The Group-Oriented Japanese :: Essays Papers

The Group-Oriented Japanese In contrast to American individualism, Japanese are group-oriented. Japanese do not like to be alone or to do things differently from others. They stick together: eating, working, or traveling in a group. Following others and being part of a group gives them a kind of carefreeness and joy. Why are Japanese group-oriented? The reasons originate from their geography, history, and culture. Geographical location and climate play a key role in promoting this group-orientedness. Japan is isolated from other countries. Japan is composed of four main islands which are surrounded by sea and located far from America, Europe, or Australia. Thus, Japan is isolated from other countries. In the past, this geographical location make it difficult to communicate with other countries, so this isolation reinforced their tendency to stick together. Furthermore, the climate of Japan has created a rice-producing country based on collective work. Japan is located in a part of the monsoon area which stretches from Siberia in the north to Indonesia in the south. In summer, seasonal winds blow from the tropical south seas and bring heavy rainfall to Japan. With the temperate climate and plenty of rainfall, Japan has become one of the most favorable countries for rice farming. Rice-farming involves rice-planting, cultivation, and irrigation works in large fields, so it requires a lot of workers. Rice-farming is collective labor or group work, and this collective labor encourages group rather than individual. In Japanese geography, the isolationism and the favorable climate for rice-farming have created their group-orientedness. In Japanese history, homogeneousness and the SAKOKU policy also helped to create the group-orientedness. Japan is a homogeneous country. The islands of Japan were first inhabited 5,000 years ago by some people from China. For 2,000 years since the founding of the country, Japan has been a racially homogeneous nation. No major invasion by other racial or cultural groups has occurred. In addition, the SAKOKU or "closed country" policy contributed to the formation of group-orientedness. In the beginning of the 17th century, many foreign Catholic missionaries began to visit Japan and were considered harmful to Japanese Buddhism. In 1639, a series of measures called the SOKOKU were enacted to prohibit Christianity in Japan. The SAKOKU prohibited Japanese from leaving the country, Catholic groups from entering the country, and all foreign trade and diplomacy. Due to this police, Japan was closed to the world for over two hundred years.

Festival: Meaning of Life and Festivals Essay

A festival is an event which is celebrated collectively for celebrating a cause. Festivals are mostly celebrated to propagate the cultural heritage of nations. Festivals highlight various aspects of a society. For example people in all around the world celebrate Christmas, New Year, Sports events such as Olymics, Easter, Eid and other religious and cultural events to exhibit their emotions and happiness. Festivals at national level help to promote solidarity and patriotic spirit in the society. Religious festivals all around the world bring convergence and propagate acceptance of all kinds of religions in different geographical segments. International festivals help to increase brotherhood and remove ethnic racism in the world. Owing to the fact that world has become a global village, celebrations of all kinds of festivals in a country improves the overall image of the country and shows the acceptance of cultural diversity in the country. They help keeping alive the older traditions and provide entertainment to the people celebrating events in different parts of the world.All the festivals that we celebrate have some profound meaning in it and they have some pragmatic purpose also. If we take the example of Christmas, we all know that why it is being celebrated but when it comes to the purposes that it serves along with the religious one; primarily it is a psychological one. We all need some days of break in our life from our regular job. Sometimes we take it voluntarily but mass don’t understand the purpose of taking break and it is for these people, the festivals serve better that anybody. They are forced to enjoy life and thus they can improve the quality of their life. There are some other purposes also that a festival serves and usually you will find that people meet each other along with their families and thus improve their social life. So now you can understand the meaning of celebrating a festival and we expect that you will also spread the message celebration the world over.

Operating A Stick Shift Transmission Essay

Driving is a part of everyday life for a majority of adult Americans, but many of them have not experienced driving a standard stick shift transmission. Driving a stick seems more complicated than driving an automatic, but it makes driving more exciting. There are also many advantages to driving a stick transmission rather than automatic transmission, such as the transmission will last longer, less gas will be wasted, and the car will go faster more easily. A car that has a stick shift transmission has an extra pedal called a clutch, and five different speeds found on the shifter. Driving a five-speed transmission places the most emphasis on being able to control your left foot, and timing your left foot to hit the clutch at the precise time. To get started driving a stick shift the learner should be accompanied by a person who already knows how to operate a stick transmission. The best place to practice and learn how to drive a stick transmission is in a large, open vacant parking lot.The learner should next familiarize themself with the differences between a stick shift transmission and an automatic transmission. In the parking lot with the vehicle’s engine turned off, apply the right foot to the brake pedal, and practice getting a feel of the clutch pedal by pushing it in and out with your left foot. Then the learner should view the shift pattern shown on the top of the shift knob. First gear is usually located by pushing the shift lever forward. Then, with the clutch pedal pushed all the way down, move the gearshift lever through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and reverse gears a few times and then put the gearshift lever into neutral. Neutral is located in the middle of the shift pattern. Next you are ready to start driving. With the transmission in neutral, start the engine and then press the accelerator lightly to get the feel of the accelerator pedal. Next, take your right foot off of the accelerator completely and let the engine just idle. Push the clutch pedal in completely, hold it in, and place the gearshift into 1st gear. Now is the moment of truth, showing that you can drive a stick shift. Continue to keep your right foot off of the  accelerator, but very slowly let out the clutch until the vehicle just begins to creep forward. This is accomplished by moving the clutch pedal in and out just a little bit, about a half-inch, to get the vehicle to begin rolling forward. Work on slowly letting the clutch pedal out until you can get the vehicle to move forward at a couple miles per hour in 1st gear without touching the accelerator. If the vehicle stalls, it is no big deal. Just push the clutch pedal in and restart the engine. The vehicle stalling usually becomes a big problem, and especially frustrating for the learner because it occurs so frequently. The next thing for the learner to do is just keeping the ride smooth. Your goal is to be able to smoothly let the clutch pedal out and have the vehicle move ever so slowly forward. The purpose of this step is to allow you to focus solely on training just your left foot for smooth controlled clutch movement. Once you are comfortable with releasing the clutch at the right time, you can practice pressing the accelerator lightly and letting out the clutch. After you are able to drive the vehicle in 1st gear, practice releasing the accelerator, pushing the clutch in all the way, moving the gearshift in to 2nd gear, and letting out the clutch, which usually occurs around fifteen miles per hour. Then the learner will soon be able to easily shift into each other gear, and be driving all around the streets. Those are the simple steps for being able to easily operate and control driving a car with standard stick shift transmission. Cars with stick shift transmission are more affordable because less people drive them and are more cost efficient for the driver. Learning to drive a stick shift transmission is not as complicated as others may make you believe, a person just needs to have patience and good coordination. Hopefully this paper may have taught you some new things about driving a standard stick shift transmission.

Madoff Case

20102004 Thi Ngoc Thuy Do 1. What are the ethical issues involved in the Madoff case? Bernard Madoff was accused of fraud and creation of a Ponzi scheme which lead to a $65 billion investment loss for hundreds of investors in over the world. Bernard Madoff started a legal business by buying and selling over the counter stocks that were not listed on NYSE. He deceived many people into thinking his operation as legitimate, and completely abused his respectable name and position of power for his own personal advances.He lied to his friends and clients from the beginning and as later documented in his allocution, he never invested any of the money he got. He became a thief. Madoff started a Ponzi scheme on levels never seen before. Madoff stole from friends, family and investors. Madoff did not invest the money as he promised; he simply used it to pay off the first set of investors at very high return rates (10-12%), so he could attract more money. There were also jobs given to family me mbers who could have helped the scheme. Madoff’s daughter was also married to a former Securities and Exchange Commission attorney.His company’s financial reports were never made public during the time of the scheme. I wonder how his company passed the tax audition imposed question on the SEC internal system. There is a big question for US government system. 2. Do you believe that Bernard Madoff worked alone, or do you think he had help in creating and sustaining his Ponzi scheme? Would this represent a conflict of interest? â€Å"Speaking as a Jew on Christmas, I would be less shocked if Santa Claus showed up to my house than if Bernie Madoff pulled off this fraud alone,† says Ron Geffner, a partner at law firm.So,I definitely believe Bernard Madoff did not work alone, he had help in creating and sustaining his Poniz scheme for 30 years. Without his accountants, family members, and other employees covering up his tracks, he wouldn't have gotten away with mislea ding so many officials who certified his operation as legitimate. Since these people were satisfied with the constant returns. They all shared in an expensive living condition, nobody questioned was made. Without these people, Madoff wouldn't have held up his operation for so long. Why internal accounting and auditing make no sense or Madoffs action. How Madoff elude investigation of SEC by transfer between his account and his familys account, those questions show that   Bernard Madoff need others help, he could not do these alone. The motivation of Madoff to set  Ponze scheme is very pure which only for money. The conflict of interest exists, the conflict  is between personal interest and public interest, Madoff and his family enjoys their luxury life style by cheating, public interest gets hurt. 3. What should be done to help ensure that Ponzi schemes like Madoff's do not happen in the future?In order to prevent Ponzi schemes from recurring, internal controls and compliance standards that detect misconduct must be implemented. Awareness on these types of crimes needs to be raised as well. Investors should pay closer attention and realize that just because someone may seem to have a perfect resume, doesn't mean they're completely well fit and will act ethically. The market is unpredictable, so no one can ensure 100% for your interest in future. Furthermore, Government should run SEC effectively, so people can trust them before incident occur.

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Response - Essay Example Such changes may manifest in terms of sweating, inconsistent tonal variation, missed stanzas and inability to capture the attention of the audience. Recitation is very important both to the victim and the audience, and prompt actions ought to be put in place to ensure that the behavior is rekindled during study. Technology has changed the attitude and minds of many readers and poets. They all want to utilize technology in all circles. Other poems are records in the media too. They want to simplify their work. In addition, others are not motivated to recite the poems loudly. They want to utilize technology such as microphone and loudspeakers. Technology limits the poem recitation process. One feels that having a copy of a poem or notes in audio form is enough. However, recitation offers immense benefits. Understanding the benefits will act as a motivating tool to those whose recitation habit is dying away. Reciting the poem aloud creates good attention due to the clear volume, modulation of voice, intonation, and pacing. The habit is especially very beneficial to young children, since it builds up their memory from the very tender age. Consequently, there are immense advantages that accompanied reading poems loudly, hence should undergo the adoption process (Gates, pg.

Irish Soap Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Irish Soap Culture - Essay Example This paper is built around the central idea that soaps structure and inform the realities of many, and examines the phenomenon of soap operas in Ireland within this theoretical framework. The term 'soap opera' bears little resemblance to the nature of the genre itself, and is a curious amalgam of connotations. The origins of the term, which brings to mind a visual image quite unlike anything that is actually the content of a soap opera, have evolved - or perhaps 'mutated' is a better word - into the current avatar of the genre, the history of the nomenclature of which may be pieced together through a brief examination of the semantics of the term. It combines various ideas, as analyzed in this description: The "soap" in soap opera alluded to their sponsorship by manufacturers of household cleaning products; while "opera" suggested an ironic incongruity between the domestic narrative concerns of the daytime serial and the most elevated of dramatic forms. ("Soap Opera," paragraph 1) As the term itself suggests, the patterns of plot and characterization in soap operas have reached a generic level, and many theorists have identified several distinctive features of the genre. M. E. Brown has identified the following as the generic characteristics of soap operas: According to Robert C. ... 6. male characters who are 'sensitive men' 7. female characters who are often professional and otherwise powerful in the world outside the home 8. the home, or some other place which functions as the home, as the setting for the show. (Brown, 1987, paragraph 1) According to Robert C. Allen in Speaking of Soap Operas, there is much ambiguity involved in the attempted definition of the genre. He writes: "Since the 1930s the soap opera has been defined by what it pretends to be but is not, by what it lacks rather than what it is" (2). He points out that with reference to the definitions of what soap operas are, "we need to examine not only what was said about soap operas but also what was assumed and left unsaid" (12). Allen speaks in terms of the soap opera's "sense of kitsch," and opines that the soap has "eventual psychosocial consequences [on] mass culture, suggesting that the agenda of the soap opera is to take the "place of art in the lives of the masses," and that "what has taken place is nothing less than a subversion of an important part of the social order" (18). Therefore, he suggests that the objective of the soap opera is to undermine the fabric of society itself by seeking to replace the role that art has traditionally played in society. Helena Sheehan, author of Irish Television Drama: A Society and Its Stories, points out that soap operas originated with the supposed attempt to represent society, and followed a distinct and recurring pattern which could easily be identified as well as predicted as one was subjected to a series of soap operas all revolving around the same ideas. She writes that many soap operas create the illusion that what they are presenting to their audiences are grand but authentic portrayals of reality,

Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Plan - Essay Example Generally, groupthink is illustrated in organizations such as the military, fraternities/sororities, and cults. This theory, although characterized to have a strong organizational cohesion, is considered as a negative characteristic because it does not promote progressive thinking among its members, therefore stunting the organization's development. Social comparison theory, meanwhile, provides a pragmatic view of organizational cultures. In this theory, cultures are assessed based on their differences, and relative development against each other. Social comparison theory provides the venue for organizations to look into their culture, and create changes or modifications in it for the improvement of the organization's operations and processes and members' improvement and efficient performance. In effect, social comparison theory, although it increases the distinction between or among cultures, also develops organization culture towards better and improved development. Combining both groupthink and social comparison theories, the suggested change by the CEO can be implemented. Through the mix of groupthink and social comparison theories