Cross Cultural Business Training And Communication Management Essay

Cross Cultural Business Training And Communication Management Essay Culture affects every part of a business from initial communication to building team synergy. To conduct business in a foreign country, one must understand the traditions and values of the society, along with consumer needs. Estimates show that more than half of all international joint ventures fail within 2-3 years because of the lack of cultural competency.   Certain issues need to be addressed for a business to ascertain what is culturally correct in a country. Resolution of these issues comes through direct experience with the culture to determine the needs and desires of the population, then addressing these in culturally appropriate ways. Behavioral assessments and adjustments need to be made constantly by employees to effectively penetrate a market and culture to be successful. In todays business world this is now essential for building and maintaining a competitive global advantage. (2010, June 8).  Cultural Savvy A Global Cross-Cultural Consulting, Coaching Training. Re trieved October 10, 2010, from : http://www.culturalsavvy.com/index.htm Providing a cross-cultural training experience is an investment that will reward a company in the long run. Companies that institute these types of programs have a competitive advantage over those that do not, as training reduces culture shock, affectively alleviates inappropriate situations, and ultimately creates lasting relationships with international partners. Culturally savvy employees are more effective leaders as they can better relate to situations outside their realm of comfort, with ease, and continue to build on them for the future. China and Indias current business relations; future endeavors When looking at China and India and their current relationship, one must consider, first and foremost, their size. China has recently over taken Japan as the worlds second largest economy, with Indias own recovering economic status coming in close behind. For centuries they have shared advanced ideas, inventions and philosophical traditions. They have reemerged as leading techno-economic nations, and recent developments and exchanges between them indicate that the ball is already rolling in the direction of globalization for common good. No two nations are better equipped than India and China to show the world how the common concerns of humanity can be addressed through mutual respect, friendship, healthy competition, and sharing of resources. Both Democratic India and Communist China have embarked upon ambitious science, technology, and economic development programs through centralized planning. Both emphasize self-reliance through local initiatives, restricting the flow of foreign capital and technology. ((Ahmad, A. A. (2010, February 10). Share The Worlds Resources. Retrieved October 5, 2010, from http://www.stwr.org/india-china-asia/india-and-china-conflict-competition-and-cooperation-in-the-age-of-globalization.html)) Prospects for India and China Prospectively speaking, India and China are facing an energy crisis that needs to be addressed today. India must create 15 million new jobs a year to keep the younger population employed. China has 17% of the worlds population and only .8% of the oil reserves, with an economy growing at a rate of 8-10% every year. China and India alike are actively seeking imports to meet their energy needs. China recently invested in oil interest in Russia and the Middle East.   China and India continue to compete with each other for oil resources, however an opportunity can be created here where they can cooperate. Discussions have been taking place between CNOOC, The Chinese Oil Conglomerate, and Indias Oil and Natural Gas Commission. Discussions include developing a committee of oil producing nations to determine the supply and price of crude oil, for the benefit of importers in rapidly developing countries, and exploring acquisitions strategies to meet these needs. China and India have allocated a large amount of capital to research and development, consequently they are producing more innovations than any other countries in the world after signing the Indo-China Inter-governmental Science and Technology Agreement. These two countries are highly trained in the fields of science and technology which make them a diverse resource to outside countries wanting to utilize those talents. Specific joint projects are proposed at inter-agency levels in such diverse fields as meteorology, ocean science and technology, space science and technology, and biotechnology.   These two countries graduate millions of students each year that are inundated with the knowledge to produce and actively participate in the global production of goods and public services. With these numbers, manufacturing may be at stake in the western world, by combining these efforts they are causing a power shift from manufacturing countries. (Ahmad, A. A. (2010, February 10). Share Th e Worlds Resources. Retrieved October 5, 2010, from: http://www.stwr.org/india-china-asia/india-and-china-conflict-competition-and-cooperation-in-the-age-of-globalization.html) Insights into China   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China is the worlds fourth largest country (9.6 M sq km) in area after Russia, Canada, and the US. China is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea. China is surrounded by fourteen neighboring countries namely: Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. The Land   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chinas terrain consists mostly of mountains, high plateaus, and deserts in the west, and plains, deltas, and hills in east. China has extremely diverse weather, from tropical in the south to subarctic in north. The lowest point of China is Turpan Pendi, 154 m below sea level, and the highest point is Mount Everest at 8,850 m. Total area of China is 9,596,961 sq km, land area being 9,569,901 sq km and water area being 27,060 sq km. The land consists of 14.86% arable and 1.27% permanent crops. 83.87% of land is used for other purposes. 545,960 sq km consists of irrigated land. The natural resources of China include aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, and magnetite. China has the worlds largest hydropower potential. The natural hazards include frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts), tsunamis, damaging floods, droughts, e arthquakes, and land subsidence. People and History On 1 October 1949 Peoples Republic of China was established. The most recent promulgation of the constitution was done on 4 December 1982 with amendments in 1988, 1993, 2004. The flag of China is red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars in the upper hoist-side corner. The color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes: the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie, united under the Communist Party of China. Beijing is the capital of China. Major cities include Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, and Chengdu. China has five official religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The ethnic groups include the Han Chinese at 91.5%; the Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uighur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities comprise the remaining 8.5%. The languages spoken in China include S tandard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect, official), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, and minority languages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   China is the worlds most populous country with 1,330,141,295 people (July 2010 est.). The birth rate is 12.17-births per 1,000 of the population, and the death rate is 6.89 deaths per 1,000 of the population with the population growth rate being 0.494%. The male to female ratio being 1.06. The life expectancy for males is 72.54 years and females is 76.77 years. The median age is 34.1 years, with 33.5 years for males and 34.7 years for females. The literacy rate is 90.9%, 95.1% for males and 86.5% for females. As of 2000, percentage of population age 15 and over having no or incomplete primary schooling is 15.6%. Those that have completed primary is 35.7%, some secondary is 34.0%, complete secondary is 11.1%, some postsecondary through advanced degree is only 3.6%. Education China has a vast and varied school system to provide for its population. There are preschools, kindergartens, schools for the deaf and blind, key schools (similar to college preparatory schools), primary schools, secondary schools of diverse disciplines, and various institutions of higher learning. Chinas basic education involves pre-school, a nine-year compulsory education from elementary to junior high school, and the standard senior high school education. It also has special education for disabled children, and education for illiterate people. The Law on Nine-Year Compulsory Education, which took effect July 1, 1986, established requirements and deadlines for attaining a universal education system, tailored to local conditions, and guaranteed school-age children the right to receive an education. China has over 200 million elementary and high school students, who, together with pre-school children, account for one sixth of the total population. The Central Government has prioritiz ed basic education as a key field of infrastructure construction and educational development. Public Administration China has a communist government. The administrative divisions include 23 provinces which consist of: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; and Taiwan. There are five autonomous regions consisting of Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet) and four municipalities consisting of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin. Economy During the past 30 years, Chinas economy has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade, to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector. It is now a major player in the global economy. In the late 1970s, reforms were started with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture. The reforms led to the expansion of fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, gradual liberalization of prices, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. The labor force consists of 813.5 million people. These numbers consist of 39.5% agriculture, 27.2% industrial and 33.2 % services. The unemployment rate is 4.3%, and the population below the poverty line is only 2.8%. The GDP growth rate of the country compared to other countries is 9.1%. The agricultural products include rice, wheat, p otatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed, pork, and fish. The industries in China include consumer products, such as footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, such as automobiles, rail cars, locomotives, ships, and aircraft; mining and ore processing of coal, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; telecommunications equipment; commercial space launch vehicles, and satellites. The Chinese government has vowed to continue to reform the economy and emphasize the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make China less dependent on foreign exports for GDP growth in the future. (The World Factbook. Retrieved August 31, 2010 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html) Cross Cultural Training plan The term cross cultural training refers to a variety of different training courses. Each in essence aims to develop awareness between people where a common cultural framework does not exist. The main purpose of cross cultural training is to simulate problems that may arise in the workplace due to cultural differences and be prepared with resolutions to these problems. In todays economy, it is becoming increasingly essential to conduct business globally. For a multinational company to experience long-term success, its employees must have an understanding of the beliefs and values of the country in which they are conducting business. (Cross Cultural Training. Retrieved November 09, 2010 from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/training.html) Cross-cultural training includes both general orientation and specific skill development. General orientation consists of self-assessment, dealing with change, stress management and identifying attributes, and cultural awareness including national values, general dimensions, and work place incidents.   Specific skill development consists of knowledge acquisition, area studies, language studies, host attitudes, and skills training, such as case studies, area simulation and behavior modeling. Training includes providing the information to the trainee about national culture and attitudes in the host country. The trainee should be trained to handle different situations in a simulated environment. (Rohmeter, N. (2005).  Human resource development: challenges and opportunities. Daryaganj, New Delhi: Anmol Publications PVT. LTD) One major issue surrounding cross-cultural training includes getting beyond culturally determined stereotypes, how to raise and deal with stereotype. Most often, the common thought is, Life would be a lot simpler if people would just see things our way. Without realizing it, we carry those misconceptions and stereotypes into meetings, conferences, trainings, or even social gatherings that can make communication difficult and hard work. This break down in communication leads to in-effective work strategies, and also a non-productive work environment; in reality, the only person that can be changed is you. By learning about another culture i.e. their beliefs, values, common practices, and social norms, ultimately this will open up the communication lines. Other issues of cross cultural training include: feedback, how to counsel employees, coaching and team building, resolving conflicts (those include various ethnic groups at work place). (The Library. Retrieved November 09, 2010 from h ttp://www.impactfactory.com/library.shtml) Need for plan It is critical for managers to develop effective communication between employees. Training deals with interpersonal interaction. It provides management staff with the knowledge and skills to effectively supervise a multicultural staff. It results in a hospitable and understanding work environment. Cross cultural training covers areas such as values, morals, ethics, business practices, etiquette, protocol, and negotiation styles.   It helps in developing successful business relationships. It provides managers with a thorough cultural profile of the target country, highlighting similarities and differences between the target and home country. It also discusses factors that may arise regarding family, personal and business relationships, and runs interactive simulations that reflect realistic situations in the target culture. People and practices differ across cultures People can react very differently to a situation based on cultural differences. The need to motivate employees varies by culture. What motivates employees to work in India may not be a relevant motivator to Chinese employees. Therefore the trainees will need to become familiar with the differences in the employee motivation across cultures. The differences in the way motivation is perceived by the employees will need to be taken into consideration for performance appraisals everyday business decisions.   The expatriate will need to perform the same tasks he has performed in his home country in a new environment with new environmental stressors. The cultural stress will affect the performance and yield of job related duties. Expatriates failure in cross cultural environments is often due to inability to adapt to the new culture. The skills that have been shown to generate success are: -Show respect to the values of the new culture -Ability to be non-judgmental -Ability to understand ones limits in relation to knowledge and perception of the culture -Ability to empathize -Flexibility Rohmeter, N. (2005).  Human resource development: Challenges and opportunities. Daryaganj, New Delhi: Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. Designing of cross-cultural training Linguistic barriers are a major area of the crossings of two cultures. This major form of expression needs to be addressed to even begin to understand another culture, but then it is closely followed by those things around us that we would use to describe a culture. Language barriers, and breakdowns can lead to ineffective business plans and can damage relationships with potential clients. English is used for most transactions, but the usage of English tends to change with the countrys context.   In order for the expatriate to learn to communicate in China, we will enroll them in a 3-month Survival Chinese course taught by Surfchinese.com. The first program will consist of three 50 minute classes per week.   This course is designed for those who have no experience with the Chinese language.   Through this class, the expatriates will learn about 100 topics that are used in daily life, in addition to culture tips and interaction with a Chinese teacher.   Ã‚  The course is a ra pid learning course based on oral Chinese to help them deal with their practical needs in daily life. (Survival Chinese. Retrieved November 09, 2010 from http://www.surfchinese.com/class/SC1.asp)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the completion of Survival Chinese, we will continue to enhance the language skills of the expat by continuing to a Business Communication course. This course is designed to help the businessperson learn the essential communication for business circumstances.   The course progresses through three levels starting with Basic Communications such as, time schedules, business banquet, marketing, and business consulting. The Intermediate Level moves to business topics such as, business greetings, conversations in the office and trading.   The Advanced Level will progress to allow the use of Chinese to perform more complicated communications such as negotiations, presentations, or business meetings. Since these are online courses the expatriat can continue with the language training throughout the transition to China and as long as needed until they are competent in the communications needed for their professions. (Business Chinese Courses. Retrieved November 09, 2010 from http:// www.surfchinese.com/class/BC1.asp)   Timetable and steps of the plan The timetable for training our India managers in China has 3 phases. The overall process will take roughly 30 days, with some continuing education to follow. It is important for our managers to not only learn and understand the culture, but it is equally important for them to stay current with it. Having a good grasp will generate a higher level of respect, and that will generate a higher level of business. Documentary training 3 day training The initial phase will be a 3-day training phase, or 24 hours, covering the culture and what is acceptable through documentary training. Language, behaviors, and demographics will be topics discussed during this time. Proper greetings and gestures should also be mentioned here. A pre-test will be administered to gauge our managers knowledge, so we can tailor the training program to the level of knowledge of our group. A documentary training program about the countrys geography, economics, and sociopolitical history helps to show cultural differences between the home and foreign countries.   It is expensive to send the trainee abroad for training; it is more economical to train in the home country with videos and books to learn about the foreign culture. Cultural and field simulation trainings and exercises 7 days or 40 hours The second phase will be approximately 7 days or 40 hours of applying the knowledge received in step one through cultural simulation trainings and exercises. It will be the responsibility of those in the group to be active in the community, talk to the local people, and learn firsthand the quirks of the culture that has been taught to them. A short synopsis will be required pending completion of this phase to showcase real experiences and application of the lessons up to this point. Cross Cultural Simulations are easy ways to get people involved in learning about different cultures. It allows them to actually be immersed in the culture and experience what someone of a different culture may encounter in a new country. By allowing yourself to step into someone elses shoes, you are able to see the basic similarities, differences, obstacles, first impressions, and interact with culturally different groups. Simple simulations can be played such as how many ways can you come up with to say hello in different languages; the Story of my name, where you give an inside look into the meaning or origin of your name; case scenarios, multicultural games addressing counting, stereotypes, and English as a second language. (Wilderdom, (2006, February 11). Multicultural, Cross-cultural Intercultural Games Activities. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from http://wilderdom.com/games/MulticulturalExperientialActivities.html) Role playing is a training simulation that allows a trainee to be placed into specific situations that may be encountered. Creating specific simulations can help others become more aware of the challenges faced and behaviors that may be primarily cultural, rather than natural. Instructions 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Make role playing cards depicting certain attributes for different cultures. Each person should get just one of the secret instructions to act out during the meeting. 2.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Tell the group they are to read their individual instructions by themselves, and not let anybody else know what they are. Tell them they should intentionally act the way their instructions indicate during the group activity. 3.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Role-play for about 20 min. 4.   Ã‚  Ã‚  At the end, allow at least 20 minutes to discuss the questions provided. The different cards that people are to follow should be specifically pertaining to an attribute of a culture. For example: You are someone from a cultural group that believes men and women should be separate. You would never shake hands with the opposite sex, and prefer to be seated in the same sex groups during meetings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example would be: You are from a culture that it is common to greet hello with quick kisses on the cheek or long handshakes. Friendships are important, you ask a lot of questions to get to know someone and gender-mixed relationships are common.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While playing this game it is extremely important to stick to the roles given, while not giving away that this is what you are actually portraying. This in effect puts the player directing into the shoes of someone who is of a different culture. It allows them to see first-hand the challenges that can be faced, and ultimately allows them to see how they can be more accepting and responsive when faced with someone whose common practice is opposite of their own. After the meeting, you should allow for questions to be answered pertaining to: 1. How they felt during the exercise? 2. Describe what happened during the exercise. 3. What did you learn? 4. How does this relate to the real world? 5. What if you had known why the others were behaving as they did? 6. How can you apply this?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The focus is to learn by doing, rather than by showing. These simulations allow you to gain a firsthand experience of a different culture, but also allow you to make those mistakes that are inevitable between the mix of cultures. It allows you to address those mistakes or downfalls that may occur in a watered down version of a culture, and how best to handle those situations once they occur. Even though a full-blown culture experience will have unexpected situations that arise, this allows for highlights into a culture and the firsthand experience at what to expect. Implementation of the Plan The next 2 weeks or 13 days will be spent implementing some of the learned strategies to determine if any of them are viable. This encourages those that came up with the ideas and motivates those who did not. Hopefully, this will build a team atmosphere and establish who the true leaders are. During this time we will be able to evaluate where the company stands at this point in the training process. A closing test will be administered to recap the lessons learned and to promote continued practice of the new strategies. The next 7 days will be a research and development phase. This is a good time to have the group come up with a clever and creative way to market the business, and break into the scene so to speak. The group will start with a SWOT analysis, followed by a marketing plan, explaining in detail their ideas for market penetration. Spouse and family issues Another important area to address for any candidate who is incorporating their family into a cross-culture scenario is to provide the candidates family with sufficient training on the host country. It is better to train the spouse and family members of the trainee, so they can adjust to the new culture. Training the family enables the employee to concentrate more on the work that will lead to success of the business and not have the added stress of the adjustment time of both themselves and their families. Budget for the plan Language Training 1 Survival Chinese. Online 3 months of language classes. 3 classes per week. 36 Lessons $810 Language Training 2 Business Chinese. Online 3 months of language classes. 3 classes per week. 36 Lessons $810 Documentary Training 3 8 Hour Days $3750 Cultural Simulations 7 Days -40 Hours $200 Implementation of the Plan 2 Weeks $0 7 Days $0 Total $5570Estimated Budget for the Cross Cultural Business Plan Per Individual * This plan does not include Spouse and Family training. Language training would be approximately $7 per 50 minute session. Cultural Training is approximately $1250 per day per person. *Cultural simulation cost in this example is based on a Chinese community within the city of the expat. Pricing would be greater if travel is required to a Chinese Community. *Implementation of the Plan is based in an office setting and would not require additional funding for travel, per diem, etc. Expected results in cross cultural training Cross-cultural training has many benefits to be gained by participants and the business. Measuring the effectiveness of cross cultural training can be challenging, but it is rather clear that cross cultural competence has the potential to make a significant contribution to top and bottom line results as well as the individuals performance. Cross-cultural training increases cross-cultural competence i.e., the ability of the individuals to perform effectively and confidently in other countries or with foreign nationals. This training helps to develop new skills, attitudes, and gain new insights. The main benefits of a properly designed and customized cross cultural training are: Greater understanding of the customs and beliefs of other cultures. Better relationships and communication with people from other cultures. Insight into needs and opportunities of the global market. Greater level of adjustment to living and working in a new environment. Develops inter-personal and listening skills. Change in Motivation Levels:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Motivation is considered to be a goal-oriented behavior. It may be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Motivation levels are of great importance in the business world. During the cross-cultural training programs, one tries to enhance the motivation levels of the expatriates by the various training programs. These programs increase the work performance of the expatriates and also build confidence in them. By enhancing the trainees personal experiences in a specific culture, he becomes more aware of situations he may encounter. This ultimately relieves the stress and culture shock of a situation, allowing their true motivation to show through, and business transactions to be conducted smoothly. Change in Competency   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competency can be defined as the ability to perform the prescribed work efficiently. The cross-cultural training increases the skills, knowledge, and behavior of the person. These three qualities combined can be termed as Competence.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competency is the general requirement for a person to participate effectively in various organizations and communities. This training program increased levels of competency in the expatriates, which helps them with their work activities individually, and enables them to rely on the skills provided and learned through simulations, and cultural interactions. Change in Organizational Effectiveness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational effectiveness is considered one of the key factors for success of the company. It can be defined by the effectiveness in which the organization achieves specific outcomes. This is a cumulative effort put forth by all employees, which makes an organization effective and productive in their goals.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The success of the company is dependent on the organizational competence and ethics. The effectiveness of an organization is not measurable, but can be evaluated based on the profits they earn. Thus cross cultural training can enhance the effectiveness of the organization by building confidence and enthusiasm in the workers.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion cross cultural training programs prove to be profitable to both countries, the families, and the employees who are involved in the business exchange. With the training as a guide, the expatriates as they get to know about the culture, customs and most importantly the working style of the foreign country. A company with employees knowledgeable about the culture of the country in which they are performing business will be more adept at meeting the goals of the organization. This knowledge will also increase consumer confidence in the company, and enhance the relationship between the countries i.e., China and India.

Defending Walt Whitman

Perfect discipline is an attainable reality, but if it is not there, no alternative exists but to carry on with the available discipline. Similarly, prefect democracy is the dream of a true democrat but one is aware that the path to achieve it is strewn with thorns. The suave politicians and the literary stalwarts all over the world are â€Å"carrying on the conversation that Whitman initiated over 150 years ago—a dialogue about democracy, poetry, love, death, and the endless permutations of life that he believed would define America and eventually produce a republic equal to its ideals.†(Sherman†¦) â€Å"Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. He was a part of the transition between Transcendentalism and Realism, incorporating both views in his works. †¦. Whitman is among the most influential and controversial poets in the American canon. His work has been described as a â€Å"rude shoc k† and â€Å"the most audacious and debatable contribution yet made to American literature. † (Walt†¦. ) Sherman Alexie was born in October 1966. His famous quote reads like the mission statement of an institution.His eternal craze for literary creations and the vast areas of literary subjects that he wishes to tackle is reflected in this statement: â€Å"†I know I have so much left to say and I don't know how much time I have left to say it all. † This statement indicates the thinking style and beliefs of Alexie are deeply impacted and influenced by Whitman. In the poem, â€Å"Defending Walt Whitman†, he makes the explicit mention of Whitman’s ideals and ideologies, and how they have influenced the thought process of the Americans, and consequently their action processes for the last fifteen decades.Alexie highlights that Whitman is deeply concerned about the social imperfections in the American society. To achieve the level of democracy in the real sense, people need to be basically sound and industrious, and basic conditions need to be created for the people to become basically sound and industrious. Communal and individual democracies are alternative beats of the same heart of a Nation and they are achieved through justice and fair-play.Deficiency in any one of them is not good for the overall health of the Nation. In a Nation, if the individual suffers, one need to assume that either the democratic principles are deficient, or the implementation process is corrupt and defective. If the society as a whole suffers, that can not be a perfect democracy. It is like the scale of justice. Both arms of the scale (in this context the society and the individual) are equally important to strike the correct balance.â€Å"Whitman's continual wrestling with the problems and challenges of the emerging American democracy and the developing American democratic art has had a surprisingly widespread impact on other countries as well, where his democratic ideas and radical poetics have taken root and emerged in new hybrids as his work mixes with other national literatures. † (Re-Scripting. ) Walt Whitman has deeply influenced and impacted the scene of the various poetic traditions. A poet, apart from his love for poetry, conveys important messages to the people through the poems.Many issues also depend upon people’s understanding of the poetry. Some view him as the poet of socialism, radical sexuality, and also spiritualism. All mind-level philosophies and ‘isms’ mostly lead to quarrels, disagreements, arguments and counter arguments. Spirituality transcends the barrier of mind, where total bliss alone exists, and as such that zone is free from contradictions. At that level, all clashes cease, and hearty understanding triumphs. All types of diverse schools of poetry find the oases of unity in Whitman’s poetry, because its roots are in spirituality.In the poem, â€Å"Defendi ng Walt Whitman† Sherman Alexie writes, â€Å"Walt Whitman shakes because he believes in God. Walt Whitman dreams of the first jump shot he will take, the ball arcing clumsily from his fingers, striking the rim so hard that it sparks. Walt Whitman shakes because he believes in God. †(Umbrella†¦. ) This is a profound observation. Any action small or big, done without the motivated desires, is supposed to bring, in the ultimate analysis, sterling results. An action has the reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action.This is the universally accepted by the spiritualists and the scientists. No action, no human effort can go in vain. Having done all the efforts, if one acts on in the world outside with supreme faith and surrender at the feet of God, the results are bound to be precedent-shattering. In the poem one sees the basketball players striving to be perfect to achieve their goal of victory. Their â€Å"all arms and legs and serious stomach muscles. † (Umbrella†¦. )To achieve that level of perfection, the players have worked very hard, have undergone rigorous training.The poet compares them to â€Å"the twentieth century warriors who will never kill. †(Umbrella†¦. ) They do not possess cruel physical instinct to kill; but they have cultivated the physical instinct for the winning formula. â€Å"The remarkable fact is that everyone, at some point, has to confront Whitman, wrestle with his structuring of poetry, the nation, democracy, and the self: â€Å"I am large,† he said, â€Å"I contain multitudes† †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ To possess such dominant strength and secure universal appeal is possible only on the basis of spirituality, as secular principles lead to contradictions.Spiritual principles, when practiced with sincerity and devotion lead to unity and universal brotherhood. That authors and poets of all genres, notwithstanding their race, nationality, gender a nd ethnicity, seek solace in one form or the other in the Whitman’s poetry. Whitman exhibits the intrinsic strength of his ideas, which beats all artificial human barriers and goes in search of the all-embracing truth. The nineteenth century American poet tackles a basketball game on a twentieth century Indian reservation. Basketball is Alexie’s favorite topic.Can basketball be the subject matter and theme of serious poetry? Alexie shows it is possible from the viewpoint of Whitman. He tackles an original theme, and he does not hesitate to breakaway from the normal subject matters of poems, rhyme and standard meter. Alexie sees music and unusual charm in the physical movements of the basketball players, and compares them to the war-efforts of the warriors, though they do not fight war in the real sense. But their spirit is war-oriented. No basketball player likes to lose the game.He uses all his bodily strength and will power in movements to outsmart the opponents. It is a dynamic game. Every player is trained to play with dynamism without surrender until the last shot is taken. It is the war of nerves and intelligence, without the ceasefire! Every pass is calculated to win. Hard work from the physical aspect and the call of the spirit lead to victory in the basketball game. Alexie is certainly aware of the powerful dynamics of combining the poetic Whitman with the energies and angles of the game of basket ball.The beauty of a perfect shot is compared to the flawless efficiency in one’s pursuit, which is a divine quality. Alexie writes, as he refers to one such perfect shot of the basketball, â€Å"God, there is nothing as beautiful as a jump shot on a reservation summer basketball court where the ball is moist with sweat, and makes a sound when it swishes through the net that causes Walt Whitman to weep because it is so perfect. †(Umbrella†¦) This weeping is the cry of joy! The joy of achievement, after all the hard and intell igent work for a long period! It is the favorable result of the relentless pursuit.Conclusion: Communal and individual democracies are alternative beats of the same heart of a Nation and they need to be achieved through justice and fair-play. Deficiency in any one of them is not good for the overall health of the Nation. One may wonder what the game of basketball has to do with perfect democracy. They say, efficiency in work is the ultimate goal of a human being. What you do is not important. But how you do, what you do is more important. The beauty of the basketball game is, for every shot that you plan, your have the rebuff of a counter-shot with a parallel plan.Your need to think in advance of such counter-shots, and transcend all sorts of opposition to achieve the winning shot! Alexie elucidates the beautiful spiritual level, achieved through the equipment of the physical body as he writes, â€Å"Look there, that boy can run up and down this court forever. He can leap for a reb ound with his back arched like a salmon, all meat and bone synchronized, magnetic, as if the court were a river, as if the rim were a dam, as if the air were a ladder leading the Indian boy toward home. † You needs to have the will to grow and grow you will.Alexie Sherman has given a very interesting poem, â€Å"Defending Walt Whitman. † The theme and the style of the poem evoke not only curiosity but they are thought-provoking. As the poem progresses, it attains new spiritual dimensions and elucidates the meaning of struggles and beauty of human life. It seems to convey the message that duty and perfection are the harbingers of human prosperity. The basketball game seems to convey that there is no victory or defeat, the reality is only permanent efforts! ================ References Cited:Sherman AlexieSherman has published more than three hundred poems, stories, essays, †¦. Walt Whitman dreams of the Indian boy who will defend him, †¦ www. geocities. com/Pari s/Cafe/2726/Sherman. html – 16k – Cached – Retrieved on July 22, 2008. Re-Scripting Walt Whitman: An Introduction to His Life and Work †¦ â€Å"‘Live Oak, with Moss' and ‘Calamus': Textual Inhibitions in Whitman Criticism. † Walt Whitman Quarterly Review 14 (1997), 153-65. Palmer, Carole. †¦ www. whitmanarchive. org/criticism/current/anc. 00152. html – 391k – Cached – Retrieved on July 22, 2008.Walt Whitman SummaryContemporary Spokane Indian poet, Sherman Alexie, has also been influenced by Whitman, mentioning him explicitly in his poem â€Å"Defending Walt Whitman†. †¦ www. bookrags. com/wiki/Walt_Whitman – 73k – Cached – Retrieved on July 22, 2008 Umbrella: Defending Walt Whitman18 Sep 2005 †¦ Defending Walt Whitman. Basketball is like this for young Indian boys †¦ Walt Whitman shakes. This game belongs to him. — Sherman Alexei†¦ jeffwietor. blogspot. com/2 005/09/defending-walt-whitman. html – 17k – Cached – Retrieved on July 22, 2008.

School Uniforms Persuasive Essay

In public and private schools, students are constantly being judged on what they wear and how they look. These judgments influence students to pick on others and induce bullying. If schools make uniforms mandatory, this cause of bullying would be eliminated, thus reducing the number of bullying incidents. Therefore, school uniforms should be required for all students because they will reduce bullying, relieve stress and make school a safer place. People are judged on what they say, where they go, and what they believe, but the main form of judgment is due to appearance.With one look, we make inferences on the economic status and background of other people. It is no secret that less fortunate people generally do not have as nice clothing as those who are wealthy. But is the difference in one’s clothing a worthy reason for them to be treated differently? The answer is no, yet it still occurs each and every day for students who are without uniforms. Children should not be treated differently just because their parents are unable to buy them trendier clothes.With the implementation of school uniforms, students can focus more on learning and building social connections based on interests and beliefs and not their societal status. School uniforms are the most effective way to eliminate social and economic differences among students. Because society is incredibly materialistic and money is a power issue, the judgments that are made on how someone appears become a main cause of bullying. Mandatory school uniforms would eliminate this problem and allow students to be judged on personality, not just what they wear.Bullying in general is malevolent; it is not only an unnecessary barrier to learning, but has the potential to make students’ lives unbearable. This sort of torment may not be terminated, but it would surely be reduced with mandatory uniforms. With the new HIB (harassment, intimidation and bullying) laws that Governor Chris Christie passed in New Jersey, and the studies that signify the increased number of bullying incidents within the past few years, bullying has become a larger problem than ever.Along with bullying, theft and gang activity can be reduced by wearing uniforms. In many areas, gangs are identified and encouraged through their clothing. Without the knowledge of who is in what gang, violence will be reduced and the school will be safer. If society insists on doing everything it can to prevent the mistreatment of other students, school uniforms should be made mandatory. There are other benefits of wearing uniforms as well.First, students’ lives would be much easier and less stressful. A great amount of time is usually spent on choosing and worrying about outfits. If students were refunded this time, they could have more time for other daily requirements such as homework. Some students, especially girls, stress about what they are going to wear every day and how they are going to look compared to everyone e lse. School uniforms will eliminate this unnecessary cause of stress.Having uniforms would not only eliminate stress put on students, but stress and pressure put on their parents as well. Some parents just cannot afford the in-style clothing items that other parents can provide. Every parent yearns for their children to fit in and be happy. As hard as they try to accommodate this for their young ones, some parents find this task impossible to accomplish. It must kill a parent to see their child mistreated or bullied because of something they could not provide for them.Adversaries to this argument may dispute being able to choose what to wear is the student’s prerogative and is what allows them to express their individuality, but is what students wear what makes them individuals? What happened to individuality being based on personality, positive attributes and passion? It is not clothes that make us unique. Wearing hand-me-downs because that is all that a family can afford fo r their child does not allow them to express themselves; it is not what makes them an individual and it certainly does not reflect who they are inside.What it does do is make that unfortunate child self conscious and ashamed. Many present conflicts within school systems can be easily solved or at least minimized with school uniforms. They can aid the prosperity of our schools and students, so why not take advantage of this simple answer to our problems? Action needs to be taken to make uniforms mandatory. They reduce the insecurities felt by children as well as their parents. Uniforms allow students to shine and excel for who they really are and not for whom they appear to be.

Billie Holiday Quotes

Billie Holiday, a popular and tragic figure in jazz, was a gifted singer with an amazing voice and talent whose personal life was chaotic and troubled. Selected Billie Holiday Quotations †¢ I never hurt nobody but myself and thats nobodys business but my own. †¢ Im always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where Ive been. †¢ Youve got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn bodys sermon on how to behave. †¢ Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know whats more than enough. †¢ If I dont have friends, then I aint got nothin. †¢ Dont threaten me with love, baby. Lets just go walking in the rain. †¢ Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on. †¢ You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation. †¢ Sometimes its worse to win a fight than to lose. †¢ Singing songs like The Man I Love or Porgy is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck. †¢ People dont understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it. †¢ I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. Thats all I know. †¢ If Im going to sing like someone else, then I dont need to sing at all. †¢ You cant copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means youre working without any real feeling. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. †¢ No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. †¢ I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was six years old. †¢ In this country, dont forget, a habit is no damn private hell. Theres no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country its the worst kind of hell for those who love you. †¢ All dope can do for you is kill you... the long hard way. And it can kill the people you love right along with you. About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.