Values And The American Culture Essay Example for Free

Values And The American Culture Essay The values that drive American culture as such are their ability to assess almost all of its situational issues boosting the ease with which they were able to adjust to changeable life conditions making sure the link of its race. This constitutes American behaviors, its mores and traditions which were handed down through generations with little modifications. This is its own culture. Like their gestures, eating habits, drinking habits, sex, and laughter which are all personality indicators are likewise their cultural markers. Even their food preferences and attitudes toward food which necessarily reveals their inner self is also a display of their culture, because food plays an important role in the lives of all people beyond its obvious one, a necessity. Sam Keen cites Geoffrey Gorer: the most significant common traits in these peaceful societies are that they all manifest enormous gusto for concrete physical pleasureeating, drinking, sex, laughterand they, they all make very little distinction between the ideal characters of men and women, particularly that they have no ideal of brave, aggressive masculinity ( Watters 2005), reminds me in particular of a proof of American culture having been developed through generations of varying grades of adjustments and alterations to continue to live and survive in the midst of fierce environmental situations. I think this is what most American teen-agers call an attitude of being cool! Normally however, things happen because something else took place, consequently, events takes place; a battery of events, a domino effect, because there are only few things that come to pass all by themselves. The above citation also reveals a view of a society that is exactly the living portraits of their ancestors; a society that is composed of people who are just as weak as those who nurtured them or the other way around. They look like disconcerted, unsettled group at one point; of what appears to be simpleton in ignorance for men and women alike can rise above the limits of physicality in determination to achieve the optimum level, a better and compromising society. That men and women alike can rise above carnality to supersede poor human idiosyncrasies and egocentricities. That men and women alike are capable of rising above the meager desires of the flesh. In other words, it is a pity, for these is how this particular group of people has been nurtured. The prayer of the poor souls by Mark Twain is indicative of that particular generation weakness in personalities. In this 21st century, who would rush out to applaud soldiers going to war? Who would go to church and pray that the soldiers be safe? People would think of it as a sickening idea. However, in the past that was their last recourse in the midst of tribulations for a prayerful congregation that seems to be lost and in need of some supreme powers to overtake the opponents, whose reasons for warfare is not so clear, who have no alternative but to suffer the chills of the uncertain, mercy from the Supreme Being for the children’s lives that will be lost including their very dreams, all of it is simply the result of their foolish obsessions. It was a reflection of the achievements in education and technology of the time. Praying for the security of forces in times of war, a war which was usually conducted as a result of overt desire for what is transient and materialistic, a war that simply runs counter to the ideals of preservation of life even at the fetal stages, for even in the most difficult problems in science and mathematics there are almost always solutions, there are those born physically defective that are even helped to bring about normal living. Bravery could have meant patience, learned, forgiving, persevering and endurance overlooking the mistakes of others, talking about matters on the tables of logic and reason, sourcing-out what can be afforded whether intellectual or material. For going to war is a mere reflection of bravery in cowardice, it is illiteracy in the midst of modernizing technology, it means plummeting economy, bankruptcy, too elementary an idea of hiding in the power of guns and bullets, the manly relief of those who have frustrations in their younger days. Why pray for those who go to war? Let them be, and let their desires be fulfilled to the fullest and let us see what beneficial results it would bring. War on the other hand is a balancing factor; its mortality factor is justifiable (Miller Levine 2002). The population must be equated with its resources. Otherwise, everyone will suffer for lack. It is a way of getting rid of what is surplus. Painful maybe as it seem, but, that is one glaring generality of a truth which people have to learn and accept. For if human population increase is merely brought about by desire and lust without considerations of the intellectual nature of people, then there must be some way to balance the situation without necessarily putting forth in public the real reasons for going to war. Mead presupposes that there are really people who are avid at inventions, eager to go to war (Watters 2005). This is simply just like a fashion show of prowess and might, a beguiling entrepreneur masking the motivations of greed, a game of the ignorant for in it there is no virtue. It is the making of the poor in spirit a dangerous invention of murky imaginations, an out-dated social waste. Of warfare’s and duels and fights are the painful consequences of improper family breeding, wrong values at the wrong places (Watters 2005). A concrete illustration of the concept of culture as eventualities can be seen through Samuel Langhorne Clemens life (Mark Twain 2006). From the time he was born until when he was a writer, where he made clear his fine evolution on how things were with him that brought about his totality as a person, an American personality. At one point in his life he used aliases, pseudonyms, and allegories to show major happenings and events that molded him into being. He could have been blunt and straightforward. But, looking back at his childhood years where he grew up moving from place to place as his family moved, adapting constantly to constant ecological changes, orphaned from a mother’s tender loving care, model by an uncompromising father, growing up with a bully aunt, which strained him to be smart at his age, in his own little way. He felt none in his family could be a confidante to a witnessed absurdity, to comfort him in dire need of a shield, to listen to his stories, to guide him through his journeys. Better are the hens and the chicks, the cats and its kittens, the dogs and its puppies, and the birds and its nestlings, even the lions and its cubs does have their own bonding ways. So, at the outset, he has to deal with his fears, deal with his own problems, and gain his own wits, create his own little world for a young boy at his age, pushing him to make decisions of his own to secure his life. Pity, but the prices of sternness, negligence in family responsibilities, bully, poverty, economic instability, politics, and war, has to be paid for tremendously, by the horrifying lives of those left behind to pursue an undefined journey. Does this mean life in America is indifference? Life is not that easy and rosy. Tom who is the male counterpart of various animals and Sawyer who saws timber (Merriam-Webster Inc. 2004) nicks across the very soul of Samuel Clemens, a reality of how one person can become because of the many and various factors that are sometimes, somehow, are beyond ones control. Nature as they say have its own ways of making a man, and molding him accordingly. Another life clarifies what brought about the American culture. Contrary to those fairytales, Louisa May Alcott as a teenager was riddled with the necessities early in life. She was supposed to be left at that young age to be bemused by the fleeting amenities of a young lady. But, the burden of working in the shadows of her dreams to bring about the basics of life seemed just inevitable to her. Multitasking was the name of her game to help finance her family needs. It is a show of the ability of women to find ways and means to sustain life. She was not bitter though. The story was also an eye-opener and disappointment to realize how some men are narrow in outlook in putting up with a simple family needs for sustenance. She pursued the unknown fields with tenacity to success, allayed fears and troubles. In her story â€Å"Little Men†, she bared another of the wholesome American family and its spirit, the willingness of granting opportunities to those in needs, without necessarily prejudicing family interest, without setting too many rules, making life easy and desirable (Alcott 1986). It also depicts the truth that more is given to some, and to others are less, and only the poor and the weak are the justification of the wealthy. To those who are given more, a lot more is required of them. Others may not realize this. But, others does, especially those who give themselves time to reflect for whatever comes and whatever leaves them. George W. Renwick, A Fair Go for All: Australian/American Interactions, 1991, wrote: The value systems of Australians and Americans combine competitive and cooperative strands, but in different ways. The Australian harmonizes them while the Americans see them as mutually exclusive and is torn between them. Americans are always ready to put themselves in competition with the group or groups to which they belong; it is often â€Å"either the group or me. † For the Australian it is the group and me, with a great deal of personal privacy as well. † Australians search for ways to collaborate with the competition while Americans seeks ways to â€Å"beat† it. The American position seems to be that too much cooperation weakens one’s advantage. This may stem, in part, from the different ways such values are inculcated. Much is made of mandatory participation in team sport in Australian schools. Americans place more emphasis on the outstanding individual and early on learn â€Å"spectatorism,† with its powerful identification with the few superior performers. Finally, another attribute which drives American culture is their preference to physical evidence and eyewitness testimony. They see facts as the supreme kind of evidence. Popular best-selling books weave their tales by giving clues to the appearance of physical evidence or fact: a button that is torn-off a sleeve, a telephone answering machine, a caller ID, and a bank-book of regular deposits or withdrawal, are all pieces of evidence from where American behavior, motivation and values are apparent (Lustig 1996). References Alcott, Luisa. Little Men. U. S. A: A Signet Classic. 1986. Lustig, Myron W. and Jolene Koester. Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures.US: Harper Collins College Publishers. 1996. Miller, Kenneth R. Biology. Upper Saddle River: N. J. Prentice Hall. 2002. Renwick, George W. A Fair Go For All: Australian/American Interactions. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. 1991. Tan, Amy. Fish Cheeks. New York: Ivy Books. 1989. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusettes. Merriam-Webster Inc. 2004. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. (ed. Unabridged). New Delhi. UBSPD. (Original work published in 1876). 2006. Watters, Ann. Global Exchange. U. S. A: Stanford University. 2005.

Making Planned Giving Work For You :: essays research papers

Making Planned Giving Work For You Planned giving strategy tips for every organization Lawrence Henze,J.D.,Managing Director,Blackbaud Analytics â€Å"Golden Age of Philanthropy † Americans will transfer at least $41 trillion between 1998-2052,according to a study 1 by the Social Welfare Research Institute at Boston College.At least $6 trillion of that funding will be bequests to charity,according to authors Paul Schervish and John Havens,who wrote that â€Å"a golden age of philanthropy is dawning.† With so many philanthropic dollars up for grabs,nonpro fits need to position themselves to capture a share of the wealth.Research from the National Committee on Planned Giving 2 shows that although 42 percent of Americans have wills,only about nine percent have included charities. But once charities are included,they stay:97 percent said they had not revoked a charitable provision.An additional 14 percent of those surveyed said they had considered including a charitable bequest in their wills — even though no nonpro fit has asked them to do so.This leaves a largely untapped market. About Planned Giving Planned giving,once called deferred giving,refers to any charitable gift that requires more thought and planning to execute than the average donation.Planned giving has traditionally been de fined as the gift that an individual makes near the end of his or her lifetime.There are many kinds of planned gifts,from simple bequests in a will or an estate plan,to annuities,charitable remainder trusts,charitable lead trusts,pooled income,life insurance and life estates. Nonpro fits often have trouble securing planned gifts.Why?The answer generally boils down to four basic factors:targeting the wrong prospects,sending the wrong appeal,asking too late and soliciting planned gift prospects for major gifts instead so the organization can get the money more quickly. Many charities assume that their major gift donors will be their best prospects for planned gifts. When these solicitations fail,organizations are left with the impression that planned giving is just not right for them.Other organizations send broad-based planned giving mailings to older White Paper Executive Summary Developing a successful planned giving program can be a complex undertaking.But it is one that is well worth the trouble. Extensive research has shown that planned giving is about lifestyles and loyalty,not wealth.Many organizations still think they have to find the millionaires in their database to secure planned gifts.The truth:everyone in your annual fund program has the potential to be a planned giver.This means you have more control over the process than you think.Equipped with solid information and the right marketing strategy,your organization can build a successful planned giving program.

Course study

Expectations from Students: a. Students must report to the respective sessions well before the announced time. Latecomers will not be permitted to Join the class after the scheduled time. If late, the attendance for that session will be marked as absent. B. Read the Case Study / material well prior to the class discussion. He/she is also expected to read the chapter indicated in the course plan as the faculty directs. C. In the class discussion student is expected to participate actively and contribute to individual and group learning. Evaluation is based on active participation. D.The participation has to be relevant and meaningful. â€Å"Speaking for speaking sake† will be counter- productive. Participation by Just repeating a point made or picking on what someone has said will also be counter-productive. E. Evaluation is a continuous process at BIBS. Every student needs to be aware of the timeliness given in the section below. Absence from these evaluations will mean non aw arding of marks in that particular component f. Wherever applicable, group assignments require each student to contribute to the roof effort. This enhances group effectiveness and leads to greater appreciation of working in groups. G.Formal dressing is suggested for all students. Do not roam in the academic area/ attend classes in chapels / shorts / informal t shirts h. Students are expected to show high regard and appreciation for class discipline and desist from using mobile phones. This disturbs the class ambiance and unnecessarily diverts attention of other students as well as the faculty member. To avoid these, mobile phones should be switched off inside the classroom. I. I have given a scheduled consultation hour. Utilize this time to meet me and clarify doubts if any, seek explanations and get mentored if needed. J. Attendance is compulsory in all sessions.However refer to guidelines in your academic handbook for exceptions. Honor Code: Unfair practices in tests and plagiaris m in assignments / project work will straight away entail a ZERO to all involved parties. It is not relevant for me to know the source and destination of plagiarism. Class Organization Class Representative One of you will be elected / selected by consensus as Class Representative for the CM course. S/he will be responsible for class room arrangements, dealing with academic office, for communicating information from me to the class and also to collect all assignments / project works and deliver them to me.Class Discipline Students must occupy their seats on/before the scheduled time and must remain seated until I announce the closure of the session. Students must have their name plates on the desk. Use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited in the class. Students must bring calculator and the text book to every class. While we may work & EXAMINATIONS. Students are free to ask questions/doubts/clarifications in the class on topics under discussion. For other doubts, they should meet me in my office during consulting hours.Evaluation Timeliness Keeping in line with continuous evaluation at BIBS the following schedules have been drawn. Students are expected to go through the dates / sessions mentioned and prepare accordingly. Component Component Number Expected slot / due date Marks declaration by Weighted Class Participation After completion of Session 1 1 Session 12 10 2 After completion of Session 22 Session 23 3 After completion of Session 30 Session 31 -rest – 1 Session 9 Session 10 -rest – 2 Session 17 Session 18 -rest – 3 Session 30 End exam At the end of the semester Total Performance till Midterm will be announced by end of session No. 6 in each course which means each student will know his / her performance in one CPA and two Tests. The final result will be declared after the end examinations. Before the student takes the end examination he / she will be aware of the progress in each course up to an extent of 60 marks. Students not taking the evaluation according to the timeliness mentioned above will not be given another opportunity except in extremely rare circumstances.It is should be noted, though, that the make exam would be of a higher difficulty level than the regular exam (because the student get extra time) Notes: 1. Make up test for Test- 1 & Test – 2 are permitted only in EXCEPTIONAL cases. I must be convinced about the reason in advance. It is should be noted, though, that the make exam would be of a higher difficulty level than the regular exam (because the student gets extra time). 2. Students with less than 60% attendance on the date of any evaluation component ill be awarded F grade for that component.

Argumentative Essay On Cyberbullying - 1002 Words

Typically, the person that is doing the cyberbullying is generally a victim of bullying themselves. How is cyberbullying done? Normally, the use of electronic devices to send messages that tend to emotional hurt someone feelings. Social media can lead to many negative outcomes when communicating to others. For example, if a teenage boy responds on a girl’s photo stating she is â€Å"ugly† is considered online bullying. One popular social media site is Facebook that over millions of people use for communicating. Facebook can be a positive source to communicate with family and friends that you may not see often. Also, it can be a very negative source that a lot of people use to criticize one another. Therefore, cyberbullying occurs nationwide†¦show more content†¦If a child or adolescent feels bullied in any way talk to a parent or reliable friend. Express what is going through can make an enormous difference to the way you feel. Therefore, Anja Schultze-Krumbho lz and others discuss the hurtful pain that cyberbullying has caused throughout the years in the book Feeling Cybervictims Pain-The Effect of Empathy Training on Cyberbullying â€Å". The authors illustrate â€Å"Cyberbullying has been linked to media-specific risk factors and correlates such as risky self-disclosure, sharing of passwords, and deviant online behavior such as visiting chatrooms with violent, pornographic, or extremist content† (Schultze-Krumbholz (142). Unfortunately, people can use your private information to bully or even use your information. For example, if you don’t have your Facebook private someone can copy and paste your pictures and make a fake Facebook saying crude things. If your child is harassed with anxiety issues, there are some coping approaches that can be effective if your child’s uncertainties. For instance, some individuals find that sketching or writing down their fears helps. Not only does this preparation help them release the stress and anxiety, but it also redirects their mind from unpleasant issues. Younger people develop severe sadness when receiving negative comments from others. Sadness can lead to depression is a common mentalShow MoreRelatedThe Controversial Issues Of Young People Using Internet And Communication Technologies1680 Words   |  7 Pagesmobile media has been widely used. The consequences of them on young people are powerful, however it has been an argumentative issue throughout years as the impacts contain both positive and negative sides. Based on the data from American life Project, there is an increasing rate of young people using smartphones and online social networking site such as Facebook, Twitter. This essay focuses on the controversial issues of young people using internet and communication technologies, whether this should