...Alexander Francis ENG 200 November 4, 2013 Prof. Hamann, Erika Thesis: WWII was critical to the degree at which swing influenced the development of American identity; not only through recognition of social inequalities, but furthering the development of a musical identity that still influences the modern sounds of our ever-changing culture. Why Swing Swung What separates you from others can appropriately be deemed as a series of conflict’s, conflict is critical to the development of identity; without conflict the unconscious perception of us, them, we or they would not exist. Humans being naturally prone to argument create a cultural identity designed around the conflicts in which a number of people are affected, in turn allowing people to identify with each other through common grounds; unintentionally creating a communication barrier between them and us. This model although small demonstrates how groups are formed, and can be projected upon the development of a musical identity within America during the Second World War. Possibly seen as the largest conflict in recorded history, World War II set the boundaries for numerous identities; creating a conscious affiliation of differences, people now identified themselves through stereotypes that otherwise would not have developed. Most of these conflicts or stereotypes would happen to be woven inside the United States due to propaganda: a necessary war tool developed to instill a feeling of pride and ensure a feeling of...
Words: 1525 - Pages: 7
...Language and ethnicity are known to be closely intertwined (Giles &ump; Coupland 1991). However, prior to analyzing interrelation between language and ethnicity I faced the problem of identifying the concept of ‘ethnicity’ itself. Thus, Fishman (1997: 327) points out that ‘ethnicity’ like other notions it is in a close association with, i.e. ‘race’, ‘people’, ‘nation’, ‘nationality’, is not “an exact scientific term”. Therefore it is not clearly defined and thus is open to interpretations (Ibid). In my search I came across a number of rather vogue explanations, and the most common aggregated dictionary definition of ‘ethnicity’ is ‘a belonging to a particular social group that has a common national or cultural tradition’ (MacMillan Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, etc.). Dictionary of Cultural Literacy does single out and include language into the ethnicity definition saying that it is an “identity with or membership in a particular racial, national, or cultural group and observance of that group's customs, beliefs, and language”. However, is language always an inevitable part of one’s ethnicity or the ethnicity of a group? Definitely, the most understandable case of interrelation between language and ethnicity is the one when a person is born and lives on a specific territory which historically had one dominant ethnos and one dominant language, so ethnicity is predetermined by close bound between language and territory (Fishman 1997). Thus, Tabouret-Keller...
Words: 1357 - Pages: 6
...Intersectionality: What is Intersectionality and what does it mean in various contexts? The term is derived from the word Intersection which means “a point where two or more things intersect.” The term can be used to be refer to one’s identity whether biological, political, sociological, religious or otherwise. An example in this regard can be of a straight white Polish American Catholic Northwestern Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate male or, an African American United Methodist lesbian female ordained woman. In the United States, the gender identity and sexual orientation are quite important to one’s identity and life as a person. For students of theology and seminarians here in the U.S., the conversation about one’s gender identity,...
Words: 1445 - Pages: 6
...The main character Sumita experiences identity crisis between her true Indian heritage and assimilating into American culture. The clothes symbolize the separate cultures that divide her identity. The traditional Indian clothes, the sari, mark her cultural heritage and as a result, they hinder her process of becoming an American and living an American life. On the other hand, she wear American clothes in spite of her Indian heritage to fit comfortably into American culture. The conclusion of the story indicates assimilation as the most positive outcome for the main character. “In the mirror a woman holds my gaze, her eyes apprehensive yet steady. She wears a blouse and skirt the color of almonds” (Divakaruni, 7). The final line validates her official decision to assimilate and leave behind her original identity. Yet, she still recognizes her innate Indian heritage through the old clothes she puts away, but never disposes. This signifies that her identity in the street in different to the one she sees in the mirror. Regardless, it is determined that a better life is led by unfolding a new life in...
Words: 1028 - Pages: 5
...1. What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. Diversity in the workforce has evolved throughout history. From ancient times where nobility and religious figures ruled all to more current times with the struggle for civil rights in the 1960s or the workforce diversity in the 1990s with woman and different ethnic groups becoming leaders and executives. According to the text, diversity is defined “as the ways in which people differ that may affect their organizational experience in terms of performance, motivation, communication, and inclusion” (Harvey, 2009, p. 1). Dimensions of diversity include components related to a person's race, gender, ethnic background, religious/spiritual dogmas, lifestyle, sexual orientation, age, abilities, and appearance (Schaefer, 2012). These are known as primary dimensions. Secondary dimensions are considered less central to someone’s social identity. Some examples are: Geographic location, military/work experience, family status, income, education, communication and work styles, and first language/education. 2. With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your social circle have in common. I am associated with many diverse groups of various backgrounds. Culturally and ethnically, I identify with Latino/Hispanic, African American, Caucasian/Anglo and Asian. Being of an “All-American” Caucasian background I am...
Words: 939 - Pages: 4
...approximately 3.2 million students graduating this year from urban American high schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 40 percent of these students will not be able to perform college-level work and most of them will require some type of remediation to be successful. Although Paulo Friere and James Loewen have clearly noted the faulty educational process based on learning patterns and inadequate materials; they may have overlooked other underlying factors that may indeed cause a deficit in the educational process and produce a lower standard of education. These factors include but are not limited to ethnic background and socioeconomic status and environment. After thoroughly researching supporting arguments to my theory that Friere and Loewen both overlooked socioeconomics and teacher / pupil relationship importance. I stumbled upon, “A Comparative Study of Pupils Perception of Pedagogic Process” (McNess) and “Effects of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics and Class Composition on Highly Competent Children”. (Stefania Maggi) These studies illustrate how students view motivation, engagement and the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning. Education and National Culture: A comparative study of attitudes to secondary schooling (ENCOMPASS) and Early Development Instrument (EDI) research projects...
Words: 1278 - Pages: 6
...Dorris led to my interest in further investigating this issue, as it is still a concerning issue. The problem...
Words: 1264 - Pages: 6
...Manager-Employee Issues I am writing the memo to share some issues I have with one of my employees. Ten moths ago I hired a salesman with Chinese origin to help the company to take over the Chinese businesses in Plano, Texas. I cannot “click on personal level” with him since the very beginning of our relationship which is causing troubles in our communications. Another reason for our communication problem could be the different cultural background we have and our opposite personalities. I believe employees should be able to connect to their leader to become good followers. I think I am extrovert and should be able to get closer to him over time but there are some other issues that I need to address immediately. I have a problem with Wu’s performance inconsistencies his vision of how things should be done, obviously conflicting with my leadership style. He definitely is able to do “as I say” but not willing - he does not keep daily contact, works outside the office more than normal and his various meetings usually conflict with AccountBack activities and meetings. I do not know if this is based on cross cultural differences or situational leadership. I definitely should consider a mismatch of leadership style and development level of my subordinate. I should reconsider my participating approach towards my employees. It definitely worked for our branch and the financial results are proving it but most of the salesmen were new to the company. In case of salesmen with more experience...
Words: 1678 - Pages: 7
...examined multiple classrooms, schools, and districts where the achievement gap has been successfully eliminated. Tatum want to explore that students of color face a gap between their own culture and the culture of school. The gap emerges at the earliest phases of school where students’ pre-existing knowledge is not honored in the school environment and students are “set-up” to fail. Students of color end up behind white students at the earliest stages of school. Students of color therefore feel a conflict between their home racial and ethnic identity and the identity that is required to be successful in school. Inclusion of race-related content in a college course identified three sources of resistance to learning about racism: race as taboo topic; myth of meritocracy; and denial of personal connection to racism. Strategies for reducing resistance include a safe classroom climate; opportunity for self-generated knowledge; model of racial identity development; and empowering students as change agents. The question of this is “Why do we must talk about race?” This is to move racism and ethnicity from abstraction to real human experience. Tatum identifies three sources of resistance to talking about race — a tendency to see race as a taboo topic; a socialized belief that the United States is a just society where racial disparity doesn’t exist; and a denial, especially among white students, that they are personally prejudiced, even...
Words: 1804 - Pages: 8
...society torn by cultural tension between Germans and Muslim immigrants. In theory, a society that embraces multiculturalism is one in which two or more cultures coexist whilst harboring mutual respect for the other’s values and lifestyles and upholding a common national identity (Parekh 6). Multiculturalism implicitly assumes cultural equality, the notion that no culture is superior to another. The idea that cultural differences should be encouraged and protected is currently embraced by many Western political thinkers. The twenty-first century is an era of unprecedented globalization and cultural diffusion. However, the mingling of different cultures is often followed by disastrous consequences as seen in the turbulent political situation in Germany (Siebold, Reuters UK). Although Jonathan Swift wrote his travel satire Gulliver’s Travels in an age when multicultural societies had yet to emerge (indeed, cultural imperialism was the zeitgeist of the eighteenth century, an idea quite antithetical to multiculturalism), the cultural clash that Swift’s protagonist Lemuel Gulliver experiences with the foreign peoples he comes into contact with and observes between individuals within these societies portend the divisive aspects of human nature that preempt the possibility of a multiculturalist ideal. Gulliver is not a detached observer: his interactions with these societies eventually lead to his disillusionment about the goodness of humankind and destroy his own identity as an Englishman...
Words: 2621 - Pages: 11
...How to Adapt to a New Organizational Culture after a Merger/Acquisition Introduction The organization that I will be researching is Wachovia Bank. Wachovia is a diversified financial services company that provides a broad range of retail banking and brokerage, asset and wealth management, and corporate and investment banking products and services. They are one of the largest providers of financial services in the United States, with retail and commercial banking operations in 21 states from Connecticut to Florida and west to Texas and California, and nationwide retail brokerage, mortgage lending and auto finance businesses. Its retail brokerage operations under the Wachovia Securities brand name manage client assets through offices nationwide. Globally, clients are served in selected corporate and institutional sectors and through more than 40 international offices. Over the last several years Wachovia has always been in the position of purchasing smaller banks. And with most acquisitions, Wachovia has implemented their policies and procedures without taken into account how this would affect the existing employees of the company that was bought. Now for the first time, in company history, Wachovia finds itself on the other side of the table. I’m currently a Business Analyst at Wachovia. I’ve been with the company for almost 2 years, but I’ve been there long enough to understand and adapt to the culture, their policies & procedures, their implementation of diversity within...
Words: 3313 - Pages: 14
...*Daryoosh Hayati Lecturer of English Language, Lamerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran Journal of Subcontinent Researches University of Sistan and Baluchestan Vol. 3, No.7, summer 2011 (p.p 31-52) East meets West: a Study of Dual Identity in Mohsin Hamid’s the Reluctant Fundamentalist Abstract This essay will present a postcolonial study of how Eastern identity and Western identity clash in The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, the Pakistani- American novelist, and make the character of the protagonist a glocal one, (A mixture of global and local), a term newly coined by Postcolonial scholars to show the ever clashing mixture of global and local dualities in immigrants’ personalities. The basis for this research paper is the postcolonial theories of Edward Said, Fanon and Homi K. Bhabha. The aim is to question simply and sardonically the human cost of empire building, moreover it is discussed how the people in a totally alien culture are faced with different cultural predicaments, dilemmas as well as contradictions threatening their identity. Identity is supposed to be stable, while as this novel indicates, it is more of glocal identity which is at risk due to the cultural conflicts, as a result of which identity and ethnicity are subjected to change for the benefit of the hegemony. In line with Edward Said’s: “the East writes back” it is shown how this novel is a reaction to the discourse of colonization from the Pakistani side (which stands for the East)...
Words: 7519 - Pages: 31
...Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Rhonda G. Allen SOC/315 May 6, 2013 Professor Anne Tindall Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Cultural Diversity has many dimensions, recognizing what they are can be challenging to those of who may not be familiar with them. The first dimension of Cultural Diversity, Primary Dimensions, which are considered basic and cannot be changed by the individual. The second dimension, Secondary Dimensions, is aspects of someone that can be influenced by outside factors. Finally the last dimension of Cultural Diversity is the Visibility Dimension, the more visible the aspect the stronger the influences have a potential to be viewed. A prime example of the visibility factor in Cultural Diversity would be, you may pretend to be a Christian, but you cannot pretend to be a black person when your skin is obviously white. All three dimensions develop a part of your personal identity, affecting your environment, behavior and how others perceive you. When person characteristics are influenced by the outside views of others is called Stereotyping. Stereotypical views may vary from religious beliefs, gender, racial profiles, and ethnicity. The specific group of Cultural Diversity of which I can identify with would be gender based. Being a female has many difficulties in the corporate world. For as long as you can refer back in time, the female gender in the workplace has more than likely held a subordinate position. Many studies...
Words: 1480 - Pages: 6
...Depiction of Hermaphroditism in Middlesex Hausarbeit als Abschlussprüfung im Advancedmodul“Female Masculinity”(WS 2013/14)Dozenten Anna Hutnik, M. A. und Dietlind Falk, M.ABachelorstudiengang Anglistik/Amerikanistikder Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf Vorgelegt von:Nicole Jennifer BeckerNicole.Becker@uni-duesseldorf.de BA Anglistik KF, Informationswissenschaft EF, 3. SemesterMatrikel-Nr: 211199703.04.2014 Table of ContentTable of Content I.Introduction 3 II.Hermaphroditism vs Middlesex4 III.Cal's Intersexuality in Society6 III.a. Gender Identity and Transphobia6 III.b. Gender Assignment and Intelligibility9 IV.Dealing with Intersexuality10 IV.a.Stephanides Family and Dr. Luce10 IV.b. Beyond Middlesex: Other Cultures 12 V.Conclusion15 V.a.Outlook17 VI.Works Cited19 Introduction Inspired by the story of Herculine Barbin, a nineteenth-century hermaphrodite who committed suicide in 1868, the bestseller novel “Middlesex” by Jeffrey Eugenides deals with the condition of the pseudohermaphrodite Calliope “Cal” Stephanides. Since sex[1] and gender[2] are controversial topics that have been discussed by scholars such as Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault or Judith Butler to name only a few, it can be assumed that the depiction of hermaphroditism in a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel like Middlesex might have an influence on how readers think of the topic itself. Due to this day especially hermaphrodites and intersexuals lack in most countries representation in form...
Words: 6778 - Pages: 28
...Colonialism Criticism to try to explain what happens to Obi after his foreign education. As a theoretical approach, postcolonialism asks readers to consider the way colonialist and anti-colonialist messages are presented in literary texts. It argues that Western culture is Eurocentric, meaning it presents European values as natural and universal, while Eastern ideas are, for example, inferior, immoral, or savage. What post-colonial literary criticism does is analyze literature written both by colonial powers and by those who were colonized in order to look at the cultural impact of colonization. After further analysis are done regarding the impact of foreign education in Obi Okonkwo's life, the analysis concludes that there are three main impacts that are caused by Obi's foreign education. The first is the loss of identity that made Obi Okonkwo to feel uncomfortable whether he is Nigeria or England. This loss of identity has caused Obi to see all sorts of problems with his own culture, but on the other hand, he is not accepted by the Western either. The second impact is his growing disrespect of his own culture. Because of his education, Obi views his culture to be vastly inferior to western culture. The last one...
Words: 3652 - Pages: 15
