Analysis of My Last Duchess Essay -- Robert Browning, My Last Duchess

‘My Last Duchess’ is a poem written by Robert Browning in 1845. It’s a first person narrative of a duke who is showing the ambassador around his palace and negotiating his marriage to the daughter of another powerful family. As they are walking through the palace, the duke stops and looks at the beautiful portrait of his lovely last duchess. The duke speaks his thoughts about the girl, and as the poem progresses we begin to realize that his last duchess had been murdered. â€Å"†¦I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together,† This metaphorical sentence tells us that his commands were the ones that caused her death and her ‘stop of all smiles together’. The reason behind this is that she was flirtatious with all men because â€Å"she liked whate’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere†. The language techniques used in this poem emphasize the Duke’s Last Duchess’s flirtatious character. They also hint to us the themes of murder, jealousy, suspicion and the Duke’s psychopathic character. The word ‘I’ is quite often used. â€Å"The curtain I have drawn for you, but I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thi...

Othello Language

In Shakespeare’s Othello there is an immediate contrast between Iago and Othello’s language. In â€Å"Act1 scene 1† Iago’s first speech to Roderigo is of a revengeful nature and evil tone. â€Å"Despise me if I do not. Three great ones of the city (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant). † Iago is infuriated with Othello’s neglect of him, Shakespeare creates this foreshadow of a tragic outcome early on, but he misleads the audience into thinking that Iago’s language is justified. Furthering Iago’s support from the Elizabethans is that Othello is seen as an outsider.In Aristotle theory of poetics one of the main themes of tragedy are the aspect of awe and pity, and that the protagonist is not introduced straight away. The audience automatically feels pity for poor Iago, as he has to beg Roderigo for money and has been deprived a promotion and because Othello is not primarily introduced he has no way of proving his justificat ion for appointing Cassio. This in the eyes of the Elizabethans makes Othello the antagonist. In â€Å"Act 1 scene 1†. Othello's mind is poetic but simple, he is not observant.His nature tends outward. He is quite free from self examination, and is not given to reflection. Emotion gives him his imagination, but it confuses and dulls his intellect. In â€Å"Act 1 Scene 2† Shakespeare’s use of poetical linguistics limits Othello’s views on other characters â€Å"honest Iago†. One of the main contrasts of language in Othello is â€Å"Act 1 Scene 2†. This is when the audience became aware of Iago’s duplicitous nature, at the beginning of the play he speaks of his resentment filled hate â€Å"I know my price, I am worth no worse a place.But he (as loving his own pride and purposes)† but he warns Othello of Brabantio’s â€Å"bad intentions†. Shakespeare showed the transformation in Iago’s language when he was int eracting with other characters. This presented the audiences growing distrust. However articulate Othello is commanding, but arrogant â€Å"Keep up your bright swords for the dew will rust them† confident in his speech, he wooed â€Å"virtuous† Desdemona with his â€Å"enchanting† war stories.Shakespeare wanted the audience to be in awe of Othello and pity evoked for Iago in â€Å"Act 1 Scene 2† allowing the audience to empathise. At this point of the play, dramatic irony sets the scene as the audience know of Iago’s â€Å"villainous† plans, but engrossed Othello has fallen under the hypnotism of love. Shakespeare’s use of language presents his obsession with â€Å"sweet† Desdemona as thereâ€Å"love is Olympus high†. â€Å"Act 1 Scene 3†

Cultural Analysis – Taiwan

Abstract This paper is an analysis of culture within Taiwan. It will focus on how different cultural elements and dimensions effect and influence business in Taiwan. This paper will also look into the implications for businesses from the United States seeking to conduct business within Taiwan. Taiwan has a unique blend of traditional Chinese cultural as well as modern Western influences. It is an open and welcoming culture and one that plays an important role in the East Asian economy. Global Business Cultural Analysis: Taiwan Introduction to Taiwan Taiwan is a small island country located off the east coast of China in Asia. Also known as the Republic of China (ROC), it is the place where the ROC settled after losing control of mainland China to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan’s population is made up of mostly Han Chinese with a few other Chinese ethnic groups and a smaller number of aboriginal tribes. The official language spoken in Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese; however, about 70% of people in Taiwan speak both Mandarin and a dialect known as Taiwanese. Another dialect call Hakka is spoken by about 15% of the population and the aboriginals have several other dialects as well (Deaton & Paxson, 2000). Taiwan has unique political status because of their strained relationship with China. At present, the PRC claims it has control over Taiwan and its territories, even though the PRC has never has exercised any governmental control over those regions. China has threatened to put political pressure on any country wanting to officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, which has led many countries, including the United States, to only recognize Taiwan in an unofficial capacity. These countries, while still doing business with Taiwan, are forced to only officially recognize China, thereby reducing Taiwan’s global influence (Friedberg, 2005). On the economic front, Taiwan has done very well in the past few years, experiencing rapid economic growth. It is commonly referred to as one of the East Asian Tigers, a group which includes Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The countries in this group were relatively poor until around the 1960’s when they underwent educational reforms. These educational reforms, coupled with their cheap yet dynamic workforce helped industrialize their countries and spark rapid economic growth. â€Å"In the 21st century, all four regions have since graduated into advanced economies and high-income economies† (Vadra, 2010, p. 0). Although the economic growth rate in Taiwan has slowed recently, it remains at a relatively high, yet sustainable rate. What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in Taiwan? Taiwan, like almost every country, has many different elements and dimensions of culture woven together to form an intricate and unique society. These components of so ciety affect day to day life in both obvious and also unexpected ways. Taiwan has the same core grouping of cultural elements that one would think of affecting any country: communication, religion, ethics, moral values, social structure, and education. However, the main elements which control the actions of most individuals and society as a whole will differ from other countries. For Taiwan, education and religion along with social structure play the major roles in the shaping of Taiwanese culture. It will be found that the main, guiding cultural elements in Taiwan, such as their religions, the sources from which they get their values and attitudes, and also their feelings of responsibility, are especially different from the main cultural elements guiding most of the western world. 1. 2. Communication Communication plays a major role in any functioning society. The way people communication and interpret the communications of others can drastically shape the actions of a society. Communication within a culture can usually be defined as either low context or high context. In low context cultures, â€Å"cultural behavior and beliefs may need to be spelled out explicitly so that those coming into the cultural environment know how to behave† (Satterlee, 2009). On the other hand, in high context cultures, â€Å"as a result of years of interaction with each other, many aspects of cultural behavior are not made explicit, because most members know what to do and what to think† (Satterlee, 2009). Communication within Taiwan is high context, with more nonverbal forms of communication used than in low context countries, such as the United States or United Kingdom. Even the official spoken language of Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese, is a high context language (Hall, 2000). High context communication. High context communication implies that â€Å"there is less verbally detailed communication and less written/formal information. Instead, there is a more subliminal understanding of what is communicated† (Kuo-Ying & Majtaba, 2010). Duties and responsibilities are frequently assumed or subtly implied rather than directly assigned or commanded. Elements of communication in high context cultures such as Taiwan include indirect and embellished verbal messages, avoidance of directly challenging another person’s opinions, and situational changes. Also, an importance is placed on personal face-to-face interaction. Nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication plays a large role in the communication process in high context countries like Taiwan. Elements, such as facial expression, eye movement, the tone of voice, gestures, and body language are all important parts of communication within Taiwanese culture. Religious beliefs Taiwan has a large population of people practicing eastern religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and small bits of Confucianism, as well as a small but growing Christian and Catholic population (Chou, & Chen, 2005). It is also common for individuals to do some mixing of religions to accommodate their personal ideas or desires. Most religions in Taiwan incorporate ancestral worship, which is a large part of the religious practices in Taiwan. Ancestral worship even affects national holidays within Taiwan. Ancestral worship in Taiwan. Ancestral worship is a religious act born from the belief that an individual’s ancestors have a continued existence after death and that these spirits of deceased family members have the ability to influence things in the physical world. Ancestral worship is practiced by some out of respect and honor for their ancestral heritage. For others, however, it is practiced more out of fear of upsetting spirits that may possibly influence the individual’s fortune on earth. In Taiwan, several national holidays are focused around ancestral worship practices. Among these holidays is Tomb Sweeping Day, a holiday where families visit the graves of their ancestors to attend to their burial place as well as pay homage. Another holiday which sprang from the traditions of ancestor worship is Ghost Festival, which is a time where people place food outside their homes to feed wandering spirits. Chinese New Year also has its roots in the traditions of ancestor worship and is a time often used by families to pay their respects to their ancestors (Newell, 1976). The role of Buddhism in Taiwan. Buddhism and Taoism are the two foremost religions practiced in Taiwan. Combined, they are practiced by more than 75% of the religious population in Taiwan (USDS, 2008). Although Buddhism teaches the putting aside of earthly ties and possessions, including family, influences from both Taoism and Confucianism and integrated some forms of ancestral worship into practiced Buddhism within Taiwan. The role of Taoism in Taiwan. Taoism and Buddhism together are the two largest religions in Taiwan. The beginning of the Taoist religion came from the early Chinese nature worshipers. Taoist beliefs center on the idea that all things have a natural order and that through obtaining harmony with nature one can obtain eternal life. These beliefs add to the non-confrontational aspects of Taiwan’s high context culture. The role of Confucianism in Taiwan Confucianism, though practiced in Taiwan by lesser numbers than Taoism or Buddhism, is to many â€Å"an honored school of thought and ethical code† (USDS, 2008). Very similar to Taoism, Confucianism has more of a focus on performing well within society and also ritualistic ancestor worship. The Role of Christianity in Taiwan. Christian churches have been active in Taiwan for many years, and today, the population includes a small but significant percentage of Christians† (USDS, 2008). Both Catholic and Mormon churches are set up in Taiwan, but their numbers are much smaller. A majority of the aboriginal population in Taiwan are Christian. Ethical practices Ethical standards are often tied very closely to the culture in which they are practiced. According to Stedham, Yamanura, and Lai in an article examining Japanese and Taiwanese ethics: â€Å"ethics cannot be understood independent of the local cultural fabric† (2008). Taiwanese tend to be very utilitarian representing â€Å"a collectivist culture that tends to be more homogeneous and has a greater group orientation† (Muk, 2007). Therefore, ethical decisions made by Taiwanese people are likely to focus on the wellbeing of their social group. Values and attitudes â€Å"Values are invisible and a ‘core element of culture’. These invisible values become evident in behavior. Decision making and the resulting actions and behavior are manifestations of the predominant values in a culture† (Stedham et al. , 2008). In Taiwan, many of the values center around the individual’s social groups, most notably, the family. Saving face is another factor which often influences and motivates decision making within the Taiwanese culture. The concept of face is â€Å"related to the preference for harmony and avoidance of conflict. One aspect of face is concerned with a person’s moral character which can only be earned by fulfilling one’s obligation to others† (Stedham et al. , 2008). Face also includes â€Å"one’s reputation or prestige which can be earned through accomplishments or through bureaucratic or political power† (Stedham et al. 2008). Great lengths will be taken to avoid situations which might cause damage or embarrassment for one’s self or other resulting in a loss of face. Another factor affecting Taiwanese cultural attitudes is the concept of guanxi, which literally translated means relationship. Having a good reputation and relations on both a personal and professional level is very important to Taiwanese people. Attitudes toward gender within Taiwanese society. Gender, though in the process of equalizing, still plays an important role within Taiwanese society. Research indicates that women in Taiwan’s job market â€Å"suffer lower earnings than men as job opportunities are not made available to them due to the labor market discrimination, family responsibilities, or lack of job mobility† (Bishop, Gronder, Liu, & Chiou, 2007). However, due to the fact that Taiwan’s industry is constantly growing, with more jobs in the labor market being filled with female workers, discrimination against females in both hiring and compensation is effectively diminishing over time (Bishop et al. , 2007). Generational differences. Younger generations tend to follow the religious or ethical guidelines set by their predecessors more out of tradition than true belief. Therefore, there is some movement away from previously accepted religious thoughts and ideas within the younger generations in Taiwan. Recent research indicates that â€Å"young Chinese people seem not to identify themselves with traditional Chinese values and Confucian ethics. Maybe it is the result of conflict between Eastern and Western cultures. However, traditional thoughts still significantly influence most people in Chinese ocieties† (Lin & Ho, 2009). Social structures Social structures are very important in Taiwan because the culture is quite Unitarian in its design. One of the largest and most central social structures in Taiwan is family and filial piety. Religion, because of its widespread acceptance, is also a major social structure in Taiwan. Another important social structure is politics with many people in Taiwan voicing their opinions on political matters, especially those matters dealing with mainland China. Military service also has bearing within society, and is an inevitable part of young men’s lives in Taiwan due to the fact that military service is compulsory. The importance of filial piety. Especially popular in Confucian households, filial piety is, along with brotherly love, considered the ‘roots’ of humanity. It is believed that the way perfect virtue and human perfection will become evident as an individual shows care and respect for these ‘roots’ of humanity (Ruiping, 2006). This belief translates into strong familial ties within the Taiwanese culture, as well as deep feelings of responsibility to one’s family. The cultural effects of politics. A Datamonitor country profile of Taiwan stated: â€Å"the issue of reunification with mainland China continues to dominate domestic politics and international relations. With both the People’s Republic of China (the mainland) and the Republic of China (Taiwan) claiming to be the legitimate authority over Taiwanese land, frequent tensions between the two are common† (2010). Within Taiwan, the debate over international policy with China is ongoing, with some in favor of increasing ties with the mainland and others advocating more independence for Taiwan. Another aspect of the strained relationship between Taiwan and China is the fact that China has greater influence in the global arena and has therefore been able to stop Taiwan’s efforts in seeking to gain global recognition as a sovereign national by the United Nations. China has also threatened severing diplomatic standings with any country to officially recognize Taiwan as its own nation. Therefore, many countries, including the United States maintain unofficial diplomatic ties with Taiwan, keeping their official diplomatic status with China intact. Mandatory military service. It is written into Taiwanese law that males between the ages of 18 and 22 are eligible for selective compulsory military service. Service duration is 12 months. Males students seeking higher education can obtain deferments, were they have several years to complete their education before serving their time in the military. Also, any citizen between the ages of 19 and 36 are considered eligible for drafting into the Taiwan military (USDS, 2008). Education Education is a very important part of Taiwanese society. Because of the high population density in Taiwan, there are high levels of competition for spots in top universities as well as positions in the job market. Academic excellence is so emphasized by parents that it often creates stress for students, who feel pressured to be the best. Emphases on education. Even though Taiwan’s laws mandate education through the ninth grade, approximately 95% of students go on to some form of higher education. Many parents see education as the best way to advance their children’s future. Taiwan also has a large number of cram schools for subjects ranging from math and English to sports. Students will often spend several hours after the normal school day or on weekends getting extra tutoring and study at cram schools. High stress levels in education faced by students. According to statistical analysis by Cheng Kai-Wen, some of the biggest contributors to stress for Taiwanese college students include fear of inferiority, excessively high expectations from parents, anxiety about the future, and lack of sleep (2009). Many parents believe that a better life can be achieved through academic excellence and therefore push their children to perform well in school. This mind set from parents can lead to children who feel guilt or shame when they are not performing up to expectations. Though Taiwan has not seen the high rates of student suicide that its Asian neighbor South Korea has experienced, it is not unheard of for students to take their own life after poor test performances. Higher education. Higher education is popular in Taiwan and, due to an increasing number of universities, greater numbers of students are able to attend under-graduate and graduate schools. How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business in Taiwan? Successful businesses will understand the culture they are operating within and seek to incorporate elements of that culture into their policies and practices in order to be more appealing to their target markets. Therefore, many elements of culture will automatically be integrated into locals’ businesses. In Taiwan, cultural elements such as religion, education, and attitudes are sown into the fabric of local businesses. This section will examine how elements such as religion, education, and ethics are taken from the surrounding culture and integrated into local businesses within Taiwan. 1. 2. 3. Religion in local business Research done on the affects of religion in business negotiation styles indicated that the principles of Buddhism as well as Confucianism can have an effect on the business making decision made by Taiwanese (Farazmand, Tu, & Daneefard, 2011). Business decision made will take into account the good of the group over the good of the individual. Also, because of the high religious population, there is a large market for items used in religious practices such as incense burners, paper money, good luck charms, prayer beads, and religious ornaments. Education and its effects on business With increasing levels of education in Taiwan has come increased competition for better and higher paying jobs. This increased competition has led to a rapid growth in the number of people obtaining higher education degrees, such as masters or doctorate degrees (Wang, 2003). Taiwan’s economy is very open to small business owners, which gives those with the education and desire to start their own business a welcoming and available environment. Business ethics and attitudes In Taiwan it is believed that â€Å"ethical standards and moral conduct must come from within business people† (Cavico, Majtaba,Venezia, & Venezia, (2011). Many ethical standards and cultural attitudes in Taiwan are rooted in their religious beliefs, especially the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Taiwanese businesses incorporate these standards of hard work, and family responsibility. Often, the unwritten cultural norms are relied upon to govern the decisions of employees. Also, the concept of corporate social responsibility is gain more popularity in Taiwan, with more people calling for corporations to operate in a more honest and open manner (Ip, 2007). Generational differences. As the new generations shift away from the traditional religious practices and beliefs held by previous generations there is also a shift in moral and ethical standards. Thought possibly to be a result of the increasing embracement of Western culture, this shift in viewpoint within Taiwan could actually be beneficial for American businesses within Taiwan due to the fact that the younger generations are moving more towards Western values and ideas. After researching moral cognizance in both the United States and Taiwan, Cavico et al. ecommended a stronger push not only for business ethics education, but for the incorporation of teaching ethics into every aspect of education (2011). How do these factors compare with culture and business within the United States? The differences between high context and low context cultures include communication differences, relational differences, as well as religious and educational differences. Research has shown that there is a â€Å"significant di fference between Taiwan and America in individualism/collectivism attitude† (Jung-Tsung, 2010). Communicational differences Communication differences between the United States and Taiwan involve so much more than a simple difference of spoken languages. There is a completely different style of communicating with different backgrounds of understanding as well as different personal beliefs and goals. Businesses in the United States operate within a low context culture whereas businesses in Taiwan operate within a high context culture. To cross this barrier will require American businesses to have an understanding of high context communication and managers that are capable of working within a high context environment. Comparing high context and low context cultures. â€Å"High context communication tends to be more indirect, ambiguous, and understated than low context communication, which is direct and precise, and expresses feelings and intentions rather open† (Usunier, & Roulin, 2010). Therefore, business communication may contain more implied concepts in Taiwan than business communication in the United States. Religion in the workplace The United States approach to dealing with religion in the workplace has been one of suppressing outward signs and discussion of religion so as to avoid any potential conflict which may arise. Taiwan tends to be more accepting of displays of religion, probably due to their focus on group harmony. Many prominent businessmen in Taiwan are very open about their religious affiliations, making charitable donations in the name of their religion (Hoh, 2002). Religious discussion is allowed and sometime encouraged, but when issues become uncomfortable or divisive it is ignored or avoided. Education emphasis in the US compared to in Taiwan In Taiwan, there is an emphasis put on education by parents and also businesses looking to hire new employees. In fact, education is emphasized so heavily that â€Å"attendance at  cram  schools  is an experience that the majority of Taiwanese have while growing up† (Liu, 2012). This causes individuals to seek higher education such as graduate degrees or doctorates in order to obtain highly contended, higher level jobs. Social Structures One of the main differences between Taiwanese social structures and those in the United States is the strong family connection maintained by the Taiwanese people. While Americans still view family as an important group in society, the feelings of filial piety in the United States are not as deep and motivating as they are in Taiwan. Also, religion, while still a factor in American culture is not as prevalent to the culture as it is in Taiwan. What are the implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in Taiwan? Businesses seeking to conduct business within Taiwan should have a clear and complete understanding of how business is done in Taiwan. Not only should they learn laws and regulations which will be relevant to their desired business, but they must also study the culture to understand the people and what motivates and inspires them. Businesses from the United States who are studying the culture of Taiwan will discover important differences between American and Taiwanese ways of doing business. They will then need to incorporate policy which will successfully blend the needs and goals of their business with the needs and goals of the Taiwanese culture. Possible miscommunication Whenever companies conduct business in a foreign country, language must be taken into account. The Taiwan’s national language is Mandarin Chinese, with some of the population speaking Hakka along with some aboriginal dialects. There has been a strong push recently to learn English in Taiwan, with English classes being mandatory in school and a large number of English cram schools open for further training. Even so, the English level may be quite low, so American businesses seeking business opportunities in Taiwan should have interpreters who have a complete knowledge of both languages. An understanding of the culture is also important when communicating and research on cultural do’s and don’ts should be conducted before initiating communication to avoid confusion and unintentional offense. For example, it is offensive in Taiwanese culture to give a clock or watch to someone as a gift because it symbolizes the termination of the relationship. A full understanding of the culture will help businesses from the United States in forming good relationships and create good guanxi for their company in Taiwan (Stedham et al. , 2008). Accommodating religious freedom It is important for American businesses to understand and facilitate the different religious practices in Taiwan. As simple as insuring employees have adequate time off for important religious holidays and not requiring them to break their religious convictions, such as vegetarianism, respecting and accommodating the religious beliefs of the Taiwanese will help to insure the success of a prospective business there. The cultural element of avoiding conflict will help to make sure no religious discrimination or fighting will take place so businesses need not worry about that aspect as much as they do in America. Ethical policies Businesses from the United States with operations in Taiwan should have ethics policies that are written with the Taiwanese culture in mind. They should remember that, often times, there is no need to spell everything out specifically. With the concept of corporate social responsibility become more prevalent in Taiwan, it will be important for American business to highlight appropriate social involvement (Ip, 2007). Understand employee’s family focus. One aspect that businesses can encourage their employees to focus on is family. This will demonstrate the company’s commitment to one of Taiwan’s most important social structures, the family. The encouragement and facilitation of strong family ties will go a long way to establish a favorable public image for foreign companies operating within Taiwan. Effects of current political environment Taiwan’s economy is currently independent of China; however, any foreign business in Taiwan would be wise to watch the political relationship between mainland China and Taiwan very closely. Taiwan has been slowly moving towards closer ties with China which would allow China to â€Å"assert increasing influence over Taiwan. As a consensus emerges in Taiwan on establishing closer relations with China, the thaw [of political tensions] is calling into question the United States' deeply ambiguous policy, which is supposed to serve both Taiwan's interests (by allowing it to retain its autonomy) and the United States' own (by guarding against an expansionist China)† (Gilley, 2010). Should China be allowed to exert control over Taiwan’s economy and political environment it could drastically change the way foreign businesses are allowed to operate in Taiwan. The effects of national healthcare on business. While healthcare is not a major cultural issue, it is useful to note that Taiwan currently has nationalized healthcare, offering inexpensive healthcare to all their citizens. While some in Taiwan oppose this system of healthcare because it can be easily abused, national healthcare would affect businesses by lowering their employee coverage costs. Conclusion With favorable ties to the United States and growing acceptance of the Western world, Taiwan is a promising opportunity for businesses from the United States. With careful research and consideration of the culture, Taiwan could be a very profitable venture. American companies in Taiwan should be careful not to ignore the strong cultural elements in Taiwan, such as religion, family, and communication differences. However, because of Taiwan’s willingness and eagerness to work with foreign business and to expand its global presence, it is very open to foreign commerce. Taiwan’s rapid growth and solid economy can be a very useful tool in the future as they seek to gain wider global acceptance. Taiwan’s favorable economic situation provides the ideal environment for businesses from the United States. American businesses can take advantage of the available workforce and welcoming culture found in Taiwan. Ultimately, Taiwan is a culture that is based in tradition, yet still open to new ideas and influences. The people are friendly and accepting of foreigners into their culture. They are eager to share their culture with others. On the business side of things, Taiwanese companies work together with many American corporations and the both the culture and regulations in Taiwan in favorable to incoming businesses. Even though Taiwan has faced many challenges in the past and will continue to face those challenges in the future, mainly the task of reaching satisfactory and beneficial foreign relationships with China, Taiwan has remained strong and continued to grow. Taiwan is certain to have a bright future in the world arena. References Bishop, J. A. , Grodner, A. , Liu, H. ; Chiou, J. (2007). Gender earnings differentials in Taiwan: A stochastic frontier approach. Journal Of Asian Economics,  18(6), 934-945. Chou, T. , ; Chen, M. (2005). An exploratory investigation of differences in personality traits and faith maturity among major religions in Taiwan. Chinese Journal of Psychology,  47(4), 311-327. Datamonitor: Taiwan. (2010). Taiwan Country Profile, 1-76. Deaton, A. , ; Paxson, C. (2000). Growth, demogra phic structure, and national saving in Taiwan. Population and Development Review,  26, 141-173. Erling, H. 2002). Buddha business. Far Eastern Economic Review,165(35), 54. Gilley, B. (2010). Not so dire straits. Foreign Affairs,  89(1), 44-60. Hall, E. T. (2000). Context and meaning. In L. A. Samovar ; R. E. Porter (Eds. ). Intercultural communication: A reader (9th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co. Farazmand, F. A. , Tu, Y. , ; Daneefard, H. (2011). Is religious culture a factor in negotiation: a cross-cultural comparison of Iran, Taiwan and the United States. Journal Of International Business Research,  10(1), 27-44. Friedberg, A. (2005). The future of U. S. -China relations: Is conflict inevitable? †Ã‚  International Security  30(2), 7-45 Ip, P. (2007). Corporate social responsibility and crony capitalism in taiwan. Journal of Business Ethics,  77(1-2), 167-177. Jung-Tsung, T. (2010). Cross-cultural comparisons between Taiwan and America. Interdisciplin ary Journal Of Contemporary Research In Business,  2(4), 116-129. Kai-Wen, C. (2009). A study of stress sources among college students in Taiwan. Journal Of Academic & Business Ethics,21-8. Kuo-Ying, H. , & Mujtaba, B. G. (2010). Stress, task, and relationship orientations of Taiwanese adults: an examination of gender in this high-context culture. Journal Of International Business & Cultural Studies,  31-13. Liu, J. (2012). Does cram schooling matter? Who goes to cram schools? Evidence from Taiwan. International Journal Of Educational Development,  32(1), 46-52. Lin, L. , & Ho, Y. (2009). Confucian dynamism, culture and ethical changes in Chinese societies – a comparative study of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. International Journal Of Human Resource Management,  20(11), 2402-2417. Muk, A. 2007). Cultural influences on adoption of SMS advertising: A study of American and Taiwanese consumers. Journal Of Targeting, Measurement & Analysis For Marketing,  16(1), 39-47. Newell, W. H. (1976). Ancestors. Chicago, IL: Aldine Publishing Company. Ruiping, F. (2006). Confucian Filial Piety and Long Term Care for Aged Parents. HEC Forum,  18(1), 1-17. Satterlee, B. (2009). Cross Border Commerce  (pp. 40 -43). Roanoke, VA: Synergistics Inc. Stedham, Y. , Yamanura, J. H. , & LAI, S. (2008). Business Ethics in Japan and Taiwan: Relativist and Utilitarian Perspectives. Asia Pacific Business Review,  14(4), 535-551. United States Department of State, Background Note: Taiwan. (2008). Background Notes on Countries of the World: Taiwan, 1-12. Usunier, J. , & Roulin, N. (2010). The influence of high- and low-context communication styles on the design, content, and language of business-to-business web sites. Journal Of Business Communication,  47(2), 189-227. Vadra, R. (2010). India's Trade with Asian Tigers. Journal Of Marketing & Management,  1(1), 49-69. Venezia, C. C. , Venezia, G. , Cavico, F. J. , & Mujtaba, B. G. (2011). Is Ethics

the crash that changed my life Essays

the crash that changed my life Essays the crash that changed my life Essay the crash that changed my life Essay The Crash that changed my life Paris Tallman Developmental Writing Life can be very unpredictable, there are many accidents everyday. Some people perceive these events as unfortunate, while others believe it to be an act of god. Whenever I witness car accidents on the road, I view them as to be very unfortunate for the people involved. I never imagined one day I would firsthand experience the event of being in a car accident. I remember it as if it was yesterday. On Sunday, September 16th, 2012, my grandfather picked me up from work and we were on our way to go shopping at Wal- Mart. My grandfather went to make a turn and then BOOM! All of a sudden my entire life changed. A car sped through a red light hitting my side of the car, at 70 miles per hour. The first thing I remember was the extreme pain I felt. My hips and my entire lower body felt as if they were put in a large compacter and crushed. I feared that the pain in itself might cause me to die. Even though the pain was severe, I knew I had other things of great importance to pay attention to. The second thing I remember is when I looked over at my grandfather. The oment our car was struck he lost consciousness. I was fully conscious and aware of what Just occurred. Overwhelmed with fear, I truly thought my grandfather was dead. I screamed out as loud as I possibly could, in attempt to wake him up. I noticed how the car was still moving, slowly rolling its way towards a wooded area. When my first attempt in waking up my grandfather failed, I tried a different approach. I struggled to free my arm, and I began to shake my grandfathers shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes, and regained consciousness. He quickly put the car in park and pulled the mergency brake to stop the car. Once he had fully awakened, he went into a state of shock. He looked around realizing what Just happened along with seeing the condition I was in. He hastily Jumped out of the car and repetitively cried out What did I do? What did I do? Look at what Ive done! He sounded as if he was riddled with extreme guilt. Even though I had debilitating pain and injuries, I knew at that moment I had to be the stronger person in this situation. I saw the sheer panic and sorrow my grandfather felt, it showed all over his face and body language. In my mind, I had to consider my grandfather has had heart problems. I was so grateful Just for the fact that we both were alive, I did not want anything to risk changing that. I gasped for air, taking in a deep breath, I yelled out to my grandfather, Papa relax! Im okay! Everything is fine, we are both alive! Im Just in a lot of pain though so please calm down. Its not your fault, and all that matters is that we are okay! We are alive! We are still alive! Im still alive! I tried to stop crying, or at least cry less and cry quieter. I did not want my grandfather to have any more tress than he already had, because I feared his heart might stop. Words cant explain how grateful and lucky I felt to be alive. I kept thanking god and saying out loud, Thank you god, Oh thank you god for letting me live. Words cant explain how grateful and lucky I felt to be alive. Everything seemed to be happening in slow and ambulance to come and save me. I saw a man and a woman pulled over. The man ran fast but cautiously, towards my car. At the time, I did not realize the man and woman were my next door neighbors. They witnessed the accident and came to help me. I begged the man, Sir please, Im in a lot of pain. Help me move and get to the center console of the car, please. The man looked at me with fear and doubt. He made an attempt to lift me but was unsuccessful. His wife heard me ask to be moved and she said not to move me. I cried and pleaded for help. The woman told me to calm down explaining they didnt know what injuries I might have, therefore its best they did not touch me. All I could do was pray and continue to wait for the police and ambulance. Eventually the police arrived along with the ambulance, firefighters and a firetruck. I remember the shocked look on everyones face. It must have been difficult to see such a young girl in a horrible situation. While everyone saw me as a poor victim, I saw everyone there as my heroes. The firefighters told me the only way they were able to get me out of the car was to use the Jaws of life. At that point, I told them to do whatever it took to get me out of the car. I kept thanking every police officer, medical person, firefighter and anyone else on the scene. I looked into their eyes and told them Thank you, you helped save my life. Thank god I am still alive. When they orked on cutting me out of the car, the sound of the Jaws of life was the loudest noise I have ever heard in my life. Once I was free from the car, they put me on a stretcher and got me into the ambulance. Before they shut the doors, I yelled out to thank everyone, to let them know how grateful I was and how important they were to me. My entire family as well as my boyfriend, were waiting for me at the hospital. I was so happy to see everyone. The doctor did tests and found I had 8 fractures in my pelvis and hips. I also had cartilage damage and other injuries. I thought the fight as completely over, but I still had pain and a long recovery process. Over time I made a full recovery, with some permanent damage but nothing too severe. I sued the other driver and I won the lawsuit, winning more than $100,000. Even though the car accident was such a horrible event, there were many positive things IVe learned and received from it. I received money, which doesnt buy happiness but it helped me buy a car. I learned strength, wisdom, and most of all how valuable life is. I know without a doubt this was not only an unfortunate event, but this was also an act of god.

A Definition of Liberal Media Bias

A Definition of Liberal Media Bias A  Gallup poll found that just 40% of Americans trust the media to fairly and accurately report the news. Much of this has to do with the liberal tilt of news coverage and stories. In politics, conservatives often deal with an overwhelming liberal bias within the mainstream media, which includes the news divisions of major broadcast networks and major newspapers. This is typically just referred to as media bias. Media bias does not refer to the political punditry class as political affiliations are usually known and the commentary is intended as opinion-oriented. Media bias does not refer to media figures such as Rachel Maddow, Bill OReilly, and Al Sharpton who are expected to give political viewpoints. What Is Media Bias?   Media bias refers to the allegedly objective journalists in print and media who intentionally - and sometimes unintentionally - report or cover stories in a way favorable to Democrats and liberals and unfavorable to Republicans and conservatives. Journalists such as Dan Rather, Bob Schieffer, and Wolf Blitzer who portray themselves as pure newsmen could have their biases exposed by delivering one-sided news stories. Dan Rathers attempted takedown of George W. Bush comes to mind. Examples of Media Bias Barack Obama received free passes in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential races as the media was primarily interested in highlighting the historic nature of Obamas campaign. While Sarah Palin was heavily criticized by the media as lacking the experience to be Vice-President, the question was never a major issue with the decidedly less-experienced Obama. In 2012, the media turned every statement by Mitt Romney (dogs on vacation!) into stories that lasted weeks, while at the same time refusing to cover the Fast and Furious scandal or the Benghazi attacks with seriousness. And CNNs Candy Crowley infamously interrupted a debate exchange between Romney and Obama by debating Romney herself on Benghazi. (She was wrong, but the ramifications were huge.) While VP Joe Biden could barely take the stage without making a hysterical gaffe during his tenure, his sanity or competence was never questioned in the way that Dan Quayles was for once adding an e at the end of potato during a spelling bee. That the card was given to Quayle by the school with the incorrect spelling and that Quayle had questioned the spelling on the card is the part of the story the media always enjoys ignoring. While Democrats regularly get softball question and answer sessions from serious journalists, conservatives are usually left answering absurd questions based on absurd assumptions. When a deranged gunman shot Congresswoman Gabby Giffords of Arizona, the media had absolutely no problem claiming Sarah Palin was to blame because she once had a map on her website that had used a target on it to imply that it was going to be a competitive congressional race. Unbiased, Fair and Objective   The problem with media bias is that the journalist and media personalities are claiming to be unbiased, fair, and objective but typically end up delivering one-sided viewpoints disguised as fact. Many Americans will not look deeper into every issue presented by the media, instead of taking the stories at face value. Any information that might dispel the media bias myths has to be actively sought. Pronunciation: me-di-a bÄ «Ã‰â„¢s Also Known As: Mainstream Media; Lamestream media (Sarah Palin); Dinosaur Media (Laura Ingraham) Alternate Spellings: none Common Misspellings: none Examples In a free country, people depend on the media for their information about government and other powerful institutions. If the press sounds the alarm about some danger, people have to pay attention. But if they have lost confidence in the press – because of its biases – then there’s a good chance we’ll ignore the warning. And that could be dangerous. - Bernard Goldberg on Media Bias 60 Minutes used to be synonymous with gotcha, and it certainly was when it broke the Abu Ghraib story to hurt Bush in 2004, and when Dan Rather flaunted fake Texas Air National Guard documents to hurt Bush months later. In the 2008 election cycle, â€Å"60 Minutes† asked John McCain why he would let the Wall Street executives sail away on their yachts and leave this [bailout] on the American taxpayer? They hammered Romney about avoiding military service – and his five sons avoiding military service. Kroft has never asked Obama about his failure to serve in the military, and he certainly never asked about whether he had premarital sex with his wife – which Mike Wallace threw at Romney. - Brent Bozell

American History Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

American History - Article Example Later on, in 1948, Johnson vied for Senate and won. Whilst he was a senator, in the 1950s, his position on civil rights was clear, especially when he passed the Civil Rights Act in 1960, he wanted to end racial discrimination (Heasman, 2011). Johnson came to office following the tragic assassination of President Kennedy, in 1963, as he was the Vice-president. However, in 1964, he won the presidential elections and set on to keep President Kennedy’s programs alive, including the Civil Rights Movement. Johnson relied on convincing Congress to the Civil Rights Act in 1964 as the Act did away with most discrimination the Black Americans and other races were facing (Cokie and Steve, 2004). However, this was not easy as he was facing resistance on the same Act from the Southerners in the US. His motives were crystal as he aimed at getting rid of racial discrimination against the non-natives; moreover, this would guarantee him more votes in the following elections (Cokie and Steve,

Critical review on norther canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical review on norther canada - Essay Example He is one of the most qualified and eminent scientists of fresh water today. Professor John P. Smol is a professor in the Department of Biology and also chairs Environmental Change at Queen’s University. He has rested his entire career to the study of environment and problems related. His work has been widely used in acid-rain debates and in studies related to global environmental change. He has written more than 230 publications and will soon publish his thirteenth book related to environmental issues. In the last ten years he has been awarded 18 medals, fellowships and various prizes for his phenomenal contribution. The article throws light on the impact of climate warming on the Arctic over the North America, Eurasian Arcitic and other polar regions. The authors stress that Arctic is high latitude system which has come under threat due to warm climate and human-caused environmental activities. The paper seeks to refute claims and the widely believed perception that Arctic l akes, ponds and rivers are immune from the impact of activities undertaken by humans. It is explained how changing albeta and cold water biota make them sensitive to climate changes and green house warming only accelerates the process. They suspect Arctic Aquatic fauna to comprise of a high concentration of contaminants due to changes in its lakes and rivers over the years. The purpose of the paper is to point out the gravity of impact of human activities on the Arctic and it is way more than most environmental mangers predict. The authors cite Sprague’s (2006) work â€Å"Great wet north? Canada's myth of water abundance† in pointing out that the flowery stories planted by Canadian media and politicians over abundance of water in the region are a fluke. Sprague’s work is correctly quoted to correct the false impressions people have about the country’s water resources. The biggest strength of this paper is the consistency of the work. The authors of the pa per do not digress. This assertion is repeated again with a plausible concern in the end when Krummel’s (2003) work is cited to explain why in high latitude regions politicians tend to ignore environmental problem. It is well illustrated with a lot of pictures and graphs. The article is well supported with a lot of correctly cited statistical references. For instance, the authors point out Brunskill’s hydrological figures when stating that most lakes in the north have less than one percent of their water replaced every year. However, there are places, where the authors could have gotten into more insight for instance they assert that high exposure to ultra-violet rays can inflict a lot of harm to the DNA in phytoplankton’s and zoo-planktons. Hessen and Williamsons work from the nineties is quoted but without any further explanation. When I piqued through their work, I figured they had also explained how and what causes the damage. Again while specifying how snow cover affects lake properties, they point out by citing Sorwari’s (2003) workthat snow cover can have huge limonological implication. But they failed to cover what kind of limonological limitations? These were some of the minor glitches in the otherwise well researched paper. The authors made it a point to use most of the latest references which was a major plus point. There were only a few places where they had referenced all the way back to papers from 1980s- Carmouse (1983) and Prowse (1985) to name a