Japans Cultural Analysis through Hofstedes Dimensions Term Paper

Japans Cultural Analysis through Hofstedes Dimensions - Term Paper Example However, Japanese are still less hierarchical than their Asian counterparts and believe in joint decision making to some extent (Geert Hofstede n.d). Individualism/collectivism: this dimension measures the extent of â€Å"I† or â€Å"We† prevailing in the society. In Japan, collectivism is at a high which characterizes harmony, coordination, group efforts, consensus and mutual sharing. Japanese are, however, less collectivist than Chinese. Masculinity/femininity: this dimension tells about quality vs. quantity of life preferred by people in a society. Japan depicts a very high score of 95 which means Japanese are highly masculine- they prefer success, ambitions, competition, and excellence over coordination, consensus, care and overall quality of life (Geert Hofstede n.d). Uncertainty avoidance: future is unknown. Uncertainty avoidance measures whether people in a society try to bind it or let it happen the way it is supposed to. Japan is one of the nations having the highest score of uncertainty avoidance. Japanese tend to control the future through planning, precautions, and regulations and are always wary of the unknown. They study and analyze risk factors in great detail before commencing upon anything. Long-term/short-term orientation: it is a time-based point-of-view towards the achievement of goals and results. Japanese score 80 here which means they are long-term oriented and invest heavily in real-estate and properties to secure their future. They believe in virtues, steadiness of results over time and generations serving the society at large. Canada, unlike Japan, is a country with lower PDI score which means inequalities in power distribution are perceived lesser than that of Japan’s. People respect the status and authority and accept the distribution (Geert Hofstede n.d). Canadians are relaxed when ambiguities and uncertainties are talked of. They suit their laws and regulations with the situations and do not panic; unlike Japanese who always carry a detailed list of rules and risks before doing anything.

Fascism and communism Essay Example for Free

Fascism and communism Essay The term fascism refers to a modern political thought that seeks to rejuvenate the economic, cultural and social status of a nation by basing the country on a sensitive sense of ethnic identity and national belonging. Fascism is opposed to certain liberal ideas such as individual rights and freedom; it calls for the destruction of legislatures, elections among other democratic elements. Despite the fact that fascism some goals which can be considered to be idealistic, attempts to come up with fascists societies have in most cases resulted into persecutions and wars which have claimed millions of lives. Thus it is in most cases associated with strongly with racism, violence, totalitarianism and the right wing of fanaticism. On the other hand communism is a universal society which has been able to overcome all classes and their distinctions; all the relations and systems of exploitation have been abolished; all social institutions which are oppressive and are used to enhance inequality such as men domination over women and racial discrimination are all done away with (Brown, Para 3) Fascism Fascism was founded by veterans of world war one led by Benito Juarez Mussolini who had been fed up by decisions being made by the government of Italy and the treaty which expressly excluded the land gains made by Italy. This form of government essentially is a form of dictatorship which results in pride of the nation commonly referred to as nationalism. Fascism is not totalitarian rule despite the fact that the fascist from Italy described it in that manner, by comparing it to Russia which was a communist state and Nazi in Germany. Fascism in Italy was a form of government which was not as cruel and strict as communism in Russia. Fascism helps in the development of extreme advances in agricultural practices, industrialization, national security and population growth. It is anti communism or socialism, pro elitism and pro productivism. In this form of government decisions are made promptly as solutions are simplified and at the same time problems are solved properly and swiftly. Many governments borrowed the fascism thoughts from Mussolini, who is referred as the father of fascism by all the fascists (Brown, Para 5). Fascism was developed because of the intellectual revolution and social changes that happened in the western countries in the twentieth century. It was an original and a modern thought that pressed for change and a new approach of governing among Europeans young people who refused to follow the middle rank values of their parents. Fascism as an ideology represents nationalism synthesis which simply implies that one is highly devoted to his own country. It also calls for the rejection of liberalism, Marxism, democracy and materialism opinions also held by the socialists. Fascism is pro political rule in its absolute form through political leaders; it is opposed to the idea of important decisions being made by common people as it is the case in ideal democratic governance. The central government of the state has the responsibility of holding high the fascist values and also making of vital decisions for the entire nation. Fascism attempts to bring about new civilization, which is based on the entire community. In this case the, all the classes and sectors of people within the community will be in a position to look for their niche. The whole nation is thus strengthened and revitalized. Each person in the community will in turn be more less a cell as far as the community organism is concerned. The fascism mode of governance also poses a revolution which can be compared to the spiritual revolution (Brown, Para 8) In maintaining the unity of a country, fascism applies two instruments, that is, totalitarianism and corporatism. In a state that is corporative, its social, economical and political powers are in the hands corporations, the group of these corporations comprises of both the employees and the employers. The group of corporations in this case is mandated with the task of settling social classes’ differences and also planning the national economy. In a state that is totalitarian, the central government has absolute control and it has the duty of intervening at any point and every aspect of the life of an individual (Brown, Para 10) Communism Communism form of government on the other hand results into a state that operates under a single party and is based on the Marxism Leninism or its derivatives. Although, the states under communism can have many political parties, only the communist party is under the constitution guaranteed to play a central role in the communist government. This makes the state’s institutions to be highly intertwined with the communist party. In most cases the communist states adopts the economic policies that are centrally planned, these states are thus related to economic development in both scholarship and popular thought. Legitimacy in communist states is mainly maintained through claims of promoting national long tern interests. The communist parties attempt to justify their political and monopoly powers by claiming to follow the objectives of the historical statutes. They therefore, consider political dissent and opposition to be treasonous and counter productive. The minor parties in communist states have to follow the communist party. Such parties are only allowed to criticize the future policies which have been proposed, but such criticism should not in any way jeopardize the political system as it is under the communist state. The states under communism are commonly criticized due to their totalitarian and dictatorship of one party in the control of the society and the national economy. It results into a state where the civil liberties of the citizens are repressed, its economic policies mainly emphasize on heavy industrialization to the detriment of those oriented to the production of consumer goods which creates an acute shortage of essential products and in most cases results into a national famine. The communist form of government uses propaganda and militarism in its attempt to cover up its evils. Communist societies experience very high fixed costs with minimal uncertainty. The countries under communism can only have their economies growing under the conditions of stable environments when they are likely to experience reduced marginal cost. They have a lot of difficulties in adjusting in the event of a swift change in the environment since they are quite rigid. The communist states, the economic policies are centrally planned and commanded. Conclusion The fascism form of government results on the good of the entire nation which is clearly not the case for communism. Nationalism is not enhanced under communism and the government represses the civil liberties of its citizens, the communist state also uses militarism and propaganda to hide the evils it has created, this is not the case under the fascism where the nationalism takes center stage and the citizens have a strong sense of belonging. Fascism is not as cruel and strict as compared to communism which uses military dictatorship and suppresses all other political parties in the state thus denying their followers any tangible contribution in their country which implies that nationalism is not enhanced at all. Fascism form of governance is thus much better compared to communism.

Subcortex Diencephalon lesions from the view of the Neurologist and the Neurosurgeon :: Medical Medicine Essays

Subcortex Diencephalon lesions from the view of the Neurologist and the Neurosurgeon The diencephalon, which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and subthalamus of the brain will be discussed in this project paper however, the main focus will by on the hypothalamus of the diencephalon structure. To begin a brief review of the functions of the thalamus and hypothalamus, the thalamus is the input center for sensory information and the output center for motor information. The hypothalamus regulates hunger, thirst, and the body’s temperature. The hypothalamus also releases hormones and plays a role in sexual responses and behaviors, and our circadian rhythms (Campbell, 1999). The hypothalamus can be affected in many ways from genetics/hormones to injury from a lesion or accident. If a female fetus is exposed to too much testosterone during their critical period the hypothalamus can become masculinized which would lean create masculine behaviors in the female. Those fetuses that are male but are androgen insensitive have femininized hypothalamuses and portray feminine behaviors (Kalat, 2004). Damage such as a lesion to the lateral hypothalamus can cause an individual to refuse food and/or water depending on where the lesion is located. The opposite of true of damage occurs in the medial hypothalamus, the individual will over eat or drink (Kalat, 2004). The Neurologist The neurologist can perform many experiments on the hypothalamus by placing electrodes on the different parts, which simulates what could happen to the individual if this portion of the hypothalamus became injured. Studies have shown that the hypothalamus control functions such as mating, urination and defecation, eating and drinking, temperature regulation (through homeostasis), and circadian rhythms (Farr, 2002). The anterior portion of the hypothalamus is involved in copulation however; the septal region is also involved. When electrical stimulation is directed to this area the individual will experiences sexual emotions and thoughts. A study was done on cats where electrical stimulation on the anterior portion of the hypothalamus was done thus showing that the cat acted as though it was going to urinate or defecate along with the other processes such as hiding/covering the feces (Farr, 2002). One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is in the lateral and ventromedial regions, these areas in the hypothalamus control eating and drinking. If a lesion in the lateral region of the hypothalamus is created experimentally or damage is done to

HBCUs: Relevance in 21st Century Essay -- Race

Imagine this; the year is 1836. You are a 17-year-old student interested in learning more about the world around you; however, such an opportunity won’t come your way because you are black. Due to this fact you have no hope of furthering your education past the reading, writing, and arithmetic their slave masters taught your parents. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. The minds of many African American’s go to waste due to individual ignorance of their people and thus of themselves. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were put into effect to educate the black mind and eliminate the ignorance. The discussion of whether Historically Black Colleges and Universities are still necessary in the 21st century has taken place in recent years. Within the discussion many debate that due to the fact that the world is no longer like it was in the 1800’s, the time period in which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were created, the purpose of them no longe r exists. However, the cultural significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities seems to be overlooked by those who argue their importance and relevance in a time where blacks have the option of attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The purpose and grounds on which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were developed are still being served. The need to increase efforts to not only rouse, but support Historically Black Colleges and Universities is necessary now more than ever in order to preserve our past, fulfill the purpose of our present, and ensure our future. History In order to fully understand the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as the importance of their preservation and need for continuation, one... ...2010. "Building Partnerships to Revitalize America's Neighborhoods." HBCU Central (Winter 2002): 1-6. Winter 2002. Web. 2 May 2012. Cokley, Kevin. "The Impact of College Racial Composition on African American Students' Academic Self-Concept: A Replication and Extension." Journal of Negro Education 71.4 (2002): 288-96. JSTOR. Web. Oates, Gary L. St. C. "The Color of the Undergraduate Experience and the Occupational Attainment of Blacks and Whites: Evidence from Longitudinal Data." Sociological Quarterly 45.1 (2004): 21-44. JSTOR. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. Redd, Kenneth E. "Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Making a Comeback." New Directions for Higher Education 1998.102 (1998): 33-43. WILEY. Web. Roebuck, Julian B., and Komanduri S. Murty. Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Their Place in American Higher Education. Westport: Praeger, 1993. Print.

Macbeth Essay

The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm, and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe † tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on † these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world. Macbeth is set in a society in which the notion of honor to one’s word and loyalty to one’s superiors is absolute. At the top of this hierarchy is the king, God’s representative on Earth. Other relationships also depend on loyalty: comradeship in warfare, hospitality of host towards guest, and the loyalty between husband and wife. In this play, all these basic societal relationships are perverted or broken. Lady Macbeth’s domination over her husband, Macbeth’s reacherous act of regicide, and his destruction of comradely and family bonds, all go against the natural order of things. Clearly, gender is out of its traditional order. This disruption of gender roles is also presented through Lady Macbeth’s usurpation of the dominate role in the Macbeth’s marriage; on many occasions, she rules her husband and dictates his actions. Macbeth is very rational, contemplating the consequences and implications of his actions. He recognizes the political, ethical, and religious reason why he should not commit regicide. In addition to Jeopardizing his afterlife, Macbeth notes that regicide is a violation of Duncan’s â€Å"double trust† that stems from Macbeth’s bonds as a kinsman and as a subject. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth has a more passionate way of examining the pros and cons of killing Duncan. She is motivated by her feelings and uses emotional arguments to persuade her husband to commit the evil act. Macbeth Essay The play Macbeth was written in the start of the 1600s by William Shakespeare, if you ever get a chance to read this play in both script and graphic novel you will discover that there are many signs of imagery and symbolism. Some of the many examples have been shown in nature with trees and birds acting as something’s are going on in the back, some in the way that the people, kings, and nobles dress in the play and also some in the way that blood is used throughout the play. As Lady Macbeth and Macbeth make plans to kill King Duncan so that Macbeth can become king as what the witches’ prophecy states, they know Banquo was there talking to the witches with Macbeth. The first example shows how the weather and nature acts when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do a dirty deed. So when the king was murdered the animals in the Kings castle went ‘haywire’ as Ross says, â€Å"and Duncan’s horses, a thing most strange / Beauteous and swift, the minors of their race, / turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, / Contending ’gainst obedience as they would.† (Ross, 2.4.14) This would show that a person has done something that they should not and obstructed the circle of life; in this case, â€Å"†¦Macbeth does murder sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Macbeth, 2.2.395); in other words Macbeth killed Duncan to take his position. There is also many other parts where nature acts as events happen for example when Malcolm and his army from England proceed marching to Dunsinane to confront Macbeth. Because at this point the weather appears to be dark and scary like someone is going to die. The second example is clothing; this distinguishes them from good and evil. For example light clothes are worn when the character wearing them is in a good and positive role and dark clothes are worn when the character wearing them is in a bad and evil role. Relating to Macbeth, this shows him as well as Lady Macbeth changing from noble and loyal to the king to trying to take him over. At the start Macbeth shows to be wearing purple and other loyal colors in the graphic novel but towards the end he had turned to a tyrant and started wearing red symbolizing blood and dark clothes. But also clothing is used to represent people and used to tell how good or bad a person is for example when Macbeth hears that he has been given the position of the Thane of Cawdor, he asks Angus why he is being dressed in â€Å"borrowed† robes (1.3.7) because he knows that the Thane of Cawdor still lives. Blood shows to play a huge part in Macbeth: Macbeth is a warrior at start and towards the end but then towards the middle he shows his ambition and turned to kill anyone in his way, in this case King Duncan and Banquo and Macduff’s Family. Make thick my blood,/ Stop up/ th’ access and passage of nature/ Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ Th’ effect and it! (Lady Macbeth, 1.5), this shows that lady Macbeth is talking to and telling spirits to make her blood thick and make her stronger so that they can commit a crime. Also that blood can symbolize who they are and what they do. Macbeth also says it will have blood, they / say: blood will have blood. / Stones have been known to move and trees to speak (Macbeth, 3.6). Blood plays a big part in Macbeth because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have been playing with the scale of life and disrupting it with blood and murder. Showing blood, nature and clothing in the play can make symbolism and imagery in the play better. Blood is used in most of Shakespeare plays. The nature used in these plays is called pathetic fallacy and this is another factor embedded in most Shakespeare plays. In Macbeth he is a warrior but a tyrant trying to take over the king. Clothing can play a role to describe what kind or how a person is. At conclusion Macbeth shows symbolism and imagery to describe many aspects of the play and it does help the reader or the audience get a better perspective and in-depth view of the characters and how they behave.

Behavioral Cognitive Theories essays

Behavioral Cognitive Theories essays There were several predominant theorists in the cognitive behavioral meta-theory. Each theorist came to their conclusions, were received, and added to therapeutic skills in different ways. Their biographical history allows for a better understanding of how they came upon their conclusions. Their theories add to the understanding of human nature. Their critics expose flaws or oversights in the theories. The techniques used in the action stage of therapy today all have some historical roots in these theories and the theories of others. The overall goal being to focus on making changes in behaviors, thoughts, and feelings while continuing to explore feelings and examine values, priorities, barriers. Behaviorism began when Ivan Pavlovs dogs began to salivate upon hearing the sounds of food being prepared. Unfortunately this phenomenon ruined his saliva measuring experiment but it contributed the theory of classical conditioning. The theory is that when an unconditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus many times a conditioned stimulus and conditioned response will result. The unconditioned stimulus (US) in Pavlovs experiment was the food, which caused the dogs to salivate. The unconditioned stimulus normally elicits this reaction. The neutral stimulus, something that does not normally elicit the same reaction as the unconditioned stimulus, was a tone or bell. When the two were presented together the conditioned stimulus or learned stimulus became the tone and the learned behavior or conditioned response was to salivate. John B. Watson (1878 1958) expanded Pavlovs theory into the behaviorism. Due to his contribution he became know as the Father of American Behaviorism. He described behaviorism as the study of overt rather than covert behavior. His emphasis was on objectivity instead of extrospection. This concept was drastically different then the psychoanalytical theory of the time...

Effects of Advertising Essay

Effects of Advertising Essay Free Online Research Papers Advertising promotes more than mere products in our popular culture. Because images used in advertising are often idealized, they eventually set the standard which we, in turn, feel we must live up to. Advertisements serve to show us what the ideal image is, and further tell us how to obtain it. Advertisers essentially have the power to promote positive images or negative images. Unfortunately, most of the roles portrayed by women tend to fit the latter description. The irony lies therein since it is these negative images which have been most successful in selling products. It is easy to understand the appeal which these ads hold for men, as they place women in an inferior role; one characterized by helplessness, fragility, and vulnerability. Certainly one can not deny that visual images serve to create the ideal female beauty within the material realm of consumer culture. The problem is that if one strays from this ideal, theres the risk of not being accepted by men. Advertisers, by setting ideas, not only sell their products but in fact reaffirm traditional gender roles in mainstream America. Women portrayed in sexual ads are depicted as objects and commodities, to be consumed by men for visual pleasure and by women for self-definition. Any depiction of a woman in scant clothing ultimately makes her look vulnerable and powerless, especially when placed next to a physically stronger man. Studies show that advertisements will concentrate primarily on a womans body parts rather than her facial expressions. Also, it was proven that over 50% of commercials portraying women contained at least one camera shot focusing on her chest. Men enjoy these images, and sadly, women tend to try to embody them, regardless of the extent to which they degrade themselves. Perhaps one of the most recent, successful, and controversial ad campaigns of the nineties is that of Calvin Klein. Ironically, in contrast to the normal, objectifying advertisements that deface women altogether, Klein focuses on his models expressions. However, these expressions are similar to those of a scared child. The naked female model, in turn, looks even more vulnerable than when she was faceless. Here, in this ad, Kate Moss is depicted as an innocent scared child. Her fingers touch her lips as if she is not permitted to speak, while her eyes look as if they are bruised. Moss breast is exposed in this image, but instead of appearing voluptuous, Moss appears to be almost prepubescent. She stares vacantly and helplessly into the camera. Again, women see these images as attractive to men and subsequently feel the need to embody them. Unfortunately, the body of Kate Moss is an unrealistic and unattainable ideal for most women. This distorted ideal body image is one of the leading causes of the recent rise of anorexia in young girls. The waif woman image is causing extreme low self-esteem for women in the nineties. The advertisement proves effective because normal women can never, and will never look like Kate Moss. All the hollow attempts will only bring more attention to these marketing strategies, and ultimately more business for Calvin Klein. It is difficult to pinpoint the cause for Kleins overwhelming success despite the nature of his advertisements. Before Calvin Kleins waif image developed, it was thought that concentration on a womans voluptuous physical features was what intrigued men. But this idea of Moss as a helpless child, with no real feminine curves at all, reiterates the argument that the male attraction to certain ads lies in the sexual power it gives them. Women please men in their nudity, their purity, and their body size. Women can never be happy with themselves until their representation in advertising become more reflective of reality. But if the ads become more realistic, then the advertisements arent able to sell their self-help images. Essentially the world of morals and advertising, if the two can logically coexist, form a constant vicious cycle. Research Papers on Effects of Advertising EssayAdvertising EssayJean-Jaques Rousseau EmileImpact of Breast CancerThe Colour PurplePlastic Surgery EssayThe Equal Rights AmendmentSexuality at Different Life Stages EssayFalse AdvertisingThe Fifth HorsemanA Molestation Epidemic Essay