The Issues Of The Miscommunication Cultural Studies Essay

The Issues Of The Miscommunication Cultural Studies Essay Among the problems faced to modern culture, there is one that is gradually becoming a defining factor in cross-cultural relations. The speech is going about miscommunication that is more and more form the style of the cultural processes of modernity. Miscommunication as the opposite side of understanding is one of the measurements in the process of communication between different cultures. However, the global conflict of cultures, witnesses, accomplices and the judges of which we are was generated by the lack of understanding of an unprecedented scale and intensity. And this lack of understanding beneath our eyes becomes more important in comparison to all other dimensions of communication within different cultures. I would like to discuss the problem of miscommunication in this project and use my own experience as an illustration of a communication breakdown between myself and a person from another culture. The main goals of my project are to explain and discuss how cultural miscommunication influences on our life, and to prove a thesis that miscommunication between different cultures and nations could be overcame through the specific knowledge and respect to a person whom we are communicating with. First of all in the frames of this paper it is necessary to mention that real conflict takes place under special circumstances: in a state of globality. The state of globality is characterized by the activity of an already established and effective global society, where the contours of conventional cultures are broken. Actually, no culture, ethnic group, nation, country or group of countries can no longer pretend that it is separated from the rest of the world and its affairs are internal problems that do not relate to any of the foreigners. It turned out that there are no foreigners at all: theyre gone in the sense that the culture had lost its previous, well-defined boundaries, and therefore alien and own largely mixed up, changed its previous topology and geography. In the modern world ethical issues, and, in particular, issues of ethnic identity and ethnic prejudice achieved its culmination: the linguistic, cultural, status and other differences have become a stumbling block for the peaceful coexistence of many ethnic groups. Defining the term miscommunication we should say that according to Gudykunst (2003), As serious psychological barriers in the process of cross-cultural communication the so-called ethnic stereotypes acts as relatively stable representation of the moral, mental, physical and other qualities of the representatives of different ethnic communities. Every person is a member of a certain ethnic group, and he or she consciously or subconsciously divides all people into ones own (belonging to the same ethnic group) and outsiders (members of other ethnic groups). According to Gumperz ( 1982) we see that on the verbal level culturological sign of somebodys own or someone else is manifested in the semantics of the various nominative units: lexemes, phraseological units, syntactic structures, proverbs, small-format texts (for example, anecdotes and jokes). Thinking about my own communication breakdown with a person from another culture I should say that it was connected with one dialogue misunderstanding. The person whom I communicated with was sure that only old people could be good advice-givers and young people should only listen to them and have no right on own decision of the problem. In that moment I forgot about cultural differences between us (my opponent is a Muslim and they respect old people more than other nations) and tried to prove that every person should has a right on own opinion and it is not a right position always only to listen to somebodys words. Thus, it was the hot debate between us and as a result each of us was disappointed and even upset about result of our conversation. Only now I understood that both of us were wrong, because we used different cultural languages and we made several mistakes in our conversation. I would like to say that this example of miscommunication is rather simple, and it even has an or dinary character, but exactly such simple situations lead in future to hard consequences, when one cultural groups consider other groups bad educated and rude. Thus, I would like to look on this problem of cultural miscommunication through the prism of my new knowledge about this question and demonstrate a solution for this situation. In the beginning of this part of my project I would like to say that all people should work for constructive dialogue between each other. It is a well-known fact that the entire history of humanity is a dialogue. Dialogue permeates our whole lives. It considers a tool for the implementation of communication links, the condition of mutual understanding. Fitzgerald (1996) admitted that the interaction of cultures and their dialogue is the most favorable ground for the development of interethnic and international relations. Conversely, when the society feels inter-ethnic tension and even, ethnic conflict, the dialogue between cultures is difficult, the interaction of cultures may be limited in the field of inter-ethnic tensions of these nations, bearers of these cultures. I understood that processes of cultural interaction are more complicated than we naively once thought; it was a theory that cultural dialogue is nothing more than simple transfer of the achievements of a highly devel oped culture in the less developed, which in its turn logically leads to the conclusion of the interaction of cultures as a source of progress. Now is actively studied the question of boundaries of culture, its core and periphery. I like Ting-Toomey (1999) words who said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ These words forced us to stop be rude and to respect other people. On my opinion every person should respect the point of view of another person and be patient during their communication. In my case cultural miscommunication was not only a result of different attitude to one problem, but also it was provoked by the lack of patience and respect to each other. We forgot one simple truth stated by Van Dijk (1997) who said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Muslims are people who are marked by the culture from their birth and their specific traditions are sometimes strange for me, but it is not a reason to say that their culture is good or bad. I know that these people are different and their religion is different, but I even like them, because their historical, geographical and ethnic elements combine in an unique and original way. Thinking about my situation I have read one interesting advice about how to avoid miscommunication in future and according to Lawrence (1999) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It means that we should use the space of variations around us and think about other possibilities to interpret information in proper way. By keeping our mind free from stereotypes and open to additional possibilities of the information understanding we can prevent future miscommunication conflict from happening. Also it is necessary to add that when a person became an initiator of a miscommunication conflict the simplest thing is to say: I am sorry for the miscommunication which has lead to this situation, but the simplest way is not always the right way. On my opinion it is necessary firstly to take into account opponents cultural specificity and only then to discuss with the person some sharp questions or situations. I want also to listen to words said by Arcidiacono (2010) who thinks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Taking into account my own problem in communication and information from different readings I want to say that the first thing that should be used for overcoming miscommunication is a dialogue. Of course, at the beginning of the conversation, as it was above mentioned, it is necessary to say sorry for miscommunication and then to speak with a person in respectful and polite manner. Forthcoming manner could save many debates and dialogue is a communication with the culture, the realization and reproduction of its achievements, it is the discovery and understanding of the values of other cultures, the possibility of removing political, religious or other tensions between nations and ethnic groups. It is necessary to remember that dialogue is a necessary condition for scientific search for truth and the creative process in art. Dialogue is a way for understanding of own I-image and possibility to commu nicate with others in proper constructive way. I even think that dialogue between cultures can act as a conciliating factor that prevents the emergence of wars and conflicts. It can reduce social tensions and to create an environment of trust and mutual respect. The notion of dialogue is especially true for modern culture and it will help contemporary society to avoid miscommunication. The very process of interaction is a dialogue, and forms of interaction present different kinds of dialogic relations. The idea of dialogue has developed in the deep past. Ancient texts of Indian culture are filled with the idea of unity of cultures and peoples, macro-and microcosm, musings that human health depends largely on the quality of this relationship with the environment, from the consciousness of the power of beauty, understanding how the universe reflected in our being. Basing on my researches I came to the conclusion that the influence of one culture to another is realized only if the necessary conditions exist for such influence. Dialogue between two cultures is possible only when a certain convergence of cultural codes and the existence or occurrence of a common mentality have a place. Dialogue of cultures is a penetration into the system of values of a culture, respect to them, overcoming stereotypes, the synthesis of original and other nationalities, leading to mutual enrichment and integration into the global cultural context. In the dialogue of cultures is important to see the universal values of cultural interaction. One of the main objective contradictions inherent in all cultures is the contradiction between the development of national cultures and their convergence. Therefore, the need for dialogue between cultures is a prerequisite for self-preservation of mankind. A form of spiritual unity is the result of the dialogue of contemporary culture. To sum up, I would like to say that in this research project I have discussed the problem of miscommunication and demonstrated its solution. There were also discussed cultural differences and their influences on our life. I strongly believe that dialogue between cultures was and remains central point in the development of mankind. Throughout the centuries and millennia occurred mutual enrichment of cultures that make up the unique mosaic of human civilization. I agree that the process of interaction and dialogue between cultures is complex and uneven, but only people who are ready go through all difficulties and hardships could be considered communication genii.

Giving Universities the Business Essay -- essays papers

Giving Universities the Business "The business of America is business." Calvin Coolidge "To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire and answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar." Samuel Johnson In the last ten years there has been a concerted movement in this country to re-design schools according to the Business Model--a movement which has recently gained an apparently unstoppable momentum. We hear continually of the university's need to open up "new markets," to learn new ways to "compete" and create new "customer bases"; simultaneously, we are bombarded with demands from the politicians and administrators who control our public funds to increase our "productivity" and "accountability." (1) Justifications for this evangelical urge are various, but usually take one of two forms: the Times Are Tough argument, which assumes that the traditional sources of university revenues (tuition and public funds) are "drying up," and that the logical substitute are Product Dollars, i.e., money "customers" will only spend for a "product" they have been convinced they either want or need; and the Schools Are Lazy argument, which assumes that universities are islands of idleness and inefficiency in the ocean of American business success, and that the missionaries from the business world can redeem our scholars by converting them to habits of rigor and accountability. Both of these models take their inspiration from the definitions of "business" which usually go something like "a commercial or industrial establishment where the demands of profit rule all other considerations." Interestingly enough, this and related definitions seem to assume "profit" can only be achieved through activitie s practical,... ...orgotten all about teaching: "... [the] culprit is 'process'--the belief that we can teach our children how to think without troubling them to learn anything worth thinking about." Quoted in Cultural Pedagogy: Art/Education/Politics, David Trend, Bergin & Garvey, New York, 1992. 3 As I know this figure will be greeted by some with skepticism,a more detailed breakdown of the average academic work week is available in the WWW document Work Load Figures. 4 Though it may finally be dawning on some that business does not equal efficiency and success when it comes to education, as with Baltimore's recent decision to terminate its contract with EAI. 5 For instance, the recent reorganization of GEDs was a perfect opportunity to negotiate a matching reduction in teaching load, from 4/4 to the much saner (and standard) 3/3. Was a single word spoken about such a "deal"? Giving Universities the Business Essay -- essays papers Giving Universities the Business "The business of America is business." Calvin Coolidge "To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire and answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar." Samuel Johnson In the last ten years there has been a concerted movement in this country to re-design schools according to the Business Model--a movement which has recently gained an apparently unstoppable momentum. We hear continually of the university's need to open up "new markets," to learn new ways to "compete" and create new "customer bases"; simultaneously, we are bombarded with demands from the politicians and administrators who control our public funds to increase our "productivity" and "accountability." (1) Justifications for this evangelical urge are various, but usually take one of two forms: the Times Are Tough argument, which assumes that the traditional sources of university revenues (tuition and public funds) are "drying up," and that the logical substitute are Product Dollars, i.e., money "customers" will only spend for a "product" they have been convinced they either want or need; and the Schools Are Lazy argument, which assumes that universities are islands of idleness and inefficiency in the ocean of American business success, and that the missionaries from the business world can redeem our scholars by converting them to habits of rigor and accountability. Both of these models take their inspiration from the definitions of "business" which usually go something like "a commercial or industrial establishment where the demands of profit rule all other considerations." Interestingly enough, this and related definitions seem to assume "profit" can only be achieved through activitie s practical,... ...orgotten all about teaching: "... [the] culprit is 'process'--the belief that we can teach our children how to think without troubling them to learn anything worth thinking about." Quoted in Cultural Pedagogy: Art/Education/Politics, David Trend, Bergin & Garvey, New York, 1992. 3 As I know this figure will be greeted by some with skepticism,a more detailed breakdown of the average academic work week is available in the WWW document Work Load Figures. 4 Though it may finally be dawning on some that business does not equal efficiency and success when it comes to education, as with Baltimore's recent decision to terminate its contract with EAI. 5 For instance, the recent reorganization of GEDs was a perfect opportunity to negotiate a matching reduction in teaching load, from 4/4 to the much saner (and standard) 3/3. Was a single word spoken about such a "deal"?

Eliminating Global Poverty Essay

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirms the right of each individual to a â€Å"standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family† (qtd in Morsink, 2000, p. 146). Health here is to be understood as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† (WHO, 1946, p. 100). Within the context of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of health, the aforementioned article thereby encompasses the related rights for the realization and maintenance of an individual’s â€Å"physical, mental, and social well-being†. Guinn (2007) notes, The legal imports of this broad definition is that States not only have a duty to prevent or remove barriers to the realization and maintenance of (an individual’s) well-being, they also have the obligation to promote health, social, and related services, along with cultural reform to remedy potential social harms. (p. 56) If such is the case, the implementation of this right requires the elimination of poverty since poverty affects the promotion of this right as well as other rights (Alegre, 2007, p. 37). For the sake of clarity poverty as it is used in this paper should be understood as â€Å"the standard of living far below the mainstream standard of the larger society† (2008, p. 224). Given that this standard is set by the larger society and society in itself is characterize by various forms of income disparities, the question arises as to the corresponding duties and obligations that each individual holds in order to ensure the eradication of po verty. Given that the eradication of poverty stands as a condition for the fulfillment of human rights claims other goals and preferences should stand subordinate to it which leads to the conclusion that it will lead to a competition between preferences, policies etc. However, such is not the case. Poverty may be eradicated through the redistribution of resources within society. Such redistribution, however, does not necessarily entail the drastic change in the economic structure of each society. On the other hand, according to Singer, it entails a reassessment of each individual’s charitable responsibilities. He notes, â€Å"In the real world, it should be seen as a serious moral failure when those with ample income do not do their fair share toward relieving global poverty† (Singer, 2006, p. 58). The basis for Singer’s claim is the assumption that the eradication of poverty stands as each individual’s duty as opposed to a morally optional form of charity. In lieu of this, the task of this paper is to layout and critically analyze Singer’s aforementioned claim as it is stated in his article â€Å"What Should a Billionaire Give-and What Should You? †. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part of the paper outlines Singer’s argument whereas the later part of the paper provides a support of Singer’s view using Nozick’s entitlement theory of justice. The presentation of Nozick’s views aims to show that Singer’s assumption is not only valid on moral grounds but on political grounds as well. In the aforementioned article, Singer claims that human life holds a primary value over other values. If such is the case, â€Å"differences of sex, ethnicity, nationality and place of residence (does not) change the value of a human life† (Singer, 2006, p. 58). In addition to this, he notes that each individual should consider it his duty and obligation to ensure the realization of this value and since poverty affects the realization of this value, individuals should consider it their duty and obligation not only to alleviate but to eliminate poverty. This is possible if individual’s practice â€Å"philanthropy as a means for fighting global poverty† (Singer, 2006, p. 58). However, for Singer, acts of philanthropy are not limited to the rich. He argues that for the ordinary members of society the â€Å"obligations are limited to carrying the fair share of the burden of relieving global poverty† (Singer, 2006, p. 58). By fair share, Singer refers to the percentage of an individual’s income that is not necessary for ensuring the continuance of an individual’s basic necessities (Singer, 2006, p. 8). In a previous article entitled â€Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality†, Singer states, â€Å"If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it† (1972, p. 233). He supports his argument with the following claims. First, â€Å"our obligation to the poor is not just one of providing assistance to strangers but one of compensation for harms that we have caused and are still causing them† (Singer, 2006, p. 58). These harms stem from developed countries’ acquisition of natural resources from the Third World nations. Singer argues that it is not sufficient to remedy these problems through public policies. Philanthropy is necessary since â€Å"private donors can more easily avoid dealing with corrupt or wasteful governments. They can go directly into the field, working with local villages and grass-roots organizations†. Singer notes, â€Å"Private philanthropists are free to venture where governments fear to tread† (Singer, 2006, p. 58). Second, Singer argues that since â€Å"at least 90 percent of what people earn in wealthy societies† are dependent upon their societies’ social capital wherein social capital refers to the â€Å"natural resources†¦, the technology and organizational skills in the community, and the presence of good government† it follows that the income of an individual is partially dependent upon the society in which he resides in and therefore it is incorrect to argue that individual’s are entitled to their wealth as a result of hard work. In addition to this Singer holds that motives should not be considered in acts of philanthropy. It is important to note that Singer adheres to a utilitarian theory. Within the aforementioned theory, the end has greater value than the means through which the action is performed. If such is the case, the reasons as to why individual chooses to engage in acts of philanthropy does not matter, what matters is whether the end [eradication of poverty] may be met with such actions. As I reckon, the appeal of Singer’s approach on the issue lies on its stand as a moral obligation as opposed to a political obligation. However, it is also possible to be support Singer’s view if it is implemented as a political obligation. Nozick in Anarchy, State, and Utopia argues that obligation ought to based upon consent. Nozick holds that the only legitimate state is the minimal state, whose activities are confined to the protection of individuals and their property and to the enforcement of contracts. This state is unique among social organizations in having the right to force residents to pay for its services whether or not they have consented to do so. Citizens may band together for whatever other purposes they may desire-to provide education, to aid the needy, to organize social insurance schemes. Such schemes however must necessarily be purely voluntary and the state must enforce anyone’s right not to be compelled to contribute to them. Nozick reaches these conclusions by adhering as closely as possible to the idea that, in economic life all valid obligations derive from consent. Since consent alone cannot be theoretically basic something must determine the conditions under which the consent counts as morally binding. In addition, the obligations and entitlements one person acquires through voluntary agreements can affect the alternatives open to others who have not been parties to these agreements. Something must determine when such side effects make an agreement void. In Nozick’s theory, these conditions and limits are set by a skeletal framework of rights derived from Locke. The minimal role allowed to the state, the great scope left to voluntary agreement, and consent in his theory are direct consequences of the particular character of these rights. Nozick’s theory of justice is based on unpatterned historical principles. This theory is an entitlement conception of justice. Its central tenet is that any configuration of holdings that results from the legitimate transfer of legitimately acquired holdings is itself just. Many theories of justice will give some role to considerations of entitlement. Such theories recognize some processes as conferring legitimacy on their outcomes. What is special about Nozick’s view is that it makes entitlement principles the beginning and end of distributive justice. While his principles are not described in detail, it appears that his theory differs from other pure entitlement conceptions chiefly in admitting fewer restrictions on the acquisition and exchange of property. One such restriction [in fact the only restriction] is called the Lockean Proviso. The aforementioned proviso states that any acquisition, transfer, or combination of transfers is void if it leaves third parties worse off than they were in the state of nature. Such a worsening might occur, for example, if someone were to buy, in simultaneous secret transactions, rights to all the available sources of water. The aforementioned restriction [Lockean Proviso] could be substantial were it not for the fact that the baseline for its application is set by conditions in the state of nature. According to Nozick, the productivity of the capitalist system in improving our material condition makes it unlikely that anyone could acquire holdings that would leave others below this standard. Nozick clearly feels that the distinction between historical [un-patterned] principles of justice and end-state [patterned] principles is of fundamental importance. He emphasizes that almost all of the principles of justice commonly offered are end-state and are clearly mistaken. Singer’s proposition for the alleviation of poverty is highly dependent upon an individual’s consent to enact his moral obligation and duty towards his fellowman however if one conceives of his proposition within the context of the Lockean proviso as stated above it is possible to give strength to Singer’s claim thereby allowing the possibility of its transformation into a political duty. Within the context of the Lockean proviso, Nozick claims that morality does not ensure that the right to tend to one’s business [in this context the economic conditions within one’s society] is not affected by the circumstances of other individuals since there exists a duty to ensure the welfare of others.

Carrs Argument in Vital Paths - 1823 Words

Spencer Woo Professor Losh Cat 1 6 November 2012 Carrs Argument in Vital Paths I. Introduction Vital Paths is the title of the second chapter in Nicolas G. Carrs book, The Shallows. This chapter continues Carrs argument, posed in chapter one, in highlighting the dangers of the internet, regarding our cognitive abilities. Specifically on format, this chapter argues for our brains neurological flexibility through an array of examples, ranging from historical observations to scientific experiments, and ends cautioning that with malleability negative neurological effects are plausible. Carr introduces the argument for neurological flexibility with the tangible effects noted by Nietzsche, where the use of the mechanical typewriter†¦show more content†¦In Eric Kandels Aplysia experiment, Kandel showed that a slug lost sensitivity in its gills, after repeated contact to which Carr states the brain...change[s] with experience, circumstance, and need. Both, Kandels and Merzenichs, experiments lead to the same conclusion of the physical body adapting in real-time to the environment. Carr briefly writes how a man named Bernstein regained movement in his hand and leg after damaging his brain which regulated movement and how through the use of technology analyzing neural activity, Carr tells how violinists had increased cortical areas of their right hand compared to nonmusicians, and compared to their own left cortical areas. Carrs final example for the brains plasticity is with Pascual-Leones experiment. Pascual-Leone mapped the brain activity of a group of people playing certain notes on a piano, and a group imagining themselves playing the notes. He concluded that their brains had both changed in response to the experiment, both in playing, and imagining playing. Pascual-Leones work showed that the human brain can change itself neurologically without physical activity. Carr summarizes, We become, neurologically, what we think. Carr asserts through these scientific experiments that not only were Freu d, J.Z. Young, and William James, correct , but the adult brain...is not just plastic but...massively plastic. CarrShow MoreRelatedOcd - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment131367 Words   |  526 Pages(1976) cognitive theory of emotional disorders. From these two theoretical perspectives on clinical disorders, a new cognitive-behavioral approach to obsessions and compulsions was born. In many respects, my own professional development has taken a path similar to that seen in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessional states. My roots are in the behavioral tradition, dating back to the early 1980s when I was a graduate student at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, England. My interest