This paper is a personal essay that discusses the obligation to transmit our heritage of culture and learning to the next generation which cannot be met by the market alone.
3,025 words (approx. 12.1 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 88.95
Abstract This paper states that learning and culture are two complementary entities in the process of human development. The paper concludes that an ethical stand-alone market system would naturally evolve when all the market players understand that in the long run it makes good economic sense to encourage this real value of humankind.
Table of Contents
Introduction - Towards Human Emergence
Social Environment - The Distilled Wisdom of Our Heritage of Culture and Learning
Culture and Learning- The Essence of Being Human
Transmission of Culture and Learning to Our Next Generation
The Mechanism of Transmission The Case against Market
The Case for the Market
Is the Assertion Justified ?
Market and Ethics- An Evolutionary Process
Conclusion
From the Paper "Human societies consist of organized groups of individuals of all ages having a set of behavioral rules that are transmitted from one generation to another. This process of transmission can be divided into two broad categories- direct or indirect. When the values and accumulated knowledge of the society are transmitted through some kind of formal training, it is called "learning". While the process of learning aims at transmission of knowledge and values in the formal way, the outcome of this process depends on many things that are never taught - things that we absorb from our social environment. This intangible phenomenon that is an integral and parallel part of learning is "culture"."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of a very specific issue: the transmission of the HIV virus by African women who breastfeed their infants. The problem is complex, and includes a host of issues, the main one being cultural.
Abstract This paper examines and analyzes AIDS in Tropical Africa. Issues covered include recent statistics relating to different countries within Africa, spatial distribution and patterns of spread, and an evaluation of the social, cultural, and behavioral reasons why AIDS is spreading so rapidly. The paper concludes with a discussion of strategies for prevention, projects to reduce the spread of AIDS, and the use of drugs in AIDS treatments in Africa.
Abstract This paper examines transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) which are fatal, incurable degenerative diseases of the brain transmitted by prions. The paper explains the prion hypothesis, disease transmission and features of TSE and then examines each of the five known TSE diseases in humans. Lastly, the paper looks at the research regarding a possible cure or vaccine for TSE.
Table of Contents:
The Prion Hypothesis
Disease transmission Disease markers
Features of TSE
Kuru
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Gerstmann Straussler Scheinker syndrome
Fatal familial insomnia
Alper's syndrome
Possible cure or vaccine for TSE
From the Paper "There is progressive cerebellar dysfunction in the middle years. There is unsteadiness, clumsiness, incoordination and progressive gait difficulty. The cerebellar signs become more severe as the disease progresses with ataxia, dysarthria, and nystagmus. Additional findings in some are, parkinsonism, pyramidal and extrapyramidal findings, blindness and gaze palsies. Compared to CJD, dementia and myoclonus are either absent or minor."
Abstract The paper identifies a definition of culture and examines how it is transmitted, generically speaking. The paper discusses the need to be nurtured and socially taught so that as we mature, we will meet the cultural guidelines in each developmental phase of our lives. The paper also talks about a sub-culture; a group within a society whose values and norms are different from that of the accepted dominant view. The paper utilizes the example of American society's rigid emphasis on gender roles to demonstrate how Americans transmit culture already from the time of birth.
From the Paper "Before one can understand how an aspect of our American culture came about, and how it is being translated today to nearly all members of our society, we must see how culture is transmitted. Before we can even do that, we need to understand what culture actually is; everyone has an idea of what culture is, but whether we know it or not, we associate the words "culture" with "American culture" and use the two interchangeably. We may think that "American culture" is "culture" because of the idea of ethnocentrism, the idea that one's own culture is the right culture, and all others should follow. However, more times than not, most open-minded and fair people that use "American culture" and "culture" interchangeably will do so without meaning to and will do so because their "American culture" is all they have ever known. Therefore, since that culture is the only one they have been exposed to, that is the only viewpoint on the world that they possess (Nanda and Warms 86)."
Abstract This paper examines Philip Curtin's critically-acclaimed text, "Cross-Cultural Trade in World History". In particular, the paper evaluates a significant issue found within the body of the text and analyzes Curtin's treatment of it. The paper also provides the author's personal opinion on the subject. In addition, the paper emphasizes Curtin's point that trade among peoples never entails merely the exchange of goods; rather, it entails the creation of cultural linkages, as well as the forging of new ideas courtesy of the collision of different modes of thinking.
From the Paper "To close, this paper has looked at cross-cultural trade as discussed in Philip D. Curtin's excellent 1984 text, Cross-Cultural Trade in World History. Although Curtin does seem to fall short in some respects - he clearly fails to draw links between the past and the present at appropriate times (at least in the view of this writer) - the book is an excellent "run-down" of cross-cultural trade and how cultural, intellectual and (more arguably) technological transmission flowed from economic exchange. In the end, the paper is an important contribution to a worthwhile debate."
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."
