About Korea

About Korea Free Online Research Papers Learning about Korea was quite of a culture shock at first, but then I felt more at ease. Interviewing people for me was the most challenging aspect of the whole project. When asking people off the street to answer a few questions, I would get all kinds of reactions. Some people seemed to be scared, and others thought I was trying to sell them something. At the end being persistent paid off nicely because I ran into a few people, who were not only knowledgeable, but also were more than happy to answer questions. Now, I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the information I learned during the field interviewing process. First, I will talk about some of the history and background of Korea. Next, I will talk about the major values and attitudes that Koreans practice everyday. Lastly, I will share with you the wonderful experience I had in my first visit to a Korean restaurant. The Korean’s background can be traced back to the Neolithic age, when the half-human, half-divine Tan’gun founded the Korean State. Tan’gun, supposedly, â€Å"the ancestor of all Koreans is said to have flourished, marking a beginning to the Korean Legacy† (Wyte, R., 2001). Through an interviewee, I found out that the dominant religion in Korea before was Buddhism, but over the years it had been replaced by a new religion called, Confucianism. When I asked the interviewee what kind of impact it had on the society as a whole, he responded that there wasn’t much of an impact since most of the Buddhism teachings were adapted by the new religion. The interviewee described Confucianism to have a strong emphasis on family, education, and group behavior. It is important to know the different customs and attitudes people from different countries have in order to build strong bonds. From an interviewee perspective Koreans are said to have two different roles, one for when their in public and another for when their at home. For example, in public Koreans normally will not greet or act kindly to strangers. Normally, Koreans do not feel obligated to greet in a friendly fashion strangers they run into in public. The interviewee commented that when visitors visit his country they are quick to label Koreans as being self centered, because they are unaware of the different roles. Visitors form a stereotype, by seeing â€Å"behavior that confirms to their expectations even when it is absent and ignoring vital information such as knowledge when it is incongruous with their expectations† (Ting-Toomey, S., Chung L. C., 2005). Unlike in public, Koreans will be most courteous to guest or strangers in their home environment. An interv iewee told me that whenever families in Korea have visitors over, they will try to find something in common, in order to feel connected in some way. The common grounds the interviewee mentioned were; marital status, education, religion, and career. Confucianism has provided Koreans culture many widespread teachings, such as to have respect and obedience toward seniors at all times. Korea is known to have a large power distance where â€Å"the acceptance of unequal power distributions, and hierarchical rights based on the basis of age, rank, and seniority play a strong role† (Ting-Toomey, S., Chung L. C., 2005). An interviewee said that usually when an elder enters a room it is customary for everyone to stand and remain standing until the elder has taken their seat. I was also told that in the interviewees’ family, it is considered inappropriate for young people to eat, drink alcohol, or smoke in the presence of parents and teachers. Another â€Å"Confusion teaching, which has been implemented in the Korean culture is the attitude towards women† (Robinson, M., 2004). An interviewee, who grew up in Korea told me, that in the past, women were taught to be obedient to her parents; when married, to her hus band; and in old age, to her son. I also discovered, that today much of the old traditions in Korea have changed for the better. Just like in America today women are starting to take predominant roles in the educational and professional fields. Today it seems, that in both countries the feminism and masculinity roles are not predominant as before, but still exist in some parts. As each culture is unique in their own way, so are the different food choices they make. Some cultures enjoy food for the taste and others for the nutrients. For example, when I asked an interviewee what was special about their food he said, â€Å"Every plant and animal in their diet has either, some herbal or medicinal quality†. Some of the many wild and exotic plants, that make up a Korean diet are â€Å"wild aster, royal fern bracken, marsh plant, day lily, aralia shoots and broad bellflowers† (Robinson, M., 2004). A very popular and traditional dish for the Koreans is dogs. Koreans believe â€Å"dog to be a special kind of meat, which gives the body energy, stamina, and protein† (Wyte, R., 2001). An interviewee told me, that dogs is prepared in a type of soup they call poshinintang, which means body strengthening soup. Dog soup is usually served in a very hot bowl with vegetables and spices. The dog meat is prepared in thick slices with a generous he lping of red pepper and soybean paste. The interviewee said he had never tried the soup, but heard the meat tasted almost like roast. For our group class project we all decided to eat at a nice elegant Korean restaurant. This was my first experience eating at a Korean restaurant, so I was exited and nervous. At the table we sat in, I noticed some wet moist tolls and also a gas grill in the middle. The only eating utensils we had were a spoon and some chopsticks, no knife was included. I later discovered that everything would be cut into little bite size pieces so no knife was necessary. Glancing at the menu I noticed many different types of dishes, which consisted primarily of beef and seafood. A popular dish that I noticed on the menu was bulgogi, also known as â€Å"Korean barbecue†. Bulgogi was described to be strips of beef marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and then cooked over a gas grill at the table. I was very delighted to also find ribs; another popular dish prepared and cooked the same way as the bulgogi. The rest of the menu consisted mostly of fish and different assortm ent of seafood. After, we all made up our minds and ordered our meals the waitress brought out tableware. The tableware consisted of one soup bowl for each person along with various small and large plates, which were side dishes. One side bowl in particular I remember is a small bowl of what looked like grey string noodles. When I picked up the bowl to examine it closer I noticed little eyes, quickly discovering, that it was little string fishes. I myself was not daring enough to try the string fishes, nor were any one of my group members. A dish with fish that I did try was a special type of broth, which was almost clear and smelled extremely fishy. The broth had different spices floating on top and also small square pieces of fish at the bottom. A group member at the table decided to try it first and by the look on her face was not too satisfied with the bold fishy taste. At first, I was reluctant to try it myself but I built up enough courage to try it anyways. The broth had a very str ong garlic taste combined with a very strong fishy taste, which did not taste great at all. After waiting for about half an hour our main dishes were finally brought out in giant size bowls. If I was asked to sum up what Korean food tasted like in three simple words, I would have to say â€Å"spicy, fiery, and earthy.† The ribs that I ordered had a very strong bold taste of garlic and red chili. The different types of foods the waiter brought out were unique, each having its very own texture and aroma. Some aromas were pleasant and others smelled like ocean sea weed. Each one of us had our own healthy serving of vegetables, along with purple sticky rice. The rice was of a purple color and of a sticky texture. I thought, since the rice was of a different color it would taste different but the taste was no different than, that of regular white rice. In the Korean culture rice is a big part of every meal. The rice is served in a metal chrome plated rice bowl covered with a lid to keep the steam trapped inside. As part of the Korean culture it is customary to only eat the rice with a spoon and never with chopsticks (Wyte, R., 2001). Soon after learning the customs with rice I recalled haven used my chopsticks to eat my rice. I also thought this incident was a great example of a one-sided attention mishap. A perfect definition of one-sided attention is when â€Å"only one person is aware of the intercultural l mistake, and the other person has no sense, that a cultural mistake has been committed† (Ting-Toomey, S., Chung L. C., 2005). It is now clear to me the importance of being familiar with the customs and traditions of other cultures. In the future if I ever decide to go into a Korean restaurant again I will be sure not to make the same mistake again. In my report I have covered a great deal of information on the truly unique and remarkable Korean Culture. First, I walked you through the Korean history and explained where some of the customs came from. Next, I touched a bit on the different traditions and attitudes, which today make up the Korean culture. Lastly, I shared with you my very own personal experience in a Korean restaurant and explained a bit about the popular dishes. I believe through learning about the Korean culture I have developed a greater appreciation for a different culture other than my own. Learning about a different culture has also changed my perspective about my own culture. I learned that even though people may be from two very distant continents they can still have lots of the same customs and values. I hope you have enjoyed reading my paper and have learned a bit of useful information that you may take with you. This has truly been an experience I will never forget and will take from it many val uable lessons. References Baggett, C. (1998, September). The Pluralism Project. Retrieved August 14, 2006 from, Korean Society Web site: www.pluralism.org Cheil, J. (2000, January). Food in Korea. Retrieved August 15, 2006 from , Asian info organization Web site: asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/food.htm Robinson, Markus (2004). Korea. Springfield, IL: Holt, Rinehart Publishing Ting-Toomey, S., Chung L. C. (2005). Understanding Intercultural Comm. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing Company Wyte, R. (2001). Living in South Korea. Thousand Oaks, CA: P J Publishing Company. Research Papers on About KoreaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Project Managment Office SystemQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is Art

10 Facts About Carbon

10 Facts About Carbon One of the most important elements for all living things is carbon. Carbon is the element with atomic number 6 and element symbol C. Here are 10 interesting carbon facts for you: Carbon is the basis for organic chemistry, as it occurs in all living organisms. The simplest organic molecules consist of carbon chemically bonded to hydrogen. Many other common organics also include oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.Carbon is a nonmetal that can bond with itself and many other chemical elements, forming over ten million compounds. Because it forms more compounds than any other element, it is sometimes called the King of the Elements.Elemental carbon can take the form of one of the hardest substances (diamond) or one of the softest (graphite).Carbon is made in the interiors of stars, although it was not produced in the Big Bang. Carbon is made in giant and supergiant stars via the triple-alpha process. In this process, three helium nuclei fuse. When a massive star turns into a supernova, carbon scatters and can be incorporated into next-generation stars and planets.Carbon compounds have limitless uses. In its elemental form, diamond is a gemstone and used for drilling/cutting; graphite is used in pencils, as a lubricant, and to protect against rust; while charcoal is used to remove toxins, tastes, and odors. The isotope Carbon-14 is used in radiocarbon dating. Carbon has the highest melting/sublimation point of the elements. The melting point of diamond is ~3550 °C, with the sublimation point of carbon around 3800 °C. If you baked a diamond in an oven or cooked it in a frying pan, it would survive unscathed.Pure carbon exists free in nature and has been known since prehistoric time. While most elements known since ancient time only exist in one allotrope, pure carbon forms graphite, diamond, and amorphous carbon (soot). The forms look very different from each other and display dissimilar properties. For example, graphite is an electrical conductor while diamond is an insulator. Other forms of carbon include fullerenes, graphene, carbon nanofoam, glassy carbon, and Q-carbon (which is magnetic and fluorescent).The origin of the name carbon comes from the Latin word carbo, for charcoal. The German and French words for charcoal are similar.Pure carbon is considered non-toxic, although inhalation of fine particles, such as soot, can damage lung tissue. Graphite and charcoal are considered safe enough to eat. While non-toxic to humans, carbon nanoparticles are deadly to fruit flies. Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe (hydrogen, helium, and oxygen are found in higher amounts, by mass). It is the 15th most abundant element in the Earths crust. More Carbon Facts Carbon usually has a valence of 4, which means each carbon atom can form covalent bonds with four other atoms. The 2 oxidation state is also seen in compounds such as carbon monoxide.Three isotopes of carbon occur naturally. Carbon-12 and carbon-13 are stable, while carbon-14 is radioactive, with a half-life of around 5730 years. Carbon-14 is formed in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen. While carbon-14 occurs in the atmosphere and living organisms, it is almost completely absent from rocks. There are 15 known carbon isotopes.Inorganic carbon sources include carbon dioxide, limestone, and dolomite. Organic sources include coal, oil, peat, and methane clathrates.Carbon black was the first pigment used for tattooing. Ãâ€"tzi the Iceman has carbon tattoos that endured through his life and are still visible 5200 years later.The amount of carbon on Earth is fairly constant. It is transformed from one form to another via the carbon cycle. In the carbon cycle, pho tosynthetic plants take carbon from air or seawater and convert it into glucose and other organic compounds via the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. Animals eat some of the biomass and exhale carbon dioxide, returning carbon to the atmosphere. Sources Deming, Anna (2010). King of the elements?. Nanotechnology. 21 (30): 300201. doi:10.1088/0957-4484/21/30/300201Lide, D. R., ed. (2005). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (86th ed.). Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0486-5.Smith, T. M.; Cramer, W. P.; Dixon, R. K.; Leemans, R.; Neilson, R. P.; Solomon, A. M. (1993). The global terrestrial carbon cycle. Water, Air, Soil Pollution. 70: 19–37. doi:10.1007/BF01104986Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Research Proposal - Essay Example Although judging people from the face value may reveal certain issues about them, it is not a representative way of understanding an individual. The story introduces to the readers a number of characters that are only defined by the things they carry. However, such tendencies may not provide the exact representation of the individuals presented in this context. Jimmy Cross is thought to be in love with a former girlfriend who he dated before joining the service (O’Brien 3). The assumption presented in the story that Cross intimates is that he hopes the girl is still in love with him. However, the letters from the woman suggest a contrary opinion. Ideally, what is thought to be a love issue is blown out of proportion only for the mere details in the letter. Though the letters reveal an element of love as exhibited by Cross, the woman feels the opposite way effectively making the letters a mere symbol of love and not the actual feelings (O’Brien 3). O’Brien introduces the characters by describing the different things carried by the soldiers. Ordinarily, one would easily define the individuals based on the various things they have in their possession. For instance, Henry Dobbins is introduced as a person who carries extra foodstuffs (O’Brien 5). From the face value, it would mean that Dobbins likes eating or never gets satisfied. However, such a perception may not have any basis because being a soldier would mean that Dobbins is only taking precautionary measures so that he is not disenfranchised while in the battlefield. O’Brien introduces Ted Lavender as an individual who carries the tranquilizer pills. Defining the personality or the character of Lavender by the pills he carries does not provide facts concerning her. Kiowa walks with the hunting hatchet throughout the journey, and this would perhaps give the impression that he is a hunter (O’Brien 6). It is important to note that such an individual may carry the hatchet only for fun and not for

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World - Essay Example This problem largely known as â€Å"hole in the middle† problem in the study and the theories provided by Garry Hamel and Michael Porter tries to explain this phenomena existing in the markets (Baker 2005). The approaches and perspective of the two strategic management strategy theorists enhanced the management diversifications in organizations. This mainly required the adoption of new techniques and new ways of thinking taking into consideration the changing marketing and the level of the competition in the various markets (Schindehutte 2008). Garry Hamel approach in regard to the paradox of markets is the adoption of the marketing management strategy that was more interactive and active. From this approach he asserts that in the management of competition in the markets as well as the maximum utilization of resources the aspect of strategic architecture and strategic intent must be introduced. This provided the importance of managers and organizational leaders in regard to co mpetence (song Cho 2000). The two concepts also gave and hint on how it can perform better in terms of competitive advantage in contrast with other companies the market. Michael porter in regard to the paradox of the market was the introduction of the various concepts notably the five forces analysis and the generic strategies (Kelly 1998). The detailed interaction process underlying this was that there was need for the organizational management and leaders to enhance the following. First is to enhance minimization of costs, focus on the market strategies where a company or organization operates and finally enhance product differentiation strategies (McGivern 1997). Michael Porter Approach on Market Paradox Michael porter approach on the market paradox in regard to the markets and resources is based entirely on the organizations or the firm’s competitive nature. He asserts that the dynamism and the change in the markets is increasingly becoming a major area of concern to the economic theorist, practitioners and policy makers (Baker 2005). Therefore Michael porter gives and explanation regarding this on a re source based perspective and the market process economics (McGivern 1997). The two porter’s perspective gives explanation on the similarities and the relations which is important in the evaluation of the dynamics and the changes on the market behavior (Kelly 1998). Porters approach is considered popular in regard to this because of its clarity, feasibility and the complementarities of the resource based perspective and the market process economics. This approach is generally convenient in the explanation of the markets changes in its competitiveness as well as its strategies (Porter 2000). The question in this context is how firms and companies compete in the various markets and what the strategies that leaders and managers adopt. Porter asserts that there is need for the firms and management teams to understand the individual competitiveness as it this facilitates the formulation of policies concerning competition (Hamel 2012). These policies and the underlying strategies are essential in providing necessary support in developing markets and effective utilizing of resources (Schindehutte 2008). Therefore is addressing the issue of market paradox Porter focuses mainly on the identification of the most successful strategies that a firm in a market can adopt.

We Are the World Essay Example for Free

We Are the World Essay In his extended metaphor, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† Plato describes a conversation between his brother, Glaucon, and Socrates about the difficulty of understanding reality. Behind these prisoners are puppeteers who hold a puppet-show using the shadows of the fire behind them. The prisoners can only see the shadows casted by the puppeteers and they can only hear the sound of echoes from behind. For their whole lives, they are only accustomed to see these shadows in the shape of fake objects such as trees and animals. One of the prisoners is released from the chain and he experiences a whole new world that he has never encountered before. What he had thought was a tree was no longer the same tree that he had known before.There, he is exposed to sunlight and reality hits him. In this allegory, the prisoners represent people in society. This inlalcludes all people, no malaatter what race they are, what social class they are in, and also what gender they are. We are locked in the cave and we are the ones who can only see what is shown on the wall, unless we open the the our eyes to new experiences. Similarly to prisoner that was blinded the the by the strong light outside, we also need to challenge ourselves to new ideas and maybe be blinded by the light to see a new view In Abercrombie’s words, the man only had the schema of what was shown on the cave wall, which caused him to have a very limited storehouse of knowledge.

Clearly Pacifist, Clearly Credible Essay -- Weapons Warfare Essays

Clearly Pacifist, Clearly Credible Many people tend to think war is a part of life that mankind will never be able to rid itself of. This comes from the assumption that war is one of the basic needs of mankind. However, Margaret Mead does not make this assumption. In fact, she denies its credibility in her essay â€Å"Warfare is Only an Invention – Not a Biological Necessity.† In this essay, Margaret Mead combines a great deal of logos and ethos with limited pathos to support her pacifist claim that warfare is merely an invention of man, and not a need found in the very nature of man. While Mead’s claim does not agree with the most common beliefs about warfare, its mixture of logos and ethos is as strong as the bricks and mortar of a brick wall. Margaret Mead begins her essay with a subtle strength. The subtlety comes from discussing other, more popular, views of warfare that do not agree with Mead’s pacifist view. This helps the audience view Mead as an honest person who is willing to acknowledge others even though she does not agree with their opinions. The appearance this introduction gives the audience serves as a strong way of opening the essay because right away she is able to get into the ethos part of her argument without seeming too intrusive. In fact, even when she introduces her own argument she does not seem at all intrusive or aggressive. This makes her audience more willing to listen and more receptive to what she has to say. After first acknowledging other perspectives, Margaret Mead explicitly defines the main purpose of her essay. She clearly states her main claim which says â€Å"that warfare . . . is an invention like any other of the inventions in terms of which we order our lives, such as writin... ...ent tightly. She says, â€Å"we can take comfort from the fact that a poor invention will usually give place to a better invention† (Mead 5). This offers just a shade of hope, which may be just what the audience needs to fully accept her ideas. Though Margaret Mead possesses a view of war that many people do not agree with, she builds a strong support for her argument. While the logos Mead presents functions as the bricks of a wall, the ethos she incorporates acts as the mortar, which holds the bricks together. This makes the logos, which many people find convincing in an argument, even more appealing because the ethos lets her audience know that she has put a great amount of thought and research into her view and essay. The combination of logos and ethos gives Mead’s essay the ability to stand on its own even though many people disagree with what it has to say.

Should Women Participate in Politics

Do you agree or disagree that women should participate in politics? Opinion Essay Whether the women should participate in politics or not is debatable. We see that at the turn of the 21st century, almost every country in the world provides the right for women to participate in politics. Women make up half of the population of every country in the world, they can vote and support candidates. But despite of these facts, they are not well represented in politics, in contrast to men.As Amon Karagara (2008) mentioned â€Å"The worldwide average percentage of women in national parliaments is only 16%†. It is often said that women face more difficulties than men in politics. As well as politics shows the fact of predominance of men, it also includes some problems to women with health, the difficulty of creating a strong family and even life-threatening. The first reason why women should not participate in politics is taking care of their health, because stress that they experience fr om taking part in politics supports a variety of diseases.It is true that women are tempted to crying. The Health Magazine agrees with this point, saying, â€Å"In women, the part of the brain that deals with stress is linked to the area that controls hormones, which is not the case in men. That means that women tend to exhibit more physical symptoms from stress than men†. Also women stand political pressures harder. Stress affects every bodily system or body part. So, participation in politics is actually bad for a women health. Another reason related to difficulties of creation a family.We know that the most significant professions for women are wifehood and motherhood. If woman becomes a politician, she will have some difficulties with creating a good family. Every year politicians leave their children because of business trips. Some of them move their families with them to different places, but it is very hard for children to change atmosphere too often, and also it inter feres with their learning. We all know that motherhood is a wonder with a lot of joys and challenges.And the role of women is confined to dedicate most of their energy to parenting and taking care of the home. Another reason related to difficulties of creation a family. Every year politicians leave their children because of business trips. Some of them move their families with them to different places, but it is very hard for children to change atmosphere too often, and also it interferes with their learning. From my point of view, the most significant professions for women are wifehood and motherhood.If woman becomes a politician, she will have some difficulties with creating a good family. We all know that motherhood is a wonder with a lot of joys and challenges. And the role of women is confined to dedicate most of their energy to parenting and taking care of the home. The last reason for women not to be a politician is danger for their lives. There are a lot of sudden attacks fo r political reasons. In the modern world, the killing of important people involves with struggle for power. Most modern murders have been committed either during a public performance because of weaker security.So, to consider all these things, a lot of women have come a long way into a male dominated world but it isn't right because firstly the woman must be woman. Modern women are beginning to become politicians, directors in business companies. But what comes to mind when we think about the word â€Å"politics†? The popular political figures who are mostly male. Nowadays, some women compete for men in positions that were traditionally for men. Nevertheless, the best women's purpose is motherhood. The best thing a girl can be is a good wife and mother.