Cultural diversity.
On Monday, 22nd of September 2003, an exhibition on cultural diversity was held. Cultural diversity consists of subculture, high culture, popular culture and counter culture. Popular culture is a cultural pattern that is being practised and spread widely among a society's population. Popular culture actually makes everyone in that particular society to have something in common. It is also being experienced by people from all walks of life worldwide. An obvious example is the usage of hand phones all around us. We can see that even students that are still in school levels are already own hand phones. We used to see only people who are rich that can own a hand phone. But now, hand phones are being used by everybody. I once heard a story which someone told where this girl got straight A's in her UPSR and she already asked her mother for a hand phone as a reward. Another example of popular culture is eating fast food. Children eat fast food for the sake of getting the toys that are usually sold in a set with the food. Parents or adults who live a busy life prefer to eat fast food simply because their children are eating it and it is really convenient because they do not have to cook. Thus this has become a popular culture. High culture can be defined as a culture that can distinguish a society's elite. High culture is usually being spread among the elitists. As an example,
Culture and negotiation
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 2 CULTURE AND NEGOTIATION 2 2.1 DEFINITION OF CULTURE 2 2.2 COMMUNICATION 2 2.3 NEGOTIATION PROCESS 2 3 BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS 2 3.1 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS 2 3.2 CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT INFLUENCE BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS 2 3.3 COMMUNICATION IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS 2 4 FINNISH-AMERICAN NEGOTIATION 2 4.1 HOFSTEDE´S FOUR-DIMENSIONAL MODEL 2 4.1.1 Power distance 2 4.1.2 Individualism vs. collectivism 2 4.1.3 Masculinity vs. femininity 2 4.1.4 Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) 2 4.2 COMMUNICATION STYLES IN THE USA AND FINLAND 2 5 SUMMARY 2 REFERENCES 2 APPENDICES 2 APPENDIX 1 SCORES OF HOFSTEDE´S RESEARCH 2 INTRODUCTION Negotiation is a very common phenomenon. It is a process that takes place in everyday life when two or more people have conflicting interests and they want to reach a common solution that benefits them both. In business life, it is widely used to form business relations in order to offer both parties some benefits. Face-to-face negotiations are crucial aspects of all inter-organisational relationships. They take place for example when agreeing on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and distribution agreements, and sales of products and services. (Adler - Graham 1989, 512-515.) The amount of foreign trade is increasing heavily and everyday more
Discuss the role of Media Studies in making sense of the political, economic and cultural meaning of everyday life.
Media Communication (COM1010) - Essay 1 Name: Hagen Dittmer Student Number: 19454821 Due Date: 31st March, 2004 Tutorial Details: Maya Ranganathan Thursday, 2pm, Menzies Building - W403 Question: Discuss the role of Media Studies in making sense of the political, economic and cultural meaning of everyday life. (1357 words) COM1010 - First Essay In the ever changing world in which we live, media plays an increasingly important role in our communities, societies and everyday lives. Media Studies enable us to delve into and make sense of the many forms of media that exist and the various techniques employed to involve target audiences. With an inconspicuous but powerful influence, media makes itself known in many aspects and processes of political, economic and cultural/social life, and by doing so, is also able to design and mould specific images in the minds of the audience - subtly present ideas and through specific techniques, gently force the ideas and opinions on us. Thus, studying media equips people with knowledge and the ability to be aware of such circumstances; not only be aware, but also to take the form of media, the sign or meaning, and analyse it. How it is working (techniques employed), why it is working, and to whom it is aimed at. When equipped with these 'abilities', one is able to, much like a mathematical formula, take a form of media and place it
"Different cultures have different truths
"Different cultures have different truths." "A truth is that which can be accepted universally". What are the implications for knowledge of agreeing with these opposing statements? "Different cultures have different truths." "A truth is that which can be accepted universally". By reformatting the word truth within the question to change it makes the question more comprehendible and more accurate. Instead of different cultures have different truths it can be interpreted as different cultures have different believes. The same can be applied to a truth is that which can be universally accepted. A more appropriate term instead of truth with still a similar meaning is a fact is that which can be accepted universally. I believe that it not necessarily how well proven a statement is but how widely accepted it is. As stated before many individual cultures have their own truths, which are only accepted within one culture but may be rejected by the outside world. Today's world is a world of opinion and generally what is considered the "truth" is what is accepted by the majority, beliefs of a minority are rejected and therefore do not have a very long lifespan. I believe that it is true that there are differences in beliefs and truths from culture to culture but this can only be said if a certain truth is looked at from a global point of view. Many cultural truths don't become
Article review- Deep Play/ Balinese Cockfight Clifford Geertz 1993
Maximiliane Pike 7994172 Deep Play/ Balinese Cockfight – Clifford Geertz 1993 Clifford Geertz has used symbolic and interpreted anthropology as a way of revealing ideas on Balinese culture, the symbol being the cockfight. Geertz had difficulty at first communicating and relating with the local people, however once he experienced the cockfight and ran away from the police like the locals did he was immediately welcomed and of high interest to the people of the town as it was of amusement. Here he states “In Bali, to be teased is to be accepted. It was the turning point so far as our relationship to the community was concerned, and we were quite literally ‘in’.” (Geertz 1993:416). Here he explains how suddenly from this experience he was able to bond., therefore it was through the cockfight Geertz could learn and communicate the Balinese culture. Geertz goes on to use this banal and mundane practice to unpack the tellings of this certain culture. He does not look for absolute truth but rather the meaning. He holds no views he just passes on his understanding, for example people may argue that cockfighting is morally wrong and barbaric however Geertz does not convey any judgement he is concerned in what the cockfight means for the Balinese, for example “the cock who landed the first blow usually proceeds to finish off his weakened opponent. But this is far
How have ethnographic analogies have been used in the interpretation of Prehistoric exchange systems?
ARGY10072 ID: 76680440 How have ethnographic analogies have been used in the interpretation of Prehistoric exchange systems? Illustrate your answer with ethnographic and archaeological examples. The use of ethnographic analogy as a method of archaeological interpretation has been the subject of debates in the discipline, ranging from attempts to change the theoretical framework of analogical interpretation (Ascher 1961), to dismissing the method altogether (Gould 1981 as quoted by Wylie 1985). This essay starts by defining the terms ‘ethnography’ and ‘ethnographic analogy’. The focus of the remainder of the essay is to explain some of the critiques on analogy and where they potentially originate from, by discussing how archaeologists have used ethnographic analogies in the interpretation of prehistoric exchange systems. It will be argued that, when used carefully, ethnographic analogy can provide valuable insights into prehistoric trade, exchange and culture. Ethnographic analogy ‘Ethnography’ is a method of study that is often used by anthropologists in order to study a contemporary culture. Often ethnography involves fieldwork and a prolonged stay with the ‘host’ society, in order to fully emerge oneself into a foreign culture. Doing so will help with the recording of data, as informants will trust the anthropologist more over time, helping him or her
The 1960's
Cultural narratives pertaining to any era are always extremely varied and often contradictory. This is certainly the case with those relating to the 1960s, as our culture is still analysing and critiquing both the events of the 1960s and their subsequent representations. Thus, by extension, our culture is still in the process of making meanings about the 1960s. Meanings circulate within a culture through narratives. Narratives differ across racial, ethnic, gender and age groups. They are also received and influenced differently depending on an individuals' sexual, political or religious persuasion. Despite the enormous variation and interpretation of cultural narratives, the way they circulate within the culture is always the same. That is, it is the dominant's narrative(s) which informs the majority of the representations. In this way the narrative of the dominant becomes naturalised as "the truth". The 1960s are widely regarded as a period characterised by rebellion, revolution and reform. However, the construction of this narrative has been solely through representations of the dominant. The assumption that all members of the culture were socially active is an exaggeration perpetuated by the dominant representations of the 1960s, as are the successes of social activism. However, the 1960s were a period in which many members of the culture actively sought and achieved
Organizational Culture.
.0 INTRODUCTION: Culture, as Eldridge and Crombie (1974, cited in Burnes, 1996, p.112) stated, refers 'to the unique configuration of norms, values, beliefs, ways of behaving and so on, that characterize the manner in which groups and individuals combine to get things done'. Every organization has its own unique culture even though they may not have tried to change, manage or manipulate it. Rather it will have been probably changed, managed or manipulated , based on the values of the top management or core people who build and/or direct that organization. Over time individuals (particularly the organization's leaders) attempt to change, manage or manipulate the culture of their organizations to fit their own preferences or changing marketplace conditions.Then this culture influences the decision-making processes, it affects styles of management and what everyone determines as success. When an organization is created, it becomes its own world and its culture becomes the foundation on which the organization will exist in the world. In the past decade, more and more companies have attempted to make significant changes in the way that they manage their businesses. In a world where rapid change has become the norm, a variety of forces have driven organizations to undertake task of changing their culture (Heifetz & Hagberg, 2003). 1.1 Definition of Organizational Culture:
Why is Political Tolerance an important element of a democratic political culture and what are the obstacles to Political Tolerance in South Africa?
Why is Political Tolerance an important element of a democratic political culture and what are the obstacles to Political Tolerance in South Africa? What is political tolerance? Political tolerance is the willingness to extend basic rights and civil liberties to persons and groups whose viewpoints differ from one's own. Being patient and tolerant of other peoples political perspectives and viewpoints. It is one of the central principles of a liberal democracy. The individual rights and freedoms that a culture of political tolerance affords its citizens encourages people to think for themselves without being afraid of intimidation, even if their opinions offend sections of the population. In South Africa the expression of those beliefs is protected by one of our core democratic tools, the Constitution. By allowing people to freely voice their political opinions, political tolerance also exposes those political ideas to criticism. Instead, if they were suppressed the majority of the population would not be able to give their evaluation on the ideas. Unfortunately we as humans are not born absolutely tolerant, but must learn to be tolerant. In a non-political context, when we are younger and play a game with other children who play it differently to us, depending on what we are taught, we will be tolerant of the other child. Therefore, in our youth, it is a very important