Spanish Culture

Spain is a very geographic diverse country, ranging from deserts, beaches, and mountains. Spain is deeply rooted in tradition due to the many outside influences throughout time. Spain is the third largest country in Europe. Spain became part of NATO, and then joined the European Union in 1986. After this the economy of Spain increased significantly, placing Spain firmly on the Western economy map and gained major trading partners. The country is a highly developed and stable democracy. Spanish Family Values   The family is the basis of the social structure and includes both the nuclear and the extended family, which sometimes provides both a social and a financial support network. .Today, it is less common than previously for family members to work in a family business, as personal preferences are important and university education is general . The structure and the size of the family vary, but generally, people live until longer lives, have fewer children than before, and fewer pe ople live in their homes with extended family.   Familial networks have become less tight. The greatest changes have occurred inside families, between men and woman, and the parents and children because the values that inspire these relations have changed. Religion in Spain The majority of Spaniards are formally Roman Catholic, although different religious beliefs are accepted. During the history of Spain, there have been long periods of where different religious groups have coexisted, including Muslims, Jews and Christians.Still some traditions manifest more like a cultural event than a religious one. During Holy Week, many participants of the processions wear peaked, black hats as the sign of a penitent and walk barefoot, carrying a burden of some kind. Religious history is apparent in every small town, where the most grandiose building is typically the church. In the large cities the Cathedrals are almost museums. Bussines – Key concepts and values Face – Spanish culture places a large emphasis on personal pride.Therefore, causing loss of face through criticism or embarrassment should be avoided at all costs. During business meetings, for example, it is essential that your presentations are comprehensible in order to avoid any embarrassment that may occur from possible misunderstandings. In addition, when dealing with your Spanish counterparts you may also find that competence and control are important elements of their work ethos and crucial for saving face.This may result in your Spanish colleagues insisting that everything is in order, even if it is not. Individualism – In terms of personal attributes, individualism is highly valued in Spain, along with an emphasis on character and social status. Spanish culture highlights the importance of self and one’s family. However, influenced by its collectivist past, family values, a sense of identity and belonging to a group, are also integral parts of society in Spain.Consequently personal qualities, appearance, image and personal relationships are extremely significant components in contemporary Spanish culture. In a business context, personal attributes and character are frequently valued as much as technical ability, experience or professional competence. When doing business in Spain, you will find that individualism is particularly predominant in management, where Spanish managers are less inclined to favour group decision making and team orientation.Uncertainty Avoidance – This is a vital element of Spanish culture that refers to the cautious approach the Spanish take towards new ideas. In Spain, individuals tend to avoid ambiguity, but often accept a familiar risk situation. Spain's attitudes to rules, regulations and structure are important for maintaining a sense of control in a typically uncertain situation. In business, managers in Spain generally prefer to have precise answers to questions and give precise instructions in order to reduce con flict.In addition, you may find that the Spanish amenable nature to initial business suggestions is often hindered by a considered and tentative approach to final decisions. Masculinity Vs Feminity — Machismo is the word for male dominance, and the culture of old men who created it has changed dramatically. Spain is a very equalitarian society, the birth rate is the one of the lowest in Europe, and women are present at university and work. High Context vs. Low Context –Take a look how members of high and low contextual cultures see themselves and their opposites: High Context Communication |Low Context Communication | |polite |open | |respectful |true | |integrates by similarities/harmony |integrates by authenticity | |not direct |direct | |High Context claims Low Context |Low Context claims High Context | |impolite |hiding information | |â€Å"cannot read between the lines† |not trustable | |naive |arrogant | |no self discipline |too formal | |too fast |too slo w | In high context communication information can have different meanings according.It needs additional information to encode (understand). In low context communication information has only one single meaning. Spain is between High and low context communication but it is more oriented to high context. DOING BUSSINES IN SPAIN †¢ Working practices o Working hours can vary across Spain. Generally speaking, offices open at approximately 09. 00 and close mid-evening, with a two-hour break around 14. 00. However, Spanish working hours have become more â€Å"Europeanised† in recent years, particularly in the northern cities. o Business appointments should always be made well in advance in Spain and confirmation via letter or fax beforehand is advised.It is best to arrange initial business meetings for mid-morning due to the relatively unusual structure of the Spanish working day. o Punctuality is expected of foreign visitors; however, you may sometimes find your Spanish counter parts arrive up to 30 minutes late. †¢ Structure and hierarchy o Hierarchy and position are extremely significant in Spanish business culture. For this reason it is advised to work with those of equal rank rather than with someone of a lower business status. o The distinct hierarchical structure of Spanish businesses means the authority to make decisions rests with the individual in highest authority. o Subordinates are respectful of authority and are generally far removed from their superiors.Spanish business culture advocates subordinate initiative where problems are dealt with at lower levels first before approaching superiors for assistance. †¢ Working relationships o An essential part of conducting business in Spain is establishing personal contacts. Generally speaking, the Spanish prefer to do business with those they are familiar with, therefore obtaining personal contacts enables the negotiation process to advance more swiftly and successfully. o Establishing solid business relationships and building colleague rapport is a vital concept in Spanish business culture. Effective business negotiations and decisions are frequently based on trust and personal feelings, as well as concrete evidence. The Spanish close sense of personal space and animated means of expression and communication can be seen as part of this emotion directed culture.†¢ Business practices o The decision-making process in Spain is usually unhurried and can be a gradual, detailed procedure that involves consideration from various levels within the company. In this respect, maintaining good relationships with your Spanish counterparts from all positions are vital for success. o When arriving at an appointment it is advised to present your business card to the receptionist. Wherever possible, business cards should be printed in English on one side and in Spanish on the other. You should present your card with the Spanish side facing the recipient. An initial introduction at both business and social meetings generally include a formal handshake with everyone present, male and female, whilst making direct eye contact. Business etiquette (Do's and Don'ts) †¢ DO remain patient in all dealings with your Spanish counterparts.The Spanish are sometimes noted for their relaxed approach to business and Spanish bureaucracy can be frustrating. However, be wary of the ‘manana' stereotype as you will find that certainly in the northern regions such as Catalonia and the Basque Country that deadlines and punctuality are much more closely adhered to. †¢ DO try to maintain a friendly and personal atmosphere during negotiations. In order to be effective in Spain, Spanish business culture also requires a sense of self-dignity, consideration and diplomacy. DO use basic titles of courtesy, Mr, Mrs, or Miss, followed by the surname, and professional titles, such as Dr, where known. Particularly with older counterparts or those in the south of Spain. Care sho uld also be taken in using the correct surname as Spaniards have two, their father's first surname and their mother's first surname.Normally the father's surname is used on its own. †¢ DON'T expect to enter into business discussions at the start of a meeting. Your Spanish colleagues will want to establish a familiar environment on which to build new business relationships. This may include asking personal questions regarding your family life and background. DON'T presume that business can be explicitly discussed over meals, it is generally considered a sociable activity and therefore you should wait until your Spanish colleagues initiate such conversation. Despite this, business lunches and dinners are a vital part of business life in Spain as a means through which to establish trust and future business relationships. †¢ DON'T display signs of over assertiveness or superiority. Your Spanish counterparts will appreciate a more modest approach to business negotiations.http:/ /www. communicaid. com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for-business-and-management/doing-business-in/Spanish-business-and-social-culture. php

Orange Telecom: a Case Analysis

Orange Telecom: A Case Analysis ORGA 433 – 460 Orange Telecom is a tremendous example of successful organizational understanding of change in a fast-paced and growing market. Utilizing the environment around them, Orange has grown into a worldwide triumph in the Telecom industry. By committing to a progressive strategy, Orange has demonstrated their ability to change and evolve to not only suit their immediate environment, but to also actively envision the future path of the industry, and capitalize on prospective trends around the world.Question 1: Using the internet and other sources, as well as the information give in the case study, summarize the elements in Orange’s temporal and external environments in terms of the influence it had on the opportunity for this new brand to succeed, 1994-2006. Orange was launched in the UK in 1994 as an answer to the growing trend towards mobile telecommunications. From the very beginning, Orange utilized a strategy of pioneering ma ny of the services to its customers that would later become the norm, industry-wide.At it’s launch, Orange was the first to offer standard customer service features such as caller id. Orange was the first company to offer aesthetically appealing masts shaped like trees which helped in customer relations. In 1999 Orange launched a branch in Switzerland which would be the first of many excursions into foreign markets. In 2000 Orange was able to use superior technology to offer Europe its first wireless video phone. These are just a few example of Orange’s strategy of providing customers with the latest in innovation.They launched at a time when Telecom services focused more on turnover than customer service. Orange decided to go in a completely unique direction by focusing primarily on customer concerns and service, being among the first to offer their customers numerous different option in every category such as prepaying phones through ATMs. In the UK, in 2003 Orange c hanged the way the mobile market operated, turning all of its 2,000 UK retail salespeople into ‘phone trainers’ and introducing them into its high street stores.It also launched the new Orange Film Funding Board adverts that took the international cinema industry by storm. The success of Orange is also strongly attributed to its ability to capitalize on external environmental trends. Being a company steeped in English and French heritage, Orange has been able to utilize a multicultural approach to business and provide nations with both French and British histories. This has opened the door for Orange to cross the language barriers that often bring to a halt the growth of many organizations.Orange has also been able to sense the common curiosity mankind has towards the future and has therefore began marketing itself, not as a company that simply provides a service, but also a company that provides answers to the future through innovation. Further, the Orange brand has be come so widely recognized in the UK and nations around the world that the company’s symbol has become synonomus with youth, innovation, and of course mobile phone service. They have strongly marketed this brand to the youth with the knowledge that brand recognition has become more important than ever in an industry with so many customer options.Finally, Orange has had a finger on the pulse of, not only technology and innovation, but of the field of study of technology. Since 2000 there has been a huge growth in the communications field of education, and Orange has capitalized on this by keeping steady observation of rising stars in the field of Mobile Telecom. Orange has utilized its temporal and external environment to become a successful telecom company. By keeping up with trends, and pioneering so many practices that have become common-place, Orange has now become an industry leader in being able to recognize environmental trends and provide answers for the future.Question 2: What type of change do you think Orange was pursuing? In terms of the concepts and ideas put forward, particularly in Chapter 2, justify your views. As an organization in an already fairly established industry Orange was attempting a transformational type of change, also developmental change seemed to be something that was pivotal in the enterprise of this organization. Since the time of its official launch in 1994, to present day, Orange has been avid in establishing itself as a more wider social ntity rather than a specifically narrowly viewed service provider in an industry with a lot of alternatives. This very separation has been the catalyst of the transformational change that took place in the telecommunication industry with the launching of Orange. This change could be also more specifically described as discontinuous change due to the fact that Orange initially originated from a parent company that was government owned. Furthermore, the strategy pivotal to Orange’ s success has been significantly divergent from previously established strategies.Discontinuous change is defined by Grundy as â€Å"change which is marked by rapid shifts in strategy, structure or culture, or in all three† (Senior & Fleming, p. 46). The type of change that was pursued by Orange is developmental change. The parent company responsible for the establishment of Orange was France Telecom, which at one time was the monopolistic organization providing postal and telephone services in France. This fact is indicative of an executive team that was very experienced in traditional telecommunications establishments and industry nuances.However, rather than simply carry over that deeply rooted experience in a fashion of an identical duplicate, the executives of the newly formed Orange took a developmental approach and built upon well established concepts in order to achieve new heights in this competitive industry. By building new concepts and ideas unto a solid foundatio n of industry experience the Orange company was able to outdistance its competition fairly quickly and become an industry giant in a relatively short time-span.If one examines the wide history behind the formation of Orange, this type of change is clearly evident and is transformational in its implications. From the very onset the organization aggressively pursued a marketing campaign that separated them from being viewed as simply another service provider or manufacturer, or a symbiosis of both. The company steadily became an abstract social entity that related to customers on a deeper level then a simple service provider and therefore revolutionized the way it connected with its client base.In the industry plagued by deprived customer service Orange established itself as a beacon of exceptional customer service has been increasing its customer participation in leaps and bounds, which in turn made it the global entity it is today. Question 3: How far do you think the changes made h ave been appropriate to the environments in which Orange was operating? The changes that Orange has made are very appropriate for the environment (market) in which they operate. First, the most basic change they have made is distinguishing themselves as a provider of customer service, not as manufacturer and provider as a particular product.This avoided labelling as just another network provider, and definitely differentiated their firm from the other carriers in the markets where they operate. They operate on a looking forward basis, looking to increase the possibility of communication concentrating on the service and relationship with customers not just the individual transactions. Another change that was made was to have a name that couldn’t be cut out at a mobile services provider; unlike Rogers Wireless, T-Mobile.. etc the changes they made to the way they are branded themselves effectively.They chose a name that was abstract and unrelated to the telephone industry which was unconventional in that it showed a divergence from industry standards which has paid off for them. An abstract name that is not consciously tied to only one part of a person’s life gives the feeling of an all-encompassing service or entity in that person’s mind. This is appropriate given that Orange is aiming to enrich the customer’s life via their communication possibilities in an industry that is mainly transaction based and not geared towards customer service.Customer service changes they made were significant, being the first to provide â€Å"billing by the second† definitely would have put them in a category of their own at a time when other companies where billing by the minute. This change is consistent with their vision of embodying the future rather than just selling cell phones and products. Overall Orange has had great success by making changes to the way mobile telecommunication companies do business and are seen by consumers.Their brandi ng before and after their launch has reflected this as well, and considering their target market (the future) ,young people who use their mobile phones for more than emergency calls, their changes are very appropriate. After all it is the younger generations who will be more dependent on mobile communications as time passes accepting more services into their everyday life moving forward into the future†¦. and unlike the rest of the industry Orange has branded itself as the future which is very fitting. References Senior, B. & Fleming, J. (2006). Organizational Change (3rd ed. ). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.

Memory: Bullying and Life Essay

My earliest memory of my childhood joy was when I was four years old. I was sitting on the kitchen counter next to my mom helping her fix dinner. I do not remember what we cooked but I do remember having fun with my mom, it was the first time she taught me how to prepare food. I remember my mom cutting an onion and the juice squirted into my eye; it hurt so bad I screamed and yelled. To this day I still do not like to use onions when I am cooking, for this reason I have someone else cut the onions for me. I have always loved cooking with my mom and still love how we joke around when we are in the kitchen. I loved that I could tell her anything that is going on with me in my life when we are alone in the kitchen cooking together. Looking back at these moments in the kitchen with my mom, I realized more than ever that I wanted to start learning how to cook when I was four years old. We shared our lives while we were in that kitchen, and she taught me how to use many different types of recipes that I could use with many types of food. I love how we shared things and would tell each other our juicy secrets that we would never share with anyone else. She would also give me advice on problems that I had going on in my life. In the future, I will use this method to develop a relationship when I have my own daughter. I know she will ask me how to cook and show her step by step how prepare delicious food, that’s when I will cleverly ask her about her life. I want her to be able to come and talk to me about any problems that she has and when she needs a solution, I will help her resolve it quickly. Hopefully we will develop the kind of friendship that I have with my mother now and I hope this can be a stronger friendship that can never be broken and thrown away over silly things. My earliest unpleasant memory of school was getting bullied. I started getting bullied when I was starting middle school. Every day when I would go to school, the bullies would be there waiting for me to come so they could bully me until I would cry out in front of the whole school, I was so embarrassed and horrified of what they did to me in those days. Sometimes I am scared to tell my parents because I don’t know how they will react to the situation. I would get bullied because I didn’t have the right clothes that everybody else had on and because I was fat and they would say that people would never hang out with me or become my friend. I hated that my friends would not help me fight the bullies. They would just stand there clueless and not standing up against the bullies because they did not want to become the next target or get picked on. The bullies also picked on me because I had a learning disability. This means that I cannot defend myself because I was slow and could not comprehend what they were doing to me at school. In middle school I was a quiet kid who never bothered anyone, I was kind and I kept to myself. I didn’t know I was different or â€Å"uncool† until I started middle school. Sometimes being bullied makes me feel like I am the only one getting bullied on and I hated that so much. I was verbally and physically bullied every day and I couldn’t take anymore, I was getting harassed so much that they soon had nothing left to bring me down. I even tried to tell a teacher but she would not listen to me or believe my story. I was so scared for my life and nobody would help me; they would just stand there and laugh at me. At one point, I was constantly getting ridiculed by the popular kids and they always called me all sorts of names in the â€Å"bully book†. Getting bullied as a child scarred me for life and sometime I have a hard time forgetting what they did to me and how they did it. Four years later, I think back to all of things the bullies did to me and how I could have prevented it from happening in the first place. To this day, it still makes me cry every time I think about it. I feel like I will never be able to shake off the damage that was done to me. Will I ever be a complete person again? Getting bullied has affected me in so many ways but bullies do not really realized nor do they care how much agony they are causing the kids that they are picking on. I really want to tell the kids that are getting bullied today to realized that they can talk to someone about this. When this was happening to me I felt so alone and it is horrible to have no one you can turn to for help. It is also horrible in having going to school every day knowing those kids are getting enjoyment out of their misery. I hope one day I can talk to kids that are being bullied by other kids at school and encourage them to talk to a counselor or the principal about what’s going on. I have learned that I cannot let people bring me down because that can follow me in life. I have to make sure that I stand up for myself and what I believed in because fighting is not going to solve anything and I need to be stronger against my enemies that tried to bring me down. I can always know that I will have God by my side no matter what because I am not in this alone. My most vivid memory of my adolescent defiance is that I was easily agitated, I had a very explosive temper that I could not control during my adolescents years. I was so resentful, spiteful to my parents, my friends and to others that I treated badly. I would always get in an argument with someone that was getting on my nerves or talking my ears off about nonsense that I didn’t care about. At some point, I was desperate to prove that I was â€Å"an adult† to my parents and friends because they were not acknowledging me as one. Sometimes I often feel like I did not receive the respect and autonomy that I deserve. I would get so mad that I slammed the doors and would yell obscenities at people or my family members that did not deserve to be yelled at in the first place. I would just leave the house so that I can clear my head and think about my behavior and how I was vindictive to my family members and my friends that cared about me and loved me so much. I hated that I was disrespectful to them and that I called them names and cursed at them for no reason at all. As a teenager, it was tough for me to get along with people that did not like me or did not want to hang out with me. In high school, it was hard for me not to curse at the other kids who were saying bad things about me while they did not even know me. I had no idea why would they do that and I guess never will. As I was growing up, I learned that you should never be disrespectful to your elders but I was in that stage where it was funny to do it because other people were doing it too. I could tell that I was changing because of my negative attitude and how I was talking to others that were trying to help me feel better. I did not feel better because I felt like I was still filled with anger, frustration, and depression that I could not control my emotions cause they were all over the place. I didn’t even know how to hide my feelings from people. As I have grown older, I have changed my ways because I prayed to God that I wanted to change and become a different person that people will love and adore. I did not want to be that girl that disrespects people for no apparent reason. I want be a nicer person that will help people with their problems or difficult situations. I want to be able to control my anger and my emotions because I don’t want to do something I will someday regre t doing.

Impact of Culture on Health Essay

* What do we mean by culture?   * Culture is one of those concepts that most people seem to intuitively grasp, yet cannot define clearly. * The process of categorizing groups of people as others (other than one’s own group) is a common feature of the way human beings think, and it forms a part of the whole phenomenon we think of as culture. * There other uses of the term culture that can confuse the situation – for example, saying someone is more cultured than the other, referring to some concept of high/elite culture, expressed through personal manners, education and knowledge, involvement in or familiarity with artistic activities such as opera, modern art, calligraphy, dance or theater – that is contrasted to pop culture. * Definitions they share the basic components, existing as a kind of whole and links many kinds of aspects of life and social structure within a group or society; it refers to the relationship between what people know and believe and what t hey do; it is acquired and shared, more or less, among members of the group or society and transmitted to members of the group/society over time. * The Classic Definition: Cultures is said to be that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (E.B Taylor, 1871) * The Symbolic Definition: Human culture is a kind of symbolic text, in which behavior, objects, and belief interact together in a kind of ongoing dramatic production that represents issues and concepts of meaning fr a particular society * Members act as characters in this grand drama and what goes on (plot) only makes sense in reference to an underlying interpretive framework. * Culture as an Ideology: Equate the concept of culture to a kind of dominant ideology or to beliefs, social institutions, practices, and media representation associated with particular configurations of power. * Discourse at any point is linked with a configuration of power and the rules for interpreting what is or is not a valid statement. * Culture Materialist Definitions. Viewing culture primarily as a system of belief, practice, and technology directly tied to economic activity or to the adaptation of a people to a particular physical environment. * Linguistic Definition: thinking of a culture as a type of language. Speakers of the language may use differently, to create slang, irony, humor, or even poetry OR they make break the rules to create a particular effect. BUT it is still the same language and underneath the language is some shared base of understanding about the nature of existence and day-to-day life. * Mental or Cognitive Definitions: Construct of culture as something primarily in the mind of people within a particular group, a kind of shared conceptual framework that organizes thought and behavior. From this perspective, culture is not so much about what people do, but abo ut what they think and how that determines what they do. * Culture and Biocultural: Think of culture in relation to the human condition is to understand humans as biocultural. It is something that is imposed on the biological world by a society or group of people who have, over many years, developed a system of beliefs and practices. * How can we define the people who share a particular culture? * Is it a political definition? (most cases no) Is it a geographic boundary? A social boundary? Is it religion? * Culture is not fixed but evolves as people from one society or group come into contact with other people or as they change over time, their culture changes. * What do we mean by health? * Free of disease – absence of pathogens and healthy immune system * Body functions normally – organs, nervous and other systems function as they should * Free of injury and other problems * Eats healthy foods – food that provides essential nutrients and is free of substances that cause damage to bodily functions. * Engage in healthy, preventive behavior – basic hygiene, immunizations, sees a doctor * Avoids risky behavior * To be in reasonable physical shape. * To be in a stable mental state to be happy, satisfied with life, get along with people * General well being * In some parts of the world, criteria defined by other cultures can interfere with biomedical standards. * To obese can be a sign of wealth or in the case of females, fertility, maternal capability and warm personality. * Rites that often involve what we might call â€Å"health risks† yet they are understood to be good and absolutely necessary to proceed to the next life stage. * To understand diverse concepts of health and healthy behavior, it is necessary to think of health in a broader way, beyond biomedical. * Health is often very close to ideas within that culture about being well. Chapter 3: Ethnomedicine I: Cultural Health Systems of Related Knowledge and Practice. * An ethnomedical system can be defined as: an applied cultural knowledge system related to health that sets out the kinds of health problems that can exist, their causes and (based on their causes) appropriate treatments – as an interrelated system of belief and nature. * It is of key importance when thinking about the cultural aspect of ethnomedical system is that across cultures there are different answers to all of these questions, from the range of potential health problems, to causes, to treatments, as well as the closely related question of what kinds of individuals are qualified to provide treatment * Human beings are biocultural some theorists have found it useful to make a distinction between disease (abnormal biomedical state caused by pathogens or physical anomalies) and an illness (a culturally defined state of not being well, with many culturally defined causes including biomedical). * Disease and illness may or may not refer to the same phenomenon. * Functionally, both systems have the same kinds of elements and in both cases there is a linkage between the elements. The differences have to do with the specific content, and the means by which cause is determined (with respect to cause – in the biomedical case, that includes both research and clinical diagnosis.) * Where the biomedical system categorizes unwell states based on physical symptoms linked to biological causes, the nonbiomedical system may have its classification on combinations of emotional and physical manifestations links to the spiritual causes, disruption in harmony, imbalance in a person’s lifestyle or an improper mix of substances and forces. * Personalistic system – disease is due to the â€Å"active, purposeful intervention of an agent† where the ill person is the object of action by a sorcerer, spirit or supernatural force. * The general pattern of treatment is to block/counter the spiritual agent with spiritual forces in support of the patient. The center of action (in terms of cause or treatment) is not necessarily within the patient, but in the supernatural world. * Naturalistic system – disease is explained by the impersonal actions of systems based on old historical systems of great civilizations. Illness arise when people are out of balance physically, spiritually, or in some other way. * The pattern of treatment is to restore balance through various combinations of herbal medicinal, meditation, diet, lifestyle changes, or other actions. * A very important principle to remember is that a given social or cultural group will rarely operate in reference to a single ethnomedical system. The norm for most people is multiple and coexisting ethnomedical systems of some blending of elements from various types of systems. One system may be dominant, but aspects of other systems are also likely to be included. * The Placebo Effect and Role of Belief – placebo effect the tendency for treatments and pills to have no biochemical or biomedical effect to cause improvement in patient health symptoms. This occurs because of the belief that the treatment or pill has curative properties or because of the ritual process of going to a doctor itself. * Ethnomedical Systems: Non-Western Examples * Ayurvedic Medicine (India) * Originates with ancient Vedic culture in India and focues on prevention and a holistic concept of health accomplished through the maitenence of balance in many areas of life, including thought, diet, lifestyle and the use of herbs. * Body is comprised of 3 primary energy types called dosha each represents characteristics derived from the 5 elements of space, air, fire, water and earth. * Vata subtle energy associated with movement * Pittaconnected to the body’s metabolic system * Kapha associated with body structure * Cambodian/Khmer Health Belief Systems * The traditional system shares some aspects in common with Chinese and other Asian systems in the emphasis on balance. Illness may be attributed to imbalance in natural forces. This is often symbolized or expressed as the influence of wind or kchall on blood circulation illness * South African Health Belief Systems * Among the Shona and other peoples, one aspect of a naturalistic system is understood to be related to the presence of a nyoka or snake in the body. Movement of the nyoka is related to many diseases, including diarrhea, stomach ailments, sexually transmitted infections, epilepsy, mental retardation and others. * Health Belief Systems in Latin America and the Carribbean * Espiritismo common in Cuba and Puerto Rice, synthesis of Afro-Caribbean, French, and possibly U.S. spiritualist. The belief system is that there is both a supreme being and a world of spirits with influence on health that can be accessed through a medium, typically in a group sà ©ance-like setting. * Santeria also found in Cuba and Puerto Rico, blend of West African and Catholic traditions. It is based on the idea that there are many spirits called â€Å"orishas† who are connected to the supreme being and who can be appealed to help in various dimensions of life. * Curanderismo founded in many parts of central/latin America; a healer or curandero makes a diagnosis using tarot-type cards or by sweeping a broken egg or other object across the body of the patient. The idea is that there is a supremem/higher power that is the source of energy, and the curandero is the instrument of that higher power. * Western Example – the biomedical system is primarily based on a classification system tied to biological phenomena – the action of pathogens (viruses, bacteria), cellular or other biomechanical malfunctions, injuries/system damage, and others. Treatment is, of course, directly connected to generalists or specialists trained to address specific kinds of biomedical phenomena. Chapter 4: Ethnomedicine II: Cultural Systems of Psychology and Mental/Emotional Health The Cultural Construction of Mental/Emotional Illness * Anything defined as an abnormal mental/emotional state is also likely to involve a cultural judgement and therefore may say a lot about cultural values and beliefs as a whole at particular moments in history * Ex. drapetomania – the disease causing negros to run away. It was thought to be a curable disease of the mind, involving sulkiness and dissatisfaction prior to running away, that could be brought on when white slave owners trated slaves too much like human beings, or on the other hand when they were overly cruel and brutal. * Ex. dysaethesia aethiopica – characterized by a state of half-sleep and a physical or nervous insensibility that caused them to behave like â€Å"rascals† * DSM – reference book for mental conditions that are viewed in Western/biomedicine as abnormal, with detailed descriptions of the etiology, symptoms and treatment for each condition. While it is based on scientific/clinical research, the symptoms and descriptions for many c onditions offer a fascinating glimpse of the way in which such conditions can be shaped by cultural expectations and changes in such expectations. * Ex. Antisocial Personality Disorder the symptoms seem to outline a kind of personality that could be viewed as troublesome if not criminal but the picture changes when context and culture are added. * Ex. ADHD according to the DSM IV, this disorder is characterized by two sets of symptoms – inattention and hyperactivity impulsivity. This is a condition that can cause difficulties and impairs appropriate functioning. But there is room for interpretation. Some elements of hyperactivity and are subjective and depend on culturally related standards for appropriate behavior. The Question of Universal vs. Culture-Specific * Do all humans beings experience the same mental health phenomena or emotional phenomena? * The universalist position would argue that human beings have essentially the same psychological makeup – a position often referred to as â€Å"psychic unity† * The cultural relativist perspective cultures entail unique patterns of thought and behavior. * Combination of both perspectives cultures shape how emotions and mental experiences are constructed, named, and given meaning, and the living patters of specific cultures tend to accentuate particular stressors that may result in mental health issues. * There do appear to be some mental health conditions that occur in some form across cultures, and so could be seen as universal conditions (ex. depression). * Mental conditions that appear unique to one or a few cultural groups can be thought of in 2 ways * culture bound syndromes defined as any form of disturbed behavior that is specific to a certain cultural system and does not conform to western classification of diseases * Many of these patterns are considered to be â€Å"illnesses† and have local names. * Problems with culture-bound syndromes: no suggested steps for how a provider should incorporate cultural factors into the diagnosis or learn what those factors are; overlap between some conditions across cultures; the process of selecting the culture bound system is unclear * Conditions that are prompted by specific patterns of social stress and/or ecological contexts * Ex. In the Saora tribe in India there is a peculiar condition among young men and women who cry and laugh at inappropriate times, experience memory loss and feel like they are being bitten by ants. These young people are considered misfits and are not interested inpursuing the traditional subsistence of farming life. For this, they are under considerable stress due to social pressure from relatives and friends. To solve this problem, a marriage ceremony is carried out in which the disturbed person is married to the spirit. Young person becomes a shaman. * Anorexia/Bulimia in the United States * Fear of weight gain and distorted view of one’s body. This causes people to restrict their eating or binge eat/purge. One of the key contributing factors is the combination of weigh gain during puberty set against perceived social pressure to conform to culturally specific ideals of beauty * Historical Trauma * American Indian/Alaska Native populations have long experienced a range of disparities in health. These peoples suffer from a collective, psychological scar resulting from the experience of violence, culture loss, land loss, discrimination and eventual marginalization that resulted from European colonialism and conquest in the Americas. * Immigrant/Refugee Mental Health Syndromes * Many immigrants and refugee populations coming to the United States and other host countries from civil disasters and other traumatic situations experiences psychological consequences in addition to the stress of acculturation itself. * Emotions and Culture * Lutz and the Ifaluk found that emotions are culturally constructed. Emotions are a daily working phenomenon. Chapter 5: The Moral Dimension: The Relationship of Etiology to Morality in Cultural Beliefs and Practices Related to Health * Cross Cultural etiologies of illness can range from those that seem neutral, like pathogens or genetics, to those that don’t like sorcery or family disharmony * In other words, there appear to be some causes for which no judgment can be made or blame assigned, and some that can be blamed on somebody or something, whether the person who is ill, or another person, or another social institution or group. Culture, as reflected in ethnomedical systems, involves socially produced definitions of what is normal vs. not normal. * When a person experiences some abnormal phenomenon (illness) it could be thought of as: * Abnormal but morally ok not your fault * Abnormal but not morally ok your fault or somebody’s fault. Can result from stigma. * The moral connection to illness is very much related to several kinds of factors: * Cultural conceptions of the individual and the degree to which individuals are viewed as responsible for their condition and their behavior * Most western societies are typically viewed as individual-centric * The degree to which external forces are viewed as responsible for their condition and their behavior * In many cultures, what you do and what happens to you may not originate with you but with other forces. These forces could be attributed to one or more gods, to broader natural forces, to specific spirits, or to sorcery ad witchcraft. The moral source, so to speak, may in part be related to individuals but indirectly. * The kinds of social divisions that exist in a particular society and what those social divisions are held to mean – social class/social stratification, gender, race/ethnicity, religion and other divisions. * Refers to a moral source that is society itself the way in which society creates conditions that make some peole more vulnerable to disease than others or that forces some people into choices (with health consequences) that others do not have to make. * Physical Symbolism of the Disease * If the appearance of the disease looks like the embodiment of a culturally defined malevolence of some kind, people may react to it regardless of whether or not the victim is initially held to be at fault. Alternatively, the appearance of the disease may be seem like evidence that the person must be at fault or is some way selected for punshement, triggereing a kind of after-the-fact blame. * All of these can lead to the stigmatization of people with a particular illness or disease. * Stigma: the discrediting, social rejection or staining of types of people who are viewed as blameworthy in one way or another. It is the social construction of spoiled identity for classes of people viewed as undesirable by some social standard. The exclusion and abuse caused by stigma may even be sanctioned by law. * Illness Behavior * Two kinds of sick roles:   * A set of roles for people who are ill * A set of roles for the other people who interact with the sick person, whether as a healer or family member or even a classmate. * Illness behavior is produced or socially constructed within the framework of a culture. It involves an entire production, in which many players act out their roles and in doing so, work together to produce a result that comes out as the way of a particular illness takes form, and the consequences of that, in a given society. An important result of this and other culturally shaped interactions is to reproduce the culture.

Monaco Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16250 words

Monaco - Research Paper Example The political world is represented as contained by big nations, but there are a number of smaller states and territories (SSTs) with political and/or economic influence in the global political landscape (Paul: 1). Altogether there are 56 smaller nations and over 100 smaller territories that are controlled by larger states. A vast majority of SSTs are islands such as Fiji or Barbados. However, there are some states that are landlocked or surrounded by larger countries or located on the coastlines of larger states. These SSTs are countries such as Brunei or the Principality of Monaco (Paul:1) What separates Monaco from a majority of SSTs is that while many of these states recently enjoyed independence in the post-colonial era, Monaco has enjoyed seven centuries of independence (Paul: 1). Monaco also enjoys the distinction of having a forward economy and thus is an SST worthy of closer examination (Paul: 2). This case study is organized and presented in six main parts. The six main parts are: geography, history, political system, economics, culture and tourism and gastronomy. In discussing each of these areas of the Principality of Monaco, a detailed country profile is created that provides an understanding of how and why, the world’s second smallest independent county has managed to secure a place of prominence in the international order. Monaco is a sovereign nation located in the French Riviera (the south-eastern most portion of France, wherein the region is referred to as CÃ ´te dAzur in French and CÃ ²sta dAzur in Occitan, both of which translate into Azure Coast) at the foot of the Maritime Alps. Because of its location Monaco is bordered by France thrice over (to its north, south, and west), with what remains as its Mediterranean coastline, The city-state is notoriously small, being second only to The Vatican City at 1.9 km squared in surface area (King: 15). As a city-state, Monaco is

Human Resources Functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resources Functions - Essay Example To perform its add value function, the human resource planning should be fully integrated with an  overall organizational strategic plan, especially the firm's growth objectives. Outside influences f economic conditions, technology, the labor market, and so on should be given adequate consideration when developing the human resource plan. Changes in job design should be explicitly recognized in the plan. It should be kept flexible and adaptable so it can change as conditions change. Staffing is the process f hiring people to perform work for the organization. It comprises two major activities: recruitment and selection. Recruitment is the set f activities an organization uses to attract job candidates who have the abilities and attitudes needed to help the organization achieves its objectives. Selection is the process f choosing individuals who have the necessary qualifications to perform a particular job well. These two activities are key human resource activities in every organization. And these are continuous processes in organizational life. (Diallo 2003) Staffing is a mutual matching process: organizations seek individuals who will help them achieve goals such as profitability, growth, and in some cases survival; individuals seek organizational that will help them achieve goals such as fulfilling needs and obtaining rewards.   Staffing is a mutual matching process: organizations seek individuals who will help them achieve goals such as profitability, growth, and in some cases survival; individuals seek organizational that will help them achieve goals such as fulfilling needs and obtaining rewards. HR must achieve both types f fit in order to be maximally effective. A better job f recruiting and matching employees to jobs will mean lower employee turnover and greater employee satisfaction and organizational effectiveness. Moreover, HR should pay attention to align their recruitment and selection practices with their business strategy(s) and organizations must have the human capabilities that enable them to effectively implement their chosen strategy(s). Some organizations even consider their human resource talents as a source of competitive advantage and adapt business strategies to fit those organizational capabilities. With the anticipated shortage of new entrants to the labor force in the next decade, staffing will be a key issue for HR for some time to come. This is especially true during these hard financial times when the compensation and benefits you can provide to attract and retain staff are limited. HR professionals must work to develop training, leadership, diversity, and work/life programs to turn their organizations into places where employees want to stay. New studies and research back up what HR has been saying for years: The organizations that treat their employees well, give them opportunities, and are flexible are the ones that will keep their key talent.

FIN CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FIN - Case Study Example Other nations have invested heavily in China due to their best known expertise on electrical gadgets including motors. With the china transition, the growth and efficiency was associated with the rapid increase of the factors China had without associating the ownership institutional factors while the World Bank was able to use financial institutions in developing its strategy. 2. The Chinese people lost their investments during the Second World War shuttering down their dreams of developing globalization. Shiseido organization was able to establish businesses in countries outside china by expanding them to Europe and North America. The market conditions affected the business which was different from their normal conditions. The introduction of the foreign firms also led to the loss in the market share of China. Shiseido was quite clever by the fact that they built Auples, women cosmetic brands that boosted Chinese women. It later led to the construction of a larger network that increased the Chinese stores. 3. In my opinion, the regulations focus on the variables that lead to financial crisis in all the cases are unemployment and inflation. Other causes can be indebtedness with the various liabilities that are both private and foreign. There is also a crisis of currency that affects the banking in both the cases that leads to the introduction of the banking regulations. Most of the emerging countries have a vulnerability to the crisis that is caused by large liabilities that overflows the capital in question. On the other hand, the rules and regulations can be advantageous by changing the banking system that will generate more income and reduce the inflation and employment problems. With the economic contagion, there should be an introduction of more job careers with stable terms and conditions. This will enable the economies to reduce inflation. The government body should come in and impose revenue