Is Having a Sibling a Blessing or a Curse?

I am sure that most of you have brothers or sisters. And I am sure that this same thought must have occurred to you at one time or another. How many of you have lost your toys, clothes or something that you loved very much to your brother or sister? How many of you wish that you were the only child of the family? Welcome to the world of siblings. From the moment our parents announce that there is to be a new baby in the family, we are expected to go through a lot of adjustments.The first and foremost is sharing. Sharing of our dear parents, our rooms, our toys, our favorite foods and so on. The second is comparison. The parents, teachers and sometimes even relatives start to compare the siblings. The comparison may be regarding our character, behavior, studies, coloring etc. The often repeated words in many houses is â€Å"Why can’t you be like your brother or sister? See how good they are. You should learn from them. † The third is favoritism. Many parents have a favor ite child.It may be because they remind them of their favorite person, like their parents or siblings. Or maybe because that child loves them unconditionally. However, this causes the less loved child to regard the other as a rival. One of the favorite things our siblings like to do is to find out and tell our secrets to the very people we try to keep it secret from. They like to boast their own achievements and put down ours. But, not everything about having a sibling is bad. They are generally there for us when we need them.We can always depend on them when we are in some difficult situation. They sometimes save us from punishments and retributions, if they feel sorry for us. Of course they might need a bribe or some sort of favor after-wards. If your sibling is older than you, he/she would have paved the way for you in school, tuition and sports. If they are younger than you, you can and probably will boss them around and make them do what you want. There is a Chinese proverb tha t translates as â€Å"You don’t realize the value of a thing until you lose it. All of you are doing your A levels next year. After that most of you will leave the country for higher studies. This means you will be alone, without your family in some unknown location for 4 or 5 years. And I am sure that even though you will miss your parents, you will miss your siblings more. You will miss the shared space, shared confidence and secrets that united you. So I sincerely hope that you will enjoy your blessings while you can and treat your siblings better.

The Love for American Football

Someone who is from another country like me, may believe that life in the United States is very diverse from life anywhere else. Countless people from other countries have a completely distorted image of how we may live there in America and the mentalities thatthey all posess. Not all of Americans are spoiled, overweight, or are obsessed with football. All of them are completely different for the most part, and are actually concerned about what is occurring in the world today.However, I do believe I can say that most Americans are proud to be here, and proud to represent the UNITED States, and that pride and love is shared by everyone, kind of like a big family. Just like other countries, there are things that the people tend to be attracted to more than another group of people would. For example, in Mexico, soccer is huge, and almost everyone there is crazy about it, but here in the United States, soccer doesn’t hold near as many fans.Since one doesn’t really know a lo t about the life in the United States, and the things all Americans seem to enjoy, I would like to enlighten you to the one thing that I believe is totally ‘American’. And of coarse, I would have to say its football. Now, no all of Americans enjoy the hazardous sport, but about nine out of ten of them absolutely adore it(including myseld). The competition and the thrill that you get from watching breathtaking game, will most likely have you sitting at the edge of your seat, not wanting to miss a minute of whar you are seeing take place on the television screen.The runs, the cheers, the interceptions, the touchdowns, and most of all the victory when it’s all over is what I believe makes football what is it today in the society of Americans. If you were to meet another Amrican, I can almost guarantee that the person has a favorite football team that they support with all of theit hearts. Football is everywhere: city leages, college teams, professional teams, and

A Thematic Analysis of Hope and Other Urban Tales by Laura Hird

The ideological model of literacy[1] (Street, 2000) will underline the analysis of the book, and direct the way in which it is read. Analysis Hope and Other Urban Tales focusses mainly on the darker side of the human experience. In Hird’s own words, her work is centred on â€Å"nasty stories about dysfunctional people† (Taylor, 2009).[2] With key themes involving escapism; social change, manipulation, depression and sexuality, the book offers a detailed glimpse into 21st Century Scottish culture primarily through each narrators’ introspective qualities. This essay however, will concentrate on the main under-lying theme of escapism in the text, as well as Hird’s syntactical and lexical choices, and what effect they culminate to. The author’s tone and style will be the first literary aspect to be considered, with reference to the ideological model of literacy as proposed by Brian Street in his paper Literacy and Development. One of the most important literary aspects that achieves Hird’s sense of an empathetic, self-aware and socially observant author is Hope’s narrative tone and style. Since most of the stories are written through first-person perspectives, the narrator is able to connect at a very personal level to the reader as though the happenings of the story are real. Each narrator’s feelings and emotions are captured through their own descriptions of them; allowing the reader to better understand their experiences. We are also subject to a large amount of narratorial interference (which at times, is arguably quite stifling) that serves to remind the reader of what the narrator is feeling at any exact moment. This ties in well to Hird’s stream-of-consciousness style of writing, in which thoughts and actions are described in real time. Present-tense also intensifies this reaction from the reader, as we are lead to know as much or as little as the protagonists do.  œ (Pg. 1 – 10, Hope’s best example of psychological realism) Present tense is used in many of the short stories in this collection (Hope, The Happening, Destination Anywhere, and Meat). Hird puts this device in place not only in order to allow the reader to live the events of the story at the same time the characters are; (there by making them more ‘alive’) but to compliment her inter-personal, nonchalant style of writing. For example, in Hope, the narrator explains: â€Å"We seem to become embroiled in this intense conversation as soon as we sit down. There’s none of that ridiculous small talk that Edinburgh people usually use to keep people at a distance till they’ve decided what to dislike about them. Hope appears to have angles on everything that I’d never even contemplated before†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hope, Chp. 2, pg.14)[3] This quote also implies a deep-seeded basis of empathy that is present within the narrator’s tone. It is with lines like â€Å"none of that ridiculous small talk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that shows a wanting for personal connection between the characters and indeed, the rest of the world around him. Past the confines of Hope’s apartment, this speaks volumes about the state of 21st Century Scottish culture. The previous passage is particularly interesting because of its implications towards contemporary Scottish culture. Here the subtext dictates that ordinary Scottish citizens are closed-off, reserved and un-involved with each other to the point of even disliking one another’s company. Whilst the narrative choice of first-person means that everything in the story is somewhat biased to an extent, the reader can see beyond that; and look into the real-life writer’s feelings about her surroundings. Such a blunt observation coupled with judgement (â€Å"what to dislike†) allows the confidence and self-assuredness of the writing to materialise plainly in the reader’s mind. Further to this, it can be said that although Hope is a product of the mid-2000s, it pays noticeable homage to mid-90s Scottish literature. For instance, Hird’s work has been said to be caught in a â€Å"Trainspotting hangover† [4] (Briscoe, 2006) – a nod to Scottish author Irvine Welsh. Hird herself has confessed also that she is a great admirer of Ian McEwan, author of Enduring Love[5], where her methodical approach to de-familiarization was born. The ideological model of literacy dictates that literature should be judged as social practice and not merely â€Å"technical and neutral skill†[6] (Street, 2000). It also describes a more culturally sensitive approach towards literacy than its counter – the autonomous model. This effectively directs the way that the book should be read; with more allusion towards a social commentary. Hird wrote this collection as a product of her own inherent knowledge and understanding of the working world. Her state of ‘being’ attaches itself to the stories, the characters and her choice of words throughout the entire book and results in enabling the reader to see her most-inner workings and the effects of the defensive, emotionally stale culture of Scotland in the 21st Century. Furthermore, the ideological model also commands the way in which the reader reads. Each reader’s conception of themselves and their identity becomes the root of their understanding of the text. Hope and Other Urban Tales then becomes a mix of both the author’s perceptions of being and the reader’s. Allowing the two perspectives to inter-twine as such culminates to a very personal response that elicits an extension of the reader’s set of prior beliefs. Whilst the 90’s have clearly influenced Hird and her attitudes to her art, the period has not distracted her from contemporary 21st Century culture with reference to the writer’s loyalty to her idols, such as Welsh[7] (Morace, 2001). Hird adheres to the stream-of-consciousness writing style popular in the mid-90s, as well as psychological realism[8] (Cuddon, 1999). This means that Hird’s characters are not content to merely explain the events of a story; they have to explain their motives and thoughts aswell. Interior monologues are therefore a staple technique employed in the collection, as well as narratorial interference, which is consistently present throughout every story involving first-person narration. These modernist techniques result in a slightly fragmented style of story-telling, in which the narrator’s character is arguably the most important aspect of the story, as not only do they tell the story, they act in it as well. The writer’s attitudes are most notably introduced in the title’s novella, Hope. Here we are subject to Martin’s (the story’s narrator) account of Scottish people, society and culture. Hird’s choice of syntax, her sentence structures and passages of time demonstrate a noticeable disassociation from the novella’s universe; it’s ‘real world’. This disassociation carries well into the collection’s escapist theme; which has been said to be the common link between every character in Hope and Other Urban Tales[9] (Alapi, 2006). Escape is mentioned in almost every story and implies an escape from the morally deprived society of the 21st Century. Whether this ‘escape’ is physical or metaphoric, it denotes the action of leaving a life behind, and it inhabits every story: In Hope: â€Å"I’ve got to get out of here. Go somewhere hot.† (Pg.2) In The Happening: â€Å"Annual leave is precious.† (Pg. 69) In Reanimation: â€Å"We need to get out. If we don’t go out now I’m afraid we’re never going to escape.† (Pg. 97) In Victims: â€Å"Would you leave them for meNever see them again?† (Pg. 166) In Destination Anywhere: â€Å"I’ve found, by experience, that running away is usually the answer. I have been running away since I was a kid.† (Pg. 203) In Meat: â€Å"Atleast it feels like I’m escaping for a little while.† (Pg. 217) (Most obvious examples) This escapist attitude stems from an inherent disassociation in every character. They could even be argued to be tragic heroes; who pave the way for their own downfalls through poorly guided actions. If each character maintained their innocence and their naivety, then they would be more comfortable and engaged with the world around them. As Hird clearly demonstrates through her incredibly observant narrations, these characters describe events and other people as if they are, on the most part, static and blind to real understanding (with the exception of Hope’s character in Hope: Pg. 1 – 69). There is therefore a feeling of superiority that parallels this and which results in a cynical, pessimistic writing style that implies dissatisfaction with the novel’s universe. Because the story is based upon the element of realism, this denotes dissatisfaction with the real world as well. The culture of the time is obviously a closed, harsh and faceless one. One that is controlled by television, rat-race artistic types as symbolically shown in Destination Anywhere by ‘the artist’, who remains nameless throughout, and money (Pg. 182). This theme of escape is symbolised effectively in Meat by a few different aspects. The initial death of the lamb being the most notable (Pg. 223 – 230). What reinforces this theme is how the father reacts to its death: â€Å"You know how much these things are worth?†[10] The father thinks only of the saving he will make if he brings the lamb home to be eaten, instead of deliberating on the tragedy to any kind of extent at all. He uses the death of the lamb as an escape from his son’s confession (Pg. 221). Instead of confronting his son about being homosexual, he â€Å"pushes [his son] away† (Pg. 222). The narrator’s father does not acknowledge his son whilst he is â€Å"clearing up†. These semiotics exhibit the â€Å"clearing up† of the relationship between father and son – the â€Å"dismantling† of his involvement with the situation. This metaphor leads to a physical symbol of escape: when the boy says in his interior monologue how he’s â€Å"not sure where we’re heading† (Pg. 222). The father takes country roads back from the fishing trip and drives through thick fog and darkness on the way. Fog traditionally symbolises foreboding, or the clouding of emotions. In this case, it symbolises the growth of the father’s anger and disappointment at his son because he is not addressing it. Instead he runs in both an emotional and physical sense – adding that he â€Å"doesn’t bloody know† why they are going the way they are (Pg. 223). Desperation to escape is therefore effectively symbolised here, as anywhere is better than being alone on that boat with his son. (Pgs. 221 – 230 are discussed h ere). To intensify the author’s allusion to characters that wish to escape their respective realities, we are permitted to see how it has affected Hope itself (or herself, as the case is); she does not own a television, and claims she â€Å"can’t stand it. The real opium of the masses. I can’t tell you how many good friends I’ve seen wither to death in front of the box. It’s worse than cancer† (Pg. 16). Here the author’s pessimism for the modern age again appears. Not even hope is un-tainted by it. Television is the most practical semiotic of the contemporary age, and here it is regarded as being a kind of poison that is transporting people away from reality. Hope seeks to stop the modern age entering his dwelling so she can remain in her own version of reality – thereby escaping the shared experience of â€Å"the masses†. (Pgs. 16 – 18 cover this issue). Escape is also demonstrated in the story Destination Anywhere, where we witness the result of contemporary TV culture on the youth. In this story, a thirteen-year-old girl appears at first to be genuinely interested in the narrator’s line of work (photography), and is the only one at the gallery party that will pay him any attention. Whilst this seems hopeful, the culture of drinking and drugs is once again introduced into the fabric of the text, and the girl transforms after her initial attempts at persuading the narrator to take photographs of her. Behind the closed doors of the narrator’s apartment, the reader witnesses her manipulative personality that she adopts in order to â€Å"become famous†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"proper famous† (Pg. 192). Hird makes this aspect even more disturbing by choosing a young girl to portray it – Thereby saying that the â€Å"innocent† young are far past being innocent. (Destination Anywhere begins on Pg. 181 and ends on Pg. 211). â€Å"She doesn’t have a hope in hell. I despise people like her. Jesus, even the youth don’t have any substance left any more. It depresses me.† (Pg. 192) Here we see how the narrator has developed a strong hatred for contemporary culture of all kinds, especially the new generation. This becomes intensified when he flees his own apartment after the child makes her manipulative intentions clear. He is forced to escape his private space, even, and enter society for a brief period of time. The narrator also details how â€Å"the sense that I may have just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life is tempered slightly by the feeling of relief at being away from her.† (Pg. 198). Escape becomes the thing that he desires most, regardless of the cost. Hird’s character comes across as dysfunctional and borderline weak-spirited in this regard, as all he seemingly wishes to do is run away from any situation. The reader’s expectations of her character are mis-informed, and the archetype is thoroughly mutated and transformed into something devoid of any soul or empathy. Characterisation here is truly impressive as a result, as we are made to share in the narrator’s hatred and frustration of the girl, after feeling like the narrator truly has the upper hand at the party: â€Å"Her face brightens as I walk towards her again. It’s almost a shame.† (Pg. 186). The reader wants to like the girl in the first part of the story, as she is a symbol of innocence; a symbol of hope. This is however juxtaposed by her comment â€Å"I’ll love you forever†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pg. 195). The quote is also important as it demonstrates how the modern age will even sell love and the immaterial in order for media exposure. Nothing is sacred in the new age’s eyes. Hird sees this. Structurally, the book is fairly one-sided; as if the prose is primarily constructed around â€Å"off-the-cuff one-liners†[11] (Taylor, 2009) that have spawned from the writer’s real-life observations. Not only does this make the prose hyper-real, but it adds to the chatty, micro-literate feel of the book aswell. Chapters often begin with very short statements that try to hook in the reader’s attention: â€Å"Time passes quickly.† (Pg. 23. Dependant clause). â€Å"The other day I killed a wasp.† (Pg. 93). â€Å"Ken. Perfect name for the bastard.† (Pg. 79). Hird recognises reader psychology in the sense that she knows shorter flashes of imagery will capture the attention of people quickly; set a scene for them or throw them into the physical action of a plotline. She also uses the same technique to conclude stories or chapters: â€Å"I can make myself like anyone.† (Pg. 10). Techniques like this serve to increase the deliverance of the prose, and enable easier-reading of the text. In conclusion, the main theme of Hope and Other Urban Tales surrounds the more deceptive, malicious personality traits of human beings on the fringes of a society-gone-wrong. Whilst these characters are documented as such, their behaviours culminate to real, balanced individuals with hidden pockets of tenderness underneath their hardened exteriors. The shared feeling of wishing to escape their respective realities is found in all the protagonists in question, yet the ways that these wishes materialise differ substantially as they all possess a realistic duality in their natures. The ideological model of literacy governs this reading of the prose and proves that culture, society and the writer’s own understanding of them has a deep all-around effect on the creation of such psychological texts. References Adams, J. (2003). Interview with Laura Hird. Available: http://www.barcelonareview.com/35/e_int_lh.htm. Last accessed 19/08/2013 Alapi, Z. (2006). The New Review. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/hopeandotherurbantales.html. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Blake, W. (1970). Songs of Innocence and Experience; Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Oxford Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0192810898. The Lamb, Pg. 1. Briscoe, J. (2006). Hope Springs Infernal. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/nov/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview21. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Caesar, M. (1999). Umberto Eco: Philosophy, Semiotics and the Work of Fiction. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 9780745608501. Pg. 55. Cuddon, J.A. (1999). The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, UK, Penguin Books, ISBN-10: 0140513639. Fairclough, N. (2001) Language and Power, UK, Longman, ISBN-10: 0582414830. Goodman, K. Goodman, Y. (1979) Theory and Practice of Early Reading, U.S., Routledge, ISBN-10: 0898590035. Learning to Read is Natural, pg. 137 – 54. Hird, L. (2009). Interview by Trev Taylor. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Hird, L. (2006). Hope and Other Urban Tales, Scotland, Canongate Books, ISBN-10: 1841955736. McEwan, I. (1998). Enduring Love, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099276585. Morace, R. (2001). Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting: A Reader’s Guide, UK, Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN 0-8264-5237-X. Randell, Stevenson. (1992). Modernist Fiction: An Introduction, The University of Kentucky, ISBN-10: 0813108144. The Scotsman. (2006). Hope Heralds a New Dawn. Available: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/hope-heralds-a-new-dawn-1-1416335. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Street, B. (2000). Literacy and Development: Ethnographic Perspectives, Introduction, London, Routledge, ISBN-10: 0415234514. Pg. 7 -8. Welsh, I. (1994). Trainspotting, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099465892. A Thematic Analysis of Hope and Other Urban Tales by Laura Hird The ideological model of literacy[1] (Street, 2000) will underline the analysis of the book, and direct the way in which it is read. Analysis Hope and Other Urban Tales focusses mainly on the darker side of the human experience. In Hird’s own words, her work is centred on â€Å"nasty stories about dysfunctional people† (Taylor, 2009).[2] With key themes involving escapism; social change, manipulation, depression and sexuality, the book offers a detailed glimpse into 21st Century Scottish culture primarily through each narrators’ introspective qualities. This essay however, will concentrate on the main under-lying theme of escapism in the text, as well as Hird’s syntactical and lexical choices, and what effect they culminate to. The author’s tone and style will be the first literary aspect to be considered, with reference to the ideological model of literacy as proposed by Brian Street in his paper Literacy and Development. One of the most important literary aspects that achieves Hird’s sense of an empathetic, self-aware and socially observant author is Hope’s narrative tone and style. Since most of the stories are written through first-person perspectives, the narrator is able to connect at a very personal level to the reader as though the happenings of the story are real. Each narrator’s feelings and emotions are captured through their own descriptions of them; allowing the reader to better understand their experiences. We are also subject to a large amount of narratorial interference (which at times, is arguably quite stifling) that serves to remind the reader of what the narrator is feeling at any exact moment. This ties in well to Hird’s stream-of-consciousness style of writing, in which thoughts and actions are described in real time. Present-tense also intensifies this reaction from the reader, as we are lead to know as much or as little as the protagonists do.  œ (Pg. 1 – 10, Hope’s best example of psychological realism) Present tense is used in many of the short stories in this collection (Hope, The Happening, Destination Anywhere, and Meat). Hird puts this device in place not only in order to allow the reader to live the events of the story at the same time the characters are; (there by making them more ‘alive’) but to compliment her inter-personal, nonchalant style of writing. For example, in Hope, the narrator explains: â€Å"We seem to become embroiled in this intense conversation as soon as we sit down. There’s none of that ridiculous small talk that Edinburgh people usually use to keep people at a distance till they’ve decided what to dislike about them. Hope appears to have angles on everything that I’d never even contemplated before†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hope, Chp. 2, pg.14)[3] This quote also implies a deep-seeded basis of empathy that is present within the narrator’s tone. It is with lines like â€Å"none of that ridiculous small talk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that shows a wanting for personal connection between the characters and indeed, the rest of the world around him. Past the confines of Hope’s apartment, this speaks volumes about the state of 21st Century Scottish culture. The previous passage is particularly interesting because of its implications towards contemporary Scottish culture. Here the subtext dictates that ordinary Scottish citizens are closed-off, reserved and un-involved with each other to the point of even disliking one another’s company. Whilst the narrative choice of first-person means that everything in the story is somewhat biased to an extent, the reader can see beyond that; and look into the real-life writer’s feelings about her surroundings. Such a blunt observation coupled with judgement (â€Å"what to dislike†) allows the confidence and self-assuredness of the writing to materialise plainly in the reader’s mind. Further to this, it can be said that although Hope is a product of the mid-2000s, it pays noticeable homage to mid-90s Scottish literature. For instance, Hird’s work has been said to be caught in a â€Å"Trainspotting hangover† [4] (Briscoe, 2006) – a nod to Scottish author Irvine Welsh. Hird herself has confessed also that she is a great admirer of Ian McEwan, author of Enduring Love[5], where her methodical approach to de-familiarization was born. The ideological model of literacy dictates that literature should be judged as social practice and not merely â€Å"technical and neutral skill†[6] (Street, 2000). It also describes a more culturally sensitive approach towards literacy than its counter – the autonomous model. This effectively directs the way that the book should be read; with more allusion towards a social commentary. Hird wrote this collection as a product of her own inherent knowledge and understanding of the working world. Her state of ‘being’ attaches itself to the stories, the characters and her choice of words throughout the entire book and results in enabling the reader to see her most-inner workings and the effects of the defensive, emotionally stale culture of Scotland in the 21st Century. Furthermore, the ideological model also commands the way in which the reader reads. Each reader’s conception of themselves and their identity becomes the root of their understanding of the text. Hope and Other Urban Tales then becomes a mix of both the author’s perceptions of being and the reader’s. Allowing the two perspectives to inter-twine as such culminates to a very personal response that elicits an extension of the reader’s set of prior beliefs. Whilst the 90’s have clearly influenced Hird and her attitudes to her art, the period has not distracted her from contemporary 21st Century culture with reference to the writer’s loyalty to her idols, such as Welsh[7] (Morace, 2001). Hird adheres to the stream-of-consciousness writing style popular in the mid-90s, as well as psychological realism[8] (Cuddon, 1999). This means that Hird’s characters are not content to merely explain the events of a story; they have to explain their motives and thoughts aswell. Interior monologues are therefore a staple technique employed in the collection, as well as narratorial interference, which is consistently present throughout every story involving first-person narration. These modernist techniques result in a slightly fragmented style of story-telling, in which the narrator’s character is arguably the most important aspect of the story, as not only do they tell the story, they act in it as well. The writer’s attitudes are most notably introduced in the title’s novella, Hope. Here we are subject to Martin’s (the story’s narrator) account of Scottish people, society and culture. Hird’s choice of syntax, her sentence structures and passages of time demonstrate a noticeable disassociation from the novella’s universe; it’s ‘real world’. This disassociation carries well into the collection’s escapist theme; which has been said to be the common link between every character in Hope and Other Urban Tales[9] (Alapi, 2006). Escape is mentioned in almost every story and implies an escape from the morally deprived society of the 21st Century. Whether this ‘escape’ is physical or metaphoric, it denotes the action of leaving a life behind, and it inhabits every story: In Hope: â€Å"I’ve got to get out of here. Go somewhere hot.† (Pg.2) In The Happening: â€Å"Annual leave is precious.† (Pg. 69) In Reanimation: â€Å"We need to get out. If we don’t go out now I’m afraid we’re never going to escape.† (Pg. 97) In Victims: â€Å"Would you leave them for meNever see them again?† (Pg. 166) In Destination Anywhere: â€Å"I’ve found, by experience, that running away is usually the answer. I have been running away since I was a kid.† (Pg. 203) In Meat: â€Å"Atleast it feels like I’m escaping for a little while.† (Pg. 217) (Most obvious examples) This escapist attitude stems from an inherent disassociation in every character. They could even be argued to be tragic heroes; who pave the way for their own downfalls through poorly guided actions. If each character maintained their innocence and their naivety, then they would be more comfortable and engaged with the world around them. As Hird clearly demonstrates through her incredibly observant narrations, these characters describe events and other people as if they are, on the most part, static and blind to real understanding (with the exception of Hope’s character in Hope: Pg. 1 – 69). There is therefore a feeling of superiority that parallels this and which results in a cynical, pessimistic writing style that implies dissatisfaction with the novel’s universe. Because the story is based upon the element of realism, this denotes dissatisfaction with the real world as well. The culture of the time is obviously a closed, harsh and faceless one. One that is controlled by television, rat-race artistic types as symbolically shown in Destination Anywhere by ‘the artist’, who remains nameless throughout, and money (Pg. 182). This theme of escape is symbolised effectively in Meat by a few different aspects. The initial death of the lamb being the most notable (Pg. 223 – 230). What reinforces this theme is how the father reacts to its death: â€Å"You know how much these things are worth?†[10] The father thinks only of the saving he will make if he brings the lamb home to be eaten, instead of deliberating on the tragedy to any kind of extent at all. He uses the death of the lamb as an escape from his son’s confession (Pg. 221). Instead of confronting his son about being homosexual, he â€Å"pushes [his son] away† (Pg. 222). The narrator’s father does not acknowledge his son whilst he is â€Å"clearing up†. These semiotics exhibit the â€Å"clearing up† of the relationship between father and son – the â€Å"dismantling† of his involvement with the situation. This metaphor leads to a physical symbol of escape: when the boy says in his interior monologue how he’s â€Å"not sure where we’re heading† (Pg. 222). The father takes country roads back from the fishing trip and drives through thick fog and darkness on the way. Fog traditionally symbolises foreboding, or the clouding of emotions. In this case, it symbolises the growth of the father’s anger and disappointment at his son because he is not addressing it. Instead he runs in both an emotional and physical sense – adding that he â€Å"doesn’t bloody know† why they are going the way they are (Pg. 223). Desperation to escape is therefore effectively symbolised here, as anywhere is better than being alone on that boat with his son. (Pgs. 221 – 230 are discussed h ere). To intensify the author’s allusion to characters that wish to escape their respective realities, we are permitted to see how it has affected Hope itself (or herself, as the case is); she does not own a television, and claims she â€Å"can’t stand it. The real opium of the masses. I can’t tell you how many good friends I’ve seen wither to death in front of the box. It’s worse than cancer† (Pg. 16). Here the author’s pessimism for the modern age again appears. Not even hope is un-tainted by it. Television is the most practical semiotic of the contemporary age, and here it is regarded as being a kind of poison that is transporting people away from reality. Hope seeks to stop the modern age entering his dwelling so she can remain in her own version of reality – thereby escaping the shared experience of â€Å"the masses†. (Pgs. 16 – 18 cover this issue). Escape is also demonstrated in the story Destination Anywhere, where we witness the result of contemporary TV culture on the youth. In this story, a thirteen-year-old girl appears at first to be genuinely interested in the narrator’s line of work (photography), and is the only one at the gallery party that will pay him any attention. Whilst this seems hopeful, the culture of drinking and drugs is once again introduced into the fabric of the text, and the girl transforms after her initial attempts at persuading the narrator to take photographs of her. Behind the closed doors of the narrator’s apartment, the reader witnesses her manipulative personality that she adopts in order to â€Å"become famous†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"proper famous† (Pg. 192). Hird makes this aspect even more disturbing by choosing a young girl to portray it – Thereby saying that the â€Å"innocent† young are far past being innocent. (Destination Anywhere begins on Pg. 181 and ends on Pg. 211). â€Å"She doesn’t have a hope in hell. I despise people like her. Jesus, even the youth don’t have any substance left any more. It depresses me.† (Pg. 192) Here we see how the narrator has developed a strong hatred for contemporary culture of all kinds, especially the new generation. This becomes intensified when he flees his own apartment after the child makes her manipulative intentions clear. He is forced to escape his private space, even, and enter society for a brief period of time. The narrator also details how â€Å"the sense that I may have just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life is tempered slightly by the feeling of relief at being away from her.† (Pg. 198). Escape becomes the thing that he desires most, regardless of the cost. Hird’s character comes across as dysfunctional and borderline weak-spirited in this regard, as all he seemingly wishes to do is run away from any situation. The reader’s expectations of her character are mis-informed, and the archetype is thoroughly mutated and transformed into something devoid of any soul or empathy. Characterisation here is truly impressive as a result, as we are made to share in the narrator’s hatred and frustration of the girl, after feeling like the narrator truly has the upper hand at the party: â€Å"Her face brightens as I walk towards her again. It’s almost a shame.† (Pg. 186). The reader wants to like the girl in the first part of the story, as she is a symbol of innocence; a symbol of hope. This is however juxtaposed by her comment â€Å"I’ll love you forever†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pg. 195). The quote is also important as it demonstrates how the modern age will even sell love and the immaterial in order for media exposure. Nothing is sacred in the new age’s eyes. Hird sees this. Structurally, the book is fairly one-sided; as if the prose is primarily constructed around â€Å"off-the-cuff one-liners†[11] (Taylor, 2009) that have spawned from the writer’s real-life observations. Not only does this make the prose hyper-real, but it adds to the chatty, micro-literate feel of the book aswell. Chapters often begin with very short statements that try to hook in the reader’s attention: â€Å"Time passes quickly.† (Pg. 23. Dependant clause). â€Å"The other day I killed a wasp.† (Pg. 93). â€Å"Ken. Perfect name for the bastard.† (Pg. 79). Hird recognises reader psychology in the sense that she knows shorter flashes of imagery will capture the attention of people quickly; set a scene for them or throw them into the physical action of a plotline. She also uses the same technique to conclude stories or chapters: â€Å"I can make myself like anyone.† (Pg. 10). Techniques like this serve to increase the deliverance of the prose, and enable easier-reading of the text. In conclusion, the main theme of Hope and Other Urban Tales surrounds the more deceptive, malicious personality traits of human beings on the fringes of a society-gone-wrong. Whilst these characters are documented as such, their behaviours culminate to real, balanced individuals with hidden pockets of tenderness underneath their hardened exteriors. The shared feeling of wishing to escape their respective realities is found in all the protagonists in question, yet the ways that these wishes materialise differ substantially as they all possess a realistic duality in their natures. The ideological model of literacy governs this reading of the prose and proves that culture, society and the writer’s own understanding of them has a deep all-around effect on the creation of such psychological texts. References Adams, J. (2003). Interview with Laura Hird. Available: http://www.barcelonareview.com/35/e_int_lh.htm. Last accessed 19/08/2013 Alapi, Z. (2006). The New Review. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/hopeandotherurbantales.html. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Blake, W. (1970). Songs of Innocence and Experience; Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Oxford Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0192810898. The Lamb, Pg. 1. Briscoe, J. (2006). Hope Springs Infernal. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/nov/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview21. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Caesar, M. (1999). Umberto Eco: Philosophy, Semiotics and the Work of Fiction. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 9780745608501. Pg. 55. Cuddon, J.A. (1999). The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, UK, Penguin Books, ISBN-10: 0140513639. Fairclough, N. (2001) Language and Power, UK, Longman, ISBN-10: 0582414830. Goodman, K. Goodman, Y. (1979) Theory and Practice of Early Reading, U.S., Routledge, ISBN-10: 0898590035. Learning to Read is Natural, pg. 137 – 54. Hird, L. (2009). Interview by Trev Taylor. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Hird, L. (2006). Hope and Other Urban Tales, Scotland, Canongate Books, ISBN-10: 1841955736. McEwan, I. (1998). Enduring Love, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099276585. Morace, R. (2001). Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting: A Reader’s Guide, UK, Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN 0-8264-5237-X. Randell, Stevenson. (1992). Modernist Fiction: An Introduction, The University of Kentucky, ISBN-10: 0813108144. The Scotsman. (2006). Hope Heralds a New Dawn. Available: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/hope-heralds-a-new-dawn-1-1416335. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Street, B. (2000). Literacy and Development: Ethnographic Perspectives, Introduction, London, Routledge, ISBN-10: 0415234514. Pg. 7 -8. Welsh, I. (1994). Trainspotting, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099465892.

Arson and Pyromania Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arson and Pyromania - Research Paper Example The investigation of fire-based crimes is predicated on the understanding of the minds and motives of arsonist and pyromaniacs. Behavior analysis of the pattern of arson offences is a relatively new investigative tool for local and federal authorities as the essay below portrays. In most cases, the fires often destroy all the forensic evidence that expedite the investigation into the motives and nature of the fires. This therefore makes it difficult for investigators to evaluate the mental stability of a suspect and determine the actual motives of such (OConnor, 2012). This therefore makes behavior analysis an important method of investigating fire-based crimes. Through effective behavior analysis, it becomes possible to differentiate an arsonist from an individual suffering from pyromania. Arsonists are criminals, individuals who instigate fires for either political or economic gains. Arsonists have often instigated bush fires or torched houses and cars among other resources in order to gain advantage over others. Pyromania on the other hand is spontaneous unpredictable and a severe medical condition that motivates individuals to start fires as a way of gaining relief. Arsonists are analytical. They are likely to instigate a fire only when the situation presents advantage. They select their targets carefully and often strive for thoroughness. This implies that fires started by arsonists often annihilate all the evidence from a crime scene. Additionally, the nature and the locations selected by arsonists are always suspicious since the fires often end up covering for the crimes. Analyzing the behavior of a suspect for example should major on the determination of the signs and symptoms of pyromania. Such thorough investigations help determine the motives of the suspects and the nature of the fires started by arsonists. An effective analysis of the behavior of a suspect helps portray the nature of the fires and

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Critical thinking - Essay Example persecuted for the sake of Christ, for they shall inherit the Kingdom.† In this case, the bible also sees violence (persecution) as a natural think which people should tolerate. Arjuna’s perceptions of his enemies as fathers, sons, brothers, teachers etc can be applied in my day to day existence because I always encounter things in my life that may seem as if I am fighting against my subconscious mind. In order to do what is right, I have to confront the wrong things even if it involves fighting against my negative side and those of my own people. In places such as long lines in the market and in jams, I will always fight against those negative thoughts that tell me to overtake others in the line, and it makes me to tolerate the long lines and become patient. Plato thinks that public opinion should not determine how we behave. We should not worry about public opinion but about how we behave. According to Plato, public opinion should only be used to derive wise and expert advice and not to be used to determine one’s behaviour. One of the values that Socrates values more than life is obeying the law (Kraut 1984). Socrates considered whether it was just or unjust for him to escape, not what people are saying. If I were Crito, I would argue that although it is unjust to leave prison, the moral value of taking care of family should be precedent over any law; being accused by the state unjustly was by itself against that moral value. So Socrates should have fought against that injustice by leaving the prison. According to Jesus, the purpose of good conduct is for God and others to see. Being good enables people to be light of the world and salt of the earth. This means that being good sets a good example for others to emulate and makes one to be accepted in the society and have a good image in the public. According to my experience, being good enables me to gain respect from people. Whenever I did good things in the past, people congratulated me and gave me

Is Inclusion a failed ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Is Inclusion a failed ideology - Essay Example Teachers must have enough training such that they can teach children with disabilities without any problems. On the other hand, parents must work hand in hand, with teachers to ensure the smooth learning of their children (Gray and MacBlain 2012). However, according to a report released by the House of Commons education and skills committee, the government’s policy of inclusion has been criticised for its confused and unclear definition of special schools. This has forced some children into wrong mainstream schools, something that result into distress for both children and their parents. According to the report, the government should concentrate on not just putting up special schools, but how the whole system should have high quality and well resourced to meet the needs of every student. While the world is advancing and normal people continue to enjoy education and other facilities at their disposal, disabled youth are left behind. Norwich 2008 argues that this is not only soc ially wrong but also ethically inappropriate. Including students with disabilities in our education system where they will get their special needs, in addition to what their able, peers are getting is a big step towards achieving the aim of better education for all (Atkinson and Claxton 2000) With reference to Sage (2004), many people have never been able to differentiate between mainstreaming and integration from inclusion. Mainstreaming tries to bring people with disabilities to regular classrooms so that they can grow with their peers without giving them support. Conversely, integration gives these disabled pupils a part time interaction with their peer, and this denies those students an opportunity of feeling that, they are members of that class. Never the less, inclusion gives equitable education and training opportunities for all young people. This help to prepare all young people to a productive life ahead. Therefore, those who have various disabilities can be able to live th eir lives to the fullest (Wilkinson and Ahmed 2007). Special Education Needs (SEP) are the principles that govern sustainable inclusion, and outline several practices that various shareholders are required to do to ensure that the project succeed. Norwich 2008 argues that, if inclusion is to be successful, early intervention and involvement of children is required. Many parents don’t give their children time to develop among their peers. Schools do not have special facilities to cater for the needs of these children. Later in life when these young people are introduced in the normal classrooms at their secondary or more advanced stage, they cannot co-exist with other children. This limits the effectiveness of inclusion (Byers and Rose 2004). Is Inclusion A Failed Ideology? The idea of having inclusion in the education system was a smart move and although this idea has not been fully realized. For example, a study conducted by Blazzard 2011, evidenced that some teachers displa yed negative attitudes towards pupils with special needs. This, according to Blazzard, affected school’s commitment to commitment. In addition, parental resistance to inclusion, lack of funding, training and resources were also among the identified barriers. However, students with disabilities are likely to have high self-esteem when they attend classes with other student than when

Manifest Destiny Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Manifest Destiny - Research Paper Example Native American tribes in the Southern colonies felt continued pressure from white expansionism, as whites continued to flood South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi in order to expand their highly lucrative commercial agriculture. With the founding of the United States in 1776, whites in North America began to develop a new sense of self and constructed a new identity that placed increasing emphasis on the superiority of whites over Native Americans. This developing sense of identity eventually coalesced in the ideology of Manifest Destiny, the belief that Americans had a divine directive and natural right to possess all land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. In 1839, John L. Sullivan argued that America was to be the new temple of God on Earth, a Tabernacle with the soil for its floor and the skies themselves as its ceiling. American politicians and intellectuals used the language of Christianity and divine Providence to justify any actions that had to be taken in t he name of American expansion throughout North America (Sullivan, 1968, p.19). Thomas Paine, one of America's Founding right to aggressive nationalism was becoming inevitable. ... right to aggressive nationalism was becoming inevitable. Billington and Ridge (1982), indicated that "the true story of the occupation of North America is the story of a conquest, not of an uncontested march westward of Anglo-American frontiersmen" (p.18). This paper aims to analyze the historical phenomenon of Manifest Destiny, transformation of its ideology, its justifications and significance. MANIFEST IDENTITY AND PROVIDENCE As the Americans began to extend their territorial holdings in North America, Americans began to search for a rhetoric of justification for the expansion. The American justification for expansion included: the special mission of Providence, faux scientific laws of race and national development, national right, social duty, national defense and the extension of freedom (Weinberg, 1935, p.2). Among these, the special mission of Providence, and a belief the God was leading the United States to claim more and more land played a particularly important role in the development of expansionist ideology. National mission means that a Higher Power has created a special "destiny higher than [the nation's] own security and well-being", and as such, mere economic or security issues cannot provide the only justification for claiming land on the continent (Rossiter, 1971, p.44). Not only were the Americans fulfilling a special mission from God, the Americans also believed they were worshiping God t hrough their expansion. John L. Sullivan (1968) wrote in 1839, "The boundless future will be the era of American greatness. In its magnificent domain of space and time, the nation of many nations is destined to manifest to mankind the excellence of divine principles; to establish on earth the noblest temple ever

Pop And Jazz Report Guidelines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pop And Jazz Report Guidelines - Essay Example Saturday, the 25th day of June was the date when Darius Jones trio took to the podium to dazzle the crowd with their jazz pieces (Lavelle 12). The scene for the Undead Jazz Festival was spread across different venues throughout New York City. This was not a brilliant idea as there was confusion on where and when the individuals and groups would play with some missing out on the action due to this. Over fifty jazz groups braced the event much to the surprise of the organizers and eleven venues were picked for each night during this year’s festival. Le Poisson Rounge, Kenny‘s Castaways, Sullivan Hall was picked as the opening venue in Manhattan scheduled for June 23rd. The Bell House in Park Slope, Brooklyn hosted the events of June the 24th and Public Assembly, Cubana Social, Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn hosted the events of June the 26th.Darius Jones trio was scheduled to perform at Littlefield, Homage Skate Park and cross fit gym in Gowanus, Brooklyn (Lavelle 23). The stage at Homage Skate Park training facility was improvised and the acoustics were not as brilliant as expected. Plenty of unwarranted reverb was experienced with an occasional echo and feedback. This did not stop the 3,500 people in attendance from enjoying the music. Both the young and old were in attendance here and the audience was multi disciplinary, with a little bit of everybody being present, from aspiring jazz musicians to renowned performers from different generations (Lavelle 67). Jazz was obviously the group’s music genre of choice, with a contemporary feel and I must say they did not disappoint. The group is made up of three musicians with Darius Jones on the saxophone, Jason Nazary on drums and Adam Lane on bass who are all professional musicians. Voice was not an instrument of choice during this performance (Lavelle 45). These musicians seemed to know their instruments pretty well as they showed considerable expertise and skill both in the music playe d and especially in the improvisation. Darius played a series of runs and drills flowing through the blue scale. The fact that he included modulation, crescendo and diminuendo in his play portrayed him as a gifted jazz musician and the audience seemed to agree (Lavelle 47). The bass player, Adam Lane was the backbone of the trio, playing the underlying bass ling that guided the improvisation, though he would wonder off at times before swiftly and accurately going back to his part. The drums were played almost perfectly with Jason Nazary dictating the tempo and incorporating different speeds in the music. The drums created the beginning of all the songs and picked turns in ending them with the alto saxophone creating the ending melody at times (Lavelle 36). The music was really enjoyable and had a complex groove though I still feel more could have been done to incorporate and create a cool mix of classical and contemporary jazz. The set became surprising due to the group’s wid e range of creativity. Jones playing the alto saxophone gave the enthusiastic audience a taste of firm, earth bound music while exploring different feels in it too. Jones’ music had a clear cut intense sound flowing through the notes from the high ones to the low ones (Lavelle 58). The music played involved gradual crescendo and intensity. It slowly picked up pace and became louder. Rubato melodies characterized the first two songs but according to me,

Team Building as an Organization Development Intervention Essay

Team Building as an Organization Development Intervention - Essay Example They have a poor job design, leadership structure and have poorly defined policies hence fail to direct task behavior efficiently (Cummings & Worley, 2009). In most cases, communication is broken, ambiguous job responsibilities with dissipated employee energies due to lack of direction. Another factor that determines the classification is the area of operation. Most under organized organizations are established in areas like; project management, product development along with community development. In over organized circumstances, planned changed in general aims at loosening restraints on behavior. Changes in job design, leadership, structure and other facets frees suppressed energy, raises the flow of pertinent information between managers and workers and encourages efficient resolution of conflicts (Cummings & Worley, 2009). In under-organized circumstances, there is too little restraint or guideline for efficient task performance. Leadership, job design, structure and policy are inadequately defined and fall short of directing work behaviors efficiently. In addition to this, communication is disjointed, job responsibilities are vague and worker’s energies are dissolute due to a lack of direction. (Cummings & Worley, 2009).When handling the over-organized situations, leadership styles, organization structure, job designs and policies along with procedures are too inflexible and excessively defined for efficient task performance. There is also find that suppressed communication between management and workers, conflicts are shunned, and workers are indifferent. In the cited case, planning an intervention was desired since nobody took liability for anything. They were devoid of structure or guidelines to govern their work. Ben and Jerry sought to end up with a fun family job environment. It made them lack the means to have authority

Organ toxicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organ toxicity - Essay Example The thing about toxicants is that there are many different potential, forms, means of exposure, plus reactions due to a combination of exposures that can make determining the safest levels like fitting together a puzzle where the pieces keep changing. Some toxicants are inhaled, absorbed through skin, or ingested, generally, and once inside the body the effects these toxicants may behave entirely differently, in the nature of symptoms, reactions, and what part of the body they target, so to speak. A â€Å"target organ† or â€Å"target tissue† is a specific organ in body that will be more affected by the toxin, while the rest of the body may not be affected at all. For example benzene specifically affects blood-forming tissues and lead focuses on the central nervous system, hematopoietic system, and the kidneys (National Library of Medicine, 2009). Not all individuals or individual organs react exactly the same way. It is the job of toxicologists to determine exactly wha t toxins cause the greatest reactions and what the actual organ toxicity is. The liver is probably one of the hardest working organs in the body. It plays a huge role in digestion, the breaking down of substances, and stores important vitamins and minerals. One of the most important roles that the liver plays is during the process of detoxification. The detoxification process occurs in two phases and is responsible for removing harmful toxins from the body through a complex series of chemical reactions. There are various nutrients and enzymes that are required in order for the Phase I detoxification process to be carried out successfully. The byproduct of this process results in the formation of metabolites that can be more harmful, on occasion, than the original toxin. Phase II prevents there from being a buildup of these metabolites (Farr, 2002). The liver is, also, an organ that can easily suffer from hepatoxicity because of its active role in absorption, digestion, and detoxification. The liver also is subject to many conditions, influenced by toxicants, that can cause disease, damage, or organ death; conditions like hepatic necrosis, intrahepatic cholestasis, hepatic cancer, cirrhosis and these are just a few; there are many other examples (National Library of Medicine, 2009). Human beings and plants share this world but they are entirely different life forms and they differ in what toxicants they react strongly too and the symptoms that the exposure causes. Gasoline is a clear or light brown liquid with a very strong odor. Gasolines contains at least a hundred and fifty different chemicals, including benzene and, sometimes, lead. Gasoline is a necessity of the modern world, it is used as fuel for machinery, vehicles, of course, and sometimes as a solvent ("National library of," 2012). The target organs of Gasoline are dependent on the way it is absorbed; the skin, eyes, central nervous system, liver, kidneys, and respiratory system are typical. The exposed person would show signs of skin and eye irritation, weakness, headache, bl urry vision, confusion, and even convulsions. Under extreme exposure conditions it can prove to be carcinogenic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Plant life responds differently. For plants it has now been proven that exposure to gasoline fumes can cause immediate toxic reactions in plants of differing and multiple species. Within a few hours, no longer than 6, the exposed plants have shown drooping and browning of the leaves. Asbestos is, in fact, a group of six different fibrous minerals that form in certain types of rock and soil. Asbestos has no taste or smell and its

Transnational IT Operations Essay Example for Free

Transnational IT Operations Essay What can best describe transnationalism is it’s a form of societal progress grown out of the maximized interconnectivity between people in different parts of the world and the relaxation of boundaries between regions or countries. To identify well the meaning of transnatiolism in our modern world the effect can best be seen with regards with the use of information technology in criss-crossing borders to other countries which in turn have an effect in cultures, economies and social status of the host and the recipient country. It transcend into transnational entrepreneurship using the internet to go global business. With the advancement of the information technology, businesses using the net have launched another milestone in electronic entrepreneurships and the industry has never been easier and faster. Transnationalism does not necessarily recognize boundaries in terms of nationalities, race, mores and cultures and every aspect is in collaboration. Doing global business through the web lets every entrepreneur to economize resources and still can manage schedules notwithstanding time zones. Strategic unification of the providers, their clients and other business associates can easily lead to a strong and permanent partnerships which will bring a more concentrated and sturdy competition with other products and services in the world of e-commerce. This system will result in a favorable climate all participated in secular group that will bring product and services at its best (Raisinghani, 2006). Transnationalism has also its advantages such as it has unified government’s movements to those that have the same motive in the protection of environment as the Greenpeace, studies of the global warming and other environmental concerns. It has made global companies to access cheaper labor and their product and services is in constant participation in the global market as well as a continuous tapping of the foreign markets and resources which is very essential for the company’s survival (World, 2001). Promoters of transnationalism have an objective of connecting people and their ideas as well as exchanging trades between regions and countries. The rapid growth of globalization has been linking nations and enabling multinational companies successful in recruiting migrant staff capable of improving their global business system. This has contributed to the increased productivity of each entrepreneur with the continuous flow of information and world wide scientific coordination. Thanks to the internet. It is considered the primary means by which organizations may expand rapidly into high and expansive emerging markets of the world. As transnational companies become expert in their use of the Internet, they will be able to pursue global electronic trade more efficiently, saving significant advertising, communication and organizational costs. As a budding businessman who wants to take your business to the world, you have to take considerations of the present economic trends in the global market. You need to identify the different technological advancements being used today, the ups and downs of the trade and policies or restrictions. You have to deepen your research in knowing which country have the capability of fastracking their information technology setting and are capable to be one of the leading personalities in the global business. Important considerations must also be considered. To attract traders and consumers your website must have an international appeal. And being involved in the global business you have to have an international/global IT professional working group located from different regions and countries. Their unique and diverse environment will be able to keep up your company with the trends on the international market. They would be your primary agents for your outsourcing projects. Global employment is not simply sourcing out staff overseas. It has been noted that IT workers who have experienced and trained with international projects has made them more independent and reliable in their tasks. They learned to appreciate the diverse cultures and customs of different nationalities which make them potential managers for international projects. Such personalities are best in handling out investments in infrastructures, communication and training or education. Competition plays a vital role in running an information technology program especially when it is global. By globalization, it means that employees and business partners always require doing their business geographically and sequentially distant from one another. The movement and provision of information technologies within the web is the only favored choice for surmounting the restriction of protected boundaries. Managing a global business on the Web is much more different from running a business on the ground. The only crucial step in joining this business is there should be no room for mistakes especially when it comes to managing an information technology base.   Excellent management is the most important concept in running up an international business which is why your IT professionals must have the most capability in doing their job competently. Your manpower should always be first class. Maintaining a pool of experts demands competitive benefits and packages for them. The company must have a solid international reputation and active corporate environment. The company should also adhere to be culturally sensitive at all cost and there should always be a continuous training program for its staff to be able for them to grow and blend with the challenging world of information technology. Furthermore, to provide descriptions in the operation of an information technology be it on local or transnational level relies on the operations staff themselves. Every second monitoring of the internet, cables, telephone access, administrative computer applications and research academic systems is a must. The workforce must have the expertise in utilizing various tools and resources for the monitoring and troubleshooting of the network’s system and applications. Even a glitch should be escalated immediately to avoid catastrophe into the system as well as the whole external network. In most applications, the internal and international IT organization is responsible for the selection, management and support of technology in the business environment.   As an internal support function, the IT operation must be organized, and run with optimum efficiency, aligned with business needs, vision, and objectives.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There should be a designing of an efficient deployment of proceedings of advance information technologies and that relies solely upon the organization. And it does not end there.   There are still a number of crucial responsibilities in maneuvering a transnational IT system. To name some of the most important ones are monitoring all operations systems, ensure that all services are available to the user all around the globe, have local and international staff to troubleshoot problems anytime problems arises, ensuring that proper hardware and software maintenance is done on a regular basis as well as the timely distribution of all production and user output. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, manpower, significant communication and the latest technological advances to be able to meet the demand in running an IT   industry   .(Editorial, 2007) Every advancement in our society has great advantages. But there are also disadvantages as well. Worst, this is always direct to mankind. Issues regarding management of Information technology in a transnational environment are always identified. While major advancements in technology are bringing and making people worldwide to work together it also brings together those seeking to engage in illicit activity and thus assists in the construction of criminal enterprises. One place where this is most clear is in the production of child pornography where â€Å"support networks† of pedophiles have emerged in the use of the Internet and other communication technologies. Another example was the ability to create a more consolidated global market for pirated intellectual property, such as software, using the Internet as a backbone. There is always an easy access to any information needed on the web that even illegal transactions and terrorists are able to exploit. Such operations happen at the same time as we do decent business on the net. Unfortunately, this is also how they ran their own business. Transnational criminals and corrupt individuals do function more effectively with the use of technology. It is much like promoting the formation of an illicit network and is a revenue source for committing a fraud. Government technology contracts are often the objects of corruption and sadly, IT professionals in the software and computer engineering fields unwittingly and secretly work for the criminals in different regions of the world. There are also drawbacks. The internet is created to bond every citizen of the world in the world of web. But information technology itself has been able to changed societies, political systems and economies. Virtual protective boundaries for any given country which are formed as barriers from external sabotage are usually violated. Obviously, the Internet has disrupted military movements, and has the potential to do so again. More well known are the effects that criminal use of the Internet to hack business accounts using web-based institutions has already produce such setbacks (Trade, 2004) A study which was founded on a comprehensive literature review stated that the detailed quality of information technology in a transnational environment has its own reactions on various communal units. In order to recognize IT-related issues and their declaration through the means of policies, there should be the recognition and respect to the national or international policy of every country. There are three dimensions with regard to this. First is the characteristics dimension that refers to the relevant characteristics of IT. Second is the effects dimension which considers the effect of IT on a certain individual, the transnational organization and the country. And lastly is the policy dimension. Balancing the distinction in national policies can be accomplished through bilateral, regional, or multilateral negotiations. And now from crime to nuisance. The never-ending creation of computer viruses that aim to destroy any file or program on its path. The advancement of the computer technology brings about the advancement of its own destruction. Getting more sophisticated and secretive each of these small but destructive programs are out there trying to invade and destroy your files and your world. In conclusion, transnational IT operation was the â€Å"in† thing in the world of computer technology today. This is the continuing saga of advancement through a miscellaneous network and you have to be vigilant. If you want to survive in this mesh you have to have the perseverance to handle and manage such a giant responsibility. You must always be in constant watch protecting the most important data in your system. Reference Editorial, B. C. (2007). Computer Operations: Information Technology Services [Electronic Version]. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.bc.edu/offices/its/appssystems/operations.html. Raisinghani, M. (2006). Transnational Organization [Electronic Version]. Retrieved July 22, 2003 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Transnational-Organization.html. Trade, A. F. A. a. (2004). Transnational Terrorism: The Threat to Australia [Electronic Version]. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/terrorism/introduction.html. World, I. (2001). Special Report On IT Globalization [Electronic Version]. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2418/ITW010322globalization/.

Sex and Gender Essay Example for Free

Sex and Gender Essay The concepts of sex and gender have traditionally been used interchangeably to demarcate between the identity of the male and the female. However, there are significant differences between the two concepts. Sex as a concept is based based on the perceived material or physiological difference between the male and female bodies, particularly on the anatomy and functions related to the reproductive organs. (Frayser Whitby, 1995, p. 173) Meanwhile, gender refers to the social construct of femininity and masculinity ascribed to the ascribed to the reproductive roles which is reinforced through social norms and expectations. (Ibid. ) Arguably, the notions of sex and gender play an important role in the formation of sexual behavior and gender identity particularly in Western societies. Judith Butler, a known feminist, argues that â€Å"sexual difference is often invoked as an issue of material difference,† (p. 235) which becomes the basis for the social construction of the concept of gender and gender roles in terms of the social, political, and economic functions of the male and female. The role of sex and gender constructs is evident in the child-rearing practices of most Western societies wherein children are socialized into their gender roles based on their sexual identity as being male or female. At an early age, children learn about appropriate sexual behavior through their parents and other adults, who teach them the prevailing gender norms and social expectations Children and adults who do not conform to what is expected of them in terms of their sexual and gender identity, are socially stigmatized through various labels of deviance. As adults, men and women are expected to take on different forms of employment or to engage in differing sexual behavior. Since men are thought to be physically stronger and more intellectually adept, they are often encouraged to be more involved in the social and political spheres. Meanwhile, the perception that women are weaker and more emotional, along with their child-bearing responsibilities, has relegated them into domestic affairs or employment that is related with their supposedly feminine nature such as teaching or nursing. Thus, sex and gender roles influence the way that an individual constructs his or her identity and perceives his or her function in society. By identifying in either the male or female role, the individual develops and internalizes his or her gender roles based on socially accepted norms and standards of behavior. Works Cited: Butler, Judith (1999). Bodies that Matter. In Janet Price Margrit Shildrick (Eds. ), Feminist Theory and the Body: A Reader (pp. 235-245). U. S. A: Taylor and Francis. Frayser, Suzanne G. Thomas J. Whitby (1995). Studies in Human Sexuality: A Selected Guide. U. S. A: Libraries Unlimited.

Globalisation and the Concept of Global Citizenship

Globalisation and the Concept of Global Citizenship â€Å"As globalisation promotes a free-flow of people, ideas and products across national boundaries, individuals will be more identified as global citizens and less prone to xenophobic attitudes.† Discuss. While globalisation promotes a free-flow of people, ideas, and products across national boundaries, it provides opportunities to individuals to become global citizens. However, while this essay will argue that this has made them less prone to xenophobic attitudes, globalisation has also had other impacts which may have only provoked xenophobic attitudes. This essay will examine the impact which globalisation has had on individuals in the workplace, focusing on how Multinational Corporations have increased the need for globally mobile employees, therefore increasing their cultural intelligence along the way. The essay will also explore employees working within global organisations who are not globally mobile, and the impact which globalisation has had on them. The importance of cultural intelligence will also be discussed alongside the growing focus of scholars on cosmopolitan or global citizens, and finally, the essay will examine xenophobia and the impact which globalisation has had upon xenophobic views. Globalisation is the introduction and growth of products, people, information, and money across borders and is an important impact on the shape of national identities and relationships (Ariely, 2011).   Arnett (2002) argues that globalisation is not just a historical process but is also a change in mind-set of citizens around the world and has positively and sometimes negatively redefined national identity and culture. In effect, globalisation defines the world in which we live, and has changed the way in which citizens identify themselves (Ariely, 2011 & Arnett, 2002). However, some researchers have argued that in the process globalisation has undermined national cultures and identity – creating what is moving towards a single identity for all global citizens (Smith, 2007 & Held, McGrew & Perraton, 1999). Effectively, globalisation has been guided by â€Å"economic forces† (Sideri, 1997. Pg.38) with the actions and growth of Multinational Corporations (MNC’s) furthering globalisation (Buckley & Ghauri, 2004). With MNC’s comes the need for the retention and transfer of knowledge between operating units and countries (Elenkov & Manev, 2009). Expatriates (Expats) are used by MNC’s for three main reasons; to fill positions where no suitable candidate exists in the host country, as an opportunity to develop the expatriate’s skills, and most importantly; to transfer important knowledge and corporate culture from home to host countries (Collings et al, 2007). Within MNC’s expats will work with people of many different nationalities, and globalisation is only expediting the mobility required of expatriates, therefore, the number of cultures in which expatriates are working in and becoming accustomed to is increasing (Lee, 2014). Lee (2014) argues that this is exposure to new cultures has increased the number of people which identify as learned bi-culturals, and who feel accustomed to 2 or more cultures after experiencing the identity negotiation process. The knowledge and understanding of different cultures that being bi-cultural brings allows these individuals to adapt quickly and become more adept to different situations (Hong et al, 2000 & Lee, 2014). While individuals will generally undergo an identity negotiation process when entering employment with a new organisation, international experience adds to this further (Lee, 2014). Sanchez et al (2000) explain that during the adjustment process to working within a different culture, an individual may become more attached to their home unit, or alternatively, become more attached to their host unit. This acculturation is essentially a process leading to cultural changes within the individual after interacting with members of different cultures (Lee, 2014), and can be portrayed in a number of strategies by the individual when operating in different cultures. This impacts their identification and adaptation with their home and host country and can lead to positive outcomes – however, two of the outcomes of acculturation can be marginalisation or separation, where an individual does not identify with the host country (Lee, 2014 & Berry, 2005). Another theory of culture acquisition is the identity negotiation process, where when individuals encounter a new culture question their values and beliefs leading to a renegotiation of their own identity through experimentation and reflection (Lee, 2014). While expats seem to have the most experience with operating within different cultures, globalisation has meant that even individuals working within their home country can experience different cultures too (Lee, 2014). Lee (2014) argues that individuals working in organisations undergoing international mergers and acquisitions, as well as those with international subsidiaries can develop an understanding of different cultures. Experience of work within different international contexts may lead individuals to develop a greater understanding of their own as well as different ways of undertaking work (Lee, 2014). It is important to note however, that an individual who is globally mobile may not automatically expose themselves to the culture of the country in which they are working. As mentioned previously, outcomes of acculturation such as marginalisation or separation can mean that the expatriate exhibits low attachment to the society in which they are working. It could therefore be argued that both expatriation and working within a culturally diverse and international organisation could develop an individual’s global identity. Gupta and Govindarajan (2002) explain that a global identity is the awareness of different cultures and the openness to the integration of these cultures to create a competitive advantage. Lee (2018) argues that this competence and adaptability is gained through 3 steps; the understanding of the individuals own culture and cultural lens, acquiring knowledge of other cultures, and improving one’s cultural intelligence. The exposure to different cultures through international assignments and working within a global organisation can assist with the gaining of knowledge of different norms and values (Crowne, 2008). This exposure to different cultures needn’t just be through work either, Crowne (2008) argues that globalisation has allowed for exposure to different cultures through travel, study, and media such as television and film. While some of these methods may have a greater impact, they are all important to the development of an understanding of different cultures. Crowne (2008) argues that any exposure to different cultures is directly associated with an individual’s cultural intelligence, yet some methods of exposure such as expatriation, international education and travel have a greater impact. Cultural intelligence is defined as an individual’s ability to effectively adapt to new cultures and has been found to have a positive impact on integration into multicultural teams (Earley, 2002). Furthermore, employees with higher cultural intelligence are able to adjust more easily to new cultures and show greater performance within multicultural teams and tasks (Templer et al, 2006). Cultural intelligence is born through 4 main dimensions; Cognitive – gaining the knowledge of values and norms of different cultures, Motivational – the commitment to acquiring new knowledge and learn, Behavioural – the ability to adapt to new cultural situations, and Metacognitive – the ability to monitor one’s self, and to adjust based on new experiences (Lee, 2018 & Ang et al, 2007). The importance of cultural intelligence cannot be underestimated, as it assists individuals with seeing past the stereotypes and perhaps xenophobic views of other cultures (Lee, 2018). Furthermore, it stops an individual from casting judgement until all of the facts are known and available (Triandis, 2006 & Elenkov & Manev, 2009). Interestingly, cultural intelligence is directly linked to cross-cultural competence, which reduces the pressure that may be associated with handling difficult decisions in culturally different environments and can increases effectiveness (Elenkov & Manev, 2009). Of course, the cultural intelligence of the majority of individuals will increase through international assignments and working within a global organisation. Elenkov & Manev (2009) further this argument and explain that cultural intelligence is vital for managers within organisations. The GLOBE project found that the leadership styles favoured or expected from country to country vary depending on the cultural variables found in that context (Dorfman et al, 2002), and it can be seen that the cultural intelligence and adaptability of managers and individuals is vital to their performance and effectiveness in different cultures (Elenkov & Manev, 2009). It can therefore be argued that the greater the cultural intelligence of an individual, the more understanding, aware and open they should be to different cultures and therefore less prone to xenophobic attitudes (Lee, 2014). The emerging concept of cosmopolitan global citizens is one still in debate. In its early conception, cosmopolitanism was seen to be an outlook which transcended national boundaries and complemented cultural intelligence (Woodward et al, 2008). The concept has now been developed to incorporate institutional, political, and cultural dimensions (Woodward et al, 2008). From a cultural perspective, most researchers have agreed that cosmopolitanism can be seen as an openness to different cultures as well as the values and beliefs that they may hold. Woodward et al (2008) argue that while an individual does not need to be globally mobile to hold cosmopolitan values, the cultural exposure that expatriates experience may assist them with gaining the attitudes and values associated with cosmopolitanism (Lee, 2014). Furthermore, cosmopolitan citizens are seen to be more engaged with others that identify as cosmopolitan citizens and hold similar worldviews (Lee, 2014). The concept therefore of a cosmopolitan is that of an individual who defines themselves less as part of a single national or cultural identity, and more as a global citizen – who should be less prone to xenophobic attitudes (Lee, 2014). This is supported by Ariely (2017) who showed that identifying as a cosmopolitan reduces xenophobic attitudes, a relationship which is moderated by the level of globalisation in the individuals home country, with those exhibiting higher levels of globalisation demonstrating a stronger negative relation between cosmopolitanism and xenophobic attitudes. The dictionary definition of xenophobia is the fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners, it is usually thought that the term overlaps with racism, however, xenophobic behaviour is based on the idea that an individual is different due to being a member of a different nation or social group (UNESCO, 2018). Ariely (2011) argues that the idea of xenophobia can be based on social identity theory which defines social identity as the differences between social groups with members feeling more strongly associated to the group in which they belong. Xenophobic views are therefore the result of social groups – such as nations and culture, being different from one another (Ariely, 2011). Interestingly, the results of globalisation such as the development of cosmopolitan citizens, bi-culturals and individuals showing a strong cultural intelligence seems to show that globalisation is causing to move towards a more homogenous global citizen identity, instead of heterogeneous national identities (Ariely, 2011). Such â€Å"superordinate† identities could reduce or eliminate differences between national identities, and therefore reduce xenophobic views. It is also important to recognise that some research has shown globalisation to have the opposite effect, heightening nationalistic identities and in turn perhaps causing xenophobic views against those seen with a different social or national identity (Ariely, 2011). Interestingly, Ariely (2011) found that in certain countries, while globalisation may decrease xenophobic attitudes in some people, it can increase them in others. While this study was actually based on xenophobic views against immigrants it paints an interesting picture that globalisation can have many different impacts on different people within the same country, and that context is incredibly important (Ariely, 2011). There are also negative aspects to consider such as the accelerated flows of terrorism, which have only promoted xenophobic attitudes due to the placing of blame on the lack of national borders – which globalisation has had a hand in reducing (Heine & Thakur, 2011). This essay explored the impact which globalisation has had upon individuals around the world. Whether a cosmopolitan citizen, learned or born bi-cultural, or an individual that has developed a strong cultural intelligence, the ability to adapt and understand other cultures seems to reduce the ownership of xenophobic attitudes. The essay found that as individuals gain a greater cultural intelligence, or identify as cosmopolitan or global citizens, they tend to identify less with their national culture/identity and identify more with a global identity. Using social identity theory from Ariely (2011), it can therefore be argued that while xenophobia is usually based on the differences between social, cultural, or national groups – the fact that more people are identifying as global citizens is reducing the differences between these groups around the world, and therefore reducing xenophobic attitudes. References Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K., Templer, K., Tay, C. and Chandrasekar, N. (2007). Cultural Intelligence: Its Measurement and Effects on Cultural Judgment and Decision Making, Cultural Adaptation and Task Performance. Management and Organization Review, 3(03), pp.335-371. Ariely, G. (2011). Globalization, immigration and national identity: How the level of globalization affects the relations between nationalism, constructive patriotism and attitudes toward immigrants? Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 15(4), pp.539-557. Ariely, G. (2016). Global identification, xenophobia and globalisation: A cross-national exploration. International Journal of Psychology, 52, pp.87-96. Arnett, J. (2002). The psychology of globalization. American Psychologist, 57(10), pp.774-783. Berry, J. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), pp.697-712. Buckley, P. and Ghauri, P. (2004). Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(2), pp.81-98. Collings, D., Scullion, H. and Morley, M. (2007). Changing patterns of global staffing in the multinational enterprise: Challenges to the conventional expatriate assignment and emerging alternatives. Journal of World Business, 42(2), pp.198-213. Crowne, K. (2008). What leads to cultural intelligence? Business Horizons, 51(5), pp.391-399. Dorfman, P. House, R., Javidan, M., and Hanges, P. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37(1), pp.3-10. Earley, P. (2002). Redefining interactions across cultures and organizations: Moving forward with cultural intelligence. Research in Organizational Behavior, 24, pp.271-299. Elenkov, D. and Manev, I. (2009). Senior expatriate leaderships effects on innovation and the role of cultural intelligence. Journal of World Business, 44(4), pp.357-369. Gupta, A. and Govindarajan, V. (2002). Cultivating a global mindset. Academy of Management Executive, 16(1), pp.116-126. Heine, J. and Thakur, R. (2018). The dark side of globalisation. [online] Available at: https://www.cigionline.org/articles/dark-side-globalisation. Held, D. and McGrew, A. (1999). Global Transformations. Cambridge: Polity. Hong, Y., Morris, M., Chiu, C. and Benet-Martà ­nez, V. (2000). Multicultural minds: A dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition. American Psychologist, 55(7), pp.709-720. Lee, H-J., (2018). Global Leadership and Cultural Intelligence. Lee, H-J., (2014) Global leadership practices: a cross-cultural management perspective, London: Palgrave Macmillan Sanchez, J., Spector, P. and Cooper, C. (2000). Adapting to a boundaryless world: A developmental expatriate model. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(2), pp.96-106. Sideri, S. (1997). Globalisation and regional integration. The European Journal of Development Research, 9(1), pp.38-82. Smith, A. D. (2007). Nationalism in decline? In M. Young, E. Zuelow & A. Strum (Eds.), Nationalism in a global era (pp. 17–32). New York, NY: Routledge. Templer, K., Tay, C. and Chandrasekar, N. (2006). Motivational Cultural Intelligence, Realistic Job Preview, Realistic Living Conditions Preview, and Cross-Cultural Adjustment. Group & Organization Management, 31(1), pp.154-173. Triandis, H. (2006). Cultural Intelligence in Organizations. Group & Organization Management, 31(1), pp.20-26. UNESCO (2018). Xenophobia | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/xenophobia/. Woodward, I., Skrbis, Z. and Bean, C. (2008). Attitudes towards globalization and cosmopolitanism: cultural diversity, personal consumption and the national economy. The British Journal of Sociology, 59(2), pp.207-226. Globalisation and the Concept of Global Citizenship Globalisation and the Concept of Global Citizenship â€Å"As globalisation promotes a free-flow of people, ideas and products across national boundaries, individuals will be more identified as global citizens and less prone to xenophobic attitudes.† Discuss. While globalisation promotes a free-flow of people, ideas, and products across national boundaries, it provides opportunities to individuals to become global citizens. However, while this essay will argue that this has made them less prone to xenophobic attitudes, globalisation has also had other impacts which may have only provoked xenophobic attitudes. This essay will examine the impact which globalisation has had on individuals in the workplace, focusing on how Multinational Corporations have increased the need for globally mobile employees, therefore increasing their cultural intelligence along the way. The essay will also explore employees working within global organisations who are not globally mobile, and the impact which globalisation has had on them. The importance of cultural intelligence will also be discussed alongside the growing focus of scholars on cosmopolitan or global citizens, and finally, the essay will examine xenophobia and the impact which globalisation has had upon xenophobic views. Globalisation is the introduction and growth of products, people, information, and money across borders and is an important impact on the shape of national identities and relationships (Ariely, 2011).   Arnett (2002) argues that globalisation is not just a historical process but is also a change in mind-set of citizens around the world and has positively and sometimes negatively redefined national identity and culture. In effect, globalisation defines the world in which we live, and has changed the way in which citizens identify themselves (Ariely, 2011 & Arnett, 2002). However, some researchers have argued that in the process globalisation has undermined national cultures and identity – creating what is moving towards a single identity for all global citizens (Smith, 2007 & Held, McGrew & Perraton, 1999). Effectively, globalisation has been guided by â€Å"economic forces† (Sideri, 1997. Pg.38) with the actions and growth of Multinational Corporations (MNC’s) furthering globalisation (Buckley & Ghauri, 2004). With MNC’s comes the need for the retention and transfer of knowledge between operating units and countries (Elenkov & Manev, 2009). Expatriates (Expats) are used by MNC’s for three main reasons; to fill positions where no suitable candidate exists in the host country, as an opportunity to develop the expatriate’s skills, and most importantly; to transfer important knowledge and corporate culture from home to host countries (Collings et al, 2007). Within MNC’s expats will work with people of many different nationalities, and globalisation is only expediting the mobility required of expatriates, therefore, the number of cultures in which expatriates are working in and becoming accustomed to is increasing (Lee, 2014). Lee (2014) argues that this is exposure to new cultures has increased the number of people which identify as learned bi-culturals, and who feel accustomed to 2 or more cultures after experiencing the identity negotiation process. The knowledge and understanding of different cultures that being bi-cultural brings allows these individuals to adapt quickly and become more adept to different situations (Hong et al, 2000 & Lee, 2014). While individuals will generally undergo an identity negotiation process when entering employment with a new organisation, international experience adds to this further (Lee, 2014). Sanchez et al (2000) explain that during the adjustment process to working within a different culture, an individual may become more attached to their home unit, or alternatively, become more attached to their host unit. This acculturation is essentially a process leading to cultural changes within the individual after interacting with members of different cultures (Lee, 2014), and can be portrayed in a number of strategies by the individual when operating in different cultures. This impacts their identification and adaptation with their home and host country and can lead to positive outcomes – however, two of the outcomes of acculturation can be marginalisation or separation, where an individual does not identify with the host country (Lee, 2014 & Berry, 2005). Another theory of culture acquisition is the identity negotiation process, where when individuals encounter a new culture question their values and beliefs leading to a renegotiation of their own identity through experimentation and reflection (Lee, 2014). While expats seem to have the most experience with operating within different cultures, globalisation has meant that even individuals working within their home country can experience different cultures too (Lee, 2014). Lee (2014) argues that individuals working in organisations undergoing international mergers and acquisitions, as well as those with international subsidiaries can develop an understanding of different cultures. Experience of work within different international contexts may lead individuals to develop a greater understanding of their own as well as different ways of undertaking work (Lee, 2014). It is important to note however, that an individual who is globally mobile may not automatically expose themselves to the culture of the country in which they are working. As mentioned previously, outcomes of acculturation such as marginalisation or separation can mean that the expatriate exhibits low attachment to the society in which they are working. It could therefore be argued that both expatriation and working within a culturally diverse and international organisation could develop an individual’s global identity. Gupta and Govindarajan (2002) explain that a global identity is the awareness of different cultures and the openness to the integration of these cultures to create a competitive advantage. Lee (2018) argues that this competence and adaptability is gained through 3 steps; the understanding of the individuals own culture and cultural lens, acquiring knowledge of other cultures, and improving one’s cultural intelligence. The exposure to different cultures through international assignments and working within a global organisation can assist with the gaining of knowledge of different norms and values (Crowne, 2008). This exposure to different cultures needn’t just be through work either, Crowne (2008) argues that globalisation has allowed for exposure to different cultures through travel, study, and media such as television and film. While some of these methods may have a greater impact, they are all important to the development of an understanding of different cultures. Crowne (2008) argues that any exposure to different cultures is directly associated with an individual’s cultural intelligence, yet some methods of exposure such as expatriation, international education and travel have a greater impact. Cultural intelligence is defined as an individual’s ability to effectively adapt to new cultures and has been found to have a positive impact on integration into multicultural teams (Earley, 2002). Furthermore, employees with higher cultural intelligence are able to adjust more easily to new cultures and show greater performance within multicultural teams and tasks (Templer et al, 2006). Cultural intelligence is born through 4 main dimensions; Cognitive – gaining the knowledge of values and norms of different cultures, Motivational – the commitment to acquiring new knowledge and learn, Behavioural – the ability to adapt to new cultural situations, and Metacognitive – the ability to monitor one’s self, and to adjust based on new experiences (Lee, 2018 & Ang et al, 2007). The importance of cultural intelligence cannot be underestimated, as it assists individuals with seeing past the stereotypes and perhaps xenophobic views of other cultures (Lee, 2018). Furthermore, it stops an individual from casting judgement until all of the facts are known and available (Triandis, 2006 & Elenkov & Manev, 2009). Interestingly, cultural intelligence is directly linked to cross-cultural competence, which reduces the pressure that may be associated with handling difficult decisions in culturally different environments and can increases effectiveness (Elenkov & Manev, 2009). Of course, the cultural intelligence of the majority of individuals will increase through international assignments and working within a global organisation. Elenkov & Manev (2009) further this argument and explain that cultural intelligence is vital for managers within organisations. The GLOBE project found that the leadership styles favoured or expected from country to country vary depending on the cultural variables found in that context (Dorfman et al, 2002), and it can be seen that the cultural intelligence and adaptability of managers and individuals is vital to their performance and effectiveness in different cultures (Elenkov & Manev, 2009). It can therefore be argued that the greater the cultural intelligence of an individual, the more understanding, aware and open they should be to different cultures and therefore less prone to xenophobic attitudes (Lee, 2014). The emerging concept of cosmopolitan global citizens is one still in debate. In its early conception, cosmopolitanism was seen to be an outlook which transcended national boundaries and complemented cultural intelligence (Woodward et al, 2008). The concept has now been developed to incorporate institutional, political, and cultural dimensions (Woodward et al, 2008). From a cultural perspective, most researchers have agreed that cosmopolitanism can be seen as an openness to different cultures as well as the values and beliefs that they may hold. Woodward et al (2008) argue that while an individual does not need to be globally mobile to hold cosmopolitan values, the cultural exposure that expatriates experience may assist them with gaining the attitudes and values associated with cosmopolitanism (Lee, 2014). Furthermore, cosmopolitan citizens are seen to be more engaged with others that identify as cosmopolitan citizens and hold similar worldviews (Lee, 2014). The concept therefore of a cosmopolitan is that of an individual who defines themselves less as part of a single national or cultural identity, and more as a global citizen – who should be less prone to xenophobic attitudes (Lee, 2014). This is supported by Ariely (2017) who showed that identifying as a cosmopolitan reduces xenophobic attitudes, a relationship which is moderated by the level of globalisation in the individuals home country, with those exhibiting higher levels of globalisation demonstrating a stronger negative relation between cosmopolitanism and xenophobic attitudes. The dictionary definition of xenophobia is the fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners, it is usually thought that the term overlaps with racism, however, xenophobic behaviour is based on the idea that an individual is different due to being a member of a different nation or social group (UNESCO, 2018). Ariely (2011) argues that the idea of xenophobia can be based on social identity theory which defines social identity as the differences between social groups with members feeling more strongly associated to the group in which they belong. Xenophobic views are therefore the result of social groups – such as nations and culture, being different from one another (Ariely, 2011). Interestingly, the results of globalisation such as the development of cosmopolitan citizens, bi-culturals and individuals showing a strong cultural intelligence seems to show that globalisation is causing to move towards a more homogenous global citizen identity, instead of heterogeneous national identities (Ariely, 2011). Such â€Å"superordinate† identities could reduce or eliminate differences between national identities, and therefore reduce xenophobic views. It is also important to recognise that some research has shown globalisation to have the opposite effect, heightening nationalistic identities and in turn perhaps causing xenophobic views against those seen with a different social or national identity (Ariely, 2011). Interestingly, Ariely (2011) found that in certain countries, while globalisation may decrease xenophobic attitudes in some people, it can increase them in others. While this study was actually based on xenophobic views against immigrants it paints an interesting picture that globalisation can have many different impacts on different people within the same country, and that context is incredibly important (Ariely, 2011). There are also negative aspects to consider such as the accelerated flows of terrorism, which have only promoted xenophobic attitudes due to the placing of blame on the lack of national borders – which globalisation has had a hand in reducing (Heine & Thakur, 2011). This essay explored the impact which globalisation has had upon individuals around the world. Whether a cosmopolitan citizen, learned or born bi-cultural, or an individual that has developed a strong cultural intelligence, the ability to adapt and understand other cultures seems to reduce the ownership of xenophobic attitudes. The essay found that as individuals gain a greater cultural intelligence, or identify as cosmopolitan or global citizens, they tend to identify less with their national culture/identity and identify more with a global identity. Using social identity theory from Ariely (2011), it can therefore be argued that while xenophobia is usually based on the differences between social, cultural, or national groups – the fact that more people are identifying as global citizens is reducing the differences between these groups around the world, and therefore reducing xenophobic attitudes. References Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K., Templer, K., Tay, C. and Chandrasekar, N. (2007). Cultural Intelligence: Its Measurement and Effects on Cultural Judgment and Decision Making, Cultural Adaptation and Task Performance. Management and Organization Review, 3(03), pp.335-371. Ariely, G. (2011). Globalization, immigration and national identity: How the level of globalization affects the relations between nationalism, constructive patriotism and attitudes toward immigrants? Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 15(4), pp.539-557. Ariely, G. (2016). Global identification, xenophobia and globalisation: A cross-national exploration. International Journal of Psychology, 52, pp.87-96. Arnett, J. (2002). The psychology of globalization. American Psychologist, 57(10), pp.774-783. Berry, J. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), pp.697-712. Buckley, P. and Ghauri, P. (2004). Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(2), pp.81-98. Collings, D., Scullion, H. and Morley, M. (2007). Changing patterns of global staffing in the multinational enterprise: Challenges to the conventional expatriate assignment and emerging alternatives. Journal of World Business, 42(2), pp.198-213. Crowne, K. (2008). What leads to cultural intelligence? Business Horizons, 51(5), pp.391-399. Dorfman, P. House, R., Javidan, M., and Hanges, P. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37(1), pp.3-10. Earley, P. (2002). Redefining interactions across cultures and organizations: Moving forward with cultural intelligence. Research in Organizational Behavior, 24, pp.271-299. Elenkov, D. and Manev, I. (2009). Senior expatriate leaderships effects on innovation and the role of cultural intelligence. Journal of World Business, 44(4), pp.357-369. Gupta, A. and Govindarajan, V. (2002). 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