How Language Shapes Thought

Shaped by Language: What Comes First the Thought or the Language Language, due to its specific properties, is one aspect that makes human beings unique in comparison to other animals and species. The fact that different languages can alter the way we perceive the world, and objects we view. From the perception of space, time and even nouns, languages changes the way we think. Countless studies show that linguistic processes effect even down to the most fundamental thought processes, which unconsciously shapes our brain altering perception.Language is important to how we deal with experience with each other and how we view the world. Consequently, some cognitive psychologists believe that language may influence thought processes. Because of changing unpredictable of human’s thinking in different cultures, it is difficult to define effects of a particular language on a particular thought pattern. The question of language and thought has been debated constantly similar to the age -old question of what came first the chicken or the egg. Drawing on our experiences we must contemplate the original theory that language shapes thought.The hypothesis introduced by Benjamin Whorf, which is known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis or linguistic determination has stood the test of time and is a beginning to any debate about language and thought. He believed that our thoughts are completely limited by our language. A strong quote by Benjamin Whorf suggests that, â€Å"We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way–an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language† (Whorf 213-14).This allows me to believe language is basically the need for a given group of people to communicate with each other. Another question to ask when thinking about language is what came first, man or language? The size of oneâ⠂¬â„¢s world can shape the size of their vocabulary. Given that man preceded language, every culture shaped different languages according to their specific environments and needs. Resulting in that language is a human cultural that as a nation one helps to make evolve.Not only does their own language shape the culture, but also the interaction with other cultures. Language is a force that allows humans to create ties that bind into a community, providing them social, individual, or cultural identification. In James Baldwin text, â€Å"If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me What Is,† he refers language to being an unparalleled power by stating, â€Å"Language is also a political instrument, means and proof of power. It is the most vivid and crucial key to identity† (242).Baldwin draws points of language’s importance to the experience of the African slaves. Having no common language, the slaves were unable to communicate with one another. They evol ved a language, which they used to articulate their familiar experience and shaped their own community. The African Americans evolved a dialect of English that enabled them to describe their reality and establish their own distinct cultural identity. It is controversial how the humans think by figures or by concepts.In general, it is clear that thinking happens via ideas and imagination, which are expressed by words, and organized in speech. Sciences claim that thinking and language are so related, that changes in languages can organize thoughts, ideas, imaginations and human actions. The word â€Å"macho† shows the difference between thought and the language spoken in both English and Spanish. The essay â€Å"Americanization Is Tough on ‘Macho’† written by Rose Del Castillo Guibault examines the cultural differences behind one certain word.When referring to a Hispanic who is â€Å"macho† resembles that he is a responsible, hardworking man in charge . Even though the language and the word is the same the thought is different in English. The American macho has a negative reference meaning to the word such as: brute, uncouth, loud, abrasive, and a chauvinist (238). When language is used in the normal way, the speaker has a thought with certain content and chooses words such that on the basis of those words the listener will be able to recognize that the speaker has a thought with that content.This example reiterates that once words and phrases supporting particular notions and thinking have been formed, they have the effect of embedding those notions and thoughts firmly and therefore becoming cultural norms. Accepting the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in its â€Å"strong† form that language completely determines thought can be hard for any individual. Taking in the opposing views can show other avenues of the language and thought theory. Just as the chicken and egg question we as humans cannot know everything, or should know ever ything. Some things are left open for interpretation and personal views.So a more limited Whorfianism, that states that â€Å"the ways in which we see the world may be ‘influenced’ rather than completely determined by the kind of language we use, in particular our language can affect that we remember and what we find it easy to pay attention to† (Chandler). As humans continue to grow on this earth our environment shape languages and languages shapes you as your instrument for thought. Work Cited Baldwin, James C. (1979). â€Å"If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What is? † The New York Times, July 29, 1979 by the New York Times Company Chandler, David. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. † The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. N. p. , 18 Sept. 1995. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. . Guilbault, Rose Del Castillo. â€Å"Americanization Is Tough on ‘Macho’† About Language: A Reader for Writers. 5th Ed. Eds. William H. Roberts and Gregoire Turge on. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 238-39. Whorf, B. L. (1940): ‘Science and Linguistics', Technology Review 42(6): 229-31, 247-8. Also in B. L. Whorf (1956): Language, Thought and Reality (ed. J. B. Carroll). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

Personality Profile of Barrack Obama

Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America on the 20th January of the year 2009 (Rollason, 2010). It was undoubtedly a monumental moment as he was the first African American president in the history of America. President Obama, in many ways, has been relatively compared so frequently to prestigiously remembered figure; Martin Luther King Jr (Abramsky, 2009). Critics and supporters alike have labeled Obama as being the once-in-a-lifetime charismatic leader (Abramsky, 2009).While some extremist critics was convinced that he could be a Manchurian candidate in a covert mission to sabotage the American way of life (Abramsky, 2009), most are unable to deny that he exudes the characteristic of leader, profoundly shifting the American psyche and minds alike and shining a beacon of hope to a society that much needed to believe in the American’s dream. Obama displayed the intellects of his genetics’ makeup; his mother and father whom both studied in Ha waii University. He possesses the profiles of his father; ambitiousness, articulateness and also the self confidence in the way he project himself to the world.Wayne (2010) elaborated on the social consciousness which is evidently inherited from his mother, Ann Dunham, as Obama has occasionally demonstrate that he is a listener, consistently seeking common grounds, showed his willingness to compromise, his marked adaptability and flexibility to changes which contribute significantly thereby earning him a place to where he is right now; a stark difference to his father, Barrack Obama Sr. , who was always quoted to be a bossy and possessing an unrelenting personality. In all of the political settings, Obama is quick to master the rules of the game (Abramsky, 2009).He understood the importance of the creation of close-knit group within the high echelons. His comprising manner and cool temperament image often exceeded him; he is cautious to rein in his anger when opponents pressed him, capable of masking his emotions thereby gaining a chance to regroup himself and very much aware and in control of his body language (Wayne, 2010: Abramsky, 2009: Winter, 2011). His most distinct trait was his unmistaken calmness which quickly garnered him the â€Å"No Drama Obama† tittle (Winter, 2011).Winter (2011) later suggested that Obama could be high on the emotional stability. Greenstein (2009) and Renshon (2008) mentioned Obama’s openness to the view of others; getting counsel from former opponents and allies before reaching to a decision, affirming the evidence that he is high to openness to experience (McCrae & Costa, 2008; Wiggins, 1996). Openness to experience is one of the five major clusters of traits or the â€Å"big five† model which also consist of agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability (Winter, 2011).Obama is also prudent in planning and when he set a course, he methodically and systematically follows through it (Abramsky, 200 9). His elaborate and time consuming process in decision-making point that Obama is rather high on conscientiousness (Wayne, 2010: Winter, 2011). The tricky part will be distinguishing the agreeableness and extraversion. Though one might agree, having his life exposed in the world certainly merit him to a certain degree of extraversion but on a contrary, Obama still exudes a certain level of enigma and mystery.Some observers cited him as being â€Å"cold† (Dowling & Warner, 2010). Interestingly, Wayne (2010) describes that as part of Obama’s â€Å"mystic† (p. 11). Overall, Abramsky (2009) stated that Obama’s presidency is no ordinary presidency. Due to the nature of his virtue, personality and historical legacy created by his campaign and his election, it has monolithically change the paradigms of how America view itself and the expectations of the future in its view of restructuring America in events of an economy collapse. Abramsky (2009) further stress ed that overwhelmingly, voters trusted Obama.Wayne (2010) however has a rather encompassing perspective. Wayne (2010) questioned readers whether Obama is a philosopher king; due to the fact that he is politically liberal, possess a distinctive cognitive style and eloquence in delivering speech; or is he simply a polarizing politician judging by the fact that he garners support specifically due to his complexity of his race and the prejudice that surround it. As Max Weber (2009) concluded in his book, â€Å"It takes both passion (polarizing politician) and perspective (philosopher-king)† (p. 28) to be able to ride the waves of a political settings. References: Abramsky, S. (2009): Inside Obama’s Brain, Penguin Group, United States of America: Penguin Books Ltd. Dowling, S. , & Warner, M. B. (2010, November 4). Obama comes across as cold, arrogant, and elitist. Spiegel Online. http://www. spiegel. de/international/world/the-world-from-berlin-obama-comes-a cross-as-cold-a rrogant-and-elitist-a-727235-druck. html [3 March 2013] Greenstein, F. I. (2009). The presidential difference: Leadership style from FDR to Barack Obama (3rd Ed. . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Renshon, S. A. (2008). Psychological reflections on Barack Obama and John McCain: Assessing the contours of a new presidential administration. Political Science Quarterly, 123(3), 391–433. Rollason, J. (2010): Barack Obama, Scholastic Ltd, London: Euston House. McCrae, R. R. , & Costa, P. T. , Jr. 2008. The five-factor theory of personality. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds. ), Handbook of personality theory and research (3rd Ed. , pp. 114–158).New York: Guilford. Wayne, S. J. 2010. The Impact of Personality on Performance: Barack Obama in Presidency. The American University, http://www. american. edu/spa/ccps/upload/AUS-Wayne-paper. pdf [3 Mar 2013]. Weber, M. (2009): Essays in sociology (pp. 77–128). New York: 2009. Wiggins, J. S. (Ed. ). (1 996). The five-factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives. New York: Guilford. Winter, D. G. (2011): ‘Philosopher-King or Polarizing Politician? : A Personality Profile of Barack Obama’, Political Psychology, 32: 1059-81.

How is immigration affecting the united states Research Proposal

How is immigration affecting the united states - Research Proposal Example Scholar denotes that prior to the year 1965, the formula used for admitting immigrants into the United States was only restricted to people from Western Europe. Anderson (36) further goes on to denote that on a historical note, naturalization and immigration has always been limited to people who are white, i.e. the Caucasians. However, this ethnic and racial allocation of came to an end during the periods of the 1960s. This is because of the emergence of the civil rights movements, which greatly advocated for the rights of the minority, and the racially disadvantaged people (Heyman, 11). Because of this civil rights movement that occurred in the periods of the 1960s, the first generation immigrant’s number greatly increased, from about 9.6 million people in 1970, to approximately 38 million people in the year 2007. Between the years of 2000, to the year 2010, scholar denotes that the number of immigrants who entered United States was about 14 million people. Of these 14 millio n people, more than 1 million people were able to acquire citizenship through naturalization in the year 2008. Moses (324) denotes that immigration has some positive and negative effects on the American community. One of the major effects of immigration is the rise of population growth in the United States. According to an estimate by the Census Bureau, the population of United States will reach 397 million people, by the year 2050. This is when immigration is factored in this growth. On the other hand, when immigration is not factored, the bureau estimates that the population growth of the United States will only reach 328 million people. In another study carried out by Pew Research center, it estimates that the population growth of United States will reach 438 million people, from the 296 million people that it had in the year 2005. This is because of an increase of immigrants in

Poetry paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poetry paper - Essay Example It is also vivid that no single chapter is written without the use of a song or a poem (Tolkien 183). Chapter One, An Unexpected Party, shows the humor of the scenario when a baffled Bilbo Baggins is paid a visit by 12 unwelcome dwarves, who swiftly make themselves comfortable and begin to have a great feast. They compassionately propose to help in cleaning their mess. However, Bilbo becomes worried about the senseless handling of his favorite dishes. The Dwarves respond by singing the poem, Chip the glasses and crack the plates. In this poem, it is not easy to determine if the dwarves are ridiculing Bilbo or attempting to do as he requests. It can be said that they are doing both. Generally, the lyrics achieve various purposes which include providing humor, character development and bring about reader interaction. This is evident in line 3, first stanza of page 31. The formulation of the poem torments by providing contradictory instructions. This is where the reader realizes that th e dwarves are fanatical, teasing or both, and that Bilbo becomes worried by having his pleasant tiny silent home messed up. The reader is also provided with a chance to formulate their own tunes for the crazy song. The poetry in The Hobbit draws attention to the vast disparity flanked by varying races of Middle Earth and how they select to articulate their views. Dwarves make use of a simple eight syllable configuration in their poetry, with 4 lines to every stanza. There are no convoluted metaphors applied and the themes are real and concrete. Poetry of the Dwarves involves ancient history, customs, and ways of life, retrieving the lost inheritance and looking into the depths of the earth. This is evident in line 2, 4, stanza 1 of page 14-15. The Elves in chapter 19, however, have a free formation in their poems where they make use of vivid adjectives and metaphors. Their rhythm is more of a song as compared to the Dwarves’ march, which echoes the physical features of the El ves. Their poetry depicts attractiveness, tranquility, and happiness as compared to material objects. The Orcs, polar contrary to the Elves in attractiveness and goodness, can generate merely unpleasant sounding poetry. A race formulated via the deformation of Elves, Orcs are attracted only to ruin, authority and killing. Goblin poetry seems like the smacking of lips and the crashing of jaws and the subject matter are hunting, killing, mistreating creatures and intimidating foes. The sounds that Tolkien applies in these poems are by design insensitive, piercing, monosyllabic, and rushed to echo the nature of the loathsome creatures who sing them. This is evident in the following stanza. â€Å"†¦Clap! Snap! the black crack! Grip, grab! Pinch, nab! And down down to Goblin-town You go, my lad!...† The disparity flanked by the language selection of the Orcs and the Elves presents euphonic backing to the imagery of the manifestation and the actions of the characters. Where th e Elves are lilting, easy and alliterative, the Orcs words may not be formulated devoid of clashing teeth and opening and shutting the mouth suddenly. Language as part of a character appears instinctive, however a reader is less often provided with undeviating link flanked by the sound of speech and the personality of the speaker. A number of the poetry of The Hobbit is, effectively sung by a Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins is at the center of the story and his songs borrow heavily from

Case 1 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

1 - Case Study Example is accident, Bertha as an employee of The Happy hour sports bar is liable and needs to compensate the young man for injury caused (Duplessis, Enman & O’Bryne, 2010). However, Bertha as the defendant in this litigation can defend her actions on the basis of duty of care and the young being incapacitated to making an informed decision at the time. As an employee at the bar, Bertha owed duty of care to her employees and this is evidenced in her refusal to sell the young man a beer since he was already drunk. The man having come back again after being thrown out the first time; was reason enough to believe that his reasoning was compromised. The young man even attempted to assault Bertha but she handled him and gave him a â€Å"heavy† push that led to his head injury. The heavy push needs to be described and will serve as a basis in which a decision will be made. It has to be ascertained if Bertha pushed the young man with an intention of hurting him or it was a mere accident. The decision of the court would be based on the motive of the â€Å"heavy push† which with enough evidence would lead to the bar owner compensating the young man for injuries. However, if the â€Å"heavy† push is disapproved by the court, Bertha will have no case to answer since the young man’s mental capacity was compromised and as an employee, Bertha owed the young man duty of care hence did not sell him a beer. His injury was merely an unforeseen circumstance (Duplessis, Enman & O’Bryne,

Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Hospitality Management - Essay Example This is to be able to understand how they make their workers committed to the organization. This will be useful in determining the appropriate methods for their organization. One way of increasing workers’ motivation is by building trust between the workers and the management. Also, there should be trust between the worker and the company as a whole. Enhancing both of these trusts leads to employees feeling secure about working for the organization and thus increasing their commitment. A manager can increase the commitment of employees by encouraging their motivation. Most of the workers enjoy working in an environment that is progressive and promotes personal innovations, as well as creative ideas. Employees, who have a feeling that they are contributors to the strategic direction of an organization may have a bigger ownership of their work. This always results to improved organizational commitment (Bulut, Cagri, and Osman, 311). A manager ought to communicate often with his employees. Many workers will appreciate a management that is transparent as it keeps them informed on the administrative decisions that may have an effect on their jobs. Consistent corporate communication helps in lowering rumors that are negative, which would lead to the damage worker loyalty (Filstad, 378). The manager should take steps that would lead to retaining of employees. He should let them know that he appreciates their efforts. This can be done by instituting organizational loyalty programs and visibly honoring and promoting workers who work hard and show commitment to the company. Term timetables can also be instituted and the rewarding the commitment of the old workers can also be used to these ends (Meyer, John and Natalie, 1). A manger can apply the history of the organization in instilling a corporate culture that is wanted. Some organizations have extensive history that is full of stories that are inspiring and add to the culture of the company and encourage

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example Business processes were reengineered by changing reward criteria and performance matrices as well as marketing activities. The idea of providing custom built solutions for the customers proved to be a handy tool for reaching customer satisfaction. Company’s emphasis also shifted to the global market where it tried to provide the business services by divesting itself on low margin industries. This enabled it to capture new markets and work towards customer satisfaction through different venues using different marketing techniques by adapting to cultural changes in different countries. Perhaps the most important competency that the company inculcated was that of becoming a brand worker ensuring to provide customized and integrated technologies to the customers even if that meant using a rival company’s product. This led to pervasive customer loyalty. IBM also bolstered its services division by acquiring a management consultancy firm that helped it to increase its business consultants worldwide. This led to the communication of company’s vision in a much effective way. 2. ... He did thorough research on the business units of the company and tried to integrate them into one so that they may follow standard procedures to create enhanced value for the customers. This move was an audacious decision as it was a contra act of the policy made by his predecessors. He also seemed to follow an adaptive approach in formulating new plans of action. This was evident when he tried to grab the opportunities to make profitable initiatives. Louis’s proactive approach towards business environment led him to gain advantage over his competitors in all respects. Louis also was apt at making bold decisions such as that of exiting the consumer market and playing in the larger business market only. Louis also viewed that IBM was a social entity at large and therefore employees and the workforce played a major role in the organisational success. That is why he took steps to reengineer the human resource management practices of the company making them more employee-centric at the basic level. In order to align the organisational performance with the proposed goals, Louis tried to focus on developing the brand concept. This later helped it to create loyal customers. He also redesigned the marketing campaigns of the firm in order to ensure that the all promotion activities boasted the same value proposition of the firm. All this shows that he was keen to follow a rigorous decision making process. In a nut shell, Louis’s style of implementation is analogous to that of a capable leader. He took bold decisions based on extensive research and tried to retain their viability. He also looked for new avenues to approach and cater through his judicious work style. 3. What are the implications