Group project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group project - Essay Example While Gamefly offers both purchasing and renting service on subscription basis for video games for every gaming console there is. Apart from this gamefly also own a series of websites provide detailed information on video games and Kongregate.com is one of the closely associated companies. Also Joltonline is another key company.Warner Bros, Wea Corp for the release of Transformers 3. Apart from that it is working with Virgin corp are in a partnership to power online video games competition. Sequoia Capital are termed as Entrepreneurs behind entrepreneurs are one of the major investors. Other is Tenaya capital the other major investor. Partnerships with Del taco and Six flags theme park for summer long promotions. Apart from that Bawls a non alcoholic carbonated beverage had also partnered with Gamefly. Gamestop wants to portray the image that the company prefers customer satisfaction at the most, they intend to make the experience at their outlets a wonderful experience for each and every customer that visits them irrespective of the age bracket they belong too. Gamefly on the other hands wants their customer to save their hard earned money and spend in wisely while spending it on something which is expensive at the most apart from it being short lived if the wrong choice is made. So they want to offer their customer an opportunity to minimize spending on the wrong choice they made and provide them with new

Analysis culture difference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis culture difference - Essay Example There are several cultural dimensions theories like the one developed by Geert Hofstede which presents a framework for communication which is cuts across cultures. This theory describes how the culture of a society affects the values of its members and in turn how they affect people’s behavior making use of a structure obtained from the factor analysis method. This theory is especially important in various fields as a research paradigm (Stone, 2007). These fields include international management, cross-cultural psychology, as well as cross-cultural communication. Dimensions of national cultures are very important in expatriate management and their preparedness to interact with a different culture. These dimensions include uncertainty avoidance index, individualism as opposed to collectivism, power distance index, indulgence or restraint, long-term orientation, and masculinity as opposed to femininity. It is of great importance for the person going to work in another country to be aware of the cultural differences that exist among various destinations. Cultural differences are considered in most instances as a means of conflict rather than synergy. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory looks at the increasing diversity and the way in which an expatriate can gain an understanding of the other culture by knowing what they can expect from them and the manner in which they can behave when faced with people of other countries. Hofstede’s model of five dimensions is used widely in various domains of the social life of human beings with most application in the area of business. In the area of business, cultural sensitivity should be promoted in order to enable people to be more effective when working with and interacting with people of other countries in order to ensure success of transactions. In business, communication is taken as one of the most basic concerns. Therefore, this model is important in taking peaks into other cultures. This is espec ially so because the professionals who work on an international level are bound to interact on a daily basis with others from different countries in their company or with other companies which are abroad. This awareness of the differences in culture will help the expatriate to differentiate between the acceptable and unacceptable as such parameters differ from one country to another. Expatriates might be faced with the challenge in communication which is affected by cultural dimensions such as verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written communication or even etiquette which involves the do’s and don’ts. Despite Hofstede’s model being generally acknowledged as the framework of national values and cultures that is the most comprehensive, by the people who study culture of businesses, it has also been extensively criticized. Another model of cultural dimensions is the one developed by Fons Trompenaars whose experience with cultural differences was quite firsthand as he grew up speaking both Dutch and French and has worked in nine different countries with Shell (Stone, 2007). Through this, he was able to study how people resolved cross-cultural dilemmas in specific countries. It is after his analysis that he made notice of seven basic cultural dimensions. The first scale was universalism as opposed to particularism. The second scale entailed individualism versus collectivism. The

Design And Atmosphere In Customer Expectations About Restaurants

Design And Atmosphere In Customer Expectations About Restaurants What defines a good restaurant? A good location, wide variety of food offered and prices certainly are crucial factors but the best food in town wont help a restaurant out if the ambience is just not right and customers dont feel comfortable. Some like it entertaining and lively, others prefer quieter atmospheres. Perfect Design cant promise a charming atmosphere but can sometimes even seem boring. In this study different categories of restaurants will be identified, combined with an empirical research using three restaurants of different categories. Every important aspects of atmosphere creation will be explained and recommendations will be given. 1 Introduction and statement of relevance Aims of the BBA Thesis The aim of this Thesis is to identify the special aspects of customer satisfaction and analyze the importance of design and atmosphere in a hospitality establishment, specifically in a restaurant environment. It will examine whether or not design is an important factor shaping customer expectations about a restaurant. Different techniques of interior design and atmosphere creation will be identified such as usage of colors, lighting, use of smells and music. Further the thesis will explore successful design concepts in the Hospitality industry. The human senses that can be stimulated by design will be discussed and the therefore created emotions and their possible benefits to the hospitality industry identified. It will show how ambience affects consumer behavior and whether it can serve as a critical factor in determining the success or failure of a business. The thesis will also include examples of such successful design concepts. Analytical Procedure Publications will be studied and used to give an understanding of the term design, in relation to ambience creation. Different techniques and terms of design will be explained with the help of several publications provided in the list of resources. After giving the overall understanding of the given topic, the actual research analysis begins. Using the website www.onlineumfragen.com, an online questionnaire was designed, featuring pictures of three restaurants of different design categories. First there are questions about the overall design and atmosphere aspects of each individual restaurant (named Restaurant A, B and C in the questionnaires). Later the respondents will be asked to choose one of the three to plan a special event (e.g. their birthday) at. Choosing to conduct the survey online gave the opportunity to define a population using networks such as Facebook (www.facebook.com). A group was created on April 22nd 2010 and 1427 people were invited to join the group and kindly asked to complete the survey. After a week, the group was closed on April 29th. By then 201 people took part in the survey. After defining the relevance of design as a factor in customer expectations about a restaurant and how it therefore affects satisfaction by the example of three restaurants, the paper will give recommendations to enhance customer satisfaction and then conclude on the findings that were determined by the study. Restaurant Design In past times Interior Architecture or Interior Fitting described the very same process but the term Design became much more appropriate in todays world. Besides planning and handcraft Design involves intention and craftiness. Restaurant Design requires experience and precise know-how. Looking at the industry one realizes that there is a lot of competition in an immense marketplace. Chances of surviving challenges like an economic crises or even just a change to a new trend seem very low nowadays. According to Kotler (1983) the field of Marketing Research identified the importance of design and atmosphere in restaurants. The meaning of the total product gained importance, meaning the Restaurant and everything that comes with it. The tangible product, meaning the food and beverage aspect of the Restaurant play a minimal role in the buying decision of the customer. Kotler even claims that in some cases the atmosphere alone influences the buying decision the most. Design creates a new world of experiences In any given situation, whether in an upscale restaurant, in a dining car of a train, a simple tavern on the countryside, the guest should always be the center of attention. In any successful business t is essential to care about the customer and try to fulfill his or her needs by all means. Especially in todays world, consumers are looking for change and want to get away from it all. This also means that it is not sufficient anymore to count on having a renowned chef and excellent food in your restaurant anymore. It is more and more necessary to distinguish your restaurant through first-class service and create that special atmosphere in which guests will feel comfortable and the more will be animated to consume. It takes much more than simply changing the color of the walls, putting up new curtains, changing the lights, buying new tableware or furniture when planning and designing a restaurant. The architecture and the design of the actual space create the stage for the play, in which the idea and concept of the owner or designer have to be visually translated to the guests. The challenge here is to prepare guests for a culinary experience. This can be achieved through the right use of colors, materials and lightning to stimulate all five senses and thus prepare for consumption and pleasure. Significance of design and atmosphere in Restaurants Eating out has become as much a lifestyle choice and form of entertainment as a source of nourishment. (Ryder, 2007) The 7th P of Marketing and the 5 Senses of Man The 4Ps of Marketing (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) have for a long-time counted as the Marketing classics. When looking at the Marketing Mix of a service we shall add three more Ps. These are: People, Process, and Physical evidence. People in this case simply means Staff should have the appropriate interpersonal skills, attitude, and service knowledge to provide the service that consumers are paying for (Service Marketing Mix: The 7Ps). Process refers to the systems used to assist the organization in delivering the services. More important in this study though is the last of the Ps: Physical evidence. Physical Evidence is the element of the service mix, which allows the consumer again to make judgments on the organization. If you walk into a restaurant your expectations are of a clean, friendly environment. On an aircraft if you travel first class you expect enough room to be able to lie down! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Physical evidence is an essential ingredient of the service mix, consumers will make perceptions based on their sight of the service provision which will have an impact on the organizations perceptual plan of the service. (Service Marketing Mix: The 7Ps) Now besides this crucial 7 Ps, there are also the 5 S that are of importance here. In other words, it the 5 senses of man play a fundamental role in the buyers decision-making process. Man gathers all information through his environment. We experience our surroundings through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Since Man is exposed to a stimulus satiation by todays industry, the sense of sight evolved as main criteria for perception of the surrounding environment. The sense of sight The sense of sight is the most dominant of senses in todays times. 70 to 80% of our perception is influenced by the sense of sight (Sehsinn). The human sense of sight can and should be stimulated in many ways by gastronomy. The interior furnishing, the color schemes, the lightning techniques, various design contrasts, the cleanliness of the establishment and even the appearance of the staff are significant aspects that can determine the success or failure of a business. All these factors also help to create a lasting image of the establishment in the customers mind, and can therefore result in to a customer that will return and recommend the restaurant to friends. If these aspects fail to stimulate the sense positively, the customer is sure not to return. The sense of hearing The sense of hearing allows Man to experience sound, noise and words and is fully developed already 4 to 5 month prior to birth (Senses, 2007). In Gastronomy there are multiple ways to stimulate this sense, on one hand there is the background music that is often used to create a certain ambience. Conversations among guests or staff or even between guest and staff and also noise that comes out of the kitchen can function as a stimulus. The soundscape should be lively, but not too loud and definitely not too silent. The acoustics can be well directed by means of carpets, sound absorbing materials, tablecloths and other dà ©cor. Depending on what kind of atmosphere one would want to create, the choice of music is another crucial factor. A line must be drawn between establishments like the newest In-restaurant in New York City and that charming Brasserie in Paris Saint Germain. One could say there lie worlds between the two and this must also be implemented when choosing the music. In G eneral one can say that the younger Generation is used to louder sound than the older, but in most hip restaurants in New York, the music is so loud there is barely any talking. Now imagine that soundscape in the charming Brasserie in Paris. So when making the choice about music volume one should consider the mean between the target groups and also not forget to adapt to the type of image and ambience one would want to transmit to the clients. The sense of taste The sense of taste is the least developed of all senses. Due to the fact that Man can only distinguish between 5 tastes it is almost unbelievable how a sense like that can determine our quality of life and joy for life to that extend. The older we get, the less we taste. A newborn child has about 10.000 taste buds, whereas adults only have 5.000 on average. (Senses, 2007) Man can only taste four qualities. These are: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Other tastes are tasted through smelling, either through the nose or through the mouth and throat. The sense of taste is undoubtly the one of the most important factor for customer retention, but not anymore the most important in gastronomy. The menu and the quality of the food are factors that can determine the success of a business. If the food is good, the guests are more likely to turn a blind eye on shortcomings in the design and atmosphere. The optimum and everyones promise to glory and success is a good combination of the both, since customers are willing to consume more and with more pleasure if the right ambience is created around them. (Ryder, 2007) The sense of smell A designer who creates objects and spaces engages our sensations of touch, sight, and sometimes hearing. But what of our noses? Despite olfactions unmatched ability to evince memories and emotions-two essential objectives of design-smell is a relatively untapped medium in design practice. (Black, 2010) In gastronomy there are ways to market services through smell. The appetizingly smell of fresh prepared food, freshly brewed coffee, baked bred or even the smell of flowers can stimulate the sense of smell and therefore put the guests in a consumption mood. Strong body odor of staff or disturbing smells of the kitchen should be avoided as guests will feel disturbed and their appetite will probably be gone with the smell. Eva Wisten (2010) even goes so far as to claim that scent itself can be decribed as a form of design. All of the categories and critical tools we normally apply to design can also be applied to scent, from the recognition of a balance between means and goals, to the different degrees of engagement with the rest of the world. (WISTEN, 2010) Wisten further explains in her article that scent is already being used widely as a design element. Manufacturers seem to be reaching a tipping point of awareness that scent is important in creating a total brand experience. For example, casinos, hotels, private clubs, new automobiles are often designed with signature scents. (WISTEN, 2010) Scent can play a more emotional, expressive, and even functional role in our daily lives. Since Mans associations with scent are incredibly strong and cognitively bonded with memory and prior experiences, scents might open up new ways to learn and remember. Becoming more alive to scents will also add texture, depth, and richness to our everyday experiences, if we can find ways to incorporate them that move beyond air fresheners and analogs of natural scents. (WISTEN, 2010) Also, a scent can be used to tag objects and places and accordingly build associations and habits. According to Wisten (2010) it would therefore enable customer retention on a brand new level. (Black, 2010) The sense of touch Unfortunately the importance of the sense of touch is often underestimated in tourism. When exploring their surrounding, people like to look, taste, hear and smell but they also explore by touching the materials and even enjoy touching pleasant materials. A soft blanket in a Hotel room or comfortable chairs in a restaurant are factors that also determine a nice atmosphere. As mentioned above, the choice of materials is also important not only to the eye but even more so to the sense of touch. (ÃÆ'-ller, 2009) The science of colors Color. A characteristic of light or of surfaces or object that is perceptible to human vision and that is described by various color names, such as red or blue. (Pile, 1997) Colors stimulate all our senses; they are linked to our subconscious knowledge and memories and therefore create certain associations (Stadler, 2010). People try to flee the routine, to relax from the daily stress and to regenerate, but to be able to do so the atmosphere as to be right. Using colors, designers can stimulate the senses and therefore create moods or create different and completely new atmosphere (Stadler, 2010) It doesnt necessarily mean that everything has to be as colorful as it gets, but putting the right contrasts or accents and harmonizing design elements already does the trick. In other words extreme unity of colors leads to under-stimulation whereas extreme complexity leads to over-stimulation. Harmony is a dynamic equilibrium. (Morton, 2008) Understanding the science of colors is important to be able to create moods and emotions and direct guests to consume with pleasure. The world is too colorful to leave a wall blank and white, on the other hand loud colors arent the optimum either and can lead to unwelcomed side effects (Stadler, 2010). The use of colors belongs to one of the most fundamental possibilities to influence our surrounding and our wellbeing. Classification of colors There are three so called elementary or primary colors: Red, Blue and Yellow (Figure 1). In traditional color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues. There are secondary colors that are created through mixing two of the primary colors with each other: Green, Violet, Orange (Figure 2). Blue and Yellow make Green, Blue and Red make Violet and Red and Yellow result in Orange. There are also tertiary colors that are formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. Thats why the hue is a two-word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange as seen in Figure 3. (Morton, 2008) Figure 1 Primary Colors: Blue, Red and Yellow Figure 2 Secondary Colors: Green, Orange and Violett Figure 3: Tertiary Colors: Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-Purple, Blue-Purple, Blue-Green and Yellow-Green. Effect of colors Before discussing the impact of specific color hues, there are some more general observations that need to be noted. It is widely accepted to order colors into general families of warm, cool and neutral colors. (Pile, 1997) Warm colors: The word warm has another meaning here, in the same sense as we speak of a warm greeting, a warm friendship or a warm atmosphere. The hues on the warm side of the color circle are: red, orange and yellow, including all their shades, tints. These warm colors are generally understood to create a cozy, comfortable, homelike and pleasant atmosphere (Pile, 1997). Experiments also have shown that interiors with primarily warm color shemes will appear comfortable to occupants even with the actual air temperature lower than required to achieve comparable comfort in identical spaces using cooler colors. Cool colors: Every shade and tint of the green-blue-violet side of the color circle fall under this term. They are related with calm, relaxing and more contemplative experiences. Cool colors tend to lower the sense of actual air temperature and therefore are often preferred in spaces where excessive heat (climatic or artificial) can be anticipated. At an extreme, cool colors may have a negative and depressive psychological impact (Pile, 1997). Neutral colors: White, Black and Gray fall between warm and cool, having less intense psychological impact and therefore in its extreme form may have a bland or boring effect. In its positive uses, neutral colors may propose businesslike, practical and utilitarian atmospheres with a minimum of emotional content (Pile, 1997). According to Molton (2008) colors have the power of conveying a mood or message. It can make or break how people perceive a business or a product. As evidence, consider the $23 million in sales made by Heinzs green ketchup. In the following abstract the effects of individual colors will be identified. Blue: Molton (2008) claims that blue color can work as appetite suppressant. Blue colored food is not a common occurrence in nature. There are no such things as blue salad, blue meat and besides blueberries, the color blue just doesnt exist a significant quantity of natural food color. Looking at Figure 4 one will admit that this dish with blue colored rice looks everything but tasty. Figure 4 Blue Rice, Cherry Tomatoes and Pork (http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h289/cyberpete/Cooking/PICT0254.jpg) Spaces appear bigger in size and seem chilly and clean. In Interior Design one should use the color blue only in spaces to relax, for example in the Wellness area of a Hotel, where red would have the opposite effect. Red: Red is claimed to be a dynamic and aggressive color. It stimulates psychologically and physically, enhances labor and movement and even encourages dancing. Not only venues with a dance floor make successful use of this color but also restaurants use red in dining environments, since the right shade of red can work as an appetizer (Mahnke, 1996). It activates metabolism and blood circulation of the body as it signifies pure energy. However it can also appear overwhelming and result in irritated guests (Morton, Color Matters, 2008). Yellow: Yellow brings the sunshine in. The color has the effect of lightning up bad mood and puts a room into a sunny and positive atmosphere. Spaces even appear bigger and more vital. It enhances concentration and stimulates the mind towards a positive attitude even in combination with darker colors. It is commonly used in Cafà ©s and Bars since yellow inspires conversation and communication. In gastronomy it can be used to keep guests longer and therefore make them willing to consume more (Mahnke, 1996). Green: Green has a calming effect on people; it gives a feeling of balance tranquility, and security. The color is often used in conference rooms in Hotels (Pile, 1997) as it stands for creativity and willingness to learn new things. A green room appears vital and has a regenerating effect on the human organism. The color seems friendly and relaxing. Green is neither a cold nor a warm color, often it is understood as a neutral pole between the two. Orange: Orange can create a cheerful warm and comfortable atmosphere. It is known as the friendly and social color in Interior Design (Pile, 1997) that also has the ability to enhance appetite (Mahnke, 1996). Brown: Brown as used in interior decorating has the effect of giving a rustical and comfortable atmosphere. White, Black and Grey: White, Black and Grey belong to the so-called non-colors. They are perfect combined with other colors. However if too much black, white or grey is used in interior decoration it can give a feeling of heaviness and darkness. These colors make better use as neutralizers or contrasts to other colors (Pile, 1997). Color in Restaurants According to John Pile (1997), Restaurants call for a particularly sensitive use of color. An inappropriate color scheme might be the cause for a restaurant to fail even if it might have been successful otherwise. As mentioned in the previous abstract, appetite is very strongly affected by light and color. The sight of a blue cake wouldnt make your mouth water as much as it did when it was chocolate-brown. The experience of eating can be made more pleasant or less so, through the choice of color in surroundings. Experience suggests that certain colors are best avoided entirely; these include black, darker or cold grays, strong tones of violet and yellow-greens. (Pile, 1997). Pile further states that the color red is believed to be stimulating to the appetite and other warm tones tend to generate a comfortable atmosphere but should be used with moderation along with stronger accent colors. To conceal spots and soiling in a restaurant establishment, it is usual to choose certain colors, materials and patterns, however the color of such areas as tabletops, linens, dishes glassware and menus, that take in most of the diners field of vision of the restaurant, should be considered along with the colors of the rest of the interior space (Pile, 1997). In his book Color in Interior Design, John Pile claims that even the style of food should have an effect in color choice. He states that in fast-food outlets, cafeterias and other restaurants where a rapid pace of service is anticipated, the choice of bright colors and strong contrasts have the best effect. Restaurants with more traditional style, perhaps serving better cuisine at a more leisurely pace and probably even at higher prices, are better served by softer, warmer tones seen under a lower level of lighting. The use of natural wood tones, metallic elements, and mirrors are traditional elements in bar areas. Dining rooms of traditional clubs are commonly developed in tones of brown and tan suggesting a masculine atmosphere while lighter tones of cream, beige and yellow relate to a more varied clientele. (Pile, 1997). There are certain types of restaurants, such as Seafood restaurants, that have developed a tradition in style and setting, using natural wood for tabletops and floors along with areas of off white, tan or brown in other elements. The color Blue is a favored accent color, as it supposedly is associated with the sea, but it should definitely not be used in excess as to avoid a cold and unappetizing effect. Various national cuisine style restaurants can also be emphasized through use of color, such as white and red in Austrian or red green and white in Italian restaurants, but such associations are not essential and always threaten to turn to clichà © when they are overdone. Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires Importance of customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction depends on a product perceived performance in delivering value relative to a buyers expectations (Philip Kotler, 2006). The buyer will be satisfied, according to whether or not the products performance meets the expectations. Expectations are based on experiences, opinions of friends and market information and promises. New Baroque Introduction of New Baroque Venues of this category feature exuberant lightning, decadence and pattern. Many restaurants take their cues from this approach, yet are rather more contemporary with just the odd extravagant flourish. (Ryder, 2007) The restaurant chosen to represent this category in this study is the Cospaia in Brussels, Belgium. Figure 5 Restaurant COSPAIA, Brussels, Belgium Design Concept of Cospaia The concept is unique and mysterious. For Cospaia Jan Tindemans united a passionate designer and an exclusive location. The myth starts immediately with the location of Cospaia on the Boulevard de la Toison dOr. Many habitants and visitors of Brussels will surely remember some of the famous eateries that used to occupy this location. The entire neighborhood breathes luxury and coziness. Exclusive boutiques and first class hotels in the immediate vicinity, the Brussels Financial heart, the Embassies and the European quarter all within walking distance. It is a dream location for a new style restaurant with international ambition. Cospaia will easily fit in that exclusive list of addresses next to Cafà © Costes in Paris, Bank in London, Vau in Berlin and Arts in Barcelona. Marcel Wolterinck, an internationally recognized designer has created the interior design. (http://www.cospaia.be) 5.3. Presentation of Results from Questionnaires Global Views Introduction of Global Views Various aspects of other cultures and countries inspire the designs of restaurants of in category. Asia is continuing to lead the way as major influence in restaurant design in cities of the western world, whether or not it reflects the cuisine on offer. (Ryder, 2007) Representing the chapter Global Views in this study will the Megu Midtown in New York City, USA. Figure 6 Restaurant MEGU, New York City, USA Design Concept of Megu Designed and created by Yasumichi Morita and his Japenese based team Glamorous. For the first, Megu owner Mr Koji Imai asked Morita to introduce real Japanese beauty to New Yorkers. (Ryder, 2007) The design team Glamourous chose to blend traditional and modern Japanese times. Authentic and avant-garde Japanese ingredients are combined to suit every palate. The overall dà ©cor is filled with customary Japanese interior accents, complimented with a contemporary ambiance. The rich fabrics, the highest-grade wood materials, and the artistic integrity were upheld in the construction of MEGU Midtown. To express the rich design of Megu, they made the design rise vertically. Almost everything about the design in the main dining room points from the ceiling to the floor. The lamp pillars, the family crests that cascade from top to bottom, and the 27-foot long hand drawn mural of tigers. When the guests arrive, they walk up the stairs to the mezzanine and then descend to the main dining room when their reservation is ready. In the waiting bar there is illuminated photographic art conveying the heart of Japan, on 7-foot Kimono fabric pedestals. The visual delights at MEGU Midtown in terms of design are, the lamp pillars, the family crest emblems, the open sushi and Teppan-yaki kitchens, and the 500 pound Crystal Chandelier. Using the high ceilings and the wall-to-wall windows they have created another distinct and wonderful space. (www.megurestaurants.com/phi losophy) 6.3. Presentation of Results from Questionnaires Modern Classic Introduction Modern Classic Simple dining spaces that often feature classic designs from the twentieth century belong to this category. The interiors dont rely on any design tricks, themes or grand gestures. Instead the designers rely on the beauty of natural materials such as marble and stone for adornment. (Ryder, 2007) the example of this category presented in this study is The Modern in New York City, USA. Figure 7 Restaurant THE MODERN, New York City, USA Design concept of The Modern Inspired by the Bauhaus movement, The Modern was created by architects Bentel Bentel. The design plays a major role in every aspect of the dining experience at the Modern. Open, elegant and filled with light, the Dining Room offers views of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Both the Dining Room and Bar Room are adorned with furniture and tableware from modernist greats, with a focus on Danish design. (http://www.themodernnyc.com) 6.3. Presentation of Results from Questionnaires Research Design Research Design The type of research design is very important for the whole study and is a major factor for the significance of the results. In the case of this study a quantitative research design was chosen. Ryder (2007) defines restaurant design styles thematic categories: Global Views, New Baroque, Modern Classic and High Concept. In this study three categories were chosen as examples: Global Views, New Baroque and Modern Classic. Then one restaurant out of each of these categories was elected to represent the category. While preparing the questionnaires some recommendations were kept in mind. The length of the survey played an important role. The survey was designed online in English language only. It was kept in mind to keep the survey answer possibilities brief and simple. Three different pictures of different restaurant were implemented in the survey. This was done using the website http://www.onlineumfragen.com. Questions about the overall design and atmosphere relating to each picture of the three restaurants were created (Bitner, Evaluating Service Encounters: The Effects of Physical Surroundings and Employee Responses, 1990) (Kisang, 2005) and (Wakefield Blodgett, 1999). After completing the general questions about each individual restaurant, the participants were asked to choose one establishment to plan a special event at (eg. their birthday party). The population was defined using the social network website http://www.facebook.com. A group was created and 1427 people invited to join. After one week of data collection (April 22nd April 29th 2010) the survey went offline and the analysis began. By then there were 201 samples in the study. Besides the Personal Data Information and the question where respondents are asked to choose one of the three restaurants for a special event, there are solely rating scales in the survey. All respondents completed the questionnaires through the website only. After some adjustments and the preparation of the data collected, the Data then was exported into the Program SPSS, ready for further analysis. The complete questionnaire can be found in the Appendices. Data analysis Demographics After one week of data collection a proud sample of 201 respondents was achieved. This abstract will give an introduction to the population of the study. 126 of the respondents in the survey are female, that leaves 75 male respondents (Figure 1:Gender). Figure 2: Age shows that 14 respondents were younger than 20 years old. The majority of respondents (98 respondents) are between 21 and 24 years old. 69 respondents are 25-29 years of age and 20 respondents are older than 30 years. Figure 8: Gender Figure 9: Age There are 121 respondents still at University and 70 respondents who already have graduated from University. 9 participants have a High school Diploma and 1 completed an Apprenticeship (Figure 6:Education). 115 Students took part in the survey. The remaining respondents are White-collar workers (2

Movie Review: Yentl Essay -- essays research papers

Movie Review: Yentl Everyone at one time or another has felt out of place. Feeling unsure of one's place in society is an experience that every young adult faces but deals with differently. Some rebel while others comply with whatever has been set out for them by society or their parents, or both. The role of the woman in society is forever changing. Where women were once obligated to stay in the home and dote on their husbands, they are now working in the same types of jobs as their husbands. What was typically the male role has been blurred and practically obliterated. Religious roles have followed society's lead in their evolution. For example, since its creation over five thousand years ago, the Jewish religion has evolved in some movements to involve women and men equally in ceremonies. The orthodox movement has always remained traditional in its belief that women have their place in the home, cooking and raising children, and serving their husbands. Education remains the man's duty. The movie Yentl starring Barbara Streisand, shows this traditional belief through its plot, characterization, music, lights, camera angles, and symbolism. Set in Eastern Europe in 1904, Yentl captures the essence of the Jewish woman's eternal struggle. It is the story of a young girl, in love with learning but forbidden to do so by Jewish tradition. Upon her father's death, Yentl disguises herself as a boy to attend a yeshiva (religious school) and continue her studies. She befriends Avigdor, a male scholar at the yeshiva, and falls in love with him. Driven by her love for him, Yentl will do all that she can to ensure that he is near her and that her secret is not revealed. Yentl struggles with her secret until the day she can no longer remain silent. She tells Avigdor what she has done, and of her love for him, but he cannot accept a woman who refuses to act as a traditional woman should. So Yentl departs for America in hope of a different mentality, but never forgetting her love for Avigdor and all that she has learned. Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's acclaimed short story, "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy," the story is somewhat unrealistic but serves its purpose in proving a point; the point being that women have always been just as capable as men in studying and education, an... ...e bird, is able to soar - through the prejudices of her traditions and through the world of knowledge for which she so longs. She displays this thought in the last line of the movie when she sings "Papa watch me fly." As well, when Yentl transforms herself into Anshel, the boy, she looks at herself in a cracked mirror and cuts her hair. This displays her uncertainty of herself and her place in Jewish society, and the cutting of her hair symbolizes her transformation and the beginning of a new life for her. Symbolism throughout the film, contributes to the film's theme of self-discovery and role reversal. The plot, characterization, lighting, camera angles, and symbolism reveal thoroughly the plot of this highly thought-evoking film. The plot mainly contributes to proving that a woman's place is not solely in the home. That "story books for women, sacred books for men", as the bookseller says at the beginning of the story, is not an accurate assessment of a woman's intellectual capabilities. Because of Barbara Streisand's fabulous and complete characterization of Yentl, this movie comes to life and touches the hearts of its viewers.

Renaissance Philosophy Essay

I believe that the Renaissance philosopher who has provided the greatest contribution to humanity is Rene Descartes, whose aggregate contributions to intellectualism in Western culture are difficult to overstate. His significance lies in his judicious use of skepticism in the assessment of truths and beliefs frequently held up as objective knowledge. Descartes was a Catholic, but this did not necessarily mean that he took its authoritative and hegemonic role in the maintenance of knowledge at face value. He realized that certain truths cannot be satisfactorily determined through Church teachings alone, and therefore what must be held up to close scrutiny is not ‘truth’ itself but the criteria used to assess it. Granted, Descartes was not the first person to examine such issues. The skeptical tradition dates as far back as the first millennium AD. But rather than asserting that truth has no value, Descartes was concerned with the development of a unified and almost arithmetic means of measuring knowledge. This sense of skepticism blended with a belief in ordered reasoning is reflected in his other pursuits, particularly mathematics. This combination of mathematics and sophistry is made most manifest in Cartesian dualism, which argues a divide between the nonmaterial mind/soul and the material of the body that influences each other. However, it is Descartes’ ordering of metaphysics that has provoked the most significant amount of reaction and influence in equal measures supporting or contradicting him. Descartes believed that in order to prove the existence of the material world, one must first prove the existence of the self, which he posited as self-evident because â€Å"Cogito ergo sum† or â€Å"I think, therefore I am. † The reaction to these assertions is primarily split along two lines: skepticism and idealism. George Berkeley’s disagreement falls in the latter category, as he opined that Cartesian dualism implied that we cannot know anything beyond the sensations and ideas our mind believes to exist, while David Hume problematized why we believe in the existence of an external in the first place. John Locke developed a more nuanced understanding of the mind-self by defining it as a â€Å"conscious thinking thing† whose materiality or immateriality is irrelevant to acknowledging that it is conscious of sensation and emotion. Locke also posited that the body is also crucial to the formation of the mind-self, arguing that the mind-self is a tabula rasa, a blank slate shaped by experience, including natal sources of experience. Immanuel Kant developed an elaborate set of transcendental arguments and categories as a means f proving the existence of external reality. Essentially speaking, while sensations and perceptions do exist, they are meaningless without a unified comprehension of them. As such, experience is formed by the mind-self being able to cohere these impressions together as something meaningful. George Hegel challenged the understanding of truth as not just a concern with matters of substance, but matters of the subject perceiving and comprehending truth. As such, truth is just as contingent on the mind-self which thinks. Thus, unlike Berkeley, external realities are not just mere mental content, but an expression of thought itself. Descartes may have found few adherents during his time and years after, but his importance to succeeding philosophers who have attempted to deconstruct the contents of the mind and its relationship and understanding of the external world. In effect, he ushered in a fundamental level of doubt in assessing truth and knowledge so necessary in abnegating the kind of dogmatism which makes unquestioned acceptance of ‘common wisdom’ so problematic.

Demise of the Weimar Republic

The demise of the Weimar Republic did not occur due to one sole reason, but because of a number of short and long term factors. The economic, political and international pressure placed on the people of Germany ensured the loathing of the forced governmental rule. The immediate impact of the Great Depression of 1929, which has been debated and considered by most historians to be the dominant factor in the downfall of the ‘democratic experiment’ which subsequently led to continuous political instability ultimately saw the collapse of the first democratic government of Germany.Some historians generally blame the fall of the Republic on president von Hindenburg’s abuse of constitutional powers. Historian David Martin states that the â€Å"survival of democracy depended on his (Hindenburg’s) integrity and decisions. Unfortunately, his actions made a major contribution to its destruction†. More deadlocks within the Reichstag and civil unrest gave Hindenbu rg no choice but to give the people what they wanted, which was a strong leader in Adolf Hitler. The Weimar republic was not welcomed by Germany after her defeat in world war one in 1919.Germany had never had a democracy before and felt that the Allies had forced this treaty upon them. Even Prince Max of Beden did not want a democracy for Germany. Because this new government had signed the treaty they were now known as the ‘November Criminals’ and were loathed by everyone. According to Henig, ‘It was the acknowledgement of defeat.. which they found so hard to accept. ’ The historian Friedrich Meinecke observed that, for true Germans, loyalty to the ‘Fatherland required disloyalty to the republic’.In a sense the Weimar Republic was a â€Å"democracy without democrats† Treaty of Versailles The military defeat of Germany in November 1918 came as a genuine shock to most Germans, who had believed that Germany would be victorious in the war. W hen seeking armistice in the same month, Germans expected the peace settlement to be based on President Wilson’s 14 points and although they also did not expect a soft treaty, it was greater then imagined. The Treaty was a complete humiliation for Germany and was a dent to national pride.It had to be accepted however as the allies threatened To resume war again and still maintained a naval blockade so consequently on the 28th of June, 1919, the Treaty was signed. As a result of the Treaty, Germany lost all of its colonies including Alsace and Lorraine. The army was reduced to 100,000 men, with further restrictions placed on naval and air force. 33 million dollars of reparations had to be paid and these economic provisions of the treaty effectively weakened Germany’s capacity to pay by 1924.The Weimar Republic and the democracy were weakened because both were always associated with the Treaty of Versailles. This was a constant theme used by those who opposed the republi c and the democratic system. Because this new government had signed the treaty they were now known as the ‘November Criminals’ and were loathed by everyone. According to Henig, ‘It was the acknowledgement of defeat.. which they found so hard to accept. ’ Period of Hyperinflation Hyperinflation gave the people of Germany another reason to find fault in the democratic Weimar Government.Louis Snyder wrote that it was â€Å"these people who later turned to Adolf Hitler as the messiah to lead them out of financial chaos†. Immediately after the war, Germany had little capacity for economic recovery as key industrial resources had been lost in the Treaty and had little export trade and consequently unable to attract any major foreign investment loans. To get more finance, the German government’s response was to print more money so the value of German currency continued to fall. Before the US dollar has been 4. 2 marks, by 1920 it was worth 64. marks thus German taxation increased. Anyone with access to even a few pounds became a trillionaires over night. The losers of the hyperinflation were those with a fixed income, the working class, people living off their savings and wage earners. By June 1923, the government had lost control of the economy, as strikes swepped the country as workers protested about the rising unemployment and the failure of their wages to keep up with the cost of living. In August, the govenment finally fell, with President Ebert called or the leader of the German people party, Streseman, to form a new party. He formed the ‘great coalition’ which brought together left and right wing. In the next six years, German society picked up with the induction into the League of Nations, the Dawes plan of 1924 which provided foreign loans to Germany and the Young Plan which saw the reduction in Germany’s reparation figure by 95 million. The downside of Germany’s new economic prosperity mean t that society was living off borrowed money and was over-dependant on foreign loans and investment.The economic power was concentrated in the hands of influential industrialists and bankers and employment was still on the rise. Within these six years, the Weimar republic surprisingly enjoyed a period of relative political stability. President Ebert’s sudden death in 1925 followed President Hindenburg into the role. He’s election reconciled many in the army to support the republic goldern years– that â€Å"this was merely nothing more than depictive stability† d. packart. The Depression Historian W.M Simon wrote, â€Å"The depression had created a situation in which parliamentary government broke down, opening the way to presidential government by decree†¦The more openly the political parties became parliamentary pressure groups, the more the parliamentary process (and the democratic process) as a whole fell into discredit†. The great depressi on of 1929 occurred very suddenly and ended the period of relative affluence for Germany. The depression was the result of substantial amounts of investment from overseas and the high interest rates of 1928 which consequently left the economy with a reduction in economic activity and employment.Consequently social spending reduced and people were left without food and shelter which created overall bitterness. In response the government chose to follow a policy of deflation in which they cut expenditure and attempted to balance the budget. Throughout this extremely stressful time, the fear of communism had increased enormously. Membership of the Communist Party grew enormously and most feared that if a revolution occurred, German people would have their private property confiscated.Therefore, most were heartened by the strongly anti communist position taken by Hitler and his Nazi Party. â€Å"dependent on the American economy, made Germany vulnerable to the instabilities of the worl d markets† W. link 1970. Rise of the Extremists and Hitler/National Socialists – Failure of the German Democracy 1930-33 By 1930 Mullers government had failed to deal with the Depression. Bruning was appointed chancellor and in July his budget passed the Reichstag using article 48. At the same time the Nazi’s attacked the republic, critizing its weak parliamentary system.They promised to revitalize Germany with determination and conviction, offering hope to the middle class, small business operators and rural/farming population â€Å"The Depression put the wind into Hitler’s sails† (Taylor). In September 1930, the Reichstag Elections saw the Nazi’s win 107 seats in the Reichstag in which they previously held 12. the Reichstag became virtually unworkable as the Nazi’s, communists and Nationalist all opposed Bruning. Another critiscm of the Weimar constitution was Article 48 where in an emergency the president could override any laws, th e opinions of the Reichstag and the people.He could also have total control of the army to ‘restore order’. With the army on his side and the republic disregarded, the President would have total control. Evidently from the above paragraphs one can conclude that the Weimar Republic did not collapse due to one reason but was a process consisting of a number of long and short term events. The Republic was flawed and weak from its beginning in 1919 and it was a miracle that it survived until 1933 in a country that opposed the Republic as a whole.

Feminism in Ireland Essays

Feminism in Ireland Essays Feminism in Ireland Paper Feminism in Ireland Paper It is often said now, that Ireland is a modern European state. Men and women are legally equal; through European equality legislation this must be the case. However, Irelands history has had quite a bleak story to tell about women. In this essay, that history will be traced. The struggle women undertook in order to be allowed to vote, the female war for independence alongside the more publicised male effort and the constitutional frailties that still exist will all be described in the essay. The contemporary womens movement will also be discussed, taking in issues such as contraception, divorce, abortion and working rights, which preoccupied women in post-revolutionary Ireland. These problems, although prominent in all Western countries at the time, had particular relevance for Irish women and in many cases were far harder to overcome. Although the modern state Ireland is now has equality on the face, women still struggle in daily life with issues such as the male domination of many industries, the persistence of sexual stereotyping and the lack of progress on matters such as abortion and child care. This essay attempts to describe the development of the feminist movement in Ireland and discuss the peculiarities of the movement as opposed to those in other states, taking into account the Church, the nationalist movement and the male-dominated governments. Women in early Irish society had many of the rights that feminists have fought for in the twentieth and twenty first centuries. The original patriarchal law evolved and changed, so that women held an equal role to men in many ways. (MacCurtain and i Corri : in 1978; 1) The adoption of Christianity in Ireland had little impact on this Brehon Law, and the two existed side by side. However, on the Norman invasion, the Irish customs became diluted with those of the English, and the subsequent imposition of English law on Ireland in the seventeenth century (ibid; 11), Irish women lost their equal status. As the Church in Rome gained power and became less liberal, Christianity, combined with English law, became the dominant force in Ireland. As a result, according to Donnacha i Corri in in his essay Women in Early Irish Society (ibid), in its attitude to women and their place in society as in its attitude to many other matters modern Ireland enjoys no continuity with its Gaelic past. In the 1800s, the womens movement began in Ireland, as it did all over Western Europe. Irish feminism was naturally associated with British feminism, as both groups were looking for reforms from the same centre Westminster. Before 1900, the feminists focused on issues such as:attaining equal educational rights for girls, legal protection for married women regarding property and children, and a broadening of employment opportunities for single women. Political equality and more particularly, the parliamentary vote for women remained an ideal for most activists. (Cullen Owens 2001; 9) Successes in these areas were brought about in the 1870s and 1880s in acts such as the Intermediate Act, opening higher education to girls (MacCurtain and i Corri in 1978; 47), and a series of Acts between 1970 and 1882 which gave property ownership rights to married women. The middle- and upper-class women who supported the movement at the time seemed to win both educational and legal equality; it was political equality that was yet to be won. (Cullen Owens 2001; 9) In the 1900s, this issue came to the forefront and the womens suffrage movement reached prominence. When it came to this political equality, Irish suffragettes faced some extra problems the British ones did not have to deal with. Only one issue mattered to Irish politicians in the first two decades of the new century: Irelands domination by Britain and whether or not to fight for independence. (Smyth 1993; 20) Women had difficulty in deciding whether they should fight within their party (home rule or unionist) so that votes for women would be included in a subsequent constitution or fight for their party so that they would be repaid with the vote. Women tried both these approaches. More again tried another, refusing to support any particular side, fighting solely for suffrage. (ibid; 22) These women, with the first group, were soundly criticised by nationalists for seeking the vote from an alien government while some Home Rule Supporters were afraid of jeopardising the passage of such a bill. (Cullen Owens 2001; 13)

Free Essays on The Man

Free Essays on The Man Thou hast learned to love a manly man, Your love is stronger than the raging wind. You don’t think your love can stand; it can. When troubles come just remember to mend. Your man is strong and devout as can be; He comes from afar and knows the land. He will never ever cease to displease thee, Look in your corner the post is manned. Your think you are number one in his life, Don’t be disappointed because you are. He’ll be with you in trouble and strife, Where ever you are he will not be far. Remember this man was very hard to find, Whatever you do keep him on your mind....

Overview of Excess Reactant in Chemistry

Overview of Excess Reactant in Chemistry The excess reactant is the reactant in a chemical reaction with a greater amount than necessary to react completely with the limiting reactant. It is the reactant(s) that remain after a chemical reaction has reached equilibrium. How to Identify the Excess Reactant The excess reactant may be found using the balanced chemical equation for a reaction, which gives the mole ratio between reactants. For example, if the balanced equation for a reaction is: 2 AgI Na2S → Ag2S 2 NaI You can see from the balanced equation there is a 2:1 mole ratio between silver iodide and sodium sulfide. If you start a reaction with 1 mole of each substance, then silver iodide is the limiting reactant and sodium sulfide is the excess reactant. If you are given the mass of reactants, first convert them to moles and then compare their values to the mole ratio to identify the limiting and excess reactant. Note, if there are more than two reactants, one will be a limiting reactant and the others will be excess reactants. Solubility and Excess Reactant In an ideal world, you could simply use the reaction to identify the limiting and excess reactant. However, in the real world, solubility comes into play. If the reaction involves one or more reactants with low solubility in a solvent, theres a good chance this will affect the identities of the excess reactants. Technically, youll want to write the reaction and base the equation on the projected amount of dissolved reactant. Another consideration is an equilibrium where both the forward and backward reactions occur.

Enzyme Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enzyme Activity - Essay Example This helps in enhancing the lively activities of the living beings. The free radical formation is an important cause in causing and increasing a disease. The enzymes that act as scavengers and remove ROS can help in preventive methods of some critical diseases. The investigations regarding the enzymes that are critical for the bacterial existence provide information about physiology of microbes. The understanding of cell metabolism, evolution of bacteria and the interactions between bacterium and host can be enhanced. With this information it is possible to explain the mechanisms that regulate the organism and to find out the proteins that are necessary of existence of the cell. According to Brendan Burns, George Mendz and Stuart Hazell in the case of CAA the resonances arising from -CH and -CH2 groups of the aspartate moiety have chemical shifts and coupling constants different from those of the amino acid aspartate. Thus, it was possible to make an unambiguous assignment of CAA.2 The investigations in other enzymes lack this type of identification in case of complex activities. Regarding the results related to the study of enzymes in H Pylori the NMR method will give good results when combined with radio active tracer analysis and spectrophotometry. The activity of the enzyme in the development of H pylori is useful in developing therapeutic drugs as it was found essential for existence and growth of H Pylori. The above activity was related to the enzyme investigation regarding the existence of disease causing bacteria. There are number of enzymes with varying activities. Some enzymes even effect the skeletal in animals (as well as in human beings). These activities are studied to solve the problems regarding the muscle problems. After the structure (skeleton) of the human body the muscle is the thing, which contributes strength and movement for it. The enzymes, which affect the fibre and the muscle, play an important role in developing methods to increase or preserve the efficiency of the muscle fibre. There are 3 types of fibres according to P. D. Gollnick, R.B. Armstrong, C.W.Saubertiv, K. Piehl, and B. Stalin (1972). These fibres are interconvertibility depends on the training given. The training proved to increase red muscle at the expense of white muscle. This means that the enzyme activity was changed due to training as the enzymes acting in the existence of red and white muscles are different. FIG. 1. Serial sections from vastus lateralis muscle stained for DPNH-diaphorase (lop) and rnyosin ATPase (boltom) from four sub- jects. A and B: untrained middle-aged subject (BA). Note relatively large fibers and light DPNH-diaphorase stain in both FT and

Individual Reflection Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Reflection Report - Essay Example In addition, I also had difficulty getting through examinations and processing instructions for my various course requirements. As mentioned, I am not a native speaker and I still have a long way to go mastering the English language. It was extremely difficult particularly whenever I am about to take an exam. Reviewing the course and subjects was already difficult to begin with, especially whenever I had to deal with new words and concepts. So whenever there was an exam, my anxiety doubles up. Definitely, the language barrier was the main reason for slow progress in academics. In my classes, I double my effort to follow the instructions and syllabus needed for the course. Aside from taking notes, I also compare with other students so I could monitor my progress. I consult regularly with my professors to be able to ensure that I am catching up on the lessons. I have already missed a lot of things in my first year and I am determined to make it this time around. I feel that I am improv ing, little by little, so that eventually, I could reach my goals. At present, I am still working on making it better by continuously improving on my communication skills. By this, I do not only mean speaking the language, but more importantly, be able to get along well with other people and build relationships. In school, I am trying again to get better by taking the courses I failed last term, and doubling my efforts to successfully pass them this time. I have started building friendship with other foreign students who also share the same sentiments and hurdles with me. This way, we can assist each other in the adjustment processes. I talk to my professors regarding my performance, and seek help whenever I need it. Guidance is important for me at this point, as I need all the assistance I could get so I could truly get synchronized into the system. I engage in group studies, join groups that would help me improve my performance. I am now focusing on simultaneously mastering the la nguage and learning all the concepts being taught. More than memory work, I have to immerse myself into various situations and participate in activities that would allow me to create relationships and form a support group that would help me improve my performance. Eventually, I want to be really familiar with University life, finish my courses with flying course and eventually get a Degree in Business and Management. I want to have the capacity to eventually apply for a job in UK, a job that would not consider my being non-native a disadvantage. Later on, when I would be getting advanced courses, I would be able to really participate in the learning process even more. My perseverance would eventually lead me towards the achievement of my goals. So far, I think I am a work in progress, as I have already basically learned the language, and can now somehow communicate whenever I have to go out, do my errands, shop or simply interact with other people. I am slowly building my confidence to be able to engage in simple conversations even outside the university. Though there are still new challenges and hurdles that come along now that I am in the university, I think that with careful planning and evaluation, I can get my objectives done in time. CAREER As I said, I am taking up Business and Management because of my goal to secure a long tern job from the private sector. I want to given the chance to apply for corporate job in probably a bank, or in

Sound levels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sound levels - Essay Example There is no doubt that the amount of noise generated in the NICU can be significant. A study at the University of Padova established noise levels within and outside the incubator. It divided those noises into significant ‘white’ noise, and specific noises, which can be used by voluntary and involuntary noises generated when workers touched the plexiglass surface of the incubator, or connected or disconnected to the incubator. It appears that the background noise was less harmful than the sudden and unexpected noises, which tended to generate levels above 80 dB (Benini, 1997). A literature review discovered a good deal of evidence of neonatal stress from noise, with the most common measures being cardiovascular and respiratory response. The authors list the key stimuli, including sound intensity, and the effect that they have on the infant’s behavioral state. Some articles have differentiated the neonates by gestational age and infant maturity. As one of the co-authors found, however, the sample sizes were small, and the variables were not well controlled in most studies (Morris, 2000) Noise has been measured and reported upon in the NICU since the 1970’s. At that time, noise levels were reported in the 70-117 dB range, which is clearly above currently-acceptable levels (Peltzman, 1970) (Long, 1980) (Satish M. a.-S., 1993) (Satish M. S., 1991) . These studies suggested that continuous and elevated noise levels resulted in significant deterioration in healing and levels of nervousness in neonates. Early work on the effects of noise in the NICU concentrated on noise within the incubator itself; these led to improvements in incubator noise reduction, and resulted in a general emphasis on NICU noise reduction (Bess, 1979). It is always difficult to find accurate, reproducible responses of newborns to stimuli. One effect which can be reproduced is that of reduced noise on sleeping times for infants. Strauch et al led a study which

Homework assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Homework assignment - Case Study Example One customer may complain about the store’s services online and have great repercussion to the businesses sales. The presence of social networks handled to the constant connection of more customers Customer before and after sale services have a large impact on the store’s customer base due to the relationships levels. The employee’s interpersonal and communication skills have effects on the customer choice of the store. The case study has also revealed the efforts of the management to improve these skills to ensure that the store attracts more customers. The management has come up with training procedures that have will help improve employee-customer communication and relationships. It will also help interpersonal relationships between the employees that will encourage helping amongst various departments. These strategies will improve customer satisfaction ratings of the store and in the long run increase the number of sales (Lawson, 2006). Without proper customer handling skills, a firm without customer handling skill may lose all its customers. The retail store has adopted a customer service training program that will incorporate all employees. The core objectives of the employee program are to improve customer interaction through relationships and good communication skills. It will focus on the employee behavior towards customers despite the situation they are put in at the store. Knowledge will be passed to the staff through use of videos that portray the real situation that an employee may encounter. Situation behavioral approach helps control employee emotions towards customers despite the character traits of the customers (Werner and DeSimone, 2012). The videos are presented in two sessions that expose different situations depending on the employees response towards the customer. They show both good and bad customer services and ways of handling. After the

Leadership Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Leadership Style - Essay Example It is very clear from these definitions that the role of the leader is extremely important in influencing the performance of the employees and in a broader aspect the performance of the organization (Altmae, Kulno and Ott-Sim, 2013). According to Kotter (1988) the growing competitive nature of the industries and the rising complexity of the firms are making the role of the leader more important than ever (McDermott, 2007). Over the past few years various theories of leadership have evolved: Participative theory: This theory focuses on the fact that every member has something to contribute towards the organization and the chief responsibility of the leader is to make the employees feel important in the decision-making area. Trait theory and Best man theory: Both of these theories have a similar line of understanding that great leaders are the ones who are born with the leadership qualities in them. These people have certain traits which separate them from most of the common people and drive them to become innovators and leaders. The purpose of this paper is to understand the leadership style of Microsoft leader Bill gates and the ways in which his leadership style has impacted the performance of the company and catapulted it to one of the biggest and the most successful companies of contemporary times. In doing so the objective is to understand which leadership theories has been followed by Bill Gates and the positive impact it had on the efficiency of the employees. The role of Bill Gates as a leader is rather interesting because it has been a long time Mr. Gates has removed himself from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft but his leadership which is greatly exemplified in his leadership style, shows that he had a vision and he aligned the resources of Microsoft according to that particular vision which had resulted in the exceptional

Steve Wozniak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Steve Wozniak - Essay Example Wozniak remains unknown to many including some of the most loyal consumers of Apple products. Indeed, education goes hand in hand with technological innovations and advancing. This essay, thus, purposes to illuminate the impetus behind Wozniak’s innovation and relate it to educational attainments. Jobs started Apple Co. with Steve Wozniak in 1976. Wozniak provided his technical ability while Jobs brought his mesmerizing energy on the table to develop a powerful team. Wozniak showcased his first home-made Apple I computer at Homebrew Computer Club in Silicon Valley in 1976. Apple’s popularity took a sudden twist and rose exponentially following Jobs employment at the Byte Shop. Wozniak soon followed suit and released a computer that made Apple as a company overly popular. The talented engineer built Apple II single-handedly ensuring that every hardware and software component had its place. What is more, Wozniak did this while still delivering at his day job with his coll eague, Jobs, at Hewlett-Packard. Apple II went public in 1977 during a computer fair held in the West Coast. In the years that followed, Apple became a publicly listed company in the biggest IPO in 1956. Apple II redefined personal computers and introduced myriad ordinary people to extraordinary personal computers. The reason behind this success was the amazing design. An interview with Wozniak reveals the miraculous aspect of the engineer’s character (Ghosh 1). The teachers saw my smartness and encouraged me to read widely.  

Leadership Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Leadership Style - Essay Example It is very clear from these definitions that the role of the leader is extremely important in influencing the performance of the employees and in a broader aspect the performance of the organization (Altmae, Kulno and Ott-Sim, 2013). According to Kotter (1988) the growing competitive nature of the industries and the rising complexity of the firms are making the role of the leader more important than ever (McDermott, 2007). Over the past few years various theories of leadership have evolved: Participative theory: This theory focuses on the fact that every member has something to contribute towards the organization and the chief responsibility of the leader is to make the employees feel important in the decision-making area. Trait theory and Best man theory: Both of these theories have a similar line of understanding that great leaders are the ones who are born with the leadership qualities in them. These people have certain traits which separate them from most of the common people and drive them to become innovators and leaders. The purpose of this paper is to understand the leadership style of Microsoft leader Bill gates and the ways in which his leadership style has impacted the performance of the company and catapulted it to one of the biggest and the most successful companies of contemporary times. In doing so the objective is to understand which leadership theories has been followed by Bill Gates and the positive impact it had on the efficiency of the employees. The role of Bill Gates as a leader is rather interesting because it has been a long time Mr. Gates has removed himself from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft but his leadership which is greatly exemplified in his leadership style, shows that he had a vision and he aligned the resources of Microsoft according to that particular vision which had resulted in the exceptional

A Woman’s Place Essay Example for Free

A Woman’s Place Essay â€Å"Don’t read so much, he said, don’t study; get yourself good and tired out with homework, take exercise. He believes that her troubles would clear up if she got married. He believes this in spite of the fact that most of his nerve medicine is prescribed for married women. † The primary theme of Meneseteung by Alice Munro is the role of women in times of Victorian traditions and standards. The narrator, who is never identified, explains tasks and qualities that differentiate a real, marriageable woman from an outcast from society. The main character in this story is Almeda Joynt Roth, a respectable woman who has become famous in her small town for her poetry book. She has earned respect and admiration amongst others in the town for her works, but has also been criticized as a woman’s literary ambitions were thought to be hobby rather than vocation. Roth yearns to marry Jarvis Poulter, an idea that the rest of the town supports. Even Roths doctor, who prescribes nerve medicine to help Roth with her sleeplessness, says she would be much happier if she were married. However, Poulter does not find Roth to be a suitable wife and does not pursue her as such because she does not demonstrate the qualities that defined a marriageable woman of the times. The story, then, is not just about the role of women in the society but also about a lonely woman, an outcast of traditional society, and her search for companionship. Roth suffers from insomnia and goes to the doctor to get medication to help with her sleeplessness. The doctor suggests that Roth busies herself with things that are not considered womanly such as studying and writing. Her writing is considered an asset to the community, but not totally accepted as a woman is expected to marry and have a family. The town paper, the Vidette, which contains articles that would often be considered libelous by modern standards considers her young and fit enough to bear children, physically speaking she is marriageable material. The doctor suggests that she wear herself out by performing housewife tasks such as cleaning and exercising so that she may sleep. He also discourages her from reading and writing, as it is not required of her to do these things to ulfill her position in society. He suggests that marriage would solve most of her problems, though the medication he prescribes her is primarily prescribed to married women. The doctor is prescribing a remedy to her problems by becoming a housewife, while also prescribing medication that is given to housewives to treat the very condition she, as a single woman, had come to ameliorate. In the society portrayed in Meneseteung marriage is considered to be a cure-all for many of women’s problems. Why, asks the narrator, has Roth remained unmarried for so long? The narrator suspects that it is partly down to her desolate disposition. A caliginous personality is not one that is considered attractive and people tend to avoid developing social ties to her. Weighed down by burdens such as the loss of her family Roth is a loner with reading, writing, and the hopeless pursuit of Jarvis Poulter as her only aspirations in life and generally just does as she pleases. She dreams of marrying Poulter, an idea that the whole town supports, but he never showed an interest in her as she did not fit the imagine of a marriageable woman of the times. Despite this the narrator portrays Roth to be less of the â€Å"reckless hedonist† and more like a â€Å"tormented artist,† suffering as a result of her art. It is her particularity that makes her an eminent writer, but also not considered suitable to be taken as a wife. Women in this story are portrayed as weak and in need of men. One night, Roth is awoken by a drunk, abused woman at her fence. She is frightened and rushes to Poulter for help, and this is shown as being the first time in the story that she behaves like a typical woman of her time. She is no longer the poised, confident woman that Poulter has come to know her as and is attracted to her desperate vulnerability. Poulter was not attracted to her when she was poised and confident but once he had seen that she was weak, helpless, and in need of him he felt drawn to her as she finally fit the stereotypical image of a woman. Poulter deals with the drunken woman in a cruelly and insensitively and upon seeing this Roth loses interest in him. Poulter asks her to church and she declines and the two never pursue a relationship. Despite being portrayed as weak and in need of men, women are not powerless in marriage. One of a woman’s primary roles is to â€Å"create their husbands† by â€Å"ascribing preferences† to them. â€Å"This way, bewildered, sidelong-looking men are made over, made into husbands, heads of households. † Roth cannot see herself doing this, which urther separates her from the society in which she lives. After her rejection of Poulter’s interests Roth retreats into the vivid aberration brought upon her by the doctor’s nerve medicine and meets her death after becoming the target of menacing youths’ malevolent tormenting. This quote from the doctor, which I have chosen as the most profoundly meaningful, shows the thinking of the times. Women we re to marry to solve their own problems as well as to solve the problems of their husband. This short story is about a woman who is different from the social norm and her search for companionship and stability in her own life, as well as how breaking the norm had its own consequences. Her obsession with reading and writing, which was said to be more suitable as a hobby than profession, set her aside and earned her respect within her community while at the same time driving a wedge between her and a normal life because she did not spend her life marrying, becoming a wife, becoming a mother, and spending her days cleaning and caring for her family like a typical woman of the time. When Roth became vulnerable she became like every other woman and Poulter finally saw her as a possibility for marriage but his actions revolted Roth. The incident with the drunken woman disgusted her into a solitary existence with just her and her hallucinations brought on by the nerve medication prescribed by the doctor. The doctor suggested that by marrying, Roth would not require this medicine despite it being most commonly prescribed for married women. So, then, Almeda Roth could not live with herself as a normal woman yet not being a typical woman is what eventually led to her demise.

Relationships Between Language And Culture English Language Essay

Relationships Between Language And Culture English Language Essay The relationships between language, thought and culture have been one of the myths of language for centuries. This paper will assess the power of language and the mutual influence between language and culture by observing cognition of different language speakers. The aim of this essay is to find out the influence they have on each other, and to evaluate the relationship between language and culture. The mutual influence between language and culture will be the major focus of this essay. The main argument would be discussing whether language really influences culture or it just reflects culture. One of the definitions for language was established by Harcourt (2005): communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. Such a system includes its rules for combining its components, such as words. Such a system as used by a nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect (p. 633) Thinking is often understood as an intra-mental activity inside an individual mind. In the process of thinking, language is used as a tool with inner speech representing vocalized thinking. Language is therefore possible to be a variable influencing thought. The grammar, syntax, limitations and traits of a language may shape the thinking style of the language speakers. Anthropology theories/concepts (200-250 words) In this thesis, ethnolinguistics, the study of the relationships between language and culture, and how they mutually influence and inform each other (Haviland, 1999), will be the main focus. Two anthropological theories, linguistic relativity and historical particularism (historicism), will be discussed as the first is the main theory of this study and the second one will function as a backup. Linguistic relativity The main theory, linguistic relativity, is the idea that distinctions encoded in one language are unique to that language (Haviland, 1999). Under the theory of linguistic relativity, users of markedly different grammars are pointed by their grammars toward different types of observations and different evaluations of externally similar acts of observation, and hence are not equivalent as observers but must arrive at somewhat different views of the world (Whorf and Caroll, 1956). In other words, people speak in different languages would have different thinking styles and cognition of the world. Furthermore, the schools of thought can be represented by two extremes, linguistic determinism and universalism. There are two forms of linguistic relativity according to their interpretation of the power of language, linguistic determinism and linguistic relativism, while universalism is an opposite idea to linguistic relativity. These concepts will lead to the main argument of this thesis. Determinism is the strongest form of linguistic relativity. It suggests that language can affect thinking, linguistic relativity holds that speakers of different languages think differently. Relativism is the modest form of linguistic relativity. Its idea is that, language can affect thinking, linguistic relativity holds that speakers of different languages think differently (Wolff and Holmes, 2010). In contrast, universalism is an opposite concept. In the idea of universalism, cultures, or at least languages, vary in innumerable ways; but there are patterns of variation that reflect universal properties that we might call the nature of language (Croft, 2010). Apart from linguistic relativity, the theory of historical particularism will be used as a backup theory in this thesis. Historical particularism Historical particularism is a school of anthropology prominent in the first part of the twentieth century that insisted on the collection of ethnographic data (through direct fieldwork) prior to making cross-cultural generalizations (Ferraro and Andreatta, 2011). It emphasizes that each culture is a unique result of its distinctive past, which makes cross-cultural generalizations questionable (Bailey, G. A. and Peoples, J., 2010). Culture influences language According to historical particularism, each culture has its own shape and is partially composed of traits diffused from other cultures since each society has their own past and they are a representation of that unique past. Since that culture and history are interrelated, and language is a tool to record and carry forward the history of a society. There is an often-cited example of linguistic relativism, Eskimo words for snow. It is a claim saying that Eskimos have an unusually large number of words for snow in their language. In English, we add adjective, participles or preposition phrases to modify the word snow, like falling snow, snow on the ground, snow packed hard like ice, slushy snow, wind-driven flying snow, etc. However, the word snow is too inclusive to an Eskimo, they use different words for different kinds of snow instead. From the Eskimo words for snow claim, it was discovered that some languages may rich in words and expressions describing a specific thing. And the vocabulary of a language can be a peephole for us to look into that culture. The concept of jade in Chinese literature In literary Chinese culture, jade has some metaphorical meanings. The concept of jade vastly appears in various contexts of Chinese poetry and idioms. Even among most of the common vehicles of Chinese metaphors, jade deserves special attention. The literary concept and image Chinese attached to the word jade (à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °) reflect Chinese jade culture in their tradition. The concept of jade has appeared in the content of various types of Chinese literature, such as poetry and idiom. In Chinese language, there are many idioms linked with jade. The use of jade in those idioms usually is to symbolize beautiful and fine things. The followings are some examples: Idioms à ¨Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ºÃ‚ «Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ à ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ·Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ° à ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬  à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ £Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ° Implications of jade luxury beauty talent stainlessness valuable contributions Additionally, there are hundreds jade-related characters take jade (à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °) radical, despite jade (à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °) itself. Most of those characters have descriptive meanings of some specific kind of jade ¼Ã‹â€ Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¾Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“ ¼Ã…’à §Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¼Ã…’etc. ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °, knocking sound of, the color of or even the stains on a jade ¼Ã‹â€ Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ ¢ respectively ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Jade-related characters à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“ à §Ã‚ Ã‚  à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¤ à §Ã… ½Ã‚ ¦ à §Ã… ½Ã‚ ² à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ¾ meanings fine jade joint jade precious jade panannular jade ring tinkling of pieces of jade jade used as tally From the above examples of the literary use of jade, we can notice that the concept of jade is attached with numerours good features and enjoys a high position (as Chinese people created a lot of jade-related characters) in Chinese culture. It is said in the Book of Rites, one of the Chinese Five Classics of the Confucian canon, that since ancient time, all gentlemen wear pendants of jade-stones, and that they should never be without them unless there is sufficient reason (à §Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¨Ã‹Å" ·Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¨- »). Jade has played a very important role in traditional Chinese culture. (Yang, 2011) The above example about literary concept of jade in Chinese literature shows cultures influence on language. It evidences that language is a reflection of culture. Japanese terms for rain Similar with the Eskimo words for snow claim, there is another word myth in Japanese. There are unusually many different terms which can be used to express different types of rain in Japanese. These terms categorize the rain into different types, by intensity, season, duration and even characteristics. Here are some expressions of rain or related to rain in Japanese. Types of rain in Japanese Pronunciation in Japanese Meanings à §Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ hakuu rain shower à ¤Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ niwakaame rain shower à ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ jakuu weak rain à ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ Ãƒ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã…   koburi light rain à ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ³Ã‚  Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ konukaame fine rain à §Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ enu misty rain à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ °Ã‚ · uhyou freezing rain à ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¾Ã…’à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ harenochiame clear then rain à ¦Ã‚ °Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ hisame very cold rain or hail à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã…“à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ yau night rain à ¦Ã‚ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ·Ã… ¡ baiuzensen seasonal rain à ¦Ã‹Å" ¥Ãƒ ©Ã…“- shun rin spring rain à §Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ ryokuu early-summer rain à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ juuu refreshing rain once in ten days à ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ µÃƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ keiu welcome rain à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ³Ã‚ £ tenkyuu rain from a cloudless sky à ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ hareichijikosame brief light rain à ©Ã…“- nagame long rain à ©Ã…“-à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ rinu long rain à ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ °Ãƒ ©Ã…“- inrin long rain à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ §Ã‚ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ yuudachi sudden evening rain The above expressions for rain in Japanese reflect the rain culture in Japan. Japanese society and culture are affected by the climate there. Frequent rain is a prominent feature of Japans climate. Japan has a high precipitation. The average rainfall in Tokyo is around 1,800 mm, nearly double the global average of 1,000 mm. The intensity of rain is also strong and varies from season to season. It rains a great deal in Japan, therefore the society, culture and even language of Japan are affected by rain. According to the theory of linguistic relativity, phenomena and things that play important roles in a given society and culture are often subdivided into various types and described using a wide variety of specialized terms. By the examples of jade in Chinese literature and rain in Japanese language, the idea that culture influences language is evidenced. Considering culture to be a product of human thought, we can deduce that language is influenced by human thought, but not unilaterally influencing culture (linguistic determinism). The theory of linguistic relativism is basically proved, but how about language influences culture? Does language only reflect culture? In the following paragraphs, the idea that language influences culture will be discussed to find out whether language and culture really have mutual influence on each other (linguistic relativism) or language does not do much in culture. Language influences culture The idea that the way we view and feel the world is, to a certain extent, dependent on the language we use. Each language contains a peculiar and unique world view, which causes speakers of that language to see and think in a characteristic way, different from the speakers of other languages. This has become known as the principle of language relativity. In this part, different cognitions of different language speakers will be shown as examples of languages influence on culture (language shapes thought) Perception of eye-witness memory and blame There is a study conducted by Caitlin Fausey at Stanford. In that study, Fausey found that eye-witness memory differ depending on the language one speaks. The way that a person records events is depending on the language who speaks. The grammatical structure of a language affects our thinking pattern and even our eye-witness memory. In that paper, a cross-linguistic difference in how English and Spanish speakers describe the same events is identified, a corresponding cross-linguistic difference in eye-witness memory is also found. For speakers of an agentive language like English, if they see someone accidentally brush against a flower vase and the vase ends up in pieces on the floor, they can easily remember who broke it. When asked about what happened, they might say, Someone (the agent) broke the vase. They can easily notice the agent of an action. In agentive languages, descriptions like this are typical and appropriate for clearly accidental events. By contrast, non-agentive language speakers description of the same event/action often sounds evasive. Even if they see the same event, when asked about what happened, they might not remember who did it, and just answer The vase is broken Furthermore, the influence of language is not only on eye-witness memory, but even on blame. A canonical non-agentive description (e.g., the vase is broken) is intransitive and does not place the person as the subject for the change-of-state event. People are sensitive to this distinction between agentive and non-agentive frames. Linguistic framing influences ones judgment about blame and punishment. In financial liability, agentive descriptions will lead to 30%-50% more in requested financial damages than non-agentive descriptions do. Judgments and blame can be affected by linguistic frame. Tetraphobia in Southeast Asian countries. Tetraphobia refers to the fear of four. It is a common superstition throughout Southeast Asian countries, for examples, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. The fear of the number 4 is simply come from its pronunciation in Southeast Asian language. In Mandarin, its pronunciation of 4 is very close to that of the word for death, as both of them are pronounced as shi. And in Japanese and Korean, the two words are even perfectly homophonous. The superstition of tetraphobia has permeated all aspects of society in these countries, from architecture to communication norms. Here are some examples of tetraphobias impact: Many building in Hong Kong are typically built without 4-related floors, including offices, hospitals, hotels, apartments and skyscrapers. One famous example is the Vision City in Hong Kong, which is missing floors 40 through 49 The Chinese avoid phone numbers and addresses with fours, especially when theyre combined with another number that changes the meaning. Example: 94 could be interpreted as being dead for a long time. The number four was banned from license plates and can only be used once in ID numbers in Taiwan. The official sound of 4 in Japanese language is shi, but Japanese people usually use the alternate pronunciation, yon, that far away from its official sound, when talking about phone numbers and dates. The names of military aircraft and vehicles in China often start with the number 5. And South Korean and Taiwanese navies also avoid 4 when naming their ships. Table 4 is often eliminated at engagements, weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. People in society in this culture always avoid using 4 in verbal speech during holidays and when a loved one is sick or dying. From the above examples, the theory of linguistic relativism is further evidenced. The power of language is significant for sure. The language a person uses can shape whose thought. The thought of a group people forms culture. The language of a place is reflective to the culture of that place, at the same time, language promotes the culture of there. Conclusion (400-500 words) Form this study, it is clear that linguistic relativism is an evidenced theory. The relationships between language and culture are bilateral. Language is created to fulfill humans need. Therefore different society created there languages in different ways. The traits of a language are shaped by the culture of a society that created the language. The communication styles, vocabulary, grammar of a language, are all able to reflect a unique culture of a place. Language can be the epitome of a culture, and even a society. Language is a tool to express human thought and spread culture. The traits and limitations of a language affects the thinking style and cognitions of its speakers. When time goes by, it can shape the culture of a single place. Language shapes human thought and brings culture to society while it is also attached with cultures influence.

Euthanasia - An Immoral Act Essay -- Euthanasia, Argumentative Essay

Euthanasia - An Immoral Act Should an individual be allowed to choose assisted suicide with the help of a physician, or be forced to follow their theological beliefs of the dominant religion they practice when life seems pointless? The choice of whether to live or not live is directly influenced by the decision to indulge in a process characterized as â€Å"physician assisted suicide† or simply called Euthanasia. Many people believe it is solely left upon God to determine when death should occur, but some people believe that a doctor has the right to take their life and help the patient destroy it. In this paper I will be discussing what euthanasia is, how it affects the patients life, and the implication it has on the religious community as an unmoral act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One may wonder why in the end to choose euthanasia as a means to deliberately end their life. Some individuals live in excessive chronic pain, some due to poverty or lack of health-care coverage and cannot afford pain-killing medication. Others are denied adequate painkillers because of their physician's lack of knowledge and or inadequate training. They have a terminal illness where disease has adversely affected their quality of life to the point where they no longer wish to continue living. Some have lost their independence and must be cared for continually or simply they realize that they will be dying in the near future and simply want to have total control over the process. But whatever the case may be, the people who decide to commit suicide are unable to accomplish the act alone. They need assistance from their physician to assist the suicide and help them die under conditions in which they wish. Euthanasia includes the Passive and Active action of death. Passive Euthanasia can be defined as the hastening death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course. This can happen either by removing life support equipment, stopping medical procedures, stopping food and water and allowing the person to dehydrate or starve to death. The most common form of passive euthanasia is to give patients large doses of morphine to control pain. Such doses of these painkillers have a dual effect of relieving pain and hastening death and are mostly performed on terminally ill people in a persistent vegetative state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another type of euthanasia is Active Euthanasia, wh... ...y hastening the hour of death, should be able to accept it with full responsibility and dignity,†(Declaration of Euthanasia). Works Citied Bohr, David. Catholic Moral Tradition. Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, (1999): 149- 55., 309-18. â€Å"Catechism of the Catholic Church on Assisted-Suicide.† 2276 – 79., 2280-83 Edmund D. Pellegrino, Evangelium Vitae, â€Å"Euthanasia, and Physician Assisted Suicide.† D.C.: Georgetown University Press, (1997): 240. â€Å"Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.† International Task Force.  © 1996 – 2004 â€Å"Euthanasia.† The Verbal Battle over Euthanasia.† Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.  © 1997 to 2001 http://www.religioustolerance.org/ O’Connell, Timothy. Principles For A Catholic Morality. New York: Harper Collins, (1990): 134-36. â€Å"On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life.† A papal encyclical dealing with life and death, also euthanasia. Rachels, James. The End of Life: The Morality of Euthanasia. New York : Oxford University Press, (1986) Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Declaration on Euthanasia. Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 1990. The Bible (King James Version). Michigan: Zondervan, 2000.