Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay

Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay Holliday, Kullman and Hyde (2004) assert that the term `culture refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such an activity some significance. It includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems and the characteristic behaviors and habits of the society. Different human societies have different cultures, and the personal culture of one individual can be different than another one. Intercultural is the philosophy of exchanges between cultural groups within a society. Intercultural communication is about how people from different countries and different cultures interact with each others; and how they behave, communicate and perceive the world around them. And effective intercultural communication involves understanding both ones own linguistic and cultural identity and that of the people with whom one is communicating. In that, cultural identity has a very important role. The following is a discussion about how issues of identity affect commu nication between people from different languages and cultures. Nationality identity can greatly affect the effectiveness of communication. Different nationality means different in cultures and in most cases languages. People from different countries tend to have different ways of understanding the world around them. It affects the way people think and behave in different situations. People who have different nationalities are likely to have different ways to exchange information and perform various activities that are unique to their countries (Lyerly 1997). This may lead to misunderstanding when people from different countries trying to communicate with each others. Regional differences create even more cultural gaps between human. Thus its effect on communication is even significant than that of nationality. The differences in geography, environment and culture are often too large that people tend to suffer from severe cultural shocks when they travel from one region to another. And that is the main force that affects the efficient communicati on between people from different nations and/or region. Ethnicity identity is another major force that may contribute to the effectiveness of communication. Due to the different of the ability to understand and gain information of people, there are gaps in how different person understands the same piece of information. And that created the two groups of people: the haves and the have-nots. As for that, it is important to take the issue of ethnicity into account in order to improve the effectiveness of communication between these two groups of people. Holley (2008) stated that ethnic groups are identified by common culture, language, religion, and/or ancestral origins. He also argued that there are no internationally agreed upon ethnic categorizations because history often plays a role in what aspects are considered most important for ethnic identity. That is, history is usually the major factor that defines ethnic identity. Language is arguably the most important element of communication. Language is mean, in which the content of the communication is transferred and received. Or as Samovar, Porter McDaniel (2008) put it: Language is the medium through which a culture expresses its world view. Language is also considered as a communication tool that needs to be learned and used effectively in order to achieve successful intercultural communication. And if language is a tool then culture may be considered as the environment that has all the effects on language. Because of that, culture is, in many circumstances, what defines the meaning of language. That is why, in some situations, the same word can bring different meanings due to the differences of cultures. The matter is even worse when two cultures talk in different languages. In this case, a translation tool is needed, however the potential of misunderstanding is also raised as a word translated between two different languages between two different c ultures may result in totally different meaning. For that, language and culture must be thoughtfully considered in intercultural communication. Or as Sarbaugh (1988) concluded the most important element in effective intercultural communication concerns language. Community is the starting point of identity. Every community has its unique traditions, values, and norms. Communities provide a wealth of organized and deep rooted information, which builds from countless interactions of various socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural attributes that occur over time (Kriesberg 2003). This understanding becomes the property of that particular community and plays an important role in shaping the identity structures of its members. The emergence of various communities, such as professional, academic, and virtual has provided the opportunity for individuals to acquire diverse knowledge by assuming membership in these communities. The interaction of various sub-identities of an individual through his/her membership in different communities continuously shapes the learning, thinking, and perceptual environment, which forms the nature of experiences, value preferences, and knowledge arrangements. This intricate and complex system of socializati on shapes the identity of a person. The role of communities in shaping the personalities of its members depends on the nature of the knowledge that is organized in its socio-cultural traditions. Analysis of an individuals community affiliations can enable the researchers to comprehend the role that community specific knowledge plays in forming the identity. Consequently study of community memberships of an individual can help us to understand the identity dynamics of a person; furthermore examination of community knowledge can shed more light on social interaction process. According to Kriesberg (2003) community knowledge, individual knowledge, and identity are the three constructs that need considerable attention in order to broaden and deepen our understanding of the relationship between a person and the community. Social class has been one of the key elements that directly affect communication since the dawn of time. Social class is to some extend still creating boundaries between human, thus creating obstacles in effective communication (Holliday, Kullman Hyde 2004). The conflicts between the rich and the poor, management and working class were often created by those misunderstanding in communication. People in different social class used to be significantly affected so much that they naturally create a barrier to prevent communication with other social class. It is perhaps in many ways shared the same properties with religion differences. Religion identity is sometimes improving communication where it shares a similar interest. It is also the main cause of conflict when its interest is not satisfied by those of different religion. Throughout history, people always keep trying to solve these significant differences; however, the conflicts with the core causes still remain intractable for man y societies until even now. This issue may only be solved if we can change the core of how human perceive and understand the world. In current society, men and women have the chance to work together more regularly and more personally than before. As traditional male-dominated societies diminish, a dynamic communication emerges where women and men have the same goals and equal chances to pursue and archive their goals (Pinto 2000). While the communication between men and women benefits from this fairness, there are still many information and signal of behavior have to think about, and it is important not to let sexual category identity issues hold up with effective communication. Many research have been devoted to the idea that women and men communicate very differently in fact, it is sometimes stated that women and men communicate so differently from one another that they must have perceived the world from absolute different perspectives (Pinto 2000). The communication between men and women seems to be stable and equal day by day. For example, both men and women can be positive, outgoing, task-focused, or sentim ental. The important point to think about, conversely, is that men and women sometimes identify the same messages to have different senses. Age is of course one of the most important matters that affects intercultural communication. Its role is somewhat similar to gender. People tend to think differently when they are getting older. The more time they spend living, the more experiences they have and the clearer they see through conflicts. This is even true when it comes to multi-cultures. The young generations always have different ideas and the ability to take risks. The older generations see things more thoughtfully and are more cautious when facing new problems. That is why, in my opinion, even come from totally different cultures, the old peoples ways of thinking is, to a great extend, similar. However, it is required the flexibility of the young to cope with cultural differences. To sum it up, the balance between the old and young are need to be balanced out in order to achieve an effective intercultural communication. Identities can greatly affect the communication between people from different languages and cultures. How people think about who they are and who and what others are profoundly influences the effectiveness of their communication. Their sense of identity and conceptions of each other contribute to their understanding of the world around them. Whether and how identities affects the communication depends on their particular qualities. There are different sources of identity which lead to unique understandings of the people and how they think and behave in their world. Thus the communication between people is often suffered by these differences of understanding. To know, understand and use the uniqueness of different groups of people will greatly improve how people communicate with each others.

The Rise in Police Brutality Essay example -- Papers Abuse Cops Author

The Rise in Police Brutality Police brutality and corrupt cop issues have increasingly risen. The problems posed by the illegal exercise of police power, which is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual preference. There are innocent people beaten or put in jail or prison. They can be helped, but the ones beyond help are dead. There are good cops and there are bad cops. Under the law, article 7 states: ?No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane degrading treatment or punishment? (Amnesty 42). The definition of police brutality is the excessive use of deadly or physical force made by a police officer or officer of the law. By kicking, punching, using weapons, shooting, and killing innocent victims. If every cop followed the articles there would be no brutality. If the court systems barely help, if the police won?t do anything, and the media isn?t around. How can we prevent police brutality? With violence in America steadily rising you might support the fact that cops have to use physical force on criminals. But is excessive force needed for ?unarmed criminals Is it necessary to shoot at an ?unarmed? man 41 times because he made a suspicious move? Is it fair to have a man with no previous crime record to wait over 15 years on death row, while the legal system does nothing? While another man has a wooden stick shoved so far up his intestines that they ruptured. Instead of sitting down watching all this happen around you and just being glad it isn?t you. You can do something about it. Prevent police brutality; corrupt cops and the killing of innocent lives. The heinous, cruel and inhumane acts the following cops have done are by no means justified,... ....org/majfact.htm. February 22, 2000. Handbook of Policing the Police. California: Greenhaven Press, 1995. Leibovich, Lori. ?Rethinking Rodney King? March 13, 1998. [online] Available http://www.salon.com/news/1998/03/13news.html. February 29, 2000. Refuse and Resist. Who is Mumia Abu-Jamal. [online] Available http://mojo.calyx.net~refuse/mumia/051697brochure.html. February 22, 2000. Robinson, Bryan. ?Diallo Officers Self-Defense Case Hinges onLight and Autupsy Evidence. [online] Available -http://www.courttv.com/diallo/012800_background_ctv.htm. February 22, 2000. Rockwell, Robert. Police Brutality: More than A Few Bad Apples [online] Available http://mojo.calyxnet/~refuse/ndp/082497rockwell.html. February 26, 2000. Taylor, Stuart Jr. ?Guitly and Framed? [online] Available http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/mumia/guilty.html. October 25, 1999.

Examine how Atwood presents Offred’s sense of self in “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Sense of self can be defined by the â€Å"roles, attributes, behaviours, and associations that we consider most important about our selves†. 1 Atwood wrote â€Å"The Handmaid's Tale† during the 80s; (1986 to be precise) an era of ‘power-dressing'. A key icon of the ‘power-dressing' was the wife of the American president, Nancy Reagan, who wore outfits with huge shoulder pads, making her look more masculine. Famous women like her encapsulated what the women of the time aspired to be: rich, beautiful, intelligent and powerful. In â€Å"The Handmaid's Tale†, Offred constantly refers back to her old life and the way she used to style herself in comparison to the way she looks now. She remembers, â€Å"Makeup†3 and â€Å"bathing suits and platform shoes†4, â€Å"sheer pantyhose against the skin†5, and â€Å"the smell of nail paint†6. All these things relate to the image that she once aspired to obtain, and this constant regressi on shows how she longs to return to her life before the regime, when she was secure in her identity. The air of desirability Atwood gives these things reflects how Offred desires them. However, this does not mean that Offred needs these things to regain her sense of self; Atwood simply uses them as symbols of Offred's true identity which she attributes to herself and her life before the regime. In contrast, Atwood uses negative language to describe the red dress Offred now wears. The phrases, â€Å"a nondescript woman in red†7 and, â€Å"the colour of blood, which defines us†8 hint at Offred's contempt towards her red dress. This shows how Offred recognises that her obligatory red dress is not a reflection of her personality (as clothing should be) but a barrier between her and the rest of the world; in this dress she is Offred, a Handmaid and nothing else. Even her name, â€Å"Offred† is evidence of the regime taking away her identity because it can be interpretated as, ‘Of-Fred' meaning that she is Fred's (the Commander's) possession. This concept supports Simone de Beauvoir's comments that, â€Å"she is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not with reference to her†9. In â€Å"The Handmaid's Tale† the name Offred does not tell the reader anything about Offred as a person, it only tells them that she is a Handmaid who belongs to the Commander, Fred, her actually identity is not referred to at all. Our names become a part of who we are and we are identified by them; after losing her name, Offred feels the need to remind herself of it, to ensure her true identity is not lost, â€Å"This name has an aura around it, like an amulet, some charm that's survived from an unimaginably distant past. 10 The words, â€Å"aura†, â€Å"amulet† and, â€Å"charm† create a semantic field of mystery and magic which reflects Offred's feelings towards her name; now that she is not allowed to use it, she views it as something to be in awe of, something she must â€Å"treasure† and, â€Å"dig up, one day†11. The word, â€Å"amulet† refers to something that protects you from danger; the danger for Offred would be to comple tely lose her sense of self so Offred refers to this name in order to connect with her ‘self' because she recognises that she is not actually part of this regime at all; she remembers her real name to separate herself from it. However, the importance of Offred's real name in the redevelopment of her sense of self is accurately demonstrated when she tells Nick, â€Å"I tell him my real name, and feel that therefore I am known. â€Å"12 Offred's real name is extremely personal to her, before she felt as if she was simply a Handmaid with no other identity but once she tells Nick her real name she feels as if she is telling him who she really is, apart from the regime. Atwood also uses the character of Nick as a literary tool to develop Offred's sense of self, through the development of her sexual identity. Nick becomes a recurring theme, representing masculinity; he is described as having forearms which are, â€Å"tanned but with a stipple of dark hairs†13, whereas Offred imagines that the Commander has a,†white, tufted raw body†14which makes him sound like the absolute opposite of Nick, undesirable and unattractive; and subconsciously Offred rejects him showing that she still has the power to chose who she falls in love with or feels emotion towards. Offred's emotions are unique to her and therefore define part of her identity; during the conception ceremony Offred's narrative includes very little emotion and her tone is detached,† One detaches oneself. One describes†. 15 By referring to ‘one' in general and not specifically to herself shows how Offred is using denial as a defence mechanism to avoid the shameful truth that she is actually having sex with the Commander; she even says, â€Å"what he is fucking is the lower part of my body†16. Atwood uses this detached tone to illustrate how Offred has become accustomed to how her body has been violated, but the expletive, â€Å"fucking† shows that she does not agree with it and is angry at this violation. She wants the reader to understand that throughout all this, Offred is trying to retain her sense of self and is still ‘herself' in her mind. In contrast, Offred's forbidden sexual relationship with Nick is a loving relationship which creates a parallel with the similar forbidden relationship she had with Luke, before the regime. Offred used to view herself as Luke's lover, then eventually his wife, these were roles that were important to her and roles that she attributed to her identity, â€Å"Can I be blamed for wanting a real body to put my arms around? Without it I too am disembodied. â€Å"17 The rhetorical question shows how confused and alone Offred feels and the word, â€Å"disembodied† highlights Offred's need to feel loved in a physical relationship because she defines herself through her interaction with others, but in the dystopian society in which she lives this social and emotional interaction has been removed. When Offred finally does sleep with Nick he becomes a substitute for Luke, â€Å"I went back to Nick. Time after time on my own, without Serena knowing†. 18 Atwood uses short sentences to give the reader a blunt and concise account of what happened; the fact that Offred slept with Nick is irrelevant in comparison to the implications it has. The small, insignificant rebellions Offred has executed throughout the novel come to a climax at this point in the story, where Offred shows that she is willing to sacrifice her life and social standing in an attempt to express her true self. The phrase, â€Å"on my own† draws attention to Offred's new found confidence and independence and the fact that Serena does not know about it symbolises her freedom from the regime. Atwood uses personal pronouns, â€Å"I tell, therefore, you are†, which enables Offred to personalise the listener/reader whom she is narrating to. Her references to the unidentified, â€Å"you† is ironic, because in a way she is talking to herself, about herself. She is becoming introspective and generates a sense of self pity through creating this other person. Atwood is trying to make the reader feel included in the novel; she is also giving Offred a way of coping with her loneliness and isolation. This notion supports Helene Cixous' belief that, â€Å"By writing her self, woman will return to the body which has been more than confiscated from her. â€Å"19 By telling her story Offred portraits a part of her personality and therefore, a part of her identity in her story, and because she cannot freely express her personality in the society in which she lives, she resorts to living in the memories of her nameless audience. Offred's storytelling also supports Mallik's opinion that Atwood includes, â€Å"basic victim positions†20 in her novel, because she tells her story to her ‘audience' in order to regain a part of her identity which she realises has been taken away from her; and as the novel progresses she becomes more willing to rebel to reclaim it. Atwood uses the narrative tone to reflect the emotional state of the narrator. At the beginning of the novel Offred is confused, â€Å"like a sleepwalker conceiving disjointed perceptions of its surroundings,†21 but by the end of the novel, â€Å"the narrative voice assumes a fully engaged emotional tone† which reflects Offred's emotional development, and mirrors how she is no longer a passive entity but an active woman who is willing to fight for what she wants.

JIM CORW LAWS Essay - 1524 Words

In 1865, four million Americans who were called slaves simply because they were born black, were now free with an expectation that they would enjoy all civil liberties. The post-Civil War period of Reconstruction provided freedmen with various rights, but in little over a decade, the promise of emancipation and equal rights was gone, replaced by rigid system of laws designed to keep blacks from experiencing any of their newly achieved rights, which is known as the era of Jim Crow, the American form of racial Apartheid that separated Americans into two groups: whites, the so-called superiors and blacks, the inferiors. The phase that began in 1877 was inaugurated by withdrawal of Union troops from the south that would leave the future of†¦show more content†¦Negroes were allowed to travel in common streetcars, trains and carriers with other whites. This system would take thirty to forty years to take the form racism. Besides, Jim Crow was not just a system of discrimination ba sed on race; it was a legal system, backed up by United States Supreme Court in cases such as Plessy v. Ferguson and sustained by thousands of local states and ordinances. In 1883, in the Civil Rights Cases, the Supreme Court invalidated the Civil Right Acts of 1875, which had outlawed racial discrimination by hotels, theaters, railroads, and other pubic facilities. In Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896, Supreme Court gave its approval to state laws requiring separate facilities for blacks and whites, reasoning that segregated facilities did not discriminate so long as they were ‘separate but equal.’ John Marshal Harlan, a Kentucky lawyer, objected the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson case. He believed that the decision was unconstitutional as it interfered with the â€Å"Personal Liberty† of the people; and believed racial segregation as a badge of slavery. He regretted that Supreme Court that was supposed to guarantee this right is actually denying p eople of the right. The roots of Jim Crow canShow MoreRelatedA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesfrom the Picatrix (see I.P.Couliano, Eros and Magic in the Renaissance, University of Chicago Press, 1987, p. 118). The Picatrix is mentioned by Johannes Trithemius in Book 2 of his notorious Steganographia (1500) and in his Antipalus Maleficiorum (c. 1500). One copy (British Library, Sloane manuscript 3679) passed down from Simon Forman (d. 1611) to Richard Napier (d. 1634) to Elias Ashmole (d. 1692) to William Lilly (d. 1681). E.M. Butler wrongly associates it with Gio. Peccatrix, (no doubt a pseudonym)