Culture And Cultural Norms And Values - 2214 Words

What is Culture and Identity? This assignment will analyse the different types of cultures in society, these cultures will include high culture, low culture and pop culture. This assignment will also look at different types of identities in relation to cultural norms and values, discuss the links between the media and leisure industries in relation to identity. According to (Kidd Teagle, 2002, p114) culture is discribed as the way of life of a social group including their values, norms, behaviour pattens, customs and rituals and even material objects. (Giddens, 2001, p22) states that culture refrs to the way of life of the members of a society, or of groups within a society. It includes how they dress, their marriage customs and family life, their patterns of work, religions ceremonies and leisure pursuits. Howerver Gidden also adds that, no culture could exist without culture and without culture we would not be human at all. We would have no language in which we can express ourselves, no sense of self-consciousness or have the ability to think or reason. However Giddens statemment can be argued on both side as culture can be summarised into many features into an individuals’ life, for example the way in which an individual decides to dress can be influenced continuously by their culture a good example of this is a gothic person. Goth is a subculture group who can be found wearing the same clothes which is prodominantly black they often stand out in society because ofShow MoreRelatedCultural Values and Communication Norms: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cultures2017 Words   |  9 Pagestransmitting cultural values from one generation to the next. Communication can be categorized as two; verbal and non verbal. In a multiracial country such as Malaysia good communication can be considered as a savior to keep everyone united. Being a multiracial country, it shows the existence of cultural diversity in Malaysia. Cultural diversity often leads to society’s biggest challenge. For this paper, a comparison between my culture; the Indian culture; specifically the Hindu culture and the cultureRead MoreSelect a Movie or Tv Show That Effectively Communicates the Cultural, Values and Norms of a Society That Is Different from Your Own Culture. Ideally, This Movie or Tv Show Would Be a Foreign Film with Subtitles. the1257 Words   |  6 Pagessurviving civilization dates back to pre-history. It shows how, like other civilizations, India has experienced several outstanding golden ages in culture and art. It was the religious leaders and great thinkers that changed the face of the world. It sets out to show the glories and wonders of India, the diversity and richness of the people, landscapes and cultures, and drama concerning the past, (Wood, 2009). Ethnocentrism is a word that is frequently used where inter-ethnic relations, ethnicity, andRead MoreCultural Norms, Language, And Personal Identity Essay1533 Words   |  7 Pagesconnections between cultural norms, language, and personal identity. There are many cultural norms and values presented in the video, and it is interesting to be able to compare them to my cultural norms and values. Culture is what makes everyone different. Through enculturation we learn our norms and values through this process at a very young age. With culture, we have comfort and meaning for life. There are many cultures around the world have very different norms and values, as seen within thisRead MoreWhat is Deviance? Essay1646 Words   |  7 Pagesconformity to the social norm. Not all deviant behavior is necessarily illegal or harmful to individuals, these behaviors can range from standing in another’s personal space to murdering another individual. In some cases, it can be looked upon as a positive change or a unique and favorable act. Although, considered deviant because it is not the social norm, it still can have a very positive social aspect or lead to social change. Culture and the societies within these cultures have a significant impactRead MoreThe Importance Of A Multi Cultural Society Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesTo be culturally self- aware one must be aware of the values beliefs and traditions celebrated by a group of people who consider themselves a culture. This could be schools, the local or wider community and religious groups etc... Once a person is culturally self-aware, it is easier for them to effectively participate or accept culturally categorised situations. Having cultural intelligence is important to live and function in a cohesive inclusive society such as Darwin. This critical reflectionRead MoreA Sociological Vision Of The Word Culture931 Words   |  4 PagesCulture â€Å"Our view of the world is dramatically influenced by the society in which we were raised.† In a sociological vision the word culture isn’t just the was mannerisms its also the objects and ideas with in the society. What you do and use to do so is what ‘label’ you to which group, society, you belong to. Those actions are your culture. As defined by book, culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior. It includes the ideas, valuesRead MoreCh 3 Quiz864 Words   |  7 Pagesintroducing new elements into a culture. C) the process by which a cultural item is spread from group to group or society to society. D) the combination of existing cultural items into a form that did not previously exist. Table for Individual Question Feedback Points Earned: 1.0/1.0 2. A law is A) none of these B) governmental social control. C) a norm governing everyday social behavior, the violation of which raises comparatively little concern. D) an informal norm that is deemed highly necessaryRead MoreCulture and Ethnocentrism1439 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding by the culture we grow up in? In other words, are we ethnocentric, and if so is it a bad thing? To answer that, one must understand what ethnocentrism is. According to Macionis (2004), ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another culture by the standards of ones own culture. We are not born with culture; culture is a socially learned behavior, or set of values that a given groups holds as a norm and are considered to be true and right. It is these cultural norms that connect theRead More The Many Faces of Culture Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesDefining culture has been a debate among sociologists and anthropologists since the 19th century. Culture is vital for the perseverance of a society and has its own identity that distinguishes it from others. Culture is not rooted into a person from birth, but it is learned from wherever he or she is from. It acts in a subconscious manner in that when a culture differs, one society may find another society to be odd. Every society has a different culture where the people share a specific languageRead More Ethnocentrism Essay1373 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding by the culture we grow up in? In other words, are we ethnocentric, and if so is it a bad thing? To answer that, one must understand what ethnocentrism is. According to Macionis (2004), ethnocentrism is â€Å"the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture†. We are not born with culture; culture is a socially learned behavior, or set of values that a given groups holds as a norm and are considered to be true and right. It is these cultural norms that connect the

Speaker for the Dead Free Essays

Prime Directive Response When dealing with foreign sentient species, it is crucial to maintain what is know as a prime directive. This is the notion that a species may explore distant planets, but must take certain precautions when dealing with other sentient species to prevent any change in their progression. In the novel Speaker for the Dead, the citizens of Lusitania go to great lengths to preserve their prime directive, but the indigenous species appear to benefit from their encounters with these humans, and begin to realize it themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on Speaker for the Dead or any similar topic only for you Order Now The natives of the planet Lusitania, known to the humans as â€Å"piggies†, have learned much from the humans in the brief time that they have lived together. The human languages, Stark and Portuguese, were necessary in order to be able to communicate with the piggies, but the piggies seem to be using it for more than just communication. Pages 142-143 show that the piggies can transition between Stark and portuguese as a sort of language game that they play with the humans. The piggies already know four different languages, and the addition of two more can help their society express themselves in more ways. Besides language, the mere fact of making contact with another sentient species shows the natives that they are not alone in the universe and that they may not be the strongest or the smartest. If they realize this, it may help them to unite as a planet-wide species faster than they normally would have without outside contact. By seeing that the humans are more technologically advanced, the piggies may also focus more on striving to create new technologies themselves. History has shown us that most inventions happen because they are necessary, and the addition of humans on Lusitania may increase the necessity of technological progression. At this point, the piggies are far from being capable of first contact and therefore cannot be contaminated by human society due to the Prime Directive. Their culture seems backwards to the humans, but that does not justify any interference, even if it would potentially benefit the piggies. The two species are simply too far apart in progression to be able to successfully interact with each other. The fact that two humans have already been killed, and brutally so (at least in human standards), reinforces this idea. The piggies’ culture is still hindered by radical traditions that the humans do not understand and most likely never will. By even being around the piggies, the humans are inserting themselves into the piggies’ rituals and culture. The piggies may eventually realize that their culture is backwards and may abandon such rituals earlier than they would have. Or perhaps, they may even adapt their culture to human standards. With this being said, it seems apparent that even minimal contact between the two species is having a subtle but profound effect on both societies. The cultural difference of the piggies is too vast to allow interactions with the humans if the Prime Directive is to be maintained. Already, as is seen on pages 144-145, one of the natives realized that the humans are using metals as a resource to accomplish greater tasks, such as flight. It may have taken decades for the piggies to have discovered metal as a useful resource on their own. The humans should have gone to far greater lengths to preserve the prime directive. No resource that is not ready available or attainable should even be encountered by the natives until they discover it for themselves. The notion of a prime directive may seem considerate towards other species, but in the case of the piggies it appears to be almost impossible. The attempts to learn more about the natives of Lusitania without contaminating their culture has resulted in failure after failure. Even if the humans were to leave immediately, the piggies have still learned permanent information that they would not have even theorized for years. Although it seems as though the prime directive has been compromised between the humans and piggies, the latter seems to still benefit greatly from the knowledge. They’ve learned new languages, discovered that traveling to distant planets is possible, and are now even considering searching for new materials to create better technology. Perhaps the humans should have taken more care to prevent technological contamination, but the colonization of Lusitania by humans has led to an inevitable progression of the native culture. How to cite Speaker for the Dead, Essay examples

Financial And Corporate Accounting

Question: Describe about the Financial And Corporate Accounting for A Case Of Consolidated Statement Analysis? Answer: Introduction The essay focuses on the advantages of consolidated financial statements and their ability to save the organizations from forthcoming losses. The essay will thus explore the need for preparing consolidated financial statements and focus on the disadvantages that a company may face due to the showcase of the financial position through the consolidated financial statements. The essay will also focus on the limitations of consolidated statements from the prospective of the investors and the shareholders. Finally, with the help of relevant academic references the essay will try to assess the truth of the title. Discussion In the present context all large-scale organizations are composed of several separate entities hence as per the FASB 94, these companies are required to prepare the consolidated financial statements which presents the presents the financial position and result of operations of the parent company and also the financial position of the subsidiary company. The primary reason for the presentation of consolidated financial statements is to make the shareholders and creditors aware of the financial position of the parent as well as the subsidiary company. As per the norms of IAS 27, the needs for the preparation of consolidated statements are necessary only if the organization has a subsidiary company. It is difficult for the investors to gather all necessary financial information about the parent company and the subsidiary company hence a combine financial report will help the investors to get a comparable and clear data on the financial position of the company and its subsidiary. Crstea (2014) opined that in the public sector companies previously cash basis of accounting was used. However, in order to measure the efficiency of the public sector management the accrual basis of accounting was introduced (Tudor and Mutiu, 2006). Thus, countries adopting accrual basis of accounting started adopting the preparation of consolidated financial statements. Crstea (2014) suggested that the preparation of consolidated statements by the public sectors have helped them to provide a complex and overall view of the financial position of the whole public sector entity which was not possible from the individual financial report prospective. In addition to the benefits of the consolidated statement in Public sectors, the private companies are relying highly on the generation of consolidated statements due to several ethical and unethical advantages. Notes (2012) firstly, the consolidated statements provide a complete overview of the parent and subsidiary company. Secondly, the organizations are able the reduce the amount of paperwork and labor by preparing one combined report instead of preparing individual reports. Thirdly, the reports are presented in a simplified manner so that it is easier for the stakeholders and the investors to assess the current financial position. Moreover, these statements give the organizations an opportunity to balance the loss and revenues. For instance if the income statement of the parent company shows low revenue in a particular financial period then the loss may be compensated by the growth in the revenue of the subsidiary company thereby by making the overall financial position of the c ompany sound and reliable. However, Grossi and Tagesson (2008) argued that the statements do not always provide the clear and accurate picture of the financial position because the statements thus provided by the organizations shows the details of the parent company and no individual accounting reports of the subsidiaries are maintained. Cunningham and Harris (2006) opined that this unethical advantage of the consolidated astatements was adopted in case of Enron and Arthur Anderson. In this case, Enron Corporation presented a complex consolidated financial statement to misguide the investors and shareholders. The accounting executives of Enron Jefrrey Skilling and Andrew Fastow pressurized the financial managers to frame the financial statements in accordance to the Wall Street expectations thereby guiding the losses and debts of the company. The Company adopted the Mark-to market accounting that showed inflated revenue in the income statement. Moreover, the company showed false acquisitions within the financi al statement in order to be able to prepare consolidated statements. The financial managers thus hid the losses in the context of the nonexistent subsidiary companies. Reinstein and Weirich (2002) opined that the use of the special purpose entities by Enron Corporation within their financial statements gave them the opportunity to manage the losses and manage risks related to specific assets. As per IAS 27, the company had no legal or financial obligation of presenting a separate individual financial report for the special purpose entities. Hence, it was an easy task for the company to hide its losses. Thus keeping in view the circumstances of Enron Corporation it may be suggested that consolidated statements give the organizations an opportunity to reduce losses however in an unethical manner. Argento et al. (2012) suggested that another major factor that acts as a motivator for the organizations in engaging in preparation of consolidated statements are opportunity of the companies to ethically balance the losses against the profits of the subsidiaries. The organizations with more than one subsidiary company have to show the overall financial performance in the consolidated income statement and balance sheet produced in the annual report. Thus if the parent company is suffering from some unforeseen losses then the company can balance the loss against the revenue gain of the subsidiary companies (Grossi and Tagesson, 2008). However, in this matter Ketz (2003) again argued that hiding of bankruptcies may be unethical in this context. Thus, Alfredson et al. (2012) highlighted the limitations of the consolidated statements from the viewpoint of the investors and shareholders. Firstly, the absence of any information about the subsidiary in the statement gives rise to unethical trading practices. Secondly, as per GAAP, the consolidated financial statements should not record any intercompany transactions. Thus, this makes it difficult for the investors to ascertain the flow of funds between subsidiaries. Apart from the intercompany transactions the shareholders equity, accounts payable and retained earnings are also excluded from the combined statements. For instance, the elimination of unrealized gain between the parent company and the subsidiary may also change the financial position of the organization as a whole. If the parent company produces a product costing $100 and sells it to subsidiary for $150 and the subsidiary is expected to sell it to the customers at $ 200 keeping a margin of $50 as a profit in each ca se, then on failure of the subsidiary to sell the product will give rise to an unrealized gain of $ 50. Thirdly, the financial ratios are the major indicators of the liquidity position of the company. However, the ratios calculated from the combined financial records are not the accurate and separate financial ratio. Thus, the investor is not able to judge the viability of the position of the parent company and its subsidiaries. Finally, Partnoy and Turner (2010) commented that use of off-balance sheet financing within the consolidated statements would also help the organizations to avoid situations of losses and present a sound financial view of the company. Conclusion The above discussion shows that the title of the essay is appropriately proven. The consolidated statements have the capability of helping the business cope with the future losses, however in an unethical manner. Thus, the organizations can take the help of the loopholes within the consolidated statements in order to avoid business losses and show sound financial projections. However, this will not guarantee a long-term financial security for the company and may result in situations of bankruptcies on the part of the subsidiary as well as the parent company. Reference list Alfredson, K., Leo, K., Picker, R., Pacter, P., Radford, J., and Wise, V. (2012).Applying international accounting standards. John Wiley Sons. Argento, D., Grossi, G., and Vollenweider, P. (2012). Explaining the consolidation of financial statementsin the Swiss Federal Government. Crstea, A. (2014). The Need for Public Sector Consolidated Financial Statements.Procedia Economics and Finance,15, 1289-1296. Cunningham, G. M., and Harris, J. E. (2006). Enron and Arthur Adndersen: The Case of the Crooked E and the Fallen A.Global Perspectives on Accounting Education,3, 27. Grossi, G., and Tagesson, T. (2008). Consolidated financial reports in local governments: a comparative analysis of IPSASB and SCMA. Ketz, J. E. (2003).Hidden financial risk: Understanding off-balance sheet accounting. John Wiley Sons. Notes, T. O. (2012). THE Financial Statements.For the year ended,31. Partnoy, F., and Turner, L. E. (2010). Bring Transparency to Off-Balance Sheet Accounting.Johnson and Payne (2010), 85-98. Reinstein, A., and Weirich, T. R. (2002). Accounting issues at Enron.CPA JOURNAL,72(12), 20-25. Tudor, A. T., and Mutiu, A. (2006). Cash versus accrual accounting in public sector.Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Babes Bolyai, Romania.