Abstract This paper briefly addresses the similarities of the Breton, Cornish, and Welsh cultures in the areas of language and myths, particularly the dominance of the sea in these cultures' mythologies. They are all Celticcultures, which makes it easier to draw parallels, particularly as regards linguistic similarities.
Abstract This paper examines how the Celticculture is one of Europe's oldest, surviving for thousands of years through several foreign invasions and through settlement in some of Europe's most inhospitable regions. It looks at how even today, Celticculture thrives in pockets of Wales, Scotland and Ireland, where people continue to speak Celtic-based languages such as Gaelic and Welsh, and honor the free-spirited warrior history of the Celts. Because of the longevity of the Celticculture, this paper attempts to determine whether it can be considered the most influential culture in European history.
Outline:
The Influence of the Celts
Arguments Against the Celts
The Celts Were not Europe's Most Influential Culture
From the Paper "There is an argument to be made that the Celts are one of the most resilient cultures in European history. Celtic history stretches back as far as 1,200 B.C., and the Celts, who were essentially a group of loosely affiliated tribes who spoke similar languages and practiced similar customs, once saw their territory stretch from the rocky Atlantic cliffs of Ireland and England to the Black Sea in Eastern Europe (O'Neill). It was a territory one might more readily associate with the Roman Empire, which certainly had a significant influence over European history and development. "
Abstract The Australian Celtic Festival is analyzed from a semiotic framework in this paper, including a number of signs and signifiers evident during the event. The paper provides a semiotic view of culture and details the dance, music and dress.
From the Paper "Semiotics is the study of signs or a sign system. Semiotic techniques enables the analogy of language as a system to be extended to culture as a whole. Semiotics permits a unifying conceptual framework that encompasses the whole range of signifying practices including gesture, posture, dress, writing, music, speech, photography, film, television and radio. The Australian Celtic Festival offers a unique opportunity to apply semiotic techniques to gain a broader understanding of Celtic representation..."
Abstract This paper examines and describes the traditional symbols and motifs of Celtic Art and discusses how they were so important in Celtic societies that they survived the conversion to Christianity. These Celtic symbols and motifs can also be found in early Christian Art. This paper also includes illustrations of various Celtic artwork.
From the Paper "Often in illuminated manuscripts one finds a Celtic characteristic of placing red dots around initials that reminiscent of the stippling on metalwork . And a textual tradition that is popular even today, known as diminuendo, in which the first letter of a text is large and the rest diminish in size. Illuminated manuscripts kept not only imagery of the Celts but the superstitions in some cases as well. Many illuminated manuscripts were thought to have special powers, and were often used for "talismanic purposes " including healing and hope for victory in battles. Thus the societies of the Celts and Christians were not only blended in art but in religion and culture as well. Keeping their superstitions and respect for nature, the Celts adopted certain aspects and rituals of Christianity. And Christianity in return adopted many Celtic customs and beliefs."
Tags: art history, celtic art, christian art, symbols motifs gospel
Abstract The writer of this paper details the manner in which various values and cultural traditions can impact an individual's or group's beliefs, attitudes and actions with respect to their day-to-day existence. The writer contends and explains how cultural differences affect communication, interaction and actions amongst different people. In an environment where little cultural diversity exists, it is likely that cultural differences will have little or no impact on human relations. This paper also discusses the issue of cultural differences in the workplace. Cultural diversity can lead to conflict as well as collaboration within the workplace, depending on whether or not people are willing to embrace people that are culturally different. This paper examines the impact of cultural diversity in the classroom, where teachers are being asked to become more culturally literate so that they can better address the needs of all their students, rather than the few who fall into one or two categories. This paper also explores the issue of students with varying cultural backgrounds that have different perceptions of learning and communicating and the manner in which their needs are met.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Analysis of Cultural Traditions and Human Relations
Conclusions
References
From the Paper "Cultural differences even impact students in the classroom. More and more teachers are being asked to become more culturally literate so that they can better address the needs of all their students, rather than the few who fall into one or two categories. Students with varying cultural backgrounds have different perceptions of learning and communicating, thus may have a difficult time achieving in a classroom that does not recognize their cultural differences and methods of learning. For students to be successful in a culturally diverse environment, teachers must work to improve communications and the methods they use to teach, to ensure that they are addressing the needs of a diverse population. To understand how cultural differences impact human relations one must also understand what culture is."
A review of the articles "Theories of Culture" by Roger M. Keesing and "Marking Boundaries - Culture as Category Work" - Qualitative Inquiry by Anne Ryen and David Silverman.
Abstract This paper discusses articles by Roger M. Keesing and Anne Ryen and David Silverman on what culture is, and how we study it, and see what is different in one culture, as opposed to a different culture, or in a small aspect of culture. The paper explains that Keesing seems to be more inclined to see culture in dynamic ways, as always changing or developing, or that has to do with thinking processes, where Ryen and Silverman discuss culture in more material terms that can affect how people of different cultures understand each other. The paper also discusses how Keesing looks at cultures as structural systems so that the scholar will look at how a culture or a structure began and how it continues to influence human life. The writer believes that Ryen and Silverman seem more tied up in how an outsider looks at a culture, the dynamics of importance of what go on between human beings, as individuals, as opposed to the cultural system that Keesing tried to understand. The writer concludes that both articles manage to get across the care that must be taken when researching cultures that are not one's own, but the writer feels that Keesing's work is still not out-dated.
Outline:
Introduction
Theories of Culture The Human Factor
Last Remarks
From the Paper "A culture may adapt because new technology or kinds of organization have come along, or it may change so that a people survive, as in cultures that begin to conserve something so that they can survive in their environment. A desert people, for instance, may show a culture that is protective of water, does not waste water, or whose art shows themes of happiness as the coming of the rain, or safely getting to a place where water is available. Keesing then begins to look at ideational theories of culture that have to do with cognitive systems and how people decide what is special, appealing or what must be done, as all can influence culture. (1974:77f)."
Abstract The question, What is popular culture and how does it relate to Eastern and Western societies? is an apparently simple query that conceals a complex range of social cultural and economic aspects. This essay examines this question, beginning with a provisional definition of popular culture and an attempt to distinguish it from other cultural forms such as high culture and mass culture. The thesis is argued that popular culture is, in its fundamental elements, a commercial culture that is dependent to an extraordinary degree upon the mass media as a technological vehicle for its messages and products.
Abstract The paper states that it is not complicated to find some globalized places such as airline terminals, international hotels or CNN business news revealing the effects of globalization and its repercussions on our understanding of culture in the modern world. The paper relates that through the growing of global interconnections and the processes of ideas and global goods crossing national borders, cultures fuse across the globe. The paper also discusses the presence of English as an international language, and a homogenization of culture. The paper confirms that, culture is a set of values and practices characterized by its particularity, which nevertheless needs universal criteria as a reference to justify this particularity. It is also crucial to define culture as an "encompassing" concept and to keep in mind that it is difficult to know what is cultural.
From the Paper "In addition, a shared global culture is also relevant as a global dissemination of an American or Western culture. Indeed the processes of globalization are providing fuel for a cultural imperialism, that is to say a global culture liable to be a hegemonic culture. Thus the assertion of a shared global culture seems to be linked to what Friedman describes as "the increasing hegemony of particular central cultures, the diffusion of American values, consumers goods and lifestyles" (Friedman, 1994: 195). The diffusion of dominant standard icons and references such as MacDonald's, Coca-Cola leads to think about an obvious Americanization. In a word, cultures are both confronted by a global dominance of the western culture and by the practices of global capitalism. The result is probably a decrease of cultural differences: a process which undeniably worked to the advantage of the USA and others Western nations. A striking example of this tendency of cultural imperialism is the United Nations Educations Scientific and Cultural Organization's call for a "new world information and communication order" and its politics on global culture."
Abstract This paper presents a study to identify pertinent traits that characterize effective leaders in various societal settings. The paper relates that the mixed methodology used in this study is (1) a qualitative analysis of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the specific relationship between leadership styles, organizational culture and the larger society and (2) a review and synthesis of various case studies concerning the impact of leadership on cross-cultural organizational performance. The paper includes a summary of the major aims and objectives of the study and an analysis of implications for leaders and recommendations for organizations such as "treat all people fairly".
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Aims and Objectives
Significance of the Study
Rationale of the Study
Literature Review
Background and Overview
Definitions of Culture Table: Bureaucratic, Innovative and Supportive Organizational Cultures Table: Family-Owned and Operated Organizational Cultures Table: Masculine and Collectivist Organizational Cultures Cultural Aspects of Organizational Leadership
Relationship between Organizational Leadership and Society
Table: Types of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Table: Potential Reasons Why Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) Influence Work Group And/Or Organizational Performance
Discussion
Chapter Summary
Methodology
Description of the Study Approach
Data-Collection
Sample
Setting
Ethical Considerations
Evaluative Action Plan
Instruments/Measurements
Chapter Summary
Results and Presentation of Findings
Discussion, Implications and Recommendations
Results and Presentation of Findings
Introduction
Sample
Studies
Table: Recapitulation and Summary of Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Consulted
Setting
Ethical Considerations
Evaluative Action Plan
Table: Noblit and Hare's Meta-Ethnographic Comparative Method
Instruments/Measurements
Chapter Summary
Discussion, Implications and Recommendations
Introduction
Summary of Major Aims and Objectives
Implications
Recommendations
Limitations
From the Paper "These responsibilities frequently involve decision processes that are unstructured, complex, and ambiguous; the studies to date indicate that the outcomes of such decision processes can be affected greatly by the characteristics of the team and its members.
"Taken together, the foregoing suggests that an organization's culture is highly influenced by its top leadership, but workers play a reciprocal role by helping them achieve the organization's goals and keeping it competitive."
Abstract The writer of this paper critically analyzes the ways in which De Munch and Korotayev start out by explaining that it is difficult to research across cultures because of "cross-cultural pollenization" that is, one culture tends to absorb some traits of the other. They point out that without adequate controls, the research can give both false confirmations of the hypothesis as well as false negatives. This paper is a negative critique of Cultural Units in Cross-Cultural Research.
From the Paper "The first group might look culturally diverse at first: 4 Spanish; 4 Iraqi; 1 Russian; 1 Estonian; 1 Javanese; 1 Ganda; one Greek; one Maronite-Lebanese. However, this group had significant cultural similarities, which the authors of course knew because they contrived the group. Some of the clerics were Catholic and therefore celibate. Others were Moslem and allowed more than one wife. It is hard to imagine how this example sheds any light on either cross-cultural studies or statistical and research methods."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth discussion of multiculturalism, it defines it and states that an entirely different view of culture is needed in the intellectual discourse of society. Elst analyzes culture using the example of analyzing sex. Elst makes it clear in his analysis that pluralities of identity are the norm, that everyone is multi-ethnic and multi-racial in some fashion. Finally, the paper concludes that each individual should study and redefine his own culture.
From the Paper "Even in the current, mainstream political debate over what constitutes ?multiculturalism,? it is common cultural parlance to view culture as a static entity. Multiculturalism is defined as the manner in which more cultures are integrated into the fabric of the dominant discourse, rather than as a way of deconstructing notions of how culture itself is perceived and misperceived. As the title of Dirk Van Der Elst's book Culture as Given, Culture as Choice, suggests, however, framing the debate in such a fashion is not necessarily the most radical choice. Elst suggests that nothing really exists as ?culture,? rather culture itself is a constructed, socially produced norm."
Tags:cultural, multiculturalism, Dirk, Van, Der, Elst, social, norm
Abstract This paper looks at Hispanic culture and how it has helped shape and mold American culture. The great extent to which Latin American dance, music, and food have become an intrinsic part of the overall American culture is cited as an example of this influence. The paper concludes by suggesting that American culture truly is a blend of cultures from all over the world.
From the Paper "America has often been referred to as the great melting pot, a smorgasbord of people with various racial, cultural and ethnic identities and traditions. Tied to this view is the idea that the culture of the American people should be defined as a cornucopia of different cultures melded into one to form a new, hybrid culture. Many different cultures have influenced the overall culture within the United States particularly that of the Latin American people with whom I associate."
Tags: melting, pot, ethnic, cultural, identities, traditions, united, states
Abstract As America becomes increasingly more diverse, the society will be presented with the challenge of understanding our cultural differences. This paper develops and designs a learning project that compares cultural differences of two ethnic/cultural groups. For the purposes of this project the writer compares the differences between Asian and Western cultures. The project is based on the cultural impact of performance in work force, production, sales, customer services, etc. Before one can create a learning project, one must first understand the cultural backgrounds of both groups.
From the Paper "Westerners tend to perform differently in the workforce than Asian workers. Westerners tend to be motivated by promotions and monetary incentives while Asian workers tend to want what is best for the entire company and their coworkers. In addition, jobs in the western workforce have higher turnover rates than those in the Asian workforce because Asian workers tend to stay with one company for a lifetime."
This paper discusses trans-cultural marriages, which defy ancient taboos by forming intimate relationships with partners from other cultural, religious and racial backgrounds.
Abstract This paper explains that trans-cultural couples not only face the challenges of all marriages but also have the added burden of their distinct backgrounds. The author stresses that the most important issue in trans-cultural marriages is to face the issues and not avoid them for the sake of buying peace with your selves and your families. The paper relates that cultural differences often remain invisible until they have been violated; therefore, one important task for couples from mixed backgrounds is to define, understand, learn and deal with their different culture codes.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Typical Situations
Some Basic Rules about Mixed Relationships
1. Face the Issues
2. Clarify Your Different Cultural Codes
3. Sort-Out Confusion about Your Own Identity
4. Understanding the Zones
Three Cultural Dimensions
1. Time
2. Cohesiveness of the Family
3. Emotional Expressiveness
Conclusion
Determination and Endurance Pay Off
From the Paper "The reason why people in mixed relationships might sidestep such issues might be very similar to why all couples might avoid facing potential problems. First of all such unions are romantic relationships. Such romanticism can distract people from focusing on the ordinary problems that are part of everyday life. Most couples do not want to spoil a newfound love by talking about the potential for future problems. Furthermore, there is an added sense of romanticism for culturally mixed couples especially if there is disapproval from the couples' families. Cut off from their loved ones, the couple is pushed into each other's arms, and joins in their animosity for their respective families and in doing so may fail to experience normal uncertainty about their new relationship."
Abstract The paper explains how every organization has its culture and like any other culture, the organizational culture is composed of group interactions within a structured framework. The paper discusses how an organizational culture possesses similar features to any other culture owning folklore heroes, communications network and rites and rituals. The paper notes that like any other culture, an organizational culture must be carefully maintained in order to prevent it from breaking down.
