...Ondaatje’s novel as a “mystery of identity” (449). Similarly, Aritha van Herk identifies “fear, unpredictability, secrecy, [and] loss” (44) as the central features of the novel and its female protagonist. Anil’s Ghost, van Herk argues, presents its readers with a “motiveless world” of terror in which “no identity is reliable, no theory waterproof” (45). Ondaatje’s novel tells the story of Anil Tessera, a Sri Lankan expatriate and forensic anthropologist working for a UN-affiliated human rights organization. Haunted by a strong sense of personal and cultural dislocation, Anil takes up an assignment in Sri Lanka, where she teams up with a local archeologist, Sarath Diyasena, to uncover evidence of the Sri Lankan government’s violations of human rights during the country’s period of acute civil war. Yet, by the end of the novel, Anil has lost the evidence that could have indicted the government and is forced to leave the country, carrying with her a feeling of guilt for her unwitting complicity in Sarath’s death. On one hand, Anil certainly embodies an ethical (albeit rather schematic) critique of the failure of global justice. On the other, her character stages diaspora, in Vijay Mishra terms, as the “normative” and “ exemplary … condition of late modernity” (“Diasporic” 441) — a condition usually associated with the figure of the nomad rather than the diasporic subject — and thus raises questions about the novel’s regulatory politics of diasporic identity. In contrast, Anita Rau Badani’s...
Words: 12618 - Pages: 51
...Identity based views of the corporation Insights from corporate identity, organisational identity, social identity, visual identity, corporate brand identity and corporate image Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider advances in corporate identity scholarship on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the first special edition of corporate identity to appear in the European Journal of Marketing in 1997. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a literature review. Findings – The notion of, what can be termed, “identity-based views of the corporation” is introduced. Each of the ten identity based perspectives that inform the above are underpinned by a critically important question which is believed to be of considerable saliency to marketing scholars and policy advisors alike. As a precursor to an exposition of these ten perspectives, the paper discusses five principal schools of thought relating to identity and identification ((the quindrivium) which can be characterised as: corporate identity (the identity of the organisation); communicated corporate identification (identification from the organisation); stakeholder corporate identification (an individual, or stakeholder group’s, identification with the organisation); stakeholder cultural identification (an individual, or stakeholder group’s, identification to a corporate culture); and envisioned identities and identifications (this is a broad category and relates to how an organisation, or group...
Words: 12644 - Pages: 51
...RUNNING HEADING: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES University of Phoneix September 23, 2013 Dr. Victoria Anyikwa Culture refers to a set of shared values, beliefs, and norms held by individuals of a group. Culture includes customs, material artifacts, and language that is transmitted from generation to generation. In the United States alone, there are several cultural differences. People do not dress the same, have the same religion, people have different perceptions of the world around them, have different languages, and also have different ways of expressing their personality. Differences between individuals within a culture are much greater than differences within groups. A person's belief, personality, sexual preferences, social standing, education, among other factors affect human behavior and culture. Recognizing and understanding differences in cultural patterns provides a framework for interpreting goals and behaviors of others. The purpose of this paper is to analyze religion and sexual identify/ orientation and point out their significance in understanding cultural differences. Religion Religions throughout the world are distinct in differences and relationship, with some having faith in saints, some in sacrifices and some in multiple gods. Religion is observed throughout the world in unlike traditions in few factors or other and can affect an individual’s behavior in his or her own tradition. According to Santrock (2010), people in numerous traditions will carry...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...category of cultural identity in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck Dr Elizabeth Jackson University of the West Indies St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Having begun my academic career, not so long ago, as a postcolonial scholar, I have become increasingly critical of postcolonial theory on the grounds that for an increasing number of literary texts by so-called postcolonial writers, postcolonial theoretical approaches may have outlived their usefulness. One example is the Nigerian-born writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s collection of short stories The Thing Around Your Neck, published in 2009. My paper will examine the ways in which these stories explore the limits of diaspora as a category of cultural identity and move toward a more flexible conceptualization of the impact of globalization on people’s sense of themselves and their place in the world. Although the main characters in these stories are of Nigerian origin, few of them fit easily into the limiting categories of ‘Nigerian’ or ‘Nigerian diaspora’. This is not only because their geographical placement is often in flux, but also because their sense of identity is not based on nationality, national origin, or even a sense of belonging to a Nigerian diaspora. On the contrary, they can arguably be described as ‘cosmopolitan’ – not in the old elitist sense of the term, but in the sense of transcending the limitations of nationality or national origin as a category of cultural identity. Indeed...
Words: 2763 - Pages: 12
...which indicated that the ratio of consumers using online services has raised from 8 per cent in 2010 to 30 per cent now while call volumes are in a declining trend. Application of concepts There are some concepts related to socio-cultural environment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in this action taken by Telstra. As the company stated, jobs cut is necessary and it is an aggressive push to costs cut, which caused by changes in customer preferences (Battersby 2012). Richard (n.d) outlined that a successful business must be aware of changes in cultures in societies in order to stay competitive advantage and stay in minds of customer preferences. Further, the growth of Internet use has become as abundant evidence leads to emerging of global culture; therefore global strategy should be revised as social cultural environment changed (Morrison 2008). According to Dani Rodrik (cited in Tan n.d), professor of international political economy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the global integration of goods and services has not only reduced the barriers of trade, but also created conflict between nation's norms, institutions and collective preferences. CSR is demonstrated in offshore jobs may be difficult for the company because of cultural differences, as reported by Battersby (2012). Moreover, the Community and Public...
Words: 801 - Pages: 4
...Romaine Smith Susan Doody ENG 111 02/14/13 Outline The positive impact music has on one’s identity In his musical lyrics, Bob Marley, a singer, songwriter and musician, motivates people across the world with his positive and encouraging music. In his biggest hi “One Love, One Heart, Let’s Get Together and Feel Alright,” created an atmosphere of love and exhilaration 2among people of different backgrounds and culture. After his death, Marley was venerated by people all over the world for his outstanding work and role model to the society. An icon had died. The positive influence of a song can reflect one’s character in different ways. One’s culture, attitude and appearance create an identity that can leave a positive impact on society. The cultural identity is those attributes, behavior patterns, lifestyles, and social structures that distinguish a person from another. Culture is learned and passed through generations and includes the believes and value system of a society. If we can examine the role of culture in a group formation, for example. If participants are told they share musical taste with an individual, they are more likely to appraise them positively and want to become their friend….. All these components of culture have an effect on one’s character. Music can have both positive and negative influences on one’s attitude. For example, a child that tends to listen more positive and...
Words: 410 - Pages: 2
...this goal. Unfortunately, the iCall did not bring the success that Taiwan Taxi hoped it would which left management questioning why the system worked so well in one country and not the other. The answer to this lies in the cultural differences and a lack of understanding of the Taiwan labor force that is currently working in the taxi industry. In order to successfully implement the iCall in Taiwan, management needs to tie value to the system in order to gain support from its employees and the public. This can be done internally through the use of incentive programs, as well as externally though marketing and advertising efforts focused on safety and efficiency. Problem Statement and Project Goals Management’s failure to understand cultural differences and their impact on the implementation of a GPS system in Taiwan has led to Taiwan Taxi’s failure in obtaining its 20,000 member goal. Analysis Management Taiwan Taxi based their implementation of the iCall after the success of a similar GPS system in Singapore. The company reasoned that since Singapore and Taiwan were similar in size and density that Taiwan would have equal success in the implementation of new technology in their taxi cabs. Management however, failed to realize that the severe cultural differences would play a significant role in the success of the iCall. Many subscribers felt that the iCall system added no value to their services. One user explained, “You know what; the GPS is actually useless. You...
Words: 1481 - Pages: 6
...existence. There are more or less 7 billion people living in this world and very few of them could mark their name by doing some exceptional things in their lives. Some are famous and loved by most of the people while there are some people who are notorious and people dislike them. But majority of the people in this world are simply good for nothing. They come and they die and nobody even notice their presence and their absence as well. (Olson, 2002) If we have to categorize the expression of identity we may find that basically there are two different classes of identity these are social identity and personal identity. Social identity is a collective identity. Social Identity refers to the procedure by which people use to be characterized themselves in terms as well as groups which they share in the company of other inhabitants in the society. (Deaux, 2001) Social identity theory is a prominent theory, which may highlights the way of social identification of the people. The theory of social identity is a theory, which is intended to...
Words: 844 - Pages: 4
...Question 1 Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and make decisions.. There are economic differences that influence the relationship between the partners at Shui Fabrics. Chiu Wai operated Shanghai Fabrics LTC located in China, before it became a joint venture with Rocky River Industries in the United States. When the companies became a venture, Chiu Wai became the Deputy General Manager for Shui Fabrics in China and venturing company Rocky River Industries located in US. Ray Betzell who is the General Manager for Shui Fabrics came to China from Rocky River Industries. Many companies who do business in others countries and cultures fail miserably. Managers must do their homework and learn the business ethic and culture lifestyles before even considering venturing into markets in different counties. To me it seems like neither of the managers did their homework and are having problems maintaining the economic factors that influence their company Political officials are going to be a big part of the team because they have strong influence on economic life in China. Ray must reach out to them and understand their goals. Success will depend on the personal involvement of top executives. The partners differ dramatically in terms of what constitutes an acceptable financial return. Chiu Wai is happy with achieving a 5% to 6% profit and believes he is viewed as a local...
Words: 948 - Pages: 4
...Club: Culture Clash and Identities I/ Introduction to The Joy Luck Club * About 4 mother-daughter (Lindo - Waverly, Ying Ying - Lena, An mei - Rose, Suyuan - June) duos living in America * 4 mothers were immigrants from China with tragic past * 4 daughters are American born and raised * A movie with many layers of intercultural and intergenerational communication (miscommunication) between mothers and daughters, as well as the daughters’ struggle with their cultural identities II/ Relevant literature and intercultural communication term * High context/ Low context Cultures * Collectivism / Individualism * Cultural Identity III/ Language barriers Even though the mothers speak understandable English, there are differences between the mothers’ English (alternative version of English with different accents and dialects) and the daughters’ English (American Standard English) Analysis: Analyses scenes where the differences are prominent Ex: [The title of the movie] The word “Joy Luck” does not exist in English. It is a poor, fractures version of English [Clip 01: The opening sequence (family/ friend gatherings)] Even though they are both speaking English, when spoken in groups (of mothers and of daughters), the languages used in each group seem different => Analyze differences in grammars, vocabulary and accents IV/ Communication style * High/Low Context China (high context) vs US (high context) Analysis: Compare characters’ interaction...
Words: 560 - Pages: 3
...formation of identity and the gradual development of personal esteem. Despite the ubiquitous nature of lingua franca such as the English language, people who are conscious of their indigenous identity are keen to incorporate aspects of their mother tongue in common languages. However, not all individuals feel proud of expressing their forms of synthesized language. The relationship between cultural identity and language is mutual. Language plays a vital role in placing an individual in an appropriate societal position (Val and Vinogradova 2). Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue and Anzaldua Gloria’s, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” are exquisite examples of the formation of language and cultural identities due to interactions with American culture. A comparative analysis of both texts can reveal that each author...
Words: 1629 - Pages: 7
...Cultural Influences on Personality and Bicultural Identity by Veronica Benet-Martínez Name Institution Date Abstract There has been increasing numbers of bicultural individuals in many nations, among them the United States showing that bicultural identity is extremely an important aspect for research. This paper recognizes and summarizes the literature on bicultural identity of different individuals. Second, the paper analyses how the Cultural influences on personality and bicultural identity theory addresses real-world problems and the solutions it suggests for such problems. The essential characteristics of the theory as well as the continued relevance are also evaluated for the purpose of analyzing the validity of the theory as well as its accuracy. Bicultural identity integration is determined by such factors like personality, social environment, political, economic and historical context. The current status of an individual’s cultural group may influence the range of that individual’s bicultural identity integration. Keywords: Bicultural identity, biculturalism, culture, personality, psychology. Cultural Influences on Personality and Bicultural Identity by Veronica Benet-Martínez Personality psychology is generally a branch of psychology which is involved with the student of personality and how it varies among different individuals. Personality is a set of characteristics that a person possesses and that have the ability to uniquely influence the person’senvironment...
Words: 4159 - Pages: 17
...entrepreneurship. This paper considers the situatedness of the gendered entrepreneur within diverse international contexts marked by different constitutions of gender identities and networks of power, both within the context of contributions within this special issue but also more broadly within the field of gender and entrepreneurship research. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt a feminist perspective and analyse the different framings of identity within gender and entrepreneurship literature and their contributions to our understandings of the concepts of both power and gendered identities. Findings – The paper finds that power and identity are configured in different contexts in ways that open arenas for future analysis. Originality/value – The paper highlights the importance of considering masculinities within gender and entrepreneurship research offering support for further analyses of entrepreneurial masculinities by examining two studies that expose entrepreneurial masculinities as shifting subjectivities influenced by men’s social power, but also by interactions between men and women and broader cultural contexts and transitions. In so doing, it contributes to the research agenda in relation to gender and entrepreneurship in different contexts. Keywords Gender, Entrepreneurialism, Women entrepreneurs, Masculinities, Identity, Power, Research work, Feminism Paper type Research paper...
Words: 8127 - Pages: 33
...COGNITIVE ORGANIZATION AND IDENTITY MAINTENANCE IN MULTICULTURAL TEAMS A Discourse Analysis of Decision-Making Meetings Jolanta Aritz Robyn C. Walker University of Southern California Measuring culture is a central issue in international management research and has been traditionally accomplished using indices of cultural values. Although a number of researchers have attempted to identify measures to account for the core elements of culture, there is no consensus on those measures. This article uses an alternative method—discourse analysis—to observe what actually occurs in terms of communication practices in intercultural decision-making meetings, specifically those involving U.S.-born native English speakers and participants from East Asian countries. Previous discourse studies in this area suggest that differences in communication practices may be attributed to power differentials or language competence. Our findings suggest that the conversation style differences we observed might be attributed to intergroup identity issues instead. Keywords: intercultural communication; intercultural communication; group communication; discourse analysis; intercultural management; group decision making; communication accommodation theory In an increasingly global economy, multicultural work teams are becoming more commonplace, and fostering teamwork in multicultural teams is a growing challenge. The growing body of intercultural research suggests important Jolanta Aritz is an Associate...
Words: 8915 - Pages: 36
...Defining the Research Problem Analysis of Butch Lesbian Mothers in Pop Culture This research makes a contribution to the current scholarship within feminist, gender, and sexuality studies that have previously not been explored in detail. Scholarship on queer parenting is burgeoning, however, it exists in a silo alongside the current literature on pop culture representations and butch lesbian identity, which is largely dated or unexplored. Bridging these fields of study, this unique analysis discursively traces pop culture representations of butch lesbian parents. Specifically, I contribute to the current research in three ways. First, little feminist research has been carried out on motherhood in recent years. There are only a handful of studies...
Words: 1713 - Pages: 7
