The Role Of The Geisha In Japanese Culture Essays - Japanese Culture

The Role of the Geisha in Japanese Culture Japan, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Asian Continent, is a nation composed of almost 7,000 islands, many are small. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Japan has the seventh largest population in the world. With approximately 125 million inhabitants, the only countries with a higher population are China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil. The population which is about half of the United States, lives on only 1/25 as much total land mass, this computes to being one of the highest population densities in the world. These conditions reflect in the Japanese cultural values and their desire for being a collective society.1 The Japanese style of conducting business differs greatly from the western model. It has grown out of the nation's unique history cultured philosophy. The Japanese people are isolated in an island nation's unique history, culture, and philosophy. The island nation is under constant bombardment by the harsh forces of nature, have traditionally placed a strong emphasis on working together as a group in order to survive. Their culture is deeply influenced by Confucianism, with its rigid rules governing conduct and its emphasis on trust, consensus, and hierarchy. These ancient roots have influenced every aspect of Japanese business; from the way formal meetings are conducted to the importance placed on after-hours socializing. It has shaped a business culture in which long-term, mutually beneficial relationships are of paramount importance. By understanding and adapting to this business culture, Western executives eager to do business in Japan will be able to be enlightened to be more productive associations with their Japanese colleagues and will increase the probability of achieving the goals of their meetings there. It is important to understand the role of the female entertainer in Japanese culture. That is why the Geisha has a specific role.2 The geisha is described as a ?century old professional entertainer? the geisha is an important part of traditional Japanese social life. Geisha are masters in the arts, trained in music, calligraphy, Sado (tea ceremony) poetry, conversation and social graces as well as three stringed instruments called Shamisen. They dress in traditional kimonos, stunning in their elegance. Basic wooden geta clogs are worn for footwear, and hair is up in bun type coiffures trimmed with metallic accessories. Geisha literally translated means ?beauty person? or ?person who lives by the arts.?3 The geisha emerged around the mid-Edo period (1600- 1868). The first geisha appeared at parties in the 1600's. Surprisingly, they were men. Beating drums and making jokes, they entertained the guests and warriors. As time passed this type of entertaining became a female occupation. By the 1780's female geisha out numbered men and inspired artists, writers, and musicians with their majestic lives in the flower and willow setting. From the end of the Edo period to the present geisha have had connections with businessmen and even with government officials. They were not only revered in Japan, but also fascinated most of western culture. Their fees are rather exorbitantly expensive so they are primarily reserved for the elite. Instead of being calculated by the hour it is referred to in units of sticks, since the fee was formally figured by the lengths of time it took a stick of incense to burn down. One hour generally consists of ?four sticks,? which is the minimum amount of payment.4 Most people hear about Geisha and believe that they are all prostitutes. Geisha is an art.5 The geisha is not a prostitute, but an entertainer trying to make a living.6 The mystic geisha, at one time admired for purity in keeping with men, is inevitably still a source of desire.7A Geisha is a high-class professional who exists on the same continuum as a prostitute. These women who become geisha's not out of love but because opportunity affords them this life. Men hire women to entertain them, and the principal role of a geisha is to provide female companionship. At times that entails just being arm candy, and unfortunately at other times it also involves sex.8 These women are professional hostesses in a variation. The geisha primarily entertain the higher class. These women are extensively trained in many of the traditional Japanese arts.9 Men have sought women of another type (instead of their wives) to entertain them in public, to break the ice of social convention-thicker in Japan than elsewhere, to pour sake, to sing, dance, play the

the use of violet by monet essays

the use of violet by monet essays They (the impressionists) have tried to render the walk, the movement, the tremor, the intermingling of passersby......and the vibration of air inundated with light, and just as in the case of the rainbow colourings of the solar rays, they have been able to capture the soft ambiance of a grey day. Indeed the impressionists did focus on the ability to capture an event and much attention was given to the way in which the light constituted the scene. So much so that this investigation into painting light drew to it much controversy in all aspects of the work, one particular aspect of the works that was given a lot of criticism was the fond use of violet and blue hues. The understanding of the impressionist taste for these hues, and the critics dislike in impressionists use is found in understanding the artistic and social climate of the time, by which we shall find that much has to do with the science of colour and perception. The first impressionist exhibition of 1874 is a signpost for the changing ways in which paintings were being bought and sold. The tradition of the salon shows dominance was now being challenged, as the artists found dismay both in the selection process and the overcrowded nature of the display. The artists struggle to gain selection into the salon was made more difficult by the lack of evolution in the style of the selected works, the tradition of the highly polished workman that left no trace of where they had been was the usual choice. These strict definitions of what was acceptable led to the first impressionists being met with much disgust by the critics and general public of the time. Why, was the word on every bodys lips, why did they paint like this? Why did they exhibit what looked much like sketches or studies? Why did they use these colours? It is when we try to answer these questions that we find that much of what the impressionists were trying to achieve was to be fou nd in the sci...

Professional statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professional - Personal Statement Example During my third year in nursing school, in 2007, I became a patient care associate at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center on ACE Unit. After graduating from nursing school, I was employed as a Registered Nurse in 2008 on the same unit. I worked hard to become a charge nurse, a preceptor and later attained an ACLS certification on my Unit. I am an active member of the cultural diversity committee and an active member of the ambulation program initiation on my Unit. According to Barker (45), a nurse has to acquire knowledge through continuous learning. I took the Basic Arrhythmia Course, the Medical, Surgical nurse certification review course, and I am a board certified gerontological registered nurse. I have completed 34 credits at graduate level in my Adult Nurse Practitioner program at La sale University. In addition, I completed 250 hours clinical orientation as a NP student at three different sites: Einstein Medical Center, Park pleasant with the ACE Unit attending medical doctor and Philadelphia Prison system. I have worked with UPHS, which values patient safety. Patient safety goals are studies by safety officers within an organization and throughout the world. I plan to suggest to the patient safety committee to make it compulsory that pharmacists evaluate a patient’s

Frist quality management assays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Frist quality management assays - Essay Example Many a times people fail to realise that what they are doing is ultimately for the client and it is because the client pays that the company is running. Some companies were so surprised initially by the sudden ‘quality movement’ of the 1990’s that Cant (1992, p. 1) commented that Businesses generally have a lethargic approach towards any kind of change. When TQM was still a newbie, some people thought that it could rescue businesses from ‘flabby management techniques’ and ‘shoddy products’, while others thought it to be ‘too perfect’ and that such management techniques cost more than they are worth. American firms could not truly embrace ‘Quality Management’ until they thought it made their shareholders more money than it did the seminar organizers, consultants and book publishers, who again, they thought, reaped the biggest quality rewards of the 1980s. Only those who had the patience and stuck to it reaped the rewards. Many, who did not, were wiped out in the competition. Virtually every business depends on repeat business for survival. It’s a common sense answer that for customers to come back they should be happy with what they got before. Earlier, professionals could count on their reputations and work contacts to provide a steady stream of work; however, as a result of de-regulation, an over-supply of professionals in many disciplines and a declining public image, this is no longer guaranteed. A research study done on legal advisors, where the sample consisted of 600 commercial business organizations drawn from ‘Key British Enterprises’ 1989 proved that â€Å"Clients with higher perceptions of service quality are likely to consider changing their legal advisers less often and expect to enjoy longer working relationships with their corporate legal advisers.† (Morgan 2007, p. 38) Though we know that the relation between ‘customer satisfaction’ and ‘profits’ is quite obvious, there are 3 problems,

Why do you find the Sumerian culture interesting Give at least three Essay

Why do you find the Sumerian culture interesting Give at least three reasons with specific examples - Essay Example The most interesting aspect about Sumerian culture is the profound levels of writing technique. Sumerians are credited with being the first people to demonstrate writing skills. Whereas all the others cultures adopted writing from other precedent cultures, Sumerians developed writing skills by themselves. The Sumerian writing system is argued to have come from the financial transactions between the Sumerians as a way of keeping track of financial transactions. Since there were no books to write on, Sumerians made clay tablets where they would engrave using sharp objects. Although they began engraving images of the actual objects they wanted to preserve, they soon developed a means of writing syllables. More interestingly, the writing culture later developed into a school system that has the same characteristics with the modern system of learning in that only the rich were allowed to take their children to school. Additionally, the schools were initially tailored for men (Glassner 118 -120). Sumerian culture was characterized by characteristic cities. Indeed, most of the modern cities are a reflection of Sumerian cities. Interestingly, the Sumerians made cities on raised grounds to protect the cities from floods. The cities were characterized by small sturdy houses that were clustered together. These cities share similar characteristics with modern cities, which have clustered buildings and an elaborated drainage system. What I find most interesting is the fact that the cities had slums too. Poor people lived in grass houses outside the cities (Moffett et al 42-47). Sumerians are some of the earliest farmers known to man. The most interesting thing about Sumerian farming was the tools they used for farming. Some of the hoes they used for farming were made of copper metal. They did extensive farming outside the cities but more advanced farming was done inside the cities. I find this interesting

Human Growth Behaviour And Development Social Work Essay

Human Growth Behaviour And Development Social Work Essay Attachment theory derives from psychoanalyic psychology, however it is used in social work to attempt to understand behaviour in infancy and childhood to show the way in which children develop emotionally WALKER 2009 This theory centres on the idea that children need to form secure relationships with other people, such as parents or guardians, as it is a significant contributer to their emotional development. Social bonds and relationships that are made in early childhood are believed to influence an individuals life and can impact upon their well-being to determine their emotional and social stability later in life. Consequently, attachment is seen as an integral component within infants and young childrens lives, as these experiences can shape a persons personality and identity in future years. (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). If these experiences of attachment are negative, and the child does not develop adequate relationships with their caregivers, then this can have detremental consequences on their psychological and emotional development. (WALKER, J 2009). The Attachment theory originates from the ideas of John Bowlby who believes that humans are biological predispositioned to seek attachment from others. He proposes that survival is closely related to the ability to possess emotional bonds with other individuals (GREEN 2003). This is because by forming an attachment with an authority figure who is seen as the stronger of the species, this reduces the vulnerability of the individual as it provides increased security and protection from harm posed by potential predators (BOWLBY 1958, cited in LISHMAN 2007). The theory looks at the way that attachment relationships are formed, and the reasons behind their manifestation. Children are seen to form these relationships for reasons such as safety, comfort and to provide guidence. These attachment behaviours, according to learning theorists, are displayed in infancy through talking, laughing and crying. This enables them to persue their basic needs for survival, such as food for nurishment, by their attachment to their mother who is able to support them in fulfilling their needs (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). This initial attachment to caregivers also guides the individuals thoughts, feelings and expectations as they become aware of peoples responses towards them which help them recognise how to behave (WALKER 2009). There are four assumptions of Bowlbys attachment theory which attempt to explain his beliefs. The first, is that infants and young children develop emotional ties with individuals early in life, which acts as a biological function and plays an integral part to their survival. The second assumption is that the way a child is treated early in life has a major contributing factor to their future relationships and the way their personality is formed. The third assumption is that attachment behaviour can form an internal working model which guide the childs thoughts, feelings and expectations as a result of the reactions of others towards their behaviour. The final assumption of Bowlbys attachment theory is that although it is difficult to alter attachment behaviour, it is not impossible, thereofre there is the possibility of alteration at any point in life, both in a positive and negative way (GREEN 2003). Although infants and young children are able to have more than one attachment figure, they are still affected when they are exposed to seperation from their primary attachment figure. This can happen for many reasons, such as a child being removed from a family home and placed into care, or perhaps death. This can be a very distressing and confusing time for a child as they are unsure of who to turn to for security and protection. This is evident in social work practice in instances where an abused child wants to remain with its parents, even though it is not a stable or supportive attachment (LISHMAN 2006). Bowlby proposed that children who have experienced seperation from their main attachment figure will suffer in a process involving protest, dispair and detachment, in an attempt to overcome their loss (BOWLBY 1958, cited in LISHMAN 2006). However, although Bowlby provided an important contribution to the idea of attachment, his research can be criticised in many ways. This is because Bowlby tends to focus his ideas on one primary figure of attachment, often the mother, when it is possible for children to form attachments with other people within their lives such as their father. Also, developing relationships with other people alongside the attachment figure is also important, this is because having to rely on the caregiving relationship of one person can be detrimental due to the fact it often results in dependency and does not allow other relationships to be formed with others, which can the hinder the social and emotional development of the child (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). According to Lishman (2007), the attachment theory believes that when a child is stressed or afraid, they exhibit particular behaviour and emotions which can be perceived as attachment. This is because they seek protection from harm through the help and security of an adult who they see as stronger than themselves. This is closly linked to two types of behavioural systems: the exploratory behavioural system and the fear behavioural system. The exploratory behavioural system is based of the belief that when an infant or young child feels comfortable and safe, the attachment behaviour remains dormant and therefore the child will be willing to explore the people around them and their surroundings. However, if a child feels threatened or vulnerable, the fear behavioural system will become active, where the child will no longer seek exploration and instead they will seek protection from their attachment figure and exhibit behaviour related to that attachment. However, the behaviour that they display is not intended to provoke affection from the attachment figure, instead it is to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“regain a state of equilibriumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p59). This means that infants and young children are not dependent upon the caregiving nature of the attachment figure, instead their aim is to diminish their fears. There is a classification of attachment patterns which identifies four different types of attachment, which attempts to enanble professionals to assess young childrens behaviour and emotions (secure, ambivalent, avoident and disorganised). Secure attachment is based of the belief that children depend upon their caregiver as a base for exploration. The caregiver is available to the child and responds to the childs needs, therefore the child behaves in a positive manner. Ambivalent attachment looks at how children are unwilling to explore their surroundings as the caregiver is not consistent in their support. This can leave the child distressed, clingy and dependent. The third category is avoident patterns of attachment, and features an unresponsive caregiver, therefore the child feels rejected and they view themelves as dependent whilst actively avoiding or ignoring the caregivers presence. And finally, disorganised attachment is where children are fearful of their caregivers, and the y themselves may feel confused or depressed. This type of attachment is most often seen in children who have suffered abuse (HOWE 2001, cited in LISHMAN 2007). How a critical understanding of Attachment Theory can contribute to Social Work Practice. Social workers are seen to have three roles to play when working within an attachment perspective: assessment, planning and direct work with children, parents and carers. Assessment looks at areas within attachment such as the needs of a child, the parenting that they receive, their emotional and behavioural development and the relationships which they have formed. There are also tests created specifically for measuring attachment, such as Ainsworths stranger test which provide an indication of the pattern and quality of their attachments. The second role, planning, looks at how planning for new attachments when placing children with new families needs to be approached carefully. This is because they need finding the most suitable parenting figures where new attachments can be made. The third role is direct work with children, parents and carers. This is because direct contact and communication is necessary to achieve the best possible outcome when working with children and families. For example, when a child has been removed from their home and is being placed with new carers, direct work can provide support to the child to prepare them for change. It can also be useful with the adoptive or foster family to provide guidence and support towards what to expect and to help with any problems they face (LISHMAN 2007) Attachment theory has been used within social work practice as the basis for many child care policies. This is because the idea of a infant or child being attached to their family, which can influence their development in many ways, has been used as the basis for many legislation (LISHMAN 2007). For example, Sure Start Childrens Centres have been introduced in response to the importancy of family support to enable them to build and maintain positive family relationships (LAMING REPORT 2009, cited in BRAMMER 2010). Attachment theory had also contributed to policies such as shared parental responsibility, as it has emhasised the need for emotional and social relationships with caregivers, whilst also suggesting possible consequences to a childs development and the negative impact later in life if these needs were not met effectively. (LISHMAN 2007). Attachment theory also provides guidence to enable social workers to judge the quality of a relationship between a child and its parents. This can enable them to gain an understanding of at what point, if at any, intervention is necessary as it gives them the ability to evaluate the attachment that is present within the relationship. The attachment theory also gives a more comprehensive understanding of the loss experienced by an infant or child when they lose their main attachment figure. This means that people working within social work practice are aware of the common and typical behaviours of a child who is going through this process and can therefore support them to overcome it. A further way the attachment theory is used to benefit social work practice is that as it is known that attachment figures are necessary for children to develop adequately, individuals such as adoptive parents can be taught to exhibit behaviour which will encourage new attachmentment from the child which is needed for personal growth (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). However , care needs to be taken when placing a child with a new family as to prevent a repeating loss of attachment figures which can cause them to blame themeselves and produce feelings of worthlessness. This can mean ensuring that the child is appropriatly prepared and ready to form new bonds of attachment and that the new carers of the child receive sufficient support within their role. (LISHMAN 2007). Attachment theory can also be linked to the way in which a mother bonds with her new born baby. However, these early bonds are not solely restricted to mothers, it is also possible for fathers. Although, this bond is typically formed within the first few hours after birth as the mother and baby connect both physically and emotionally. The initial bond that is made is thought to have a significant effect on their future relationship as it is the beginning of their attachment. This knowledge enables social workers to support mothers who are particularly vulnerable to poor parenting, although this is only effective if the support continues throughout the first few months after the baby is born.. However, it is important to note that just because a mother fails to achieve an initial bond with her baby, this does not mean that abuse is inevitable. How are issues of diversity relevant to human growth, behaviour and development? GREEN, V. 2003. Emotional development in Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory and Neuroscience: Creating Connections. East Sussex: Brunner-Routledge LISHMAN, J. 2007. Handbook for Practice and Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. London: Jessica Kingsley WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD. 2010. Social Work and Human Development. Exeter: Learning Matters WALKER, J. 2008. Studying for Your Social Work Degree. Exeter: Learning Matters BRAMMER, 2010. Social Work Law. London: Longman

coaching tips :: essays research papers

The Coaching Tip WHO doesn't want to accomplish more in life? Don't most of us want more time? More money? More love? More satisfaction? Yet, isn't our tendency to go for it rather than simply having it all come to us? A strong personal foundation includes 10 distinct stepping stones which, when linked together, provide a solid yet personalized base on which to build one's life. And, in a world which sometimes appears to be built on quicksand, we all need a personal foundation on which to depend. These 10 stepping stones of a Personal Foundation are: A past which you have fully completed. A life which is based fully on integrity. Needs which have been identified and fully met. Boundaries which are ample and automatic. Standards which bring out your best. An absence of tolerations. Choosing to come from a positive place. A family which nurtures you. A community which develops you. A life fully oriented around your true values. Anyone who is living a meaningful life must have a strong personal foundation so they can afford to look up at the stars instead of down at their feet. Having a strong personal foundation allows a person to fully use their skills and resources, because instead of constantly worrying about the fundamentals of their life, they are free to focus on the task at hand. The process of building a personal foundation also teaches a person how to eliminate and prevent many common problems that are usually thought of as an expected part of life." Where can you go for help in this area? A Master Coach is uniquely trained to help clients strengthen their own foundation, and is a model of how well the process works.