Particular population or society Essay Example for Free

Particular population or society Essay While people consider themselves unique individuals in terms of their personality, habits, opinions, attitudes personal quirks, there are many habits, beliefs and attitudes that are common to most people, especially those living a society. The culmination of language, religious beliefs, music, food preference, works habits, etc. of a particular population or society is known as its culture (Ember and Ember, 1993, p. 6). Culture is unique for every society or social group that sometimes what some would consider taboo like eating dog meat is actually part of another society’s customs. In theory, everyone should be open to other society’s culture but in reality, that does not happen often. An individual who gauges others culture is said to be an ethnocentric (p. 159). The attitude is termed ethnocentrism . This denotes that the person has difficulty criticizing his/ her own customs and traditions precisely because his/her vision is limited to his/her owns. Ethnocentrism does not only affect the individual’s view on other persons but influences the society as well. Watching a foreign film is one way to measure if one is open to other cultural experiences. I Not Stupid is a Singaporean film tackling the intertwined lives of three primary school classmates: Terry, Kok Pin and Boon Hock (Leong, Yin and Neo, 2002). It offers a glimpse of many facets of Singaporean culture: the education system that looks down on students in the bottom (the three are in EM3, which ranks lowest), the Chinese self-loathing (in a class, one character says she wants to be Caucasian when she grows up so she does not have to speak Chinese), the high regard for English (one mother speaks English to her children, another one stresses that in order to succeed in Singapore, one must be a master at English and Math), and Caucasian (a Caucasian was hired as director even though it was clearly evident that the local staff are more knowledgeable, equipped and deserving of the position; there is even a scene when the Singaporean boss approves the Caucasian’s concept even though it was the same concept presented by the locals, which he vehemently rejected), and the over obedience Singaporeans are known for (2002). The Singaporeans’ affair with Ba gua, or Chinese Pork Barbecue as well as their reliance on gods and goddesses to grant their favors is also shown in the film. Such rituals, as evinced in the film, may be common in Singapore but a North American, especially an ethnocentric, may find it peculiar or even distasteful. It must also be stressed that Singapore has a close relation with China so some of China’s cultural beliefs and customs are integrated into Singapore. The film is sprinkled in Chinese, English and Singlish, short for Singaporean English. Colonial mentality may be picked up from the film, judging the characters’ high regard for Westerners. The existence of Singlish is also a sign that Singaporeans, albeit already successful and one of the most economically driven countries in Asia, still feel the need to level on some ways with the Western countries, which this writer finds interesting. Imagine, in North America, there are students eager to learn other languages while in Singapore and other countries where there are other main languages aside from English, they already have the advantage of learning another language easily. Again, this is ethnocentrism at work. Another glaring cultural element that is shown in the film is Singaporean’s deference to power. Terry, one of the main characters, cannot stands on his own and always follows his mother. This is supposedly a jibe at Singaporeans’ compliant nature. If a similar event happened in North American, the kid is likely to fight back. But then again, this is Singapore and as said by one character, â€Å"It is difficult to catch fish in Singapore, because fish in Singapore are like Singaporeans, they’ll never open their mouths† (Leong, Yin and Neo, 2002). Ethnocentric thinking causes people to misunderstand other society’s culture and at the same it keeps them for understanding their own. The film I not Stupid is a satirical comedy carping on some of the country’s modern culture. Perhaps the producers are also ethnocentric but regardless of it, the film provides a peek at Singapore’s norms and values, which in essence is simply the country’s way of life. References Ember, C. and Ember, M. (1993). Anthropology 7th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Leong, D. and Yin, C. P. (Producers), and Neo, J. (Director). (2002). I not stupid [VCD]. Singapore: United International Pictures.

Oedipus and Hamlet as Father Figures :: William Shakespeare Sophocles

Oedipus and Hamlet as Father Figures Oedipus and Hamlet are two very well known characters in literature. They both stand out in a reader's mind through their actions, conflicts, strengths, and weaknesses. A reader becomes involved more in the action through these two characters. They allow us, the reader, to gain a greater sense of the stories plot. In many ways these characters hold similar traits to one another but the one that stands out most in my mind is their relationships with their fathers. Their father's prior conflicts and decisions influenced these characters to the point of their own demise. In Hamlet Prince of Denmark young Hamlet is left facing the outcomes of the conflict his father had with his brother. Old Hamlet is dead, killed by his own brother for the thrown of Denmark. Young Hamlet is in deep morning over the loss of his father and now he has to handle the remarriage of his mother to his own uncle, the man who in cold blood killed his father. Hamlet, with the death of his father, is acting strangely but his whole outlook changes for the worst when his father's ghost visits him. He finds out the true causes of his death and he is influenced by his father to seek revenge. Hamlet's father tells his son to kill his uncle, Claudius because he is the cause of his death. Hamlet loved his father deeply and would do anything for him. He becomes enraged with anger and hate for Claudius and begins to plot his revenge, Claudius' own death. Throughout the play his father's ghost visits Hamlet. Even after his death he has a great control over his son and his action s. These visits are a constant reminder to Hamlet of the truth. Knowing the truth of his father's death has driven Hamlet to the brink of insanity. The only thing he can think of is revenge. His father's death and prior conflict with his brother has left Hamlet in a position of honoring his father and doing right by him, and the only thing he sees fit to do is rid himself of the man that brought about the anger Hamlet is feeling. In the end Hamlet finally gets the revenge he sought with the death of Claudius.

Counseling Assessment Paper

Counseling Assessment Paper Janell Brazeal BSHS 321 June 12, 2012 Joel Sadowsky Counseling Assessment Paper The life of a counselor is spent by talking with and listening to people. The main point of the counselors’ job is to interact with their patients and advise them on personal, family, educational, mental health and career problems they might be experiencing. Generally, counselors specialize in a specific field, such as; school counselors; rehabilitation counselors; mental health counselors; substance and behavioral disorder counselors; and marriage and family counselors.One important thing a counselor needs to have is active listening skills. In reviewing my practice counseling interviews, and the written feedback I received from my colleagues I was able to see my strengths and weaknesses. Behavioral research studies done over the past 40 years have isolated three key characteristics of feedback. They are classified as specificity, empathy, and inquiry. These three eleme nts represent key feedback skills so trainers can teach and assess effectively. Lawrence, 1995). My first interview, my client was sent to me for grades dropping. Before coming to see me, my client was a straight â€Å"A† student until she started working after school and joined a band which practiced three times a week. Her main concern was her parents finding out that she was failing three classes and that they would make her quit band, she didn’t care so much if she had to quit her job. My second interview, my client was referred to me for time management.She needed help figuring out how to manage her time, between being a full-time mom; student; and wife. She feels guilty for making time to work on her studies because it takes time away from her children and husband. Her husband is the main provider for the household, so the only time she gets to work on her studies is when he is home from work. The constructive feedback I received back from my colleagues was that I offered first-rate eye contact; my body language was focused on the client.I saw in my playback video, I sat straight and leaned in a little towards my clients, so I can hear them better. I asked direct questions, such as; how do you think your parents’ would react? How do you feel about your failing grades? What do you think you can do differently to improve your grades? Have you talked with your family about the importance of getting your studies and assignments done one time? Before ending my counseling sessions, I did set the expectations for my clients’ next visits.Watching the video playbacks, I did notice a few mistakes and what I need to work on next time. I missed sharing with my client the confidentiality codes, I was a bit out of words, and I know better not to chew gum during an interview. I also gave advice in one of my interviews, which we were not supposed to do. What I think went well during my interviews is I offered that first rate eye contact, I ha d a formal ending and set the expectations for my clients next visits.What I would’ve done differently during my interviews, is take make notes, asked more questions, and not offer advice. In conclusion, the life of a counselor is to have active listening skills. The counselors’ main job is to interact with their patients and offer advice/suggestions when needed. When we don’t use active listening skills, we’re not allowing ourselves to hear what the other person is saying. References Lawrence, Harriet V. Wiswell, Albert K. Training & Development, Feedback is a Two-Way street, July 1995, pg. 2

The Economic Crisis Of The United States - 1680 Words

Although the global economic crisis in 2008 occurred in many countries around the world, it was originally initiated by the United States of America. Being as though the United States is one of the world s most hegemonies countries after its economy suffered from an immense downturn many smaller countries were affected, most specifically the Caribbean. Many countries within the Caribbean were affected greatly by the recession due to the fact that most of their gross domestic product comes from tourist dollars and taxes on those goods. One may ponder how the recession or global economic crisis in 2008 affected tourism in Caribbean countries, true scholars can infer that the recession in 2008 caused a decrease in aggregate spending in many countries that tourist resided in. Jamaica is a prime example of a Caribbean country that was affected by the global economic crisis of 2008. As a small underdeveloped Caribbean country Jamaica s fiscal policy system can be viewed as fragile to some. With tourism bringing in the most revenue for the country the decline in economic activity which ultimately led to the economic crisis of 2008, affected the Jamaican economy to a noticeable extent. This study will expound upon the effects of the global crisis in 2008 had on Jamaica as a case study. Aggregate output, trade, real GDP are aspects that serve as focal research points to this study. The history of tourism in Jamaica is imperative in this study due to the fact that it sets aShow MoreRelatedThe Economic Crisis Of The United States1900 Words   |  8 Pagescoinciding with the subprime mortgage crisis, lasted from the end of 2007 to the middle of 2009. This downturn became the biggest economic crisis that the United States had faced since the Great Depression. Causing high unemployment rates, a decline in consumer confidence and home values, the recession had a great impact on both Americans and immigrants in the United States. Since the 1990s to a few years before the recession, the number of immigrants entering the United States increased at a constant rateRead MoreThe Economic Crisis Of The United States1084 Words   |  5 Pagesbounce back into recession with the problems in the Middle East, Russia, and elsewhere in the world which can greatly affect the economy here in the U.S. if the U.S gets deeply involved. Currently the macroeconomic situation in the United States is still in the mid crisis, fighting very hard to bounce back to its norm. The economy is still facing major challenges with health care, monetary and their immigration policy, which can have a major impact on our still struggling economy. The implementationRead MoreThe Economic Crisis Of The United States3264 Words   |  14 PagesThe year 2008 was marked by an economic crisis in the United States that had international repercussions. Many events are cited as instigators of the subprime mortgage crisis, however, in the United States, the crisis was caused by three main factors: poor lending practices, the dot-com bubble burst and the after-effects of 9/11. Together, these factors led to the creation of a housing bubble that burst in 2008. A housing bubble is â€Å"defined by rapid increases in the valuations of real property untilRead MoreThe United States Economic Crisis1332 Words   |  6 PagesTerror, the U.S. has larg ely succeeded in its attempts to destabilize Al-Qaeda and eliminate its leaders. In the writing Manhunt by Jonathan H. Cody, he states that these accomplishments didn’t come without a price; in fact the cost was enormous, and our nations decisions on how to finance it have profoundly damaged the U.S. economy. The US economic crisis can all be traced back to 9/11. In Catherine New’s article Then and Now she compared the US economy today to the economy in 2001 before the attacksRead MoreThe Economic Crisis Of The United States2110 Words   |  9 Pages The United States was coming out of the most severe economic turmoil of its history at the time World War II began in 1939. The federal government was already in debt to the tune of around 40 billion dollars, more than doubling in since 1930, largely due to federal spending in attempts to ease the economic crisis of the great depression. Americans were in no way ready, willing or financially capable of supporting another war against the Germans. The ideals of the average American at the time, muchRead MoreUnited States Economic Financial Crisis1639 Words   |  7 Pagesoil crisis in the ‘70s negatively affected the economy just as bad as the Gulf War did in 1990. On the other side, the end of other wars had a positive effect on the economy, for example World War 2, which boosted the stock market and ended the Great Depression. When multiple negative effects occur at the same time, or when crises last for a long time allowing other negative effects to surface, crises tend to last longer and prevent a pick-up in growth. The current economic-financial crisis wasRead MoreWhat Is A Financial Crisis?1671 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is a financial crisis? According to Mishkin and Eakins (2015), â€Å"a financial crisis occurs when information flows in financial markets experience a particularly large disruption, with the result that financial frictions and credit spreads increase sharply and financial markets stop functioning. Then economic activity will collapse† (p.165). Throughout history the United States of America has experienced six significant financial crises. Each crisis left the United States of America’s economyRead MoreThe World s Economy Was Devastated1732 Words   |  7 PagesWith the crash of the United States Wall Street, the realm drove into what is now known as the â€Å"Great Recession†. Its neighbour to the north, Canada also felt these affects as unemployment and poverty grew. After a decade of despair, the massive rise in government spending for the Second World War and the reductions in taxes, the economies returned to prosper. With decades of industrialization, population growth and surging economies, the Western World mainly the United States and Canada, becameRead MoreEurozone1735 Words   |  7 Pagesa risky, and perhaps foolish, task. The world’s first regional economic system was successfully created. Now, almost two decades later, the world’s economies are on the verge of collapse, and it seems that no economy, other than the Eurozone, is at fault, due to its recent and quite careless economic endeavors. As the rest of the world continues to force the blame upon the Eurozone and its twenty-five member states-including the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, Spain,Read MoreEconomic Crisis: Effects on the Economy1486 Words   |  6 PagesRunning Head: ECONOMIC CRISIS: EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY 2 Abstract The United States is obviously in a state of economic despair. This essay has supporting facts that prove the economy is definitely not on the mend. The public has been led to believe that this downward spiral is almost over. What will be proven in this paper is that foreclosure rates are still dramatically increasing and that the total in unemployment rates is deceiving. Without more jobs, consumers