World of Words Essay Example

World of Words Essay Example World of Words Essay World of Words Essay The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. - Ludwig Wittgenstein When we think of communication, we often think about the language used to convey the message. Language and many of our nonverbal behaviors are symbolic. We need to keep in mind that across cultures, symbols do not always mean the same thing and can cause confusion or misunderstanding. The text offers the following example on page 95. The arbitrary nature of language becomes obvious-sometimes humorously so-when we discover that our words dont mean the same thing in another culture.The manufacturer of Dr. Pepper learned this lesson when marketing the soft drink didnt work in the United Kingdom. There, Im a pepper means Im a prostitute (Leaper, 1999). In Chapter 4, the author of the text suggests a set of guidelines for Improving Verbal (with words) Communication, we should: Engage in a Dual Perspective- that is, recognize the others viewpoint Own Your Thoughts and Feelings- that is, take responsibility for thoughts and feelings rather than blaming others. Use I language rather than You language as seen in the examples in Table 4. . Respect What Others Say About Their Feelings and Thoughts- just as you own your thoughts and feelings, others are doing the same, respecting this allows us to confirm them as people and maintain the dual perspective. Strive for Accuracy and Clarity- because symbols are arbitrary, ambiguous and abstract, we need to find ways to make our communication more accurate and as clear as possible for the situation at hand. Asking questions is a good way to insure accuracy and clarity of messages.

Double Placement Reactions Lab Essay Example

Double Placement Reactions Lab Essay Example Double Placement Reactions Lab Essay Double Placement Reactions Lab Essay Reactions Lab * November 14, 2010 Double Replacement Reaction Introduction / Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to combine a solution made of potassium iodide and a solution of lead (II) nitrate and produce a precipitate. The reaction is listed as Pb(NO3)2(aq)+2KI(aq) 2KNO3(aq)+PbI2(s). The contents of the beaker was the solution of potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate. The solution was poured into an Erlenmeyer flask holding a Buchner funnel with a piece of filter paper at the bottom of the funnel. The filter paper contained a yellow precipitate at the end of the experiment. This precipitate was lead (II) iodide. The potassium combined with the nitrate and filtered through the paper whereas the lead combined with the iodide and was not soluable in water and was collected on top of the paper. Materials: * 40 ml Potassium Iodide (Kl) * 20 ml Lead (II) Nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) * 100 ml Beaker * Stirring rod * Erlenmeyer flask * Buchner funnel * Watch glass * Scale Experimental Methods: 1) Obtain a 100 ml beaker 2) Obtain 40 ml of Potassium Iodide (Kl) 3) Obtain 20 ml of Lead (II) Nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) 4) Obtain an Erlenmeyer flask 5) Obtain a Buchner funnel with filter paper at the end of the funnel 6) Obtain a stirring rod ) Obtain a watch glass 8) Combine the 40 ml of Potassium Iodide (Kl) and 20 ml of Lead (II) Nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) in the 100 ml beaker 9) Use the stirring rod to stir the solution 10) Place the Buchner funnel in the Erlenmeyer flask 11) Pour the solution from the 100 ml beaker into the Buchner funnel 12) Remove the Buchner funnel from the Erlenmeyer flask 13) Place the solid precipitate from the filter paper into the watch glass 14) Using the scale, record the weight of the solid Data: Weight of Percipitate| Color of Percipitate| % Yeild| 9. 112 g| Yellow| . 0098828633| Results: When Potassium Iodide is combined with Lead (II) Nitrate, a chemical reaction occurs. The lead combines with the idodine and the potassium combines with the nitrate. One solution remains a liquid whereas the other solution becomes a solid. The solid is not soluable in water and is able to be filtered out. The equation is pictured below in Figure 1. The solid turned yellow in color. After the solid was filtered from the solution, it was weighed. This weight was measured and calculated as the percent yield. Figure [ 1 ] Discussion and Analysis: This experiment was a basic one with little possibility for error. The combining of two liquids produced a liquid and a solid. The positively charged atoms present in one solution combined with the positively charged atoms present in the other. This left the negatively charged atoms in both solutions to do the same. This is known as a Double Reaction. In this experiment, the Potassium Iodide was mixed with Lead (II) Nitrate. When the two chemical compounds were combined in a beaker and stirred with a stirring rod, the solution changed color. The solution in the beaker turned yellow in color. After stirring the solution, it was poured into a Buchner funnel that had a piece of filter paper at the bottom. This filter paper aided in collecting the precipitate and allowing the remaining liquid solution to pass through. The precipitate that was collected was transferred to a watch glass. After weighing the watch glass, the weight of the solid was calculated. The weight of the solid subtracted from the original weight of the solution gives the weight of the remaining liquid that was filtered through the filter paper. The weight of the solid is used to calculate the percent yield. The formula used to calculate the percent yield is: = (actual yield/predicted yield) x 100% = (actual yield /((20 ml /1000ml / liter) x GMW of PbI2)) x 100% = (actual yield / (. 2 x 461. 009)) x 100% = (actual yield /9. 22) x 100% = . 0098828633 Conclusions: The experiment went just as planned. The hypothesis was that a precipitate would be yielded as the result of combining two solutions together and passing the solution through filter paper. The solutions combined and reacted just as predicted. The cations and anions combined together and created a precipitate that was yellow in color. The precipitate was weighed and gave a chance to calculate a percent yield. The data collected was plugged into a formula that was given in the experiment procedures. The weight of the solid precipitate was divided by the predicted yield and then multiplied by 100%. In conclusion, the experiment was a success. Observations Record weight of lead (II) iodide solid (grams): 9. 112 g Calculate % yield = (actual yield / predicted yield) x 100% = (actual yield / ((20 ml /1000 ml/liter) x GMW of PbI2)) x 100 % = (actual yield /(. 02 x 461. 009)) x 100 % = (actual yield / 9. 22) x 100% = 0. 0098828633 g

Intercultural Communication optional Paper Essay

Intercultural Communication optional Paper - Essay Example Among theories of self and society is the high context vs. low context societal communication. Characteristics of communicative environment include cultural, socio-relational, physical, and perceptional environments. In this aspect cultural contexts entails features such as individualism and collectivism while physical aspect entails the geographical situation of interactions such s school, staffroom or at a dinner table. The extent to which communications and interaction depends on these features vary according to culture. In this aspect, a high context communication refers to the one that a lot of information either is in the physical or is within a self. Very little message in this perspective is coded. A low context communication on the other hand is the one that is explicitly coded. A cultural continuum helps in conceptualization of low-high context communication in which case there is no culture that appears exclusively to the extreme ends of the continuum. High cultures tends to have restricted communication code system such that users of a restricted code system rely most on the elements that pertains to context of communication setting for information as compared to the actual language code (Richard, 24). In high context cultures, since the parties understand each other, the words mostly do not necessarily convey meaning. People communicating in high context culture recognize that information from various elements of high context culture already exists and must not be codified further. Hence high context communication is fast, efficient, proficient and gratifies. In the low context culture, the verbal code is the primary source (Ian, 2). Thus people rely largely on the verbal code method to create an interpret meaning. The concept of face, the interactional self- image that a person displays which closely relates to the discursive images. Face refers to one’s image in a relational

Writing Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment - Research Paper Example This is called bounded rationality. We all know that NASA from very long wants to send a man to Mars. But, since this would be the very first time a man would be going to Mars, we have only limited information available about that planet. So, this first visit to Mars might not lead to a definite success for NASA. According to Simon, to satisfice means to take a decision which is good-enough for the present situation. The term Satisficing is also called Muddling Through. The word Satisfice was coined by Herbert Simons. It refers to a sub-optimal choice made by the decision maker which he considers to be good enough. Satisificing, therefore, is a decision making process which leads to a near optimal solution and not the optimal one. Satisficing is not a form of rational actor behavior, since the rational behavior would lead to the most optimal alternative available as the decision. But, satisficing considers the sub-optimal decision. Satisificing is more closely akin to bounded rationality since both these approaches lead to a decision which is not the most optimal or rational one. Simon wished to replace the economic assumption of global rationality since he strongly believed that it is not possible for human beings to behave rationally because of their computing limitations, and also time and information accessing limitations. Simon believed that the way humans ‘actually’ make decisions is by following the approaches of bounded rationality and satisficing (Newell, 1972). I strongly agree with Simon on his approach to decision making. His approach does make sense because human decision making has a lot of challenges in terms of selecting the best alternative. I would like to enlighten this with the help of an important recent happening which is the law enforcement in recent London riots. The laws were enforced in a way such that the riots are deterred immediately. Even if the culprits could not be caught of immediately, it

Students as Catalysts Of Peace Essay Example for Free

Students as Catalysts Of Peace Essay Friends, let me begin by quoting you a line lifted from Eleanor Roosevelt. â€Å"It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.† This ladies and gentlemen challenges Juan De la Cruz, the majority common Filipino people. And what is more moiling to this are the sweet and sour additives and influences of the society. My friends, as we all know Philippines is somehow ignorant to peace, particularly Mindanao. The island in this country that has 63% Christian majority and 32% Muslim population resulting in many violent conflicts due to misunderstanding. According to Jose Rizal, â€Å"Youth is the hope of the fatherland.† It is indeed a privilege for every Filipino youth to show patriotism and responsibility in raising the country through bringing back peace. Peaceful resolution of conflicts is more likely the choice of an ideal youth. But how can we encourage the youth? Simply, envelope them in a world where they can have a stronger sense of self-esteem; more solid connections to their own community; sense of empowerment to make decisions affecting their own future; adequate opportunities to get to know youth who are different than themselves and; access to programs to improve leadership, communication and basic conflict resolution skills, in short develop them inside the home and education, thus students must be seen as the pioneers and catalysts for peace. There are lots of organizations and projects being built globally to foster peace. One of these is the â€Å"Empowering 900 Filipino Youth in Peace Building†. The project that aims to raise schoolchildren as peacemakers. Creating a library involving students as volunteers, organizing trainings for the whole community, creating a student service club that will then become the basis for a volunteer and peace movement are the ways they are doing to realize their goal of connecting people to peace through service.

Reader Response Essay - Slave Purchases and Breeding: Unruly Slave :: Reader Response Essays

Reader Response Essay - Slave Purchases and Breeding: Unruly Slave My initial response to G. B. Wallace’s letter was one of confusion. As I reread the piece given the title â€Å"Slave Purchases and Breeding: Unruly Slave, Wallace, G.B† I realized that it was nothing more than a business letter between a slave owner and an associate of his that could presumably help him out of his situation. The language of the letter created a small barrier, since it was out of date in comparison to contemporary American language, but with a little effort, I could see the author’s intentions. For example, I have never heard the word â€Å"aforesaid† used before. Using the context of the letter, I could deduce that it simply means mentioned earlier or said beforehand. This reaction doesn’t surprise me because I rarely read literature from this time period, and anything you don’t do often takes a little time to get used to. I adjusted to the language easily, because the letter was short and simple, thus requiring little patience to understand. As far as my reaction to the actual subject matter of the letter, I was not overly shocked or repelled by the inhumanity concerning the slaves. I don’t support slavery or reconcile any prejudices. I think human property is very wrong. Americans should be ashamed to bear its disgraces as part of our history. The truth should be known, though; that is part of our history, and many horrible things happened because of it. This short letter, however, did not arouse any of the anger that comes with the portrayal of such injustice. I am a sensible person, but I am also very sympathetic and sensitive to the needs of others. When extreme prejudices occur, such as slavery, and I read stories or watch movies about it, it really does sadden me. I didn’t feel this way at all after reading this letter about slave trading. Maybe it is because nothing in the letter, such as the tone or word usage, led me to believe that these slaves were being mistreated. Obviously, slavery in itself is mistreatment, but it was also part of the southern culture of that time period. I mean, just because someone owned slaves doesn’t necessarily mean he is a horrible person. People do things that I consider to be immoral all the time, but I don’t condemn them as bad.

Economic/Social transitions in literature Essay

The great plays staged in London and its more modern counterpart, the films, that are accessible to all, depict the social issues, biases and struggles of not only the characters in the plays or the films, but also the society of that time. As for instance, the acquisition of wealth as a social activity, which is very primitive to man, as primitive as his quest to survive, has been portrayed in varying degrees of need, as if so urgent. The problem arises when one realizes that the quest is not a solo act. There are still other members of the society one belongs to and interacts with, who seek wealth in their own ways. Since man made discoveries of and developed the tools or things he could use for purposes that serve him, benefit him, and enrich him, man became a part of the race for the survival of the fittest. Self-interest is his order of the day that, by hook or crook, he has to engage in activities that will earn for him his status, prestige, monetary rewards, properties and other ‘successes’ or things he finds worthy of his taste. The means by which such ‘rewards’ are achieved are just an afterthought, and most of the time, immaterial to him. The beginning of the 16th century marked the trend towards Industrial Revolution in England and writers have recorded in their manuscripts the daily ordeals their society faced, literally and figuratively. In Christopher Marlowe’s â€Å"The Jew of Malta† as in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†, it is evident that religious differences or conflicts are present and the Jews figured greatly in these conflicts. They are despised by the locals – Maltese and Venetians alike. They are spat on and called by other names for the Jews are easily identified by the red wigs they are required to wear at all times. Shakespeare echoes the thoughts and social issues regarding the Jews of their time. Sentiments against the Jews are present in both plays although it still remains debatable if Marlowe or Shakespeare were anti-Semitics. The term anti-Semitism came about in 1879, but anti-Jewish agitation was already present for thousands of years. Even during the ancient Roman Empire, the Jews were already discriminated upon politically for their religion and special forms of worship. Discrimination was also used as a ground against the Jews from obtaining Roman citizenship. As they were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during his time, they have been considered a race with a bad reputation. As the gospel of Christ spread from Jerusalem to surrounding Gentile lands to as far as the western hemisphere and brought about the eventual domination of Christianity, Jews had been the object of universal and systematic hatred where religion is concerned (â€Å"Anti-Semitism†, 2009). Equally disdainful are the Jews’ regard to the Christians’ religious hypocrisy. Both plays present the utter hypocrisy of Christians who are superficially devout but are inwardly rotten as Barabbas’s slave, Ithamore. The materialistic friars Jacomo and Bernardine, leaders of Christianity from different orders in a certain locality, are keener at the wealth of Barabbas than of the heavenly riches they preach. Evidently, social structure is at play. An invisible social structure somehow manipulates important social systems that includes the manner society conducts its trade, or handles and interprets its laws, its political affairs, its cultural norms and other areas. All institutions of human affairs are considered social structures, including family, religion, law, economy and class and all these are under a larger and more encompassing chunk called â€Å"social system† (Lopez and Scott, 2000). Marlowe’s portrayal of Barabbas, closely resembling the murderous Barabbas who was freed during the time of Christ, also performed a killing spree he masterminded. There was no telling at the end, though, of the motivations that drove him to such state, especially after he has regained his wealth after streaks of political deceptions. Poor men marrying wealthy women as a form of emancipation from their present state seems acceptable. In â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†, Bassanio’s urgent love for Portia is ambiguous that he even tells Antonio to consider the arrangement an investment. In â€Å"The Jew of Malta†, Barabbas dislikes the Christian men courting his daughter for he does not want any of them sharing the wealth he stored up for her. Men and women are used to cross-dressing. On the very stage where Shakespeare’s plays are performed, no women are allowed to take part. So men in women’s roles cross-dress. Quite intriguing also is the love of Antonio for Bassanio that he was willing to shed off a pound of flesh to prove his great love for his friend. â€Å"The Shoemaker’s Holiday†, Thomas Dekker’s comical play, was staged around the time the fame of Shakespearean plays were a hit in London and it also echoes the type of social structure where men of stature cannot marry women of lesser stature as the characters of Rowland Lacy and Rose Oteley depict. There was prejudice among the lower class and vice versa but for true lovers, social classes do not matter. The working class, as in this case, the shoemakers, are at the forefront and where one of them by deception and sheer luck makes it to become Lord Mayor Simon Eyre. According to Lopez and Scott (2000), distinctive between institutional structure and relational structure are some patterns that exist within each structure. They stated that â€Å"social structure is seen as comprising those cultural or normative patterns that define the expectations of agents hold about each other’s behavior and that organize their enduring relations with each other† (Lopez and Scott, 2000, p. 3). They contrasted it as such, â€Å"social structure is seen as comprising the relationships themselves, understood as patterns of causal interconnection and interdependence among agents and their actions, as well as the positions that they occupy† (Lopez and Scott, 2000, p. 3). Both in the former merchant plays of Marlowe and Shakespeare, deception has always been present in the situations, whether for good intentions or to inflict harm. However, Dekker’s play is more idealistic than it is a real depiction of the working class and the government of his time, for unlike Shakespeare, Dekker did not have the same privilege Shakespeare enjoyed. Meanwhile, Charles Dickens’ â€Å"A Christmas Carol† portrays the now evident gap between the rich and the poor in 18th century England and the deeper problems the gap brought in with it ? poverty and social injustice. As Dickens’ play tackles serious issues present in society during his time that no one but Ebenezer Scrooge can greatly personify, it is unmistakable that Dickens was calling on his fellowmen to take a closer look at the plight of the others who were not as fortunate. Dickens asks, in effect, that his fellow Englishmen understand and act on the dilemma facing those displaced and eventually sent to poverty by the dark age of the Industrial Revolution (Dickens, 2003). The Scrooge’s utter disregard towards everything but money makes him the monster that will invoke doom for all. If from the earlier merchant plays, self-interest seems like the rule-of-thumb, in â€Å"A Christmas Carol† the call for selflessness points out that social responsibility does not end when taxes are filed. The story has become one of Dickens’ best and one of four other Christmas books he had published. In fast-paced New York, the 80s â€Å"Wall Street† film by Oliver Stone (1987) revolves around the ruthless corporate character Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas. This film depicts human nature back to its fullest and is personified by greed and corrupt morals. The film deals with the basic craving for wealth and power, getting things done at all cost in no time. Honesty and simplicity have no place; if someone has to go up the ladder of success quickly be greedy. Gekko’s portrayal of the â€Å"Greed is good† speech came from complaints that management owns little of its stock while it supports too many vice presidents, an allusion to real-life speeches and comments signified by Carl Icahn, known as the shrewdest investor in the planet, regarding companies he tried to take over. Also, the defense of greed came from a paraphrased commencement address on May 18, 1986 at the UC Berkeley’s School of Business Administration, delivered by Ivan Boesky, now a Wall Street incognito as he was found guilty of insider-trading. In his address he said that greed is just all right, healthy and still feels good about it. The â€Å"Greed is Good† line may also be adverted Adam Smith, the leading expositor of economic thought on his conclusion about human nature. Smith believed â€Å"rational self-interest in a free-market economy leads to economic well-being. † Smith wrote in his â€Å"Theory of Moral Sentiments† that no matter how selfish a man may be, there is in his nature that will always interest him in the fortune of others and render their happiness necessary to him though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it. His view on self-interest is benign and denies that self-love can be virtuous in any degree and that charity, though virtuous, cannot in any way provide the essentials of living by itself. â€Å"Wall Street† mirrors a society so laid-back it has to time for hard work and doing work well; a society that got used to getting big bucks quickly (Stone, 2003). Another New York-based film, â€Å"Working Girl† (Wade, 1988), directed by Mike Nichols shows how Tess McGill, a character played by Melanie Griffith, decides to climb up the ladder of success, out of the secretarial pool she has been in for so long. Despite her resourcefulness, hard work, and degree earned from college, she stands no chance as she lacks the prestige of acquiring a degree from a prestigious school. Intelligent as she is, it is her boss who sucks out good ideas from her. A person’s social position within the social hierarchy in a society indicates a set of people’s opinion of their own place or position in society; and these are very subjective, depending on who a person talks to or who a person associates himself/herself with. Kristina Lindemann (2000) adds that education, occupation, and income are also related to the subjective social position where a person’s environment provides great impact on how an individual sees himself in the context of social hierarchy in society or one’s objective characteristics. Lindemann (2000) further divides these characteristics into ascribed and achieved characteristics. Ascribed characteristics are innate as age, gender and ethnicity while achieved characteristics are acquired or learned as education, occupation or income. While studies show that acquired characteristics are relevant to how one sees himself positioned in the hierarchy, some theorists do not believe so (Lindermann, 2000). The environment McGill works in is too competitive where everyone keeps a watchful eye as to whose idea works and whose idea will push one higher. Reaching the top then has to be done with cutting-edge guts. Out-witting her boss in presenting what is her own original idea for the company, she has to deceive their company’s major client. Other moral issues may also come into play as, to be able to advance notches higher in the corporate world, one has to have to sleep with who is in charge, one has to be mindful of what his colleagues are up to, which may be translated to office politics. REFERENCES Anti-Semitism (2009). Retrieved August 3, 2009 from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761574855/Anti-Semitism. html Lopez, J. and J. Scott (2000), Social Structure, Buckingham and Philadelphia: Open University Press. Murdock, G. (1949). Social Structure. New York: MacMillan. Dickens, C. (2003). A Christmas Carol. Grand Rapids: Saddleback. Stone, O. (Writer) (1987). Wall Street. USA: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Wade, K. (Writer) (1988). Working Girls. USA: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Vitt, L. A. (2007). Class. Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Retrieved August 3, 2009, from http://www. blackwellreference. com. libproxy. lib. unc. edu/subscriber/tocnode? id=g9781405124331_chunk_g97814051243319_ss1-49 Lindemann, K. (2007). The Impact of Objective Characteristics on Subjective Social Position. Trames, 11, 54-68.