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The writer is talking about her name, its origin, and meaning

My Name

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

The writer is talking about her name, its origin, and meaning. Every name has a background and a meaning behind it. Often, names are passed down family trees over generations. It is, however, a surprise that most people named after their ancestors take up some of the characteristics that their ancestors had, often unknowingly. The writer narrates of the origin of her name, what she likes about her name and its origin but stresses what she dislikes/hates about the name. The hyperbolic and sarcastic tone the story is delivered in works to emphasize how much the writer dislikes their name regardless of its origin and the positive side of the name.

In the story, the writer establishes a conflict between her Mexican identity and the English-speaking country she lives. The conflict is first created by identifying the very different meanings of her name in the two languages. While one is graceful and pleasant, like a compliment, the other is confusing and diminishing. Although the English meaning of her name is pleasing, the pronunciation makes it seem like a terrible name. On the other hand, the Spanish meaning is confusing, but the pronunciation is graceful and attractive. Although with two contrasting meanings and two differing pronunciations, the name gives the writer a sense of belonging to her Spanish origins, owing to the graceful and soft pronunciation of the name. The funny and hoarse pronunciation of her name in English is a constant reminder that she is an outsider.

The writer, like her great-grandmother, was born in the Chinese year of the horse- meant to be bad luck for them. Such women are considered to be stubborn and independent; they do not take advice, are social and smart. In the story, the narrator shows such characteristics severally. Firstly, the hyperbolic and sarcastic tone in the entirety of the story point to an independent and “care-free” woman. Secondly, the sharp criticism of her name, and even more, her sister’s name depicts her stubbornness. Also, her unwillingness to live a life like her great-grandmother lived as well as her desire to change her name shows she is an independent woman who wants to remain in control of her life and her decisions.

The narrator says that her name originated from her great-grandmother. Although they never met, the narrator has an undeniable admiration for her great-grandmother, revealed by her desire to have met her. She describes her great-grandmother as a “wild horse of a woman.” Given the care-free nature of the narrator, this definition shows her admiration for her great-grandmother. However, the narrator also expresses the desire to avoid her great-grandmother’s lack of control over her own life, more so after marriage. She notes that her great-grandmother’s place was by the window. This shows that a woman’s worth is reduced to subordinating to her husband’s needs upon marriage. She loses control of her own life and is expected to support her husband in every way possible. Earlier in the story, the narrator mentions that the Mexicans do not think their women are strong. This line of thought diminishes the value of a woman in society. Although the narrator wants to be a “wild horse of a woman” like her great-grandmother, she does not want to lose her value and aspirations or be under the tight grip of a husband like her great-grandmother was.

Although the narrator does not directly describe herself, one can describe her from the story. She is a fiery woman, one who has a passionate nature about life and everything she does in her life. Like her great-grandmother, she is feisty; she is excitable and spirited but also courageous and quick to take offense. Also, she is discerning; she can compare her name to emotions, color, sound, and other objects in human life. Her free-spirited nature and knowing what she wants and what she does not want in life makes her the “wild horse of a woman” her great-grandmother was.

VARK questionnaire

My VARK questionnaire results indicate that I prefer learning through different formats, graphs, diagrams, maps, interesting layouts, space, discussing, listening, questioning, talking, notes, handouts, text, practical exercises, print, experiences, examples, case studies, trial and error, things that are real, and so on. This results showed that I prefer multimodal strategies to effectively learn and understand any kind of material. I was also surprised that I chose knowledge as the thing that I liked most about learning and my other choices were not as much, even though it came in first. A lot of things about this questionnaire were interesting to me because it made me think a lot about the different ways I learn. I found out that I prefer an instructors approach, which means that he/she is helping and inspiring me to learn. Not only do they help us put what we have learned into practice, but they also teach us how we are supposed to be using our skills and knowledge.

The questionnaires information helps us improve our understanding of what we have learned in school and how we are learning it. Through this different learning styles, I was able to learn and understand the key concepts of the Federal Government course. I learnt through some of the examples and diagrams found in the course material. The class discussion helped me to learn more about the different key ideas and how they were connected. Overall, I think that I will continue to apply the learning styles I have learned through this questionnaire to my future courses and life. However, there are a few things that I was not so fond of in this course. One thing was the way we would have to read paragraphs from a textbook before we would understand what we were actually learning.

Through, my multiple learning preferences, I understood various concepts and procedures that are key to ensuring effective governance. My effective learning experience involved discussions, charts, diagrams, talking, listening, questioning, recalling, and summarizing in my learning group. My ineffective learning experience involved trying to read the textbook without understanding it (Shumba & Iipinge, 2019).

For me, studying is best when I can talk about and work through information with other students in a small group setting. However, I found that reading the textbook alone to be ineffective because I did not understand what was being said and had trouble recalling key concepts from it later on without someone else there to ask questions or help me as needed. Overall, these were my most effective and ineffective learning experiences for this course so far. My effective learning experience involved talking about a presentation in our learning group. My ineffective learning experience involved reading and trying to understand the textbook by myself in the library.

My learning experience in this course has been effective because I have been working within groups to discuss the material and board problems. I have learned a lot and had many effective learning experiences by doing so. I believe others can learn more efficiently with group discussions because they can hear other people’s views and opinions on topics, which helps them understand the material better (Hassanzadeh et al., 2019). This is something that I will continue to do as long as possible throughout my college career. I believe my learning experience in this course has been ineffective because I haven’t been able to fully realize when I’ve had a misunderstanding of the material yet, or when there is something that needs to be fixed.

References

Hassanzadeh, S., Moonaghi, H. K., Derakhshan, A., Hosseini, S. M., & Taghipour, A. (2019). Preferred learning styles among ophthalmology residents: An iranian sample. Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research, 14(4), 483.

Shumba, T. W., & Iipinge, S. N. (2019). Learning style preferences of undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review. Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 21(1), 1-25.

VARK Learning Style Questionnaire. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/?p=results

N170 GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT

N170 GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT

General Directions:

Conduct a telephonic interview of an older adult. Review all directions below and have the assessment questions ready during the interview. You will apply a SPICES Scale and an Extra Assessment with your paper.

You may select the older adult of choice. The criteria must include:

Age 65 or older

Your choice of person must be able to articulate and reply to your questions

Select someone you know or have a relationship with (aunt, uncle, grandparent, neighbor, friend)

They must consent to be interviewed

Audiotape your interview and save for the day of presentation

Interview in alignment with the criteria below:

Before you interview, explore your ideas and sentiments about how you expect an older person to behave in terms of physical function, strength, balance, mobility, endurance and mental attitude.

Begin your interview with some information about yourself, that you are a first-year nursing student at Saddleback College, why you want to become a nurse, if you are currently working. Let the interviewee know that you hope to learn more about older adults so that you can best adapt your care. Explain that this interview would take between 10-20 minutes.

Utilize the listed questions during your interview & briefly summarize the participant’s answers. Your approach should be conversational rather than strictly clinical. Use effective communication techniques to such as broad openings, open ended questions, focusing, clarification and summarizing techniques at the point of closure.

PART 1 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Have you retired from employment? What type of work did you do?

Describe your current physical activity level,

What do you do to exercise, what type and how often? Has exercise helped you?

Do you feel you have good balance?

Have you experienced any falls? What happened? Why do you think this may have occurred?

Do you have any difficulty with activities you used to do? Do you have anyone around who helps you complete these activities?

What are your interests or hobbies?

PHYSICAL HEALTH RELATED CONCERNS

Are their medical or health related problems that concern you?

What types of medication are you taking? (you do not need dosage/frequency – only types.

Do you ever experience problems with taking these medications?

Do you have any questions about your health or your medications?

MENTAL COGNITIVE CONCERNS

Have you noticed any changes in your emotions or memory lately?

Do you ever have times when you feel depressed?

What do you do to manage when you have the “blues?”

Do you have things going on that worry you?

SOCIAL SUPPORT

Describe how you keep socially active? Do you live with someone?

Describe your support system?

Do you ever feel lonely?

NUTRITION

Do you do your own cooking?

What types of food do you eat in a typical day?

Do you typically eat with others or do you eat alone?

Are you having any digestive problems or any elimination related problems?

Have you lost or gained weight recently?

When you need something from a store, how are you able to get what you need?

Are you having any dental problems?

SLEEP

Do you ever have times when you feel excessive sleepiness during the day?

Do you ever have problems falling or staying asleep?

How many times do you wake up at night?

If you cannot sleep, what do you do?

GENERAL

Would you mind sharing your age?

Have you ever felt that others see you differently because of your age?

How do you feel about growing older? What are two positive things you found with aging and what things that are hard to deal with?

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Are you comfortable with your primary care MD?

If you needed hospital care, what are two things you would like when you receive care from a nurse?

What do you wish health care providers would do for you?

CLOSURE

End your interview with gratitude for their time. Let the interviewee know that they have helped you in your development as a nurse and your understanding of how to care for someone who is from an older generation.

PART 2 PRESENTING YOUR INTERVIEW TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR AND GROUP

Use of Geriatric Interview Peer Review Assignment

Use of Peer Evaluation Tool

PART 3 COMPLETING YOUR PAPER

Your paper should be 5-6 pages including your answers to the assessment questions.

Submit this paper according your instructor’s directions.

Use your text book and additional scholarly sources to complete the sections. Some sections will require your analysis.

Provide short answers to your interview questions, if a question was missed or intentionally skipped, explain why.

APA standards should be applied for 1) title page, 2) margins and double spacing, 3) use of headings, 4) in-text citations and a separate reference page.

Use the grading rubric to proof your work. You must meet 75% to pass this paper.

INTRODUCTION

Introduces the interviewee including:

Demographics

Pertinent information such as age and living situation

ROLE FUNCTION:

Using Erickson’s Model of Developmental Tasks: Integrity Vs Despair, describe what behaviors indicate that an individual has met the task of “Integrity” or struggles with “Despair. ” Describe if you feel your interviewee has met this developmental task or seems to be struggling. Use a source for this answer.

SPICES SCALE AND EXTRA ASSESSMENT TOOL.

Apply the SPICES scale to your interviewee and describe the results in detail for each category. Based on your results, which extra assessment tool should be applied; provide a rationale for using this extra assessment scale. To the best of your ability, answer the questions from the extra assessment scale. Include the SPICES Scale and extra assessment scale with your paper.

MEDICATIONS

List the medications your interviewee is taking (you do not need doses, only types)

List older age-related concerns /geriatric considerations you have for each of the medications. Your drug reference book or Lewis should be used.

DISCUSS THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING:

Describe any significant findings that affects the interviewee’s wellbeing.

Describe if there are any risk factors you are concerned with.

Describe any need for health teaching or collaboration with other health disciplines.

Describe any resources needed for follow up care.

SUMMARY

Describe your ideas about aging before the interview.

Explain if your ideas changed as a result of your interview and what you learned.

Describe an appropriate approach to the nursing care of older adults.

GRADING RUBRIC

Topics

Points

Introduces the interviewee regarding demographics, age, living situation

(15)

Using Erickson’s Model of fully describes the developmental tasks of Integrity Vs Despair with relation to the interviewee (15)

SPICES scale and extra assessment tool.

Describes the results of each SPICES criterion, rationale and results for the extra assessments used. (15)

Medications

Lists the medication used by the interviewee and geriatric considerations. (15)

Clinical Significance

Describes findings that affects wellbeing, risk factors, health teaching, collaboration and resources needs. (15)

Summary

Describes personal ideas about aging, if these ideas changed as a result of the interview and what was learned. Describe an appropriate approach to the nursing care of older adults

(15)

APA format and Writing Style Title page and formatting are properly completed.

Proper use of in-text citations. Scholarly writing approach including: use of headings when indicated, proper grammar and spelling, Reference page is appropriately completed.

(10)

Naive Symbolism and the Metaphysics of Meaning, There are no facts, only interpretations Nachlass Friedrich Nietzsche

Naïve Symbolism and the Metaphysics of Meaning

“There are no facts, only interpretations” — Nachlass Friedrich Nietzsche

INTRODUCTION

In this essay, I shall expound the naïve view, or theory, of symbolism, which assumes, or argues, that in the symbolic system of language thoughts are expressed by words, and that words have meaning, thereof.

I shall show that the naïve theory of symbolism is invalid, and offer an alternative view incorporating my own empirical theories of meaning and language. I shall also argue against the naïve view of such a relation as ‘expression’ in the context of a symbolic theory of language. I shall further assert that meaning cannot be a property of words, or any linguistic symbol.

In naïve symbolism, ‘expression’ is the relation connecting thoughts and words, allowing us to compile phrases such as, ‘thoughts and their expressions’, where ‘their’ implies a possessive quality that thoughts and words share.

Here, the words are possessed by the thoughts; words belong to thoughts, and have a causal relation. It is statements such as these that I will pay philosophical attention to. I shall be considering whether such a relationship is possible, how it comes about, and the logic of such a relation.

I will show that there is no such causal relation, nor logically mutual dependence between thoughts and words. Further, I will argue it cannot be said, with any logical validity, that symbolism in language implies a possessive relation such as, ‘thoughts and their words’. Thoughts are not in the possession of words, for this implies an illogical causal relation.

The term ‘expression’, and all its conjugated forms, is bogus in the naïve position it plays between words and thoughts. There are thoughts, there are words, or symbols. However, the two are neither logically related, nor mutually dependent.

The conclusion of this essay will be the argument, logically and philosophically defended that the game of language we all share in order to communicate and understand each other, is a guessing game. The thoughts of others cannot be known through language, only pointed to. Expressions are merely indicators of meaning. Understanding, in the generally accepted sense, never happens.

Finally, a piece of speculation into the theory of language development.

Much of our ability to understand and use language comes from the tools we attained in our formative years. One such tool was the copy-cat style of learning the empirical expressions.

Here, phrases are recognized and repeated in similar situations. We attribute empirical phrases to our thoughts by way of observing similar social situations, which are accompanied by other empirical phrases. The implications of such a method of attributing such phrases to thoughts would obviously be flawed by its inaccuracy. I put it forward that such a situation is exactly the current state of language.

NAIVE SYMBOLISM

It is naïve to propose that thoughts can be expressed by words, as though the thoughts of others can be understood, without any logical argument to keep such a proposition valid and unassailable. However, this is the view held by the naïve symbolist.

Naïve symbolism is, in my opinion, the most commonly held view amongst the general public, as is seen by its promotion in teaching and everyday life. It is also a rarely contested and unspoken view held in philosophy, as well as the fundamental tenet of non-behavioural psychology. The importance of such a target of philosophical attention is made the clearer by this lack of contention and dispute.

Naïve symbolism is the idea that thoughts are symbolised by words; words represent thoughts. A comprehension of linguistic symbols logically entails a comprehension of thoughts. This so, due to the posited causal and possessive relations falsely held between thoughts and words.

The consequence of this mental manifestation is that it must be at least possible to understand the thoughts of another person- where understanding is synonymous with knowing, or having the meaning. So, statements are made such as, ‘I know what they’re thinking’, ‘I know what you mean’, ‘I understand you’.

In other words, naïve symbolism assumes what the mind thinks can be manifested physically, and thereby recognised sensibly as a thought; a sensible form can symbolise the thought, a word represents meaning.

If symbolism is the representation of thoughts, then a causal relation is logically implied between the two. This implication is reinforced by the acceptance, in general use, of phrases describing the ‘meaning of words’, as though words possess meaning.

The logical possibility of this implication will be shown invalid in this essay.

THE METAPHYSICS OF MEANING

What is meaning?

I contend that meaning is the private thought we attach to expressions. In naïve symbolism, meaning is attributed to expression- words have meaning, as do phrases, sentences, and books.

I must posit that meaning is no such attribution of expressions. For, in order to know the meaning of a word would logically entail the existence of thought outside thinking, which is impossible. This is so, because meaning is substantially thought. It could not be anything else, if we look at the roles available for terms to play in a theory of language. It could not be objective, or a sensible thing, as these roles are filled by ‘expressions’.

Expressions are objective in that their knowledge is shared, and therefore empirical. To say that meaning is not substantially thought would be to deny its subjectivity, since no one would deny the subjectivity of thought.

How we attach thought to expressions, I argue, is by associating them together in memory. That is, when we remember one, we also remember the other. This is a somewhat speculative idea, but I am compelled to expound it.

So, to continue, when we want to say something, we are reminded of the associative expressions of our thought. We choose the best ones and express them in linguistic units: words, gestures, phrases, etc.

Meaning is, substantially, thought. Expressions are public. The former, the product of a mind, the latter, available for all to sense, and thereby know.

If meaning is, as we have seen, subjective, and expressions objective, then language conveys messages that none can ever know. For, language does not convey the meaning of the expressor. Meaning is the thought of the expressee, when they perceive the language.

Language is the system of expressions known objectively. Yet, language is what we use when we mean something and want others to know what it is that we mean. Since we have already seen that meaning is private, we must admit that our expressions will not transfer our meanings. Meaning is the thought that occurs prior to an expression, from the expressor, and after the perception of the expressee.

Meaning and expression, therefore, are mutually independent. Furthermore, words are meaningless.

So, words and phrases are not expressions that stand for what I think when I say them. They do not represent what I mean. This view is subjective; I do not, nor cannot, have an objective view of any word. The meaning is composed of my thoughts about an expression, and therefore subjective.

A consequence of this is the fact that when someone refutes what I have said, they are doing nothing more than refuting their own view of the words that I have used to express my thoughts. When someone disagrees with you, they are technically disagreeing with themselves.

Although I submit that the individual, to express his thoughts, uses words, I do not submit that this is actually done. It is not done. His thoughts are not expressed, in the sense that they take the form of sensible objects. Nor is the thought expressed in the sense that it has a causal relation with an expression. Thoughts are only expressed in the sense that noises and gestures are made at the time of thinking.

An expression is desired, learned words and phrases that have in the past been associated with the event expressed come to mind and a group of them are chosen and then pronounced. The fact that a choice of ‘expressions’ can be made goes to show that if any relation exists, it does so between words and words. The choices of expression means that any expression p, q, r… can take on the role of expressing a given thought x. This proves, logically, the mutual independence between words and thoughts. If they were mutually dependent, then they could not be interchangeable. Interchangeability between expressions and meaning is possible only if there is no logical dependence between one and the other. In language it is possible to interchange words without altering meaning, because meaning comes not from the words but from the person thinking about the context of the language given.

So how can I propose that words have no meaning yet write this essay, which contains these meaningless words?

The answer is simple: neither I nor anyone else has a choice.

Understanding the thoughts of others is not logically possible in the sense that we understand our own thoughts: we cannot have any access to the thoughts of others as we do our own. Any attempt at understanding what others mean, when they express their thoughts, is merely guesswork.

It is guesswork made more easily by common experience and the context surrounding the expression. This occurs within groups who are taught the same words for the same situations. They are taught as they grow up together with their linguistic teachers- such as schoolteachers and family- that also grew up together.

I do not propose that thoughts cannot be expressed. I propose merely that the expression has no causal, nor possessive, relation with the thought. Expressions do not have meaning.

We understand our own thoughts. This is a tautology. Understanding your own thoughts, is simply thinking. All logical propositions are tautologies. Understanding them is a matter of thinking them. There are no true or false tautologies. Just as there are no true or false desires. I desire x, or I do not.

As to the expression of logical propositions, their meaning does not subsist. Logical thinking does. When I read a logical proposition, I attribute my own meaning to it, as with empirical and conceptual expression. The statement, ‘all black cats are cats’, has no meaning until I give it one. The only difference between logical expressions and the others is that I think logically in order to attribute meaning to them.

What makes logical expressions certain is their defense against contradiction. However, certainty in logic is achieved through the agreement that one thing has certain given properties, and classifications. This consistency ensures certainty. Once agreement is shared, contradiction is a mere breach of such an agreement.

For example, if I agree that Socrates is classed as a man, and if I agree that under the class of mortal things is the class of men, then I have already agreed that Socrates is classed as a mortal thing. My contradiction of this could only come about by my not being immediately aware of that which I already know. This is entirely possible, as it takes some time for memory association to remind me of the contents of each class, and then the ability to know which things share common properties. Therefore, given sufficient time, no logical proposition would ever be contradicted.

So, meaning is mutually independent from logical propositions. I attribute meaning to the expressions. Their validity is merely their agreement with you that certain things share certain properties.

Understanding the metaphysics of meaning, I now know necessarily that my thoughts are not being known by the other when I attempt, and ultimately fail, to express them. Nonetheless, I have grown up expressing my thoughts and have decided that this fact does not affect my life with other people any more than their lives are affected: we all live in a similar world, after all. Accuracy in the expression of thoughts is not necessary in order to live. We all get along in the world, without too much disaster, even with the many linguistic mistakes we make.

So, if you want someone to know what you know, if you want to let someone know what you think, then you will never be satisfied: it will never be done. Instead, you must rely on the feeling of satisfaction, which irrationally tells you that the recipient of your expressions understands you.

The problem with the metaphysics of meaning is not what is so obvious, i.e. that a thought is not its manifestation. This is very much taken for granted, but it is well held in the world that the thought ‘egg’ and an actual egg are clearly not identical. No. The problem with symbols and what they symbolize is how is it possible that they symbolize at all. The solution to the problem is that symbolism does not occur. It does not occur, because the meaning cannot be represented, since this means a causal relation.

That symbolism is a legitimate function in language is based upon this proposition of causal relations between thoughts and words, meanings and expressions. Such propositions are held by the naïve theory of meaning, and will be discussed in the next chapter.

A proposition without your meaning cannot be a proposition. All propositions are so, if and only if, they are proposed out of a meaning, i.e. someone’s thought.

The conclusion is that words do not have meaning. Meaning has a metaphysical source, the mind, and is not tied in with any logical symbolism.

Meaning is metaphysical in the sense that it exists in our minds, beyond our reach, beyond our ability to express it. Its direction may be pointed to, or it may be shown, in the Wittgensteinian sense, but it can never be expressed.

THE CAUSAL RELATION IN SYMBOLISM

Now, there needs to be more said of causality and the possessiveness we attribute to words as having of thoughts.

What, in other words, are the conditions under which a particular thought is related to a particular word, whereby that word is said to ‘belong’ to its thought?

Answer: The conditions must be causal. That is, X could not have happened without Y.

If each thought has its own expression, or set of expressions, then we can say that those expressions belong to that thought. This implies that words are related to thoughts causally; one belongs to the other, one causes the other. Namely, expression could not have happened without thought.

The naïve view holds that when I speak, the words are expressions of my thoughts. This also implies a causal relation between thoughts and words. As the thoughts arrive, I am able to manifest them in speech by using those expressions that best suit my thoughts.

Bertrand Russell “The Analysis of Mind”

In Russell’s early theory of meaning, he stated, ‘The meaning of a word is an entity, the entity for which the expression stands.’

I disagree. The expression is used as a result of one of my thoughts; thoughts which will never be the same. Therefore, there is never one particular meaning for an expression, in so far as the meaning is that which is thought. Nevertheless, I do have the thought first and then my memory gives me the expression closest to it by memory association. So, therefore, there are two meanings: what I thought, or meant, and what the expression means.

The meaning of a word, by Russell’s theory, if an entity, is two entities- logically distinct, mutable, transient and interchangeable.

I alone, however, attribute meaning to a word that I use. Other people also attribute their own meanings to that same word, in order to understand it. There can be no single, objective meaning of a word, because who has that meaning? If there were such an immutable entity, then no one would ever know what it was, since it would have to be expressed by someone who hadn’t attributed their own meaning to its expression.

Therefore, it cannot be said to be known that ‘the meaning of an expression is an entity.’

Russell states as part of his theory of descriptions that the meaning of a word or phrase is to be found in the taking of the proposition as a whole. I disagree with this theory, also.

I also suggest that Russell’s entire theory of descriptions is fundamentally flawed because of this thesis.

Wittgenstein states in the Philosophical Investigations that ‘the meaning of a word consists in its use.’

It is neither. The meaning of a word is not objective. It is purely subjective. It is to be found in neither objective, general holism nor particular use.

The meaning of anything is only to be found in the mind of the speaker and not in the symbolism used. The symbols of language do not have meanings as part of their properties, as cars have of wheels, as apples have of taste. Symbols are associated with thoughts in a parallel relation, not a causal one. In this sense, symbols do not symbolize; nor are expressions expressed.

Symbols are not mutually dependent upon their meanings. The meaning is the thought, and it is logically independent from any expression.

In theory, this mutual independence allows for meanings, or thoughts, to be interchangeable with expressions, even antonyms. In practice, this often happens.

One scenario where this interchange occurs is in the telling of a lie. Here is the obvious example of a word, or expression, having an opposing, contradictory or wrong meaning attributed to it. This would not be possible if words/expressions were logically dependent upon thoughts. Nor would it happen if there was a causal relation between the two.

I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN

It is naïve to assume that you have understood someone from what they have said to you- to know what they mean, in other words. Consider the following problems.

When I sit down to breakfast and my wife asks me if I should like some tea, I hear the expression, ‘Would you like some tea, dear?’

Firstly, I can anticipate this question’s meaning, before it is expressed, because I have a habit of taking tea in this routine manner. The meaning is understood prior to its expression.

So, what about the first time you were asked? I hear you say. The question, at its first inception, could have begun, ‘Would you…’, and I could have guessed the rest. It is a question, since it begins with ‘would you’; the tone is that kind of tone, which is used to sound inviting; I haven’t had tea yet; Tea is usually asked of one in the mornings, under these circumstances, as to be inviting.

This guesswork is the technique employed in establishing the meaning of expressions.

Secondly, the general and frequent use of a stock of expressions enables one to quickly guess at that which the other intends us to understand. If I ask, ‘How was your trip on the bus?’ I can be assured that either answer will probably come from the stock of answers one acquires, most of which share the same meaning. For example, ‘Good thanks’, and ‘Not bad at all’ are equal in meaning under the above circumstances, but symbolically, make respective positive and negative propositions. This different meaning was not sought after, and so was not understood.

How do I know that two expressions share the same meaning? I don’t. I am the one who decides on the meaning of an expression. Meaning is subjective, remember!

Thirdly, often one encounters moments when a particular word could be replaced by a number of others, without changing the meaning or validity of the statement. I do not refer to the synonyms here. For it is not the objectivity of the word that allows us to hold any meaning, or validity. It is the context in which the expression is given.

For instance, if a telegraph pole falls on top of me, whatever I shout will be understood as a cry for help, whether I say ‘Help!’, or ‘Bananas!’ Although, one would not generally consider that a synonym for ‘help’ is ‘bananas’.

THE NATURE OF THOUGHT AND PRIVATE LANGUAGES

What follows is an alternative account from the Expressive Theory of the nature of thought, and also a defense against the argument that my theory implies or entails a ‘private language’, in the Wittgensteinian sense.

But, firstly I would like to make a point against the argument that thoughts are not private.

The Privacy of Thought

If thoughts are not private, then they are public, and thinking other’s thoughts is at least possible by definition. However, asking for the meaning of an expression, when the author is standing in front of you and capable of communicating in the conventional sense, certainly implies the privacy of thought.

Asking for the meaning of x is expressing the desire to think that which is thought by whomever expressed x. If it is not this desire, then the desire must be for an objective meaning. However, it cannot be to ask for the objective meaning of x, for this entails objective thought. Only thought can lead to the expression of a word. If the meaning is objective, then the thought must be objective. If the thought is objective, then the thinker is objective. An objective thinker is a logical impossibility, since the very term ‘objective’ is used to distinguish those things which are ‘external to the mind’ from those which are not. (The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Edition)

A further argument, supporting that one cannot think the thoughts of others, is the following: If one could think the thoughts of others, one would not need a means for communication (this role being taken by common/public thought). There would, then, be no possibility for a language. The fact that there are languages entails the impossibility of thinking other’s thoughts.

Since one wishes to think the thoughts of others and cannot, one can never know whether one has thought similar thoughts as others. Certain indicators point to one’s accuracy at guessing which thoughts are closest to those associated with each expression. The accuracy of understanding is measured by the degree of feelings of satisfaction felt after the interpretation of expression, which may have been modified by the author to assist one.

The Nature of Thought

It will be shown from a philosophical analysis of the nature of thought that meaning is a property of thought.

I take my meaning of ‘thought’ from the only way possible: my understanding. Since I must attempt to translate my meaning into language, I am bound to discuss my meaning of ‘thought’ in such a way that appears I am contradicting myself. However, I must write, and I am satisfied that my writing on ‘thought’ will stimulate thought in the reader that may possibly lead to an understanding of ‘thought’ in the way I understand it. Though neither of us would ever know, it seems that satisfaction is sympathetic, and we induce that the gestures and indicators of satisfaction in the recipient reflect the understanding of the expression; although, this is speculation, and I am not required to validate such a position.

Definitively, ‘thought’, as a noun, is the subject matter of thinking. As a verb, it is the past participle of the infinitive ‘to think’. Empirically, by my observance of its common use, ‘thought’ is categorically related to memories, emotions, and the Kantian judgements (ostensive thought immediate to linguistic sense-data). ‘Thought’ is also often synonymous with ‘idea’ (my understanding of ‘idea’ could take the place of ‘thought’ in this paper, but ‘ideas’ can have other uses that ‘thoughts’ do not).

One thinks of the class of thoughts, memories, emotions and judgements. If thoughts are the class of memories, emotions and judgements only, then there can be no talk of the subject matter of deliberation, or problem-solving. So, thoughts share the same internal category as with emotions, memories, and judgements. This gives us a name for the subject matter of our various mental efforts: that is, ‘thoughts’.

I infer from this position that thinking is the conscious mental effort upon memories, emotions, judgements, and thoughts, and that further thoughts, memories, etc., can in turn lead from any of these.

Of the properties of thoughts there is that of ‘understanding’. If one thinks of x, where x is any expression, the thoughts that result lead to a variety of states of understanding. Some thoughts, for instance, are not as well understood as others. It is, then, possible to have thoughts that are ‘not clear’; no-one would doubt this. We can pay such thoughts more thinking time, and often with a little extra knowledge, we can improve the degree of our understanding of a thought.

Thinking is a continuous chain of thought in a conscious mind. However, that which is thought depends on what there is, empirically or rationally, to provoke its existence. I must make it very clear that by ‘provoke’ I do not imply a causal relation. I have used the word ‘provoke’, as it is associated with ‘stimulate’ to mean that which ‘calls forth’, or ‘stimulates’, thought in general- any thought, and certainly no thought in particular, which is the naïve symbolist view.

Among the things that ‘provoke’ a chain of thought are the linguistic symbols of an attempted expression of thought (i.e. words, phrases, etc.). Not understanding such symbols is identical with not knowing what the whole expression ‘means’. Meaning is not identical with understanding, but the state of a thought about an expression that has been accompanied by a satisfactory level of the removal of doubt about said expression.

In other words, from the instant that each expression is first known (Kant’s ‘judgement’) a degree of understanding is attributed to that expression, by the recipient. Thinking is stimulated, and thoughts provoked. At a given point in thinking, understanding develops; where the relief of doubt is apparent the expression is mistakenly said to have ‘meaning’ (meaning is really the thoughts that occur at the time of the expression). Meaning, therefore, is that property of thought provoked by expression that has attained a level of understanding identified with the removal of doubt. The remaining of doubt leads to questions such as, ‘What does that mean?’, or ‘I don’t know what you mean’.

We have agreed that thought is private, and that meaning is private. Meaning is private because, as has been shown above, it is a property of thought. If others can share one’s meaning, then the meaning is public at the price of others thinking one’s thoughts.

However, by this association I do not suggest that thought itself is identical to meaning, but that the thoughts that are provoked by the linguistic symbols (words, phrases, etc.) are identical with the proposed meaning of those linguistic symbols.

Neither do I identify meaning with understanding. Understanding is the state of mind reached when we feel a degree of certainty that a word’s correct mental association (thought) has been discovered. It is possible to have a Kantian judgement, but not to have understood it. Understanding involves the provocation of memories and mental associations with the sense-data of the word. From memories of past uses of the word, a common denominator becomes apparent which is considered as a general meaning for the word in general use. However, other associations are considered as part of the meaning of the word depending on the context of the word, and situation in which it is used; such as ‘apple’, with ‘apple pie’. This searching the memory for associations takes time and begins with an uncomfortable mental feeling, which we call ‘confusion’, or ‘dissatisfaction’. Since the feelings are associated with language, we change the descriptions from confusion and dissatisfaction, to ‘misconceive’, ‘misinterpret’, and ‘misunderstanding’. Understanding ends with the relief of these feelings. Meaning is the name given to this level of understanding, which some then mistakenly attribute to expressions.

A person’s meaning of a word cannot be known, but can be guessed from the context, or situation. However, since guessing is our only key to reaching the meaning of another person’s expressions anyway, this is not so serious. To make our guesses more accurate, as we must do when learning a new word, we need to find associative words whose meanings are already known to us. For instance, a teacher will answer a student’s question of what a word means by supplying the student with another word, which the teacher assumes the student has a meaning of:

Student: ‘What does courageous mean?’

Teacher: ‘Courageous means brave.

But how do we know the meaning of ‘brave’, and especially if no other expression is associated with ‘brave’ that we, yet, know of? We must construct all of our meanings from ‘fundamental meanings’ which could only be either discovered empirically or are a priori. There must be a ‘common ancestor’ in thought, from which all ‘thinking life’ have evolved. However, this is speculation far more daring than I wish to enter upon, and its resolution is not necessary for the validity of my arguments.

Argument Against Private Language Implication/Entailment

Uttering words in your head is nothing more than remembering them; remembering their shape or noise. It is possible to extract meaning from such an utterance, whether it is uttered ‘in your head’ or aloud. It is also possible to utter words aloud without knowing the meaning of the words. It is, therefore, not enough that they be uttered, internally or externally, for meaning to be established. Some mental activity is required to be applied to the expressions in order that they can be understood, and thus have meaning. Meaning is the result of these efforts to make sense of- understand- the expressions.

If a private language is the thinking involved in establishing the meaning of an expression or other thoughts, then private language is obviously possible. However, if you agree that language is the system of symbols and their rules used to express and interpret thoughts, then there is no sense in a private language, since no-one would admit that they do this when they ‘talk’ or ‘think’ to themselves. Thinking, or judging, are not languages; we do not use language to express and interpret what we are trying to say to ourselves. We do not ‘think’ with language. The only exception is ‘thinking of’, or remembering, language; as we do when recalling conversations, and when reading. There are no mental sentences other than the memory of a sentence. Thought has no grammar, no syntax, no expressions let alone sentences. Therefore, there is no mental language, whether private or public.

So, in this case it is no matter if a Private Language is implied, or entailed, by my account of thought, since it is either just another name for thinking, or it cannot be a language; just as ‘welding’ cannot be an elephant.

Logical Entailment and Implication

A sentence logically entails another by the one being part of the definition of the other. A sentence implies another when this is possible but not necessarily part of the definition. For instance, ‘My cat got run over yesterday’, entails that I had a cat, but only implies that the cat is now dead.

However, this relation of entailment is not possible with the meaning of a sentence. The meaning of a sentence consists in th

Nairobi Half Life Analysis

Nairobi Half Life Analysis

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Nairobi Half Life Analysis

The development of African cities was largely initiated by the Europeans during colonialism. During those days the cities such as Nairobi were restricted to Africans. Today, Nairobi is regarded as a world-class African metropolis but the city continues to represent the colonial aspects of restrictions and difficulties for immigrants. The Nairobi Half-Life is a Kenya local movie that captures and represents the primary issues and concerns of Nairobi city. The film tells the story of a young villager, Mwas, who hawks DVDs but moves to Nairobi to pursue his dream of acting in the theaters. However, upon arriving at Nairobi, life becomes tough and challenging that it took time before he realized his dream. The film shows the difficulties in the city of Nairobi such as robbery, tough working conditions and challenging livelihoods among individuals of the lowest class.

Nairobi Half Life illustrates the difference between the city of Nairobi and villages since the city offers a tough livelihood which is enjoyed by the people in the upper class. After Mwas traveled to Nairobi, he learned quickly that it is a city with more than just glamour and opportunities. On his first day, he was faced with numerous challenges including being robbed and assaulted by thugs and left stranded. He was later arrested and jailed falsely. Ng’weno (2018) illustrates that to understand urbanity across Africa it is necessary to address long-term residents and the migrants. In this case, Mwas as a migrant offers insights through his experiences to help understand the Nairobi. The experiences of Mwas show that Nairobi is a city characterized by crime and injustices.

The Nairobi Half-Life shows that the individuals who have lived in the Nairobi for a long time understand life there compared to the migrants. Mwas found life in the city to be very challenging but found a crook Oti who tries to show him how to survive in Nairobi. Unfortunately, he introduces him to the life of robbery. Oti introduced Mwas into his gang which was about grab and snatch thievery of vehicle parts. Apparently, due to lack of opportunities, this was the life some of the youth had resorted to surviving. Ng’weno (2018) argues that Africans with access to housing and permanent jobs had a different perception and interaction with the city which makes up their understanding of cityness. In this view, Oti having stayed in Nairobi for a longer period than the Mwas knew the city better and that’s why he helped him.

Nairobi Half Life demonstrates that to understand Africa’s urbanity, it is important to learn more about the migrants and the long-term residents. The people who have stayed ling in a city such as Nairobi have a different perception and understanding of the city compared to people who just move into the country. Mwas found life difficult in Nairobi because he had just moved into the city while Oti having been there for a while had improvised survival tactics. Hence, both the long-term residents and migrants offer insights into the issues and concerns in the city to enhance a better understanding.

References

Ng’weno, B. (2018). Growing old in a new city: Time, the post-colony and making Nairobi home. City, 22(1), 26-42.

Gitonga D. (2012). Nairobi Half Life. Sarika Hemi Lakhani.

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Effects of Fiscal and Monetary Policy on the Economy

Fiscal policy and monetary policy are two tools that are used to influence the economic activity of a country. The economic policy of any government comprises of fiscal and monetary policies. These tools are used by the government to stabilise the economy to achieve economic growth. Fiscal policy involves altering government spending, government borrowing and direct and indirect taxation to influence the level of aggregate demand in the economy. Fiscal policies are applied whenever a government wants to influence expenditure on goods and services. Fiscal policy also serves as a means of redistributing income and wealth. This can be achieved by changing the tax rate levied on different levels of income. Fiscal policy is divided in two parts:

a). Government Spending- divided into three areas; current spending of the government on goods and services, capital spending on projects like infrastructure and transfer payments which focuses on state pensions and other kinds of benefits.

b). Taxation- used by the government to raise revenue, change the distribution of wealth and income in the country, control aggregate demand in the economy and to adjust market failure in the economy.

Monetary policy is the use of interest rate and changing monetary supply to control the economy and achieve the desired results. The central bank is responsible for making decisions on changing interest rates and money supply. Implementing any tool of monetary policy controls inflation by keeping it low or stable. This contributes to economic stability. Monetary policy always aims at achieving low inflation rate which spills over to increased economic growth. The main tool used in monetary policy is changing the interest rate. Depending on the situation in the economy, the Central Government may adjust its strategy and use other tools of stabilising the economy (Pettinger).

Fiscal policy is further divided into two parts. We have expansionary fiscal policy and contractionary fiscal policy. Expansionary fiscal policy aims at increasing economic growth. The government may decide to either increase government spending or to reduce tax rates. Increasing government spending in the economy increases economic growth. Reducing the tax rates also leads to increased economic growth. Contractionary fiscal policy is the reverse of the former. It serves to reduce the level of economic growth. This is done by reducing government expenditure of increasing the tax rate. Increasing tax rate reduces money circulation in the economy which stabilises the economy.

Expansionary fiscal policy increases the level of aggregate demand in the economy. This is achieved by reducing the tax rates or increasing the amount of government expenditure. Expansionary fiscal policy can be achieved by implementing three strategies;

Increasing consumption- to increase consumption, the government needs to raise the amount of disposable income held by the citizens. This can be achieved by reducing the amount of personal tax levied on individuals.

Increasing investments- investments can be raised by channelling more money in the economy through funding of projects such as infrastructure projects or health projects. Reducing business taxes also increases economic growth.

Increasing government purchases- this is where the federal government increases the amount that they spend on final goods and services. The government raises the grants used by the state and local government which will in turn increase the amount of expenditure on final goods and services.

Contractionary fiscal policy will do the reverse. It will decrease the level of aggregate demand in the economy. This is achieved by increasing tax rates or decreasing the amount of government expenditure. Contractionary fiscal policy is achieved by decreasing consumption, decreasing investments and decreasing the amount of government purchases (Kuepper).

Monetary policy can be implemented by adopting either expansionary monetary policy or contractionary monetary policy. Expansionary monetary policy aims at increasing money supply in the economy. Contractionary monetary policy aims at decreasing money supply in the economy. Monetary policy can either increase or decrease the amount of money in the economy. To determine whether to use an expansionary or contractionary monetary policy there needs to be an understanding on the real trend in the economy and the neutral interest rate.

There are three tools of monetary policy:

a). Reserve requirements- this is the minimum amount of money that banks are required to maintain or to deposit in their vaults with the Federal Reserve Bank.

b). Open market operations – also known as OMO. It involves the buying and selling of government securities. The fact that it is open market suggest that the Federal Reserve Bank does not decide by itself which security business dealers should use to trade in. The idea behind it is that the dealers who trade with the Federal Reserve Bank compete in terms of price on the various securities that they are going to deal with.

c). Discount rate- this is the amount that the Federal Reserve Bank charges when it gives short term loans to the government or to depository institutions.

Expansionary monetary policy applies when the Federal Reserve Bank uses the above three tools to stabilise the economy. This is done by reducing the minimum reserve requirement that banks are required to maintain or to deposit with them. Reducing the discount rate that the Fed charges when it is giving short term loans to the government or to depository institutions. To increase liquidity in the economy the Federal Reserve Bank will liquidate treasury bills and bonds.

Contractionary monetary policy achieves the opposite of the expansionary monetary policy.

In conclusion we need to answer the big question which is which of the two methods effective to use to stabilise the economy. The economic situation at hand will dictate the method that will be used. When the economy is experiencing a serious recession a combination of both fiscal and monetary policies will salvage the economy from the recession.

Monetary policy is mostly used to make minor adjustments in the economy. Adjusting the interest rates is the easiest strategy to use to change the economic cycle that the economy is experiencing. Contractionary fiscal policy is quite unpopular with many state governments. Fiscal and monetary policies have their own pros and cons.

There is no generic strategy that clearly outlines which method needs to be used. Ideally both policies should work together but this is rarely the case. Leaders in the government are the ones who get to decide which method to adopt. More often than not they tend to adopt expansionary fiscal policies. Reducing taxes increases the chance of leaders getting re-elected to government office. To avoid inflation in this situation the Federal Reserve Bank enforce contractionary monetary policy.

Work Cited

Pettinger, Tejvan. “Monetary Policy Vs Fiscal Policy.” Economics Help, 23 Apr. 2018, https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/2253/economics/monetary-policy-vs-fiscal-policy/.

Kuepper, Justin. “How Fiscal and Monetary Policy Influences an Economy.” The Balance, The Balance, 25 June 2019, https://www.thebalance.com/fiscal-vs-monetary-policy-whats-the-difference-4042632.

“Expansionary Monetary Policy and Its Effects (With Diagram).” Economics Discussion, 11 Aug. 2015, http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/microeconomics/expansionary-monetary.

Trade Research and Market Analysis

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Trade Research and Market Analysis

Funnel approach is the process of asking questions through a questionnaire where broad questions are enquired before precise questions. This ordering prevents the responses to precise questions prejudicing the replies to broad questions. Linamar Company is a manufacturing company that produces agricultural goods. It has plans to expand its market to countries that have potential market such as Argentina, Russia and Brazil. In order to respond to its precise questions concerning these markets, Linamar Company has to integrate funnel approach to organizing research (José and Viswanathan 32). The company has to define its funnel approach to organizing research in order to identify whether there is market in the selected nations or not. This is broken down to four levels.

Level 1

According to the research findings reached after employing funnel approach to organizing research, it is evident that there is a basic need for the products generated by Linamar Company in Brazil, Russia and Argentina because of a couple of reasons. First, corn heads and grain tables are part of everyday meals of natives of these nations. Second, the weather condition of these nations, especially Russia, is not suitable for growing and manufacturing such products. This makes the demand of these products extend beyond its supply creating a market opportunity for Linamar Company. Lastly, not so many companies like Linamar export their manufactured goods to these nations meaning that there is greater chance for Linamar to penetrate the markets of these nations.

Level 2The macro trading conditions of undertaking trade in Argentina, Russia and Brazil are numerous but some of them are unattractive and should not be employed by Linamar Company. After carrying out research using the funnel approach to organizing research, it is clear that three macro conditions apply to Linamar Company especially if it decides to undertake trade in these countries. First, the Linamar Company (macro trader) has to come up with variety of trends such as increasing rate of unemployment which develops a trend of augmenting bond futures (Pederson 57). If bond costs go down when growth is freezing, it means there is a discrepancy which in turn creates a trading opportunity. Moreover, Linamar Company has to spot the disagreements between a mix of markets and a mix of economic data. The company must have clarity on this issue in order to establish its stand. Lastly, Linamar Company as a macro trader needs to comprehend and expect the reactions of big players such as WTO, governments and OPEC. Level 3

The performance potential and industry attractiveness for sunflower, corn heads and grain tables for combine harvesting is extremely high in Brazil, Russia and Argentina than in any other country in the world (Papp 49). This is because these nations have fewer industries dealing with such products making their demands to exceed their supply. There is ready market and high opportunity for Linamar Company in these countries than in nations like the US and most European countries where the demand and supply of sunflower, grain tables and corn heads is balanced (Sorenson 76).

Level 4

In order to adopt and manage the trading strategy, Linamar Company needs to determine precise requirements. First, it has to obtain a permit from the governments of these nations to establish its branches there. Second, it has to acquire license for each company branch in the respective country. Third, it has to identify the best channels for distribution of the products in those countries in order to allow them to spread in the markets (Carl and Matusz 81). Lastly, the company has to come up with a strong and focused workforce which can meet its demands and help it acquire a strong, competitive advantage over the other competitors.

Works Cited

Rosa, José A, and Madhu Viswanathan. Product and Market Development for Subsistence Marketplaces. Amsterdam: Elsevier/JAI, 2007. Internet resource.

Sorenson, Vernon L. Agricultural Market Analysis: Development, Performance, Process. East Lansing: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Michigan State University, 1964. Print.

Davidson, Carl, and Steven J. Matusz. International Trade and Labor Markets: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Implications. Kalamazoo, Mich: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2004. Internet resource.

Papp, Susan M. Driven to Succeed. Dundurn, 2012. Internet resource.

Pederson, Jay P. International Directory of Company Histories: Volume 114. Detroit, Mich: St. James Press, 2010. Internet resource.

Starbucks corporation first came into operation in 1971

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Question 1

Starbucks corporation first came into operation in 1971 and was opened in Seattle’s pike place market with a future aim of providing coffee to a number of restaurants and surrounding bars. It was in 1982 when the company took a change in direction. The company’s ability to provide quality coffee beans was utilized and a coffee was brewed from these particular beans. The company then opened a roasting plant and has since opened stores worldwide. The current situation of for Starbucks seems to be an emerging part of their business and their main goal. The company’s current aim is to become a leading global company through making a difference in the people’s lives all around the world. This goal is quite close to being achieved as proved by the Starbucks current locations in the international markets. The current countries in which Starbucks are located are Austria, Philippines, Bahrain, Kuwait Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, new Zealand, china, Singapore, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, south Korea, Thailand, united kingdom, united Arab emirates, Switzerland, Egypt and united states. The overall aim of becoming a worldwide global brand seems to be working in favour of the company and is helping it to attract the attention of the many major companies who would like to partner with Starbuck. This is of course positive news for the company because it provides strong basis for the future development of international markets, which further strengthens the mission to become one of the leading specialty coffee retailers in the world. This aim of expanding their business even to more countries has however been hindered by the different cultures (Seabrook 2004). The beckoning promises of good business and expansions of Starbuck market could be rendered a mere dream if the company doesn’t take effective measure to curb the problems that would arise from a crash of cultures in different countries. Throughout the world there exist numerous different cultures each with different traditions and ways of doing business. The barrier that culture creates within the realm of international business hasn’t escaped the Starbucks and has become a stumbling block to achievement of the Starbucks expansion goal. The different cultures have been a hindrance to international business generally but it has dawned to Starbuck in the recent attempts to penetrate into the Muslim countries. Though the problem was already into the way of the Starbucks goals before this attempt it wasn’t very serious. The culture diversity has now been proved to be a major setback on the globalization goals of Starbuck. It has led to emergency of problems such as killing team work, ineffective communication and other problems. This problem has however has been elevated by the fact that the employee in Starbuck can be posted in any country as stipulated on their contracts of employment. Most of the employees tend to take their cultural values with them and farther hold their cultural values superior to those of the others. The Starbuck management expects to solve this problem in a span of one and half years so as to be able to operate it business even in the most unwelcome regions such as Iran. Even though most cultures are familiar with the Americas abrupt ways of doing business, a simple misunderstanding can crush a negotiation. The Starbucks management has on several occasions identified that some of the cultures are deeply rooted in the way of doing business and one simple gesture can be cause the difference between a successful long term relationship and cause humiliation to the host.

The Starbuck management like international business anticipated the problem and has put in place measures like employing interpreters who have come in play to in help understanding of the different languages which problem has come about as a result of cultural diversity. However such measures have not been able to solve the problem of language barrier and more needs to be done to save Starbuck from this problem that would limit its venture in globalization of the business. The company has also put up various measures which would prevent the crashing of the different cultures but they have not been as useful.

Question 2

The Starbuck management has listed language barrier as one of the biggest problems that has been presented by the different cultures. The way of communication is different with the different cultures. Terms used in some cultures might sound very harsh in other cultures. Thus the way in which words are used has an adverse effect on the in the intercultural communication in Starbuck stores where the management and employees from different cultures come together. This is in fact a major hindrance in business communication process. Another thing that pertains to language barrier and has adversely affected Starbuck businesses is use of different languages. English language though common in most countries is also absent in others. It’s logical that for any business to prosper and yield maximum profit communication between employees, management and consumer must be very effective. For example someone can’t sell goods or services to someone if they don’t understand each other. At the same time they can’t work effectively with the staff when they can’t communicate and come to an understanding (Scarborough 1998) The Starbucks were as a result forced to use their time and money on a program of learning these languages so as to be able to communicate effectively with the counterparts in the other countries. This however hasn’t solved the problem since one may not fully understand the use of the language for example the accent which may lead to distortion of word therefore making communication ineffective. Starbucks also opted to hire interpreters who complicated thing even further by distorting information and giving unclear explanations. Understanding the language of mannerisms and gestures becomes crucial Not only in star bucks but in all in international business. The many times when behavior in certain gestures may be misinterpreted by the people from the different culture makes intercultural communication in all corporate houses very difficult.

The Starbuck management was also able to identify another problem relating to cultural differences. People from some countries were keen when it came to following time bound schedules. Clashes due to different time cultures between people of diverse cultures were depicted in boardroom meetings. The management from different countries classed on when such boardroom meeting were handled. For example those keen on time always wanted an issue to be discussed within the time limit awarded. The starting time of such meetings has also been clashing with some people arriving in time and others arriving on time as allowed by their different cultures. These board meeting are crucial and should be effectively carried on as it is in such meeting that the important corporate decisions are arrived. Thus where some cultures stick to time as scheduled other culture don’t stick to the schedules. The marketing executives who represent the Starbucks in international with international assignments have faced problems in dealing with different corporate culture from across the world.

Another issue that has been adversely affected by different cultures is team work by staff from different cultures when it comes to starbucks which have been set up in foreign countries. The employees may clash on so many issues which for example include time as discussed above. They may also not be able to communicate effectively due to different body languages and gestures that they use. This may result in a misunderstanding and ends up disintegrating them and making it impossible for team work to come into play such organization. Team work is always important when it comes to success in any business.

Question 3

Starbuck like any serious international business aiming towards success is supposed to handle the different cultures carefully. Some of the countries tend to undermine the cultures of other people since they think that their culture is superior. This is very bad practice that can make Starbuck to lose the many opportunities that come with globalization of the economy and should been seen to be done away with. It is good for Starbuck to appreciate the differences in culture in the different societies. Any international business venture should always be purposeful in the fueled of global business and thus should be aware of it wants. It very unethical for them to focus on undermining other peoples cultures other than attempting to look for mitigating factor. When working in global commercial environment, knowledge of the effects of cultural differences is one of the key factors that business men should be armed with. It will help the company to build competencies and also helps individuals to be more sensitive globally. It may affect the international company adversely if the workers don’t attempt to adapt to the different cultures and so as to enhance interpersonal relations personal growth and intercultural interactions.

It is important for the company to ensure that the staff is aware that the cultural barriers do widely exist and they could adversely affect the performance of the Starbuck. Thus the very first thing that Starbuck is supposed to undertake before venturing into a new country is to foresee an awareness program that keeps its staff informed of such imminent problems. This helps the staff to prepare their minds and keep them sharp and focused. The staff usually carries their different cultures to different countries but the ugliest thing is that they tend to believe that their culture is superior to other cultures and thus look down upon other cultures. The management needs to undertake a training that helps the staff to appreciate the diversity of cultures. This would be necessary to help the staff to brain wash their stereotypes and appreciate others peoples way of life. First and foremost if Starbuck is to foresee a success in their globalization goal it is necessary to carry out an extensive research and understand the different cultures and to know what is perfectly normal behavior as perceived in one culture and is perceived differently in another. It is thus important to be aware of the cultural differences and the subtle nuances of etiquette in other cultures. For example when the staff are being sent to the United Arab Emirates, it is important to have them know that men in that country wear long trousers and a long sleeved shirt buttoned on the neck and shouldn’t have visible jewelry. It also helps to know that men need to wear a jacket and a tie during business meetings. Even in the most progressive Arab nations women are supposed to dress modestly with high necklines, long sleeves and very long skirts and they may also need to cover their hair. Thus the Starbuck management needs to educate itself on the culture and tradition of all the potential business partners. Education to the management and the staff is worthwhile and even and Starbuck should invest in this program. There is no secret path way and it takes only research and a large commitments to learning the cultures that Starbucks wishes to come into contact with.

The Starbuck has attempted to solve the problem of effective communication that is caused by language barrier though learning of the various global languages. To amicably soave this problem the company should hire specific staff with the qualifications of knowledge of specific languages for different countries. Thus only a staff who can effectively speak Spanish can be taken to a Spanish speaking country. This however couldn’t be the solution to senior staff like managers who have to be in charge of business in many nationals and for that matter such staff should be preferably multilingual (Seabrook 2004). The Starbuck option of interpreters had failed due to distortion of information. The company may attempt to hire better skilled interpreters.

Starbuck should also avoid transfers of junior employees to different countries. It is would be better if employees transfers were within a national. This would help the employees a situation whereby employees need to adapt to a new environment. Finally as the Starbuck should come up with a long lasting and future forecasting solution by slowly and slowly formulating an accepted international culture which they would then train all their staff and then adapt in a similar pace until its fully assimilated in the business.

Question 4

First and foremost a lot of time and money would be employed so as to foresee the above solutions. An extensive research on different cultures would require that the money which could have otherwise been used in the expansion of business would be used in researching the different cultures. The research would consume a lot of time too before it is accomplished. There is no guarantee that the research would be able to expose all the traditions and ways of life of a people especially where the society is disintegrated either by tribes or races. Again it would not necessarily mean that those cultural practices that have been exposed through the research are to affect the business. It could even be that the simple cultural activity that hasn’t been exposed is the one that would be the stumbling block to the business venture. This way time which could have been used in productive manner would be wasted in unproductive research. Money that was employed in the project would too goo into waste.

The other issue is training the employees and imparting on them the different cultures. This wouldn’t work well with some employees who wouldn’t wish to rid off the values they hold dear and take in some other foreign mannerisms. For the sake of maintaining their jobs such employees will attend the training but wouldn’t be willing in their hearts to learn the foreign mannerism. Thus the training programs would end up being a waste of time and money. It is naturally hard to accept that a person culture is less superior or equals another culture so training the employees to accept the diversity of cultures would as well be rendered useless. The option to have employees who can speak a particular language sticking to those countries which speak that language would also limit the human resource department on the skills. This could result to a shortage of personnel in a particular field if they are limited to the languages they can speak well. In this case you could find that very qualified personnel wouldn’t be able to work because they are not familiar with the language in specific countries. Non transfer of employees outside the country could be limiting their knowledge by refusing them a chance to learn from other environments. Training the senior staff to communicate effectively the different languages may also encounter barriers like the accented language which still doesn’t go well with effective communication. This may also not be easy where a country has diversity of languages as a result of tribal disintegrations. There are thus some countries with no common language like French, English or Spanish but have diversified language which are virtually impossible for the staff to learn.

Lastly the option of adopting a new international culture that would be widely accepted would take a great deal of time as it is a process. It has also faced criticism that leads to erosion of cultural values of some societies. Best practices lessen the clashes that come up as a result of different cultures. The best practices are to some extent more widely accepted. They also help in creation of collective identity (Ferraro 2010). Best practices when dealing with international clients help to lessen the clashes of culture. This works no matter when the clients come from. This is reduced to working with good communication and best practices in the end. These practices however couldn’t go through due to the criticisms that have been leveled against them. Best practices simply have had diverse negative effect however on cultural values. Cultural values have been transformed by immensely by globalization. Social scientist devout their time and also effort to analyze their processes that characterize the international activates today. Some social scientists believe that globalization has produced immense chaos and have destroyed the traditional cultures of different societies. Thus if these practices are unable to solve the issue money and time could have been devoted to formulate them would only go to waste whereas it could have been used in a more productive process.

Question 5

The risks that come out when various solutions are looked into require a deep analysis of the various solutions so as to arrive at the less risky path that Starbuck would need to undertake. However some solutions despite the risk that present itself can’t be avoided and thus require to be undertaken just like the obvious risk of venturing in a business. There are also those solutions which are risky and could be avoided. In such cases it is advisable to drop such solution after they have been classified as so. An extensive research on different cultures would require huge sums of money which could have otherwise been used in the expansion of business would be used in researching the different cultures. The research would consume a lot of time too before it is accomplished. In this case, research is unavoidable and the company is only required to have a highly skilled research department. Despite the fact that there is no guarantee that the research would be able to expose all the traditions and ways of life of a people especially where the society is disintegrated either by tribes or races, there is no other way that the company could be able to find out the ways of life of the country it is planning to venture into. Again it would not necessarily mean that those cultural practices that have been exposed through the research are to affect the business but all the same it is a risk worth taking. Highly skilled research that looks into the goals of the business and the pertinent problems hindering the goals is supposed to dig out the various cultural activities that require to be known so as avoid the problems of culture crash. There is no alternative to research because there is no other way to know otherwise the company would be blindly venturing into a strange society. One can also say that the option to research is improving the skills so as to produce more accurate information in regard to the specific topic. Improving the skills of the research department requires employing highly qualified research personnel and training them to ensure diligence. Improved technology would also come to play to help improve the research skills.

Once the company has been able to identify the different cultures training the employees would come into play. There is the risk that many employees would not wish to drop their mannerism for a culture that they view inferior (Appadurai 1996). This risk could be avoided by first taking a great deal of time in training programs that would help the employees to appreciate the different cultures and the cultural diversity. However this could still not work because it is very difficult for so people to equal their culture with other cultures. Furthermore the management would not be in a position to whether the employees are only attending the training programs just to ensure the security of their jobs since this is in their hearts. Once such employees are posted in those different countries they may fail to put in practice what they learnt in the training program. This puts the business at a very big risk and this could be avoided by another solution that ensures there is no international transfer of employees. If employees stick to one country then company doesn’t have to use money and resources to in the training that would be rendered useless. However the company cannot avoid training of the senior staff that may be in charge of regions and need to be acquainted with the different cultures. This still shows that research is unavoidable despite the risks that are involved. Another thing is language barrier that could be solve in either through learning of the languages by the staff and which carries the risk that the languages may not be fully understood to the point of proper non accented expression. This would still be a barrier to effective communication and could be avoided by ensuring that the staff hiring ensures that only the staff that are familiar with a certain language are sent to certain country. This has limited the qualified personnel on the other hand. In this case it would be preferable to have the highly qualified personnel being taught the different language and though communication may not be fully effective it is to some extent better than losing them. The issue of formulating an international culture that would be globally acceptable is good as it is a long time solution and despite the challenges it is worth a trial as it is a step process.

Question 6

It is important to bear in mind that the solutions to these problems are simple but they require a lot of commitment by the management. The management needs to commit its time and money to foresee that the solution is arrived at. The risks that are imminent should be considered as the normal risks that any person wishing to venture into a business will be exposed to. It could even be that the simple cultural activity that hasn’t been exposed is the one that would be the stumbling block to the business venture. This way time which could have been used in productive manner would be wasted in unproductive research. This even though doesn’t mean that the risk is not worth taking. The achievement that the Starbuck would achieve by venturing into the global market would include making a big name like Coca-cola which ensures that it has a wide market. Such achievement then warrants the company to take the bull by its horn and make its way towards fighting the stumbling blocks. Team work and effective communication are some of the elements that are at the core of success of any business. Anything that would ensure team work in a business however expensive or time consuming would be worth a trial. Training the employees from various countries through expensive programs so that they can learn the different cultures would bear its fruits finally when the company is able to foresee high production coming about as a result of team work. If a business ignores such essential elements at the core of success just because of the risk that are involved, it would then be plunging into bigger risks by making the investment blindly. The different cultures which are bound to crash are bigger risks than undertaking investing money and time to train employees.

References

Appadurai, A. (1996). Modernity at large: Cultural dimensions of globalization. Minneapolis. University of Minnesota Press.

Harris , M. (1991) Consultancy in solving corporate problems. New York. Vintage Books.

Ferraro, G. (2010) The Cultural Dimensions of International Business, 6th edition. United States. Pearson

Seabrook, J. ( 2004) Consuming Cultures: Globalization and Local Lives. United kingdom. New Internationalist

Scarborough, J. ( 1998) The Origins of Cultural differences and their Impact on Management. Westport. Quorum publishers.

simulation of JVA corporation

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Date

The second strategy would suit the simulation of JVA Corporation. The strategy includes reviewing the employees’ performance after every six months. Reviewing the performance of the employees will show if their level of productivity has increased or decreased. This follows that the salaries or wages of the employee will also change after the review based on the performance level. This strategy suits best since the company is boosting the productivity level of its employees and in turn making more profits and at the same time it is taking care of its employees by giving them the some extra allowances on extra commitment (Bizmanualz 2008).

The strategy covers duration of three years until the company has been able to achieve its goals and has become a leading corporation in the market. Reviewing the performance of the employees will continue taking place but there will be stability of their salaries and best performances may be rewarded in other forms like promotions. Appraisal of the employees will be of a specified process. For uniformity purposes all the employees including the international employees will be subjected to the appraisal process. There is to be a basic salary awarded to each employee which earns a commission as per the quantified level of performance. The employees turn out will be accounted for. For each day the employee does not report to work for whatever cause will be counted as one point less. This will reduce cases of lame excuses from work and increase the time each employee works for the company. Each employee is to be given a certain quantity of work with a specific deadline to be met. Each time the employee doesn’t meet the deadline, a point less is calculated on his performance. If there will be employees submitting their work before the deadline one point more will be awarded for each time work is submitted before the deadline. This will see to it that employees commit themselves to their work so as to meet the deadlines and earn points. Lateness will amount to one point less each time the employee arrives late at work for any cause whether justifiable or not. Time is very essential and this way the employees will learn to keep time. The total number of points earned by the employee after the period of six months is then converted into percentages and the performance level is then determined. The salaries of the employees for the next six months are determined by the performance. After a period of another six months the performances is reviewed and so are the salaries. The cycle repeats itself until the corporation achieves its goals.

The rewards are to be classified in relation to the percentage achieved. Those that are earning below 50 percent on performance are to receive only their basic salaries. Those employees whose performance range between 50 percent and 60 percent will receive a 5 percent commission calculated on their basic salaries. For those whose performance ranges between 60 percent and 80 percent will receive a commission of 10 percent on their basic salaries and finally those whose performance level ranges between 80 to 100 percent will receive a 15 percent commission on their basic salaries.

Competent employees for a proper management system to foresee the appraisal process will be hired. The management system will receive proper training so that it will be equipped with the necessary skills for the process. The human resource department will run a compensation program which lasts for six months with the employees receiving a regular salary for that period until the six months elapse and the performance and the salaries are reviewed.

This compensation program based on the performance of the employees is supposed to improve general skills of the manpower by improving their level of diligence and thus productivity. The commissions are also meant to be incentives to the employees and thus improve the employer employee relationship which is always very important in any corporation (Bizmanualz 2008). The employees will have a source of extra income and thus the corporation while taking care of its interest will also have the interest of the employees in mind. The employees rather than focusing on rebellion and wasting time grumbling will focus on working harder to improve their performance so they can earn the extra coin. The hard work of all the employees will definitely turn out to give the company more output in terms of production and thus increased profits.

References

Bizmanualz(2008)Human Resources Procedures for Employee Management. United States. Bizmanualz

Video Review 1 On Being Just Crazy Enough

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Course Professor

March 29, 2020 

Video Review 1: On Being Just Crazy Enough

Joshua Walters reminded me of Bobby McFerrin with his jazz vocals and mouth beatboxing, I am not sure what this form of art is called. But what was most captivating was his explanation of bipolar disorder. I had no idea bipolar disorder had people acting with insanity. I am familiar with manic episodes where a person becomes reckless, talkative, suicidal and so forth. I had not come across symptoms like demonstrated by Walters during this manic episode. Although he employs humor in his talk, whatever he is discussing a traumatic experience.

Joshua Walters translates the negative of mental illness into positive instead of denying the existence of the illness. I am not sure if mental illness can be reframed into a positive one. Positive thinking yes, but making mental illness positive is almost impossible. The idea that the hypomanic edge is something similar to the state of mind successful people are in as they work to compete was eye-opening. Manic depression as a positive where a person is in a state of mind to do what is considered impossible is surely a positive way of approaching a condition such as bipolar.

In the video, the humor employed by Joshua Walters is not usual and maybe he is putting his idea into context by explaining the potential of people with bipolar when attacked by manic episodes. This video inspires me to go on and do more research. The idea presented in this video is interesting and I would like to find more evidence to establish that whatever is said holds some truth. I understand how creativity works and instances where somebody feels full of ideas and the idea that such instances are similar to hypomanic episodes is amazing.

Video Review 2: The Voices in my Head

I had not come across a person who experienced voices in their head in real life and only thought of it as a fictional idea from movies. Explaining to a person about voices in the head would indeed be shocking and not many people apart from professionals would know how to react. No wonder Longden’s friend reacted as she did. Listening to the video at the beginning I felt a curiosity that almost made me skip to parts where the narrator discussed the kind of condition she was suffering. I was curious to know what condition she was suffering from.

I did not want to judge her as insane because of the way she acted without finding the actual diagnosis but some of her behaviors such as pouring water on the teacher were something that required psychiatric attention in a ward. What was devastating was the fact that at some point people around her did not understand what she was going through. No wonder she faced the kind of stigma she did, discrimination, sexual and physical assault, things that could only worsen her situation. At this point, her psychiatrist was right, cancer might have been better.

This video was my first encounter with schizophrenia. It is quite a draining condition and surviving that level of haunting is quite encouraging. What I got from this video is that support from people around a person suffering from mental illness was very crucial to their recovery. Eleanor takes a significant amount of time to reinforce this thought. The best way to deal with schizophrenia was learning to take control of voices and certain feelings. Although these voices and feelings would recur, one could control them rather than having them control one. The medication would not have been effective without this kind of therapy.