Culture Importance in Business

Culture Importance in Business Culture is an important part of international business because it defines the collection of beliefs, values, behavior, customs and attitude of the member in the society. Culture is basically the behavior that people act in the community. Characteristics of culture also reflect learned behavior which is transmitted from one member to another. Some basic elements of culture are social structure, language and religion. Foreigners who want to establish their business in an other than their own and become successful, they should learn the culture and the local market. A lot of quotations have been made towards culture one of the quotations made is by Geert Hofstede who said that: Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group from another.ÂÂ  (Geert Hofstede) Culture does not only refer to doing business in another country but within an organization there are challenges for example, Managers today will need special skills in order to meet these challenges. Culture awareness, Language differences and management skills are necessary for success. These challenges often lead to a debate which is better for a company or foreign national workers. There are pros and cons to the use of each. Business accomplishments in the future will depend greatly on the ability of managers to meet the challenges of culture and its impact on international business. Current research has shown that not a lot of companies have been successful in this. Too many businesses still have the attitude that because they do not understand the way something is being done, the method or philosophy used is not right. Whether these are old traditions or business practices. Similar studies also indicates that majority of the people who are sent on international assignments often fail in achieving a good working environment and have a good social relationship with the people of the foreign country. This creates problems on the individual front, the family front and starts taking a toll on the productivity of the individual as well as the business. The cultural differences are one of the biggest issues when it comes to working abroad and be successful. According to the studies the main reason why managers fail is not because the persons technical or managerial competence but due to the fact that there are cultural variances. For example, if a manager is asked to do an assignment abroad in a country like China the steps to success may be very little even though a lot is known about the culture in China. The results may vary from different managers depending on how fast they adapt to the culture of the country. It is very important for a manager develop and adapt. To become successful one needs to appreciate the differences to develop and accepting the attitude on both fronts so that the necessary goals can be accomplished. Another cultural difference in business is between the Arabic countries and the Western countries. When negotiating in Western countries, the goal is to do the business as quick as possible and come to an understanding shake hands which is a cultural signal of the end of negotiations and the agreement has been reached and start doing business together. In other hand, Middle Eastern countries, a lot of negotiation takes place and also shake hands after a negotiation. However, the deal is not complete in the Middle Eastern culture. In fact it is a cultural sign that serious negotiations are just beginning. That is why it is very important to understand that culture impacts international business far more than domestic business. Most of the principles remain the same for both domestic and international business but there are certain added complexities that they need to be aware of and need to be trained to handle, most important of which is intercultural communication. Intercultural communication The term intercultural communication does not necessarily mean learn the local language it has more to it. It actually used to describe the wide range of communication problems that naturally appear within an organization. Besides language it also focuses on social attributes, thought patterns, and the cultures of different groups of people. It also involves understanding the different cultures, languages and customs of people from other countries. Most businesses see this as an important factor in the international trade and insist that their employees learn the way people socialize, the way they think even though each individual is different there are certain things that are shared within the community. When they are being send off to a country they have an idea on how to interact, communicate and socialize with people and simply blend in. If one has not the ability to adapt quickly he/she would not be suitable for the job. Because when they get send off it is necessary to succeed and all the research has to be done in order to understand the people. Making people feel comfortable will open doors. This does not mean compromising your business values, it means respecting the values of others so that they respect yours and so that together, you can work productively for the success of your organization Attitude and culture Attitudes are positive or negative evaluations, feelings and tendencies which make an individual behave in a particular way towards people or objects. Attitude can refer to many subjects such as the role of sexes, individual freedom, justice, love etc. But the main focus is the attitude towards work, business and time in the future. It is important to have a good attitude towards work because it impacts motivation, morale, job satisfaction, productivity and other aspects of HRM. Positive attitude towards work also referred gives that extra over the other employees because of the productivity. When there is a positive attitude towards work there are certain compensations and bonuses that can be earned. It doesnt necessarily mean that bonuses are just rewarded because of positive attitude but mainly because the job is well done. An international business firm has to devise a system of compensation that promotes work ethics, and of course is similar with the other country culture. Japanese people are supposed to have a strong working ethic. And for example in India the average takes work as worship because for him/her work is everything. No worker does anything before closing his/her eyes for a few seconds to thank their almighty and expressing gratitude for having bestowed his blessing in the form of work. Which is why the Indian worker has earned appreciation from everywhere for his/her sincerity, hard work, loyalty and honestly. In capitalist systems an individual perceives business basically as a profit seeking organization producing goods and services for the market demand. In an Islamic social system business is based upon personal relationships, trust and respect. To them business firms are not just viewed as providers of goods and services but as partners in progress and prosperity Implications for international business Global businesses are repositories of multi cultures. It basically means that people from many cultures from different countries interact regularly. Another word for it is MNC. It has a home country and several host countries where the head offices and subsidiaries are located. The situation is highly complex with several national cultures and subcultures interact regularly. Cultural differences The 5 dimensions of Dr. Geert Hofstede From 1967 to 1973, while working at IBM as a psychologist, he collected and analyzed data from over 100,000 individuals from forty countries. From those results, and later additions, Hofstede developed a model that identifies four primary dimensions to differentiate cultures. He added the fifth dimension later. Geert Hofstedes research proves an insight into other cultures and can be used to analyze all cultures. The idea behind the 5 dimensions is to intera with other countries and trying to understand them more. If the dimensions are understood and applied properly it could reduce a lot of frustration, anxiety and concern because a lot is more is known about a certain culture. Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster.ÂÂ  (Geert Hofstede) Power Distance Index (PDI) Focuses on how much a culture does or does not value hierarchical relationships and respect for authority. This basically refers to human inequality. People are downgraded when it comes to prestige, wealth and power. Cultures with high PDI scores include Arabic countries, Russia, India and China. Those with low scores include Japan, Australia and Canada. The inequality is mainly formalized in a hierarchy of boss-subordinate relationships. According to Mulders power reduction theory, subordinates will try to reduce the power distance between themselves and their bosses. And bosses will try to maintain the power that they already have or enlarge it. According to the research done Geert Hofstede in 1977 countries with lower education and lower status tend to produce high PDI value and countries with higher education and higher status tend to produce low PDI value. Education is the dominant factor. If people are not educated they cannot get higher positions in the hierarchy so they will always end up on the bottom of the hierarchy. Individualism (IDV) Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) uncertainty avoidance deals with the level of worry that people have for the future of a country and also the necessary needs to protect the society trough kinds of measures: technology, rules and rituals. High anxiety leads to higher stress and a more hurried social life but also to higher energy release which means and inner urge to be busy. On the high UAI side anxiety is more released trough the showing of emotions for which society has created outlets. So basically they are more open to deal with problems and will try to solve if there is any. For lower UAI anxiety is released more trough passive relaxation, which is not a good thing because emotions need to be controlled. However there is more openness to change in low UAI. In other hand on the high UAI there is more conservatism and a stronger desire for law and order. Masculinity (MAS) ÂÂ   Masculine cultures use the biological existence of two sexes to define very different social roles for men and women. They expect men to be assertive, ambitious, and competitive, and to strive for material success, and to respect whatever is big, strong, and fast.(Geert Hofstede) Masculinity refers to how many a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. Countries that have High MAS scores tend to give the man a more superior role than the women. Men are thought to be the providers, assertive and to be strong. For example in Arabic countries it is likely that a women is seen working in a male environment. Or have the same profession as a male. Females do not have the same right as men. Especially in Saudi Arabia women are not even allowed to drive a car. In these countries it is very hard for a female to do business because its a males job because they are not allowed to have physical contact with a man they are also not allowed to wear certain types of clothes. This does not refer to all the Arab countries. In some of the countries female are getting more rights and are working themselves up the hierarchy. In a low MAS society the situation is different and men and women share equal rights, which means that men and women have the sam e profession without one being discriminated due her gender. Long term orientation (LTO) this dimension was added later by Hofstede Over the years people have had a critical view on Hofstedes 4 dimensions. To overcome this problem Hofstede introduced a fifth dimension. In this dimension he was trying to find out the different thinking between the east and the west. He used the information from the original IBM study. It was a difference that could not be figured out. To do this dimension a research was carried out on 23 countries and was called the Chinese Value Survey (CVS). Long Term Orientation stands for the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular perseverance and thrift. Its opposite pole, Short Term Orientation, stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present, in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of face and fulfilling social obligations. ( Geert Hofstede) Cultures with a high long term orientation such as China, Japan and South Korea would most likely have a strong work ethic and show great respect for status differences. People who live in these societies mostly value the social order and long range goals. However the cultures that show a low long term orientation often do not place a high priority on status and are concerned more about short term results and also seek quick satisfaction of their needs. Low long term orientation countries are, United States, UK and Canada. There are obviously more countries because the research is based on 23 countries. Trompenaars 7ds model Trompenaars is a European researcher he conducted a research with 15.000 manager from 28 countries, representing 47 national cultures. He described cultural differences using 7 dimensions. The 7 dimensions were: universalism versus particularism, individualism versus collectivism, specific versus diffuses, neutral versus affective, achievement versus ascription, past versus present and internal versus external control. The first five dimensions deal with how people relate to each other. The other two deal with how culture manages time, and how it deals with nature. National regional culture Corporate culture Professional culture Hofstede Problems Solutions Conclusion While doing this essay I have found out a lot more about culture. I did not expect culture to have such a large impact on international business. Culture is not just the way people dress or the way they behave but have various types of stages that majority of the people dont know. At first I only knew about Geert Hofstedes 5 dimensions but I also found that there are a lot more theories that refer to culture. This essay thought me that if I am ever going to work abroad there is a lot I need to learn and to make sure that I know a lot more of the country than just the language. And also trying to understand the people and try to adapt to it. I now believe that culture is one of the main aspects that has to be understood before planning to establish a business abroad or doing an assignment abroad. Refrences http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ XIV. Masculinity versus femininity http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/hofstede.htm Long-Term Orientation http://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/HofstedeLongTerm.html

The Ethics of Microsoft’s Product Pricing Structure Essay -- Microsoft

The Ethics of Microsoft’s Product Pricing Structure Introduction Microsoft, currently one of the world’s biggest and most influential software companies, was found in 1975 by William Gates and Paul Allen.[1] It quickly positioned itself as a leader in the software community and due to the strength growth of its user base for the Windows operating system and numerous other products, it became both widely popular and widely hated. Many consumers love the suite of products that Microsoft offers because they are easy to use, are widely supported, and have many applications written specifically to for them. On the other hand, there are many who dislike Microsoft, claiming that their policies lead to an uncompetitive market and that their practices are unethical. In recent years many court cases, including a major anti-trust suit have been brought against Microsoft. This paper aims to focus on the issue of Microsoft’s product pricing structure and to discuss the issues that have arisen because of it. There are two different yet similar ethical issues surrounding Microsoft’s product pricing. Within the United States there has been growing concern that because Microsoft controls such a large portion of the market that they are using this to their advantage and to drive prices up. A number of cases have been brought to court and found Microsoft guilty of price fixing, causing them to refund money to consumers in states like California and Iowa. The ethical issue clearly surrounds Microsoft’s motives. Are they driving up prices and simply trying to make more money with no thought to the impact on the community, or are they trying to run a legitimate profit-based business that strives to keep make everyone happier and ... ...p://webspeedreader.com/Articles/Microsoft.htm?Default-04-20-2001> [10] AFP, Microsoft Still in Talks with EU for Possible Compromise, 15 March 2004, [11] InfoTech, Erwin Lemuel G. Oliva, Software Makers: Pricing Standard Worldwide, 2003, 15 March 2004, 14 Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2003?, 10 February 2004, [12] University of Central Florida, Barbara Moore’s Slides, Antitrust and Industrial Policy, 2003?, 15 March 2004, [13] Russel Verney, Price Fixing in Plain Sight, 2001, 15 March 2004,

Succubus Shadows Chapter 8

Knowing Carter was on the job with Simone made me feel mildly better, but there was something about him that always unnerved me when it came to Seth – and, well, my love life in general. He was too interested. I'd gotten used to an angel hanging out with my friends, but sometimes I wondered if I was being lulled into some kind of trick. Heaven had its own agenda, just as we did, and their motives were often harder to figure out. I had a morning shift the next day. It passed by easily until Doug delivered some bad news to me about ten minutes before I was going to leave. â€Å"Can't go with you tonight, Kincaid.† I looked up from my spreadsheet in disbelief. â€Å"What?† He shrugged, hovering near the door to my office. He'd had the same shift as me today, and I had a feeling he was telling me at the end to save himself from hours of anger. Kind of like how people who get fired are told at the end of the day on Friday. â€Å"There's this girl I met†¦and I can't really turn down the chance to go out with her. Oh, man. She's smokin'. She's got this body that – â€Å" â€Å"I don't need the details,† I interrupted. â€Å"Can't you just take her instead of me? Cody was starting to get into this idea†¦he'll be really down if it gets canceled.† â€Å"No need to cancel. Just go without me. I couldn't bring her instead of you – Cody needs you.† I groaned. â€Å"Yeah, but the safety of a group is gone, and I become the third wheel.† â€Å"Find someone else to go, then.† It was then that Maddie appeared beside her brother. She was relieving him for the next shift. â€Å"Go where?† My next words made me cringe, but I did not want to go alone with Cody and Gabrielle. â€Å"Do you want to go to a, um, metal concert tonight?† At least having another woman along would kill the double date insinuations. This clearly wasn't an invite that she'd been expecting. â€Å"Well†¦I would, except I've got to close, and then I'm supposed to meet a friend.† I had serious doubts about the â€Å"I would† part and this so-called friend. Metal was not Maddie's scene. She suddenly brightened. â€Å"You know what? You should bring Seth.† â€Å"I†¦what?† I asked. â€Å"Mortensen?† asked Doug, sounding as baffled as me. â€Å"I don't think that's his thing,† I said uneasily. I knew for a fact it wasn't. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Doug. â€Å"Probably not a good idea.† I hid a frown at Doug's words. With as much as he wanted to get out of this and see his smokin' woman, I figured he'd be willing to push anyone off on me. Maddie was oblivious. â€Å"No, really. He's been cooped up for weeks with the book, and I think it'd be good for him to go out. I think the wedding stuff is stressing him out.† Yeah, that made two of us. â€Å"Oh, I don't want to, um, push him outside of his comfort zone,† I said lamely. She laughed. â€Å"Like I said, it'd be good for him. I'll go ask him now.† She was gone before either Doug or I could protest. Several moments of silence hung between us. â€Å"Well,† he said at last. â€Å"She can talk him into almost anything. I guess you're set.† â€Å"I guess so.† He walked off, and I found it intriguing that neither of us was excited about this prospect. It drove home the double date thing even more and also made me feel guilty about Maddie's blind trust. On the bright side – kind of – I supposed it would take some balls for Simone to crash the concert and continue her â€Å"seduction† of Seth. As Doug had predicted, Maddie did indeed convince Seth to go. It was a late show, and the four of us had agreed to meet outside the club around 10:30 so that I could distribute our tickets. Once we were all there, I glanced at the three faces before me, trying to decide whether it was all comical or pathetic. Seth was doing the averting-his-eyes thing, clearly uncomfortable that Maddie had pushed him into this. Cody was paler than usual for a vampire and looked ready to bolt at any moment. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if both men teamed up to formulate an escape plan. Gabrielle was the only one who looked excited to be there, her eyes alight and eager. She was also the only one really dressed for the scene, all in black, with her hair spiked up and makeup done to dramatic levels. Cody and Seth wore their usual street clothes, and I'd dressed somewhere in the middle: black jeans and a black bustier top, adorned with heavy silver jewelry. It was clearly too designer for this place, however. â€Å"Thanks so much for letting me come along with you guys,† she said. â€Å"I didn't know any of you liked Blue Satin Bra.† â€Å"What's not to like?† asked Seth, face innocent. I kept my eyes away from him because I had a feeling I'd start grinning. I handed out the tickets, and we headed inside, surrounded by a crowd that I decided I'd want on my side if I was ever in a street brawl. We managed to snag a high-top table in the back. It meant standing the whole time, but at least we had a surface to put our glasses on. â€Å"Offer to buy her a drink,† I hissed to Cody. The nice thing about playing Cyrano to a vampire was that his enhanced hearing meant I could keep my voice far below levels that Gabrielle could pick up. The noise in the room – even before the band started – also furthered the covert nature of all this. Cody dutifully obeyed, and when Gabrielle started to dig out cash, he assured her the first round was on him. The smile she gave him seemed to boost his confidence as he headed off. Seth leaned toward my ear. He stood on the opposite side of me from Gabrielle, and she was too entranced by the sights to even notice us. â€Å"This might be crazy enough to work,† he murmured. â€Å"Don't get carried away,† I responded back, trying not to think of his proximity. â€Å"The night is young. Any number of wacky mishaps might ensue.† He smiled. â€Å"Those are your specialty, aren't they?† â€Å"Unfortunately, yes.† Cody returned with the drinks, earning more approval from Gabrielle. She wasn't showing any romantic attraction to him whatsoever, but at least she knew he was alive. While I still stood firm that he shouldn't overdo the vampire/Goth thing, I realized we were going to have to work hard to get past the â€Å"ordinary† facade she saw. â€Å"Talk to her,† I told him. He'd slipped back to his place between me and Gabrielle. â€Å"Once they start, it's probably going to be impossible.† â€Å"What do I say?† Seth, overhearing, leaned across me, and I wished I'd covered up more skin. His arm brushing up against me sent thrills through my body. â€Å"Ask her if she's ever seen them live before,† Seth said. â€Å"If she says no, tell her about this one time you saw them at†¦I don't know. A private party. If she says yes, ask her what she thought.† Cody gave an uneasy nod. He leaned toward her, and while I only caught bits and pieces of the conversation, she grew animated as she spoke. I leaned back to Seth. â€Å"When did you become an expert in dating advice?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"It's what O'Neill would do.† I scoffed. â€Å"You're using fiction to further Cody's love life?† â€Å"Life imitates art, and art imitates life.† â€Å"That statement is ridiculous. And, you know, I've never really seen you utilize that advice.† â€Å"Well, that's O'Neill's advice. I have lots of characters I can draw from.† â€Å"Funny, I don't remember any introverted, stammering writers in your books.† â€Å"I don't stammer,† he said defensively – though there was a smile under his words. â€Å"Besides, maybe there'll be someone like that in the new series.† â€Å"Ooh,† I said, mocking his melodrama. â€Å"What's with the ‘maybe'? I thought you had the premise for this whole fantastic new thing figured out.† â€Å"I do. But it can always be improved along the way.† â€Å"Introvert authors improve everything.† â€Å"Damn straight.† Laughing, I remembered that I should have been helping Cody, but he was talking to Gabrielle on his own, which I took as a positive sign. I turned back to Seth. â€Å"So does this mean you've figured out the ending to Cady and O'Neill?† â€Å"No.† He still held his good humor, despite a small frown on his brow. â€Å"One of these days, I'll have to – â€Å" His words were cut off when the eardrum-splitting screech of a guitar ripped through the room. Blue Satin Bra had come onstage while I was talking (flirting?) with Seth. I hated stereotypes, but truthfully: they looked like what you'd expect from an all-guy metal band. Black clothing, piercings, and hair that ran in extremes: shaved or super long. The one thing that differentiated them was, well, the fact that they were wearing blue satin demi bras over their clothes. Even above the deafening music that followed, I could hear Gabrielle shrieking, â€Å"Oh my God!† Her face was ecstatic, and when Cody said something to her, she lit up further and nodded eagerly at the band. My guess was – whether it was true or not – he was reaffirming how awesome they were. The music forced Seth and me to lean close in order to talk. â€Å"You know,† he said, â€Å"I'm pretty sure the bass player stuffed his bra.† â€Å"Nah,† I teased back. â€Å"It's a push-up bra, so it just seems that way. They do amazing things for cleavage.† All things considered, Blue Satin Bra wasn't that bad. Metal might not be my favorite music, but I was still open to a lot of types. The setting and craziness that ensued throughout the night gave Seth and me lots of material to joke over. We were both in really good moods when the show finally ended and we walked out with Gabrielle and Cody. â€Å"That was awesome,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Thank you so much for sharing the tickets.† â€Å"No problem,† I said. My ears were ringing, and I wasn't sure if I was still shouting. â€Å"I think that was the best show I've ever seen,† said Cody nobly. Gabrielle clutched his sleeve, and his eyes widened. â€Å"I know! Which was your favorite song?† Silence. â€Å"Mine was that one were they kept saying ‘My Armageddon scales will burn your post office,'† said Seth deadpan. â€Å"Oh, yeah. That's one of their greatest,† she said. â€Å"It's called ‘Plywood Fuck.'† â€Å"That's my favorite too,† said Cody. I somehow doubted he'd heard any of the music tonight. His senses were all on Gabrielle. Perfectly in sync, Seth and I glanced at each other and exchanged secret smiles, both of us amused at Cody's love. I wasn't as far gone as he was, but when our group finally split up, I found myself walking on air too. â€Å"Interesting night,† Roman told me when we got home. He'd been along in spy mode. â€Å"I think Cody might actually have a chance.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said. â€Å"He's clearly smitten, but she only seems mildly interested. In a friendly way, though.† Roman rummaged through the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of Lucky Charms. â€Å"He's not the only one who's smitten.† I sighed and collapsed onto the couch. â€Å"Let it go, okay? We all know I'm a long ways from getting over Seth.† Roman gave me a sly look. â€Å"I wasn't talking about you.† I stared at him for a moment, my vodka-addled brain trying to make sense of his words. â€Å"Wait†¦you're talking about Seth? He's over me.† â€Å"Oh my God, Georgina. Could you be any more delusional?† â€Å"He's getting married.† â€Å"That means nothing. If it did, guys wouldn't catch chlamydia at their bachelor parties.† â€Å"But he does love Maddie. And no matter what you think about his feelings, he'll be out of my reach once they're married.† â€Å"The fact that they're dating means he should already be out of your reach – but past evidence shows that's not true.† I scowled and kicked off my shoes. â€Å"Don't bring that up. I feel bad enough – and so does he. If you're just going to taunt me, then I'm going to bed.† But to my surprise, Roman didn't wear that mocking look that had become so typical for him since returning to Seattle. His eyes were serious, his expression – almost – concerned. â€Å"I'm not trying to taunt you. I'm just stating the facts. No matter what happens, you and Seth can't seem to stay away from each other. You should put in a transfer request.† â€Å"What, out of Seattle?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"I love it here.† â€Å"You'll learn to love some other place. Honestly, it's the only way you're going to be able to move on – the only way either of you can move on. You're in a situation where you see him every day – tonight being a prime example. He broke up with you, and then you broke up with him for some ‘greater good' kind of goal. But if you keep hanging around each other, it won't matter. You'll never heal. You're just going to get your heart ripped out every day.† I was so stunned that I couldn't even respond for several seconds. The old taunt danced in my head: circles and circles. â€Å"I†¦why do you say that? Why do you care?† â€Å"Because I already see it happening every day. You are getting your heart ripped out over and over, and it kills me to watch it happen.† Again, I fell speechless for a moment. â€Å"I thought†¦I thought you hated me. I thought you wanted to destroy me.† He finished his cereal and set the bowl down. I didn't have the will to shoo the cats away. â€Å"I don't hate you, Georgina,† he said wearily. â€Å"Am I upset about what happened to Helena? Absolutely. Am I upset about you lying about loving me? Yes. Do I want some kind of revenge? Maybe. Honestly, my feelings change from day to day. Some days I do want something awful to happen to you. Some days†¦well, I know you did what you did out of some misguided sense of†¦I don't know. You thought you were doing the right thing.† I wanted to tell him that I had loved him, in a way. But that probably wouldn't be useful right now. â€Å"Well, watching this Seth drama unfold is probably giving you lots of material when it comes to something awful happening to me.† â€Å"No,† he said, with a weary head shake. â€Å"I don't like this. Like I said, I'd rather see you leave and start a new life. Every time I see you now, it's like†¦it's like watching you die. Over and over.† I stood up, suddenly wanting to sleep. â€Å"Yeah,† I said softly. â€Å"That's kind of what it feels like.† I hesitated. â€Å"Thanks for listening. And understanding.† â€Å"Anytime,† he said. This also caught me by surprise. Somewhere in these last few crazy months, I realized, Roman and I had become friends again. â€Å"I hate to ask you this, but, well, I'm not doing a very good job with keeping an upbeat mood tonight. Would you – â€Å" He rose as well. â€Å"Yup. I'll watch you sleep. If you can handle the creepy factor.† â€Å"It's an acceptable trade,† I said with a smile. â€Å"Thanks.† And maybe it was the vodka, but I stepped forward and hugged him. He was stiff for a moment, clearly caught off guard, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me. I rested my head against his chest, taking small comfort in someone warm and alive who wasn't a stranger. He smelled like I remembered, the clean, sharp scent of his cologne surrounding me in a way very different from Seth's woodsy smell. I was just thinking I should pull away when a voice asked, â€Å"Am I interrupting anything?† I jerked away from the embrace and found Carter standing in the living room, arms crossed and one eyebrow arched. Roman seemed equally flustered and took a few steps back as well, getting as far away from me as he could. â€Å"Don't you ever knock?† I asked. â€Å"Not sure you'd answer,† said Carter good-naturedly. â€Å"Especially with the news I've got.† I groaned. â€Å"That was fast. Does it have to do with Simone?† He nodded. â€Å"Afraid so. She met up with Seth again.†

Essay Letter From Birmingham Jail - 1025 Words

The â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† written by one of the key figures of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr., is one of the most powerful and influential writings in american history. The letter was written while he and fellow protestors were being held in custody for protesting in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. King was a very passionate and selfless man. He only had love in his heart for all living beings regardless of their race or religion. He believed in a peaceful way of protest to not give power to the opposition. Throughout his fight for equality he wrote many important speeches and documents this one being one of the most influential. Sadly his death was of an unnatural form. He was assassinated 1968 in Memphis,†¦show more content†¦This compared to the lynching and other terrors inflicted upon them showed the complete neglect white people had for the community. Regardless of these broken promises which happened far too often King continued to fight not letting setbacks be his downfall and cause him failure. He persevered on his path to ending injustice. Secondly within the text King challenges the system that has been forced upon African Americans. Going back the the concept of segregation. It was designed to systematically keep the African American community oppressed without the community knowing it or the government directly stating it. The White lawmakers tried with all their power to keep the African American community powerless and have a sense of inferiority. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged those who tried to enforce this ideology by speaking against it despite the danger. He spoke out against these racist laws in the quote â€Å"A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law.† (92, King) Within this quote he speaks against the unfair laws that affected African Americans but they were not able to vote on . It is incredibly unfair and unconstitutional to deny someone the right to vote let alone create a law affecting a specific race without lettingShow MoreRelatedLetter From Birmingham Jail Essay Essay1451 Words   |  6 PagesZhuo Liu Lauren Sassenoff English 1P-5 25 September 2016 Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter while incarcerated in Birmingham jail to eight clergymen in response to their letter known as â€Å"A Call for Unity.†Ã‚  The letter asked for the stop of direct action type protest in Birmingham, Alabama that Martin Luther King was leading.   The letter has become known as one of the greatest works of argument in American history. Part of the reason for the letter’sRead MoreEssay on A Letter From a Birmingham Jail717 Words   |  3 PagesA Letter From a Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King, Jr.s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, his thoughts and ideas are directly stated, well expressed, explained, and illustrated. Kings style of writing gives the reader a clear glimpse into the world with which he struggled and allows his letter to be powerfully effective. In the introductory paragraph, King introduces his reason for writing the letter and details who the audience is to be. He explains that he rarely answers criticismsRead More Letters from a Birmingham Jail Essay1534 Words   |  7 PagesLetters from a Birmingham Jail Aristotle is a very citable man when it comes to the way we think today. His rhetoric techniques are still being used in todays society. The Neo-Aristotelian Criticism is three different appeals of persuasion. This is ethos, pathos and logos, which makes one heck of a convincing argument. Ethos gives credibility, pathos shows emotion and logos uses words. In the text, Letter from Birmingham Jail, we find many examples of the criticism. Martin Luther King Jr.Read More The Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay1029 Words   |  5 PagesOn April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. composed an extensive letter to eight clergymen who condemned the timing of the civil rights movement. Although the letter was addressed to these eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience, especially King’s â€Å"Christian and Jewish brothers†(King, 29). His peaceful but firm letter serves as a remarkably persuasive voice to an immensely chaotic mess, and is seen as a major turning pointRead MoreLetter from Birmingham Jail Analysis Essay942 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail,† after an unjust proposal made by eight white clergymen. Their claims were to be that no Negro â€Å"outsider† should be allowed to establish or lead any protest and should leave them to their local neighborhoods. King replied directly to the clergymen, but used religious ties to also have his voice heard in the public. In his counter argument, King strategically used logical evidence, emotional aspectsRead MoreAn Analysis of Letter from a Birmingham Jail Essay1090 Words   |  5 Pages Letter from a Birmingham Jail was written by Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1963, as he sat, as the title states, in a Birmingham, Alabama jail. King had been jailed for his participation in a peaceful protest of segregation in public places such as lunch counters and public restrooms (Berkley, 2003). While jailed, King read a criticism of the protest by a group of white ministers, who felt such demonstrations â€Å"directed and in part led by outsiders† were â€Å"unwise and untimely†Read MoreSummary of Letters from Birmingham Jail Essay777 Words   |  4 PagesHelal Ahmed Professor Smith English 125 October 6, 2010 Summary of M.L.K.’s Letters from Bringham Jail   Ã‚              Ã‚         Martin Luther King Jrs â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written during his 8 day sentence in jail in 1963. He chose to travel and protest in Birmingham due to the fact that it was widely known as one of the most  segregated city in the U.S.  The letter not only addresses the issues of unjustly being arrested for being an extremist of his approach to the protest, and of theRead More Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay1241 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail In his essay Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. disproves the assumptions of people that believe racism is acceptable when he compares the maltreatment of blacks to the inhumane treatment of the Jews by Hitler. King establishes a relationship with his audience by connecting on a level that is larger than the exploitation of African Americans rights. He forces his readers to think aboutRead MoreLetter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Essay1116 Words   |  5 Pagescompositions was done in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was heading a national political movement for the recognizable equal treatment of colored people wrote a letter to his fellow clergy men while being imprisoned. In one article, he was able to address not only the clergy, but a wide, diverse audience, send his message across thoroughly, and affect millions of lives because of his purpose and the different personas he assumed. Dr. Kings letter w as a success becauseRead MoreEssay about Kings Argument in A Letter from Birmingham Jail951 Words   |  4 PagesKings Argument in A Letter from Birmingham Jail In Dr. Kings essay Letter from Birmingham Jail he addresses the claims made about his arrest by the eight clergymen. His responses are very long and detailed, giving a very compelling and moving point of view. His letter is directed to his audience, which consists of white middle class citizens who Dr. King refers to as the white moderates. Dr. Kings letter is very persuasive because his use of pathos makes the audience think or imagine