Abstract
This paper discusses cultural diversity and misunderstandings, as well as the police misconduct that might be seen when cultures collide. It begins by discussing the importance of cultural diversity in society and then goes on to describe some of the clashes that can occur due to this diversity. The paper also discusses racial discrimination and how it can be seen in law enforcement, as well as society in general.

From the Paper
"At the same time, black judges were more likely to incarcerate white offenders than black offenders (Coker, 2003). All of this information suggests that, while not all studies agree, overall it appears that blacks are incarcerated more often than whites, given harsher sentences, and are generally discriminated against in various facets of life. While the justice system is certainly one of those areas, it is not the only area where blacks are discriminated against, and many of the prejudices that were shown toward blacks and other minorities in the past still remain today, which is a cause for action in the criminal justice system and in other facets of life as well. The color of one's skin should have nothing to do with the quality of the person and therefore all people should be judged for who they are and what they have or have not done, regardless of what color skin they have or where they come from."

Tags:judicial, diverity, defendant

Abstract
The paper outlines Anne Fadiman's work "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" that demonstrates how the U.S. does not have any process in place to meet the needs of special population groups who require healthcare in medical institutions. The paper describes how the Hmong child, Lia, and her family suffered as the result of a major linguistic and cultural misunderstanding. The paper notes the progress that has been made in this area, but contends that much more still needs to be done.

From the Paper
"Fadiman's book tells the tragic story of a Laotian three-month-old girl named Lia who was the victim of cultural misunderstanding and lack of communication. Fadiman, a freelance journalist, heard about Lia's story through her friend who worked at hospital in California. It took a number of months before the leaders of the Hmong community were willing to talk with Fadiman about Lia's story. The book is not only valuable because Fadiman heard the story firsthand from those in Lia's community, but because she also kept to the facts, presenting two sides of a very difficult and painful story. The Hmong people and the hospital both cared about Lia and did what they thought was best. However, sometimes that is not enough. Life situations, especially in this case, can be very complicated. Fadiman writes about the difficulties, disappointments and confusion from both of these perspectives, so that it has become a learning tool for the medical field and others who are not part of the mainstream American culture."

Tags:communication, multiculturalism, values, language, hospitals

Abstract
This paper explores current literature on cross-cultural communication in regards to the importance of culturally significant contextual clues. The paper looks specifically at several studies on electronic communication and context, trust building in an online world and how the meaning of word may vary between cultures. Finally, the paper looks at steps that organizations can take to make certain that online communication is effective and that cultural misunderstandings do not occur.

Outline:
Literature Review
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The ability to acquire speech and language are universal. However, although the process is the same for everyone, the meaning and content that are derived from the messages are almost entirely environmental. We learn how to interpret words and phrases from those around us (Hwa-Froelich, 2004). When asked how we are, we do not always tell the entire truth, but will respond in a manner that is consistent with our teaching to that point. We will not always provide detailed information.
"The response that we give when we are asked how we are depends on many factors. For example, it depends on closeness and familiarity of the persons that are speaking, It depends on the formal relationship that exists. For instance, if a boss and an employee are the two communicators, then the response may be more vague than if the question is between two friends. In some cultures, it may be inappropriate for a manager to ask an underling how they are. In Middle Eastern countries, it is traditional to respond with information about one's family rather than oneself. This answer may appear to be strange to a westernized communicator. It could even appear to be an evasive or an unresponsive insult. These types of misunderstandings plague electronic communication on a daily basis. The westerner's response to "How are you?" may seem to be short and terse to someone from a different culture."

Tags:diversity, words, meaning, trust, misunderstandings

Abstract
The paper looks at Anne Fadiman's book "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" that relates the tragedy of three-month-old Lia Lee that was due to cultural misunderstandings. The paper examines the situation today, a decade after the book was written, and reveals that since the U.S.' demographics are changing so quickly, it does not appear that enough is being done to promote change. The paper discusses how to solve the communication and cultural understanding issues of diverse groups and stresses the need for collaboration.

From the Paper
"Bringing a family member to the emergency ward is difficult enough, even when speaking the same language as the staff. As soon as someone walks into the ER, he/she is bombarded with questions regarding insurance, injury/illness history, and medication contradictions. In the meantime, the intended patient is waiting in pain. Even in this scenario, communication often breaks down because of stress and concern. This process becomes much more complicated when someone comes to the ER who speaks an unknown language and has a different cultural perspective. Miscommunication can endanger the person requiring care."

Tags:communication, misunderstandings, diversity, collaboration

Abstract
This paper discusses how to manage cross-cultural differences in the workplace so that the rights and sensibilities of each person are respected. It shows by example how a good manager can use determination and creativity to solve cross-cultural misunderstandings, but how it also requires a corporate culture that supports such managerial tasks. It considers how human nature makes us categorize automatically and how most workers and indeed most managers are unaware of the ways in which they may either discriminate against or try to suppress differences in today's multi-cultural workforce.

From the Paper
"Although it is a cliche of the business world, it is nonetheless also true that no business that neglects " or abuses " its workers can prosper for long. Badly trained, badly prepared, or badly treated workers do not do their best and indeed, why should they? The best way to get the most out of a worker is to ensure that that worker feels appreciated and respected, and it is the job of those in supervisory and managerial positions who must ensure that an environment of mutual respect in instigated and maintained."

Tags:business, world, worker, manager, employees, supervisors, communication

Abstract
The paper outlines how the book "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" recounts the tragedy of three-month-old Lia Lee, from Laos, who suffered from present-day cultural misunderstandings in hospitals. The paper looks at the programs instituted as a result of this book but maintains that not enough is not being done to prepare for the changing demographics. The paper argues that culturally effective healthcare must be integrated into all levels of education and training to provide effective healthcare for people who have cultural beliefs different from that of the majority American society.

From the Paper
"The world including the United States is becoming increasingly culturally diverse. Over the next couple of decades, the demographics in the U.S. will be changing significantly, with a major increase in the population numbers of Hispanic and Asians in relationship to the amount of black and white citizens. The white population accounted for only 18.5 percent of the country's population increase between 2000 and 2004. The U.S. Hispanic population accounted for 14 percent of the population, but 49 percent of the four-year population increase. Looking at the age gap, one can see this difference even more: Among whites, 15 percent are age 65 and over, for Hispanics, it is 5 percent. Between 2000 and 2004 both African Americans and Asian Americans contributed about 29 percent of U.S. population growth. For Asians, however, immigration made up a much larger proportion of their share of population growth. In short, America is experiencing significant demographic change, growing more and more "minority" and less "majority." Considering that the U.S. is supposedly a "melting pot," and has always been culturally diverse, it should have the services in place to handle multiculturalism."

Tags:minorities, diversity, multiculturalism, miscommunication, social, services

Abstract
Cultural misunderstandings have doubtless occurred since the beginning of nationhood. Perhaps when communications were primitive and the world was a very large place, they were relatively unimportant. However, today, when communication is instant, the opportunities for misapprehension to cause global disaster are unprecedented. This paper shows that in terms of business, understanding other cultures may mean the difference between economic well-being and disaster. With Turkey's projected full integration into the European Union and its status as contributor of a great many of Germany's foreign workers, Turkey and Germany are two nations that have a pressing need to be certain each understands the other, politically and economically. The paper shows that it is therefore essential that each nation's business community take measures to understand the other. Little specific research vis-a-vis Germany and Turkey is available; however, vast stores of information are available regarding the communication types to which each nations belongs. In this paper, these have been winnowed to find the most appropriate rubrics under which to propose Germany and Turkey should could find common ground via their methods of communication.

From the Paper
"Another very common verbal experience for Arabic speakers-and almost unheard of for Christians, particularly in a business setting-is the expression of God's will and protection to begin or end a message. "In many cultures, such as the Arab, African, and Anglophone Caribbean countries, it is usually common to start a statement by thanking God, expecting God's blessing, or God's will" (Ihator, 2000). Westerners would ordinarily find this to be distasteful, an unwarranted expression of religiosity in a business setting, while to the Arabic speaker, it is simply an attempt to establish common ground by affirming the universal and the omnipotence of a shared belief in God. In fact, in "Muslim countries, the opening paragraph of a business letter may invoke Allah's blessing on the reader and the reader's family members- particularly when the business is family-operated" (Ihator, 2000)."

Tags:context, Islam, HR, organizational, management

Abstract
The writer of this paper defines the term ethnocentrism as a means to make assumptions or judgments about other cultures from one's own point of view. This paper details the various problems that an ethnocentric view presents when dealing with different cultures. The writer describes one particular example relating to the Hopi Indians. The ethnocentric view was prevalent that the language of the Hopi Indians was inferior to English as it did not have any words for time. This led to the assumption that the Hopi Indians were primitive and less advanced as a civilization, which resulted in the treatment of the Indians on the basis of an assumed inferiority. This paper also examines more serious examples of ethnocentrism, which can be seen in Africa, in which ethnic assumptions of inferiority or superiority led to the horrific genocide in Rwanda. The writer of this paper discusses the ethnocentric views that were prevalent in Nazi Germany. This paper also examines cultural relativity, which is a theoretical stance in direct opposition to that of ethnocentrism. This view emphasizes that cultures are a product of different historical experiences and that these differences should be respected.

From the Paper
"Examples of the problems and misunderstandings that ethnocentric attitudes can engender are numerous in recent history. For example, the view was prevalent that the language of the Hopi Indians was inferior to English as it did not have any tenses or words for time. This led to the assumption that the Hopi Indians were somewhat primitive and less advanced as a civilization. Subsequently, this led to the treatment of the Indians on the basis of an assumed inferiority. Later the cultural assumption that the Hopi did not have words for time was proven to be incorrect. Another example refers to the differences in perception, which are seen from an ethnocentric point of view as a sign of inferiority. An example is the different perceptions of color by the Intuit Indians."

Tags:culture, conflict, war, nazi, rwanda, africa, perception, theory

Abstract
This paper shows how cultural misunderstandings are often as a result of incorrect or incomplete translations. The writer explains that people are influenced by the culture in which they live and this helps form their impressions and the ways in which they communicate. Consequently, a metalanguage is required to enable people to discuss a specific language without their culture impacting upon it.

From the Paper
"Cultural differences, which upon careful analysis may not be very great, are often exaggerated by the language barrier thus making it hard to conduct a comprehensive cultural analysis. If a person were to attempt to analyze another culture purely in terms of their own culture, this would clearly lead to misunderstanding and a breakdown in communication. This cultural divide is reinforced by the differing languages spoken in the varying cultures being compared. Whilst in a cultural analysis cultures may not be directly compared, the person conducting the analysis is still influenced by the culture to which they belong. As language forms a part of the activities which people undertake in their cultures, language is obviously going to have a large impact upon the cultural analysis being undertaken. By this, I am referring to the fact that if the person conducting the analysis merely translates lexemes from another language into his/her own language, the analysis will be incorrect as the cultural concepts underpinning the languages will be different. Thus it becomes necessary to be able to give definitions in a consistent fashion which does not rely upon any particular cultural concepts."

Tags:culture, language, linguistics, metalanguage, nsm, semantics

Abstract
The paper uses four articles, ("Thousands flee Assam tribal feud", S. Bhaumik,"Cataloguing US abuses" BBC News, Dec 2004, "Suicide bombers held in Bosnia", N. Hawton and "Suicide Bombers", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_bomb) to demonstrate the need for more cross cultural understanding and training. The paper discusses cultural interpretations and motivations among inter and intra cultural groups and explains the origins of many cultural difficulties between these groups. The paper explains how cultural conflicts and misunderstandings commonly occur within homogeneous populations and among people of varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The paper concludes by suggesting that more communication and collaboration can improve the inter and intra-cultural differences and problems and offers suggestions on how this can be achieved.

From the Paper
"Cross cultural conflict often occurs when members of varying cultures share different beliefs, values and understandings of events, issues or proper ways of behaving. It is vital that cultural differences be examined to help members of society develop better methods for addressing cultural conflicts. A better understanding of cross cultural differences may enable more communication and collaboration and less violence.
"Cross cultural events often result in violence when people of varying cultures are not able to come to agreement regarding the appropriate course of action to follow in a given situation. Below we'll discuss cultural interpretations and motivations among inter and intra cultural groups and explain the origins of many cultural difficulties between these groups."

Tags:suicide, bombers, terrorism, hamas, abu, ghraib, karbi, dimasa, assamic, intracultural, palestine