Immigrants and Us Economy Essays

Immigrants and Us Economy Essays Immigrants and Us Economy Essay Immigrants and Us Economy Essay The Economic Impact of Illegal Immigrants and the US Economy According to most American people the view of illegal immigration is often a negative one. Philip Martin, an associate professor at University of California – Davis, wrote in his essay, over 90 percent of American population wanted to stop illegal immigration and another 80 percent wanted to reduce the numbers of illegal immigrants in the United States. (Martin, 1982) Illegal immigrants who â€Å"free ride† using the government programs such as unemployment, welfare, education, drain resources for those US citizens. An April 2006 FoxNews poll indicated that 87 percent of those polled expressed concern that illegal immigrants would overburden government programs and services. Sixty-five percent believe that illegal immigrants would cost the country more because they don’t pay taxes yet use public services such as schools and emergency care. The top three proposals in dealing with illegal immigration are: Eighty percent favored building up border patrols, 73 percent favored imposing fines to those employers who hire illegal immigrants, and 59 percent favored allowing temporary status for illegal immigrants. Fox News, 2006) Free ride is defined as receiving the benefit of a good without paying for it. How will illegal immigrants pay for public goods and services if they do not pay taxes? The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), is an organization whose common belief is to reform immigration policies to secure our nation’s interest. They raise issues regarding the impact illegal immigration on the US economy. FAIR estimated the number of illegal immigrants in the United States, to be approximately 13 million people as of 2007. Other numbers range from 10-12 million between the years of 2004-2006. In 2000, the Census Bureau estimated 8. 7 million and that and that the population will grow by at least 500,000 per year. (FAIR, 2008) FAIR says it costs the United States, in 2000, over 36 billion dollars for just three programs (education, medical and incarceration) to accommodate illegal immigrants in the US, with costs projected to be higher in 2010 and 2020 going up to 71 billion dollars and 106 billion dollars, respectively. With this many illegal immigrants one would wonder if America’s resource will be exhausted. Resource such as land, water and natural gas are limited resources and can be used one and then it is gone and no longer available for anyone else to use. Is it right that an illegal immigrant be given access to such resources without paying for them while the American taxpayer bears the expense? This paper will demonstrate how the US economy is impacted. The economic cost of illegal immigrants it taking a toll on the American people at their expense. A population explosion has Americans worried that illegal immigrants will use up public goods and services and will eventually exhaust its resources which were meant for American citizens. The numbers for American unemployment between the years of 2000 and 2007 are 136,559,000 to 146,032,000, respectively. The difference of 9,473,000 people in a 7-year timeframe is a surge in unemployment. Today, unemployment is at an all time high without the added issue of illegal immigrants â€Å"taking jobs away† by doing the jobs that no one else would want. Unemployment as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. Persons who were not working and were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been temporarily laid off are also included as unemployed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010) The reason why illegal workers are often employed is because it makes it easier for the employer and employee to escape paying taxes. In Ernesto Zedillo’s book, â€Å"The Future of Globalisation: Exploration in Light of Recent Turbulences†, he argues that without paying taxes, illegal immigrants can become a drain on social services and a public charge upon those states receiving the bulk of the inflow (Zedillo, 2007). With the free ride of not having to pay taxes, illegal immigrants are more prone to abuse and exploitation without the aid of the government programs. Zedillo concludes that while working in these harsh conditions, many illegal immigrants find it hard to economically and culturally live in the U. S. due to having the risk of become an underclass and face a social conflict with U. S. citizens (Zedillo, 2007). By having social conflicts with others, illegal immigrants will hurt government services by not actively articipates in contributing taxes however they will benefit the overall economy in which immigration is essential to the dynamism of the American economy and for sustaining its pace in job creation (Zedillo, 2007) (Gupta, 2010). On the other hand, Gupta argues that the impact is favorable for illegal immigrants because it keeps inflation low. [ (Gupta, 2010) ] He goes on to say those immigrants bring with them a hard work ethic, while most natives believe that they have a hidd en agenda to come to America to take advantage of it opportunities in hopes of making a better life and decide to stay in America. Another benefit for immigrants to join the work force is it keeps wages low resulting in decreased production costs and prices so consumers can spend more money. On the other hand, because most immigrants are less educated and earn less than natives, wages are decreased making the job market very competitive. Taking up residence in America would be imposing on the natives because again their resources and access to public goods will be limited by the growing numbers of illegal immigrants that are crossing America’s borders. Many could conclude that immigrants who come to America would exhaust the services that are currently being used by low-skilled workers who are just trying to survive through programs such as welfare and education. Before the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, also known as the Welfare Reform Act, was signed by President Clinton, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) existed. US Dept of Health and Human Services, Unk) AFDC was established by the Social Security Act of 1935 (HHS ASPE, 2009) It was a grant program in which states could provide payments for children in need to did not have a parent in the household, whether they were disabled, had died or unemployed. Each of the contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands initiated and implemented an AFDC program PRWORA categorized immigrants and outlined who was entitle to certain public goods and services. Legal and illegal immigrants were barred from certain government programs including welfare. However, the Act was revised to allow services for various categories of immigrants to access emergency services and education. (MPI, 1996). The revision was known as Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, also signed by President Clinton. Title V of this Act ensured immigrants received access to public benefits and imposed requirement to obtain sponsorship for immigrants’ relatives. (VisaPortal, 2006). The purposes for such pieces of legislation were to ensure that immigrants and natives were given access to ensure they had facilities and programs for which they could survive. FAIR states the healthcare costs in California alone . 4 billion dollars in unreimbursed costs (Gluek amp; Cihak, 2005) . In the states of Texas and Arizona, respectively, the cost are as high as . 85 and . 4 billion a year. The costs continue to rise not only in the welfare and healthcare arena but there are also costs associated with the education of illegal immigrants and their children. Educating children of illegal immigrants could also cost the American taxpayers more money than if programs are not created to educate them. Three areas where it could cost the American taxpayer are: the legal system, the workforce, and for wages and taxes. (Miller, 1997) In the legal system, if education is not enforced then it is assumed that they will become delinquents and turn to crime and become involved in gang activity, resulting in attorney fees and possibly incarceration which again would hit the taxpayer’s wallet. Secondly, without an education, they would become illiterate and unable to obtain employment. An educated employee would receive a paycheck and pay taxes like the rest of the legal immigrants and American taxpayers. The more education received the more likelihood of being able to sustain themselves and their family. In due time, as members of society, they would â€Å"payback† the funds that were used for them and replace the needed funds through their taxes they paid for those in need. The cycle perpetuates itself because it is likely that children will pursue a better education. In the state of California alone, it has 12 percent of the nations public school students in grades K-12, but it is home to 46 percent of the nations 2. 8 million Limited-English Proficient (LEP) students. Programs have been created to accommodate those who do not speak English at home. The numbers of students are increasing. In 1990 it was 18 percent and rose to 25 percent in 1996. (Miller, 1997). In addition to creating programs, there is a growing need for bilingual teachers also. The shortage creates an education that could be deficient in learning skills hat are necessary to succeed through school. The Federation for American Immigration Reform as mentioned earlier, is an organization whose common belief is to reform immigration policies to secure our nation’s interest. They raise issues regarding the impact illegal immigration on the US economy. FAIR was organized in 1979 and has three main objectives: (1) improve border security, (2) stop illegal immigration, and (3) pr omote immigration levels consistent with national levels. FAIR writes publications and conduct research to assist government officials to write immigration legislation. Immigration is an important topic because it permeates every facet of the American way of life. From healthcare, education, welfare, our legal system, our environment, to budget and other areas all of which immigration legal and illegal; affect the American economy. Many people believe that immigration reform to legalize 11 million immigrants will inundate public services resulting in making it difficult for American to find employment. The issue of immigration is a very sensitive topic for most. While many support giving amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, there are almost the same amount who do not support immigration reform. Immigration reform has its pros and cons. Many say that immigration reform will help America’s economy. Some say immigrants help out the economy by purchasing goods resulting in money coming back into the economy. Some say they drain the economy because they are competing with American natives who are low skilled workers by taking their jobs, who are just as unskilled as the natives are. If they do not further their education and strive to sharpen their skills, they will remain at that skill level. Unskilled labor usually mean s a higher poverty rate with increased unemployment rates. The laws of economic supply and demand would make the situation worse by lowering wages. On the other hand supporting immigration reform would mean more flexibility for businesses who use cheap labor. Increased productivity means increasing the supply for the demand to buy such products by consumer. Another reason supporters agree with reform is it give immigrant families an opportunity to work and support a family â€Å"back home†.. Immigrant families who come to America see coming to America as a land of opportunity just like ur forefathers did from Euroope. In summary, this paper addressed concerns about illegal immigrants getting a free ride by using public services such as welfare, education and unemployment. The American taxpayers have concerns and believe the United States and the federal government should move to limit the number of illegal immigrants to have access to public goods and services. The new welfare reform, PRWORA is the latest example. This legislation bar s illegal immigrants from virtually all public benefits. It also bars or permits states to bar legal immigrants from major federal programs including cash welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income, although these provisions are currently under challenge. (Smith amp; Edmonston, 1998) 1llegal immigrants who free ride should pay the taxes like others do and not partake of public services in place now and not take advantage of their neighbors who have managed to getting a service when they need it.

Influence Leadership and Personal Development Reflective Portfolio Essay

Influence Leadership and Personal Development Reflective Portfolio - Essay Example The above knowledge has helped in enhancing my productivity and efficiency in dealing with several subjects. Gaining efficiency in terms of both theoretical and practical knowledge has helped me in sharpening my business and communication skills. In addition to the above I have acquired other skill set which helps me achieve targets on time and also in sustaining a healthy relationship with the client base of the concern. Again speaking on the above note I feel encouraged in working together in a collaborated fashion within a team framework for the successful accomplishment of multifarious and multidimensional business objectives. My working with different organisations for a span of four years in profiles like marketing and sales assistants and also as negotiators has helped in enhancing my expertise in delivering projects in a highly professional manner. The above facts have thereby augmented my dynamism and endeavour to deliver better in the professional framework and help in the enhancement of the portfolio (Brown and Irby, 2001, p.15; Zuzelo, 2007, p.10). Highlights – Work done The work highlights are presented hereunder in a historical fashion starting from the financial year 2006-2007 which would help in the portfolio management (Knoerr and McDonald, n.d.; Jafari and Kauffman, 2006, p.87). Work highlights are used to enhance the dimension of reflective portfolio through the presentation of evidences and a critical analysis of the work path (Smith and Tillema, 2005, p.15; Loughran, 2005, p.815). During that period I was employed with Mundi Color Holidays as a Sales Manager where my area of responsibilities constituted of the following activities. I had to regularly update the agencies in regards to changes in the commission levels and also in gaining access to other agencies. Further I was also required to update the information gathered in the computer and also in helping to fill up the vouchers and also arrange for the proper despatch of old peop le travelling over to Spain. In that I acted as the liaison between the managerial bodies of the concern and the client base and rendered important feedback based on client interface. During the period ranging from 2007 to 2008 I acted as the Lettings Negotiator in Orchild Properties which is an Estate Agency. In that through the help of software like Estatepro and a website named findpropetty.com I effectively carried out the sales and marketing activities through which different promotions relating to property were raised. Apart from finding and promotion of the different properties I also through the use of information technology helped to enhance the presentation aspects of the new properties. The company’s website was vividly used for the above purpose along with creation of window displays for the same. Finally I was also entrusted to conduct the bookings for the above properties and also in administering the entire letting process. From November 2008 to 2009 I worked a s the Senior Negotiator in Manolia Homes. In this concern I worked in the management of contracts protecting the rights of both the landlord and the tenant. Further I also carried on effective negotiation with the tenants and rendered the feedback to the team so as to chalk out plans for the meeting of targets based on weeks and months. Customer interaction and complaint management were carried out by me with also efficiently administering the

Hypnosis Method Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hypnosis Method - Research Paper Example The method section of the experiment has been well described in order to permit other investigators to repeat the study or experiment. The method segment should employ subheading to separate various subsections. These subsections typically consists participants, materials, design, and procedure. The participants were the students College. These participants were classified into many groups and engaged in a test for a time period of two weeks. Several conferences were conducted. About 16 conferences were held, each one consisting of around 15 students. The materials include a list of questionnaires or forms which were accomplished for the aim of our experiment. The materials required are concerned to measure hypnotisability {accomplished instantly after hypnotic induction]. The hypnotic ability was evaluated with the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic  Susceptibility: Form. They are listed along with the references. The part A of the form contains the format of bio data along with some queries related to medical background such as psychotropic medication, attention problems in the past, colour-blindness, head injury, witnessed any hypnosis, referred any book regarding someone who was hypnotised, knowing anybody who was hypnotised and have you ever hypnotised yourselves. After this the student is asked to look at a target and write down the things that happened while he was looking at the target. In the next step the student is asked to write down what he remember currently which he couldn’t remember previously. In the next st ep the student is given a questionnaire comprising three pages that include 12 special suggestions which were administered to him during the standardised procedure of hypnosis.  

Relationships Between Language And Culture English Language Essay

Relationships Between Language And Culture English Language Essay The relationships between language, thought and culture have been one of the myths of language for centuries. This paper will assess the power of language and the mutual influence between language and culture by observing cognition of different language speakers. The aim of this essay is to find out the influence they have on each other, and to evaluate the relationship between language and culture. The mutual influence between language and culture will be the major focus of this essay. The main argument would be discussing whether language really influences culture or it just reflects culture. One of the definitions for language was established by Harcourt (2005): communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. Such a system includes its rules for combining its components, such as words. Such a system as used by a nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect (p. 633) Thinking is often understood as an intra-mental activity inside an individual mind. In the process of thinking, language is used as a tool with inner speech representing vocalized thinking. Language is therefore possible to be a variable influencing thought. The grammar, syntax, limitations and traits of a language may shape the thinking style of the language speakers. Anthropology theories/concepts (200-250 words) In this thesis, ethnolinguistics, the study of the relationships between language and culture, and how they mutually influence and inform each other (Haviland, 1999), will be the main focus. Two anthropological theories, linguistic relativity and historical particularism (historicism), will be discussed as the first is the main theory of this study and the second one will function as a backup. Linguistic relativity The main theory, linguistic relativity, is the idea that distinctions encoded in one language are unique to that language (Haviland, 1999). Under the theory of linguistic relativity, users of markedly different grammars are pointed by their grammars toward different types of observations and different evaluations of externally similar acts of observation, and hence are not equivalent as observers but must arrive at somewhat different views of the world (Whorf and Caroll, 1956). In other words, people speak in different languages would have different thinking styles and cognition of the world. Furthermore, the schools of thought can be represented by two extremes, linguistic determinism and universalism. There are two forms of linguistic relativity according to their interpretation of the power of language, linguistic determinism and linguistic relativism, while universalism is an opposite idea to linguistic relativity. These concepts will lead to the main argument of this thesis. Determinism is the strongest form of linguistic relativity. It suggests that language can affect thinking, linguistic relativity holds that speakers of different languages think differently. Relativism is the modest form of linguistic relativity. Its idea is that, language can affect thinking, linguistic relativity holds that speakers of different languages think differently (Wolff and Holmes, 2010). In contrast, universalism is an opposite concept. In the idea of universalism, cultures, or at least languages, vary in innumerable ways; but there are patterns of variation that reflect universal properties that we might call the nature of language (Croft, 2010). Apart from linguistic relativity, the theory of historical particularism will be used as a backup theory in this thesis. Historical particularism Historical particularism is a school of anthropology prominent in the first part of the twentieth century that insisted on the collection of ethnographic data (through direct fieldwork) prior to making cross-cultural generalizations (Ferraro and Andreatta, 2011). It emphasizes that each culture is a unique result of its distinctive past, which makes cross-cultural generalizations questionable (Bailey, G. A. and Peoples, J., 2010). Culture influences language According to historical particularism, each culture has its own shape and is partially composed of traits diffused from other cultures since each society has their own past and they are a representation of that unique past. Since that culture and history are interrelated, and language is a tool to record and carry forward the history of a society. There is an often-cited example of linguistic relativism, Eskimo words for snow. It is a claim saying that Eskimos have an unusually large number of words for snow in their language. In English, we add adjective, participles or preposition phrases to modify the word snow, like falling snow, snow on the ground, snow packed hard like ice, slushy snow, wind-driven flying snow, etc. However, the word snow is too inclusive to an Eskimo, they use different words for different kinds of snow instead. From the Eskimo words for snow claim, it was discovered that some languages may rich in words and expressions describing a specific thing. And the vocabulary of a language can be a peephole for us to look into that culture. The concept of jade in Chinese literature In literary Chinese culture, jade has some metaphorical meanings. The concept of jade vastly appears in various contexts of Chinese poetry and idioms. Even among most of the common vehicles of Chinese metaphors, jade deserves special attention. The literary concept and image Chinese attached to the word jade (à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °) reflect Chinese jade culture in their tradition. The concept of jade has appeared in the content of various types of Chinese literature, such as poetry and idiom. In Chinese language, there are many idioms linked with jade. The use of jade in those idioms usually is to symbolize beautiful and fine things. The followings are some examples: Idioms à ¨Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ºÃ‚ «Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ à ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ·Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ° à ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬  à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ £Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ° Implications of jade luxury beauty talent stainlessness valuable contributions Additionally, there are hundreds jade-related characters take jade (à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °) radical, despite jade (à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °) itself. Most of those characters have descriptive meanings of some specific kind of jade ¼Ã‹â€ Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¾Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“ ¼Ã…’à §Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¼Ã…’etc. ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °, knocking sound of, the color of or even the stains on a jade ¼Ã‹â€ Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ ¢ respectively ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Jade-related characters à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“ à §Ã‚ Ã‚  à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¤ à §Ã… ½Ã‚ ¦ à §Ã… ½Ã‚ ² à §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ¾ meanings fine jade joint jade precious jade panannular jade ring tinkling of pieces of jade jade used as tally From the above examples of the literary use of jade, we can notice that the concept of jade is attached with numerours good features and enjoys a high position (as Chinese people created a lot of jade-related characters) in Chinese culture. It is said in the Book of Rites, one of the Chinese Five Classics of the Confucian canon, that since ancient time, all gentlemen wear pendants of jade-stones, and that they should never be without them unless there is sufficient reason (à §Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¨Ã‹Å" ·Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¨- »). Jade has played a very important role in traditional Chinese culture. (Yang, 2011) The above example about literary concept of jade in Chinese literature shows cultures influence on language. It evidences that language is a reflection of culture. Japanese terms for rain Similar with the Eskimo words for snow claim, there is another word myth in Japanese. There are unusually many different terms which can be used to express different types of rain in Japanese. These terms categorize the rain into different types, by intensity, season, duration and even characteristics. Here are some expressions of rain or related to rain in Japanese. Types of rain in Japanese Pronunciation in Japanese Meanings à §Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ hakuu rain shower à ¤Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ niwakaame rain shower à ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ jakuu weak rain à ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ Ãƒ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã…   koburi light rain à ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ³Ã‚  Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ konukaame fine rain à §Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ enu misty rain à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ °Ã‚ · uhyou freezing rain à ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¾Ã…’à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ harenochiame clear then rain à ¦Ã‚ °Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ hisame very cold rain or hail à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã…“à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ yau night rain à ¦Ã‚ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ·Ã… ¡ baiuzensen seasonal rain à ¦Ã‹Å" ¥Ãƒ ©Ã…“- shun rin spring rain à §Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ ryokuu early-summer rain à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ juuu refreshing rain once in ten days à ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ µÃƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ keiu welcome rain à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ³Ã‚ £ tenkyuu rain from a cloudless sky à ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ hareichijikosame brief light rain à ©Ã…“- nagame long rain à ©Ã…“-à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¨ rinu long rain à ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ °Ãƒ ©Ã…“- inrin long rain à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ §Ã‚ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ yuudachi sudden evening rain The above expressions for rain in Japanese reflect the rain culture in Japan. Japanese society and culture are affected by the climate there. Frequent rain is a prominent feature of Japans climate. Japan has a high precipitation. The average rainfall in Tokyo is around 1,800 mm, nearly double the global average of 1,000 mm. The intensity of rain is also strong and varies from season to season. It rains a great deal in Japan, therefore the society, culture and even language of Japan are affected by rain. According to the theory of linguistic relativity, phenomena and things that play important roles in a given society and culture are often subdivided into various types and described using a wide variety of specialized terms. By the examples of jade in Chinese literature and rain in Japanese language, the idea that culture influences language is evidenced. Considering culture to be a product of human thought, we can deduce that language is influenced by human thought, but not unilaterally influencing culture (linguistic determinism). The theory of linguistic relativism is basically proved, but how about language influences culture? Does language only reflect culture? In the following paragraphs, the idea that language influences culture will be discussed to find out whether language and culture really have mutual influence on each other (linguistic relativism) or language does not do much in culture. Language influences culture The idea that the way we view and feel the world is, to a certain extent, dependent on the language we use. Each language contains a peculiar and unique world view, which causes speakers of that language to see and think in a characteristic way, different from the speakers of other languages. This has become known as the principle of language relativity. In this part, different cognitions of different language speakers will be shown as examples of languages influence on culture (language shapes thought) Perception of eye-witness memory and blame There is a study conducted by Caitlin Fausey at Stanford. In that study, Fausey found that eye-witness memory differ depending on the language one speaks. The way that a person records events is depending on the language who speaks. The grammatical structure of a language affects our thinking pattern and even our eye-witness memory. In that paper, a cross-linguistic difference in how English and Spanish speakers describe the same events is identified, a corresponding cross-linguistic difference in eye-witness memory is also found. For speakers of an agentive language like English, if they see someone accidentally brush against a flower vase and the vase ends up in pieces on the floor, they can easily remember who broke it. When asked about what happened, they might say, Someone (the agent) broke the vase. They can easily notice the agent of an action. In agentive languages, descriptions like this are typical and appropriate for clearly accidental events. By contrast, non-agentive language speakers description of the same event/action often sounds evasive. Even if they see the same event, when asked about what happened, they might not remember who did it, and just answer The vase is broken Furthermore, the influence of language is not only on eye-witness memory, but even on blame. A canonical non-agentive description (e.g., the vase is broken) is intransitive and does not place the person as the subject for the change-of-state event. People are sensitive to this distinction between agentive and non-agentive frames. Linguistic framing influences ones judgment about blame and punishment. In financial liability, agentive descriptions will lead to 30%-50% more in requested financial damages than non-agentive descriptions do. Judgments and blame can be affected by linguistic frame. Tetraphobia in Southeast Asian countries. Tetraphobia refers to the fear of four. It is a common superstition throughout Southeast Asian countries, for examples, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. The fear of the number 4 is simply come from its pronunciation in Southeast Asian language. In Mandarin, its pronunciation of 4 is very close to that of the word for death, as both of them are pronounced as shi. And in Japanese and Korean, the two words are even perfectly homophonous. The superstition of tetraphobia has permeated all aspects of society in these countries, from architecture to communication norms. Here are some examples of tetraphobias impact: Many building in Hong Kong are typically built without 4-related floors, including offices, hospitals, hotels, apartments and skyscrapers. One famous example is the Vision City in Hong Kong, which is missing floors 40 through 49 The Chinese avoid phone numbers and addresses with fours, especially when theyre combined with another number that changes the meaning. Example: 94 could be interpreted as being dead for a long time. The number four was banned from license plates and can only be used once in ID numbers in Taiwan. The official sound of 4 in Japanese language is shi, but Japanese people usually use the alternate pronunciation, yon, that far away from its official sound, when talking about phone numbers and dates. The names of military aircraft and vehicles in China often start with the number 5. And South Korean and Taiwanese navies also avoid 4 when naming their ships. Table 4 is often eliminated at engagements, weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. People in society in this culture always avoid using 4 in verbal speech during holidays and when a loved one is sick or dying. From the above examples, the theory of linguistic relativism is further evidenced. The power of language is significant for sure. The language a person uses can shape whose thought. The thought of a group people forms culture. The language of a place is reflective to the culture of that place, at the same time, language promotes the culture of there. Conclusion (400-500 words) Form this study, it is clear that linguistic relativism is an evidenced theory. The relationships between language and culture are bilateral. Language is created to fulfill humans need. Therefore different society created there languages in different ways. The traits of a language are shaped by the culture of a society that created the language. The communication styles, vocabulary, grammar of a language, are all able to reflect a unique culture of a place. Language can be the epitome of a culture, and even a society. Language is a tool to express human thought and spread culture. The traits and limitations of a language affects the thinking style and cognitions of its speakers. When time goes by, it can shape the culture of a single place. Language shapes human thought and brings culture to society while it is also attached with cultures influence.

Katherine Mansfield’s Her First Ball Essay examples -- essays papers

Katherine Mansfield’s Her First Ball 1 In Katherine Mansfield’s Her First Ball, Leila, the main character is an eighteen-year-old girl from the rural country who has recently moved into the city with extended family members. To Leila, everything was â€Å"so new and exciting† (4th paragraph) and she immediately begins her path from innocence to experience. I can empathize with her, but I don’t feel sympathy for her. She didn’t have a tragic experience, she a learning experience. Leila’s metamorphosis during the course of the story proves that she is a heroine who overcame the conflict in her journey. 2 The structure of the plot begins with a description of the 6setting, which is interesting because the setting is not that significant to story because if it were in another time and place it would be just as effective.7 The way she describes the car was as though she was describing the road to enlightenment, and the image she gave of sitting in her own corner of the cab is significant foreshadowing: â€Å"she sat back in her own little corner of it, and the bolster on which her hand rested felt like the sleeve of an unknown young man’s dress suit; and away they bowled, past waltzing lamppost and houses and fences and trees.† (1st paragraph) Leila has so many expectations and anticipations that leads to the climax, and is filled with5 symbolism and color that describes a vivid vision of a need for freedom and experience: â€Å"the road was bright on either side with moving fan-...

Internet and Young People Essay

The brains of young people growing up â€Å"hyperconnected† to the Internet might be wired differently from those of their elders, suggests a recent survey of technology experts, who were split on whether the newfangled wiring is desirable. Researchers from the Pew Research Center and Elon University recently conducted an opt-in, nonrandom, online survey of 1,021 technology stakeholders and critics. Participants were asked which of two predictions about teens and young adults seem more likely by 2020—a scenario in which they’re savvy and productive, or one in which they’re hampered by impatience and shallowness. HR professionals might, as a result, have to change the ways in which they manage these younger workers. Some 55 percent of survey participants agreed that the brains of multitasking young people will be wired differently from the brains of those older than 35, mostly for the better. They said young people won’t suffer notable cognitive shortcomings, and that â€Å"they are learning more and they are more adept at finding answers to deep questions,† in part because they’re good at going online and finding collective intelligence. Some 42 percent of survey participants expected brain-wiring changes with negative results, including a thirst for instant gratification. They expect young people will â€Å"not retain information; they spend most of their energy sharing short social messages, being entertained, and being distracted away from deep engagement with people and knowledge. They lack deep-thinking capabilities; they lack face-to-face social skills; [and] they depend in unhealthy ways on the Internet and mobile devices to function.† Even some who chose the positive prediction said it was more their hope than their best guess, â€Å"and a number of people said the true outcome will be a combination of both scenarios,† according to the Pew-Elon survey report, published Feb. 29, 2012. While they were not offered a third option, some participants disagreed with the notion that the wiring of young people’s brains will be different from previous generations’ wiring but thought Millennials’ thinking patterns probably will be. Game Change Teens and adults who grew up playing video games â€Å"will have lasting problems with focus and attention,† futurist author Marcel Bullinga commented in the survey. â€Å"They find distraction while working, distraction while driving [and] distraction while talking to the neighbors. Parents and teachers will have to invest major time and efforts into solving this issue,† he said, by helping young people learn to appreciate quiet contemplation without their mobile devices. â€Å"All in all, I think the negative side effects can be healed,† Bullinga added. Some of those surveyed noted that they themselves, as older adults, have become highly connected to technology, with positive and negative results. Respondents included educators who noted a diminishment of critical thinking skills and attention spans among students. David Ellis, communications studies director at Toronto’s York University, contends that multitasking hinders productivity, even for the very bright. Contrary to popular opinion, he doesn’t see Millennials as effective users of digital tools. â€Å"The idea that Millennials have a cognitive advantage over their elders is based on myths about multitasking, the skill sets of digital natives and 24/7 connectedness,† he commented in the survey. â€Å"Far from having an edge in learning, I see Millennials as increasingly trapped by the imperatives of online socializing and the opportunities offered by their smart phones to communicate from any place, any time.† HR experts already see refreshing and exasperating differences in Millennials in the workplace. â€Å"Millennials are an interesting group of employees† and â€Å"very different† from other generations, said Susan Heathfield, a Michigan-based management consultant and business owner who writes the human resources section for About.com. Attachment to technology â€Å"causes them to be on 24/7,† she told SHRM Online, adding that young workers wouldn’t imagine going on vacation without a phone and e-mail access. They’re likely to conduct most business on smart phones, she said. â€Å"It creates this mentality where work and what is not work is flowing together.† For example, she said, an employee might watch the NCAA basketball tournament on a computer at 11 a.m. and answer a colleague’s e-mail at 11 p.m. â€Å"Millennial employees are looking for change and challenge. Boring is bad. They want their tasks changing all the time,† Heathfield said. They want autonomy and reassurance. â€Å"It just blows my mind watching how this batch of employees was raised,† she said. â€Å"They want lots of praise, lots of feedback—every day. †¦ If you ignore their ideas, ‘What’s your problem? My ideas are great.’ † Their connectedness can lead to behavior that older colleagues consider rude, like texting during meetings. While Heathfield didn’t want to generalize, she noted that Millennials grew up working in teams and â€Å"they don’t think twice about whether the opinion they express hurts someone else’s feelings. †¦ A Millennial is more likely to say, ‘What a sucky idea,’ and they don’t mean it in an insulting way.† Everyone must adjust in order to become comfortable with generational differences, she said. â€Å"You appreciate these kids with their fresh ideas, their youthful thinking, their sort of ‘I can do anything’ approach to the workplace,† she said. â€Å"They’re like a breath of fresh air in many ways.†

The Department And The City Council - 1334 Words

In 2015, the department and the city council did a survey to see if the department had enough personnel. The study looked at many things such as the amount of calls for service, a number of officers working each shift, and the schedule the officers were working. In reality, the survey was a gamble for the department because it could come back in a positive way, finding that we should hire more officers. Another outcome would be that we were overstaffed meaning we would lose positions. The final outcome could be that we were adequately staffed and nothing should change. After several months, the study determined that we had enough personnel, but the officers were working a ten-hour shift that was consuming too many officers. The study recommended that the department goes to either an eight or ten-hour shift. The department took the survey’s recommendations and changed all officers to an eight-hour shift. This was very unpopular with the officers and the chief took an eno rmous hit on this, but he knew he was doing the best thing for the department. I think we all knew that the ten-hour shifts were not necessarily the most productive shift for the department and it was really only being allowed to keep morale up. After working with the legislature, the department was able to change the state’s labor law allowing the work week to be considered over two weeks. By doing this, the officers could work more than 40 hours one week and less than 40 hours the next asShow MoreRelatedSpeaking With Claire I Learned That The Line Item Budget1341 Words   |  6 Pages speaking with Claire I learned that the Line Item budget that the city and the police department utilize is a very common budget strategy that many city governments utilize because of its ease of use. The Line Item budget is a budget in which the individual financial statement items are grouped together by cost centers or Departments. 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