...Protecting Minority Languages; Preserving Minority Cultures A minority culture of any given country is often found in a particular region of that country because all members of the cultural group are needed to outbid the present majority in the same area for the resources, thus establishing the area as their homeland and a symbol of the group’s cultural identity. This exhibition of localized minority cultural conglomeration can be seen across many multicultural nations because if members do pursue their own ideal way of life they would be “forced to try to execute their chosen life-styles in an alien culture” (Kymlicka 188) These minority cultures are thusly envious of the majority culture as they “get for free what aboriginal people have to pay for: secure cultural membership.” (Kymlicka 190) A primary characteristic of a culture is the language. Language has been identified as “the symbolic representation of a people, since it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds, as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking.” (Brown cited by Jiang) The importance of language therefore suggests the significance of preserving the cultural language to better protect the minority cultures.; Hhowever the insignificant number of users for the minority language oftentimes leads the majority culture to overlook the language, thereby undermining the culture’s security. In Given Rawls’ theory on justice, unequal product contingencies...
Words: 3113 - Pages: 13
...Topics in Cultural Studies: Latin and Vernacular Languages Topics in Cultural Studies: Latin and Vernacular Languages Spanish is spoken today by more than 300 million people around the world and is one of the most common languages of the modern world. Spanish is used in South America, Europe and in some parts of Africa. The once native language of a region in Spain has evolved to become one of the most common languages today after more than six hundred years. It is one of the Indo-European languages and dates back to more than five thousand years. Latin was one of the major languages to influence the development of Spanish over the years as the Roman Empire spread across Europe. Latin gained popularity in the Spanish peninsula as the people adopted in for ease in communication while also adding to it the elements of local dialect which later developed to be known as Hispanic Latin. The Spanish peninsula was later conquered by Muslims who brought Arabic and Islamic literature with them. After the end of the Muslim rule in Spain, Spanish spread to the newly discovered lands of North America when Columbus set out to discover new sea routes to Asia. The conquests of South America and some African lands helped Spanish spread and evolve while accommodating local dialects of the conquered lands. Though many of the conquered areas of Americas gained independence after some years, the people living in those areas had learnt, developed and spread Spanish to an extent that...
Words: 486 - Pages: 2
...Cultural and language differences You obviously have to take into account the language barrier in the market being considered for expansion. Translation of marketing materials and operations to another language may seem simple enough, but cultural differences may mean that the message of a company can translate clearly. Marketing may be right for the American market may be inappropriate or even offensive in a foreign market. Some countries have a different culture which means that marketing may have to be different, even within the same country. Technology issues It is important to consider external influences that can affect a company's ability to expand internationally. A company must take into account economic, political stability, the currency exchange rates, and regulatory requirements. A company needs to know if the technology used is available in a foreign country. Some questions that the company has to ask and answer are: Do you use the optical fiber country? Is there access to resources and raw materials? Does the transfer of technology or regulations or other problems exist? Does technology regulated in any way? What percentage of consumers has access to technology and the Internet? It may be advisable to consult a trade specialist who is familiar with the country in question. Use all available resources, including market research and due diligence reports that run on potential partners in the future country. Spend some time in the country under...
Words: 268 - Pages: 2
...effect of cultural distance on entry mode choice: the moderating effect of language diversity Name: Rajae El Aiachi Student number: 10202773 Teacher: Dr Johan Lindeque MSc. In Business Administration – Theories of International Management Date: 27-09-2015 Abstract (50 Words) Previous studies have shown that the choice of entry mode depends on various types of aspects, containing also cultural distance between countries (Arora and Fosfuri, 2000). However, there is not a lot of consensus among these articles. A few articles mentioned the effect of language distance on entry mode choice. Keywords: Cultural distance, entry mode choice and language distance 1. Introduction In this time of globalization a lot of companies are expanding their international business activities in overseas market. The ways in which firms are expanding their business in overseas market differ per enterprise and country. The hierarchical model of market entry modes by Pan and Tse (2000) shows that there are different choices of entry modes. Entry modes can be seen as equity-based versus non-equity based. Within equity-based modes, there is a division between equity joint ventures and wholly owned operations. Within nonequity based modes, there is a division between export and contractual agreements. Prior research demonstrated that the choice of entry modes rely upon different types of components. Especially, a lot of previous studies focused on the effect of cultural distance ...
Words: 2641 - Pages: 11
...Position of English as a Global Language: Political and Cultural Factors English has achieved a global significance that no other language has ever been able to do so, in such a scale. A language earns its global status when it culturally and politically dominant across the continents. Also, it is notable that the most salient feature of a global language is not how many people use it, rather how strongly the people who speak this language is socially and politically established. In fact, perhaps the most significant force that makes a language global is political power of its speakers. The spread of English beyond Europe and the British Isles is accredited to four centuries of colonialism and British imperialism, which led to English being spoken by over three hundred million people. (Crystal 14) The first significant stride in the advancement of English towards its pre-eminence as a world language occurred during the early trade in the Atlantic. Crystal also articulates that by the year 1600, England had gained trading contacts across three continents, which retrospectively provided a powerful platform on which the English language was to flourish and become the globally dominant medium of communication that it is at present (39). Trading companies such as the Newfoundland fur trade, the ivory and gold trade on the western coast of Africa and the East India Company brought speakers of English into economic contact throughout the world. English and the English-based pidgins...
Words: 2140 - Pages: 9
...us to a higher standard when it comes to our ability to be aware, adapt, accept, and understand the cultural diversity of the students and families, our co-workers, and volunteers we work with in our community. As our cultural demographics change in our community communication can become a challenge. If we cannot communicate effectively with those we work with we cannot do our jobs effectively. Demographic Changes The United States is changing faster than it ever has before. We can find more evidence of these demographic changes in our public schools more than anywhere else. Three changes that are, and will continue to become more notable in our public school system, is the rate in which immigration has grown, low income families are on the rise, and the natural population growth continues to increase, as quickly as the diversity of that population. Immigration Growth “Immigration have put the United States on a short road to a population diversity never before experienced by any nation—a population in which all races and ethnicities are part of minority groups that make up a complex whole.” (Center for Public Education 2012) As the CPE stated one reason many places in the United States is experiencing such demographic changes is due to the increase of immigration. A good portion of the population is not natural born citizens. With them they bring different languages and diverse cultures. Because the immigration isn’t just from one area of the world, but from all...
Words: 3573 - Pages: 15
...Kunal Mishra Due: Thursday, July 28th, 2011 Anthropology 100 Session— 7/11-8/04 (11:30-2:40) Santiago Canyon Community College Essay Question: What is Applied Anthropology? How is field anthropology used to solve modern human problems? Give specific examples of applied anthropology as reported in your textbook. Thesis Statement:. Anthropology. The study of human culture as it relates to all times, past, present, and future. A mouthful to say, and a whole bunch more difficult to comprehend. Yet, anthropology is often considered one of the most important sciences in our social world today. It is used anywhere, from a tidy desk in New York City, to the rainforests of Equatorial Guinea. That is the unique thing about anthropology; it can be applied to real life and be studied in a book. However, it is in the field that advancements in the study of culture are made, not books, so it will serve our purpose of learning about the fieldwork that anthropologists are called on to do. Different techniques and examples are all part of the diversity that applied anthropology requires, and many will be shown here. To fully understand applied anthropology, one must know the actual definition and how it relates to anthropology as a whole. The formal definition is: the use of anthropological knowledge and methods to solve practical problems, often for a specific client. From this, we can hypothesize that groups, such as governments or corporations, hire anthropologists to solve a problem...
Words: 1071 - Pages: 5
...Our Culture/ Bangladeshi Culture The culture of a society means the way of living, eating habit, cultural functions, different kinds of festivals, clothes, language, religion, values, policies, tradition etc. It is the complete picture of a nation and the most important and basic concept of sociology. There are some characteristics of culture. Firstly, it must be social and it is developed from the society and social communication. Secondly, all the rules of a culture are not learnt by the people in the society. Some are learned and some are acquired. The cultural activities of a society are totally different from another society. Cultural elements like the way of living, eating habit, cultural functions, different kinds of festivals, clothes, language, religion, values, policies, tradition etc. are totally different from other cultural elements. In our culture, our songs are based on rural and idyllic pictures of life. We have jari, sari, bhatiali, polligiti, religious and mystic songs. Similarly, we have our own food habits like eating rice and fish. Again, we have our traditional dress like lungi, Panjabi, shirt, saree and blouse. Nowadays, it is seen that our cultural activities are changing because of the influence of the western culture. So, our young generation is no longer interested in our folk or idyllic songs. They are fascinated by Hindi or English music. In summary, Culture is a part of our life and we are not out of our own culture. We live and grow up in the midst...
Words: 779 - Pages: 4
...Cultural Anthropology Fall, 2014 Study Guide for Midterm Exam PART I: In-Class Component (10 points each, 100 points total) Directions The instructor will put on the in-class portion of the exam a number of terms, names, and concepts drawn from the following list. The student will pick ten (10) and answer in a short I.D./short answer format. Although your answers should be concise, they should be complete enough to convince the instructor that you thoroughly understand the course material. Where applicable, use examples or illustrations. Each student is permitted to have one 8” x 5” handwritten note card during the exam. Frank Boas scientific method “Creation Science” theory hypothesis Karl Marx Charles Darwin Frederick Engels Origin of the Species Jared Diamond “social Darwinism” Margaret Mead natural selection Yehudi Cohen zoological taxonomy Anthropology vs. Sociology taxon ethnographic methodologies Paleolithic genealogical method Mesolithic interviewing techniques Neolithic key cultural consultants agricultural revolution in Neolithic longitudinal research human zoological taxonomy annual cycle what primates have in common why anthropologists should spend more than one annual cycle primates “ivory tower” approach differences between humans and other primates “advocacy” approach Homininoids Homo sapiens American Anthropological Association ...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...Memorandum To: Supervisor and Manager, Housekeeping Department From: Jennifer Hall, Housekeeper Date: December 27, 2011 Subject: Communication Assistance Attached you will find my proposal to implement communication assistance in the housekeeping department. I feel that with this little extra effort on my part, we are able to accomplish this assistance. The housekeeping department currently has many non-English speaking employees. With the communication assistance I have planned out it will not only benefit our department but also the Marriott. With all the hard work it could be a company wide acceptance for a new policy. There is a possibility that when this is complete the other employees could step in and help with defining the process. Doing this as a whole department will make all the employee’s feel like they are a big part of this accomplishment. This will also boost the ego of the department which will enhance customer service. As I have understood you have tried this before but it was not effective. With the hard work that I have put into this we will make it successful for everybody. So with the existing information and new information we have a much better chance of success. Communication Assistance Prepared for Supervisor and Manager Housekeeping Department Prepared by Jennifer Hall Housekeeper December 27, 2011 Table of Contents Executive summary…………………………………………………… 4 Introduction……………………………………………………………5 ...
Words: 2104 - Pages: 9
...The Development of Anthropology * Anthropology (Anthropos = “Man”, Logy = “Study of”) * The study of humankind in all times and places * The discipline of Anthropology is a European invention, but the study of people has a long history… Early Anthropology * Herodotus * Greek Historian (5th century B.C.E.) * The Histories – collections of Herodotus’ encounters with peoples of the Mediterranean world. He often emphasized how he faithfully recorded stories told to him, but would often add embellishments/emphasis to endear his Greek readers to the peoples he met abroad. * Napoleon Bonaparte and Egypt * Self-proclaimed Emperor of France (1769-1821) In Western History… European Exploration/Colonialism Columbus, Napoleon, and… Western Society’s past attempts at getting to know other cultures * Modernism: Began with the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. * A reaction to the superstition and hysteria of Europe’s “Dark Ages” (The Witch hunt era that we will get into later). Rationality, objectivity, reason can discover knowledge and truth and lead to progress We can understand everybody/thing everywhere if we adhere to these principles of logic. * Empirical knowledge: Based on observations of the world rather than on intuition or faith. * Hypothesis: A tentative explanation of the relation between certain phenomena Theory: In science, an explanation of natural phenomena, supported by a reliable...
Words: 1600 - Pages: 7
...multidimensional network of economic, social, cultural, and political ties. As these connections become more important and complex, countries will find themselves richer but more vulnerable to foreign disturbances, and this vulnerability increasingly will move the issues surrounding international trade and finance into the political arena. Trade is increasingly global in scope today. There are several reasons for this. One significant reason is technological—because of improved transportation and communication opportunities today, trade is now more practical. Thus, consumers and businesses now have access to the very best products from many different countries. Increasingly rapid technology lifecycles also increases the competition among countries as to who can produce the newest in technology. Culture reflects the human aspect of a person's environment; it consists of beliefs, morals, customs, and habits learned from others. These culture elements send direct and indirect messages to consumers regarding the selection of goods and services that brings the reason that marketers must understand the culture, especially in an international environment. Language is a key component of culture because most of a socienty's culture finds its way into the spoken language. Knowing the language of a society can become the key to understanding its culture. Global marketing communications are heavily affected by the existence of different languages. Religion's impact on global marketing...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...of productivity when multicultural diverse team is applied. The problems are: 1. Problem: A mere decrease in productivity The positive impact of multicultural diverse team is that the creativity can be increase compare to non-diversity team. Furthermore, diverse team have better understanding of the problem since many cultural backgrounds is involve in brainstorming. However, the challenge of managing a diverse team sometimes leads to faulty management process, which results in poor team performance. The consequence of these problems is most managers do not encourage diversity within their co-worker, and worse, their organization. Solutions – In order to tackle this problem carefully, managers must understand cultural diversity and the benefits that can contribute to team performance. Besides, managers are recommended to take any training that teaches how to deal with multicultural diverse team to overcome the fear of failure when managing multicultural diverse team. 2. Problem: Management level Multicultural diversity always be the factor to management problems. Most managers are ‘culturally blind’ – do not have any idea on cultural differences. When these managers saw the differences, they always thought it is for the very wrong reason. What they did not manage to see is the bright side on having multicultural diverse team in their organization. The problem often occur in the...
Words: 984 - Pages: 4
...| Paper 1 | | | | Paper 1 | | | Phil 140 April 6, 2012 Authored by: Willie Moore Phil 140 April 6, 2012 Authored by: Willie Moore Cultural Relativism challenges our belief in the objectivity and universality of moral truth. Cultural Relativism also holds that that the norms of a culture reign supreme within the bounds of the culture itself. Cultural Relativists believe that there is no such thing as universal truth in ethics; there are only the various cultural codes, and nothing more. There are five claims that are made by cultural relativists: 1. Different societies have different moral codes. 2. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least within that society. 3. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge no moral truths that hold for all people at all times. 4. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is but one among many. 5. It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerant of them. There are three problems Rachel has with Cultural Relativism: 1. We could no longer say that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to our own. 2. We could no longer criticize the code of our own society. 3. The idea of moral progress is called into doubt. Ethical Subjectivism is the idea that our moral opinions are based on our feelings and nothing...
Words: 573 - Pages: 3
...EFP1 Task 1 Thoughts on Cultural Diversity There are many aspects of culture and diversity. Culture is defined as the sum of attitudes and beliefs that distinguish one group of people from another. Culture is transmitted through language, material objects, ritual, institutions and art from one generation to the next. Diversity is defined as variety, the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc. There are many aspects of diversity which include race, ethnicity, physical ability, age, gender, sexual orientation. The four aspects of diversity that have most affected my personal identity are race, age, gender, and physical ability. Gender is one of the most easily of observed areas of cultural diversity. As a woman, especially one living in the south, I am expected to look and act a certain way. I am to be presentable at all times. There are expectation in the way I speak but act as well. The way I am supposed to dress is also defined by our culture. There are certain jobs that I am expected to have and others I am not. The thing with culture is it not only is the visible images we are to portray there are invisible ones as well. Others assume that because I am a woman I am less than a man. There are certain ways I am expected to think as well. What people fail to realize is that I am a very strong willed individual. I am quite educated. I may live in the south now, but I was born and...
Words: 2476 - Pages: 10
