Union Membership Trend Essay Example for Free

Union Membership Trend Essay On January 27 of this year the annual labor report was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On this very same day the USA Today along with several other media vultures jumped on this information as if they knew what was already going to be on it. The article titled â€Å"Union membership up slightly, outlook in doubt† written by Sam Hananel, summarized the numbers in detail and left no doubt that the current union membership trend will continue in its downward slide. The fact is union membership has been in decline since 1980, and back then the percentage of covered salaried or wage workers was only about 20%. Today the percentage of unionized workers stands at 11.8% down 0.1% from the previous year. The funny thing about these numbers is the political spin everyone has put on them, to include Mr. Hananel; which makes me wonder if I’ve missed some fine print. Upon further review of the article at hand I still remain convince that a negative union membership trend will continue along with the current government practice of downplaying the numbers. Even though the author tried to put a positive on the numbers that fortunate don’t lie. The current percentages of unionized workers mirrors those on record from the time of the â€Å"Great Depression.† The current recession, that yes, we’re still in, doesn’t bode well for any significant positive upswing in union membership. The government will continue to introduce and press on rhetoric that will equate the union membership decline to republican legislative action as this reporter took the liberty of, in mentioning Wisconsin, while dismissing the actions of a democratic legislature in California that succeeded in reducing union benefits. The numbers provided also shed more light on government efforts, which have been dismal at best at all levels. Now labor organizers are focusing some of their efforts on government workers; in an attempt to lure them in as members, but the reality of this trend is that those numbers are severely limited at a time when government workers have not received a raise in two years and are still waiting to see  if they’ll receive one come January 1st while a world-wide hiring freeze was also implemented in January of this year and thus lifted with limitations on certain agencies in July. I don’t believe union membership will ever attain a level in membership numbers that will come close in comparison to the apex reached in the 1930’s when a 1/3 of the salaried workforce was represented. Government Legislation over the years has provided adequate protection for today’s workforce. As the swell in interest on Human Resources activities has created a better management tool for businesses to not only protect themselves but their employees also. I still believe more can be done to protect all workers regardless of union or non-union affiliation. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/story/2012-01-27/union-membership-growing/52817346/1

Modernity and Modernism in Literature

Modernity and Modernism in Literature 1.2. Modernity and Modernism The first seeds to modernist literature were implanted with the emergence of modernity. Modernity is a post traditional or post-medieval historical period that characterized a radical shift away from traditions. It is the epoch marking the rise of the age of reason which began with the Enlightenment (About 1687 to 1789). Scientists such as Immanuel Kant, Renà © Descartes and most importantly Isaac Newton believed that through science the world could be saved and that through reason they can establish a foundation of universal truth. Modernity was also brought to light by political leaders such as Niccolà ² Machiavelli who believed that peace could be established with reason resulting major movements such as Capitalism, Industrialism and Urbanization. Post Modernity as a theory evolved around criticizing modernity and what modernity stands for, it criticizes industrialization and the effects that last one had on the peasants in the fields and the workers in factories, and the power capitalists had over the people.(Barret 17-18). In other words, postmodern refers to a time of interfused styles, mixed cultural layers, oddly merging traditions and multi-cultural pluralism. (Bradbury WII) Modernism as described by Barth is a term that describes the modernist movement; it was a revolt against the conservative values of realism. Modernism is often understood through the work of authors who were productive after the turn of the twentieth century. Writers such as T.S Eliot, Ezra Pounds and James Joyce allowed it to be historically and politically understood in their literary works. (Childs 5) 1.2.1 Modernist literature Modern literature is a literature that flourished in the new capitalist art market during a period of time where writers were no longer pointed when it comes to what they write neither by the church nor by monarchies. They also no longer had to answer to the old system of artistic patronage; to the contrary, they signified their allegiance to all what is new. (Hutchens-Suggs 20). The First World War showed artists how ridiculous life could be, Life was not fair to Europeans and continued to be with the Second World War taking the lives of over 50 million person and damaging the understructure of Europe unsling it from what was generally referred to as the Belle Époque . Later on and when the flames of war finally came to end, this period was seen as a period of calm before the storm. (Ara Mergian CNN.com- November 9, 2014 The modernist artistic movement is an intellectual movement that broke aesthetic and social boundaries. It appeared in the early 20th century and aimed to uncover invisible systems and unconscious codes or rules by explaining various phenomena using attractive and coherent style in writing, painting, sculpture and all artistic and creative performances (Barret 22). Modernists referred to themselves as avant-garde, they were rebellious against restrictions, had a futuristic vision and no limitation when challenging social values. 1.2.2 Modernist Aesthetics and Criticism To some, Modernist art is old and even finished, but that isnt completely true since it was once very progressive, bringing a new art for a new age under of the cape of a social and economical revolution that swept over the, new back then, urban and industrial Europe(Barret P 20). One of the most important specifications of modernism was that it abolished the idea of beauty as the ideal of art (Atkins 56). Malcom Brudbury said One of the defining features of modernism has been the breaking down of traditional frontier of matters of literary and cultural concern ( p114). Artists dropped subject matters as essentials and writers changed their presented works as rapidly as the intellectual life was changing. Poets likewise sought to account for the rapid changes. Due to its difficulties, modernist poetry is hard to enjoy having a wider and less comprehensive sense (Marry Warner 1 2) Artists eliminated the need to have an artwork be different from ordinary objects; they made an unofficial statement that beauty has no established scale to be acknowledged. Douglas Crimp (1990) argued that the demise was brought about by the invention of photography which allowed the reproduction of images mechanically including art images stripping away from the artwork its uniqueness. Other critics see that aestitic revolutions of modernism are formed by the expansion of the comprehensive system of globalized world open to outer cultures and regions (Child 31). 1.3 JAMES JOYCE (1882 1941) James Joyce was, and still is, a major figure of modernism. The famous writer was born on the 2nd of February 1882 at 41 Brington Square West in Rathgar and was named James Augustin Joyce after his great grandfather and grandfather (Noris 59). James was born to a Catholic family but he had always been a rebellion, he rebelled against his father who encouraged him into becoming a priest and choose, or might have been destined to, become a literatures crooked genius (Philips 191). He subsequently studied languages and philosophy at Clongowes Wood and Belvedere Colleges. Coming from a middle-class family, James was brilliant; Hildegard Tristman considered him to be A writer who lost his brain to forgetting (Tristman 230). Needless were notebooks, his memory was so good that he could retrieve any information he heard or read at any moment. The name Joyce is derived from the French word joyeux and James was supposed to hold the holly spirit of joy. He mostly referred to himself as James Joyceless,a Joy of Evil and as Joyce in the wilderness (Ellmann 12). Growing-up, James was a well-behaved, slim little boy with a set of blue eyes and a pale face. Doing his Jesuit masters, James didnt feel at ease with their teaching techniques but later on in his life when he was asked by August Suter about what he retained from his years in Jetsuit he replied :I have learned to arrange things in such a way that they become easy to survey and to judge (Ellmann 27).He got from Jesuits his hairy platonic idealism and the grounded Aristotelian realism as the question of his Catholic faith was raised by father Daly who indicated that his religious and spiritual manifestations were mysterious(Philip P4) Joyce was head of his class at Clongowes, his memory was absolute, and he was a good athlete too, playing Rugby and Cricket. The fascinating boy came back home with several cups (P 30). James was keen of music and all sorts of art that he took Piano lessons as well. The family had serious financial problems and that did impel James to move closer to Dublin. John Joyce, James father, sold many properties of his in order to provide a better life for his children. The caring father with a pension of  £132 a year struggled to provide comestible, pay school tuitions for the children and to keep a roof over their heads after moving to The Lionville house at Carysford Avenue, Blackrock. The stress caused by the economical difficulties affected James  starting from his teen-years that some indicated a flair of drama in his personality and thats when he attained a reputation for being spiritual and conscious of everything happening around him. At Belever, Joyce acquired Italian as a third language to go with Latin and French pursuing to read European literature at the expense of his own grades. In 1897 and by love for art and need to help his family, James participated in the Intermediate Examinations and received an exhibition of  £30 a year and  £3 prize for best English composition in his grade in Ireland (P 51). In the fall of 1898 James attended University College, Dublin from wich he graduated in 1902. During this time, Dublin was a town with many important pillars of literature such as William Butler Yeat, Lady Augusta Gregory, James Clarence and George Moore walking its street. James was influenced by all these writers especially Yeats whom he met privately in early October 1902 on the streets of Dublin and had a deepened conversation with. That strongly showed on his statement of method and intention and the way in which he strongly defended all what is temporary and modern. On April 1900 Ibsens New Drama by James A Joyce was published on the Fortnightly Review and after that, James was no longer an Irishman, he was European. Graduating from U.C Dublin, James main focus was to travel; his targeted city was Paris were he didnt reside easily. At that time, his fame and readership were not  particularly widespread (Goldman 84). To stay there was a pointless move so, so he went home for Christmas and then decided to stay when he knew of his mothers health issues. His mother died on August 13th, 1903. After this tragedy, Joyce focused more on making reviews for the Irish Homestead magazine and during this time he met Nora Barnacle and the two moved to Pola in late 1094 where he occupied a teaching position at Berlitz school. The next few years were difficult for James who suffered from financial problems and a major drinking problem too. After that he became disconnected from the people around him. Eventually Joyce, Nora and their child settled into a new life in Paris where he finally was able publish Ulysses but continued to have problems, this time health problems especially with his sightedness (Ellman 2 25-229). Difficulties continued to cross Johns path as his relationship with publishing houses delayed Dubliners from emerging for a decade. Better days were yet to come as he gained an award from the Royal Literary Found in 1915 followed with the publication of A Portrait of the Artist as Young Man in 1916. His work as a whole, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake predominately served to change the face of novels; they represented a playful mixture of English and other languages and novels completely free from the limitations of normal consciousness. James was a relentlessly autobiographical writer, a man who never doubted himself and in August 1929 his self-esteem extended even more as he was praised by George Moore who wrote to John Elton, He (Joyce) was distinguished,  courteous, respectful, and I was the same. During their short encounter in London Moore said, I have been only a revolutionary, while you have been a heroic revolutionary, for you had no money (Ellman 617). On January 1935, James moved along with his entourage back to Paris. He didnt feel as blind as Homer, nor as exiled as Dante having as many friends as he did. They moved again to southern France but eventually settled again in Zurich. On January 9th 1941 James was hospitalized, the doctor assured him that he didnt have cancer and that he needed an immediate surgery which George, his father offered to pay for saying well manage Somehow or other (Welcker 53). The surgery was successful as he recovered consciousness but at one Oclock in the morning he relapsed into coma. At 2:15 on January 13,1941, one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century died leaving behind a considerable amount of scholarly interesting works(Cope, Cope 2). 1.4 DUBLINERS James Joyces Dubliners is a collection of stories that aims to portray middle class life in Dublin, Ireland in the early twentieth century. It is a set of 15 short stories published in 1914 where Joyce made to appear the literary portrait of an entire society glimpsing into the lives of different social classes and exploring what it means to be Irish (Joyce VI). Moments of sudden insights arise frequently throughout Dubliners, it have been described and analyzed by critics as a series of fifteen epiphanies coupled with frustrating and enlighten characters with significant and illuminating experiences that are trapped in a city where nothing ever changes. Dubliners stories spotted the paralysis in the Irish society and how helpless in their daily life those individuals are; thanks to Joyce artistic vision which simplified the image of Dublin. (Carter Mc Raf 165) Nothing would explain Joyces purpose in writing Dubliners more than his own words: My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin for the scene because the city seemed to me the centre of the paralysis. I have tried to present it to the indifferent public under four of its aspects: childhood, adolescence, maturity and public life. The stories are arranged in this order. I have written it for the most part in a style of scrupulous meanness and with the conviction that he is a very bold man who dares to alter in the presentment, still more to deform, whatever he has seen and heard. (Gillie 94) 1.4.1 Epiphany in Jamess Dubliners An epiphany is: 1_an illuminating realization or discovery, often resulting in a personal feeling of elation, awe, or wonder; its a state of Nirvana, a complete cessation of suffering, and a blissfull state attained through realization of sunyata, simply an enlightened and heightened experience. 2_ a Christian feast celebrated on the 7th of January (Oxford 127) Epiphany in James dictionary is a religious term that refers to the revelation of the infant Jesus to the Magi in the season of time of the Christian church year; he considered it to be a structural device. (Cope-Cope 4) The stories of Dubliners are distinctive to the reader by the sudden insight about the plot and characters who are kept from seeing who they really are. At the first look, the reader might think that the characters, those Dubliners, are taking their journey in a rhythmic way, he might think, hope them to achieve the expectable, but suddenly, a dramatic alternation occurs. Father Flin and Eveline are probably the best examples to this. Father Flin ended up as a spiritually crippled man Unable to cope with his life choices; Eveline was too afraid to escape her miserable life that she missed the opportunity to start over in a new country with the man she loved. James takes us into deep Dublin, showing us versions of citizens who happened to have a bleared vision of their city, families, and of themselves. The last story of the fifteen stories collection The Dead represents both the synthesis and climax of Dubliners. The story took place on January sixth, which is the Christian feast of epiphany, at Kate and Julia Morkans house. This story focuses on Gabriel Conroy from beginning to end throughout his encounter with the party gests who, one by one, ended up revealing his weakness; even his short encounter with the made Lilly turned in to a revealing scene of his lack of sympathy. 1.4.2 The Dead The Dead is one of the finest short stories in English literature. Written by James Joyce, it is known as the most famous and emotionally affecting story of his collection of fifteen stories Dubliners. The story was a late addition long enough to be a novella. The Dead includes much believable dialogue and had a more positive tone and is often referred to as an exception to the generalization made about Dubliners. The Dead also anticipates Joyces move away From the short story and toward the novel, Joyce wrote no other short story after it He had it substantially completed by the 6th of September 1916. This story serves as a final chorus of the book presenting holiday life, the celebrating of Christmas. The Dead is in a way a story of the dead people ghosts who return in envy of the living. (Kelleher 414) The Dead is a fitting conclusion to the stories collected in Dubliners; it could be seen as another capacity within the Joycean oeuvre, James let Symbolism flow freely throughout his short story and utilizes his main characters and objects to impress upon his readers and show them the real crippled condition of the Dublin he saw and the Dublin that negated him. Critical Reception of The Dead The nineteenth-century novel explored the external world, whereas the modern novel has dedicated itself to the inner world of the human consciousness (Fletcher 246) The modern epoch has found in critical reception both a mirror with which it could examine the many vices and perversions that define it and an obscure tapestry of almost fundamentalist punishments that are entirely alien to it. The twentieth century novelist James Joyce is a vivid example of modern writers who managed to not only engage with the world but to reform it as well. The tradition bound culture has a dangerous capacity for stifling rather than nourishing the life instinct. Like most of his contemporary writers, Joyces story in The Dead anticipates the traumatic moment of self-discovery by a series of images that convey the protagonists unacknowledged estrangement from nature (Sullivan P4) Writers make images vivid in any number of ways, James imagination was trained to be a compiler of aspects. The Deads scenes take place at night, when things arent usually so clear (Phillips 198) Ghosts are present in the character of Michael Furey who was in love with Gretta and died in Galway, Gabriel knew that, and all over the sudden perceived the tormenting truth; he has always had a competitor who had been capable of greater love than he could ever be. 2.1 Psychoanalytic Theory in The Dead Psychoanalysis is to be understood in its wider meaning to include all psycho-dynamic theories and therapies, regardless as to whether they emanate from Freud or Jung or elsewhere. Although the Freudian professional organizations regard the term psychoanalysis as one which refers solely to their own theory and practices, and although the Jungians and Adlerians call themselves analytical and individual psychologists respectively in the hope of differentiating themselves from the Freudians, these distinctions have never caught on even among the well-informed laity, which has always been more impressed by the similarities of the schools than by their differences (Rycroft 08) Freudian. Psychoanalytic theory is basically historical; it treats learning as cumulative, so that early experiences influence later experiences. 2.2 The Irish case The general history of a nation may fitly preface the personal memoranda of a solitary captive ( John Mitchel, Jail Journal. Dublin 1918). The Irish Question is a phrase used to describe Irish nationalism and the calls for Irish independence. It encompasses issues such as religion, the Irish-British politics and land ownership (Amato Demi Petrone P3). The 20th century marked the end of the British colonial project in Ireland leaving the country with an outdated agricultural system and a weak industrial economy. The English informal  colonization created a nation that is neither native Irish nor wholly British. (Duke 18) The Irish are descended from the Celtic people who originally inhabited the Island and who are old Catholics, while the English descended minorities were protestant. A sense of belonging and national solidarity arises among the natives and this resulted into a typical of national consciousness about the imperial ascendency the British Empire had on Ireland. In 1536, Henry VIII decided to conquer Ireland and he was proclaimed King of Ireland in 1541. The Irish Catholics rebelled against the British crown and ruled over Ireland (1642-1649) until Oliver Cromwel, the English military and political leader, the man known as the protector of England, re-conquered Ireland in1653 and ruled over it with the Kings blessing. (Amado Demi Petrone P5 6). Therefore, in the course of the century there were several movements reclaiming Britain to return the Irish lands its real possessors and France offered military help. The English Prime Minister Pitt was frightened by the idea of having the Irish lands uses as a structural military base against the English soil and persuaded the Irish Parliament to agree to its own abolition. In the course of centuries Ireland witnessed ups and downs in its relation with the British crown starting from The Union with Britain (1801-1912) to the Home Rule Bill of 1912 which was suspended for the war. In 1920 English Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act establishing separate domestic legislatures for the north and south and in1949 Ireland finally broke the link with Britain Commonwealth and became an independent republic (Ibid 17). Modern Ireland and from the early 1970 faced many challenges that were mainly related to religion. The Catholics did not feel safe in Ireland; forming The Civil Rights Association they were attacked by Protestants in 1968 and 1969. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) got involved right after the RUC failed to stop the anarchy. The IRA troops split into two wings: The officials whose first duty was to establish peace; and The Provisional who declared war on Britain; that last one responded by taking over Northern Ireland in 1972. IRA replied by bombing Westminster Hall and London; assassinating Lord Mountbatten and MP Airey Neave in 1979 and attempting to blow the Grand Hotel while Mr. Thatcher is a denizen of it. In 1985 the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, both sides agreed to collaborate and work together fighting terrorism establishing a new, and hopefully, a lasting peaceful state of coexistence. 1.2.1 Emigration, Exile and contemporary Ireland There is the personal element in exile, an element that muffles and beclouds the works effects, the insistent self-dramatizations as another factor, a major one. (Peter 627) The Irish society like any other society had many great problems that dwelt deeply in everyday life. Unemployment and poverty reached their peak in the late interwar period. The failure of the potato crop in the mid 1840 effected several areas leaving behind according to Sir William Wild; the father of the well-known emigrant Oscar a poor, weak, old, lame, sick, blind, dumb, imbecile and insane population (Fitzpatrick I). The Irish emigration from the Irish lands had everything to do with the potato famine economy and the exploitation of labor in the fields. By the 1900s Northern Ireland was suffering from stagnation, its population was overwhelmed by famine, immigration, hopelessness, paralysis in all forms. Alcohol was another massive problem according to Larry Harrison who stated that North Irish study group contained a significantly higher proportion of heavy drinkers and thats why the Irish man was and still widely known and stereotyped as a heavy consumer of alcoholic drinks.(P 59) The disoriented Anglo-Irishry of after 1922 aimed to reconstruct the consciousness of nineteenth-century Irish people who felt as if all their dreams and life goals are thrown in the deep St George channel. For the majority f the Irish middle class, being abroad was a common thing, they traveled to all parts of Europe but Britain was often their first destination. Emigration as a concept must include the middle-class or petit bourgeois (Foster P 283) who found in places such as London the solid soil and deep settled state they needed to form a literary career. Britain was, and everyone agreed, a Modernist wonderland. 1.2.2 Who is Gabriel Conroy? It has often been pointed that James self-consciousness was found and showed over years of writing various and confusing fictional phenomenon we call the novel today. The Edwardian Irishman promoted the movement of  «Imagism » as a new rhythmic practice which employ the language of common speech and have complete freedom in subject matter. Joyce took his style to a new and highly experimental level by inventing, dreaming and creating new characters so that he would ultimately get modern and unique plots. Gabriel Conroy is one of his most controversial Characters ever; a man that represents a variety well known and present in the Irish society. (Gillie 90) Gabriel Conroy is the main character in Joyces short story The Dead. The man has the portray of an educated intellectual Irish gentleman but when looking beyond and analyzing the events of the night we notice that he is nothing more than a privileged brat with very low self-esteem and tremulous self-respect. The man had a fatuous self-righteousness that was present as a result to the imaginatively records of Joyces literary and dramatic revision of themes and context. ( Shelly Jr 134) 2.2.4 Paralysis in The Dead For it is well known that one of the oldest and most persistent clichà ©s of Joycean criticism has been to associate the Dublin of Joyces oeuvre with the one inhabited by his Dubliners. Garry Leonard voiced reservations as to the implications made by James and asked a very accurate Question: If Dublin is the center of paralysis, what is the periphery? (Leonard P320)

Chinese Negotiation Vs American Negotiation

Chinese Negotiation Vs American Negotiation This is an intercultural assignment for the subject Intercultural Sales Negotiation.. I am a student of the minor Latin American Business Studies. In the minor Latin American Business Studies that I am following, we got the assignment to study the Guanxi case and to do some research into the Chinese and US culture related to negotiation meetings. The last part of this assignment will be that I have to prepare a role of an American party in a negotiation standing between Electrowide and Motosuzhou. In this assignment you can expect the following subjects: there will be a short description of different cultures in the world. Next subject will be an intercultural research about the Chinese and US cultures and in which these various cultures will influence negotiation attitudes and positions. After this there will be a preparation about the Guanxi case. This preparation includes: BATNA, ideals, fallbacks, needs/priorities, assumptions and strategies/tactics. In this preparation there will be also quoted explicitly when and in what way the research has affected the preparation. Intercultural research between American and Chinese people doing negotiation The world has a lot of people. The people who are living in different parts of the world are not all the same. They belong to a certain culture. A culture includes the customs and traditions of a certain nation from a certain country. This includes the set of values, nutrition, diet, clothing, religion, music and dance. We can divide the world in several main cultures like: North American, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin American, Middle East/ African and Asian culture. During negotiation around the world you have to know the differences between all these different cultures. Doing some research before going into a negotiation is very important. This is important because there could appear some misunderstandings because of the differences in culture. If you work in a global commercial environment it is useful to have some knowledge of the impact of these cultural differences. This is one of the keys to international business success during negotiation. Regarding to these differences of culture, we now going to zoom in into the Chinese culture and the American culture doing negotiation with each other. We are going to look in what way the various cultures of American and Chinese people will influence negotiation attitudes and positions.   Chinese way of negotiation: If we look at the way Chinese business people negotiate, they are very different in comparison with other countries. They are very different in terms on how they approach a business negotiation. For Chinese business people a negotiation is more like an exchange of information. A getting to know you process. They consider it as a formal discussion. They are willing to negotiate for a long time to get to know each other and to create a long time partnership. The reason willing to negotiate for a long time is to get as much as information out of you. If they manage to get enough information out of you, they can adjust their arguments on what you are saying. They can also use all those information that you are telling them against you eventually. China is a society of high-context. This means that in this kind of society you do not have to say or write to much to make clear what you are meaning. For the Chinese business people it is not only verbal communication, but also a lot of non-verbal communication to express yourself. You only have to make a little part of your message explicit, because most of the information is already implicit in the environment or in the assumed prior knowledge of the person. The Chinese business people do not like the direct word no. They will find it very rude and disrespectful. It is better to avoid to say the word no to the Chinese party. It is difficult to avoid to say no, but there are several ways to say no indirectly. Little example: In the Western culture they would say: No, we cannot do that and in the Chinese culture would say: That may be difficult for us to do so. So it is really important that you think very clearly how you going to disagree to a Chinese party. An option is to shift you responsibility for your decisions to something else in the negotiation. If you do say no to a Chinese person you will lose face (mianzi in Chinese). This means that you are losing your good reputation and social standing compared to you Chinese business associate. This could be not good for the business negotiation. Chinese people are very good in saying no indirectly. The style of the Chinese business people of saying no is to apply objections to disagree with a proposal. Chinese are very collectively set. Functioning/thinking as a group and having a good relationship between parties has a big importance in the Chinese society. Relationship is called in Chinese: Guanxi. During negotiation this is very important for the Chinese business people to create with the other party. If you manage to have a good Guanxi with the other it is much easier to negotiate and to reach your goals. During the negotiation with your Chinese associate you have find out if you are talking with the right person who makes the final decisions. The fact is that it is very common in the Chinese way of negotiating that the person who makes the final decisions is not the person who is sitting in front of you but someone else. These people are intermediaries. This is because there is a hierargy in the Chinese society. This means they have limited authority in making final decisions. If you know it is not the right person in front of you who makes the final decisions, you can expect that they first have to discuss it with their companions before making the final deal. Chinese people appreciate if their foreign party speaks their language. As a foreign party this will improve your status compared to the Chinese party. Chinese people love to negotiate for a long time to make you impatient and exhausted to get the best deal possible out of it. They want you to feel like you need them more then they need you. At last Chinese culture is based on a survival of the fittest culture. They will say to the other party that they want the best deal for both, but the truth is that they doesnt mean that seriously. They want to have a win-lose deal. Win-win is mostly not an option. American way of negotiation: If we look at the way American business people negotiate, they are totally the opposite in doing negotiation then the Chinese business people. Americans want to negotiate to reach their goal, to make the best deal out of it and at the end to make a contract right away. Americans are very individual minded. For them counts the fewer the people the less confusion the quicker of making a deal. Time is money for them so they want to get the negotiation done in a hurry. This behavior is a big disadvantage for the Chinese people who want to make to negotiation as long as possible. The use the situation of the Americans willing to do everything as quick as possible. Americans are very straight to the point. They just want to reach their goals and do not look at the whole of the topic. If they would do that more they maybe could get more out of the deal. Americans do not like to negotiate. They are very informal when doing negotiations. Because Americans are very individualistic they have full authority during negotiations. They want to lead the negotiation and they want to make the final decisions. They are not an intermediary. They make a lot of proposals and they like to talk a lot. Unlike China, America is a low context society. They are a society which uses a lot of verbal communication. This makes it very hard for Americans to understand the Chinese, because it isnt always the words, it is the meaning behind the words which are important. Conclusion It is good for an American to understand how the culture of the Chinese business people works. Because if you dont, it would be difficult to get the best deal out of the negotiation. As an American it is important that you can adapt the behaviors of the Chinese. Be flexible. If you can try to speak their language this will improve your position compared to the Chinese. Do not be impatient, because the Chinese will use this against you. Find the right person to talk to, because if you are talking to an intermediary you know that he/she isnt the person who makes the final decisions. Try to minimize your nos to be not disrespectful and rude. Try to put your no in a indirect way. Be careful with giving too much information. Chinese are active listeners. They want to make you talk. Try to get an exchange of information. When you negotiate with your Chinese partner the most important thing you need to do is to established the relationship/partnership (Guanxi). The Guanxi in Jeopardy case Now that I have done the research about the Chinese and the American culture, I am now going to look how these differences in culture apply to the  ´Guanxi in Jeopardy ´ case. Description of the situation Our company Electrowide We are a multibillion dollar ($5B) manufacturer company called Electro wide located in the United States. We are a company which manufactures a broad range of automotive electronics products. Looking at the todays ever increasing competitive automotive electronics and becoming more proactive in this kind of market, we are undergoing a massive structural reformation. The purpose of this reformation is that the companys various product line departments have more autonomy. So that eventually each department will be responsible for its own profit and loss statements. One of our key strategic objectives is to become a big rival in the market of Asia. We are looking for an Asian associate to help manufacture and sell engine management systems that run emission-control, fuel nozzle, and ignition systems for Chinese-made vehicles. In the first place the output would be sold to the Chinese market with future plans to export later. We believe, as the company Electrowide, that the partnership with the Chinese associate will play a important role not only in the promotion of Electrowide business growth, but also in providing product development expertise in the region. The Chinese company Motosuzhou Motosuzhou is an enterprise of the Beijing municipal government. This small company has a top-heavy hierarchy with a representative director overseeing daily operations and various supervisors in charge of functional units. This means decision making is top-down. The company runs its own operations free from government intervention. Its labor force is consists mainly of rural employees. The companys strength is in achieving economies of scale in assembly-line manufacturing of engine control subassemblies. The competition in the local market is beginning to grow. Motosuzhous reason to do business with a foreign company is to develop a long-lasting relationship that will work in harmony with local government policies. Also acquire technology through transfer by importing equipment and designs and adapt them to the automotive industry in China. They do not want to fail in the eyes of the government or the community. The role We as the company Electrowide are interested in Motosuzhou because of the Chinese companys technical proficiency in its design of automotive subsystems. Obtaining this kind of knowledge would give Motosuzhou a competitive advantage in the industry. Motosuzhou would also rely on Electrowide because of financing most of the cost incurred in establishing the joint venture. The objective of Electrowide is to establish a joint venture with Motosuzhou of China to conduct manufacturing operations in China. Batna (best alternative to negotiating on agreement) Before we start to negotiate with Motosuzhou we need a steady BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiation agreement). Our BATNA is very important, because we cannot make a wise decision about whether to accept the negotiated agreement unless we know what our alternative is. Having a good BATNA increases our negotiating power to make a good deal out of it. So if the negotiation is not working we always can fall back on our BATNA. But the main point of our BATNA is to make us in a steady and strong position related to the other party Motosuzhou. Regarding to our study of the situation we have determined that we have a moderate BATNA compared to the Motosuzhou. We assume that we have a moderate BATNA considering the fact that China is becoming worlds number one economy. It is predicted that by the year of 2025, Chinas economy will be by far the largest economy in the world. Throughout all the years, China always has been a independent country. They would prefer not to get any help from abroad. They want to solve their own problems and deal with their own situations. This could also be the reason for Motosuzhou to choose to do business by themselves and try to improve their own situation without any help of Electrowide. If this would occur our BATNA would be as follow: we will have a look on certain other strong economic developed countries to do business with. If we look at Japan we also could do business with them or else we could do business with Brasil which is becoming quickly a strong economic country. Ideals Regarding to the ideals, we would like Motosuzhou to sign a contract for the joint venture. One of the ideals is that Motosuzhou will help us to manufacture and sell engine management systems that run emission-control, fuel nozzle, and ignition systems for Chinese-made vehicles. The output of this production would be sold to the Chinese market. After that we would like to export this output as soon as possible abroad. Another ideal would be that both parties Electrowide and Motosuzhou finance each 50% of the investments incurred in establishing the joint venture. This would be a good offer, because the joint venture will eventually have advantages for both parties. Fallbacks Regarding to the fallbacks, our fallback will be that Motosuzhou is not willing to sign the contract to start the joint venture. That they do not agree with the terms and conditions that we have set. This will mean that we have to find other business people to negotiate about starting a joint venture. Another fallback will be that Electrowide would finance most of the cost incurred in establishing the joint venture instead of the 50%-50% division what we had set as an ideal. Needs/Priorities Deciding our priorities will allow us to be more efficient, since not all issues tend to be equally important. In the first place we need to keep in mind that we are doing business with a different culture. We know that they could look at certain issues differently than us. This is why a good culture research is extremely important. This is our main priority to look at before doing business. Because we are in their country and we have to respect their rules and values. To have a good position compared to the Chinese associate our priority is to study their priorities they want to see from a foreign company. This means that we have to be respectful, honest and trustful towards our Chinese associates. We have to be patient and not willing to do a quick deal, because it is also good for us to search out all the issues that will emerge starting a joint venture. We have to look for a long-lasting relationship to have a good position and to have a good chance of reaching our contract with them. It is also pre if I could speak their language or anyone else of my team. So that they can see that I am really trying to get to know their culture and that I am interested in them. The second priority is to reach an agreement for having a joint venture in the future with Motosuzhou. By understanding their culture and willing to have a long-lasting partnership it would be easier for us to come to a agreement. We have to take the time to get to know each other. The final priority would be that both parties Electrowide and Motosuzhou finance each 50% of the investments incurred in establishing the joint venture. This would be a good offer, because the joint venture will eventually have advantages for both parties. Assumptions During my research I have investigate how the Chinese culture will influence the negotiation attitudes and positions. I assume that during this negotiation about the joint venture, they will set up a cool attitude and that will be very introvert and formal. They want to see what we have to say and what we have to offer. They want to see if we are a company who will offer them opportunities for expanding their business on the Chinese market and not only trying to make the best deal for ourselves. We assume that they first want to get to know us better. They will look if we are potential for them to create a long term relationship with. They would also trying to get as much as possible out of the deal. They will put us on a test, by coming with exaggerated offers to look how far they are able to go with us. We assume that the negotiation could last a long time. This will be one of their tactics knowing that Americans do not like to have a long negotiation. They will use a lot of silent moments because they know Americans will be uncomfortable with that. They know that if they negotiate as long as possible the American will give up and easily agree with a certain proposal. They will try to use our impatient against ourselves. We also assume that they are going to look for a good relationship (Guanxi). We assume that building a good relationship will take a lot of time. This means that we have to accept that for making a good deal. Strategies and tactics Given our moderate BATNA, a bargaining approach will be used during the negotiation. This will be the only approach we can use, because of our moderate position to negotiate against the other party and because of the differences in culture. During the research we have found out that they are growing in their bargaining stance. In order to negotiate we will trade options with each other. We will use the tactic of giving and taking. It will be a back and forth during the negotiation. With the right approach of bargaining we could make some arranges which will give eventually a win-win situation for both parties. We want to have a contract to build the joint venture and if we have an agreement they want us to finance most of the cost incurred in establishing the joint venture. This means that we have to look for the possibilities and this will explain our bargaining approach. We have to keep in mind that we do not have yet a good relationship with the Chinese. We should not demand to mu ch of the other party. In the future we can look for other opportunities, but first it is important to build a good relationship. It is good for an American to understand how the culture of the Chinese business people works. Because if you dont, it would be difficult to get the best deal out of the negotiation. As an American it is important that you can adapt the behaviors of the Chinese. Be flexible. If you can try to speak their language this will improve your position compared to the Chinese. Do not be impatient, because the Chinese will use this against you. Find the right person to talk to, because if you are talking to an intermediary you know that he/she isnt the person who makes the final decisions. Try to minimize your nos to be not disrespectful and rude. Try to put your no in a indirect way. Be careful with giving too much information. Chinese are active listeners. They want to make you talk. Try to get an exchange of information (bargaining). When you negotiate with you r Chinese partner the most important thing you need to do is to established the relationship/partnership (Guanxi). Furthermore, a lot of body language as eye contact will be used. Finally, active listening will be very important also used to confirm understanding.

Comparing the Book and Movie Version of The Grapes of Wrath Essay

The Grapes of Wrath: Comparing Book and Movie      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ford attempted to establish a sense of historical context by inserting two paragraphs of prose on the screen immediately following the opening credits: ' In the central part of the United States of America lies a limited area called 'the Dust Bowl', because of its lack of rains. Here drought and poverty combined to deprive many farmers from their land. This is the story of one farmer's family, driven from their fields by natural disasters and economic changes beyond anyone's control and their great journey in search of peace, security, and another home.'    In its description of a '' limited area called 'the Dust Bowl', 'the prose serves to limit the scope of the tragedy about to be witnessed to a specific, isolated part of the nation. The simple past tense used in the final sentence of the first paragraph underscores a feeling that this is all over by the time of the film, 1940. The second paragraph prepares us not for Steinbeck's picture of failure on a national scale but for the story of 'one's farmer's family' who are victims of changes ' beyond anyone's control', and who will set out on a heart-rending journey ' in search of peace, security, and another home.' One can already notice in this opening lines of the film that the director's attempted to carefully avoid attaching specific blame in this potentially controversial film. The possibility of social change wrought by violent by violent conflict suggested in the novel will not even be hinted at.       The movie only focuses on the Joads, a migrant family from the Dust Bowl region, while the novel's focus shifts from the Joads to the situation of all the migrants who went to Californi... ...hile the peasants will keep trudging down a long, hard road. The Grapes of Wrath as a novel argues that in order to survive spiritually and physically on the planet man must commit himself to man and environment, whereas the film version focuses on the traditional figure of the isolated individual who will make things 'right'.    Sources Cited and Consulted: Davis, R. M. (editor). Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Pratt, John Clark. John Steinbeck: A Critical Essay. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1970. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath . New York: Penguin Books, 1986. The Grapes of Wrath   Directed by John Ford   Produced by Daryl F. Zanuck 20th Century Fox, 1940. Wyatt, David ed. New Essays on The Grapes of Wrath. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Comparing the Book and Movie Version of The Grapes of Wrath Essay The Grapes of Wrath: Comparing Book and Movie      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ford attempted to establish a sense of historical context by inserting two paragraphs of prose on the screen immediately following the opening credits: ' In the central part of the United States of America lies a limited area called 'the Dust Bowl', because of its lack of rains. Here drought and poverty combined to deprive many farmers from their land. This is the story of one farmer's family, driven from their fields by natural disasters and economic changes beyond anyone's control and their great journey in search of peace, security, and another home.'    In its description of a '' limited area called 'the Dust Bowl', 'the prose serves to limit the scope of the tragedy about to be witnessed to a specific, isolated part of the nation. The simple past tense used in the final sentence of the first paragraph underscores a feeling that this is all over by the time of the film, 1940. The second paragraph prepares us not for Steinbeck's picture of failure on a national scale but for the story of 'one's farmer's family' who are victims of changes ' beyond anyone's control', and who will set out on a heart-rending journey ' in search of peace, security, and another home.' One can already notice in this opening lines of the film that the director's attempted to carefully avoid attaching specific blame in this potentially controversial film. The possibility of social change wrought by violent by violent conflict suggested in the novel will not even be hinted at.       The movie only focuses on the Joads, a migrant family from the Dust Bowl region, while the novel's focus shifts from the Joads to the situation of all the migrants who went to Californi... ...hile the peasants will keep trudging down a long, hard road. The Grapes of Wrath as a novel argues that in order to survive spiritually and physically on the planet man must commit himself to man and environment, whereas the film version focuses on the traditional figure of the isolated individual who will make things 'right'.    Sources Cited and Consulted: Davis, R. M. (editor). Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Pratt, John Clark. John Steinbeck: A Critical Essay. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1970. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath . New York: Penguin Books, 1986. The Grapes of Wrath   Directed by John Ford   Produced by Daryl F. Zanuck 20th Century Fox, 1940. Wyatt, David ed. New Essays on The Grapes of Wrath. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

HIV Prevention in Africa :: HIV in Africa

HIV prevention in Africa A continuing rise in the number of HIV infected people is not inevitable. There is growing evidence that prevention efforts can be effective, and this includes initiatives in some of the most heavily affected countries. One new study in Zambia has shown success in prevention efforts. The study reported that urban men and women are less sexually active, that fewer had multiple partners and that condoms were used more consistently. This is in line with findings that HIV prevalence has declined significantly among 15-29 year-old urban women (down to 24.1% in 1999 from 28.3% in 1996). Although these rates are still unacceptably high, this drop has prompted a hope that, if Zambia continues this response, it could become the second African country to reverse a devastating epidemic. This suggests that awareness campaigns and prevention programs are now starting to work. But a major challenge is to sustain and build on such uncertain success. What form should AIDS education take? Peer education A social form of education without classrooms or notebooks, where people are educated outside a 'school' environment but still have the opportunity to ask questions. Most peer education focuses on providing information about HIV transmission, answering questions and handing out condoms to people in a workplace, perhaps in a bar, or where a group of women gather to wash clothes. Most peer educators make contact with their target audience at least weekly and their sessions will usually be in the context of informal discussions with individual people or within a group. Active learning Active learning can sometimes link into peer education, especially when AIDS education is aimed at young people, as one of the best methods of learning something oneself is to teach it to others. Blanket education A general message aimed at the population as a whole. Blanket education usually aims to inform the population about which behaviors are risky and to give them support in changing these behaviors. Targeted education This type of strategy is usually used to speak to social groups who are perceived as being at a high risk of HIV infection. It focuses on risky activities particular to the specific target group. AFRICA ALIVE! January of 2000 kicked off the campaign to literally help keep Africa Alive! in the new millennium. The Mission of the Africa Alive! campaign is to give youth the skills they need to fight against HIV/AIDS. The vision is a new generation of Africans who are HIV/AIDS-free.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay -- Sexual Harassment, Womens

Sexual harassment is a violation of women's rights and a prohibited form of violence against women in many countries. Sexually harassing conduct causes devastating physical and psychological injuries to a large percentage of women in workplaces around the world. Harassment directed against women in the workplace by their supervisors, fellow employees, or third parties interferes with the integration of women in the workforce, reinforces the subordination of women to men in society, violates women's dignity and creates a health and safety hazard at work. Women's advocates around the world work to further women’s right to be free from sexual harassment. Critical to these efforts to combat sexual harassment has been the growing recognition of sexual harassment as a form of violence against women which violates women's human rights. States are obligated under international law to take effective steps to protect women from violence and to hold harassers and/or their employers accountable for sexual harassment in the workplace. The prohibition of sexual harassment in the workplace is closely linked with theories relating to the subordination of women to men that were first introduced in the United States in the 1970s. These theories associated sexual harassment with violence against women, the perpetuation of gender stereotypes and the assertion of economic power over women, all phenomena which serve to subordinate women to men. In general, the role sexual harassment is believed to play in the subordination of women in society has led many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Africa, to recognize sexual harassment as an actionable form of sex discrimination. Over time, howe... ...orris, N. M. (1985). Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 10. Sobel, M. E., & Leinhard, S. (Ed.) (1982). Sociological methodology 1982. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association. 11. Swearer, S. M., Espelage, D. L., & Napolitano, S. A. (2009). Bullying prevention and interventions: Realistic strategies for schools. New York, NY: Guilford Press. 12. Touchette, E., Henegrar, A., Godart, N. T., Pryor, L., Falssard, B., Tremblay, R. E., & Cote, S. M. (2011). Psychiatry Research. 13. Willett, J. B., & Sayer, A. G. (1994). Psychological Bulletin. 14. Woodside, D. B., Garfinkel, P. E., Lin, E., Goering, P., & Kaplan, A. S. (2001). American Journal of Psychiatry. 15. Zurbriggen, E. L., Collins, R. L., Lamb, S., Roberts, T., Tolman, D. L., Ward, L. M., & Blake, J. (2007). Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls.

Outline & Evaluate the Functionalist Approach to Crime & Deviance Essay

This question includes assessment of your understanding of the connections between crime and deviance and sociological theory. Functionalist explanations of deviance begin with society as a whole looking for the origins of deviance in the nature of society, not the biological or psychological make up of an individual. Functionalists favour quantative methods to look at society, using statistics to see society as a whole, rather than looking at the individual’s effect on society. The majority of Functionalist’s ideas on crime derive from the work of Durkheim. Durkheim believes that crime in inevitable because not every member of society shares the same values and norms; every society has crime, particularly the most advanced industrial societies. Crime is seen as not only inevitable, but functional to society because it allows for change, which is vital for society to function. Durkheim argues that crime brings society together, as in the case of the Soham murders. From this point of view it can be questioned what the function of punishment is, Durkheim believes punishment is a form of social control and act as a signal to people. A.K Cohen developed Durkheim’s ideas further, providing further possible functions of deviance. Firstly deviance can act as a safety valve providing an expression of discontent. Cohen uses the example of prostitution, he believes this protects the institution of the family and provides a release from the stress of family life without undermining family stability because the relationship between prostitute and client has no emotional attachments. In other words it is fine for a man to use a prostitute, but not to have an affair because that would jeopardise the family! Cohen believes that deviance acts as a warning device too indicate that an aspect of society is malfunctioning, thus drawing attention to it and allowing the problem to be resolved. An example of this is the Los Angeles riots that drew attention to the mistreatment of blacks, likewise the Steven Lawrence case. Durkheim and Cohen’s work is important because it moved ideas away from biological and psychological explanations for deviance, rather seeing it being society itself creating crime. However, other sociologists believe the functions are too narrow and class differences are not examined.