We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks

Factors Contributing to Premarital Sexual Behaviours Essay Example

Factors Contributing to Premarital Sexual Behaviours Essay Example Factors Contributing to Premarital Sexual Behaviours Essay Factors Contributing to Premarital Sexual Behaviours Essay I am grateful for helping me make the study comprehensive by giving in-depth personal information. My English Tutor I would like to thank her for the helpful advices and her help on distributing the questionnaires. My Mother I would like to thank her for helping me with the printing and layout of the study.  Ã‚   Transcript It came to my awareness that there is an increasing trend of sexual intercourse experience among teenagers in recent years. And the problem of teenage pregnancy has become a growing cause of concern of Hong Kong people. According to a survey done by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in 2007, over half of the respondents have sex for the first time at the age of 14, and 83% of the respondents accept sexual intercourse. These data reflects that teenagers sex concepts are getting open and premarital sex is gaining popular acceptance. Under information explosion, I dread more and more teenagers will be exposed to pornographic or other harmful materials, driving them to have premarital sex, ultimately results in teenage pregnancy and bring intergenerational suffering. Worse still, sex today is still a taboo issue. People tend to avoid talking about it because it seems negative and they think it is embarrassing to share the experience, fearing that others may look down upon them. I therefore want to find out why teenagers accept or engage in premarital sexual behaviors by giving out questionnaires where respondents are anonymous and their privacy thoughts can be protected. Then by the end of the project, based on the reasons why some teenagers accept or engage in premarital sex and why some do not, I could give suggestions to different on ways to promote sexual abstinence. : The objectives of the study are as follows: ?To find out why teenagers accept or engage in premarital sexual behaviors ?To understand why some teenagers refrain from premarital sexual behaviors ?To make use of reasons for teenagers to refrain from premarital sexual behaviors to suggest ways to promote sexual abstinence ?To see what ways can be adopted by different stakeholders to promote sexual abstinence ?To see in what ways the sex education curriculum can be improved To raise teenagers awareness on the issue 3. 1. Questionnaire The target respondents are teenagers aged 12-19. 00 responses were collected by simple random sampling. The questionnaire consists of four parts. The first part seeks to understand respondents background and to know whether or not they accept or engage in premarital sexual behaviors. The second part asks the respondents why do not they accept and engage in premarital sexual behaviors. The third part asks others why they accept or engage in the behaviors. The final part asks how sexual abstinence can be effectively promoted to them. Limitations and Respective Solutions I put my questionnaire online to enable easy access. Yet some reflected to me that they could not understand the English. I then translated my questionnaire into Chinese so more could understand what I am trying to ask. I created an event on Backbone to invite my friends fill out my questionnaire. I get many responses, yet most respondents are within my social circle. This makes the study not credible as it cannot reflect what different teenagers in society think. To make my study more representative, I left 40 copies at my English tutors home, and each of her student did it. Lastly, the length of the questionnaire may make respondents feel tedious. Also, the data collected may not be detailed or in-depth enough. Thus, the questionnaire encompasses mainly multiple choice questions. And interviews were carried out to obtain detailed responses. Also, sex is a taboo issue. Some may not be willing to disclose what they think. So, the data collected is anonymous. 3. 2. Interviews The data collection process includes three interviews. Detailed and in-depth first- hand information was obtained. Interviewee 1 is a 15-year-old Christian girl who refrains from premarital sexual behaviors. She was interviewed so that I could understand how religious values can be used to promote sexual abstinence. Interviewee 2 is a 17-year-old boy who is from a broken family, dropped out since he as 13, and engages in premarital sexual behaviors since he was 14. I would like to use his perspective to understand why some marginal youth engage in premarital sexual behavior, and how we could promote sexual abstinence to them. Interviewee 3 is a teacher who has an 18-year-old son. I want to see if adults have some misconceptions on why teenagers engage in sexual behavior and on their roles in promoting sexual abstinence. These three persons have different education, economic and religious background. So, I can comprehensively understand what are the factors for teenagers engagement in premarital sexual behaviors. Limitations and Respective Solutions Teenagers may not have enough understanding about why they engage or accept premarital sex. They may overlook some reasons for their rejection or acceptance of premarital sexual behaviors. Therefore, the data collected maybe biased and subjective. Also, the questions I asked may not be comprehensive enough to look into the issue objectively and all-roundly. Lastly, the three interviewees could not represent all teenagers. To make the interviews more representative of teenagers in Hong Kong, three interviewees from different backgrounds were chosen. And the subjective information could be complemented by past studies and questionnaires. Premarital sex refers to intercourse before marriage. The Youth Sexuality Study reveals an increasing trend of sexual intercourse among Form 3 to Form 7 students. And according to a surveys whose targets population is youth-at-risk under the age of 18, over half of the respondents had their first intercourse when they were 14. These data shows a growing prevalence of premarital sex, and has alarmed the public about this pressing issue. Considerable factors were found to have contributed to the issue. First, insufficient parental sex education perceivably cause premarital sex. Amber Madison wrote in her book that many parents think teens friends influence their decisions to have sex the most, so they did n ot talk about sex with their kids. A study points out that nearly 98% of the interviewed parents indicated that they should be the primary source of sex-related information for their kids, yet only 24% of thought this was actually happening. From these, researchers concluded that parents often underestimate the importance of their role in educating adolescents about sex. Then, family background have far-reaching influence ones attitude towards sex. Ms. Lee Way Ski, the chief social worker of Youth Outreach pointed out that part of the girls who were casual in sex was from problem families. And Alai March-Eyres, the Chief Executive of Mothers Choice, pointed out many of the girls who Mothers Choice has been serving in the past 25 years are from poor, and often broken families. They thirsted for love, which they could not feel from their families. They then obtained care through hugs or kisses. Gradually they were willing to have sex with boys. Alai March-Eyres from Mothers Choice suggested that parents of some teens do not have time to provide them with the support they need. Some even have to shift from home to home between relatives and family friends. They then feel that they do not have much love in their lives, and end up in looking for love and support elsewhere. Edison Chain, who had a pornographic scandal in 2008 illustrates the idea. His parents The Youth Sexuality Study, Family Planning Association, 2006 2 The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, 2008 3 Amber Madison, Talking Sex with Your Kids, 2010 4 Journal of Adolescent Health, January 2011 Post-ass Accept Sex before Friendship in order to get along with friends, Hong Kong Economic Times, 9th July, 2012 6 A much-needed lifeline for pregnant teens, South China Morning Post, 3rd December, 2012 7 Sex Photo Scandal? Complicated Family Background, Edison Chain Got Perverted concealed their broken marriage until it was unveiled when he was 14. Being deceived, and to seek love, Edison had sex for the first time. The collapse of family values can drive one to have premarital sex. Peer pressure can drive one to have premarital sex. A seniors at a high school in America addressed that peer pressure sakes it almost impossible to stop having sex. Adolescents dread being thought to be outdated. They follow their friends to have sex so as to gain recognition and fit into the crowd. The lack of interpersonal skills can lead adolescents to have premarital sex. It is revealed that some girls longed to get into boys social circles. Sacrificing their purity, they had sexual intercourse with those boys. Tam Chunk Hoi, Chief President of Youth Outreach pointed out that those teen girls did not have many friends. Having sex was the quickest and easiest way to get close to boys, yet he girls did not know the boys were taking advantage of them. Pop culture is potent to affect ones decision about sex. A researches reveals that teens that had high exposure* to sexually degrading lyrics were more likely to have sexual intercourse. The song California Girlsl Using by Kathy Perry consists of lyrics like sex on the beach, and this behavior is considered what a hot girl should be doing in the song. The meaning of another song, Inferior Animal12 (#5) sung by Season Chain depicts a guy falls in love with a girl Just because of his desire for her body. These lyrics infuse adolescents with wrong values. Yet, broadcast containing sexual content can arouse teens awareness of their sexual behavior. A researches shows that over 67% of males and 79% of females agree that watching a TV show or a character they like dealing with teenage pregnancy makes them think more about their own risk about causing a pregnancy or getting pregnant. The overall effect of the media on teenagers attitudes about sex has long been an issue of concern for parents and health care professionals as the media have both positive and negative impacts on adolescents. 8 Alexis Ware, A Teenagers Thoughts: Pregnancy, Abortion, Sex and Peer Pressure, All Before Age! , Empowered Peace, September 27, 2010 9 Post-ass Accept Sex before Friendship in order to get along with friends, Hong Kong Economic Times, 9th July, 2012 10 Brian A, Primacy et al, Exposure to Sexual Lyrics and Sexual Experience among Urban Adolescents, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, April 2009 exposure was calculated by multiplying each respondents hours of music exposure by the percentage of his/her favorite artists songs that contained sexually degrading lyrics) Lyricisms. Mom/lyrics/k/Kathy_Perry/California_girls. HTML 12 typesetting. Mom/lynch/360/Eà §BADà ¥Eà §E 13 NatEnB CamEign AY Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Evaluating the Impact of MTVs 16 and Pregnant on Mats Viewers Attitudes About Teen Pregnancy, Science Says, October 2010 Physical immaturity can activate adolescents sexually. Miriam Grossman wrote in his book14 that young minds,book are responsible for reasoning, suppression of impulses, and weighing the pros and cons of ones decision, are not fully developed. And under stimulating or intense conditions, teens decisions are more likely to be shortsighted and driven by emotion. So apart from the circumstances they face, their underdeveloped minds also contribute to their premarital sexual activities. Quests for love and self-esteem are also forces driving teenagers to have sex. 1 5 According to the experience of Alia Marwah-Eyres, the CAlai MarchiEyres Mothers Choice, most girls on crisis pregnancy are not naughty, but are Just desperate for love. These girls do not have someone to tell them that their lives have values, and that they worth it. This results in low self-esteem, driving them to have sex. Upon completion of the literature review, it is felt that there are some knowledge aps because most sourcesAPSom the US. It is uncertain if what influences Hong Kong teens are the same. Other factors like government policy, movies and clubbing culture may also motivate our adolescents to have sex. Due to the existing unknowns about factors contributing to premarital sex, it is decided to compare the above factors with what Hong Kong teenagers think. Also, we all know that all sexual contacts carry risks.Ã'‚ Pregnancy and the infection of STDs harm both physical Studsmental health of teenagers. Unfortunately there is hardly a comprehensive programme for all stakehprogrammer promoting sexual abstinence. So, there is a need for finding ways to promote sexual abstinence. Miriam Grossman, mfoure Teaching My Chiluniform The Truth About Sex Education, Heritage Foundation, August 2010 15 December, 2012 5. 1 Personal Information Gender Male Female 53% Fig. l Gender distribution ofLthe respondents There are more female respondents than male respondents. 3% of the respondents are male, while the other 47% are female. Age 33% 25% 12-14 years old 15-17 years old 18-19 years old 42% Fig. 2 Age distribution of the respondents Most respondents are aged between 15 and 17. They account for 42%. And 33% of he respondents are aged 18 to 19, while a quarter of them are at the age of 12 to 14. Education Background Primary Education 2% Junior Secondary Education 6% Senior Secondary 26% Sub-degree or Higher Dilpoma YiJtn or IVE FigDilemmacHajji BacEVEound of the Respondents The respondents are of various education backgrounds. Nearly half of them are on or have finished their senior secondary education. About a quarter of respondents are junior secondary students. 10% of the respondents have only completed their primary education, while 10% are holds or is studying for a degree. Lastly, 2% of the respondents graduate from YiJin or IVE. Do you accHajjiremaEVEal sexual behaviours? Yes (Female)behaviorse) Yes (Male) 27% 36% No (Male) Fig. 4 Respondents acceptance for premarital sexual behaviours The percentagbehaviorsaccepting premarital sexual behaviours is higher thabehaviorsgirls by 10%. 6 respondents do not accept premarital sexual behaviours, while 44 resbehaviorsccept. There are more respondents who accept premarital sexual behaviours than who do nbehaviorsu ever had any sexual experiences? 8% 35% 45% No(Male) Respondents sexual experiences 80% of the respondents do not have any sexual experience. The proportion of boys ho have engaged in premarital sexual behaviours. The percentabehaviors having sexual experience is 50% higher than that of girls. 5. Reason for acceptance or engagement in premarital sexual behaviours What are the behaviors reasons for your acceptance for premarital sexual behaviours? Stable Relatbehaviorss okay if I use a condom. My parents set the examples. It enhances intimacy between my lover and l. Sex gives me love which I cant get from family. My friends do it. It is a culture. Its trendy! Movies portrait them! Its fun! 20 25 35 45 Fig. 6 Reasons for respondents acceptance for premarital sexual behaviours There re totabehaviorsand 17 girls, making up a total of 44 respondents accepting premarital sexual behaviours. More than 90% of them think sex can enhance the intimacy between their lover and them. More than 88% of the 44 accept the behaviours because they behaviorscan use condoms. Almost 70% of the 44 accept the behaviour because they tbehavior can obtain care and love from the sexual experience. About 34% of the 44 regard the portrayal of premarital sexual behaviours in movies andbehaviorsends engagement in the behaviours as overridingbehaviorsor the acceptance for premarital sexual behaviours. behaviors

Who is to blame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Who is to blame - Essay Example GMOs are known to increase productivity and this can affect the way people will be able to access the food, both economically and even geographically. In today’s world, food insecurity comes in two folds. First, t has to do with lack of access. A lot of people (about 10% of the total world population) cannot access food because they don’t have food in their geographical location (Young, 2004). This aspect of food security is attributed to logistics that are supposed to help people access food. This happens to people even in the developed world. For instance, in the United States, there are those places which are referred to as food deserts due to the fact that they cannot access food and have to travel far to be able to access the food. GMOs can help to solve the aspect of food insect that is cause by geographical barriers. This is because it GMOs can be produced in region when the normal crops cannot be produced. GMOs are in most cases designed to be draught resistant and pest resistant. Because of this, when a crop is genetically engineered to resist draught and pests, this means that they can be produced when it was once hard to produce them. For instance, the arid and semi arid regions can now be able to produce food using GMOs which are drought resistant. This increases food security both forth actual people who are able involved in producing this food and also for the people who are the end customers such s those living in urban centers. While GMO enthusiasts look at how GMOs will increase food security in the word, those who are against GMOs look on the food safety issues. They believe that GMOs pose a huge threat to food safety. Although food security refers to the availability of food for everyone to cover their daily intake of calories, food safety refers to how consumption friendly food is (Jumba, 2010). While there may be enough food for everybody, it is

Marketing International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing International Business - Essay Example often through relaxed postures with precision of a point which plays an important role in showing that the parties are familiar to what the topic is (A, 2003, 1017). Statuses in power for interacting persons are also critical in dealings as the country exhibits high levels of hierarchy. This therefore justifies the need for any investor intending to advance operations within any area to be well conversed with the cultural dimensions at play within the market. This paper therefore takes a critical analysis of the cultural aspects at play with the Vietnamese people along the lines of individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 2008, 339-349; Migliore, 2011, 38-54). Societies across the globe hold different perceptions on individual equality and how power would be equally or unequally distributed among the people. The Vietnam people score relatively higher in acknowledging that there are variations in power proximity between the less powerful low class persons and the powerful high class citizens. According to Hofstede’s ranking, the Vietnamese natives score 70% in accepting that people hold different positions and that everyone has a distinct position within the society which may require no justification at all. There is also a lot in centralization within the country, a fact that explains the high managerial power that the seniors hold over the subordinates (Berrell, Wright & Tran, 1999, 578-582). The subordinates therefore have to wait for orders on what to do from their bosses hence they portray low levels of self drive. This has an adverse effect on the leadership problems as the structure fails to acknowledge any role that the subo rdinates would play in correcting the leaders whenever on the wrong (Clinton, 1998, 180-183; Hoang, 2008,  1-26). This implies that the UK based organization must appreciate that while working with Vietnam people, well-structured systems of power

The Genetics of Autistic Savants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Genetics of Autistic Savants - Essay Example For one to fall under the classification of a genius, he or she had to attain at least 140 points in the IQ test (Lykken  N. D). Concurrently, there were individuals who, for example, could do rare things such as quickly identifying a particular date of a historic event after reading vast reminders on history once. Others could engage any musical composition after just a distinct introduction to music. These were rare cases and the people who displayed these abilities had characteristics such as lessened aptitude and were dependent on other people for sustenance and general care. Psychologists and researchers classified such populace in a group referred to as autistic savants. It is crucial to note just like Lykken’s indication that autistic savants are remarkable individuals but they are not geniuses. However, their abilities display that the brain can have an outstanding feature such as autism. In Lykken’s report, it is keen to note that children with autistic condi tion behaved in peculiar ways such as showing no interest in their fellow humans’ behavior and actions. Subsequently, they failed to copy various traits like communication and socialization hence poor communication among other characteristics. In 1943, as noted by Trachtman’s â€Å"Background and history of autism in relation to vision care†, Leo Kanner was the first individual to make observations of autistic behavior (Trachtman, 2008). He made a detailed report on the same and renamed the behavior as autistic other than childhood schizophrenia, as it was previously termed. In 1944, Asperger, another distinguished scientists, made similar observations on the same behavior and published his findings in a German-language Journal. It is crucial to note that in Asperger’s report, he described children having milder behavioral disorders on comparison to Kanner’s description on the same ideologies. Recognition, understanding, and communication formed th e triad of deficiencies that children who had autism faced. Autism, since its discovery, has been a condition with peculiar traits and a difficult to find treatment. However, there were various treatments used in earlier years, and they included the use of tranquilizers, LSD, and developmental remediation. Autistic savants, according to Lykken’s report are outstanding individuals who through their characters display a crucial fact about the structure of the brain (Lykken, ND). The topic, â€Å"The genetics of autistic savants†, is of considerable importance, especially in the medical world (Connor, 2010). This is according to Connor in his article, â€Å"Autism and genetics: A breakthrough that sheds light on a medical mystery† (Connor, 2010). Connor explains that scientists have linked autism to DNA thus adding more information as to the causative of the behavioral disorder. In relation to Connor’s article, the link between DNA and autism disorder was a mystery; hence, the topic under focus is important as it tries to explain if the discoveries are linked the cause of autism disorder to DNA (Connor, 2010). In addition to this, the literature review will tend to display the future of autism and DNA. Status Currently, with reference to â€Å"National Institute of Child Health and Human Development†, autism is a neurobiological development disorder that prevails throughout a person’

Digital Music Case Study Media Essay

Digital Music Case Study Media Essay The industry condition that led to the revolution in audio distribution was the transformation of music from conventional songs and albums to new digitally recorded formats. The MP3 format not only provided the means to store more songs in a given media by reducing the size of each song but it also enabled digital music players to play these songs with relatively high levels of clarity. The new format also enabled the songs to be downloaded and played on personal computers. Another aspect of the revolution in digital music was the ability of the software to convert existing CDs to the new MP3 format. On a broader scale, the industry condition witnessed the advent of media sharing applications which enabled the users to freely share as well as distribute songs in MP3 format with users who possessed the same file sharing application. Napster was the most popular among such media file sharing applications (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). The stakeholder who would be benefitted the most from this digital revolution would be the consumers of the music, especially those who have a personal computer as well as an access to the internet. With the increased feasibility of sharing media files in the new MP3 format had increased the possibility of users with respect to the acquisition of freely available media files (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 2: Why did the music stores created by the record labels fail to attract many subscribers? What, if anything, should the record labels have done differently? Answer: The music stores created by the record labels fail to attract many subscribers due to their utilization of proprietary file formats. These file formats meant that the songs would have limited playability in terms of the music playing devices. It also drastically limited the digital rights management schemes and this was further subjected to limited offering of media selection. However the unrestricted peer to peer services such as Napster, Gnutella and Kaazaa provided a large selection of free media in the new format which did not incur costs that were commonly incident on media obtained from authorized stores. It is this feature of the unrestricted media sharing applications which led to the music stores created by record labels being rendered as ineffective (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). The record labels should have at least considered the option of changing the format of their offered media to MP3 format in keeping with the current environmental trends and consumer preferences. This would have enabled the record labels to manage the competition by free sharing apps to some extent by providing the popular media format to the consumers (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 3: What will determine how long the success of the iPod and iTunes endures? Should Apple allow its iPods to play non-iTunes songs? Should Apple allow iTunes songs to play on non-iPod MP3 players? Answer: The factors which would determine the longevity of the success of the iPod and iTunes pertain fundamentally to the appeal of the product / service offerings of Apple. One of the main factors is the coolness of the products which has been successful in appealing to the younger faction of the target segment. Adequate emphasis also needs to be maintained on the smart strategies adopted by Apple which has been instrumental in developing strong relationships with the record labels. These record labels had accurately identified the cool factor of Apples products and were able to foresee viable prospects if an association were to be established with it. Other factors which would contribute to the determination of the longevity of the success of the iPod and iTunes would relate to the use of widely adopted and popular media formats, competitive pricing of the media products (purchase as well as downloads) and the possibility of licensing agreements with the record labels by means of which a comprehensive solution could be provided wherein a one-stop music shopping portal would be offered to the consumers (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Apple currently permits the playing of non-iTunes songs on its iPod. The restriction in this regard is experienced when the users burn music to blank CDs. In this case the non iTunes songs would not be written on the storage media due to restrictions imposed by Apple with respect to non-iTunes songs. Apple should permit iTunes songs to be played on non iTunes compatible MP3 devices. Currently the imposition of this decision would not hold much relevance as Apple has already achieved 73% of the MP3 players market share due to the relaxation in the restrictions which were imposed on the playability of the media formats (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 4: Why would musicians sign away their copyright privileges to their songs through Creative Commons? Answer: Musicians sign away their copyright privileges to their songs through Creative Commons due to the varying degrees of openness which would have an impact on the extent of sharing of media undertaken by the consumers. This degree of openness has been deemed as highly successful for the file sharing applications and the same could be utilized by the musicians for promoting that their music was ready and available for downloading. A significant aspect of this approach is that musicians have been enabled to promote their music for downloading without bearing any risk of infringement lawsuits that would otherwise have been imposed by record labels in such situations (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 5: How is podcasting likely to impact the appropriability of recorded music, radio broadcasting, or other types of audio transmissions? Answer: Podcasts are likely to impact the appropriability of recorded music, broadcasting and other types of audio transmission in terms of the creation rights of such media. Users can freely create and develop the podcasts and share the same with users on the internet. The boundaries of recording have been removed with the possibility of sharing free MP3 media on the net without the presence of restrictions and barriers. The musicians who utilize this method do not approach music labels for obtaining the legal rights to their compositions. Users of such applications have no labels but they are able to generate the require popularity levels in the public. This would directly result in the incurrence of heavy loss to the record labels and would in fact pose a threat to the already existing music productions which have been developed by them. The trend in this regard has already commenced though in its infancy stages, and has gained popularity especially with music bands. An apt example of thi s the initiatives of the famous rock band, Motorhead which had released its new album with download permission being provided to the users. Some of the features of their offering were: The songs were provided in the currently popular MP3 format and this was beneficial for appealing to the consumers preferences. Moreover the standard pricing for albums ($.99 a song) was not imposed on the songs. The band had provisioned that the consumers would be permitted to pay whatever amount that they felt to be nominal in their opinion. The band had not used any record label for distributing this release, but still they managed to get the required reach as desired for their songs. The above features exhibit the manner in which podcasting has affected and will continue to influence the appropriability of recorded music, broadcasting and other types of audio transmission (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ).

Feeding the Ghost Essay -- essays papers

Feeding the Ghost WE ARE BETTER The novel Feeding the Ghosts, by Fred D'Aguiar, exploits the terrible conditions black people were put through while being transported from Africa to the Americas. It examines the thought process of the captain, the crew, the captives, and the legal system of England. D'Aguiar clearly illustrates the hell that was forced upon the blacks and how even the highest court system of the time saw nothing wrong with it. The whites were the ones who made the laws; the laws were meant to protect the whites. The high court had laws in place about proper procedures on these voyages, but the law wasn't meant to protect the blacks, or stock as they were referred to, just the well being of the white people involved. The common conception is that a courtroom is where the truth comes out and justice will be served. It is a safe haven for the innocent and a prison for the guilty. But when the hearing of the investors of the Zong vs. the insurers starts, Lord Mansfield states, "As you know, gentlemen, this is not a criminal trial. It is a hearing". No, this would never be a criminal trial. It wasn't illegal to murder black slaves if there was good enough reason. Blacks didn't have human rights like the whites did. Laws weren't created to protect the black man; they were there for the well being of the white person. Anyways, the black person was stock in the eyes of the law so the treatment of stock was the question at hand. "Which law did the captain break? None according to English statutes. What is being disputed here? Whether his actions were within the law that describes the treatment of slave stock." (p. 171) Whites made the laws, whites enforced them, whites benefited from them. ... ...mmunication there is still an underlying prejudice against the black person. Things haven't changed enough to say we are equal. Time is the main component in changing this. Something that has been rooted in white backgrounds and common laws for hundreds of years doesn't change in a few decades. Here at UW-La Crosse students are required to take a minority studies class and similar programs are underway at other colleges. Education is the first step to closing the gap. The second step is changing how one perceives another who is different from them. Will the world ever be able to do away with prejudice? Or is prejudice something that is like second nature. Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts, so wouldn't that entitle everyone to having a prejudice? Bibliography D'Aguiar, Fred. Feeding The Ghosts. A Novel. New York: The Ecco Press, HarperCollins, 1997.

International and Intercultural Communication Essay

International and Intercultural Communications have been of great interest to the Hofstede Centre for many years. In fact Geert Hofstede’s dimensions of culture have been the most widely disseminated of all theories. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions are, â€Å"1) Power Distance, 2) Individualism or Collectivism, 3) Masculinity-Femininity, 4) Uncertainty Avoidance, and 5) Short or Long Term Orientation.† (Donald Baack, 2012, Chapter 2.4). â€Å"Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He analyzed a large database of employee value scores collected within IBM between 1967 and 1973. The data covered more than 70 countries, from which Hofstede first used the 40 countries with the largest groups of respondents and afterwards extended the analysis to 50 countries and 3 regions.† (The Hofstede Center, n.d.). In the next few pages I will compare the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provide a scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives. In the dimension of Power-Distance Croatia scores high with a score of 73 which means the people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In this type of society people expect to be told what to do and this is accepted as the norm. (Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia also scored high in the dimension of Power-Distance with a score of 71. What this displays is two of the former eastern European countries, are very similar in their societal beliefs in hierarchal order and the populace was still routed in a culture where subordinates do as they are told by the boss and the boss is an aut ocrat in the bigger sense. In the second of the  five cultural dimensions Individualism or Collectivism, Croatia scored 33 which are considered a collectivistic society. â€Å"This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link); hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is the management of groups.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia, had a score of 27 is also considered a collectivistic society just like we saw in Croatia. Once again the two bordering countries are nearly identical in their collec tivist societies. Our third dimension of Masculinity-Femininity resulted in a score of 40. With this score they are considered a relatively feminine society. Feminine societies focus on the theory of work to live. In a feminine society it is also common for managers to seek consensus. Even with such a disparity in scores and Slovenia’s’ score of 19 on this dimension, they too are considered more of a feminine society. Like the culture of Croatia they work to live and the people value things like equality, solidarity and pleasure in their working lives. â€Å"Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favored. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). The fourth dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance resulted in a score of 80 signifying a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. As stated in the Hofstede report, â€Å"Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes o f belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia also scored quite high with an 88 signifying they too choose to avoid uncertainty and need rules regardless of the effectiveness of them. Our final dimension is the dimension of Short or Long Term Orientation. In the comparison statistics this is referred to as  pragmatism and indulgence. Croatia achieved scores of 58 and 33 respectively. These figures indicate that the Croatian society believe truth is dependent on situations, context of what is said and the time. â€Å"They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.† (The Hofstede Cen tre, n.d.). The 33 score received for indulgence is an indication of a restrained country. â€Å"Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to indulgent societies, restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia had scores of 49 in pragmatism and 48 in indulgence. These scores both result in no clear preference for one or the other. As I have demonstrated by comparing the results for these two countries, bordering countries can be quite similar in some aspects of International and Intercultural Communications but quite different in others. As an example if I opened a car repair business or franchise in these two countries and expected them to work together some of the things I could expect is, they both would struggle with working together since they both prefer autocratic leaders and operate under the concept of being told what to do. What this means to me is that regardless if I am physically there with them or providing communication from afar they will execute all actions to benefit the business in a positive manner. These societies rely on face and losing face through failure is not an option they accept easily. In contrast to this is they both enjoy the benefits of family time, strong ties to immediate and extended family (the organization), managers often seek consensus and conflict is resolved through compromise and negotiation. This later part about conflict resolution is because both societies are feministic in nature and as we all know, women are often times more level headed and less apt to fly off the hand le over little issues that can be resolved in an agreeable manner when thought out and discussed properly. This could be beneficial or difficult since us Americans believe in more time at work than time with family in today’s working environment. I believe this is an instance where I would need to adjust my work ethic in order to  gain more from these two countries in keeping with their societal beliefs and standards. From my perception of Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions is that two companies in these two countries of Croatia and Slovenia would work very well together and in fact complement one another nicely, leading to great success for the organization. What I have done in the past few pages is to demonstrate the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provided you with the scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives. I believe Hofstede’s five dimens ions were quite relevant when originally complied and are still quite relevant today. References Baack, D., Management Communication, 2012. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUBUS600.12.1 Mind Tools Ltd, 1996-2014. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm The Hofstede Centre, National Cultural Dimensions, n.d. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html The Hofstede Centre, National Cultural Dimensions, n.d. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/croatia.html

Free Essays on A Separate Peace In Achieveing A Separate Peace

There were two major things that led to Gene and Finny finding their â€Å"separate peace.† Obviously, their surroundings played a huge role. They were experiencing new things with the war coming into their lives. They didn’t know how to deal with it. So they created a separate peace. The other thing was the fact that Gene and Finny use the fact of having inner enemies to help find their separate peace. Gene didn’t really find his separate peace until he returned to the Devon School many years later. The first discovery was World War II. It symbolized conflict and enmity, or hatred. Gene felt that hatred was a natural part of adulthood. Most people fight in a private war against a private enemy in the novel. Even throughout peacetime, the boys are defending themselves against their individual enemy. Finny is the only boy that doesn’t have this problem. Finny refused to have hatred, or an enemy. He denied that the war existed because he didn’t have enmity. Finny found his separate peace within his denial. Gene later told him that he could never be a soldier because he didn’t understand what having an enemy was all about. The war didn’t really enter their lives until after Finny’s fall. This means that the war will stay with them until Finny’s death. WWII affected the characters in many ways. Gene saw that football was like the battlefield and he saw tennis balls as bullets. Gene thought of the snow as an army forced upon the Devon School (85). The war caused the boys to feel unsteady. It was disturbing their earlier lives but not letting them move on to the next chapter. In addition, Gene and Finny shared the same dreams of the Olympics still going on as planned, and that there is no war. This is where Gene and Finny find a separate peace. They felt safe and secure when they knew that the Olympics would be in 1944 and that there was no war. They didn’t have to worry about dying. They didn’t have to worry about th... Free Essays on A Separate Peace In Achieveing A Separate Peace Free Essays on A Separate Peace In Achieveing A Separate Peace There were two major things that led to Gene and Finny finding their â€Å"separate peace.† Obviously, their surroundings played a huge role. They were experiencing new things with the war coming into their lives. They didn’t know how to deal with it. So they created a separate peace. The other thing was the fact that Gene and Finny use the fact of having inner enemies to help find their separate peace. Gene didn’t really find his separate peace until he returned to the Devon School many years later. The first discovery was World War II. It symbolized conflict and enmity, or hatred. Gene felt that hatred was a natural part of adulthood. Most people fight in a private war against a private enemy in the novel. Even throughout peacetime, the boys are defending themselves against their individual enemy. Finny is the only boy that doesn’t have this problem. Finny refused to have hatred, or an enemy. He denied that the war existed because he didn’t have enmity. Finny found his separate peace within his denial. Gene later told him that he could never be a soldier because he didn’t understand what having an enemy was all about. The war didn’t really enter their lives until after Finny’s fall. This means that the war will stay with them until Finny’s death. WWII affected the characters in many ways. Gene saw that football was like the battlefield and he saw tennis balls as bullets. Gene thought of the snow as an army forced upon the Devon School (85). The war caused the boys to feel unsteady. It was disturbing their earlier lives but not letting them move on to the next chapter. In addition, Gene and Finny shared the same dreams of the Olympics still going on as planned, and that there is no war. This is where Gene and Finny find a separate peace. They felt safe and secure when they knew that the Olympics would be in 1944 and that there was no war. They didn’t have to worry about dying. They didn’t have to worry about th...

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Ancient Greek Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Strategic leadership in changing world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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