Intercultural communication issue Essay Example for Free

Intercultural communication issue Essay Intercultural Communication Issue: Electronic Mail Meanings reside in people, not in words (Littlejohn, 2001, 39). This basic precept of language can be deemed a positive axiom for successful communication. Whenever possible, both parties should seek a common code and/or attempt to understand cultural differences in coding systems. Admittedly, it is difficult to arrive at a common code if a person and his communication partner speak different languages. The English language contains countless subcodes. Even nonverbal cues shift from culture to culture. Much like in the case of this electronic message sent by a hypothetical boss to a representative of a department flocked with Hongkong-based Chinese nationals: I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the States. Its high time we shook hands in person and not just across the sea. Im pleased as punch about getting to know you all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America. The statement above is a blend of American vernacular and idiomatic expression. It appears to be a simple salutatory message that turns embedded in unnecessary verbosity. This communication style takes risks in seeking suitable interpretation on the part of the message recipients. The words or phrases ASAP, across the sea, punch, and sell for Americans are easy to understand and can even cause no outstanding remarks from them. But to use these words in a message meant for relatively new employees with a relatively different linguistic background, startling and even violent reactions might be elicited. In fairness to Hongkongers, they are officially bilingual between Chinese and English. After the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the Peoples Republic of China in 1997, both Chinese and English remained the official language of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. English is the major working language in Hong Kong, and is widely used in commercial activities and legal matters (Flores, et al. , 1991, 246). However, this gift of bilingualism may likewise yield confusion, as British idioms are different from Americans’. Moreover, code-switching between Cantonese and English may not help them fathom best the message above. Some purist scholars consider Cantonese speakers who incorporate too much English are even dubbed language-handicapped (Flores, et al. , 1991, 245). And because the message was delivered through a virtual channel, the importance of nonverbal aspect of the communication is overlooked. This could have done the job of exhibiting the context most especially should the weight of the message comes to such portions as punch or sell you. The boss should have noted that communication is defined more by behavior than the communication event itself (Kale and Luke, 1991, 7). Nonverbal behaviors also shift from culture to culture and bilingualism may provide little help if the communicators had not developed code sensitivity toward the culture-specific message systems. With simplicity, neutrality and cordiality in mind, Hence, the message to be conveyed to the migrant employees should more or less look like this: â€Å"Good day! We welcome you once again to Will and Hung Company! May you find your new home over here in the United States as we are as earnest to make this company a place for you to work with satisfaction. † From this takes off a working atmosphere that encourages these new people to feed back in order for them to adjust their behavior to the relatively new environment. The boss must indeed shake their hands in person because it is indeed high time to use nonverbal actions as a way of inspiring them to respond to him in all honesty. He must think for a moment of all the positive attitudes and images he associates with smiling, head nodding, leaning forward, and laughing. ough these behaviors seem very Western, they often produce positive reactions in other cultures. Furthermore, interesting research findings suggest that communication changes encroach on how people relate to one another in organizations. Computer-mediated communications differ from face-to-face and telephone interactions in three important respects: there is a greater sense of anonymity; there is creation of new groups; and there is also susceptibility to computer addiction (Sullivan, 2003). Many executives become less social and less available for face-to-face conversations (Braun, 2002). Adjustment efforts must also manifest on the part of the host culture. Because much of the world speaks English, many of Americans have a tendency to assume we need not learn a foreign language. The very fact that others have made an attempt to learn our language should motivate us to reciprocate. There is more to language than vocabulary, syntax, and dialects. Language is more than a vehicle of communication; it teaches one a culture’s lifestyle, ways of thinking, and different patterns of interacting. References Braun, Patrice. (2002). â€Å"Digital Knowledge Networks: Linking Communities of Practice with Innovation.† Journal of Business Strategies. Flores, B. , Cousin, P. T. Diaz, E. (1991). Transforming Deficit Myths About Learning, Language, And Culture. Language Arts (pp. 245-246). Littlejohn, Stephen W. (2001). â€Å"Theories of Signs and Language. † Theories of Human Communication (p. 39). Wadsworth Publishing. Kale, J. Luke, A. (1991). Doing Things With Words: Early Language Socialization. The Literacy Agenda: Issues for the Nineties (p. 7). Victoria: Eleanor Curtain. Sullivan, Daniel. (2003). â€Å"International Business: An Emerging Vision. † Journal of International Business Studies.

The Character of Contract Law in Telecommunications

The Character of Contract Law in Telecommunications A telecommunication contract is an agreement between two or more parties, particularly one that is composed and enforceable by law. Telecommunications in Kuwait gives data about the phone, Internet, radio, and TV base in Kuwait. Any client taking a telecom administration from a public telecommunications operator (PTO) or a system-less administration supplier will have a contract with that organization. The Kuwait telecom industry is moderately developed and progressed, with high penetration rates and for every spending capita. However, the nations penetration rates are least around the Gulf nations, demonstrating open doors for further development potential. The general telecom business sector structure, which is commanded by the Government, and the nonattendance of a Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA), could keep on being an impediment for the business to achieve its true ability. The Ministry of Communication (MoC) controls the settled line and the worldwide passage for abroad calls. With such a business sector structure, the three telecom drivers in Kuwait i.e., Zain, Wataniya and Viva, are at an inborn disservice, contrasted with the other Gulf telecom companions, as they are unable to profit from a coordinated plan of action and in addition impeding their income. Presently, the MoC is the sole supplier of the fixed line benefits in Kuwait. As stated by the information from ITU, the fixed line section has remained stagnant in the most recent five years in correlation to the mobile section. This could be credited to the fast technological headway in mobile telephones which has surpassed the conventional settled lines. In 2011, the fixed line section is expected to decline by some degree. The ministry published disconnecting the memberships of clients who have not paid their installment. In the last 2 – 3 years, the MoC published arrangements which might lessen its impact on the business and enhance the general nature of the telecom showcase in Kuwait. These incorporate building the TRA, presenting Mobile Number Portability (MNP), and the stronghold of a shareholding firm to offer aggressive universal call duties. Additionally, in November 2010, the MoC proclaimed its plans to privatize the fixed line operations and create the nations fiber optic base. While these arrangements might give a driving force to the development of the telecom business in Kuwait, the administration and the concerned powers have made constrained advancement in actualizing these arrangements. Further, with the late political improvements in Kuwait, there is a high probability that these arrangements and laws might be further separated. However at the end of 2010, the MoC reported its plans to privatize the fixed line portion in Kuwait in the following two years. CSR agrees that this section has restricted development possibilities, and changing the fixed line portion in this innovative period remains unattractive both to telecom administrators and clients. While telecom specialists may have the capacity to charge clients for making calls from fixed line (which is free of cost presently), they still might need to make moderately high capital ventures. Furthermore, it is doubtful for clients to move over to fixed line, given the multi-reason utilization of cellphones. The privatization of the fixed line division later on might enhance the penetration rate, to a little degree. Also, the MoC announced that they are currently concluding another telecommunications law, which is in the last stages and is holding up for passing at the parliament. One of the laws incorporates the station of a shareholding firm to offer intense global call duties. Half of the shares of this organization will be held by general society, 24% by the legislature and 26% by a key speculator. The five year arrange likewise incorporates the privatization of the MoC inside four years. On the other side, the continuous political strains in Kuwait could postpone the advancement of a portion of the arrangements and telecom laws, hampering the development force of the telecom business in Kuwait. Also, the legislature predominance on the fixed line segment and the universal entryway not just limits the adaptability of these players to work as a coordinated telecom player additionally dissolves the organizations top line. Further liberalization and privatization of the Kuwait telecom industry, which is the need of great importance, can support the execution and give further business open doors to the Kuwaiti portable players. The Kuwaiti Government can assume significant part in giving force to the telecom area and thus permitting Zain and Wataniya to outflank its territorial associates. Basic contract law obliges that a legitimate contract meet the following criteria: It must be made between parties equipped to attempt what they have guaranteed to do; Both parties must aim to experience with their endeavor; The parties must have a mutual understanding of the trade; They will be proposing to pay or trade something of quality; The subject of the contractual trade must be legitimate; and The endeavor must be settled or fixable regarding both span and article. Notwithstanding these a telecom administration contract must be in composing despite the fact that it require not be agreed upon. The Regulations oblige telephony administration suppliers to give a composed contract or composed varieties to an existing contract to their clients. Likewise all agreement for the provision of telephony must either blanket the accompanying issues or aware the clients to openly accessible terms and conditions which do spread them. A telephony contract must: Set out the administration to be given and give data on the administration. Case in point the capability to accept and make phone brings over the suppliers system and anything that the supplier may need to do, for example, changing phone numbers, or codes, or uprooting administration from individuals found to have made hostile or disturbance calls; Set out the supply time for beginning association, the sorts of support administration offered, and recompense or discount game plans for endorsers which would apply if the contracted administration is not given; and Condense the debate determination systems the supplier has set up as per provisions somewhere else in the RVTD Regulations. These essential necessities have been joined into the licenses held by PTOs under the Telecommunications Act and are enforceable under that Act. Contracts are commonly respective contracts (i. e., consented to by two parties) and ought to have the legitimate necessities specified by contract law as a rule and ought to additionally be in keeping in touch with being enforceable. Breach of contract is a legitimate reason for movement in which a mandatory assertion or expected trade is not respected by one or a greater amount of the parties to the agreement by non-execution or impedance with the other partys execution. In the event that the party does not satisfy his contractual guarantee, or has offered data to the next party that he wont perform his obligation as said in the agreement or if by his movement and behavior he appears to be unable to perform the agreement, he is said to breach the contract.

Quran Burning Essay examples -- Terrorism politics Society

Quran Burning Can power be used for good? Unfortunately, there are many events in the past three years that overshadow the good that has been occurring in the world. People use different types of power to achieve the task at hand. The Quran burning, a recent controversial event that was supposed to occur on September 11, 2010, to honor all victims who passed away in the terrorist attacks. However, a small town church pastor named Terry Jones utilizes many powers to attempt to burn a holy book that was significant to a certain race, the Muslims. The question was how can one man who leads a small church of 50 people in Florida have the power to create uproar around the world? Through the United States Constitution, Terry Jones gained an immense amount of power which he abused in order to make an unethical statement about Islamic religion. First of all, the controversial Quran burning had many Americans debate the power of the constitution. Many people stated that the Quran burning was protected under the power of the first amendment, which guarantees the right to free speech. Jones wanted people to stop believing and worshipping a religion; and his way of expressing free speech was initiating a burning ceremony (Kiser 1). Being a Muslim is the â€Å"Un-American thing, according to Jones, and he is using his right of free speech to suppress the rights of Muslims to worship their religion. In Kiser’s article, â€Å"The Controversy over International Burn a Quran Day† he writes, â€Å"The Constitution of the United States does advocate, ‘Free Speech’, but it remains dim on the offensiveness of that free speech. The Constitution also advocates â€Å"Freedom of Religion†, but the United States remains a country where religion is abused and suppressed... ...nt could have potentially put the whole world at war, especially between Christians and Muslims. Works Cited Berry, Wendell. â€Å"Thoughts in the Presence of Fear.† Yagelski 474-479. Dog, Mary Crow. â€Å"Civilize Them with a Stick.† Yagelski 429-437. Kiser, M L. â€Å"The Controversy over International Burn a Quran Day.† Helium. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. Levitz, Jennifer, and Jonathan Weisman. â€Å"Pastor Keeps Pushing to Tie Protest with Islamic Center.† The Wall Street Journal. N.p., 2010. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. Rashid, Ayesha. â€Å"Burn a Quran Day and the Power of Ignorance.† The Daily Progress. Media General Communications Holdings, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. Somaiya, Ravi. â€Å"Should We Cover the Quran Burning?† Newsweek. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. Yagelski, Robert P, ed. Reading Our World: Conversations in Context. 2nd ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. N. pag. Print.

Self-Inflicted Diseases :: Free Essays

Self-Inflicted Diseases Self-inflicted diseases are those in which a person's health is damaged by their own decisions and behaviour. These can be such things like smoking, alcohol, sunbathing, eating large quantities of fatty food. Also deliberate self-harm such as attempted suicide is classed as self-inflicted as it can cause major damage to body organs. Those who start smoking at a young age are highly likely to become addicted to nicotine. Smoking leads to a risk of developing mental and physical disease. This includes lung cancer, coronary heart disease and death through a stroke. Smoking also increases the chances of blood clotting. Nicotine also increases blood pressure and heart rate and thus the body's demand for oxygen, but carbon monoxide reduces the blood's ability to carry it. [IMAGE] Obesity can be self-inflicted by the following:  · Eating too many calories  · Lack of physical exercise  · Environmental factors  · Cultural factors  · Metabolism factors Obesity can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, hernias, varicose veins and gallstones. Surgical operations are more risky for a patient with obesity because the amount of fat surrounding vital organs. [IMAGE] Self-Inflicted Sunbathing Sunbathing can cause blistering of the skin and increases the risk of developing skin cancer. This is self-inflicted if people do not take the precaution of sun cream, when in a hot climate. Heroin use [IMAGE] Heroin abuse can result in collapsed veins, bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves, abscesses, other soft-tissue infections, and liver or kidney disease. Heroin is a self-inflicted disease because it is impossible to judge the purity of street heroin and death is caused through an overdose. Suicide Suicide is ranked the 10th most common form of death. There are around 40,000 suicides per year. [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Suicide is committed due to depressions, family or pet bereavement, divorce, social isolation or psychiatric illnesses. Suicide is self-inflicted because the person attempts to take his/her own life.

Give Vouchers and School Choice a Chance :: Persuasive Argumentative Essay Examples

All We Are Saying is Give Choice a Chance    Critics of school choice programs invoke a two-pronged attack. First, they claim that only the best students with the most motivated parents will take advantage of charter schools and voucher programs-two of the most popular choice vehicles. Presumably, the best students come from families in which parents are involved at home and at school and who provide more support for their child, partnering with the school. Second, critics contend that the flight of the best students leaves behind disproportionately large groups of chronically underperforming, special needs, and problem children who will drag down the rest of the students in the public schools. Teachers will spend inordinate amounts of time on discipline and basics; administrators will be obliged to devote excessive amounts of resources to meet special needs. Critics contend these two effects will doom the traditional public school system to failure. Indirect evidence to the contrary, however, has been uncovered. These data may be preliminary, but they are compelling.    Enrollment data on charter schools in the 1997-98 school year show that the demographic mix of students enrolling in charter schools is remarkably like that of students in the rest of the school system-the flight of the best and brightest or the affluent or nonminorities is not apparent. The striking similarity of these enrollment patterns rebuts arguments that only the privileged will choose the option of charter schools.    Furthermore, over the past 10 years in the Milwaukee school system, which operates the country's longest-running publicly provided school voucher program, the performance of students in the system has increased remarkably. In fact, their increases have outstripped those of students in the rest of the state. There may be disputes about the performance of the students who have used vouchers and left the Milwaukee public school system, but the data show that the students left behind are faring quite well. Competition to keep students (and the concomitant funding) may be providing an incentive for the administrators and teachers in Milwaukee to pick up the pace and improve overall performance.       According to a January 2000 report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nationwide there are minimal differences in the distribution of minorities, the disadvantaged, and disabled students in charter schools and traditional public schools.    Students' eligibility for a free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch program (a measure of economic disadvantage) allows for the comparison of poverty levels between students in charter schools and those in public schools in the states that have charter schools.

Of Mice and Men the Relationships Essay

How does Steinbeck present the relationship between George and Lennie in this chapter? The author John Steinbeck presents the relationship between the two characters, George and Lennie in different ways as they are both different characters and have different personalities. He presents it like a parent and child relationship, with George being the parent and Lennie the child. As soon as the reader is introduced to George and Lennie Steinbeck tells us that, â€Å"They had walked in single file down the path†. This immediately notifies the reader of the kind of relationship between George and Lennie, it does this by stating â€Å"single file†. This reminds us of a game called follow the leader. It also tells us that the person at the front (George) is responsible and the leader. We can also see this idea on page five. When George says, â€Å"I ain’t sure it’s good water†. This again portrays the idea of George being the responsible, as he has to tell Lennie this and Lennie can’t tell himself. It also shows us that George is concerned over Lennie’s health. This implies that George has feelings for Lennie. We again see the idea of Lennie being like a child when on page sixteen he wants a story told to him again. This tells us Lennie is child like because this situation is like a parent reading a child a bedtime story. After drinking from the pool, when they are sat on the hill Lennie imitates George’s actions â€Å"he pulled his hat down a little more over his eyes the way George’s hat was.† Our immediate interpretation is that Lennie looks up to George as a role model, the quote â€Å"way George’s hat was† suggests he acts just like him and mimics him how a son would to a father. We also notice that Lennie tries to be clever towards George to show that he is smart even though he is not, â€Å"he said cleverly†. We can see throughout chapter one that George several times feels sorry for Lennie. the phrase â€Å"poor bastard† not only tells that there is a sense of sympathy from George in the relationship, but it also sort of makes the reader feel sorry for Lennie, Steinbeck also implies this through stating that George â€Å"looked ashamedly at the fire†. I could also notice when I was reading through the first chapter that George has a sense of authority over Lennie, â€Å"you gonna get that wood†. This is like a parent telling a child to do his chores. On some occasions though George shows a bit of hatred towards Lennie, he thinks of what he could have if Lennie wasn’t around and contrasts that with George. There is also a sense of lack of trust in the relationship  between the two men. We see this through the predicament with the work cards. It tells us that George again has to take care of Lennie, and that Lennie isn’t trusted by George. Again this idea is portrayed to the reader on page seventeen, we notice that George knows that he needs a plan b as Lennie cannot be trusted so his plan b is to tell Lennie to â€Å"hide in the brush until I come for you†. This helps us to understand the relationship even further. George also treats Lennie like a dog in one occasion in the chapter, â€Å"good boy†. This is something a master would say to a dog to encourage them, it also tells us the sort of role in the relationship George has again. In conclusion, we see that Steinbeck uses various techniques to portray the relationship between George and Lennie. But the main method is the idea of George being like a parent to Lennie.

Euthanasia Background Essay

* What’s Euthanasia? * The Pro-Life Alliance defines it as: ‘Any action or omission intended to end the life of a patient on the grounds that his or her life is not worth living.’ * The Voluntary Euthanasia Society looks to the word’s Greek origins – ‘eu’ and ‘thanatos,’ which together mean ‘a good death’ – and say a modern definition is: ‘A good death brought about by a doctor providing drugs or an injection to bring a peaceful end to the dying process.’ * Three classes of euthanasia can be identified — passive euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia — although not all groups would acknowledge them as valid terms.† * What is physician-assisted suicide/physician aid in dying? * It is descriptively accurate and carries with it no misleading connotations. * Other contributors to this volume prefer the synonymous term physician-assisted suicide because it is technically accurate, and still others prefer physician aid in dying because it is relatively neutral. * Although suicide can be considered heroic or rational depending on setting and philosophical orientation, in much American writing it is conflated with mental illness, and the term suggests the tragic self-destruction of a person who is not thinking clearly or acting rationally. Pros: * Everyone has the right to die * The right of a competent, terminally ill person to avoid excruciating pain and embrace a timely and dignified death bears the sanction of history and is implicit in the concept of ordered liberty. * The exercise of this right is as central to personal autonomy and bodily integrity as rights safeguarded by this Court’s decisions relating to marriage, family relationships, procreation, contraception, child rearing and the refusal or termination of life-saving medical treatment. * In particular, this Court’s recent decisions concerning the right to refuse medical treatment and the right to abortion instruct that a mentally competent, terminally ill person has a protected liberty interest in choosing to end intolerable suffering by bringing about his or her own death. * Patient suffering should be able to end their life. * At the Hemlock Society they get calls daily from desperate people who are looking for someone like Jack Kevorkian to end their lives, which have lost all quality. * Americans should enjoy a right guaranteed in the European Declaration of Human Rights — the right not to be forced to suffer. * It should be considered as much of a crime to make someone live that with justification does not wish to continue as it is to take life without consent. * What about palliative (end-of-life) care? * The evidence for the emotional impact of assisted dying on physicians shows that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a far cry from being ‘easier options for the caregiver’ than palliative care, as some critics of Dutch practice have suggested. * We wish to take a strong stand against the separation and opposition between euthanasia and assisted suicide, on the one hand, and palliative care, on the other, that such critics have implied. There is no ‘either-or’ with respect to these options. * Every appropriate palliative option available must be discussed with the patient and, if reasonable, tried before a request for assisted death can be accepted. * What about living wills? * Living wills can be used to refuse extraordinary, life-prolonging care and are effective in providing clear and convincing evidence that may be necessary under state statutes to refuse care after one becomes terminally ill. * A recent Pennsylvania case shows the power a living will can have. In that case, a Bucks County man was not given a feeding tube, even though his wife requested he receive one, because his living will, executed seven years prior, clearly stated that he did ‘not want tube feeding or any other artificial invasive form of nutrition. * A living will provides clear and convincing evidence of one’s wishes regarding end-of-life care. * Healthcare * Even though the various elements that make up the American healthcare system are becoming more circumspect in ensuring that money is not wasted. * The cap that marks a zero-sum healthcare system is largely absent in the United States. * Considering the way we finance healthcare in the United States, it would be hard to make a case that there is a financial imperative compelling us to adopt physician-assisted suicide in an effort to save money so that others could benefit. Cons: * There will be a slippery slope to legalized murder. * In a society as obsessed with the costs of health care and the principle of utility, the dangers of the slippery slope†¦ are far from fantasy. * Assisted suicide is a half-way house, a stop on the way to other forms of direct euthanasia, for example, for incompetent patients by advance directive or suicide in the elderly. So, too, is voluntary euthanasia a half-way house to involuntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia. * If terminating life is a benefit, the reasoning goes, why should euthanasia be limited only to those who can give consent? Why need we ask for consent? * The Hippocratic Oath and Prohibition of Killing would make it impossible. * The prohibition against killing patients†¦ stands as the first promise of self-restraint sworn to in the Hippocratic Oath, as medicine’s primary taboo: ‘I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect’. * In forswearing the giving of poison when asked for it, the Hippocratic physician rejects the view that the patient’s choice for death can make killing him right. * For the physician, at least, human life in living bodies commands respect and reverence–by its very nature. As its respectability does not depend upon human agreement or patient consent, revocation of one’s consent to live does not deprive one’s living body of respectability. * The deepest ethical principle restraining the physician’s power is not the autonomy or freedom of the patient; neither is it his own compassion or good intention. Rather, it is the dignity and mysterious power of human life itself, and therefore, also what the Oath calls the purity and holiness of life and art to which he has sworn devotion.† * There is also Government involvement in end-of-life decisions. * Cases like Schiavo’s touch on basic constitutional rights, such as the right to live and the right to due process, and consequently there could very well be a legitimate role for the federal government to play. * There’s a precedent–as a result of the highly publicized deaths of infants with disabilities in the 1980s, the federal government enacted ‘Baby Doe Legislation,’ which would withhold federal funds from hospitals that withhold lifesaving treatment from newborns based on the expectation of disability. * The medical community has to have restrictions on what it may do to people with disabilities – we’ve already seen what some members of that community are willing to do when no restrictions are in place.Healthcare spending implications will shut it down. * There would be healthcare spending implications. * Savings to governments could become a consideration. * Drugs for assisted suicide cost about $35 to $45, making them far less expensive than providing medical care. * This could fill the void from cutbacks for treatment and care with the ‘treatment’ of death.† * Social groups would also be at risk. * It must be recognized that assisted suicide and euthanasia will be practiced through the prism of social inequality and prejudice that characterizes the delivery of services in all segments of society, including health care. * Those who will be most vulnerable to abuse, error, or indifference are the poor, minorities, and those who are least educated and least empowered. * This risk does not reflect a judgment that physicians are more prejudiced or influenced by race and class than the rest of society – only that they are not exempt from the prejudices manifest in other areas of our collective life.