Abstract
Beginning with a look at general perceptions of the military, this paper seeks out to explain the purpose and reason behind military customs. It provides a perspective on the purpose of the military and its operations. A large portion of it focuses on time management. The paper takes a final look at the role of leadership that develops time management and how this forces one to follow military customs as necessary.

From the Paper
"The military exists also as the guardian of the people in a democratic nation. The mandate cannot be achieved unless leadership and discipline are imposed. Thus, leadership can only be attained through training and education; discipline is one of the results of the training and education. When a soldier or an officer in the military is trained, he or she is not only trained in their core competency or occupational skill but also in the rich tradition, history, customs and courtesies of the service. Military leadership qualities are formed in a progressive and sequential series of carefully planned training, educational, and experiential events. Military leaders tend to hold high levels of responsibility and authority at low levels of our organizations. (Kolditz, 2009) The military personnel also learns the value of sacrifice, selfless service and what it means to perform a task or mission on time and on course. Time management then becomes also a key ingredient is initially instilled during basic training."

Tags:military, time management, military customs

Abstract
The paper describes the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and its strengths, weaknesses and history.

From the Paper
"The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism or C-TPAT is a voluntary collaborative effort undertaken by business and government in which cooperative relationships are developed with the goal of strengthening and improving the international supply chain and U.S. border security. Led by the U S Customs and Border Protection (CBP), this initiative is focused on improving the security of private companies' supply chains with respect to the ongoing threat of global terrorism. However, more than terrorism is being targeted as over private..."

Tags:Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, supply chain

Abstract
This paper discusses the differences between American and Japanese food-related customs, emphasizing fast food, slow food, community, and respect. The paper emphasizes the special relationship of food to a culture.

From the Paper
"Few things are more intimate or more telling than a culture's relationship with food. Not only does the food people eat affect the way they think of themselves but also the way they think of others, as Braudel points out, the Europeans have the saying "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are". Ohnuki-Tierney Parry notes; "A man is what he eats. Not only is his bodily substance created out of food but so is his moral disposition". (Ohnuki-Tierney) A country's food and..."

Tags:American, Japanese, food, customs, fast food, slow food, community, respect, culture

Abstract
This paper discusses Herodotus' preoccupation with Barbarian customs, and explains how his Histories promote "Greekness" through the examination of that to which the Greeks compared themselves and inevitably found they were superior. The writer looks at Herodotus' cultural and intellectual milieu as well as his stated objectives in writing the Histories, and describes the cultural dualism he created by disparaging as well as giving due credit to non-Greek civilizations. The writer explains that the Histories contain much legend and fantasy and are more about customs and culture than battles or wars.The paper concludes that Herodotus created a past for the Greek people that is part myth and part reality, using Greek cultural superiority over non-Greek Barbarism in order to bring a pan-Hellenic unity to a people scattered over disparate regions and islands.

From the Paper
"Despite this prevailing view, Herodotus appears to have taken a far more objective approach to determining the worth of people. In his proem, during his opening remarks, he clearly separates Greeks and Barbarians as inherently different but still reminds his audience that Barbarians are capable of great deeds. Herodotus outlines to the audience that his Histories are to be concerned not just with those deeds and the wider Greco-Persian conflict but also their causes. This explicit interest with causality is such that it has led to claims that Herodotus is the father of sociology, the father of anthropology and suggests that the content of his work must be concerned with custom."

Tags:Aegean, Sparta, Athens, city-state, Persian, heathen, Delphi, Cyrus, xenophobia, Sophism

Abstract
In this paper the author examines the striking differences between Japanese and U.S. business customs which emanate from their different cultures. The author looks at the main concepts that differ between the two nations such as the Japanese emphasis on trust which they believe must be a major component of all long-term relationships. The author gives the example of how contracts do not have as much meaning as with U.S. business relationships. The author discusses in detail the main concepts that the Japanese work under, trust and harmony, unity and intuitive decision making. In conclusion the author points out that although the customs of Japanese business relationships are becoming more widely known and understood, he still recommends that a third party intermediary is taken to help in transactions. This, he states is quite common practice and a preferred practice of the Japanese so that many of the common errors of business protocol can be avoided.

Table of Contents:
Key Concepts
Group Harmony or Wa
Long-Term Relationships, or Nagai Tsukiai
Public Face;Tatemae and True Feelings; Honne
Communication Without Words; Hara-gei and Trust; Shinyo
Conclusions

From the Paper
"This aspect of the Japanese value system has important implications for business negotiations with Japanese clients or partners and is an area where particularly Americans with their somewhat "helter-skelter," lifestyles tend to look upon as superfluous. Therefore, this striking difference of culture-clash is by way of contrast and comparison quite an important factor for the American businessperson to study very carefully if one wishes to conduct business on any level in Japan. Executives of the Japanese organization will want to spend a great deal of time in getting to know prospective foreign associates and it explains why there is so much emphasis on the getting acquainted phase of the first meeting and why informal socializing is such a crucial component of establishing a business alliance in Japan."

Tags:value, harmony, philosophy, opinion, nation, alliance, tolderance, negotiations

Abstract
This paper analyzes and reviews Lucien Biart's seminal work on Aztec culture entitled "The Aztecs: Their History, Manners, and Customs." The paper describes Biart's book, which was published in 1887, as written during a time of ignorance about pre-Colombian Mexico. Then it discusses the structure of the book chapter by chapter. According to the paper, the first half of the work is a chronological look at the evolution of human societies in Mexico, and the second half explores their culture. The review also examines flaws in "The Aztecs," such as the lack of citations and the over glorification of Aztec culture. The paper concludes by stating that "The Aztecs" comes across as being a noteworthy starting point for in-depth research into Aztec historiography.

From the Paper
"The first half of the book offers a basically chronological look at the evolution of human societies in Mexico. However, Biart's organization is not strictly chronological. Chapter 1 introduces the material with a thorough evaluation of Mexico's geography: including its diverse climate and terrain. Biart suggests that geography informs the development of culture. Geography determines which plants and crops grow and which animals flourish. Moreover, a geographic analysis helps historians understand how warring factions might have used terrain as a military advantage. Biart also suggests that geography may have impacted the interactions between indigenous Aztecs and the conquistadors."

Tags:pre-Colombian Mexico, Lucien Biart, colonialism, Anahuac

Abstract
This paper reviews and discusses the different business practices and customs of Russia and of the USA. According to the paper, Russian - American business relations have been characterized by the 2001 agreement between President Bush and President Putin in which both countries decided their "determination to foster a new dynamic in American-Russian economic interaction".

From the Paper
"Russian - American business relations in recent years are characterized by the 2001 agreement between President Bush and President Putin in which both countries decided their "determination to foster a new dynamic in American-Russian economic interaction" (The White House, 2001). Both nations are now set on a course of increased trade with a group of elite business men attending a summit in Washington DC in 2005 as a major step in the constantly improving business relations between the United States and Russia (Russian Embassy, 2007). The United States and Russia are thus important business partners as American investment in Russia has increased to $6.3 billion in 2005 (Russian Embassy, 2007). Furthermore, Presidents of both countries have "expressed their support of the initiative by Russian and U.S. business communities to launch the Russian-American Business Dialogue as a permanent communication channel between the business circles and the government agencies of the two countries involved" (Russian Embassy, 2007)."

Tags:cultural, differences, negotiations, opportunities, compromise

Abstract
This paper takes a look at some customs and traditions of Japanese society.

Abstract
This paper describes some of the ways in which Chinua Achebe's 1959 novel, "Things Fall Apart", critiques traditional Nigerian tribal customs as well as the incoming British Christian colonial rule. Like the novel, the paper focuses on Okonkwo, an African villager who finds the world around him falling apart over the course of his lifetime. His reactions to his own family's roles in tribal life and colonization are considered as important moments of characterization.

From the Paper
"Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart", describes the daily life of a group of tribes living in Nigeria at the end of the nineteenth century. The book focuses on Okonkwo, a powerful and feared Umuofia villager, and his relationships with his family members and community. "Things Fall Apart" traces the ways in which Okonkwo came to become the person he is, and, eventually, how he and his community change in relation to Christian European colonialization. While the novel strongly sympathizes with the original tribal culture of Nigeria and supports much of the communities' efforts to keep colonization at bay, it also includes a critique of some..."

Tags:achebe, customs, colonization

Abstract
This paper is a careful examination of the similarities and differences in the business and legal climates in the UK and U.S. It discusses how the common law heritage of most of the countries in the United States (Louisiana's law are based largely on the Napoleonic Code) and the United Kingdom ensure a number of similarities in the manifestation of contemporary laws. It points out, however, like the electrical outlets and doorknobs in use in both countries, a sufficient number of differences exist to make direct comparisons between the two nations difficult but interesting. It explains how it has been shown that traditional contract laws in the U.K. and U.S. have both developed rules and principles that control the voluntary assumption of obligations, regulating the performance of obligations so assumed, and providing sanctions for failure to perform. The writer concludes that both countries' cultural traditions are reflective of the respective country's heterogeneity and its central importance in world affairs over the past several centuries.

Outline
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The United Kingdom and the United States share a common heritage, language and culture. Even the U.S. Constitution itself was significantly influenced by the political concepts emerging from the U.K. at the time. Today, the two countries are staunch allies in the war on terrorism, and both countries continue to enjoy high levels of trade with each other. Notwithstanding the many commonalities between the two English-speaking nations, a sufficient amount of dissimilarities exist and a better understanding of these differences can provide some insight into how these countries engage in business today."

Tags:act, alliance, britain, business, climate, common, contract, england, hartley, joint, law, nlrb, taft, venture