Sociological Perspective: Westboro Baptist Church

Sociological Perspective: Westboro Baptist Church Kyle Mahoney A counterculture is a subculture that rejects the major values, norms, and practices of the larger society, replacing them with a new set of cultural patterns (Thomas); the Westboro Baptist Church is an example of a counterculture due to its rejection of societal norms such as respect for the dead and acceptance of others, especially LGBT people, Jewish people, other Christian people, and African-Americans and black people in general. Their messages of extreme hatred for minorities, Jewish people, and those who do not share the same beliefs as them as well as their extremely aggressive use of media attention to further their hateful agenda, show that they are rebelling against norms, major values, and practices of the larger society, namely respect for others and an inclusive, caring attitude towards minorities. By using media attention and publicity, they are actively and aggressively trying to spread their hateful message and make others feel the same way they do about minorities, other religions, and the LGBT community. In the BBC documentary The Most Hated Family in America, one of the leaders of the group said that the Westboro Baptist Church was not in the process of attempting to convert sinners or grow their church, and that their real purpose was to provoke people and spread the hatred of God, to make people sympathize with the hatred that the Westboro Baptist Church shows. This leader then proceeds to talk about how the churchs goal is to plant the seeds of Gods hatred in the hearts and minds of others (OConnor). Pastor Fred Phelps, after dropping out of West Point and graduating with a ministerial degree from Jones College, began serving as Westboro Baptist Churchs pastor in 1955, and he and his family are the leaders of the church and its actions (Westboro Baptist Church). In 1967 the Westboro Baptist Church became not-for-profit. The group became fairly active in picketing, releasing statements regarding homosexuality and other things they viewed as sins, and anti-semitism in the 1990s onward. The majority of the Churchs membership is constituted of its founder Fred Phelps family. The first time the church truly gained media attention was in 1998, when Westboro picketed the funeral of a gay murder victim named Matthew Shephard. The group had signs saying God hates fags, among other extremely derogatory statements (Anti-Defamation League). The group also attempted to build a granite monument to Shephard, with his name and an anti-gay bible verse on it; their request to build this monument i n a public park was denied (Southern Poverty Law Center). The group truly came into the public spotlight in 2005, when they began to actively picket and protest deceased soldiers funerals, toting signs saying Thank God for dead soldiers and Thank God for IEDs, which brought them national attention from the media (Anti-Defamation League). In March 2006, the Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of Matthew Snyder, who had served in Iraq. Albert Snyder, Matthews father, sued the Westboro Baptist Church for defamation, invasion of privacy, and emotional distress. The case eventually came before the Supreme Court of the United States in 2010 (Southern Poverty Law Center). The Supreme Court of the United States held that the Westboro Baptist Church was within their First Amendment rights while protesting and picketing funerals, and that their hateful speech was protected by their First Amendment rights as well (Snyder v. Phelps ET AL. ). Westboro Baptist Church remains active to th is day, and according to their website they have conducted 59,091 pickets as of this writing (Westboro Baptist Church). The group has also been banned from certain countries after threatening to picket funerals, namely the United Kingdom and Canada (Southern Poverty Law Center). The group is significant in the fact that they receive large amounts of media attention and that they are known for protecting their right to free speech in court, and the group actively challenges laws protecting the United States flag from desecration (Anti-Defamation League). Their ideology is an extremist Christian view that manifests itself as hatred towards basically all groups save the Westboro Baptist Church; focusing on minority groups and military. The sociological perspective is defined as being able to look beyond commonly held beliefs to see the bigger picture and the true meanings behind human actions (Thomas 4-5). A major driver of the Westboro Baptist Church is the fact that almost all of its key members are related, and that the children raised in the church are essentially brainwashed into thinking that they are right and all other groups or opinions are wrong. The group seems to simply spew hatred, but they truly believe that by spreading hateful ideas they are spreading the word of God to everyone (TED). The sociological imagination is defined as being able to see the connection between the larger world and ones personal life (Thomas 4-5 ). This group has affected the world by spreading hateful ideas, and act as a force that the greater culture rallies against, due to the Westboro Baptist Churchs disregard of mores like respecting the dead, the United States flag, and soldiers. Legally, this group is significant for p roving on the Supreme Court level that their picketing is legal and protected by the first Amendment (Snyder v. Phelps ET AL. ), along with their challenging of laws that protect the flag from desecration, and the group raises questions about the limits of first Amendment rights. Ethnocentrism is defined as viewing ones own culture or group as superior to another culture or group (Thomas 35), and by viewing American culture as superior it is easy to see why the Westboro Baptist Church is seen as a counterculture. The American people value diversity, it is often stressed in our society that it is good to be different or that everyone is unique; the Westboro Baptist Church rebels against this value in diversity, stating that other groups are inherently inferior as designed by God, and that these inferior groups deserve to die and burn in hell (Westboro Baptist Church). American culture also values the flag, which Westboro Baptist Church is known for desecrating and overturning laws protecting the flag. Most of all American culture values veterans, active duty soldiers, and the deceased, which Westboro Baptist Church actively pickets with signs reading Thank God for IEDs among other travesties (Westboro Baptist Church), showing that they are rebelling against ma jor mores that are valued by American culture. The groupss supremacist attitude, along with their hatred of homosexuals, the Jewish, and blacks, define them as a counterculture which rebels against the mores regarding diversity and freedom for all. Their hatred for soldiers and even the practice of funerals only serves to further prove they are a counterculture; by picketing funerals of soldiers the group is rebelling against major values and mores of society (Anti-Defamation League). Cultural relativism is defined as judging a culture by their own standards rather than imposing another cultures standards on a culture (Thomas 36). By applying cultural relativism to the Westboro Baptist Church, it is easy to see that the groupss member believe they are justified, and that what they are doing may be hateful, but it is hateful because God wants the group to spread hate. The group views itself as the only real religion that God will recognize, and views all other groups, even fellow Christians, as sinners destined for hell. The group feels that it is justified in its hatred of homosexuality because homosexuality is seen as a sin in the bible (Westboro Baptist Church). The group pickets funerals because they believe that funerals are where people will be most receptive to their ideas, and the group pickets soldiers funerals more often because they believe that the military is sinful and that the military is protecting the rights of homosexuals (Westboro Baptist Church) . The group is so invested in what they believe to be Gods divine mission for them that they do not care if they receive hate in return, and they believe that they are justified in disregarding major values, practices, and norms of society. Personally, as someone who was raised with a Protestant church background, as well as someone possessing black, Jewish, veteran, Catholic, and homosexual family members, I abhor and reject the practices of the Westboro Church; I see their actions as extremely disrespectful and devoid of anything that God would support, as the bible speaks more about inclusivity and loving sinners than spreading hatred. Although by taking a culturally relative view of the groups actions, I believe they are too extreme in showing that homosexuality is a sin, and as someone who no longer identifies as Christian I believe that people should be allowed to love who they want regardless of gender. I am not by any means a theologian or an ardent Christian, but I still believe that the Westboro Baptist Churchs extremist views, although protected by the first Amendment, are to be abhorred. I also strongly believe that the dead, especially those who died in active duty, should be held to the highest levels of r espect and honor, and I believe that the greater American culture is in concurrence with me in this belief. Westboro Baptist Church is important to the world because it has a global impact and brings issues regarding free speech and how far extension of free speech goes, and I hope that in the future the Westboro Baptist Church will never come to represent the majority opinion of Americans, because their hatred of others is disgusting. I believe that taking a certain degree of ethnocentrism is necessary when dealing with the Westboro Baptist Church because their ideals are so hateful that they can bring out hatred in others, and ethnocentrism acts as a barrier to stop their hatred from spreading. To conclude, Westboro Baptist Churchs extremist Christian views are so opposite to the major mores of American society that it makes them a counterculture, and the Westboro Baptist Church is an extremely hateful group that hopefully will not stand the test of time. References The Most Hated Family in America. Dir. Geoffrey OConnor. Perf. Louis Theroux. 2007. Documentary. Anti-Defamation League. Westboro Baptist Church. n.d. Archived Website. 10 March 2017. Snyder v. Phelps ET AL. . No. 09-751. Supreme Court of the United States. 6 October 2010. Court Case. Southern Poverty Law Center. SPL Center. n.d. Website. 7 March 2017. TED. I Grew Up in the Westboro Baptist Church. This is why I left. February 2017. Video. Thomas, W Laverne. Sociology- The Study of Human Relationships. Austin: Holt,Rinehart, Winston, 2003. 39, 4-5, 35, 36. Textbook. Westboro Baptist Church. God Hates Fags. n.d. Website. 10 March 2017.

John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums Essay -- John Steinbeck The Chrysa

In John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums, the reader is introduced to the seemingly timid and shy Elisa Allen. Elisa is routinely planting her yearly sets of Chrysanthemums, which appear to be the sole receptor of her caring and gentle touch, but all the while it is evident that â€Å"the chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy.† Her hidden eagerness seems not only out of place, but out of touch with her dry and wilted surroundings, of which her husband, Henry, abruptly interrupts her steady pace. Inquiring of dinner plans, he is quickly shuttered  out, so that Elisa can continue her work in the fenced in flower bed. This seems to be the only place on the ranch that belongs to her, and thus devoting the entirety of her time, and consideration, towards this lonely sandy square.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It isn’t long before another interruption comes cluttering up to country road toward the Allen Ranch. This time it comes in the form of a worn wagon, drawn by two mismatched horses, and a large rugged man sitting behind the reins. Elisa appears to be somewhat static as she introduces herself to the peddler, making it known that he is drawing her away from her duties. But the peddler, who is just trying to find something to fix-up for money, sparks a vigor in Elisa, and she suddenly gains interest in everything he says, as benign as it may be. This peddler, who merely altered Elisa’s routine, has immediately altered her life. The change in routine is the first in many years for her...

Emotional and Psychological Effects of Cancer

Writing 1010 Final Research Paper April 26, 2012 Emotional and Psychological Effects of Cancer Nearly 11,958,000 people were living with cancer in the U. S. in the year of 2008. (â€Å"Cancer Prevalence: How Many People Have Cancer? †). It is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer is â€Å"characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. †(Mayo Clinic Staff) It is caused by a simple DNA mutation that causes the body to create a cancerous cell.It causes many physical complications including: pain, fatigue, difficult breathing, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and difficult immune reactions known as paraneoplastic syndromes. The effects of cancer are not only physiological but also psychological and emotional. Cancer causes a number of psychological effects such as: stress, constant fatigue, depression, withdrawal, fear, and anger. When a patient is diagn osed with cancer, their reaction may vary depending on a number of factors such as the type and severity or stage of the cancer, and simply the patient’s personality.In most cases, patients first experience shock or denial once they have heard the harsh news. This is followed, a few days or weeks later, by sadness and depression. Later on they will experience withdrawal, uncontrollable fear of what is to come, anger, and guilt. (â€Å"Coping and Support. Emotional Effects of Cancer. †) Some patients feel they have become lost and isolated from the world. For when they are undergoing treatments, they may be physically isolated for periods of time and must wear protective gear to simply exit their sterile room. Permitting contact with anyone or anything that is not necessary for treatment.Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800sThis is an incredibly emotional taxing time for the patients, for this is the time that contact with family, friends, and the outside world are import ant for a person’s emotional well-being. Extreme stress is always an effect on a patient, their family, and their friends due to the many complications outside of the patient’s physical complications. This includes job concerns, financial instability, and what will happen to the family if the patient passes away. (Julia Beirut) Because cancer has affected so many people around the globe, it has become easier to find ways to cope with cancer than ever before.Many websites, books, support groups, therapist specialties, and therapies have been created to help everyone affected by cancer to find coping skills that work best for them. Many people have suggested that patients and family members let out the bad feelings so that they may more fully enjoy the positive aspects of the situation. It is also important to stay connected with family, friend, and the community through social networks, visits, and participating in community activities such as yoga classes, swimming, bo ok clubs, and religious activities.It is also important to keep a positive attitude as much as possible without keeping the bad emotions balled up inside and pretending not to care. It is healthy to make peace with the unknown, or accepting that they do not know what will happen or if they will recover or not. This is said to be one of the hardest coping mechanisms, but also one of the most important. It is extremely important to seek professional care for psychological and emotional effects. Rarely can one deal with the pain and stress of cancer on their own and in their own way.Refusing to receive guidance from a professional therapist is like refusing to go skydiving for the first time with a professional skydiver. (National Bone Marrow Transplant Link) Joey Call is a survivor of stage 3 leukemia as of this year. He was diagnosed in the fall of 2010, at the age of 24. He was treated with chemotherapy and radiation frequently and felt the effects immediately. After starting treatm ent he noticed a change in his personality as well as his body. He explains,† I felt like I was in a fog for the first few months. Like my mind and emotions just turned themselves off.Then once I could really understand that I had cancer, I just exploded. I didn’t know how to handle it. It was too much to take in. I was like a baby. I cried for days! † Joey continues to explain that after the depression and denial, he started to become so stressed. â€Å"The doctor said that I won’t be able to have kids after the chemo. It made me even more scared and stressed out. How was my wife going to take this? I can’t even give her a family the normal way. We have to do ________ for the rest of our lives. That was the most stressful thing of the whole thing. † He and his wife also went through tough financial losses.Without Joey working and his wife still in college, they were struggling to pay their bills. When joey was younger, he was in prison. He wa s exposed to contaminated drug needles and other devices that had many diseases and viruses on them. He used his friend’s needle once, and that one harmless choice would later help give him not only leukemia, but also hepatitis B. Because of this one time action, he would later feel extreme guilt and regret, for he knew that that one â€Å"fix† was a huge factor into giving him great health problems later in life. â€Å"It was so not worth it,† he claims.Even though Joey is cancer free, he is still struggling with depression, fear or returning cancer, and extreme stress. (Joey Call) Even though cancer is extremely hard on the body, mind, and soul; happiness can be achieved. It may seem too difficult to handle, but many survive and go onto living happy and successful lives. With the help of professionals and the support of doctors, family, and friends, survival is possible. Works Cited Beirut, Julia. â€Å"Mental Effects of Breast Cancer. † [Online]http:// www. livestrong. com/article/78853-mental-effects-breast-cancer/ February 2,2010 Call, Joey.Interview. Salt Lake City, Utah: April 21, 2012. â€Å"Cancer Prevalence: How Many People Have Cancer? † [Online] http://www. cancer. org/Cancer/CancerBasics/cancer-prevalence October 10, 2011 â€Å"Coping and Support. Emotional Effects of Cancer. † [Online] http://www. leukemiabmtprogram. org/patients_and_family/coping_and_support/emot onal_effects_of_cancer/your_emotions. html 2011 Mayo Clinic Staff. â€Å"Cancer† [Online] http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/cancer/DS01076 May 8, 2010 National Bone Marrow Transplant Link. †Survivorship Guide for Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant† [Online] Emotional and Psychological Effects of Cancer Writing 1010 Final Research Paper April 26, 2012 Emotional and Psychological Effects of Cancer Nearly 11,958,000 people were living with cancer in the U. S. in the year of 2008. (â€Å"Cancer Prevalence: How Many People Have Cancer? †). It is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer is â€Å"characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. †(Mayo Clinic Staff) It is caused by a simple DNA mutation that causes the body to create a cancerous cell.It causes many physical complications including: pain, fatigue, difficult breathing, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and difficult immune reactions known as paraneoplastic syndromes. The effects of cancer are not only physiological but also psychological and emotional. Cancer causes a number of psychological effects such as: stress, constant fatigue, depression, withdrawal, fear, and anger. When a patient is diagn osed with cancer, their reaction may vary depending on a number of factors such as the type and severity or stage of the cancer, and simply the patient’s personality.In most cases, patients first experience shock or denial once they have heard the harsh news. This is followed, a few days or weeks later, by sadness and depression. Later on they will experience withdrawal, uncontrollable fear of what is to come, anger, and guilt. (â€Å"Coping and Support. Emotional Effects of Cancer. †) Some patients feel they have become lost and isolated from the world. For when they are undergoing treatments, they may be physically isolated for periods of time and must wear protective gear to simply exit their sterile room. Permitting contact with anyone or anything that is not necessary for treatment.Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800sThis is an incredibly emotional taxing time for the patients, for this is the time that contact with family, friends, and the outside world are import ant for a person’s emotional well-being. Extreme stress is always an effect on a patient, their family, and their friends due to the many complications outside of the patient’s physical complications. This includes job concerns, financial instability, and what will happen to the family if the patient passes away. (Julia Beirut) Because cancer has affected so many people around the globe, it has become easier to find ways to cope with cancer than ever before.Many websites, books, support groups, therapist specialties, and therapies have been created to help everyone affected by cancer to find coping skills that work best for them. Many people have suggested that patients and family members let out the bad feelings so that they may more fully enjoy the positive aspects of the situation. It is also important to stay connected with family, friend, and the community through social networks, visits, and participating in community activities such as yoga classes, swimming, bo ok clubs, and religious activities.It is also important to keep a positive attitude as much as possible without keeping the bad emotions balled up inside and pretending not to care. It is healthy to make peace with the unknown, or accepting that they do not know what will happen or if they will recover or not. This is said to be one of the hardest coping mechanisms, but also one of the most important. It is extremely important to seek professional care for psychological and emotional effects. Rarely can one deal with the pain and stress of cancer on their own and in their own way.Refusing to receive guidance from a professional therapist is like refusing to go skydiving for the first time with a professional skydiver. (National Bone Marrow Transplant Link) Joey Call is a survivor of stage 3 leukemia as of this year. He was diagnosed in the fall of 2010, at the age of 24. He was treated with chemotherapy and radiation frequently and felt the effects immediately. After starting treatm ent he noticed a change in his personality as well as his body. He explains,† I felt like I was in a fog for the first few months. Like my mind and emotions just turned themselves off.Then once I could really understand that I had cancer, I just exploded. I didn’t know how to handle it. It was too much to take in. I was like a baby. I cried for days! † Joey continues to explain that after the depression and denial, he started to become so stressed. â€Å"The doctor said that I won’t be able to have kids after the chemo. It made me even more scared and stressed out. How was my wife going to take this? I can’t even give her a family the normal way. We have to do ________ for the rest of our lives. That was the most stressful thing of the whole thing. † He and his wife also went through tough financial losses.Without Joey working and his wife still in college, they were struggling to pay their bills. When joey was younger, he was in prison. He wa s exposed to contaminated drug needles and other devices that had many diseases and viruses on them. He used his friend’s needle once, and that one harmless choice would later help give him not only leukemia, but also hepatitis B. Because of this one time action, he would later feel extreme guilt and regret, for he knew that that one â€Å"fix† was a huge factor into giving him great health problems later in life. â€Å"It was so not worth it,† he claims.Even though Joey is cancer free, he is still struggling with depression, fear or returning cancer, and extreme stress. (Joey Call) Even though cancer is extremely hard on the body, mind, and soul; happiness can be achieved. It may seem too difficult to handle, but many survive and go onto living happy and successful lives. With the help of professionals and the support of doctors, family, and friends, survival is possible. Works Cited Beirut, Julia. â€Å"Mental Effects of Breast Cancer. † [Online]http:// www. livestrong. com/article/78853-mental-effects-breast-cancer/ February 2,2010 Call, Joey.Interview. Salt Lake City, Utah: April 21, 2012. â€Å"Cancer Prevalence: How Many People Have Cancer? † [Online] http://www. cancer. org/Cancer/CancerBasics/cancer-prevalence October 10, 2011 â€Å"Coping and Support. Emotional Effects of Cancer. † [Online] http://www. leukemiabmtprogram. org/patients_and_family/coping_and_support/emot onal_effects_of_cancer/your_emotions. html 2011 Mayo Clinic Staff. â€Å"Cancer† [Online] http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/cancer/DS01076 May 8, 2010 National Bone Marrow Transplant Link. †Survivorship Guide for Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant† [Online]

Hume and Epicurus †Philosophy Essay

Hume and Epicurus – Philosophy Essay Free Online Research Papers Hume and Epicurus Philosophy Essay How often have we looked at the night sky and wondered at the splendor of the stars and planets glowing at us? How often do we see the majesty of the flowers or hear the beating of our heart and, overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the order and beauty, feel the presence of a Supreme Creator? So goes the design argument- it proclaims that because of the order and brilliance of the universe, it follows that there must be a rational, intelligent creator. Hume, in his work An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, actually responds to the argument in a unique way. In fact, he does not criticize the argument itself, but sets it aside and goes about a criticism of the consequences of the reasoning by which those who accept the design case infer morality and all manner of characteristics about God that cannot be seen directly from nature. The cosmos is a wondrous place. One only has to look at the planets and their circular orbits to conclude, at least in our definition, that we have quite an ordered universe around us. And thus since the recorded beginnings of man’s history it has been. However, because of skeptics who do not see God in the creations of the world, quite a bit of religious philosophy has been written inferring the existence of a god; not only a god, however, but the God we know and are familiar with, that Great Existence that rewards virtue and punishes vice. In Hume’s philosophy, although he admits a god could feasibly be inferred from the marvels of the natural world, he rejects any additional inferences about God that do not relate to the effects of the natural world itself. Epicurus was a philosopher in Athens who headed a movement called Epicureanism. This school of thought believed the highest goal in life was pleasure and the absence of pain, although pleasure of the mind was preferable to pleasure of the body. Their theology was quite passive, and though most Epicureans admitted to the existence of gods, the deities did not concern themselves with human affairs. Additionally, they were not involved in the natural phenomena, which could be completely explained by science- a philosophy derived from Democritus’ theory of the atom. In Hume’s An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, he takes the place of Epicurus in philosophical defense. He feigns the position against the Athenians, who, during the time of Epicurus, denounced his philosophy. Hume’s central argument concerns the various roles of cause and effect. One can often infer cause from an effect, he says. For example, he even uses the design argument and admits that the first half can be correct; in other words, it could indeed follow that there is a creator from the wonders of the natural world. However, one cannot then, from that cause, conclude that there are many more effects that cannot be seen from the natural world itself. The design argument, fails then- at least that part that concludes that the God of Christianity or Jupiter, or any other specific god exists and has all the benevolent and just characteristics that are often attributed to him. Hume uses the example of the Greek artist Zeuxis, who was an excellent painter. You cannot simply look at Zeuxis’ paintings and also know that he was a great sculptor, just as you cannot look at God’s creations and know that he is a just being, or that he has a spirit or that he rewards virtue a nd punishes vice. The only thing you can know is that He has the power to create a tree, or an ocean, or a planet or whatever you see ordered and evidently from Him. Thus, having a fervent religious belief in God based on reason is impossible and absurd, according to Hume. We can see an unfinished building with the tools of building all around it, and be quite certain that someone either is going to come around to finish it, or that somehow the unfinished building was held up in manufacture. However, we can infer all these things because we are basing on the actions of humans, with which we are quite familiar. Knowledge about God, who we cannot see or have no real familiarity with, cannot be inferred in the same way. Nowhere in his dialogue does Hume condemn religion itself. He does not deny God or the existence of morals and the importance of virtue and excellence. However, he is quite skillful at showing that our reason is limited. He shows that we must start from what we know and admit as only hypothesis anything from our belief in God that we do not know for certain and cannot conclude from the amazing magnificence around us. Research Papers on Hume and Epicurus - Philosophy EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMind TravelGenetic EngineeringAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementCapital PunishmentRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThree Concepts of PsychodynamicCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Free Online Research Papers In the workforce environment cultural diversity is a frequent problem, often employees are discriminated against or misunderstood because of their diverse appearance. We each belong to an entire collection of cultures different shared values, beliefs, and attitudes. Our own actions influence the way we characterize the actions of others. It is not easy to understand people from different cultures. In forming an opinion of other cultures, we have a tendency to make assumptions and generalizations which can get in the way of common sense. More often than not the technical language is understood, but other elements of communication are overlooked. Most of all communication is nonverbal. As much as 90% of your communication is done without words. Gestures, facial expressions, and posture provide information about a persons emotions and relationships with others (University of Northern Iowa, n.d.). Nonverbal communication is used more than verbal communication. The majority of people identify others by first appearances without communicating. It is easy to misunderstand another cultures expression of respect or affection. When you encounter someone new, the expectation of the other person perhaps is a nod of the head, a handshake, or a hug. How is a person to know? To have a successful business environment it is essential to have excellent communication. â€Å"There is no better way to build trust than through communication† (Hayhoe Grady, 2008, p.40). Eight years ago while working for a financial institution, I had a miscommunication with a coworker. Keiko was who is originally from Tokyo and worked as a finance officer for the local branch. Although Keiko has been in the United States for several years she still had a very heavy Asian accent and was incapable of forming proper grammar, but she was an excellent worker and expert at loans. If someone could not comprehend what she said they would then ask her to say it again and she would without a problem. Well a client came in one day and asked for her because he had a question a loan for their business. I went ahead and called her over for the client to ask her a question in reference to his business loan. The client did not comprehend what she was saying and Keiko did not unders tand what the needs of the client were. After explaining for the third time what he wanted the client became aggravated. A bit frustrated the client exasperatingly stated, â€Å"I cannot comprehend why businesses hire people that who do not speak English. Don’t they know that they work and live in America and need to speak English! If we lived in their country we would have to learn their language.† To make matters worse, I expressed my regret to the client and told him that I would talk with the loan manager to make sure that his work with our manager and make sure that his demands were taken care. After the client left the branch, Keiko began to cry and blamed me for what had occurred. I became a little offended and did not comprehend what was happening, I was taken aback. My thoughts were what did I do and why was she upset with me? I thought I was doing her a favor by getting the client away from her. This one example of why it is important to have Intercultu ral Communication in the workplace. I did not think there was anything wrong with what I did think what I did was wrong; on the other hand, evidently that is not what Keiko believed. When I talked with the loan manager and explained to her what took place, I realized that Keiko was sadden because I did not support her when the client made those malicious comments about her and she also thought I should have explained the issues the client had to her myself. I learned from her that day some Asian cultures. She explained to me that in China, Japan, and other Asian cultures it is imperative to avoid causing your counterpart to lose face. In Asian cultures to raise your voice or shout at a person in public, or to correct them in front of their peers will cause them to lose face (Berman, 2003). I made an apology to Keiko and let her know I was trying to be helpful and that I meant no disrespect. One of the crucial points to effective intercultural communication is knowledge. It is extremely vital that people recognize the problems of intercultural communication and make an effort to overcome these problems when there is a culturally diverse workforce. A large number of people make the assumption that cultural diversity is the cause of communication issues. Employers should be willing to be open-minded and forgiving, rather than threatening and aggressive, if issues arise. One should be cautious in intercultural interactions and come to any assumption of how a person feels or what person thinking. One of the main points to intercultural communication is Reflective Listening. Reflective Listening is used to analysis what someone is saying by reiterate what you think you heard. This helps in validating what was heard is accurately understood (Vuckovic, 2008). Reflective Listening is also helpful because there are many words and gestures that are used in different ways among languages or cultural groups. Some organizations frequently use mediators that are familiar with different cultures. This can be very helpful in intercultural communication situations. Mediators help in translating both the words and gestures. For example, what would be considered inappropriate in one culture can be discussed and changed, so it does not offend before they are shared with culture. Americans are quick to reference or direct to the issues. Other cultures like to set up relationships before any business is discussed. If a relationship is not made before discussions on business are started there is no trust in the person that is speaking. A mediator that recognizes the issue can help in making appropriate adjustments to the procedures. Organization need to be knowledgeable about managing a diverse culture. It is vital for an organization to succeed in global arena. The responsibility of a diverse culture influences talent management policies and procedures in the workplace. One talent continues to motivate others; demonstrate the ability to effectually communicate with clients, coworkers, and management. If there are no effective communication skills the workplace suffers. ? References University of Northern Iowa. (n.d.). Non-Verbal Communication. Retrieved July 29, 2009, from cba.uni.edu/Buscomm/nonverbal/index.html Hayhoe, George F., Grady, Helem. (2008). Connecting People with Technology: Issues in Professional Communication . Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company . Vuckovic, Aleksandra. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: a foundation of communicative action. , 2(1), 47 59. doi: 10.1108/17504970810867151. Research Papers on Intercultural Communication in the WorkplaceThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part One

Electronic Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Financial part of the new project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial part of the new project - Essay Example An individual can retail companies like Wal-Mart or a financial organization. Wal-Mart is the leading retailing company. It has been rated as no.1 retailing company in United States. An individual or a firm planning to setup a store can acquire the services of Wal-Mart for the products offered by the Wal-Mart to exhibit the popular brands that comes under Wal-Mart. Instead of approaching the financial institutions like banks for funding loans the dependent can approach Wal-Mart. It can sponsor the person or firm to open store. Storeowner can get commission from Wal-Mart after the selling of the products that were displayed in the store. The commission varies depending on the store. In the current market scenario the sales of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and computer hardware and software sales touch saturate point. Unlike stores established for artifacts whose sales move at snails pace than the products like FMCG. In addition, capital required for establishing events that are outdated in the market like antiques and art related is unassumingly high. Moreover the cash involved in such a store will be at stake for a longer period and fetch very less margin or commission from Wal-Mart. The fixed assets required in establishing a store should be on par with the status of the Wal-Mart.