Monday, September 30, 2019

Meaning of Life and Thanksgiving Essay

As the first pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock and had a feast with the Indians, they shared a moment of thanks together. They gave thanks for all their blessings, thus, creating our lovely day of Thanksgiving. When Thanksgiving is thought of, the first thing that comes to mind is turkey and a plentiful amount of food. Thanksgiving to me, is the time to be together with the ones you care about. Coming together for a day to just be with each other and to catch up is what Thanksgiving means to me. Family should be with each other to share memories and to realize the plentiful amount of blessings they have been given. Thanksgiving is not only a day for gorging on food or falling into a food coma, but talking with each other and just being glad to be with one another. Having family during Thanksgiving is a crucial part in my life. Having all of my relatives in one place for one day to talk and have fun with them makes Thanksgiving extra special for me. It is one of the few days of the year that I get to see everybody. The turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes is just the icing on the cake. Everybody in my family loves the food. We eat and eat until we can’t eat anymore. My family has a tradition of playing soccer afterwards but that goes only so far due to our full stomachs. My cousins and I play a friendly game of poker, afterwards our failed attempts for soccer, for first dibs on dessert. After a good game of poker, my cousins and I look for ways to entertain ourselves meanwhile the adults talk about their lives and brag about their kids. Society today makes Thanksgiving look like a day just to eat. As society advances the meaning of Thanksgiving deteriorates into a secular holiday. The meaning of Thanksgiving seems obsolete. I truly believe that Thanksgiving should be refreshed in its meaning and should be celebrated with family and love. As people come together to share a special day in our history, this should be a day which people will not take for granted.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Office Administration

Office Administration Project Learning Objectives At the end of this project students will be able to: Prepare an application for a job Complete application forms for employment Prepare various types of follow-up letters, letters of acceptance/non-acceptance Mark Scheme Task Description Mark Allocated Dream Job A. Reason for Interest In the particular Job chosen B. Qualifications necessary for the Job chosen 10 2 Resume Resume complete with all its relevant parts Dream Job Cover Letter Application Form Accurate completion of form 3 A. B. C. D. 8 4 Letter of applicationFollow-up letter Acceptance letter Letter declining offer Resignation letter Presentation A. Cover page (name, class, date project was given & due, teacher's name and title of project) B. Table of Contents (complete with headings and page numbers) C. Introduction (Give an overview of project) D. Acknowledgements E. Body of Project Conclusion (summary of the project and how they benefited from doing the project) G. Refer ence page Assignment Part 1 Outline what your dream Job is upon leaving school and the qualifications necessary for obtaining that Job. Remember it must be an entry level position.One paragraph should be sufficient. Part 2 Create a resume tailed for your dream Job. This resume must truly reflect who you are while containing all the necessary parts. Part 3 Letters You are charged with the responsibility of constructing a cover letter to accompany your dream Job resume. This application letter must be addressed to a suitable organization. The letter is to be typed in full block style. Letters must have proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. Part 4 Using the information provided on the advertisement for Sour Sop Grove Hotel sections MUST be completed.Worksheet Part 5 Soup Sop Grove Hotel is seeking an individual to fill a position of Requirements for Receptionist: Must have over 5 EX. subjects Mathematics and English included 0 Computer Literate (Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher) Must be between age 18 and over Must have a bubbly and pleasant personality Must be able to work under pressure Requirements for Accounts Clerk: Must have over 5 EX. subjects Accounting, Mathematics and English included Must have Cookbooks basic knowledge Must be able to work under little or no supervision Computer Literate Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher) All applicants must be citizens of Antigen and Barbuda or have rights to work in Antigen and Barbuda. Only suitable applicants will be acknowledged. All applicants are required to send applications to the following address. Soup Sop Grove Hotel Human Resources Department Linesmen Beach SST. Marry Antigen Deadline for application is December 7th, 2013 You are required to do the following: 1 .Application letter 0 Write a letter applying for one of the positions in the above advertisements. 2. Follow-up letter 0 You have not received a reply to your application to Sour Sop Grove Hotel for the session for which you applied. Two m onths have passed. Write a follow-up letter. 3. Acceptance letter 0 Assume that you have been offered the position for which you have applied at the Sour Sop Grove Hotel. You were sent two copies of a contract of employment. Write a letter accepting the position. Letter Declining the Offer 4. 0 Assume for some reason you have decided not to accept the post offered you at the Sour Sop Grove Hotel. Write a letter to the firm declining the offer. 5. Office Administration Office Administration Project Learning Objectives At the end of this project students will be able to: Prepare an application for a job Complete application forms for employment Prepare various types of follow-up letters, letters of acceptance/non-acceptance Mark Scheme Task Description Mark Allocated Dream Job A. Reason for Interest In the particular Job chosen B. Qualifications necessary for the Job chosen 10 2 Resume Resume complete with all its relevant parts Dream Job Cover Letter Application Form Accurate completion of form 3 A. B. C. D. 8 4 Letter of applicationFollow-up letter Acceptance letter Letter declining offer Resignation letter Presentation A. Cover page (name, class, date project was given & due, teacher's name and title of project) B. Table of Contents (complete with headings and page numbers) C. Introduction (Give an overview of project) D. Acknowledgements E. Body of Project Conclusion (summary of the project and how they benefited from doing the project) G. Refer ence page Assignment Part 1 Outline what your dream Job is upon leaving school and the qualifications necessary for obtaining that Job. Remember it must be an entry level position.One paragraph should be sufficient. Part 2 Create a resume tailed for your dream Job. This resume must truly reflect who you are while containing all the necessary parts. Part 3 Letters You are charged with the responsibility of constructing a cover letter to accompany your dream Job resume. This application letter must be addressed to a suitable organization. The letter is to be typed in full block style. Letters must have proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. Part 4 Using the information provided on the advertisement for Sour Sop Grove Hotel sections MUST be completed.Worksheet Part 5 Soup Sop Grove Hotel is seeking an individual to fill a position of Requirements for Receptionist: Must have over 5 EX. subjects Mathematics and English included 0 Computer Literate (Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher) Must be between age 18 and over Must have a bubbly and pleasant personality Must be able to work under pressure Requirements for Accounts Clerk: Must have over 5 EX. subjects Accounting, Mathematics and English included Must have Cookbooks basic knowledge Must be able to work under little or no supervision Computer Literate Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher) All applicants must be citizens of Antigen and Barbuda or have rights to work in Antigen and Barbuda. Only suitable applicants will be acknowledged. All applicants are required to send applications to the following address. Soup Sop Grove Hotel Human Resources Department Linesmen Beach SST. Marry Antigen Deadline for application is December 7th, 2013 You are required to do the following: 1 .Application letter 0 Write a letter applying for one of the positions in the above advertisements. 2. Follow-up letter 0 You have not received a reply to your application to Sour Sop Grove Hotel for the session for which you applied. Two m onths have passed. Write a follow-up letter. 3. Acceptance letter 0 Assume that you have been offered the position for which you have applied at the Sour Sop Grove Hotel. You were sent two copies of a contract of employment. Write a letter accepting the position. Letter Declining the Offer 4. 0 Assume for some reason you have decided not to accept the post offered you at the Sour Sop Grove Hotel. Write a letter to the firm declining the offer. 5.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Interpreting Financial Results Essay

Target’s mission is for their customer to except the most out of them and to pay less for their products. They plan to achieve this by delivering outstanding values, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences. As I have research and interpret Target’s Financial Results, I was able to identify some trends they have experiences within the last three years. When it comes to Targets Liquidity Ratio, the pattern shows that from 2011 to 2013 they start up went down and slowly went back up. As for their Efficiency Ratio the trend identifies that from 2011 to 2013 they were still starting high then dropping low and slowly coming back up. Now when it comes to the Leverage Ratio Targets has continuous increase for 2011 to 2013 with just a little decrease in some areas and this also goes for the Profitability Ratio, Market Value Indicator soon. I also had the opportunity to compare the financial results of Target with their benchmarking company Walmart. Once I review Walmart’s financial results, I saw some of the same trends target had. I also notice that Walmart has a lot more revenue being generated then what Target does. I have attached a financial ratio sheet which will also confirm and identify the trends of both Target and Walmart.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Amy Winehouse Tragic event Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amy Winehouse Tragic event - Research Paper Example Her tragic death in July 2011 has led to many a fan saddened and speculative about her untimely demise. It is public knowledge that Winehouse had been going through drug abuse and drinking problems (Sturges, 2011). Her celebrity status and stardom at such a young age, combined with the pressure of being a successful and evolving artist made her ‘terrified’ of her own success (Sledge, 2011). Her extremely quick flight to stardom made her one of the busiest stars in the world. Winehouse reportedly lost a lot of weight due to her hectic schedule; later, her physical appearance and the constant media attention revealed a deep drug dependence that had started to threaten her well being. Winehouse was caught in possession of marijuana in Norway with her husband. Winehouse had acceded to be suffering from alcoholism; she was also chronically involved in substance abuse, most famously when her U.S. tour got affected in 2007 as she had to be hospitalized due to overdosing on heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine (Sturges, 2011). Only last year, her European tour got cancelled as s he was too ‘ill’ to perform (McKinley Jr., Somaiya & Werdigier, 2011). According to the Los Angeles Times, the toxicology report of Amy Winehouse after her death was presented to her family and only partially made public, claiming only alcohol but no illegal drugs were in her system; legal drugs were not discussed by the family; this could have been done in order to allow the family to protect her legacy (2011). McKinley Jr., J, Somaiya, R. & Werdigier, J. (2011, July 24). Amy Winehouse, British Soul Singer With a Troubled Life, Dies at 27. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/arts/music/amy-winehouse-british-soul-singer-dies-at-27.html?_r=1 Sturges, F. (2011, July 25). Amy Winehouse: Singer who won the hearts of millions but was unable to overcome her dependency on drink and drugs. The Independent – on Sunday. Retrieved from

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World Essay - 6

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World - Essay Example The batch enables him to give back certain Chinese symbols, he will, therefore, give answers to questions. The answers are exactly similar to those of a native Chinese just by looking correlating the symbols and reading instructions in English. The man in the thought experiment does not comprehend Chinese but still produce coherent answers. A computer cannot possibly become conscious because of following code to produce answers, which it does not understand. This experiment proves that computers do not understand communication, and the programs will never be able to create minds or learn. Q2. Factionalism theory is a doctrine that states that what makes something a mental state such as thought, pain or desire does not depend on its internal constitution. It solely depends on its functionality or the role it performs on its cognitive system in which it is part. It explicitly means that its causal relations to sensory stimulations, and not mental state and behavior determine mental state identity. Language of thought theory postulates that thinking and thought happen in a mental language. The language consists of a representation system realized physically in the thinkers’ brain and has combinatorial semantics and syntax such that representation operations are only sensitive to the synaptic properties of representation. The thought is, therefore, a representation token that has a syntactic structure with relevant semantics. Looking at Data in The Next Generation (TNG) on the Star Trek, an Android strives to understand emotions and become a human being. Data and almost all Sci-fi related robots, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and androids that scientists have created are all anchored in the theories of functionalism. Q3. Arguments refuted by Dennett against robotic conscience include an old fashion dualism that robots are purely material while consciousness require immaterial mind-stuff.

4 Discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

4 Discussions - Essay Example The women were also allowed to read books, but they were restricted to read some books and avoid others. According to the ‘cult of domesticity’, women were given ‘separate but equal’ status. Like men, they were assigned some tasks to perform, but they were of different nature. Women were not allowed to choose their life partners and after their marriage, their lives were designed as per their family needs. Marriages meant chained status for women (Zinn). The cult of domesticity introduced women to their equal status in society that was quite different, but in fact, in this manner women became aware of their subordinate status in the society. They were not allowed to vote and to possess property. In addition, if they were required to work outside their homes, they received one fourth of the wages that men obtained. They were also restricted not to join certain professions such as law and medicine. Therefore, cult of domesticity was not a way of pacifying her with a doctrine of separate but equal, but to inform her about her restrictions and limitations according to which, she should lead her life. She was expected to lead her life as per the proper codes of conduct designed for her. She enjoyed little or no liberty and was to remain passive and submissive to patriarchal system of the society. For becoming a perfect woman, she was to acquire the qualities of submissiveness and domesticity (Zinn). The role of wife and mother in America as well as in other parts of the world still undergoes certain restrictions because there are certain norms and standards, according to which, a wife and a mother are required to act. Male members of out society have always kept certain expectations with women and their roles in the society. A woman is not accepted with everything, as she is required to bring changes in her personality

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Home Depot VS Lowe's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Home Depot VS Lowe's - Essay Example Such conditions only intensify the inability of the customers to improve their homes by making purchases in Home Depot or Lowe’s. This is a big risk for both companies (Good fellow, 2013). However, in such a complicated time, Home Depot overcomes financial barriers, and if one compares the change in capitalization, then Home Depot will have more than seventy billion dollars, that is approximately thirty- five percent of the increase in selling. At the same time, Lowes states about thirty billion and fourteen percent of decrease of its selling availabilities. Moreover, the prices at Home Depots were lower, while at Lowe’s they stayed an edge. However, the online availabilities showed that a certain store had lower prices in one area or the item; the other store had the advantage. A price variation, at the same time, revealed great difference between the two retailers and here one could give the edge to Home Depot, especially when the current economic environment squeezed out profits. However, the higher margins give Home Depot possibility to pressure the returns of Lowe’s. Since the return on assets  is essential for discount retailers it is practically impossible to raise prices easily, asset turnover gives the possibility to enhance one’s profitability. ROA indicates how effective one can turn assets into benefit for further profit. While, one wants to see the ROA minimum of seven percent, the advantage here is for Home Depot. For the business the return on equity  measures the way the company is generating good returns of the shareholders’ money. Here again persistence is an important and any number over fifteen percent is determined as exceptional. Other words, the higher percent of persistence, the better the company develops. This is a considerable advantage for Home Depot (Stock, 2013). In addition, according to the Net Promoter Score, special measures that determine a

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

What Is Morality Why Should Society Be Moral At All Essay

What Is Morality Why Should Society Be Moral At All - Essay Example ‘Society’ is ‘a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done’. It is interesting to note that the lexical definitions of the words ‘morality’ and ‘society’ begin not with the definite article (the) but with the indefinite article (a). It goes on to imply the limitations of their specificity. In other words, any discussion on an issue like morality is inherently bound to be highly subjective in nature and any effort to arrive at objective conclusions is utterly futile. But this could mean that there are at least some issues which allow total objectivity and that becomes a disputable statement if we consider Nietzsche’s observation that there is no such thing as an objective point of view, which means objectivity itself is a subjective matter. [â€Å"There is only a perspective seeing, only a perspective 'knowing'; and the more e motions we express over a thing, the more eyes, different eyes, we train on the same thing, the more complete will be our idea of that thing, our 'objectivity'.† (Nietzsche, 153)] ... Not only in the production processes but also in the themes of films do we notice an ever-increasing obsession with technology if we take a careful look at the recent part of Hollywood’s journey from Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark to Cameroon’s Avatar. Even at this point of time, if humankind still continues to ponder over issues like morality and if there are still some directors interested in throwing light on how ‘sometimes good people do evil things’ (as the advertising tag of Sam Raimi’s 1998 film A Simple Plan reads) and if Michael Sandel’s discourse on justice has the potential to draw such huge crowds that it is rated among the most popular courses in Harvard’s history, it deserves careful consideration. It is a testimony to the fact that science’s takeover bid for the world does not mean a decline of our interest in morals and morality. The fundamental goal of a code of morality is to exercise control on the aspirations and deeds of individuals and groups. It is expected to be a deterrent. More than a century ago, W. W. Jacobs wrote the story The Monkey’s Paw (which opens with the caution: Be careful what you wish for. It might come true.) in which he skillfully embeds a very useful message in a seemingly horror story as to how our anxiety for quick or undeserving gains could have fatal consequences. It is this anxiety that prompts good people sometimes to do evil things. Thus, Sam Raimi’s A Simple Plan is more or less on the same lines as Jacob’s story. Capitalism, war, crime and corruption are all rooted in the desire to make a profit even if it is at the expense of someone else’s loss and if there is a code that could make everyone realize that prosperity is

Monday, September 23, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Case Study Example The case describes a systematic problem because the organization has not yet developed any defined organizational culture that promotes better understanding of diverse value system in order to develop shared goals and strong teamwork. In international businesses, cultural understanding of host nation becomes hugely important factor that influences the work performance of individuals. Chinese business practices are very sensitive to behavioral pattern. It is intrinsically linked to socio-cultural value system that necessitates better understanding of cross-cultural value system and effective communication across workforce so that workplace conflicts could be resolved amicably. The conflict could have been avoided in the first place if the managerial leadership had promoted distinct culture of shared learning, common goals and collective decision making. To resolve present conflict, the leadership should acknowledge Li’s contribution to the firm and to the project. At the same time, Tang needs to emphasize the importance of shared goals and teamwork and his reasons for discontinuing the project. He should also seek Li’s input on why the project should be continued. If Li is able to successfully explain the validity of project he should be allowed to complete it provided he involves others and completes it as team rather than as an

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Feminism & Law Essay Example for Free

Feminism Law Essay Feminism simply refers to the thought that women and men should have similar and equal rights in all fronts, be it sexually, politics, economics or civil amongst others. Though feminism efforts can be traced back to the late 19th century, intense activism can be placed at the upper quarter of the 20th century where there arose feminist movements, philosophy, theories and literature supporting equality between the genders. Indeed these movements and efforts bore fruits and are credited with the revolution that would see a flurry of laws enacted and policies aimed at opening more opportunities implemented. The recent past years have seen this change and feminist movements have become dormant and almost irrelevant, many agree that this has been brought forth by the mere fact that their grievances were addressed. Indeed feminism had genuine grievances. A look at the traditional society, and also the prevailing circumstances up to the world war period, indicates that the society was highly patriarchal. Both the unwritten and the written rules were aimed at subjugating women while elevating the position of men in all aspects. Job opportunities, politics and economics were wholly dominated by men. Women leadership was looked down upon and women roles were only limited to household chores. The Declaration of Sentiments, a document detailing grievances of women as published in 1846 during the Seneca Falls Convention, has clearly outlined these concerns indicating how inequality raged in the male dominated society be it in the marriages, economics and also in the workplaces (Estelle, 2003). The key grievances ranged from the role of women in marriages and also the pursuit of equal opportunities in the workplaces. The first wave of feminism was concentrating its efforts in rooting out inequality aimed at property rights and universal voting rights. These were accorded by the law by the first quarter of the 20th century. The second wave of liberation was radical and was pursuing injustices meted out against women revolving around cultural and political inequalities. These grievances were touching on the very foundation of marriage and sought to ensure that a woman’s voice and rights in marriage were respected and ensured by the law. Consequently, legislations recognizing marital rape were enacted and women’s rights in regard to divorces were also put into place. Abortion was also a key concern and resulted to intensified activism demanding for women to be allowed to take control of their sexuality and also the fate of their pregnancies. The Roe v Wade landmark court ruling that outlawed abortion was seen as a major success for feminist movements. Political and social rights were advanced. The third wave of feminism became referred to as the Women’s Liberation and took place from the late 1970s to 1990s. This was aimed at rooting out sexism and all forms of discriminations especially in the workplaces. Women demanded laws aimed at tackling sex discrimination and abuse. This was a wave that was also aiming at rooting out the perception that feminist movements were pursuing the upper class women, it is for this reason that this movement began focusing at the issues that generally affected women such as gender based violence and the removal of gender based connotations and stereotypes (Estelle 2006). With the accomplishments of the ideals that feminism sought to achieve, there is now a general feeling that feminism has become irrelevant. As Anita (2004, 96) contends, â€Å"years and years ago this feminist thing was really big and people did fight for women’s rights, and that was good. But we are equal now, so there’s not that need. † This is indeed the prevailing situation; feminism has ceased to be relevance. Women have acquired rights and although still disadvantaged, have equal rights to men. The angry bra burning and men bashing activists are no longer around as their common objectives were met and the modern woman is unencumbered by the traditional feminist ties (Estelle 2006). The popular media is said to mirror the society bringing into perspective all the held perceptions and norms. A comparison of the movies that cropped up a couple of decades ago and today’s movies for example indicates a stark contrast. Whereas the 80s movies gave women subtle and supportive roles, modern movies are according men and women equal roles and are portraying women playing the roles that were regarded as the preserve of men. They are also no longer seen as sex toys and objects to provide comic relief in movies and magazines but are rather playing active roles. Today’s women are seen as assertive in their own right but not mere props to support men, they are holding executive roles and have plunged deep into the cutthroat executive and political affairs if the recent Hillary Clintons candidature is anything to go by. They possess charisma and enough magnetic pull to carry out demanding political tasks as their men counterparts. Though sexism is yet to be eradicated, the rigorous feminist movements no longer enjoy the huge membership like they used to in the 80s, today they have taken a more integrative approach. References Anita H. (2004). All about the girl: culture, power, and identity. Routledge. Estelle B. F. (2006) Feminism, sexuality, and politics: essays. UNC Press. Estelle B. F. (2003) No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. Ballantine Books.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

East West Culture Differences Cultural Studies Essay

East West Culture Differences Cultural Studies Essay In todays global business environment, with the increase in international business and in foreign investment, more and more of us are required to understand people coming from countries and cultures different from our own, so the impact of difference between Oriental and Occidental cultures on international trade becomes increasingly exposed. Therefore, this article makes multidimensional analyses of these matters arising out of cultural differences in transnational commerce. International trade is the exchange of goods and services among different countries. Owing to various socio-cultures, enormous differences exist in commercial culture of nations. The East and the West are the two mainstream cultures in the world; meanwhile, the gaps of them are obvious, appearing in values, conventions, languages, consumption patterns, social organizations and structures, etc. This paper aims at discussing the cultural differences that are faced in todays commercial transaction in the world and evolving appropriate measures to deal with those.    Key words: East-West cultural differences; international trade; international communication 1. Introduction This section is an introduction, which gives a general account of the importance of cross-cultural communication, purpose of this thesis, and the significance of the thesis. 1.1 The importance of being aware of the East-West cultural differences In our world of expanding technology and shrinking geography, people of different cultures have increasing frequency of contact and need for effective communication on a daily basis. Speaking a different language is an obvious obstacle to intercultural communication, but a greater and more difficult hurdle is to speak a different culture. Even though we may learn the words, the grammar, and the recognizable pronunciation of a language, we may still not know how to navigate around the greater obstacles to communication that are presented by cultural difference. The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems on the whole. Due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference from the other. There are so many differences in culture between the East and West. However, there is a trend that the culture in both countries has been mixture. There are problems may be caused by our failure to recognize cultural differences. Nowadays the world is becoming much more mobile than ever before. With the powerful modern transportation tools like airplane, people can travel to other counties just in a few hours. Under this circumstance, it is not uncommon to find some problems caused by the ignorance of cultural differences. Apart from different languages (and you will benefit greatly if you can learn to understand, speak or write some of them), each country has its own social systems and laws and ways of implementing them to resolve problems and disputes during international businesses. In addition, the diversity is reflected in management philosophy, operating procedure, marketing methods of merchants and the specific trading activities. In conclusion, to be successful and skillful as an international trader it is important to recognize and accept that there are differences between the East and the West. 1.2 Purpose of the study Entitled On the East-West Cultural Differences and the Influence on the International Trade, this thesis endeavors to probe into the nature and practical method to give a description of various kinds of cultural differences, their impact upon international commerce, and how to deal with the difficulties appearing in the business communication. Eastern people often feel confident that they know quite a bit about western culture. In fact, they may have seen many western films, may eat at KFC regularly, may know more about the National Basketball Association or about current popular music than many Americans, may speak quite fluent English, but that does not necessarily mean that they know western culture the way a Westerner knows it. It doesnt mean they know the cultural grammar or can swim in those cultural waters. It doesnt mean they can avoid miscommunication or even conflict during communicating. Just as Wolfson points out, In interacting with foreigners, native speakers tend to be rather tolerant of errors in pronunciation or syntax. In contrast, violations of rules of speaking are often interpreted as bad manners, since the native speaker is unlikely to be aware of sociolinguistic relating. (Wolfson,1983: 62). The thesis attempts to make out a system and makes comprehensive study of the pervasive culture by means of definitions, classifications to improve the culture awareness. From some researchers perspective, culture is like an iceberg in the ocean, what we see and feel such as artifacts, clothing, was the surface part of iceberg, this part is easily to be recognized, while the hidden part of iceberg such as values and beliefs which are not immediately observable and felt, rather, hidden behind the daily verbal and nonverbal communication, and directs and regulates peoples speech and behavior. The assumption of the identification of this category is that different areas in the world are characterized by different values and features. 1.3 Significance of the study Knowledge about cultures, both general and specific, provides insight into the learned behaviors of a group. It helps the learner to gain awareness of what makes a people unique. The factors are its customs and traditions, values and beliefs, attitudes and concepts, hierarchies and roles, time and space relations, and verbal and non-verbal communication processes. Information gained in cross-culture studies will enable businessmen to become more cosmopolitan, to cope more effectively abroad, to reduce stress and resolve conflict more readily in the international area. Now with the Open Policy, many enterprises are involved in international trade. Those engaged in the import-export trade, depending on their understanding and skills in cross-cultural relations, can either advance or hamper their sales and exchanges. Transcultural studies benefit businessmen as follows: Foster interaction, good will and customer relations, as well as business and profits. In a competitive society, the global businessman should function like an intercultural researcher seeking various ways to establish good relationship with his partners whose behaviors are strongly affected by cultural, social, personal and psychological factors. But the cultural factors exert the broadest and deepest influence on them. Offer better understanding of both domestic and international markets. To be successful in international business, a good market research project requires as much careful planning as a well-designed product. Market research must allow for cultural differences in a foreign market. For example, orange juice is not a breakfast drink in France; Middle Easterners prefer spicy toothpaste; the Japanese like rice and tuna for breakfast. These cultural differences will help one make a successful marketing decision. Provide insight relative to organizational culture and personal behavior. Intercultural study offers us better understanding of the culture in which one is going to work. For example, one aspect of American culture is that people must work hard to accomplish their objectives. We can see this in the corporate culture of Microsoft, while Chinese tend to work together and accomplish a project step by step with explicit hierarchical relationship. Help one to gain a better sense of self and cultural heritage for more effective intercultural interactions. In order to create cultural synergistic solutions to problems lying in international business, a global businessman must know his culture and business practice to deal with different partners with different cultures. In a word, cross-cultural study offers better international relationships, which are bound to be enhanced when management, sales, and technical personnel can deal with cultural differences within the world market place. 2. The difference between east culture and west culture Success on international business journey depends significantly on understanding culture and appreciating how profoundly values, attitudes and behaviors are shaped by it. Unfortunately, culture is a complex phenomenon, The understanding of which is aided neither by the diffuse use of the term in everyday conversation nor by the wealth of definitions in current use. At the very outset, we face the challenge of developing an understanding of culture that both captures its essence and will serve as a practical guide to the broad spectrum of cultural diversity. 2.1 A brief introduction to culture The word culture often brings up more problems than it involves. So far, culture has been defined in many ways by a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds. Culture, according to Robert Kohls, the former Director  of Training and Development for the United States  Information Agency, is an integrated system of learned  behavior patterns that are characteristic of the members  of any given society, the total way of life of particular  groups of people. It includes everything that a group of  people thinks, says, does, and makes-its customs,  language, material artifacts and shared systems of  attitudes and feelings. Culture is learned and transmitted  from generation to generation. It is not identical with  the genetic heritage that may differentiate one group of  people from another. These differences in shared  systems of attitudes and feelings are one of those more  subtle areas of difference that foreigners experience  when they leave home.  Cul ture affects peoples ways of thinking and their  views of the world. Every culture has its distinct  characteristics that make it different from every other  culture. Some differences are quite evident (e.g.  language, religion, political organization, etc.). However, in a word, culture generally refers to the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws morals, customs, habits, and capabilities acquired by individuals who interact in a specific area of society. Others  can be so subtle that while foreign visitors may be  vaguely aware of them, making adjustments is a  complex process and one may remain uncomfortable  and off balance for quite some time. 2.2 Causes for culture differences The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish  each other by a lot. This is because the culture systems  are two separate systems on the whole.  The origin of the eastern cultures is mainly from two  countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are  gestated by rivers: the Yellow River in China and the  Hindu River in India. These two cultures were  developed for several thousand years and formed their  own styles. Then in Dang Dynasty of China, the  Chinese culture gradually went overseas to Japan,  mixed into the Japanese society and shaped the  Japanese culture nowadays. Though a bit different from  the Chinese one, it belongs to the same system. When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern  culture, another famous culture was brought up on the  Mesopotamian Plain-the Mesopotamian Civilization.  This civilization later on developed into the cultures of  the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two  are well-known as the base of the European culture.  Like the Chinese culture, the European one also crossed  waters. When the colonists of England settled down in  America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic  Ocean. So the American culture is similar to the  European one.  At the same time, the difference of the language  systems adds to the cultural differences. In the East,  most languages belong to the pictographic language  while the Western languages are mostly based on the  Latin system.  Other factors like human race difference counts as  well. But whats more, due to the far distance and the  steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures  seldom commu nicate until recent centuries. So they  grew up totally in their own ways with almost no  interference from the other. 2.3 The Role of Culture in Business With the development of globalization, cross-culture  communication is indispensable to an open society in  which we live today. Therefore, cultural differences are  everywhere. The cultures between the East and the West  are distinguished by a rather large scale. It means not  only the opinions or ways of thinking are different, but  how do people behave in daily life is also not the same,  sometimes may even the opposite. This paper will first  probe into the causes for cultural differences and then  some of the typical examples to illustrate the cultural  difference between east and west, finally, ways to fit in  different cultures. What role does culture play and can it be a positive one? A manager in a Swedish pharmaceutical firm described what happened when a multicultural team was put together. Product design was traditionally carried out at our Stockholm headquarters. Once, by accident or design, we brought in an international team to discuss the design of a new allergy product. Due to extreme differences of opinion on what constitutes good medical practice, the team designed the new product with maximum flexibility to suit the major demands of each country. Later, we discovered this flexibility to be of great advantage in developing and marketing international competitive products. Regarding cultural differences as a challenge rather than a problem may mean a little more investment of time and funds, but it is more likely to produce international workable teams, systems and products. This general approach albeit with variances in each case, has helped Japanese, Germans and Scandinavians adapt successfully to international markets. It has also helped cultivate the deep awareness of quality and consumer-friendliness, which characterizes the products of these successful countries, and pervades business thinking and aspirations. So if international companies are to tackle the challenge of culture where do they start? Let us look in more detail at the areas of business activity, which need to be culture-responsive. Steven Globerman discussed this issue as follows: Culture differences do not as a rule that prohibits doing business internationally, although they often oblige management to modify the way business is done from region to region. While modifications may be required, to a greater or lesser extent, in virtually all of the international firms activities, the particular areas that seem to be affected by cultural differences are the marketing and personnel relations functions. It points in the right direction and its implications are clear: managing and communicating with a culturally different or varied workforce requires new methods and techniques. Success in this first objective is needed so that the company may understand consumers whose behavior and tastes are different from that of the home country. 3. The basic content of business communication 3.1 Understanding Globalization Although globalization has come to the world ¼Ã…’most of the worlds businesses are not globalized ¼Ã… ½Business globalization is the ability of a corporation to take a product and market in the entire civilized world ¼Ã… ½International firms have subsidiaries or components in other countries ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ºhowever, control of the foreign operations is maintained at the home country headquarters. Multinational firms allow their foreign operations to exist as domestic organizations ¼Ã… ½Most firms are international ¼Ã…’either sourcing ¼Ã…’ producing ¼Ã…’or exporting ¼Ã… ½Thus the personnel of an organization must have a global mindset in order for the firm to succeed in the international marketplace. Laurent (1986), in a study of multinational corporations, found that successful multinational corporations do not submerge the individuality of different cultures completely in the corporate culture, that intercultural contact can promote a determination not to adjust to other cultures, and that new management theory and practice can be presented only to individuals who are culturally able and willing to accept it ¼Ã… ½Rhinesmith (l993) states The corporate culture contains the values, norms of behavior, systems, policies ¼Ã…’and procedures through which the organization adapts to the complexity of the global arena ¼Ã… ½Companies with franchises abroad have had to make certain adjustments to accommodate the taste and preferences of individual countries; for example. Tex-Mex cuisine is prepared kosher in Israel. According to Rhinesmith (1993), Diversity-both domestic and international will be the engine that drives the creative energy of the corporation of the twenty ¼Ã… ½first century ¼Ã… ½Successful global managers will be those who are able to manage this diversity for the innovative and competitive edge of their corporations. Since globalization has become an irresistible trend pervading throughout the world, international businessme n should take it into consideration and try their best to better cross-cultural business communication in the course of their international business journeys. 3.2 Understanding Intercultural Communication The term intercultural communication was first used by Edward T. Hall in 1959. Hall was one of the first researchers to differentiate cultures based on how communications are sent and received. Hall defined intercultural communication as communication between persons of different cultures. The subject of intercultural communication is beset by a major problem, since there is really very little agreement on what people mean by the idea of culture in the first place. Intercultural business communication is a relatively new term in the business world and is defined as communication within and between businesses that involves people from more than one culture. Intercultural business communication allows us to work on the procedural issues of country-to-country contacts, diplomacy, and legal contexts; it allows us to become involved with the substantive, cultural level and helps sensitize us to differences. It also allows us to gather information to make decisions when we are in an intercultural environment (Rohrlich, 1998). 3.3 The specific embodiment of business communication Business communication refers to the exchange of information resources and the touch of each other for a set purpose to establish a commercial relationship based on mutual benefit promoting the business activities to succeed. Cross-culture Communication in commerce is either a sort of business proceedings, or procedures for culture dialogue and betting game. To make business communication more effective, honest social relation needs to be created. Business Communication: communication used to promote a product, service, or organization; relay information within the business; or deal with legal and similar issues. It is also a means of relaying between a supply chain, for example the consumer and manufacturer. Business communication is somewhat different and unique rather from other type of communication since the purpose of business is to get profit. Thus to make good way for profit the communicator should develop good communication skills. Everyone knows that in the present day tren ds the knowledge alone wont be a fruitful one to have sustainable development. By knowing the importance of communication many organizations started training their employees in betterment of Communication techniques. Essentially due to globalization the world has become a Global village. Thus here the importance of cross cultural communication plays a vital role. Since each and every nation has their own meaning for each and every non verbal actions. The way we appear speaks a lot about us in business communication. A neat appearance is half done verbal communication. But developing communication is not a day work, it needs constant yearly practice. There are several ways to get trained in excelling business communication such 1. by our own, 2. by practicing from trainers, 3. by internet contents, 4. by books. 4. Cultural differences exhibited in international trade Numerous studies have been done to identify specific  characteristics that distinguish one culture from another.  The cultural difference between east and west is no  exception. Lets sum up some of the typical examples to  illustrate such differences. Greeting How do we Chinese greet each other? Informally, if we  meet a friend in the street, we are used to saying: Hi,  have you had your meal? or Where are you going?  When it is the case of two gentlemen, they tend to shake  hands.   However, in the western countries, the above  questions are just questions, not greeting at all. They  may think youre inviting them to dinner if you ask  about their meals. Usually, theyll just give each other a  smile or greet with a Hi. Theyll shake hands only in  some formal situations. By the way, Westerners can leave a party or meeting halls without a formal conge,  nor should they shake hands with every attendee like  most of us will do here. Showing Gratitude Think of the situations below. Your mother is busy in  the kitchen. She suddenly asks you to fetch a bowl for  her. You do so. Whatll your mothers response be?  Probably shell just continue doing the cooking. After a  while, the dinner is ready. Your mother hands you your  bowl of rice. Whats your response? Probably just begin  to eat. Chinese rarely say Thank you to other family  members for receiving help or service. Neither will we  say so between good friends. Its such an unpopular  response that if you say it, the counterpart will think you  are treating him as a stranger, otherwise you are lacking  of intimacy. But in the West, thank you is one of the most  frequently used sentences. Teachers will thank a student  for answering a question; husbands will thank his wife  for making a coffee. Table Manners The ways people eat-the table manner, really  distinguish a lot. Chinese use chopsticks or sometimes  even grasp rice straightly with hands as Indians do. The  thin and long chopsticks cannot be used to cut food, so  we use teeth as knives. We hold our food, meat or  vegetable, with the chopsticks, send them to the mouths,  bite off a part and remain the other part on the  chopsticks. Thats the usual way we eat. We are also  used to holding up our bowls when having rice or soup.  But all these are considered rude in the Western  countries. The etiquette in the West requests that when eating,  bowls and plates cannot leave the tables. Food should be  cut by knives to fit into the mouths. Your mouth cannot  touch the plates or bowls. So the regular process is cut  your steak on the plate with fork and knife, send the  meat cube into the mouth with fork and nothing will be  returned back but the fork alone. The reason for this is  probably because of the different dining tools and  menus. Symbolization Symbolization is how people imagine or regard  something, which reflects the way of people thinking.   We often  attach different signicance to different colors, because  we feel differently when facing different colors. On the  last day in the APEC summit held in Shanghai several  years ago, the presidents from all over the world wore  the traditional Chinese Dang suits and took a photo  together. The colors of the suits were chosen by  themselves freely. However, its quite interesting to find  that most Easterners chose red while most of the  westerners preferred blue. To explain this, its easy to  realize that what red means is almost opposite in the  East and the West. Red means luck, fortune here.  Chinese often use this color to decorate in festivals,  such as red lanterns, red Chinese nodes, and red bangers.  But red stands for blood, revolutions in the West. So the  presidents avoided wearing the unlucky color. In the East,  dragons are imagined as something like snake and are  flowing in the sky for most of the time. The dragon is  said to have the face of the horse, the horns of the deer,  the ears of the ox, the body of the snake, the claws of the  eagle and squama of the fish. We regard dragon as God  and view ourselves the offspring of the dragon. The God  of Dragons of the four seas can charge the rainfalls. But  in the West, people think dragons as dinosaurs, which  can stand on the ground with feet and fly with huge  wings. They lay eggs just like dinosaurs. The dragons of  the West have the ability to erupt fire, instead of water.  The fire can destroy everything so the dragons are not  welcomed at all. They even become the symbol of the  Devil. Unfortunately, attempts to categorize cultural  characteristics often end up in cultural stereotypes that  are unfair and misleading. In adjusting to your study  abroad environment, you will therefore have to deal not  only with real cultural differences, and also with  perceived cultural differences. Keep in mind that people  of other cultures are just as adept at stereotyping we  Chinese as we are at stereotyping them-and the results  are not always complimentary. The following are a few  examples of the qualities (some positive, some negative)  that others frequently associate with the typical  Chinese: hard working, being economical, reserved,  and ignorant of other countries, generous, hospitable, and  superstitious. While a stereotype might possess some  grain of truth, it is obvious when we consider individual  differences that not every Chinese fits the above  description. Most Germans, Japanese, Italians, etc.,  have stereotyped perceptions of the American, just as  most Americans have stereotyped images of Germans,  Japanese, Italians, etc. In short, misperceptions may  exist on all sides. Frequently, the stereotype of the  American is far from complimentary: the boorish tourist  who expects everyone to speak English, the arrogant  patriot who thinks every country in the world should  pattern itself after the United States, the drunken reveler  who sees the anonymity of traveling abroad as an  opportunity to drop all civilized inhibitions-all have  contributed to the development of this unfortunate  stereotype. It is up to you to behave in a manner that will  convince your hosts that this is indeed an unjustified  stereotype that cannot be applied arbitrarily, at least to  yourself. 5. Conclusion 5.1 Research findings With the globalization of the world economy, organizations, especially multinational corporations, are culturally diverse in their formation of the workforce and in handling al kinds of business activities. China has seen an increasing number of FIE (Foreign Individual Enterprise) entering the Chinese market, since the country adopted the policy of opening to the outside world more than twenty years ago. The culturally diversified workforce has brought greater vitality to business, but business people today are facing many problems in their cross-cultural communication. More and more business people have become aware of the strong impact from culture, and they have come to realize the importance of understanding cross-cultural communication. As all nations have their own cultures, it is not difficult to find that people bring along with them their cultures wherever they go and tend to cling to them. As more and more Chinese business people are employed by FIEs, they are facing the same problem of learning and respecting foreign cultures as the Western business people do with the Chinese cultures. In many cases, business people find that it is really nor easy to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds. Sometimes, people may mistake someone as a culturally identical person, which often ends in troubles. In order to avoid misunderstandings in our cross-cultural communication, we should pay attention to the ways to decrease or eliminate the cultural conflicts. 5.2 Suggestions Globalization, for better or worse, has changed the way the world does business. Though in its early stage, it is all but unstoppable. At the same time, it also provides for global businessmen a challenge as well as chance. To be triumphant in international business, one should learn how to live with it, manage it and take advantage of the benefit it offers. The globalization of economics has created a confluence of cultures when it comes to business practices. Meshing these cultures has proven difficult even as it has proven necessary. In many cases the quest for a one-size-fits-all set of standards for global business behavior has progressed quite far. Global business is moving toward a world standard. In this sense, it is unpractical to accommodate stereotyping cultural theories to developing relationship in the course of international business that is developing all time along. With time going, more and more new problems and conflicts will occur when doing business internationally whatever in managing, negotiating or cooperating. Cultures will gradually melt with each other, but rooted values and norms will still cause the occurrence of clashes. Thus problems can only be solved in certain circumstance at certain time. Invariable solutions with shaped cultural ideas will only lead to prejudice and more conflicts; while adaptable solutions according to specific situation of intercultural communication is more valuable and worthy of being conserved. Nothing can be unchangeable, thus is the same with the study of cultural differences in the course of international business. Therefore, dynamic research should be furthered and kept so as to keep up with the development of international business.

Friday, September 20, 2019

A Feminist Journey through Beethovens Musical Structure Essay

A Feminist Journey through Beethoven's Musical Structure Traditional analysis of Beethoven's use of Sonata Allegro form tends to focus on harmonic or melodic movement and key relationships. This study stretches such investigations to include questions of historical context and philosophic motivations that drive a composer to structure music in a certain way. Ultimately this leads to an inquiry about how these traditions affect us as listeners, and more specifically how they relate to gender issues in a musical tradition primarily made up of male composers. Music of the 1700s is often characterized as highly structured and balanced. A favorite form for pieces of many kinds was the sonata form, which relies heavily on the basic movement between different tonalities (especially tonic and dominant or relative major). Ludwig van Beethoven wrote over 30 sonatas for piano alone and used the structure for symphonies and many other instrumental works. Most other composers of the classical time period also used sonata form, and music historians have spent much time discussing why this might be so. Some historians pose this question strictly within a musical world: How did earlier musical structures give rise to sonata form? Others ask what it was in the surrounding historical context that made sonata form appealing. William Henry Hadow and Charles Rosen are two historians who talk primarily about musical context. Hadow sets his discussion in the framework of classical composers' movement away from Baroque forms. He says that when Beethoven and his contemporaries chose ternary form over Baroque binary, typified in the dance suite, they chose a structure that was then used successfully into the twentieth century. This was only poss... ...s in history. Works Cited Abbate, Carolyn. Unsung Voices: Opera and Musical Narrative in the Nineteenth Century. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991. Ballantine, Christopher. "Beethoven, Hegel and Marx." Music Review. Vol. 33, 1972. Drake, Kenneth. The Beethoven Sonatas and the Creative Experience. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1994. Hadow, William Henry. Sonata Form. London: Novello and Company, Limited, 1979. McClary, Susan. Feminine Endings: Music, Gender, and Sexuality. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1991. Mann, Thomas. Doctor Faustus. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1948. Rosen, Charles. The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York: The Viking Press, 1971. Subotnik, Rose Rosengard. Developing Variations: Style and Ideology in Western Music. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1991.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Analysis of Martin Luther Kings Essay -- Rhetorical Analysis, Civil

Convincing, Indefatigable and influential are the best adjectives to explain Letter from Birmingham Jail. Martin Luther King Jr's astuteness is enhanced by the astonishing capability to show the unkind and heartless attitude against black community. Throughout the whole writing to the eight clergymen Jr. never get too far from the clash for fairness in Birmingham. As head of the South Christians Leadership Conferences (SCLC), Martin L. King, Junior., in the year 1963 acknowledged Birmingham, Alabama, as "possibly the most carefully segregated city in the United States". His decision to make Birmingham the next battlefield on which to implement his nonviolent civil disobedience strategy brought him condemnation and criticism from fellow clergymen, friends and enemies, black and white. Alabama, they argued, under the leadership of the new governor, Albert Boutwell, would be taking giant steps forward away from the racist and segregationist past promoted and maintained by former governor George Wallace. The prominent evangelist Bill Graham encouraged King to patiently wait, "to put the brakes on" (Miller, 69). Indirectly identifying King and his supporters as outsiders, ignorant of Alabama's true internal affairs and new promise of progress, eight local fellow clergymen, convinced that the courts, not demonstrations, were the appropriate venues through which to effect change, made their convictions known; and the Birmingham News published their views and sentiments in a 13-paragraph article titled "White Clergymen Urge Local Negroes to Withdraw from Demonstrations," on April 13, 1963 (Branch, 285). The men challenged King, rebuking the Birmingham demonstration as "unwise and untimely". Perhaps more important, "the clergymen invoke... ...es emotional appeal that attracted people. Works Cited Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954–63. New York: Simon and Schuster, (1988).p.285 Jr. Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream/Letter from Birmingham Jail Perfection Learning, (2007)p.45 King Martin Luther (Jr.), Lillback Peter A. Letter from Birmingham Jail The Providence Forum, (2003). P.85 King, Martin Luther, Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." In Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have A Dream, Writings and Speeches That Changed the World, edited by James M. Washington, 83–100. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, (1986).p.195 Miller, William Robert. Martin Luther King, Jr.: His Life, Martyrdom and Meaning for the World. New York: Avon Books (1968).p.69 Sernett Milton C. African American religious history: a documentary witness. Duke University Press (1999) p.98

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

How to Write a Synthesis Essay :: Synthesis Essays, Process Essays

A synthesis is the combination of the ideas from more than one source with your own ideas. Note that the term â€Å"idea† does not constitute an opinion. What does a successful synthesis include? ACCURACY: an accurate report of information from the sources using different phrases and sentences not found in the original text. ORGANIZATION: readers should be able to see immediately where the information from the sources overlap. INTERPRETATION: a synthesis makes sense of the sources and helps the reader understand them in greater depth. How to get started: Summarizing the main points/themes/traits of the sources you are comparing will help you organize your thoughts. You will need to decide which elements of the texts being compared are most relevant. You also need to think about your audience: what points will give your reader the best overall picture of the texts? What will be most interesting for the audience to read? Standard format: Introduction A one-sentence statement that sums up the focus of your synthesis (i.e. your thesis statement) An introduction of the titles and authors of your sources (following specific citation guidelines) Relevant background information about the authors, texts, OR the general topic from which the texts are drawn Body Each paragraph must: begin with a topic sentence include information from more than one source clearly indicate where the material comes from using lead-in phrases and in-text citations†¦BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM show similarities/differences between or among the different sources Last but NOT least: represent the texts fairly. Your job is to present what the source says, in fewer words and your own words. Using your own words does not mean that you are in any way changing what the source says.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Ethical Dilemmas and Cultural Issues Essay

29 year old Sakura has been brought to counseling by a concerned neighbor because she believes Sakura is suffering from depression. She is listless and silent, and prone to staring in to space. During the course of the counseling sessions, it was discovered that Sakura’s husband has been violent towards her recently. Sakura is Japanese and has migrated to California two years ago, here she met and married an American husband. Sakura refuses to tell authorities because she is ashamed that her family in Japan would discover the failure of her marriage. She clearly tells the counselor that no one should know of the state of her relationship with her husband. A counselor is ethically obligated to inform authorities about the abusive nature of the relationship but she is also obligated to respect her client’s wishes. Framework for Ethical Decision Making (Velasquez, M. , Moberg, D. , Meyer, M. J. , Shanks, T. ,. McLean, M. R. , DeCosse, D. , Andre, C. , and Hanson, K. O. , 2009) Recognize an Ethical Issue Psychologists cannot break client-therapist confidentiality; Sakura has clearly expressed that her problems in marriage must be kept confidential and believes that her husband’s temperament is just being affected by his problems at work and the situation between them can be resolved. The counselor feels conflicted because the situation involves actual and potential risk for the client. Get the Facts Sakura is being verbally and physically abused when her husband is incited to anger by small things, like unwashed laundry or bland food. She sometimes gets bruises when her husband grabs he arms and shakes her or pushes her around. Sakura feels miserable at the state of her marriage but she was raised to be a loyal wife to her husband. The Japanese value a good marriage and frown upon divorce and marital problems. The Japanese believe marital problems must be resolved at home and must not be publicly acknowledged. This must be dealt with in therapy sessions sensitive to her culture and to her way of thinking. She must learn to value herself more than valuing the opinion of others. Evaluate Alternative Actions The counselor may decide to first try to convince Sakura of the unreasonable aspects of her situation. An establishment of a high sense of self-worth in therapy can ideally enable her get out of the abusive relationship by her own accord. However, when the danger is imminent and when it is clear that her husband is escalating in violence towards Sakura then the first area of concern would be to notify authorities to stop the abuse. Make a Decision and Test It The therapist can decide to tell the authorities about the nature of the situation, testing a decision can involve looking at the possible outcomes should the decision be executed. All other approaches must be considered; a useful exercise would be asking the question â€Å"what If I told someone I respect-or told a television audience-which option I have chosen, what would they say? † considering different perspectives is vital in making the choice. Act and Reflect on the Outcome Implement the decision, tell the authorities and monitor the outcome, Sakura must be guided in therapy and offered psychological support at all times. Reference: Velasquez, M. , Moberg, D. , Meyer, M. J. , Shanks, T. ,. McLean, M. R. , DeCosse, D. , Andre, C. , and Hanson, K. O. , (2009). A framework for ethical decision making. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Comparison of Little Red Riding Hood from Different Countries Essay

Every so often, there comes a story so popular that it survives many decades and is common in many cultures. Growing up here in America, I was always told the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Because of the way American structure is set up, the story in this culture teaches the people told the story a lesson as well as has a happy ending. The American story of â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† isn’t the only version of this story. As previously mentioned, there are stories that survive many decades and last through many cultures; this is one of them. However, they all have different names. There are also: Little Red Cap, Little Red Hood, The Grandmother, The True History of Little Golden Hood, Grandmother’s Nose, and Little Red Hat. These stories come from many different areas such as Germany, Poland, Italy, Austria, and France, and they have many different authors. There are two things that do stay the same throughout every retelling of this story, the characters and idea. There is always a little girl, her grandmother, her mother, and the wolf. Additionally, in every retelling, it involves the little girl having to go to her grandmother’s house to deliver something to her. However, the actions taken by the characters and their personalities change in every telling of the story. Although every version of Little Red Riding Hood has a similar idea, the characterization and moral of the story alters based upon what time period and location it was written in because of the influences of the country of origin’s stereotypes, ideals, and events.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

How to Improve Our Government Essay

People every day make mistakes, and find flaws in their everyday tasks. No one person in this country can consider his, or herself, perfect. Knowledgeable people do exist in this world though, and our government strives to find and elect these representatives. These representatives then make decisions that affect our country in ways some might find positive, though others perceive as negative. Representatives could make decisions that would only impact our government in a negative way. Our government has its flaws, along with the people running it. I can think of several ways to help to improve the government and its efficiency. A decrease in government funding for our National Defense would increase funding in other important areas. People across our nation need jobs, and are struggling to find a source of income. If we used some of the funding that we attribute to our Nation Defense, then this money might benefit in the use of creating new jobs and opportunities for people. Not only would we have money to provide jobs, but this funding could be used to help create and search for new information in the field of Cancer Research. The government funds provide people that lack occupations and have no source of income, with a reliable way of obtaining money for themselves to provide for his or her, and/or his or her family. These welfare recipients may draw unemployment after applying and meeting the requirements need to obtain this welfare money. These requirements may not be strict enough, which would lead to the allowance of the unemployed to gather money while being lazy in the process. Due to the lack of work ethic found in people, drug use may attribute to this laziness. A requirement may need to be added in order for the recipients to pass a drug test (a test for multiple drugs) in order to draw unemployment, in return saving the wasted money the government provides to the unworthy. The government could invest much of their funding in renewable energy sources. The post installation outcome of these windmills, energy providing dams, etc. would help save money later on in the future. With these funds being provided to help â€Å"Go Green†, the earth itself would take a drastic increase in cleanliness. The government then might avoid conflicts  with foreign nations in the search for the fossil fuels, of which we currently use as energy. Doing this might then allow us to pull our troops out of these foreign nations, saving lives and money provided for the troops. The government has a reliable system that has gotten our country out of some troubled times, and may be one of the most united governments the world has seen. As previously stated though, nothing and no single person is perfect. With these little changes in the way the government goes about, it may impact funding, our unity, and occupations for the people of the United States, allowing people to live and prosper, with freedom and peace throughout.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Characters of Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks Essay

The First World War is known to be one of the worst, if not the worst war in military history. The strategies used were often ineffective and repetitive, meaning a lack of movement and years of stalemate on the western front. Soldiers had to live in conditions which were squalid and foul, they had to deal with diseases such as trench foot and millions of rats and lice infestations. These general images of soldiers living in these fetid conditions has become widely known and linked with the huge suffering caused by the First World War. The use of literature can enable us to gain a picture of what trench warfare was really like. ‘Journey’s End’ a play written by R.C. Sherriff in 1928 based on his own life experiences gives a realistic image of life as a soldier in the trenches. However, the novel ‘Birdsong’ by Sebastian Faulks which was not written till 2005 gives a version of what Faulks believed trench warfare to be like; it is a fictional idea based on knowledge and understanding of World War One. Also the authors chose different formats with one being a novel the other a play, thus giving them contrasting ways of conveying soldiers’ experiences of war. A play deals with the actions and reactions of characters using dialogue and yet a novel can go into the heads of characters, giving the reader an understanding of a person’s emotions and feelings through description and narrative. The characters presented in both Journey’s End and Birdsong are attempting to avoid and deal with the horrors of trench warfare in many different ways including; drinking, violence, and memories of loved ones and trying to use humour as a way of distancing themselves from the horrors facing them. Each character has to find there own way of dealing with the situation, as anyone would when faced with the constant fear of death. In both Journey’s End and Birdsong we get a glimpse of what the characters Stanhope and Wraysford were like before the terror of war affected them. In Journey’s End although we don’t see Stanhope before the war; Sherriff cleverly uses Raleigh to give us an idea of what he was like when he was younger. We see Raleigh as this optimistic, patriotic man excited at the prospect of going into war alongside his childhood hero. His confession to Osborne that he was ‘Keen to get out here’ is a representation of many patriotic soldiers at the break out of the first world war and could show us how Stanhope may have felt before the realisation of what warfare was really like. The growing sense of conflict between Stanhope and Raleigh just shows how much the war has changed Stanhope, and affected him. Not only do we see Raleigh as a young version of Stanhope but also we hear from him background information on Stanhope’s life, ‘he was skipper of Rugger at Barford, and kept wicket for the eleven. A jolly good bat, too.’ This is not needed in Birdsong as we gain a background on what Wraysford was like before the war in part one of the novel. Novels allow writers to add descriptive back stories through narrative rather than dialogue, we can learn about one person’s perspective unlike in a play when we are unable to hear thoughts and feelings – these can only be expressed through actors portraying the role. Birdsong can go into depth about the emotional effects war can have on a person, which is a tricky detail to encapsulate in a play and yet I believe R.C. Sherriff uses dialogue and the actions of each individual to show their emotional state. We can see strongly in both, just what the war can do, seeing and living in those conditions certainly would bring about change in a person however it is the way they deal with it that helps them continue on through. An easy escape for many soldiers during the war was drink. For an ordinary private on the front line getting alcohol was hard and they were only allowed a small drop before going over the top, however officers were allowed to drink (as believed responsible enough for it) and alcoholism among officers was common. Both Stanhope in Journey’s End and Wraysford and Weir in Birdsong use drink as a method of getting through the horrors in front of them, ‘She doesn’t know that if I went up those steps into the front line – without being doped with whisky – I’d go mad with fright’. Drink was a way to forget, and maybe for a moment be away from the front line in their heads, although eventually become addicted not needing it for any purpose but for wanting, ‘cast his eyes round hopefully. Stephen reluctantly pushed a bottle towards him’. Drink was not the best way to deal with the situation though, it may have clouded their memories but would not have completed erase them ‘if sleep came it was as a gift and was as likely to come after tea as after alcohol’. Soldiers on the front line could turn on each other, either because of alcohol consumption or just the fact that these men were pushed together in such bad conditions. Maybe getting angry at one another would give them something other than fighting the enemy to focus on ‘Hibbert raises his stick and strikes blindly at Stanhope’. The violence shown in Journey’s End could also represent the battles taking place outside, as an audience member you never get to see any conflict between the enemy and therefore Stanhope’s arguments and fights with the soldier’s substitutes this. The anger Stanhope feels towards Hibbert and also Raleigh, could also show us how he feels and acts in battle situations. Unlike Journey’s End in Birdsong we are able to follow Stephen as he goes out into No-man’s land, fighting for his life but we also get violence in the trenches too ‘Fuck off, Weir, fuck off out of my way’. The use of the word ‘fuck’ is a powerful one; we can understand Wraysford’s fear just through that one word, all his fear for the battle ahead builds up the tension. In Journey’s End Stanhope is worried about what Raleigh would write home in his letter, I believe that maybe another matter that Stanhope uses to redirect his thoughts away from memories, it gives him something else to think about. Which again leads to more violence ‘D’you understand an order? Give me that letter!’ Despite these small areas of conflict there is a strong theme in both Journey’s End and Birdsong, of comradeship. Men on the front line were often forced into forming new relationships with people and often because of this gained extraordinarily strong bonds with men they were fighting alongside with. This is shown by the example of Stanhope and Osborne, and shown to the audience in many scenes but mostly through the touching goodbye scene before the fatal raid and right at the end Stanhope and Raleigh final bond over his death, ‘Stanhope sits with one hand on Raleigh’s arm’ they had fought together in the same battles and known what the other men had seen, they understood. In Birdsong the strong relationship between Wraysford and Weir grew throughout the novel and like many soldiers on the frontline Wraysford needed Weir for company and to help his sanity, ‘Weir alone had made the war bearable’ friendships like Weir’s and Wraysford’s meant that soldiers could get through the war together. They did not need to be alone. Although Raleigh in Journey’s End believed he needed to distance himself when Osborne dies, Raleigh who is first seen as this innocent character in the beginning of the play is opened to this horror after the death of Osborne, he now knows truly just how hard . He eats away from the officers with the other men, he finds it disrespectful that the others are eating and drinking. Maybe some may believe distancing themselves would mean when or if it came to them dying it would not be as hard. Many soldiers needed to be friends, to join together because even though loss is hard the sharing of jokes in such a situation as terrible as this one may have helped. In Journey’s End many of the characters particularly Trotter’s main form of escapism is in making jokes about the war and the Germans ‘I expect a nasty old German’ll cop out of it and say, ‘Ock der Kaiser’ in doing this they are able to cover up their fear and make light of the situation. In Birdsong the use of comedy is more subtle, the soldiers go down to the pub and watch entertainment and laugh with each other as friends rather than making obvious jokes. Jack performing for the soldiers gave some time for the men to relax and enjoy themselves. ‘If they could shout loud enough, they might bring the world back to its senses; they might laugh loud enough to raise the dead’ although raising the dead was not possible, the idea that in laughing and having as good a time as you can they could remember their losses and keep them alive in their thoughts. In Journey’s End some of the soldiers liked to talk about home and familiar things like rugby and cricket to take their minds of the horrors of trench warfare. Thinking about home would help them to remember how their life was before the war; it would make them want to get out and gave them something to live for. Another thing they might think about is their girlfriends, wives or just women in general, ‘I just prayed to come through the war – and – and do things – and keep absolutely fit for her’. Jack Firebrace wanted to survive for his family, dealt with the struggle with the belief he had his wife and child to return to ‘His endurance was for them; the care he took to try to stay alive was so that he would see the boy again’. As for Stephen he did not have a family or anyone really he wanted to go home for, he kept on fighting and wanting to survive for the men who had died before, he wanted to win, to continue for their benefit. The idea and hope that the men he had lost had not died in vain. With trench conditions as foul as they were; rats, lice and illnesses such as trench foot one thing that could keep the men going was the idea and the relief of getting food. The importance of food in Journey’s End is shown by how many times the men talk about it and bring it up in general conversation. Complaining about inconsequential things like chunks of pineapple instead of apricots take their minds of the war ‘I say, Stanhope, it’s a terrible business. We thought we’d got a tin of pineapple chunks; it turns out to be apricots’. The men on the front lines wouldn’t very often have the nicest of food, and when Stanhope has to visit the Colonel and is given really expensive foods he immediately thinks of his men but he will eat the food as it is the one thing that he can gain pleasure from ‘A thin stew followed, then ripe cheese and fresh bread. Lunch went on past three o’clock†¦Stephen smiled to himself, aware that his bri ef flight from reality would soon be ended’. Birdsong touches on the idea of religion and how this can be affected by war. Many soldiers lost their faith due to the mass slaughter or even the loss of a son at home like Jack Firebrace however Stephen seemed to gain a belief in God, the idea that nothing this cruel can be the end. He hoped that when Weir or any other Soldier died they had a better world to escape to and maybe this idea kept him going helped him deal with the death of his friends. Journey’s End doesn’t really touch on the men’s faith or religion, however the idea of hero worshipping used by Raleigh could be linked. The belief in a God and a higher being could also be like Raleigh looking up to Stanhope ‘I believe Raleigh will go on liking you – and looking up to you – through everything. There’s something very deep, and rather fine, about hero worship.’ Many soldiers may have used the method of positive thinking like Osborne to cover up just how scared and fearful they were ‘I never knew the sun could rise in so many ways till I came out here’. Each soldier on the front line had to choose their own way of escaping and dealing with the horrors of trench warfare. The putrid living conditions and the everyday horror of death meant that it was necessary for them to break out of the truth they were living. Many of the methods used in both Journey’s End and Birdsong are similar but their methods were carried out in different ways. Others didn’t use methods at all, they just didn’t cope; like Hibbert in Journey’s End faking an illness to get away. Each character in either Journey’s End or Birdsong took on different methods of dealing with their long hardships and suffering. The true horrors of the war however could not be forgotten, the sight of death and the stench in the trenches would not be quickly removed from their thoughts. These literary texts both play and book give us, today, just a brief insight into the lives of men on the western front, the challenges faced by these men were truly horrific and just surviving must have been a hardship. No one now or then on the home front could ever know the true extent of the struggle and the effects it had both mentally and physically, ‘If they could see the way these men live they would not believe their eyes. This is not a war; this is an exploration of how far men can be degraded.’

Friday, September 13, 2019

Entrepreneurship - Creative Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurship - Creative Journal - Essay Example In business, most managers believe that this is the most significant mark of a successful entrepreneur (Mazzarol, 2007). Achievement can also be enhanced by giving rewards, salary increment, bonuses and rises to most successful employees. Employers also play significant roles in developing employees’ skills and talents. They can collude with learning institutions to support and supervise research done by their employees, or through transversal skill development (Mazzarol, 2007). Human resource managers also need to provide clear hiring and exit procedures, but more notable is to retain current employees through a set of institutional benefits like competitive wage, support for international mobility, and supplementary pension schemes (Mazzarol, 2007). Locus of control describes the extent to which a person believes that the outcome results are influenced by their own behaviors, or from their external surrounding. Managers, therefore, need to create an environment that motivate s its employees to work hard towards achieving the organization’s goals (Mazzarol, 2007). Locus of control is usually low when change strategies are being implemented within the organization. In order to solve this problem, managers have to create an effective means of communication that informs the employees on the strategies and processes required for the implementation of that change. As the work environment changes, I realized that I can either contribute to the success or failure of a business. My attitude towards the impacts of external influences on the quality of work and the success of the business is the key factor that influences my contributions to the success of the business. Positive external influences enhance my efficiency and productivity within a short period, as compared to negative external influences that still require consultations and decision making process in order to be resolved. This process involves much time, and this slows down employees’ morale towards achieving the organizational goals and objectives (Mazzarol, 2007). Second Journal Entry Set Small and large firms play ever-increasing roles in innovation. Innovation is mainly driven by market dynamics and technology. Currently, recommendable advancements have been made in several areas that include multimedia, computers and electronic devices. Of all the innovations that have been done, internet is one of the innovations that have significantly influenced my daily life. The internet has changed the way I learn, shop, communicate and conduct my business. In the modern world, internet is the most famous and effective means of spreading information, fact or fiction (Mazzarol, 2007). In the past centuries, people were once limited to news of the local television channels and newspapers. However, anybody can currently search the globe, international markets, foreign products, different cultures, international jobs and so on. Through the internet, it is much easier and c heaper to communicate with friends and relatives more than telephones and letters. The internet has given me an opportunity to meet several friends both locally and internationally. It is possible to directly communicate to distance friends face-to-face, or through chatting. In other words, internet has limited both geographical and political boundaries that earlier

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Finance questions Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finance questions - Speech or Presentation Example Other considerations include the frequency of single drills, as well as the number of drill session per week. The session should begin by crosschecking the safety consideration. Players should be free and well rested. They should be free of injuries in the limbs and arms that require exercising (Mcardle, 2000). After successful safety considerations, the session should proceed with a warm up. Begin by combining dynamic and static warm to achieve all desirable results (Mcardle, 2000). Players should do begin by slight running, going around the court two times, making a few stretching and jogging and Plyometric jumps. Warm up serves two functions. First, it prepares muscles for the explosive plyometrics. Secondly, it is one of the first stages of acquainting with plyometrics, especially for the novice (Taylor & Beashel, 1996). This training entails dropping on grounds from an upper surface, followed by a jump-up. A drop-down during the eccentric phase offers the muscles the pre-stretch, as well as a vigorous upward drive during the contraction phase. The effectiveness of the exercise is only effective if the time that the feet touch the ground is short. The exercise loading is determined by the dropping height, which should be about 0.7 to 1.1 meters (Taylor & Beashel, 1997). Three sets of jumps should be performed, each with 10 repetitions. In bounding, oversized strides are employed for the running action while time is spent in the air. Bound that involve two legs minimize the endured impact. The intensity may be increased by hopping or even single-leg bounding. Upstairs’ bounding improves the horizontal of movement. Three sets bounding and hurdling should be performed, each with 10 repetitions. Hand claps and press ups, done in alterations, is one way in which the chest and the arms can be conditioned. Pre-stretch occurs as the hands swing back to the ground and as the chest sinks. This

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Subcultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Subcultures - Essay Example Laughey (2006, pp.29 )has observed that "teenagers used (these) popular arts to search for styles that not only afforded surface but also substantial meaning for their subordinate lives." Here, the usage of the word, 'subordinate' amply represents the common psyche of the age group defined as youth. Laughey (2006, pp.1) poetically hs stated that " music is very often a product of its time -both a reflection of the 'here and now' and a 'recaller' of memories". He (2006, pp.1) also asserts that "music and youth have a special relationship". Laughey (2006, pp.5) has talked about two narrative contexts for music tastes; one is embedded in the family memories and the other in peer group contexts. The youth subculture associates itself with music basically through the here and now element. In a life which is ruled by the dictates of grown ups, thus the youth creates a feeling that they are ahead of all others at least in some aspects like, fashion, which includes popular music. Bennett (2006, pp.106) has said that "pluralistic and shifting sensibilities of style have increasingly characterized youth culture since the post-Second World War period' and theorised them as " temporal gatherings characterized by fluid boundaries and floating memberships". But this temporary nature itself has imparted the youth subculture its very dynamics. Gelder (2005, pp.433) wonders why music often forms the fabric of subcultures as " musica tastes are generally eclectic, more a question of multiple affiliations than any single kind of identification, subcultural or otherwise." But the history of youth subcultures show that musical tastes can be a sign of identification for youth subcultures. A subculture is often distinguished from the broad term, culture, significantly through a new fashion, association with specific musical forms and/or political standpoints. A subculture is also distinct with a strong bonding and tribal mentality among its members. Punks, Ravers, Metalheads, Goths, Gangstas, Emo and Indie are the major youth subcultures that have evolved along a common thread, namely, music. Similarly, Bennett has quoted Cohen (1972) arguing that youth subcultures attempted a 'magical recovery' of community following the breakup of traditional working class neighbourhoods during the 1950s and the relocation of families to 'new towns' and modern housing estates" (Bennett, 2006, pp.106). Youth subculture as a community builder needed an adhesive beyond class, race and other social factors. And this adhesive was, to be sure, music. The punk subculture, which appeared in 1970s, had its identity asserted through music, which included rock n roll and also some other music genres. Members of the punk subculture had a routine of listening to a thunderous and loud version of rock and roll called punk rock. Punk bands performed for the members while the audience also often participated in the music charecterised by shouting and screaming. Punks were thought to be basically having lineages to the left wing and progressive ideologies. The ideologies embedded in punk can rather be more correctly described as promoting individual freedom and propagating anti-establishment views. But the punk viewpoints also ranged from

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Literature Review about Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Instragram

About Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Instragram. SEO and PPC and Tools to do with Social Media - Literature review Example In general, the websites of the organisations are made up of either with the integration of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (Distilled, 2012). Keeping with the changing trend in the current social media campaigns, the paper intends to critically discuss about the tools that can be used by WordPress website with social media campaign involving Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. According to the various studies and analytical research surveys, it has been critically recognised that there are fundamentally two types of tools used to develop an effective social media campaign of an organisation. According to Odden (2012), SEO and PPC are the major tools of an effective social media campaign. The tools have been widely accepted and implemented to streamline the promotional strategies of the organisations’ websites along with different products and/services offered by any particular organisations (Odden, 2012). According to Chaney (2009) the concept of SEO is simply defined as a bit of moving target, which involves number of influences on the websites of a particular organisation. The best practice of a SEO significantly incorporates a mix of attention towards the content, keywords, social signals and links associated with the organisational websites to be promoted by the use of social media networks (Chaney, 2009). Moreover, the study of Eid & Ward (200 9) also suggest that an effective practice of SEO also involves certain other crucial factors such as speed of the web page along with semantic mark-up and authority of the author. This process enables greater benefit to the organisations to maintain efficiency of the websites and also provides adequate support to promote range of organisational products/services to a wide number of global clients (Eid & Ward, 2009). In relation to the concept of PPC, the study of Distilled, (2012); Ellam (2004) have critically

The influence of women's wear on American fashion and design Research Paper

The influence of women's wear on American fashion and design - Research Paper Example Donna Karan and her influence- Donna Karan’s influence was especially manifested in the sportswear designs, which came to prominence in the American fashion and design industry during the latter years of the 20th century. Other women’s wear influencers - These include Claire McCardell, Bonnie Cashen, Tina Lesser, Clare Potter, Tina Lesser as well as Emily Wilkins. These women and others are explored and the role they played in setting free the American fashion design from the strongholds of the Parisian design, with a new standards of designs, for example corsets and new girdle designs. Women’s wear has dominated the American fashion and design for a long time, and the influence they have is an important subject that designers should embrace and understand well. The American fashion industry is awash with big names from Clare McCardell to Donna Karan, among others, iconic fashion designers who have left a big mark to the industry in not just the American but also the International sphere. The following paper is an assessment of ways through which women’s wear has influenced American fashion and design. The paper will explore the following three influencing factors. Firstly, the works of Claire McCardell and their influence to the American fashion and design industry are explored. The influential work of Donna Karan is also examined. The other influences examined in detail are the influences of various women’s wear during the 1920s and the 1930s, a period when the works of big names at this time made an indelible mark to the American fashion ind ustry as well. The influence of Claire McCardell to the American fashion and design is immense. Together with other women, for example Elizabeth Hawkes, Vera Maxell and Bonnie Cashin, McCardell is recognized as one of the major icons of American fashion. Claire McCardell was a rising star during the 1930s, and Buxbaum writes of her influence