed some violent argument issuing from the tiny mouths of the little round heads. This was corroborated on closer view by the repeated lunging of a walking–stick on the right–hand side. â€Å"You mean to tell me . . . You actually believe . . .† thus the walkingstick on the right–hand side next the waves seemed to be asserting as it cut long straight stripes upon the sand. â€Å"Politics be damned!† issued clearly from the body on the left–hand side, and, as these words were uttered, the mouths, noses, chins, little moustaches, tweed caps, rough boots, shooting coats, and check stockings of the two speakers became clearer and clearer; the smoke of their pipes went up into the air; nothing was so solid, so living, so hard, red, hirsute and virile as these two bodies for miles and miles of sea and sandhill. They flung themselves down by the six ribs and spine of the black pilchard boat. You know how the body seems to shake itself free from an argument, and to apologize for a mood of exaltation; flinging itself down and expressing in the looseness of its attitude a readiness to take up with something new—whatever it may be that comes next to hand. So Charles, whose stick had been slashing the beach for half a mile or so, began skimming flat pieces of slate over the water; and John, who had exclaimed â€Å"Politics be damned!† began burrowing his fingers down, down, into the sand. As his hand went further and further beyond the wrist, so that he had to hitch his sleeve a little higher, his eyes lost their intensity, or rather the background of thought and experience which gives an inscrutable depth to the eyes of grown people disappeared, leaving only the clear transparent surface, expressing nothing but wonder, which the eyes of young children display. No doubt the act of b urrowing in the sand had something to do with it. He remembered that, after digging for a little, the water oozes round your finger–tips; the hole then becomes a moat; a well; a spring; a secret channel to the sea. As he was choosing which of these things to make it, still working his fingers in the water, they curled round something hard—a full drop of solid matter—and gradually dislodged a large irregular lump, and brought it to the surface. When the sand coating was wiped off, a green tint appeared. It was a lump of glass, so thick as to be almost opaque; the smoothing of the sea had completely worn off any edge or shape, so that it was impossible to say whether it had been bottle, tumbler or window–pane; it was nothing but glass; it was almost a precious stone. You had only to enclose it in a rim of gold, or pierce it with a wire, and it became a jewel; part of a necklace, or a dull, green light upon a finger. Perhaps after all it was really a gem; something worn by a dark Princess trailing her finger in the water as she sat in the stern of the boat and listened to the slaves singing as they rowed her across the Bay. Or the oak sides of a sunk Elizabethan treasureâ€⠀œchest had split apart, and, rolled over and over, over and over, its emeralds had come at last to shore. John turned it in his hands; he held it to the light; he held it so that its irregular mass blotted out the body and extended right arm of his friend. The green thinned and thickened slightly as it was held against the sky or against the body. It pleased him; it puzzled him; it was so hard, so concentrated, so definite an object compared with the vague sea and the hazy shore. Now a sigh disturbed him—profound, final, making him aware that his friend Charles had thrown all the flat stones within reach, or had come to the conclusion that it was not worth while to throw them. They ate their sandwiches side by side. When they had done, and were shaking themselves and rising to their feet, John took the lump of glass and looked at it in silence. Charles looked at it too. But he saw immediately that it was not flat, and filling his pipe he said with the energy that dismisses a foolish strain of thought: â€Å"To return to what I was saying—† He did not see, or if he had seen would hardly have noticed, that John, after looking at the lump for a moment, as if in hesitation, slipped it inside his pocket. That impulse, too, may have been the impulse which leads a child to pick up one pebble on a path strewn with them, promising it a life of warmth and security upon the nursery mantelpiece, delighting in the sense of power and benignity which such an action confers, and believing that the heart of the stone leaps with joy when it sees itself chosen from a  million like it, to enjoy this bliss instead of a life of cold and wet upon the high road. â€Å"It might so easily have been any other of the millions of stones, but it was I, I, I!† Whether this thought or not was in John’s mind, the lump of glass had its place upon the mantelpiece, where it stood heavy upon a little pile of bills and letters and served not only as an excellent paper–weight, but also as a natural stopping place for the young man’s eyes when they wandered from his book. Looked at again and again half consciously by a mind thinking of something else, any object mixes itself so profoundly with the stuff of thought that it loses its actual form and recomposes itself a little differently in an ideal shape which haunts the brain when we least expect it. So John found himself attracted to the windows of curiosity shops when he was out walking, merely because he saw something which reminded him of the lump of glass. Anything, so long as it was an object of some kind, more or less round, perhaps with a dying flame deep sunk in its mass, anything—china, glass, amber, rock, marble—even the smooth oval egg of a prehistoric bird would do. He took, also, to keeping his eyes upon the ground, especially in the neighbourhood of waste land where the household refuse is thrown away. Such objects often occurred there—thrown away, of no use to anybody, shapeless, discarded. In a few months he had collected four or five specimens that took their place upon the mantelpiece. They were useful, too, for a man who is standing for Parliament upon the brink of a brilliant career has any number of papers to keep in order—addresses to constituents, declarations of policy, appeals for subscriptions, invitations to dinner, and so o n. One day, starting from his rooms in the Temple to catch a train in order to address his constituents, his eyes rested upon a remarkable object lying half–hidden in one of those little borders of grass which edge the bases of vast legal buildings. He could only touch it with the point of his stick through the railings; but he could see that it was a piece of china of the most remarkable shape, as nearly resembling a starfish as anything— shaped, or broken accidentally, into five irregular but unmistakable points. The colouring was mainly blue, but green stripes or spots of some kind overlaid the blue, and lines of crimson gave it a richness and lustre of the most attractive kind. John was determined to possess it; but the more he pushed, the further it receded. At length he was forced to go back to his rooms and improvise a wire ring attached to the end of a stick, with which, by dint of great care and skill, he finally drew the piece of china within reach of his hands. As he seized hold of it he exclaimed in triumph. At that moment the clock struck. It was out of the question that he should keep his appointment. The meeting was held without him. But how had the piece of china been broken into this remarkable shape? A careful examination put it beyond doubt that the star shape was accidental, which made it all the more strange, and it seemed unlikely that there should be another such in existence. Set at the opposite end of the mantelpiece from the lump of glass that had been dug from the sand, it looked like a creature from another world—freakish and fantastic as a harlequin. It seemed to be pirouetting through space, winking light like a fitful star. The contrast between the china so vivid and alert, and the glass so mute and contemplative, fascinated him, and wondering and amazed he asked himself how the two came to exist in the same world, let alone to stand upon the same narrow strip of marble in the same room. The question remained unanswered. He now began to haunt the places which are most prolific of broken china, such as pieces of waste land between railway lines, sites of demolished houses, and commons in the neighbourhood of London. But china is seldom thrown from a great height; it is one of the rarest of human actions. You have to find in conjunction a very high house, and a woman of such reckless impulse and passionate prejudice that she flings her jar or pot straight from the window without thought of who is below. Broken china was to be found in plenty, but broken in some trifling domestic accident, without purpose or character. Nevertheless, he was often astonished as he came to go into the question more deeply, by the immense variety of shapes to be found in London alone, and there was still more cause for wonder and speculation in the differences of qualities and designs. The finest specimens he would bring home and place upon his mantelpiece, where, however, their duty was mo re and more of an ornamental nature, since papers needing a weight to keep them down became scarcer and scarcer. He neglected his duties, perhaps, or discharged them absent–mindedly, or his constituents when they visited him were unfavourably impressed by the appearance of his mantelpiece. At any rate he was not elected to represent them in Parliament, and his friend Charles, taking it much to heart and hurrying to condole with him, found him so little cast down by the disaster that he could only suppose that it was too serious a matter for him to realize all at once. In truth, John had been that day to Barnes Common, and there under a furze bush had found a very remarkable piece of iron. It was almost identical with the glass in shape, massy and globular, but so cold and heavy, so black and metallic, that it was evidentlyalien to the earth and had its origin in one of the dead stars or was itself the cinder of a moon. It weighed his pocket down; it weighed the mantelpiece down; it radiated cold. And yet the meteorite stood upon the same ledge with the lump of glass and the star– shaped china. As his eyes passed from one to another, the determination to possess objects that even surpassed these tormented the young man. He devoted himself more and more resolutely to the search. If he had not been consumed by ambition and convinced that one day some newly–discovered rubbish heap would reward him, the disappointments he had suffered, let alone the fatigue and derision, would have made him give up the pursuit. Provided with a bag and a long stick fitted with an adaptable hook, he ransacked all deposits of earth; raked beneath matted tangles of scrub; searched all alleys and spaces between walls where he had learned to expect to find objects of this kind thrown away. As his standard became higher and his taste more severe the disappointments were innumerable, but always some gleam of hope, some piece of china or glass curiously marked or broken lured him on. Day after day passed. He was no longer young. His career—that is his political career—was a thing of the past. People gave up visiting him. He was too silent to be worth asking to dinner. He never talked to anyone about his serious ambitions; their lack of understanding was apparent in their behaviour. He leaned back in his chair now and watched Charles lift the stones on the mantelpiece a dozen times and put them down emphatically to mark what he was saying about the conduct of the Government, without once noticing their existence. â€Å"What was the truth of it, John?† asked Charles suddenly, turning and facing him. â€Å"What made you give it up like that all in a second?† â€Å"I’ve not given it up,† John replied. â€Å"But you’ve not the ghost of a chance now,† said Charles roughly. â€Å"I don’t agree with you there,† said John with conviction. Charles looked at him and was profoundly uneasy; the most extraordinary doubts possesse d him; he had aqueer sense that they were talking about different things. He looked round to find some relief for his horrible depression, but the disorderly appearance of the room depressed him still further. What was that stick, and the old carpet bag hanging against the wall? And then those stones? Looking at John, something fixed and distant in his expression alarmed him. He knew only too well that his mere appearance upon a platform was out of the question. â€Å"Pretty stones,† he said as cheerfully as he could; and saying that he had an appointment to keep, he left John—for ever.

How Cell Phones Have Influenced The Media

How Cell Phones Have Influenced The Media It is not unfathomable that a 7th Mass Media may appear sometime in the not too distant future. This new mass media is the mobile phone or as some call it, the cell phone. With around 84 percent of American adults owning a cell phone, cell phone usage has already penetrated deep into our society. It is reported that two-thirds of cell phone users also use other features including texting, e-mailing, web browsing and apps (software applications that allow them to play games, access web content and access media or data). Only a third of Americans now use their cell phones just for making phone calls (Domain-b). CellularHYPERLINK http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives-432849.html HYPERLINK http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives-432849.htmlphones have had a major impact on our lives and the way that we perform everyday tasks. Many of these changes are apparent, while others we may not even be aw are of (Anonymous).A cell phone is the only universal gadget because the need to communicate is more powerful than the need to compute, to be entertained or to be informed (Ahonen 1). With a cell phone we get all of these things wrapped into one little neat device that fits right in our pocket. The cell phone is not the dumb little brother of the internet, nor the dumb tiny screen version of TV. Yes, the cell phone is small, but it has attributes that make it a superior medium in many ways and a dominating media channel in the three most important factors reach, audience accuracy and money (Ahonen 6). What Ahonen is saying is that while small in size, the cell phone will have a huge impact on mass media. The power of the mobile phone as a mass media is six elements not available on previous mass media. (1) The phone is the first truly personal media. A 2006 survey by wired revealed that 63% of the population does not share the phone even with ones spouse, it is that personal. (2) The phone is always carried. A survey in 2005 by BDDO found that 60% of the population sleeps with the phone physically in bed; a Nokia 2006 study found that 72% of us use the phone as our alarm clock. (3) The phone is the first always-on mass media, today many media offer alerts via the phone, what is on another real time media like TV, such as CNN breaking news alerts via SMS. Probably the most important, is that (4) the phone has a built-in payment mechanism. No other media has a built-in payment mechanism, even on the internet you have to subscribe to PayPal or provide a credit card, etc. But already today, older media collect payments through the phone. TV shows from Big Brother to American Idol earn bi llions via SMS votes. Perhaps the most novel phenomenon is that (5) the phone is a creative tool available always at the point of creative impulse. The camera phone (which is also our video recorder and podcast recorder) is in our pocket, always at the ready to snap images and clips. User-generated content is radically altering the media world as seen at YouTube etc. And (6), mobile is the only mass media with near-perfect audience information. Where most print are sold on newsstands and even subscriptions do not tell who in the household consumes the periodicals, and TV and radio rely on Nielsen ratings and similar audience estimates, the internet promised accurate audience measurements. That proved to be a false promise, as firewalls, shared PCs, multiple accounts, removed cookies and users deliberately falsifying their info have proven. But on cellular networks, every individual phone user is identified uniquely, across the billions of phones worldwide. Having a pre-paid account (voucher/pay-as-you-go) does not diminish the unique identification of every phone. Thus mobile for the first time offers near-perfect audience data (Ahonen). Mobiles are an integral part of our lives so much that many of us cannot remember a time without them. To have a mobile has become second nature and we are generally never separated from them we eat, breathe and, yes, even sleep with our mobile phones making them the most private and personal accessory we own today. And yet, there is still a lack of understanding about how mobile can be a powerful, complimentary mass media. It can be boiled down to two key differentiators: 1) mobile is interactive; and 2) mobile has unique features including SMS and MMS. These differentiators create something that no other media can the ability to respond to, initiate and maintain a dialogue between those wanting to communicate, whether they are family and friends, colleagues, or brands and advertisers (Ahonen, Foreward). Like the internet before it, today the phone can replicate everything the previous six mass media can do. You can consume newspapers, read magazine articles, listen to radio and podcasts, buy MP3 songs, watch TV, even watch whole movies on the phone. Any web content can be consumed on the phone, and the phone easily supersedes the interactivity of the web, because e-mail and IM are already on the phone, but SMS and MMS messaging are unique to mobile. Nick Wiggin, the head of the Mobile Marketing Association, says: The mobile phone will be the red-button technology of the future it will enable interaction with broadcast media, be that radio, posters or TV. Mobile is the media glue that links different communications solutions together (Bonello). These days people are all about portability we want to get news, listen to music, and even watch some of our favorite TV shows all on the go. Mobiles are an integral part of our lives, so much that many of us cannot remember a time without them. To have a mobile has become second nature and we are generally never separated from them. We eat, breathe and, yes, even sleep with our mobile phones, making them the most private and personal accessory we own today(Ahonen). The future will be even more mobile. We will be connecting more people, devices, pets, plants, etc all via mobile, not via the traditional internet or television or any other technology (Ahonen and Moore 55). Mobile is a simple solution for many people to simplify their lives and how they choose to get their information. Will cell phones phase out more traditional media such as print media, Television and Radio? This is still uncertain but largely people own twice as many cell phones as TV sets, there are three times as many cell phone subscribers as internet users, and four times as many cell phones as Personal Computers. Advertising, news, TV, internet giants, social networking and even Hollywood movies and printed books are now rushing to capture their share of this 7th mass media (Ahonen 1). Through about six decades of continuous evolution, the mobile phone has retained its relevance to the life of the modern man. At every stage in his growth curve, it has undergone metamorphosis, adding features and functionalities that make it even more indispensable. It started as an extension of the landline; a bridge between the home and office landlines. It found relevance in the need of the modern professional to remain in communication in and out of home or office, at play, in the car, at lunch and anywhere else. The mobile phone has since moved up from this simplistic role to become more actively involved in the way modern businesses are conducted (Awe). How has mobile changed news media? How many people get their news has largely changed. First was radio, then television, and then came the internet. So where does the cell phone fit into all of this? The cell phone is a valuable tool for both obtaining news and capturing it live. Chicago even has its very own 9-1-1 video call line where citizens send images from their cell phones to the police department if they witness a crime has been committed. The images from 9-1-1 callers will allow authorities to analyze emergency situations more objectively, says Jose Santiago the executive director of the citys Emergency Management and Communication.They also can be used as evidence in a criminal case, he said (Main). Portable news via a personal cell phone is accessible to the public 24/7 wherever that specific person may be; this has made news on the go a likely choice for anyone with a cell phone who wants to keep up with what is going on in the news. Nearly half of American adults say the y get at least some of their local news and information on their cell phone or tablet computer according to a survey by the Pew research center (Purcell, Rainey, Rosenstiel, and Mitchell). How we get our music is also changing due to the mobile phone. In adapting to an age where the passion for music, particularly among the young and the young at heart, has risen to obsessive proportions, mobile phones have largely become music devices. There are mobile phones on the market that are anything between a radio transistor and an MP 3 player. There are many that can give almost the same music experience as traditional music devices. Apart from downloading music for listening pleasure, mobile phone users can also download any music of their choice as ring tones (Awe). Music was the first content type to emerge as paid downloaded content to mobile phones 11 years ago. Today mobile is a giant new market opportunity for the music industry. (Ahonen 46). With so many changes and advancements in technology these days it is not surprising that music and how people get and listen to their music has transitioned as well. The portable music revolution has been with us for only a few y ears according to an article in Wired Magazine online, but we may see a slow transition from a standard mp3 player to a cell phone when it comes to music access and playback. This change will not be driven by cell phones that act like MP3 players, dishing out music that must be organized by the user. It wont even be about software that streams your own music to your phone. Instead, the next great thing in music technology will be cell phone applications that replicate the experience of listening to interactive, customized radio stations at a computer (Buskirk). According to Buskirk, interactive radio on your cell phone can replace your mp3 player. Most interactive radio services such as Pandora, Flycast, and AOL radio have free and paid versions for getting access to your music. Of course not everyone will automatically throw away their standard mp3 players in favor of this option. One of the downsides to accessing music via cell phone is that the music is streaming online so if you have no signal, then you have no music. Accessing music with our cell phone will become a viable option and will continue to grow in popularity but it will not totally replace other more traditional methods. Books are also transitioning. In fact, while items like the Amazon Kindle are popular portable reading devices, there is another portable device some others prefer, the cell phone. A growing number of people are getting their book fix via mobile phone. It is considered a more convenient method over the dedicated e readers available. The idea of downloading a book to a device you already own is most appealing to those on a budget or to those who simply do not want to carry something extra around all the time to access their books (Kharif). In this technology-enamored nation, the mobile phone has become widespread as an entertainment and communication device that reading e-mail, news headlines and weather forecasts, rather advanced mobile features by global standards, is routine. Now, Japans cell-phone users are turning pages. Tens of thousands of Japanese cell-phone owners are poring over full-length novels on their tiny screens. You can read whenever you have a spare moment, and you dont even need to use both hands, says Taro Matsumura, a 24-year-old graduate student who sometimes reads essays and serial novels on his phone. Such times could be just around the corner in the United States, where cell phones are become increasingly used for relaying data, including video, digital photos and music( Associated Press). It has also been noted that cell phones may be more important to the future of publishing than dedicated e-reading devices. Whereas in the US dedicated devices such as the Kindle, Nook, and iPad get most of the spotlight, these devices have been slow to make it to the rest of the world and so most people elsewhere read on their mobile phones. Since mobile phones tend to be considerably less expensive than e-book devices, in the developing world they are far more likely to be owned for other purposes already (Meadows). Using cell phones for internet access is also very popular these days. Although most people still access the Internet on a computer, the use of mobile devices to check e-mail or browse the Web is growing, outpacing even laptops in some markets, according to a new study (Associated Press). What is media convergence in relation to cell phones? Convergence is the process where several media channels come together to exist and operate in synergy or rather in harmony. A media convergence is basically seen in every persons cell phone, glance down at your palm and there sits a device that can click a photograph, edit and modify the same and also send it like a mail. Some people like to define media convergence simply by stating it to be a merger of mass media and communication outlets. In some cases multi utility of the same gadget or some media was also attributed to be a media convergence (K). By virtue of it always being with you, the mobile phone is the most personal of devices. Let us look at the following questions: How many of us have personal pictures on our mobile phones? (It holds our precious treasures) How many of us keep personal appointments or reminders on our mobile? (Like a personal assistant) Is our mobile phone used for an alarm? (We go to bed and wake up with it) Does our mobile phone serve as a GPS? (Gives directions helps us get to where we need to go) There are many uses and most importantly many personal uses for a cell phone because we are busy, always running around either for work or for home the mobile device has grown in importance , and continues to do so. Marketers know this and so does everyone else in the world. They want to interact with us as close to that moment of want as possible. That moment when we see something and we want it! They want to have a hand in creating that moment for us. Marketers, merchandisers and everyone else want to interact with us as much as possible and wherever we find ourselves. The mobile phone allows the message (whatever that may be) to reach us wherever we find ourselves. For many of us, where they find our mobile phone they will most likely find us! Thats why media convergence is taking place at the mobile phone. Not because of the phone but because of us (HC). Blogger Cdauphin states in his blog on Open Salon about Media Convergence and the smart phone: As an avid cell phone user I find that my use of the computer, a past necessity, seems to have gone downhill. Different mass media being converted into the newest technologies has been going on for decades, however I find that the technologies of the smart phones many of us use today has really taken this to a new level and opened up a whole new way of accessing as many media portals in one small device. So much of my life can now be found in this little device that fits in my pocket that my Internet, television and even book usage has gone down significantly. As a daily news addict I have not only changed from reading the newspaper to watching it on television, but now I get an alert on my phone from BBC News every time there is a new breaking story. Being interested in the happenings around the world no longer takes any effort- my phone does the work for me (Cdauphin). Mobile advertising is the next big thing according to an article in the Economist, last year spending on mobile ads was $871million worldwide. At the moment, most mobile advertising takes the form of text messages. The 2.5 billion mobile phones around the world can potentially reach a much bigger audience than the planets billion or so personal computers. The number of mobile phones in use is also growing much faster than the number of computers, especially in poorer countries. Better yet, most people carry their mobile with them everywheresomething that cannot be said of television or computers. Yet the biggest selling point of mobile ads is what marketing types call relevance. Advertisers believe that about half of all traditional advertising does not reach the right audience. Less effort and money is wasted with online advertising: half of it is sold on a pay-per-click basis, which means advertisers pay only when consumers click on an ad but mobile advertising through text message s is the most focused: if marketers use mobile firms profiles of their customers cleverly enough, they can tailor their advertisements to match each subscribers habits. While it is true that mobile phones have helped us connect and make changes in how we get our information on a day to day basis, there are also conflicting views on whether or not this is a good thing. Though cell phones can be wonderful, liberating tools of communication, freeing us from the confines of an office, and providing more leisure time, they often do the exact opposite. Cell phone use has blurred the boundaries between work and non-work time, increasing stress and tension within families and between friends. As Noelle Chesley, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, explained in a report on CBS News, The question of blurred boundaries may become an irrelevant one for the next generation of workers, spouses, and parents because they cannot imagine life any other way. As Slate commented in his Adbusters essay, It seems the more connected we are, the more detached we become(Dangl). One of the greatest disadvantages of the cellular phone i s the fact that we do not talk to strangers when traveling anymore. In the past, several people waiting for a bus would engage in a conversation while they were waiting. People who traveled the same routes every day might develop friendships along the way. This situation does not happen anymore. Today when people are waiting for a bus, they just pull out their cell phones and speak with old friends, missing out on the opportunity to make new ones. In large cities, many people do not know their neighbors, even though they may have lived in the same neighborhood for years. As a society, we are beginning to lose the face-to-face contact that was such an important part of our lives in the past. Cell phones are a great asset in aiding in our everyday lives. However, you should remember, however, to hang up every once in a while and pay attention to the world around you (Anonymous).

Business Comparison Of China And USA

Business Comparison Of China And USA This essay critically analyses the differences and similarities between the United States of America and the Republic of China. Firstly, this essay identifies the main theories of intercultural communication by applying Hofstede ´s intercultural framework. Secondly, the Chinese and United States negotiators style will be discussed followed by an explanaition about how to manage negotiation in both countries. Thirdly, the similarities and differences between China and the United States will be compared. Negotiating with the Chinese is an important topic in international business and cross-cultural management since China is playing an increasingly active role in doing business with the western countries [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] negotiating with Chinese is also becoming increasingly important for international business successes in particular, since after China joined WTO in December 2001. (Zhu et al., 2007: 354) The aim of this study is to compare the Chinese and United States American negotiation styles on the general cultural differences to help to get a better understanding when doing business in China or the United States. Chaney and Martin (2004) as cited in Zhu et al. (2007: 355) define cross-cultural negotiation as conversation or discussions of common and conflicting interests between persons of different cultural backgrounds who work to reach an agreement of mutual benefit. International managers can profit from studying similarities and differences in negotiating behaviours to recognize what precisely is happening during the negotiating process (see Appendix A). However, managers first need to understand their own negotiation styles, to understand the similarities and differences in intercultural communications (Deresky, 2000). 2. Intercultural communication and their main theories In 1959 the phrase  ´intercultural communication` was firstly used by the cross-cultural researcher Edward T. Hall as he divides cultures into two types, high-context culture and low-context culture (Aneas and Sandà ­n, 2009; Hall, 1976). Further in 1980 the management researcher Geert Hofstede analysed data from more than 100,000 IBM employees and developed his Cultural Dimensions Model. His theory is based on the assumption of four dimensions: Power Distance Index (PDI), Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV), Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS) and Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) (Powell, 2006). The fifth dimension Long-Term Orientation versus Short-Term Orientation (LTO) was identified by Geert Hofstede and Michael H. Bond in 1988 (Fang, 2003). Finally, Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner developed a model of seven dimensions of culture to help explain intercultural differences. These dimensions are called Universalism versus Particularism, Individualism versus Comm unitarianism, Specific versus Diffuse cultures, Affective versus Neutral cultures, Achievement versus Ascription, Sequential versus Synchronic cultures and Internal versus External control (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1998). 3. Hofstede ´s intercultural framework In this study the focus is on Hofstede ´s well-established management theory. Figure 1 displays the intercultural framework of Hofstede. According to Hofstede and his model it is of high significance to consider the high cultural differences between Chinese and American people to be successful in doing business across borders. Figure 1: The 5D Model of professor Geert Hofstede Source: Adapted from: Itim International (n.d.). Geert Hofstedeà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Cultural Dimensions [online]. Available at: URL:http://www.geerthofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php? culture1=18culture2=95#compare [Accessed 20 January 2010]. The Power Distance Index (PDI) stands for the hierarchy of power within a society and its general acceptance amongst the countrys people. Chinas ranking is almost 80 which is a very high level compared to United States ranking with 40. The level of inequality of power and wealth is high but, according to Hofstede, accepted by the Chinese society. Thus, that the level of power distance is very high in China, the boss is in the authority and in the position to decide over everything. American culture however allows more equal power and respect for every rank in a business, which means for our business that our Chinese employees will probably need to be educated to make decisions on their own. Regarding Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) China ranks noticeably low in individualism (20) compared to the United States (91). Consequently, the Chinese culture is strongly collectivist; being integrated into a group is crucial and society values loyalty as well as strong relationships to both friends and family. The high ranking of the United States means that the society is very individualistic. More precisely the integration into groups does not play such a big role as it does in China. Furthermore, we have to consider that in the index of Masculinity (MAS) China arrives at a rank of 66 which could be interpreted as a rather masculine society. Chinese people do not show their feelings and try to be calm in every situation. However, between China and the United States (62) is no big difference. This points out that both countries values assertiveness, success, power and competition. The Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) shows that the Chinese are rather accepting new uncertain situations than avoiding them (rank 30), so they seem to be more tolerant to different opinions; however, it is not a country that embraces risky situations, it rather accepts them. People in uncertainty- accepting countries usually do not express their feelings. The United States ranks higher (46), which means compared to China the American culture is not open to new situations. People here act influenced by their emotions and tend to be more nervous. Regarding Long-Term Orientation (LTO) it is manifest that Chinese culture is much more committed loyalty to and respect for traditional business strategies than the United States (29). This shows the highest ranking factor worldwide in long-term avoidance (118). Chinese people never want to lose face and are short-term oriented. The United States, on contrast, is a long-term planning country in which thrift, perseverance and persistence are valued to deal with. For instance, to deal with economic changes or with adaptation to new situations. 4. Chinese Negotiators The Chinese business culture is especially affected by the term  ´guanxi` and the notion of saving face. In a culture, which is focused on relationships, it is important who you know. Chinese people get things done through relationships with family, friends and contacts (Gesteland, 1999). Tung and Worm (2001: 521) argues that guanxi refers to relationships among people and that [t]hey are dyadic, personal relations between people who can make demands on each other (see Figure 2). Further,  ´guanxiwang` is the social network in the Chinese business culture and for them it is fundamental to avoid upsetting anyone in the network because it can lead to destabilizing the web of connections (Chee and West, 2007: 57). A key component of  ´guanxi` is the notion of saving face. A Chinese person ´s reputation and social position are based on it. Loosing their face involves reduced social resources, wealth and connections (Ma, 2006). Figure 2: Dyadic relationship in guanxi network Source: Adapted from: Tung, R. L. and Worm, V. (2001). Network capitalism: the role of human resources in penetrating the China market. International Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 517-534. 5. Managing Negotiation with the Chinese To manage negotiation with the people from different cultures it is important to keep in mind that the individuals involved in the negotiation are of different cultures and that there is likely to be some misinterpretations because of their chosen methods of communication (Woo et al., 2001: 351). There are several reasons for the cultural differences. Most of the Chinese business persons are obsessive about price details, because of the fact that China has a traditional agrarian culture. The Communism system and Confucianism, the traditional Chinese way of thinking, affects the negotiation process recognizable through their respect for hierarchical relationships, preservation of face, and group harmony (Chee and West, 2007: pp.97-98). Tung and Worm (2001) as cited in Davison and Ou (2008: 290) suggest Negotiation outcomes depend on the degree of mutual understanding achieved by the transacting partners [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the quality of the guanxi developed during negotiations may actually be more important than either the price or the product quality [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] eventual price or product quality may vary subject to the guanxi. If a person, who is doing business in China, is already in a  ´guanxi` network, this business person has to intensify this relationship. If a business person is not involved in a  ´guanxi` network, then it is important getting into a network and getting in touch with influential Chinese business persons (Holt and Chang, 2009). Furthermore, when negotiating in China, business persons have to be prepared to discuss all issues at the same time and in an apparently disorganised order (Deresky, 2000). 6. United States Negotiators The United States business culture is focused on deals with foreign or unknown people and especially affected by notions prestige, honor, status, dignity and authority (Yabuuchi, 2004: 264). Gesteland (1999: 272) suggests that an American negotiators degree of expressiveness in communication is likely to be strongly influenced by his or her particular ethnic background. For United States business people it is important to be issue-related, objective and time-conscious. However, Zhu et al. (2007: 357) argue that Americans tend to pay less attention to social ranking. 7. Managing negotiation in the United States The United States culture is affected by their immigrant society and that is the reason for the cultural diversity. As mentioned above it is all but impossible to predict and esteem specific the negotiating styles of the United States business people. The business people in the United States are time-conscious because of the fact that they dont waste their valuable time for the company. There exists no allegiance to the company (Chua et al., 2009; Gesteland, 1999). 8. Similarities and Differences between China and the United States After analyzing the negotiation style in China and the United States and its reasons, several similarities as well as differences can be pointed out. First of all, it is important to understand the effect negotiating perceptions have on the negotiating outcomes (see Figure 3). Figure 3: The relationship model Source: Adapted from: Ma, Z. (2006). Negotiating into China: the impact of individual perception on Chinese negotiation styles. International Journal of Emerging Markets. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 64-83. Both countries put emphasis on assertiveness, success, power and competition through their closely index of Masculinity in the intercultural framework of Hofstede. Further, look on Chinas and the United States concession behaviour both countries are doing their utmost to achieve their goal and get as much profits as possible (see Appendix A). According to Hofstede, differences between the two countries can be shown in their Long-Term Orientation. The United States (118) are long-term oriented and China (29) short-term oriented. This means that China is more committed to loyalty to and respect for traditional business strategies than the United States. Furthermore, one of the biggest differences is their decision-making behaviour (see Appendix A). United States business people are known as the fastest decision makers in the world whereas China doesnt rush to take a decision. Finally, both countries have a different pursue a different goal in the negotiation process. For the Chinese it is a kind of dialogue, more precisely an exchange of information. In the United States negotiation is associated with an outcome which could be a contract. 9. Conclusion Summarising the findings and arguments shows that both countries should have an understanding of the traditions and culture. Woo et al. (2007: 351) suggest that [w]hen negotiating with the Chinese it is imperative to be conscious of [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the structural collectivism of those involved in business negotiations. Especially the business people from the United States should be prepared for a long visit when doing business in China. The best way to be successful in China is to build guanxi, which is a time-consuming procedure but essential. The Chinese business people have their focus more and more on the content of the deals and the details of the prices. In comparison to the business negotiation in the United States soft handshakes should be avoided because for some of them it reflects weakness (Gesteland, 1999). Appendix Appendix A: Negotiation Procedures à   Business Protocol Chinese Negotiator United States Negotiator Dress Code à  men: suit, white shirt, conservative tie à  women: conservative suit or dress à  varies somewhat according to location and type of business Meeting and Greeting + soft handshake/ moderate eye contact bone-crushing handshake/ overly direct gaze + firm handshake/ direct eye contact some believe soft handshake reflects weakness Exchanging Business Cards + exchange of name cards is done using both hands + read the business card + put the card away in a leather card/ place it on the table in front of you dont write on someones name card à  may not initiate the exchange of business cards Exchanging Gifts à  be prepared with appropriate gifts/ present gift with both hands + expensive cognac/ items typical of your own country/ logo gifts à  is not a gift-giving gift-giving culture many feel uncomfortable if presented with an expensive gift Winning and Dinning + master the fine arts of eating with chopsticks + toasting your counterparts à  many prefer to maintain a separation between their professional and private lives à   Negotiating Behaviour Chinese Negotiator United States Negotiator Bargaining Range à  often bargain vigorously à  expect major concession on price and terms à  expect them to test your opening offer for flexibility Concession Behaviour à  expect pressure tactics à  be prepared for some hard bargaining Plays and Counter-Ploys à  generally mask negative emotions à  may on occasion display anger as a pressure tactic à  a favourite bargaining tactic is time pressure à  another is to ask for quotations on a sliding scale by quantity Decision-Making Behaviour à  a long time-consuming process à  decisions take time à  fastest decision makers in the world Source: Adapted from: Gesteland, R. R. (1999). Cross-cultural business behavior: marketing, negotiating and managing across cultures. 2nd ed. Copenhagen: Handelshà ¸jskolens.

Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics Essays -- Sociology Racism

Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics At some point in life, every individual has been treated like an outsider. It occurs often with children or teenagers. However, one can still be regarded with this attitude as an adult. Furthermore, an entire group can feel as if they are being treated as an outsider, and sadly enough, it does happen regularly. One author, David Hernandez, spoke about these occurrences through his poem â€Å"Pigeons.† With his poem, Hernandez argues that Hispanics are never treated or viewed as insiders, but always as outsiders. Sadly enough, I would have to agree with Hernandez’s argument, for in his poem he concludes that Hispanics are viewed as â€Å"weird† because of their culture, are deprived by the public, and are not accepted by any of the other cultures within the American society. In the very first line of his poem, Hernandez throws out a shocking argument statement. This line reads, â€Å"Pigeons are the spiks of Birdland† (Hernandez 1023). This is extremely shocking since Hernandez was Hispanic, yet he is calling his people â€Å"spiks† and â€Å"pigeons† in degrading ways. Nevertheless, he does it to make a strong argument. First, he says that his people are viewed as pigeons because their culture is seen as weird and odd. I would have to say that I agree with Hernandez’s feelings on this, even though I do not agree that this is the right attitude to have toward Hispanics or any other race for that matter. Many times the Hispanic’s dress or the way they do things is looked down upon. It seems odd, though, that this is the attitude, since Americans have adopted several aspects from the Hispanic culture, such as pià ±atas at parties and their many types of foods like tacos, en... ...aces and by many people, â€Å"[Hispanics] are not accepted anywhere,† making them â€Å"the spiks of [America]† (Hernandez 1023). David Hernandez’s poem â€Å"Pigeons† makes strong arguments toward the fact that Hispanics are viewed with negative and prejudiced attitudes, are underprivileged by society, and are not accepted in many aspects of the general public, and with these arguments I would have to agree. Nevertheless, Hispanics are not the only group of people who are viewed with a degrading or biased attitude. Many other races are treated as outsiders, which is not right. Every human needs to reach out to others, helping each person to feel included into society. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1023-24. Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics Essays -- Sociology Racism Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics At some point in life, every individual has been treated like an outsider. It occurs often with children or teenagers. However, one can still be regarded with this attitude as an adult. Furthermore, an entire group can feel as if they are being treated as an outsider, and sadly enough, it does happen regularly. One author, David Hernandez, spoke about these occurrences through his poem â€Å"Pigeons.† With his poem, Hernandez argues that Hispanics are never treated or viewed as insiders, but always as outsiders. Sadly enough, I would have to agree with Hernandez’s argument, for in his poem he concludes that Hispanics are viewed as â€Å"weird† because of their culture, are deprived by the public, and are not accepted by any of the other cultures within the American society. In the very first line of his poem, Hernandez throws out a shocking argument statement. This line reads, â€Å"Pigeons are the spiks of Birdland† (Hernandez 1023). This is extremely shocking since Hernandez was Hispanic, yet he is calling his people â€Å"spiks† and â€Å"pigeons† in degrading ways. Nevertheless, he does it to make a strong argument. First, he says that his people are viewed as pigeons because their culture is seen as weird and odd. I would have to say that I agree with Hernandez’s feelings on this, even though I do not agree that this is the right attitude to have toward Hispanics or any other race for that matter. Many times the Hispanic’s dress or the way they do things is looked down upon. It seems odd, though, that this is the attitude, since Americans have adopted several aspects from the Hispanic culture, such as pià ±atas at parties and their many types of foods like tacos, en... ...aces and by many people, â€Å"[Hispanics] are not accepted anywhere,† making them â€Å"the spiks of [America]† (Hernandez 1023). David Hernandez’s poem â€Å"Pigeons† makes strong arguments toward the fact that Hispanics are viewed with negative and prejudiced attitudes, are underprivileged by society, and are not accepted in many aspects of the general public, and with these arguments I would have to agree. Nevertheless, Hispanics are not the only group of people who are viewed with a degrading or biased attitude. Many other races are treated as outsiders, which is not right. Every human needs to reach out to others, helping each person to feel included into society. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1023-24.

Presence Of Angels :: essays research papers

There is a certain mystery that lies within the meaning of angels. It is known that angels are among us. They are carriers of the messages from God (Gasparri 14). However, little is known about what and who angels are, why they are present, and even what they look like. They everything that human want to be and more (Stevenson 1). Angels go above and beyond the limitations of humans to give hints of what life is like in heaven or even hell. What are Angels?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three creatures created by God. Humans, created with free will that can be used for good or can be used to cause hurt and destruction, are the first of these creatures. Second, come angels and devils. Angels are creatures of God with free will that chose to accept God’s love and goodness. Devils are the exact opposite of angels. They used their free will and chose to go against God. The last of the creatures are animals. (Gasparri 75-77)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Angels are divine beings chosen by God to deliver His love and goodness to humans. They are “entities'; of goodness and holiness (Stevenson 4). Angels are equipped with supernatural powers that allow them to rarely be seen by the human eye. Any scientific terms or proof cannot explain their existence. Those who believe in the existence angels are those who have already experienced their presence (Stevenson 5). The Catholic Perspective on the Kinds of Angels   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Catholics believe that angels have a special role of praying to God on behalf of humans. They are “messengers';, carrying hints or signs from God to his kingdom (Stevenson 195). Four angels are recognized in the Catholic Church. They are referred to as the archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. There are many stories about the works of Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, however, little is known about Uriel. The Bible also recognizes a number of groups of angels with different functions and attributes called the hierarchy. Different faiths recognize the different groups. The groups include seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, the principalities, archangels, and angels (Stevenson 20). All together, the groups are known as the choir because they are said to praise God through song and music (Stevenson 21).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the Bible does not recognize the functions of each of the groups, each group has its own unique character and purpose. Seraphim are the angels who are considered to be closest to God.

Esol Paper Difference Between Prejuduce and Discrimination

ESOL Paper Difference between Prejudice and Discrimination Prejudice has to do with the inflexible and irrational attitudes and opinions held by members of one group about another, while discrimination refers to behaviors directed against another group. Being prejudices usually means having preconceived beliefs about groups of people or cultural practices. Prejudices can either be positive or negative-both forms are usually preconceived and difficult to alter. The negative form of prejudice can lead to discrimination, although it is possible to be prejudiced and not act upon the attitudes (Vogel, 2012).An example of prejudice would be, if someone is walking in a secluded area at night, and a group of senior citizens who are walking with canes in hand, come from the other side, the person will not feel threatened. Nevertheless instead of senior citizen, three teenagers dressed in jeans and t-shirt with lots of metal chains around their neck are approaching from the other side, the per son might feel endangered a bit, even without any kind of aggression from their end. Whereas an example of discrimination is when a person is treated unfavorably because of his or her; race, skin color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, or age .If someone choose to date a pretty grandpa instead of an ugly woman essay writer australia, they have discriminated on the basis of appearance essay writer help. Likewise, if I choose to HIRE a pretty woman instead of an ugly woman, I've again discriminated on the basis of appearance. Three propositions of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Ladson-billings developed a conception called culturally relevant pedagogy which is defined as â€Å"excellent teaching for students of color that includes academic success, developing/maintaining cultural competence, and developing a critical consciousness to challenge the status quo (Woolfolk, 2010)†.The three propositions that go along with culturally relevant pedagogy will help guide teac hers to avoid gender bias in the classroom. Also the theory provides a framework to overcome negative attitudes and prejudicial treatments of minority and students for whom English is a second language by explaining how to conduct the students for all around success by producing culturally compatible classrooms.And I will do this by educating the students about all the different minorities and embracing all the cultural differences within the classroom. References Discrimination. In (2011). LoveToKnow, Corp. Retrieved from http://www. yourdictionary. com/discrimination Vogel, N. (2012). Prejudice and discrimination in the workplace. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_6680026_prejudice-discrimination-workplace. html Woolfolk, A. (2010). Educational psychology. (Custom ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson.

My Passion

Cooking is my passion. It allows me to be creative when I’m normally not. Anything I cook makes me feel good: desserts, lunch, dinner, or snacks. I’m most relaxed in the kitchen, apron on, and ingredients everywhere. It’s like a challenge to see what’s in my fridge and pantry and to see what I can create. Every pot and pan I have waiting on my stove, a pantry full of ingredients at my leisure, an eager family waiting in the other room, ideas tumbling around in my head, utensils cleaned and ready, my mind goes somewhere else and I am in my element. My passion is waiting.The simpler the ingredients, the better. I can’t decide whether to use pasta, rice, or potatoes. My hands instinctively grab for the olive oil to prep my saute pan. A dish in my house is not complete without garlic so I start there. Within minutes I have the veggies sauteing, the pasta boiling, the salad resting, the meat searing, and the fresh bread baking. The aroma wakes my family from whatever they were doing and they join me in the kitchen to chitchat and watch me work. Swatting my husband’s hands as he attempts to sneak a bite is instinctual; he has to wait for the finished product like everyone else.The meat is resting and waiting to be sliced, the fresh bread is cooling on a platter, the water glasses are waiting to be filled, and the table is set. I get anxious as everything is finishing at once and my husband helps by draining and tossing the pasta with some olive oil to keep it from sticking. The veggies are perfectly tender in the garlic butter cream sauce and look beautiful atop the tri color pasta. I feel proud that my family enjoys my cooking as much as I do. Their joy is the reason I love it so much. It’s finally time to eat.