One of the most original features of Stuurmans bo Essays

One of the most original features of Stuurman's book is his account of "the anthropological turn," which isn't a single turn in time but a recurrent turning of travelers and ethnographers toward the outside and the "other." Stuurman begins with the Greek historian Herodotus and the much less well-known Sima Qian , who lived in China three centuries after Herodotus and wrote about the Han empire and the surrounding lands. Both Herodotus and Sima Qian traveled widely, crossing the political and cultural frontiers that separated Greeks and Chinese from the people they called "barbarians." And both suggested that the separation wasn't as great as their compatriots thought. Again and again, the anthropological turn has produced reports similar to theirs: The natives of this or that foreign country, for all their strange customs and beliefs, are remarkably like us. Here, according to Stuurman , is a critical moment in the "invention" of humanity. But one wonders whether what he is describing isn't more a matter of discovery than invention. When Herodotus writes that the Egyptians call people who don't speak their language "barbarians," exactly as the Greeks do, is this an act of inventing or discovering humanity? Herodotus's aim is to unsettle his Greek readers and force them to recognize their fellowship with the Egyptians. Similarly, when Sima Qian visits the nomads who live north of the Great Wall and reports that their way of life is remarkably and intelligently well-adapted to their environment, this is again a discovery meant to challenge the complacent self-regard of his fellow Chinese: They are not alone in their human ingenuity. Nothing like invention is going on here. Perhaps the most engaging, and also the most disturbing, of the travelers and ethnographers in Stuurman's account are the Dominican and Franciscan priests or friars who went to Central America in the wake of the Spanish conquest. Writers like Bartoleme de Las Casas and Bernardino de Sahagun described the high civilization of the indigenous peoples (another discovery), and Las Casas conducted a years-long campaign against the greed and brutality of the Spanish colonizers. With Sahagun's help, a number of Aztec writers "drafted an account of the siege and destruction of the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan by Cortez." So the colonized were given a voicethough Sahagun later wrote his own account, presenting the conquest as "providential." Las Casas and Sahagun were hardly in full possession of the ideas of humanity and equality. But they portrayed the Spaniards as far less civilized than these indigenous peoplesand so they took a stand against the pr evailing Spanish belief in their own racial and cultural superiority. The anthropological turn continues with modern academic anthropology. Stuurman writes about the critique of "scientific racism" by Franz Boas and Ashley Montagu, both of whom would certainly deny that their defense of human equality was an invention; they meant to tell it like it is. But when it comes to the big philosophical and theological systems within which the ideas of humanity and equality have sometimes been defended, Stuurman is correct: These are indeed designed and constructed. Here we can see a long series of historical inventions of our shared humanityStoicism, Catholic natural law, Kantian idealism. Consider one of the earliest examples: From a secular standpoint, the God of biblical theology, in whose image all human beings are created, is an invention. The common image, however, is discovered again and againby Las Casas, for example, and centuries later by Boas.

Air Pollution Essay 2 Essays

Air Pollution Essay 2 Essays Air Pollution Essay 2 Essay Air Pollution Essay 2 Essay Air Pollution is a contamination of the atmosphere by gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes or by-products that can endanger human health and the health and welfare of plants and animals, or can attack materials, reduce visibility, or produce undesirable odors. Air pollution is responsible for major health effects. Every year, the health of countless people is ruined or endangered by air pollution. Studies have shown that over 50,000 people were killed annually in the United States alone from air pollution. Air pollution has now been one of the major problems worldwide due to the increase in use of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels such as Coal causes the release of 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, the main cause of acid rain, which damages forests, lakes, and buildings. One of the main sources of air pollution comes from something most use each and every day, cars. Each time you start up your car, the burning of petroleum in your engine releases carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gasses. Carbon Monoxide a deadly poisonous gas, that results in death if exposed to high levels. The petroleum in your engine can also increase the number of asthma cases in the world, raises a person’s chance of having cancer, and increases the chance that your child will be born with congenital defects. The pollution from the ozone layer comes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Because sunlight has a critical role in its formation, ozone pollution is principally a daytime problem in the summer months. Ground level ozone is produced when sunlight combines with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide, two compounds produced by cars, trucks, and found wherever gasoline, kerosene, oil or natural gas are combusted. When temperatures are high ground-level ozone reach levels that are dangerous to health. Lead is found in the air in very small particles. Lead can get into the air through soil erosion, volcanic eruptions, sea spray and bushfires. Lead smelters, mining operations, waste incinerators, battery recycling and the production of lead fishing sinkers are other sources of lead in the air. Because many older houses were painted with lead-based paint, lead from unsafe house renovations can be an important source of lead indoors and builders and renovators need to be aware of the dangers. Lead is absorbed if dust or fumes that contain lead are swallowed or breathed in. Although small amounts of lead do not cause any specific symptoms, as much as 10% of the lead that enters an adults body stays there, and so even small amounts can gradually build up in the body. Large amounts of lead in the body can cause pain in joints and muscles. Other symptoms of lead exposure include anemia, gastric problems, sleep problems, concentration problems, and high blood pressure. In children, the symptoms of lead exposure can be poor development of motor abilities and memory, reduced attention span, and colic and gastric problems. Air pollution has both acute and chronic effects on human health. Health effects range anywhere from minor irritation of eyes and the upper respiratory system to chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, lung cancer, and death. Air pollution has been shown to cause acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults. It has also been shown to worsen the condition of people with preexisting heart or lung disease. Among asthmatics, air pollution has been shown to aggravate the frequency and severity of attacks. Both short-term and long-term exposures have also been linked with premature mortality and reduced life expectancy. Health impact of air pollution depends on the pollutant type, its concentration in the air, length of exposure, other pollutants in the air, and individual susceptibility. Different people are affected by air pollution in different ways. Poor people, undernourished people, very young and very old, and people with preexisting respiratory disease and other ill health, are more at risk. In cities, for instance, poor tend to live and work in most heavily polluted areas, and in rural areas poor are more likely to cook with dirtier fuels. In some countries, air quality standards tend to be more lax around industrial areas in cities, where many poor tend to live in squatter settlements. Poor also tend to be more malnourished, more likely to suffer from ill health and disease, and have less access to health care. Air Pollution. 2001. 13 Nov. 2011. http://library. thinkquest. org/C0110400/usr/www/tqte ams/tqic/2001/C0 110400/4 cs%20folder/AIR%20POLLUTION. html. YourLungHealth. org The Effects of Ozone Pollution. YourLungHealth. org : We Inspire Healthy Lungs. American Association for Respiratory Care, 12 Sept. 2006. 01 Dec. 2011. . Lead in Air Pollution. The Good Air Lady. Sage Blossom Consulting, Jan. 2007. 01 Dec. 2011. .

Going global, acting local - communicating global brands to global Essay

Going global, acting local - communicating global brands to global markets - Essay Example ion of countries, ideas, knowledge and cultures of people from all across the world to develop a unique and distinctive market of consumers with almost similar tastes, preferences, interests, lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors towards a particular product or service. In other words, globalisation refers to international division of consumers who are both willing and able to purchase homogeneous products or services offered by different companies. In addition, it could be said that marketers divide all potential buyers in an international context and then formulate and implement their marketing, promotion and advertising strategies to cater those consumers. This process may involve manufacturing or production in other nations to achieve cost effectiveness while selling or promoting the produce in other countries where demand exists. (Medina and Duffy, 1998, 223-243) and (Levitt, 1983, 93-95) and (Fischer, 2003) Localisation is a process of adaptation to a particular geographic region, area, language or culture in an attempt to tap domestic market of a country. It is about giving a ‘local touch or look’ to products or advertising campaigns (that are offered to international buyers) by relating those goods or services to individuals in a specific target market. This process involves developing new products or innovating existing ones, modifying international promotion campaigns and advertising tactics etc after an in-depth analysis of societal taboos, sensitivities, language, demographic factors, culture and desires. This process is sometimes known as Customisation. (Medina and Duffy, 1998, 223-243) and (Baker, 1985, pp. 146-152) Glocalisation is a process that involves the elements of both globalisation and localisation. It is about tinkering away with the international goods or services to suit the tastes and preferences of domestic consumers from different markets across the globe. (Medina and Duffy, 1998, 223-243) It is worthwhile to mention the fact

National Business Cultures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

National Business Cultures - Research Paper Example During causal activities the women prefer to display modest dress. The appearances of the youth are both neat and clean. The youth find it unethical to touch another person's shoulders. Winking is taboo in any situation. It is also unethical to touch a child's head because children are held in high respect in Taiwan. Another characteristic of the Taiwan culture is that the feet should not be used for pointing because it is classified as dirty. HOFSTEDE- Finland, According to Hofstede, the Hofstede scores of Finland shows that It is low Powered, above average uncertainty avoidance, average masculinity and very low long term orientation2. Power distance measures how well the low power cultures like Finland feel and act when they fact high power cultures. The Hofstede analysis shows that the low power cultures easily accept the high powered cultures. The less powerful members of a culture can easily accept the unequal distribution of power. The Arabic-speaking nations, Latin America, Russia, and nearly all of Asia (especially India and China) are high in power distance. Most of Europe, Canada, Australia and Israel are low in power distance. Japan and Mediterranean-Europe fall in the middle range. In a culture of high power distance, it's okay for a department head to display his authority because most superiors rarely give their subordinates important work And if anything goes wrong, the subordi... And if anything goes wrong, the subordinates are usually blamed for not doing their proper job/role by the supervisors. In this culture, managers rarely interact or socialize with workers and the school teachers are treated with respect. The local politicians feel comfortable with totalitarianism. In this society, class distinction is emphasized. class distinctions are emphasized. Low power distance culture. This unique culture is described as the supervisors expected to treat employees respectfully. This culture is characterized by a few selected subordinates doing important work. There is a strong opportunity to get promoted quickly. However, if something ever unintentionally goes wrong, the department head is usually blamed for having unrealistic expectations or being too strict managers socialize and interact with workers. Also, the teachers are simply regarded as employees and parents are identified as merely people. Uncertainty avoidance. Uncertainty avoidance measures a nation's preference for strict laws and regulations over ambiguity and risk. According the Hofstede's research, Greece is the most risk-averse culture, and Singapore the least. The Protestant, Buddhist, and Hindu cultures rank relatively low; Catholic and Islamic countries tend to score high in uncertainty avoidance. Likewise, high uncertainty avoidance cultures tend to have a less efficient infrastructure than low uncertainty avoidance cultures. Hofstede Analysis will again help the foreign based national in decision making processes because different cultures react differently in the same situation. BODY II. Recent environmental influences (important PEST factors) in the 2 countries.TAIWAN Political. A. According to

Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B Dubois Essay Example for Free

Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B Dubois Essay Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois were two famous African American leaders during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were both activists and wanted blacks to have an education; they also wanted to end discrimination towards blacks. These leaders both wrote great speeches which clearly specified what they thought was right for African Americans. Even though Washington and Dubois focused on the same social, political and economic issues, they strongly disagreed on strategies of achieving their goal of equality. The first African American leader that changed America forever was Booker T. Washington. Booker T. was one of Americas greatest African American leaders who believed that blacks deserved to be equal. Booker T. mainly focused on education, he wanted blacks to concentrate on their education and not equality. He believed that if blacks mainly focused on getting equality, than blacks are wasting their time because racism and hatred will always be a part of everyday life from now and even in the future for all different kinds of races, cultures and religious beliefs. Booker T. wanted blacks to have something called Industrial Education, and this certain type of education provided the skills needed for jobs that were available to the majority of African Americans. Since he was mainly focusing on blacks in the south, he wanted blacks to  master and be advanced at agriculture and farming skills. Booker T. stated  that overtime, whites will see that blacks have responsibility and commitment of being an American citizen. This will earn respect and equality from whites and accepted as citizens of the United States of America. Booker T. Washington was recognized as being a great speaker. He gave many motivational speeches to black people saying not to let whites control them because as American citizens you are free to do whatever you want. He told blacks to think positive and stop hiding from people that are trying to put you down in society and defend yourself on what you think is right. He told white people that you are underestimating blacks for what they could accomplish in society; you are being disrespectful to blacks just because of their skin color. The second African American leader that changed America forever was W.E.B Dubois. He focused on the exact opposite things that of Booker T. Washington. Dubois was also mainly focused on education as Booker T. Washington was, but he believed that blacks should be book smart and be as well educated as a white person, this was called the gradualist political strategy. Dubois realized that Booker T. Washington was accommodating white interests in his speech called the Atlanta Compromise, this made many people shocked on how Washington was basically saying that you can treat blacks as unequals and discriminate us as long as we get a decent education. Dubois and his supporters responded to this speech by establishing the Niagara Movement. The Niagara Movement was a group of African-American civil rights activists including W.E.B Dubois; they wrote a speech that demanded for equality and to cease discrimination. The speech claims that as American citizens, we have rights and by not giving these rights to us, you have made no accomplishment on what you founded this land for. Dubois does not believe in violence but believes that sacrifices had to be made in order to get African Americans to be seen as equals. He labels his speech in numbers from one through five and in each request; he explained each of his demands in a very  aggressive tone. He sought for an immediate change and will not be satisfied by the little changes that will be made over time. Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois both had great arguments and philosophies for trying to get African Americans to have futures of being seen as equals, but I felt like Booker T. Washington made more sense at the time. Booker T. understood that blacks would never be seen as equals and he accepted it. Booker T. preached that being equal is not all that important but as time goes by, we will get accepted in to this nation as equals. He said this to blacks because he didnt want blacks lose faith on ever being seen as equals but instead, blacks started focusing on themselves and lived their daily lives without anyone putting the down in society. There are still many people that are racist but now they have learned to accept it and carry on with their lives. Booker T. Washingtons theory will always be a part of our nation and other countries all around the world. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois were two famous African American leaders during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were both believed that blacks deserved equal rights as being an American citizen. These leaders both wrote great speeches which clearly specified what they thought was right for African Americans.

Welty’s A Worn Path: The Strength of Love :: A Worn Path essays

Strength of Love in A Worn Path   In the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty shows an old woman living in a time period where racial prejudice is rampant and out of control.   Phoenix Jackson is a grandmother whose only motivation for living is to nurture her grandson back to health.   The strength of love may make people do or say unusual and implausible things.   The central idea of this story is that love can empower someone to over come many life-threatening obstacles.   The idea is shown when an old woman conquers all odds against her to show her everlasting love for her grandson.   Throughout the story Phoenix Jackson has to overcome many types of obstacles that hinder her in her devotion to help her grandson.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the main hindrances that stand in her way is the physical aspect of her age as well as the journey.   Phoenix Jackson is very weak and feeble because of her old age so that makes her long journey very strenuous.   Another physical obstacle is that she has to weave and duck under a barbwire fence.   Her feeble body cannot handle such tasks at her age.   The third hindrance she must defeat is that she must cross over a log that lay across a creek.   This requires concentration, skill, and patients.   Even people whom are twice as young as Phoenix have trouble doing such things.   Not many other emotional force other then love is strong enough to give power to an old woman who is living only for one reason.   She realizes that if she were to die then the fate of her grandson would be damned.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are also mental obstacles that obstruct Phoenix’s journey.   She has to triumph over her weariness because of her old age and her mental fatigue.   As she is walking her mind plays tricks on her, such as the time when she is in the field and mistakes the scarecrow for a dark mysterious figure that she is frightened of.   Another time is when she talks to herself and the animals in the woods.   She tells them not to get in her way because she has a long trip ahead of her.   The love that one person gives to another is never truly appreciated until the recipient realizes what that person has actually done.   The grandson may be too ill or even too young to realize what his grandmother is doing for his safety.

Crocker on Ethnocentrism Essay

David A. Crocker asks the question of who should be tasked with the development of moral ethics on a global level, especially in regions where ethical thought is relatively shallow. If there was one way he would answer this question, he would state that a combination of â€Å"insider† and â€Å"outsider† ethicists would find the best and culturally sensitive form of morality for particular cultures. For this to have any meaning however, a description is required for both â€Å"insider† and â€Å"outsider†. An â€Å"insider†, as termed by Crocker, is â€Å"one who is counted, recognized, or accepted by himself/herself and the other group members, as belonging to the group† (Crocker, 29). In regards to ethical thought of the group, Crocker outlines several advantages and disadvantages of being a predominant â€Å"insider†. When a development ethicist is an â€Å"insider† of a group they understand their past, present, and goals wh en it comes to moral thought, and can therefore help the group to develop (with ease on the topic of communication) in the most beneficial ways foreseeable in tandem with their beliefs. Along the lines of communication of an â€Å"insider†, they have a foundation from which to criticize and rebuke negative actions of a group because of their familiarity with said group’s customs and beliefs. However, â€Å"insiders† do not come without inhibitions as well. â€Å"Insiders† may become so immersed in their society and its customs that they are unable to expand their own, and their society’s horizon on the topic of moral thought. Crocker argues that because of the familiarity of the culture, an â€Å"insider† may be blind to factors that define a culture in an existential manner, â€Å"Like a fish unaware of the water in which it continually swims† (Crocker, 33). In essence, an â€Å"insider† has an easy time familiarizing with their culture, but may have trouble assessing the culture from an unbiased manner. â€Å"Outsiders† are the direct opposite to an â€Å"insider† meaning they do not have a recognition or acceptance of the culture, or themselves within that culture. An â€Å"outsider can be beneficial to a social group in the way the outsider can  assess the culture in an unbiased manner, and with this perspective, â€Å"outsider-ethicist strengths are the mirror image of an insider-ethicist weaknesses† and therefore the â€Å"outsider† is able to give insight on the things the culture may be unaware of (Crocker, 35). â€Å"Outsiders† are also able to bring out new ideas to a group based on their own culture, ideas the culture in assessment may not have even considered. The last advantage of an â€Å"outsider† is that they are not bound by the â€Å"insider’s† commitments to the group or status quo, and can therefore say things, or criticize things that a member of the group would not. Being an â€Å"outsider† has a list of negative attributes as well. â€Å"Outsiders† do not have the same familiarity with the customs of the group and how certain actions affect them, and Crocker argues that these key understandings are â€Å"relevant for progressive social change† (Crocker, 34). â€Å"Outsiders† who come from a more developed region and culture tend to put more trust in their own ideas and disregard the ingenuity of the group under assessment. In the long term, the groups that have an â€Å"outsider† ethicist may become dependent upon them for ideas, and thereby never becoming able to express their own ideas, and their own norms become weakened. David Crocker explains ethnocentrism as having 2 main concerns. The first he describes as being a â€Å"habitual disposition to judge foreign peoples or groups by the standards and practices of one’s own culture or ethnic group†, and the second is described as the â€Å"tendency toward viewing alien cultures with disfavor and a resulting sense of inherent superiority† (Crocker, 27). Crocker’s accounts of â€Å"insiders† and â€Å"outsiders† do answer some of the concerns raised by ethnocentrism. Not one, nor the other is predominantly to blame for ethnocentrism, rather both â€Å"insiders† and â€Å"outsiders† demonstrate these negative aspects. â€Å"Insiders† can reject any advice from an outsider with the existence of an a priori that gives the â€Å"insider† the notion that â€Å"nothing can be learned from an outsider†. Outsiders exhibit ethnocentrism in the way they give more credit to the ideas of their own culture because it is often socio-economically more developed. Ethnocentrism in cross-culture assessment and dialogue, Crocker states, can be diminished by things like â€Å"achievement of more equality between various centres and their corresponding peripheries, the recognition of dangers peculiar to insiders and outsiders, respectively, and the promotion of appropriate kinds of insider/outsider combinations in  development ethicists† (Crocker, 35). Essentially an equilibrium in â€Å"insider† and â€Å"outsider† ethicists. This is how he answers his question of whom is responsible for ethical thought, the correct combination of â€Å"insider† and â€Å"outsiderà ¢â‚¬  ethicists. Bibliography Koggel, Christine M.. â€Å"David A. Crocker.†Moral issues in global perspective. Volume II: Human Diversity and Equality ed. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2006. 27-35. Print.