British Petroleum Green Marketing Business Essay

British Petroleum Green Marketing Business Essay Introduction The essay is based on the marketing practises of British Petroleum (BP) in relation to their corporate social responsibility and the suitability of its marketing mixes application in society. The question asked is Green and fair trade marketing are just marketing ploys to get more money from consumers without really furthering the goals of sustainability or fairer trade? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the way in which an organisation expresses its values and ethical behaviour towards its stakeholders and society. Further, in light of public scrutiny and questioning; it is imperative to establish what exactly green marketing in relation to businesses CSR is and what it is doing in business today, especially in BP an oil company. After investigating BP promotional elements of its marketing mix. I watched a green advertisement; it begins with a lush green healthy forest with water dripping and sparkling from the tips of their leaves. In a distance a bird singing in the morning air, a man appear I believe is an environmentalist. The man is protecting the animal within the lush forest and the as the advertisement continues, I learn that the man works for an oil company called BP and I learn further how BP is doing such a wonderful job protecting the environment. However lets investigate BP profoundly. The company started in 1908 under company called Anglo-Persian, when oil found in a rugged part of Persia from explorer George Reynolds and British investor William DArcy. Over the next few decades, gas and electricity would largely replace kerosene for home heating; the invention of gasoline-fuelled vehicles would challenge the railways and roads. These social changes would open a door to the growth of Anglo-Persian and expand its sales both in Britain and in mainland Europe. In 1954, the Anglo-Persian board changed the companys name to The British Petroleum Company www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle. Downloaded 14-09-10. Today BP has transformed; growing from a local oil company into a global energy group. Employing over 80,000 people and operating in over 100 countries worldwide with brands such as Aral, Arco, Castrol and Wild Bean Cafà © under the BP umbrella. In 2009 financially BP had a very good year where the company made  £13,955 billion pre net profit, see appendix for full financial review. In their CSR; BP had these core values; BP pledge to help the world meet its growing need for heat, light and mobility. They strive to do that by producing energy that is affordable, secure and doesnt damage the environment. BP is progressive, responsible, innovative and performance driven see appendix for CSR and suitability reports. Progressive: We believe in the principle of mutual advantage and build productive relationships with each other, our partners and our customers. Responsible: We are committed to the safety and development of our people and the communities and societies in which we operate. We aim for no accidents, no harm to people and no damage to the environment. Innovative: We push boundaries today and create tomorrows breakthroughs through our people and technology Performance driven: We deliver on our promises through continuous improvement and safe, reliable operations. Using Hennison and Kinnear (1976) ecological marketing concept; BP emphasizes environmental issues with geographic focus for example climate change. The basis of their green marketing campaigns is using evidence of current environmental issues and environmental views with business interaction. BP focuses on the interrelationship between business society and the environment within their marketing mixes and sustainability reports. BP saves the day Over the last few decade environmental concerns has given raise to a green consumer with increasing demands, this has led to the emergence of green marketing, which attempts to balance the pursuit of sales and profit with a concern for the environment and society. According to Prothero (1990) defines green marketing as The holistic management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the needs of customers and society, in a profitable and sustainable way(Responsible business marketing. PG 115) Today consumers worldwide expect large companies with recognizable brands such as BP to have first-class environmental and social credentials or their brand image could suffer from the negative publicity. Ignoring social and consumers demands for high-quality ethical practices can destroy customers trust and can lead to government legislations being imposed within Archie Carroll (1979) pyramid of legal responsibilities. Incorporating ethics and sustainability programmes can enhance and build public reputation, which can increase market share, costs savings and profits worldwide. Thus sustainability is the foundation of the green marketing concept which has 2 simple criteria which are about consumption and pollution. Using BP sustainability report which is accessible on their website this is how BP meets this criteria bp.com/sustainability Using natural resources at a rate at which environmental systems or human activity can replenish them (Responsible business marketing. PG 116) Using BP marketing mixes; BPs product produces fuel, energy and funds research into environmentally friendly fuel this illustrates the innovative and progressive element of their valves which strives to reduce the use and dependence on fossil fuel by society. Additionally, this helps reduce global warming through research techniques such as fuel with lower carbon monoxide that helps reduce the carbon emissions responsible for adverse climate changes beneficial to all living creatures on earth. Producing pollution and waste at a rate which can be absorbed by environmental systems without impairing their viability (Responsible business marketing. PG 116) As a producer of oil; BP does not overproduce fuel, as it benefits financially from a stable price within the profit and market share elements of the business. Within their organisation, BP has become more conscientious and develops strategies that centralize deliveries into larger but less frequent loads by improving vehicle utilisation with the use of eco friendly trucks which has less carbon foot print. This is an illustration of the place elements with the marketing mix, the performance-driven and responsible elements of their values. BP is a voluntary member and committed to (OCIMF) Oil Companies International Marine Forum for the past 23 years which they aim to reduce marine pollution. http://www.ocimf.com/ downloaded 18-09-10. Vandermerwe and Oliff (1990) found that in response to the green challenge; 92% of businesses had changed their product offerings with 85% changes in their production systems and 78% had changed the focus of their marketing communications and BP is no expectation to this survey (Responsible business marketing. PG 115) BP over the last few decades has risen to the green challenge. They have change their product offering by investing $4 billion in alternative energy, with its activity focused on advanced bio-fuels, wind business in the US, solar power, and carbon capture and storage (bp.com/speeches downloaded 18-09-10). The company has responded from the Copenhagen conference on climate change 2009 by reducing carbon emissions from their factories, vehicles and promoting the use of natural gas. In addition; BP work sensitively around plants and animals which is integral part of their efforts to manage environmental impacts; such as in Canadian Beaufort Sea where the use of sound techniques to mitigate the potential impact of sound on marine mammals. The company focuses on education with investments in science resources in UK classrooms to supporting for Chinas Tsinghua University in building strengths in management education. In Trinidad Tobago the company is promoting community development by building schools, hospitals, providing training to local residents on reproductive health and personal hygiene which created a drop in malaria prevalence from 23% in 2000 to less than 1% in 2009 www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/STAGING/global_assets/e_s_assets/e_s_assets_2009/downloads_pdfs/bp_sustainability_review_2009.pdfHYPERLINK http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/STAGING/global_assets/e_s_assets/e_s_assets_2009/downloads_pdfs/bp_sustainability_review_2009.pdfand downloaded 19-09-10and downloaded 19-09-10 and by employment of local staff. Villagers have been assisted to create better livelihoods in activities such as fishing and farming through training and better equipment provided by BP. BP has capitalised on these sustainability achievements and has involved them into the promotional elements of their marketing mix. Their brand image focuses on being an eco friendly company, with an emphasis on quality and environmentally friendly fuel. Plus their Partnership with Virgin has supported the Africa Eden Project. www.edenproject.com/documents/Annual_Review_06_07.pdf downloaded 19-09-10 . BP the biggest environmental crimes in history BP aims to be the leading environmentally friendly producer and supplier with eco friendly petrol and gas. BP has a strong CSR and sustainability policies and has become more ethically and socially aware with the realisation of customers and stakeholders needs and expectations from the company. However, a more in depth analysis indicates that BP advertisements and public relations within its marketing mixes are designed to make it look more environmentally friendly than it actually is. The term is called green washing This phenomenon of making small environmental concessions while otherwise continuing business (Responsible business marketing. PG 45) According to the Advertising Standards Agency; the raise of this phenomenon is becoming a very serious problem and have adopted new guideline to curve this new trend. The Advertising Standards Authority has seen a huge rise in the number of complaints about environmental claims in advertisements. Their consumer research has shown that awareness of green issues is high, but there is also confusion and a lack of basic understanding about environmental and ethical claims and what they really mean. http://asa.org.uk/ downloaded 23-09-10 This is because profit and the interests of the shareholders always seen to come first before the environment. In comparison; BPs sustainability report to its actions. In July 2000, BP launched a massive $200 million public relations and advertising campaign with  the new slogan and name change Beyond Petroleum. It changed its logo to a green and yellow sun and claimed to be a greener business. In 2005, a fire and explosion occurred at BP Texas City Refinery, killing 15 workers and injuring more than 170 others, its claims to have safety as one of its highest priorities. BP was charged with criminal violations of federal environmental laws and has been subject to lawsuits from the victims families. BP had a  £53 million fine from The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the US for hundreds of safety violations, and subsequently imposed an even larger fine after claiming that BP had failed to implement safety improvements following the disaster http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/30/bp-texas-city-safety-fine downloaded 19-09-10 In March 2006, BP spilled 200,000 gallons of crude oil in Alaska. The spill happened because BP failed to perform routine maintenance on its pipeline. It claims to work sensitively around the environment and animals. In October 2007, BP was ordered to pay more than $60 million by the U.S. Department of Justice for breaking environmental laws in Texas and Alaska. According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/8b770facf5edf6f185257359003fb69e/1af659cf4ce8a7b88525737f005979be!OpenDocument downloaded 19-09-10, this was the largest fine ever handed out for breaking Clean Air regulations in the U.S. In addition, BP then lobbied continuously to open up the Alaska National Wilderness Reserve for oil drilling to add to their increasing profits with no success. It claims to support conversation and wants to protect the environment from its green advertisements. In 2007 BP invested $1.5 billion to extract oil from the Canadian wilderness using methods which environmentalists say are part of the biggest global warming crime in history which 2 years earlier the company publicly said they would never invest or use such damaging environmental technology . In May 2010 BP was involved in an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which is now the biggest environmental disaster in American history blamed yet again on poor safety and maintenance. Yet in June 2010 BP decided to spend $50 million on green advertisement presenting a squeaky clean image which back fired adding to the growing tide of resentment by American consumers. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293020#ixzz0zsryzPBl Illustrating BP practises within the green marketing mixes; green products. BP produces and supplies a range of products and services. However, fossil fuels production and supply are their main source of profit which is environmentally damaging as its produces carbon emissions. Thus their core business is not environmentally friendly. As illustrated by Chick (1992), BP cannot use green packaging or reduce layers for their core business, which is the production of oil. Oil and fuel need to be stored correctly in drums and depot containers which cannot be reduce for safety reasons. There are a range of issues in managing the green promotional mix; BP has adopted a green branding marketing strategy which as indicated is environmentally friendly. However, the adoption of this green brand in its advertisement for example its marketing strategy has not been assimilated in some of BPs production mechanisms. Consequently, a range of disasters caused by BP has emerged at alarming rates, intensity and adversity within recent years. The inability to follow through on their green brand with safer production procedures will invariably result in outraged by the public. Going green may affect the cost structures of a business with a knock-on effect on prices. However with the recent oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico BP has spent  £8 billion and rising http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11174375 HYPERLINK http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11174375 downloaded 19-09-10downloaded 19-09-10 on the cleanup operation. BP had to sell assets to fund this massive cleanup operation with the CEO making a few disastrous statements in public. With this negative publicity and unpopular public image especially in the US it will affect the business and particularly its green pricing for its products. BP has green logistics; their centralized distribution centres and use of eco- friendly trucks have added to their green strategies, however producing crude oil from the tar sands a heavy mixture of bitumen, water, sand and clay found beneath more than 54,000 square miles of prime forest in northern Alberta was a backtrack from claiming 2 ago never to invest in this technology. Infrastructure had to be in place and created by forests being cleared to transport this product. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-biggest-environmental-crime-in-history-764102.html downloaded on 19-09-10. Additionally, an area the size of England and Wales in their tar sands project combined generates up to four times more carbon dioxide, the principal global warming gas, than conventional drilling. The oil sands industry will produce 100 million tones of CO2 equivalent to a fifth of the UKs entire annual emissions which BP is currently undertaking. From there $200 million worldwide advertising campaign, BP has won many awards including Nikkei BP Advertising Awards 2008. However, since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill the company has the spent $93 million on advertising to clean their image. Angry protesters have claimed that this money should have been allocated to the people who have lost their livelihoods from the disaster. (www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09ee7e22-b5ee-11df-a048-00144feabdc0.html) downloaded 19-09-10 Conclusion BP is first and foremost a business; further BP operates in many countries with different environmental laws and policies. In some countries legislations were changing to reflect the environmental public interest for going green. In turn, BP has allocated profits to green branding with use of green marketing strategies, but in some instances the company was not successful in implementing its green marketing strategies into its production units. This resulted in oil spills and other environmental disasters. On the other hand, the business has good achievements within their sustainability and CSR policies. Exploiting these achievements to reinforce their green credentials is business suicide when it goes wrong. The amount spent on green marketing is way out of proportion to their actual green energy investments. Their investments into the oil sands is very environmentally damaging because of its massive CO2 emissions. Additionally, BP responsibilities on safety are very poor which is stated as BPs top priorities in their sustainability policy. Thus BP is Progressive for building relationships between the business and their shareholders. The company is Responsible for countless environmental disasters across the world through poor safety and maintenance procedures. The company is Innovative through finding new ways to spinning their green marketing propaganda and very Performance driven in keeping their promises to their shareholders by finding new ways to damage the environment. 2151 Words Reference http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/STAGING/global_assets/e_s_assets/e_s_assets_2009/downloads_pdfs/bp_sustainability_review_2009.pdf http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-biggest-environmental-crime-in-history-764102.html downloaded on 19-09-10 www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09ee7e22-b5ee-11df-a048-00144feabdc0.html downloaded 19-09-10 http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293020#ixzz0zsryzPBl http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/8b770facf5edf6f185257359003fb69e/1af659cf4ce8a7b88525737f005979be!OpenDocument downloaded 19-09-10 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/30/bp-texas-city-safety-fine downloaded 19-09-10 www.edenproject.com/documents/Annual_Review_06_07.pdf downloaded 19-09-10 http://asa.org.uk/ downloaded 23-09-10 http://www.ocimf.com/ B324 Marketing and Society Block 3 Responsible business marketing, Open University Worldwide, Michael Young Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom 2008 Prepared for the Course Team by Anja Schaefer based on a draft by David Faulkner

Harlem Renaissance

The trials and tribulations of the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance, also referred to as The New Negro, was a period of newfound artistic and social freedom for African Americans beginning in the early sass and ending in the early sass. The renaissance served to create a consciousness of identity for African Americans, while also forcing white Americans to confront the importance of the ethnics. The creation of the New Negro in Harlem represented the liberation of the last vestiges of slavery. In the years to follow afterWorld War 1, Harem's population was almost entirely black. The Harlem Renaissance period marked the beginning of a vital part of African American history in the United States. Harlem Renaissance, the cultural explosion of Jazz, dance, film, poetry and art that swept this country, Western Europe and the Caribbean 75 years ago, is getting its first major retrospective in this country. â€Å"It explores the Harlem Renaissance not as a phenomenon confined to a few square miles of Manhattan, but as an historical moment of global significance,† says the foreword to the catalogue.During the early 20th century, three quarters of a million African Americans escaped the economic deprivation of the south and migrated northward to urban cities in a desperate attempt to find good Jobs and economic security, while also hoping to find a more racially tolerant society. 175,000 African Americans settled in New York City. The Harlem Renaissance opened doors for African Americans after the great migration, and paved the way for many opportunities. Youths) During this era African Americans for the first time had a real reason to experience pride and rejoice in their ewe found identity. Much of the literature, art, and music emerging during the first half of the 20th century came from African Americans, even though people of all races and cultures were involved. On the May, 1925 editorial page of The Crisis, W. E. B. Dubos hailed an unprecedented bl ossoming of black literature in America and pledged the services of his office to its perpetuation. We shall stress Beauty,† he wrote; â€Å"all beauty, but especially the beauty of Negro life and character; its music, its dancing, its drawing and painting, and the new birth of its literature. † To me this earns he wants his readers to look at how different cultures represent their way of life. Longboats Hughes was one of the major black writers to emerge from this era. Hughes was a great writer with much diversity in his writings, such as, plays novels, poems, essays, and much more. Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual,† wrote Longboats Hughes, â€Å"pulling him from everywhere. † Meaning blacks were coming from many parts of the country (34). â€Å"If white people are pleased we are glad, if they are not, it doesn't matter† (34) In his opinion if white people didn't except the blacks it didn't matter because they were experienc ing some new found freedom. James Weldon Johnson was an iconic figure in the initiation of the Harlem Renaissance both as a writer and editor.The recent appearance of â€Å"the Negro author† on the list of the best publishers and the best sellers must seem â€Å"a novelty, a strange phenomenon, and a miracle straight out of the skies. † Something you wouldn't think possible or a rare occasion, or unexpected Monsoons 315). â€Å"To the general American public,† James Weldon Johnson claimed in his 1928 essay. Double audience makes road hard for Negro Authors. † When the audience is of mixed races, it could be more difficult to impress the white population. 315) Johnson had one main purpose in writing the Black Manhattan, to show where the new nation and modernism originated from. Henry Louis Gates Jar. , says that â€Å"it is difficult not to recognize the signs that African Americans are in the midst of a cultural renaissance. † Blacks were strugglin g to be acknowledged by whites and hoping to be able to express their beliefs in all aspects. (807) Gates notes that the new Negro Ritter held Harlem up as a wondrous cultural center, even as it was turning into the great American slum. An area of a city in which the housing is typically in very bad conditions, has lower standards, and usually over populated. (807) A major luminary of the Harlem Renaissance was Zorn Neal Hurst, a grand dame of the so called incinerating, a group of black writers who rejected the notion of the racial struggle as the sole mission of the black elite. OBOE Foundation 52) Carl Van Bechtel was a famous writer during the Harlem Renaissance. He was known to have frequent, lavish arties that were almost always interracial. 462) Van Vestments friends describe his parties as white celebrities mingling drunkenly with black writers and artists; on several occasions black entertainers like Paul Robertson, and Taylor Gordon provided musical accompaniment. (462) Va n Beechen became, in Nathan Huggins phrase, a â€Å"downtown authority on uptown nightlife. † He was well known and respected in the downtown community (462). When Carl Van Beechen wrote Niger Heaven, the title was considered to be a terrible insult and caused quite a stir, furthermore after its publication the black community participated in vigorous protests. 461) Niger Heaven is a book â€Å"springing from emotions other than patronizing sympathy,† according to Johnson, who goes so far as to â€Å"wish a Negro had written it. † Maybe in his opinion the title was racial and condescending to blacks. (463) Rolling Lynda Hart , a writer for The Independent wrote, â€Å"when we get possession of Africa,† a Negro said to me in Harlem the other day, â€Å"we are going to build a civilization so splendid that white women will blacken their faces and frizz their hair. † In TheIndependent, a 20th century magazine wrote an article on Harlem. The magazine e xplains that Negroes had opened several kinds of businesses. The creative minds behind the Harlem Renaissance used artistic expression to make a significant impact on all aspects of society, while also endowing African American with the first sense of identity not defined by slavery. (121) Although generally considered an African American literacy movement, the Harlem Renaissance extended beyond books and poetry to embrace art, dance, and music. A spirit of regeneration among blackAmericans, especially those living in northern cities, was evidenced in a variety of ways in the early 20th century. The Harlem Renaissance produced novelists, poets, artists, and musicians who are today considered some of the finest that America ever produced, regardless of race. That, in fact, may be the ultimate achievement of the Harlem Renaissance. Prior to this era, the representations of African Americans in American literature were that of the illiterate and inferior peasant who made his living in the soil of the cotton fields. Although the emergence of the Harlem Harlem Renaissance As a result of the movement, African Americans were able to move on to rater heights in the realm of art, experience some sense of interracial relations which they had not before and they were able to build from this arts driven movement into a full-fledged Civil Rights movement. â€Å"The major political theme of the Harlem Renaissance was the rebirth of a people, the creation of the New Negro. â€Å"[3] This use of art forms as a meaner to express, uplift and motivate still plays a major role in today's African American society.While literature has taken a back seat to hip hop and African American produced films, these art forms continue to give voice to African Americans who would otherwise be left silent. The fight for African American equality in the United States has been a slow and arduous process. One of the key steps in the progression towards equality was the Harlem Renaissance, a time of great social and creative activity among African Americans during the sass's and The Harlem Renaissance, also referred to as the Black Arts movement made significant contributions to the movement of art and literature at the time.Thus, the presence and purpose of the works were felt outside of the black community. â€Å"There is general agreement†¦ That the Harlem Renaissance is crucial to the understanding of all 20th-century American art and culture. [5] The writers, musicians and artists during this time saw their art form as a meaner of expression; an opportunity to speak out against the mistreatment and discrimination they faced. The Great Migration had recently taken place in which African Americans from the South moved up North in droves to escape Jim Crow racism, search for better employment opportunities and a new beginning.Unfortunately, when many African American arrived in the North, they were faced with many of the same racial discriminations they had faced in the South. â€Å"Social attitudes of the early 20th century forced these black folks t o settle in segregated urban housing. So, they created bustling black metropolises cities within cities. â€Å"[6] â€Å"The addition of thousands of southern blacks to these once miniscule communities was immediately accompanied by intensified levels of prejudice and discrimination against blacks, as both newcomers and long-time residents were quickly perceived by northern whites as serious competitors for Jobs and housing. [7] With the migration to a new place and the realization that there were still barriers resulting from discrimination, artistic creativity became a meaner for expression, growth and entertainment. This caused a erred of remarkable artistic and intellectual activity in New York City's African American community, leading to the Harlem Renaissance. â€Å"[8] Some argue that the Harlem Renaissance was pointless and had no immediate effects on society in terms of the betterment of African Americans. However, there was a significant change in the way African Ameri cans viewed themselves.There was a surge of pride that permeated the African American community as a result of the art that was present at that time. â€Å"†¦ The Harlem Renaissance benefited future African Americans by helping to establish black pride. Renaissance writers such as W. E. B Du Bois influenced future artists like author James Baldwin and activists like Martin Luther King, Jar. These individuals and others like them would help initiate broader social change in the sass's and However, the establishment of Black Pride did not improve the living conditions of many African Americans.This was the concern of a lot of critics and historians, as they â€Å"worry that the emphasis on a celebration of black cultural achievements overlooks the difficult living conditions of most African Americans in urban Embracing the artistic expression of the time individuals like â€Å"†¦ W. E. B. Du Bois, James Weldon Johnson, and Arthur Schoenberg, began to reflect on how cultur al activity might aid the African American community in its struggle to better its situation.In the pages of The Crisis, the magazine of the NAACP, Du Bois and novelist Jessie Faucet encouraged conversation about how creativity in the arts might contribute to a better understanding of and respect for the African American experience. â€Å"[11] The unchanged living conditions of African Americans in northern cities, some decades later, ultimately gave birth to the Hip-Hop movement. â€Å"Before the sass, there were only a handful of books by African-American tutors. At that time, most black characters in literature were written by white people.There was little authentic, or true, discussion of what it meant to be black in America. â€Å"[12] This was so even when white writers interviewed many of the emancipated slaves. Instead of telling their stories in the way it was told, many of the writers saw it as an opportunity to make light of the way they pronounced and enunciated words , which helped most readers easily miss the point of the interviews. However, â€Å"In this cultural moment black writers experienced and expressed a sense f self-worth and self-empowerment that underside all subsequent declarations of black political and aesthetic pride. [13] Longboats Hughes was â€Å"†¦ One of the leading and most famous writers and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance†¦ Known for using Jazz rhythms in his poetry and for his colorful, insightful portrayals of the lives of ordinary African-Americans. â€Å"[14] Hughes made an interesting point in his essay The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain, published in 1926 in a magazine called The Nation, which gives readers insight on the mindset of the majority of Harlem Renaissance artist. He declared, â€Å"We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame.If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly, too. The tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure does not matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain free within 5] Hughes endorsed the idea that the arts could have a positive role to play in the betterment of the black community. He insisted, however, that the work produced must embrace the whole African American and not merely mimic white standards, styles, and expectations.Much like during the Harlem Renaissance era, disenchantment with society is still expressed through movies, music, art and literature. This statement is even more relevant when we consider the Hip Hop culture of today that also expresses its disenchantment with society by using music, movies, art, literature, dress and dance. â€Å"Hip hop has rejected and now replaced the pious, sanctimonious nature of civil rights as the defining moment of Blackness. In turn, it o ffers new ways of seeing and understanding what it meaner to be Black at this pivotal time in history. 16] Although appreciative of the progress made by the Civil Rights Movement, the early Hip Hop artist viewed the obtaining of civil rights as nothing more than a bone that was pitched to blacks to keep them quiet. These artists were voicing their frustration with what they perceived to be the unfair treatment of their people. The frustrations of the early hip-hop artists can be heard in the lyrical poetry of their songs. For instance, Grandmaster Flash wrote a song called The Message, and the first verse says, â€Å"Broken glass everywhere People pissing on the stairs, you know they Just don't careI can't take the smell, I can't take the noise Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice Rats in the front room, roaches in the back Junkies in the alley with the baseball bat I tried to get away, but I couldn't get far Cause a man with a tow-truck repossessed my Another example of a rap artist speaking out on the condition of blacks and encouraging them was the song â€Å"Keep Yah Head Up† by Outpace who said, â€Å"Ahoy, I remember Marvin Gay, used to sing TA me He had me feeling like black was that thing to be And suddenly that ghetto didn't seem so tough And though we had it rough, we always had enough..While the rich kids is driving Benz I'm still trying to hold on to my surviving friends And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but please†¦ You got to keep your head up. â€Å"[18] Like the artist of the Harlem Renaissance era, the early Hip Hop artist wanted to shine a spot light on what was going on within a black community that the majority did not seem to care about. â€Å"Hip hop redefined the presence and vitality of black youth culture in the popular cultural landscape.More important, it forged new territories and spaces for African Americans to assert greater control over the shaping and reshaping of the popular culture scene . [19] In his poem â€Å"New Song† Hughes says, â€Å"l speak in the name of the black millions Awakening to action. Let all others keep silent a moment I have this word to bring, This thing to say, This song to sing: Bitter was the day When I bowed my back Beneath the slaver's whip. That day is past. When I saw my children unschooled, My young men without a voice in the world, My women taken as the body-toys Of a thieving people.That day is past. † Here we see a setting quite similar to that of the aforementioned Grandmaster Flash song. Hughes describes the past condition of African Americans. He described what e saw and goes even further as to say, no more. He makes a stance against the condition of black people and while doing so encourages a change in action and attitude. In an attempt to redefine their own culture, the Harlem Renaissance also reshaped literature and the art forms represented during the movement. Jazz is a great example of this, â€Å"†¦ New type of music called Jazz, which quickly became popular throughout the world and is recognized as the first distinctly American musical form. â€Å"[20] For the first time, African American voices were being heard throughout the nation and the world as a result of the literature that was being reduced during this time. Jean Toner's Cane was one of the first African American novels to receive mainstream recognition and acceptance from white audiences and led to the publishing of other African American novels. Hip hop has also had a worldwide effect on not only music, but culture as a whole.In telling the stories of their communities, African Americans have caught the attention of other audiences with this musical form Just as they did with Jazz and literature during the Harlem Renaissance. â€Å"As an art form, Hip Hop has reached out beyond its urban roots to gain a growing acceptance among diverse audiences. [21] There are Hip Hop a-Boy crews in, Japan, France South Korea, and th e Brainwashing, Germany. Halifax Summer, a lecturer in African American Studies at US Berkeley, was quoted saying â€Å"Hip-hop has become a global culture.It began in black and Latino American communities, but you can't go to any youth culture in any capital city on the globe today where you won't find rappers talking about their normalization using similar lyrics, similar music and similar dress. â€Å"[22] Hip hop is used for the same meaner in other countries. Thousands of organizers from Cape Town to Paris use hip-hop in their communities o address environmental Justice, policing and prisons, media Justice, and education. In Guttenberg, Sweden, nongovernmental organizations (nags) incorporate graffiti and dance to engage disaffected immigrant and working-class youths. [23] Any movement is going to have its critics. Harlem intellectuals criticized the movement but it remained popular with the working class and those that understood the meaning behind the messages. Longboats Hu ghes was criticized greatly as many professed that he focused on furthering an unfavorable image of African Americans and perpetrating stereotypes of the black race. To that criticism Hughes said, â€Å"l felt the masses of our people had as much in their lives to put into books as did those more fortunate ones who had been born with some meaner and the ability to work up to a master's degree at a Northern college.I knew only the people I had grown up with, and they weren't people whose shoes were always shined, who had been to Harvard, or who had heard of Bach. But they seemed to me good people, too. â€Å"[24] Rap music or hip hop music if you will, receives much criticism for its sometimes materialistic and sexist messages. â€Å"But rap music is only a part of the movement, and f you look beyond stereotypes, it's clear that hip-hop culture has become one of the most far-reaching arts movements of the past three decades. [25] In the last few years hip hop has been one of the h ighest grossing music forms in the world and though the elitist shove its significance, much like they did writers like Hughes during the Renaissance movement, hip hop music has transformed into a culture beyond the music playing on the radio. â€Å"Hip-hop matters, quite simply, because it is the voice of the streets. And that remains true today, regardless of whether it's the poor youth in the suburbs of Paris or indigenous people fighting for heir dignity in Colombia.Hip-hop has connected with the powerless in a way that no one could have predicted or, now, can control. â€Å"[26] Hip hop is a style of dress, a style of dancing and walking, a form of music and even language. â€Å"Although â€Å"hip-hop† is generally used as a referent to urban music that replaces singing with poetical prose, it has emerged as a framework of understanding youth culture between 1979 and 2010. The common activities of hip-hop include Digging, Rapping, Dancing, and Graffiti art. Those cult ural activities have opened the doors for political thinking and cultural behaviors that can be considered ‘hip-hop'. 27] And though hip hop started as a form of music used by African Americans as a meaner of expression, it is no longer defined by race or made up of only African Americans. In fact Just a few years ago Black Entertainment Television named Mine, a Caucasian rapper, as the number one rap artist for that year. This simply shows the grave impact that hip hop has had on culture. The same way white America was drawn into the music, literature and art of the Renaissance movement, Just about all cultures have embraced hip hop, its music and culture. The cosmopolitan nature of hip-hop includes people from backgrounds there than Black American and makes it clear that in hip-hop, one's kin are not Just those related by blood, but those related by experience. This is particularly the case if the shared experience is of oppression at the hands of the same institutions and t he same political and social economies that exclude a particular set of people from fully participating in the activities within a particular social Race alone does not bring people together in a movement, experiences and even trends do. †¦ It's not just working-class whites, but also affluent, suburban kids who identify with this USIA with African-American roots. A white 16-year-old hollering rap lyrics at the top of his lungs from the driver's seat of his dad's late-model Lexus may not have the same rationale to howl at the moon as a working-class kid whose parent's can't pay for college, yet his own anguish is as real to him as it gets. What attracts white kids to this music is the same thing that prompted outraged congressmen to decry Jazz during the sass†¦ Fife on the other side of the tracks; its â€Å"cool† or illicit factor, which black Americans, like it or not, are always perceived to possess. â€Å"[29] Africa Bumboat is credited with having started or f ounded hip hop by some and even he saw that it could evoke into a movement. Having visited Africa he began to take on the idea of fighting with love not war and in doing so wanted to bring forth a meaner of social change. â€Å"Bumboat had this vision of hip-hop as a force for social change.He had the history and street credibility to make this narrative acceptable to even the hardest of hard-heads He was the guy who articulated that hip-hop could be a cultural movement. † [30] From its inception, hip hop was positioned to be more than Just music. Similarly, with the Great Migration that had Just transpired and the seeking of employment and a break from the chains of Jim Crow, a movement of sorts was definitely on the horizon. While Hip Hop may have started on a small street corner in Bronx, New York, the impact of those humble beginnings were eventually felt globally.For instance, at a local mall one might observe hip hop dress; a Hip Hop culture that has impacted not only t he ghetto street kid in the hood, but also the kids living in suburban and rural areas alike. At a car dealership, one might see that the cars on the showroom floor re outfitted with 20+ inch rims, a major part of Hip Hop culture. Like it or not, Hip Hop is here to stay. However, had it not been for movements like the Harlem Renaissance, other movements like: the Civil Right Movement, Black Pride Movement, and today's Hip Hop Movement would have never existed.For the movement taught blacks, and those that experience oppression of any sorts, to believe in themselves, and to see themselves not as inferior, but equal to. It is often under the subjection of great stress that movements are born. Those that traveled North during the Great Migration had every opportunity to fold and give p, but they didn't. Instead they decided to use whatever talents and gifts they had to create movements like the Harlem Renaissance, which defied the odds and finally gave black people a voice in a sea of white voices.It provided an avenue for African Americans to pick themselves up notwithstanding the discrimination they had to face on a daily basis from those in society. As a result of the Harlem Renaissance, African Americans were able to move on to greater heights in the realm of art, ultimately giving birth to today's Hip Hop culture. Bibliography â€Å"A Walk Through Harlem. † Scholastic Scope (February 2010). Bailey, Cat. Noises of the Harlem Renaissance. † Scholastic Scope 51 no (February 2003): 14. Barron, Desman. 1995. â€Å"Longboats Hughes: ‘The negro artists and the racial mountains. ‘. † World & 1 10, no. : 410. Boyd, Robert L. â€Å"The Northern ‘Black Metropolis' of the Early Twentieth Century: A Reappraisal. † Sociological Inquiry 81, no. 1 (February 2011): 88-109. Brown, Bryan. â€Å"Hip-hop as a resource for understanding the urban context. † Cultural Studies Of Science Education 5, no. 2 None 2010): 521-524. Education Research Complete, Obscenest (accessed September 24, 2012). Change, Jeff. â€Å"IT'S A Hip-Hop World. Foreign Policy no. 163 (November 2007): 58. Masterful Premier, Obscenest (accessed September 24, 2012). Ending, C. (2010). Science education for the hip-hop generation. Harlem Renaissance And what exactly was this â€Å"thing† called the Harlem Renaissance? Those are some of the questions that I am precisely going to answer here†¦ World War I started the Harlem Renaissance in the year 1916 and continued throughout the sass's. This movement known as the Harlem Renaissance could also be called â€Å"The Great Migration† since millions of African Americans who were tired and extremely fed up with all the racism against them, settled in New York, specifically in the neighbor of Harlem.Soon, after all these African Americans grated, Harlem was filled with life, as in creativity; the air was filled with it. Harlem was the place to be for any African American who wanted to get out of the life of discrimination they had, and have a new life filled with freedom of expression. Training in the arts was provided in Harlem; for instance being trained artistically, musically and also being trained to express their literary talents as well. All of these components gave birth to what is known as the Harlem Renaissance.In addition, the Harlem Renaissance wasn't only a rebellious movement against the whites at the mime, it was also a literary movement, a literary movement that kicked off in a dinner on March 21, 1924. Various types of writers, either white or black united in this historical dinner. Organizations such as the National Urban League and the Advancement of Colored People were responsible for publishing Journals of what it was like being â€Å"black in a white dominated world† – (McDougal Little Literature, Grade 11, pig. 830); these Journals were written by Counter Culled, Zorn Neal Hurst and Longboats Hughes.These writers also expressed what it was like being called the â€Å"new negro†, well educated African Americans with strong racial pride. As a matter of fact, strings were pulled so that the anthology of â€Å"The New Negro† could be published in 1925. Another writer like Jean Toomey was more driven in exploring his own identity rather than African American themselves. Even though these writers had different points of views towards the Harlem Renaissance they all shared the same honor and pride for who they were, the New Negroes ? well educated African Americans with throng racial pride.Regardless of all the progress the members of the Harlem Renaissance had gained, it all came to an end when the economy dropped because of the Great Depression. Due to the pitiful economy, the writers of this time had to go elsewhere to find other Jobs that would be able to sustain their families. Even though this happened and the Harlem Renaissance came to an end, this was Just the beginning for African American writers everywhere. In conclusion, the Harlem Renaissance was not only a historical movement that World War I began and theGreat Depression ended. It wasn't Just a way for artist and writers to rebel against the whites. It was more than that. It was a way a way of individual expression , and finally being able to have honor and pride of where they came from and who they were. Although the Harlem Renaissance only lasted a little more than 20 years, it was an end to that particular movement but the beginning of African American writers standing up for their culture and heritage trough music, art and writing all around the world. Harlem renaissance American artists moved to Paris or spent considerable time there rather than endure the racism and segregation in America. In Paris they could be free to eat in any restaurant they chose, and were treated well. After fleeing segregation in America where African Americans couldn't stay in the same hotels or eat in the same restaurants as whites, Josephine felt well at home in this vibrant city. World War II Hero During World War II, Josephine served with the French Red Cross and was an active ember of the French resistance movement.The French Resistance was a group of individuals who helped to win the war against the German Nazis enemy with undercover work. Using her career as a cover Baker became an intelligence agent, carrying secret messages written in invisible ink on her sheet music. She was awarded honor of the Choir De Gruyere, and received a Medal of the Resistance in 1946. In 1961 she received the highest French honor, the Legion denouncer from French president Charles degaus sed.A Force in the Civil Rights Movement When Josephine later returned to America to perform, she always insisted that the theaters not be segregated. At that time, African-Americans were told that they could only sit in certain sections of the theatre, away from whites. They also had to sit in the back seats of public transportation, could not eat in the same restaurants, or frequent the same stores and other public venues. In the sass, Baker traveled around the United States giving speeches in support of the civil rights movement, which was campaigning for equal rights for African Americans.After World War II, Josephine began to adopt children from all over the world, calling them her â€Å"Rainbow Tribe. † She saw her Rainbow Tribe as evidence that people of all colors and races could live together in peace and harmony. She adopted 12 children in all. Josephine and the Rainbow Tribe lived in a large castle in southwestern France. Josephine Baker made several movies, numero us recordings, and performed on stage until she was in her late ass. Harlem Renaissance The Effects of the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance continues to be the most momentous artistic movement in American history. The renaissance helped to form an awareness of characteristics for African-Americans. The Harlem Renaissance is best recalled today as an outburst of creativity overflowing from talented African-Americans in the sass.The creative minds behind the Harlem Renaissance used artistic expressions to make an important effect on all features of society, while also providing African-American with heir first sense of while not being to slavery. Lain Locke said it best, â€Å"In the very process of being transplanted, the Negro is becoming transformed (Locke 6). In the early 20th century, African-Americans escaped the economic deficiency of the South and migrated northern and urban cities, mostly New York, in an anxious attempt to find good Jobs and economic safety and also searching for a more racially open- minded society.This collective desire to help each o ther was an element in changing the movement into one that embraced all the fine arts; it was also essential in evolving the Harlem Renaissance into a search for a new identity for a deprived ethnic group that is constantly being reminded of slavery. The Harlem Renaissance rapidly became Just as important for the way in which is gave African-Americans a real culture and a pride in acknowledging and embracing that culture.The intellectuals contributed to the significance of the Harlem Renaissance by understanding and contributing to its purpose in defining positive role models for blacks. In fact, the movement essentially created the idea of the black intellectual for both Americans and Europeans. Some of the artists' contributions are actually still valuable today Just as they were back then. James Weldon Johnson is an iconic symbol in the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance as a writer and also an editor.He had written the controversial Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man in and had also edited The Book of American Negro Poetry. This collection showcased several of the Renaissances most talented poets, including a man who would go on to become a giant in the literary world, Longboats Hughes. Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the most primitive innovators of the then-new literary art form called Jazz poetry. He is highly recognized in the Harlem Renaissance period.He famously wrote about the period that â€Å"the negro was in vogue† which was later paraphrased as â€Å"when Harlem was in vogue†. Zorn Neal Hurst published a literary magazine that crumpled almost immediately because of problems raising money, but was influential, however. Hurst later on accomplished immortality with her book Their Eyes were Watching God. Literature was not the only art that defined the Harlem Renaissance. In fact, the music of the period may have been more influential in defining the identity of the comm on African-American than the literary accomplishments.The music turn into a background music for the age, while also providing motivation to the literary adventures of poets and dramatists. Jazz exploded into the arena of respectability and characterized for many whites the embodiment of the urban lifestyle. The leading Jazz performers were Bessie Smith, Duke Elongating, Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. Harlem Renaissance can be seen as a challenge to fuse imaginative meaner o produce an identity of artistic expression.The most long-lasting effect of the Harlem Renaissance may have been the one that is endorsed upon the education of African-Americans. The vital importance of education, but it was also one which saw a huge growth in the importance and availability of high education. Since the realities of the racial division in America was at work either subliminally or obviously in closely every work of literature produced during this period, the Harlem Renaissance is acknowledged for constructing an aggressiveness borne by that search of knowledge.Any time an ethnic group is exposed to education at a level they've been denied, it can be expected that certain people will recognize the political feature of the denial of that education. There was a beginning mindfulness among African Americans across America that promises made had not been kept from reconstruction through World War l. Many of the intellectuals of the movement insisted that discrimination of this type should be confronted and overcome. During the Harlem Renaissance, African-Americans for the first time had a real reason to experience pride and rejoice in their identity.Harlem became the center of a â€Å"spiritual coming of age† in which Lockers â€Å"New Negro' transformed â€Å"social disillusionment to race pride† (Fonder, 2009). Out of Harlem came works of literary, musical and fine arts that spoke to the contribution of African-Americans, and forced the white power arrangeme nt to recognize their contributions. The Harlem Renaissance produced novelists, poets, artists and musicians who are today considered some of the finest that America ever produced, who were mostly blacks. That is the ultimate achievement of the Harlem Renaissance. The HarlemRenaissance should be acknowledged for its contribution to changing the self- perception of blacks in America; a rise in self-esteem that would in the long run transform into the Civil Rights Movement and also changed the identity of America. Works Cited Fonder, Eric. â€Å"Harlem Renaissance†. The Harlem Renaissance. (2009). Web. 24 Feb.. 2014. Huggins, Nathan. Harlem Renaissance. Oxford University Press, 2007. Hutchinson, George. â€Å"Harlem Renaissance. † Harlem Renaissance. (2013). Web. 24 Feb.. 2014. Locke, Lain Leroy. The New Negro. Touchstone, 1999. Tate, Eleanor. Celesta's Harlem Renaissance. Little Brown and CO, 2009. Harlem Renaissance Jonathan Validates The Harlem Renaissance: An era of Social Change Thesis: The sass's Harlem Renaissance was an era that provided an opportunity of literary and artistic advancement for African Americans. The movement also reached social thought of sociology, and philosophy. Writers like Longboats Hughes and Counted Sullen promoted social equality through obscure themes and morals expressed in their writings. With its origins in Harlem, New York the renaissance affected the United States through literature, drama, music, visual art, and dance.At this time African Americans began to form themselves an identity and individual ultra for progress. Argument l: Problems that led to the Harlem Renaissance: During this time period the American government was making political changes to the constitution. Creating and enacting laws that promoted social welfare and public awareness. Some of these key political changes were: the 13th (Abolition of slavery), 14th (Citizenship status and rights), and the 1 5th amendment (Right to vote without racial discrimination) to the constitution.Other changes include the hardships and brutality of the south, The Great Migration from 1910-1930, as well as the US. ‘ Entrance to WWW. And lastly the origin of the Harlem Renaissance, and introduction to key activists. -Analysis of quotes for the political change of this time period. -Brief description of The Great migration and analysis of quotes directed toward the living conditions of 1910-1930 – Harlem, midtown Manhattan, New York -e. G. Lain Locke, Longboats Hughes, and Counted Sullen -The â€Å"new negro' and social advancement for African Americans. * To be completed in two paragraphs. Source: 1. Schwartz, A. B. Christi. Gay Voices of the Harlem Renaissance. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, c. 2003 2. Woods, Gregory. A History of Gay Literature: The Male Tradition. Yale University Press, c. 1998 Argument II: Introduction to Gay activist Ideals, Cultural changes, Ke y activists leaders: During this time idealist leaders like W. E. B Dubious, Alleluia Walker, Claude McKay, and Longboats Hughes expressed themselves and their beliefs through actions and through pieces of writing.Another topic for discussion is the cultural change and impact the Harlem Renaissance had in the US. The Harlem Renaissance had cultural changes in which music went from classical to something more lively, sparking the ewe Jazz Age. Political change in which African Americans began to hold public office, enactment of laws that benefited all citizens of the US. Throughout the Harlem Renaissance period, roughly African American lesbians and gay men were meeting each other.Creating a complex network of social structure within the gay community. Some were discreet about their sexual identities; others open about their feelings. – Introduction and detailed analysis of â€Å"queer theory' and its effects to the African American population during the Harlem Renaissance. - Explore movements and activists events that promoted acceptance and social equality. -Introduce key activists and ideals of social well being for the gay community during the Harlem Renaissance. Explore and analyze political policies that promoted discrimination and segregation of the gay population of the Harlem Renaissance. -Develop a coherent analysis of events that promoted tolerance and colonization throughout the gay community during this time period. -*To be completed in a minimum of two paragraphs. Source: 1 . Sedgwick, Eve Kickoffs. Epistemology of the Closet. Berkeley: University of California Press, cache Argument 3: Influences for Progress: Now explore and analyze which ideals have maintained strength throughout the 21st century.Examine which activist had the most impact and how it has affected us today. As well as explore political policies today, that outlaw discrimination and promote well being for the gay community of the 21st century. Conclusion: How did the Harlem Renaissance help influence progress today? Harlem Renaissance was an era of advancement and progress for the black gay community of the sass's. These ideas helped shape our ideas today. This also helped society today promote equality and tolerance today. Harlem Renaissance This website told all the basic information of Jessie personal and work life. The author took information from various documents and talked about the deferent Interviews discussing Jessie. Martin Included all the sources all the deferent websites he used for information which helped me because I went on It com/online-plagiarism-checker/">to check all the facts. The web document also Included all the works of Jessie Faucet Including poems, articles, and novels.Sinai, Salaam. â€Å"Jessie Redmond Faucet. † 1st Period's Harlem Renaissance poet page. N. P. , 18 2012. Web. 18 DCE 2012.. This website was a great website because It had a lot of Information. The author also Included some of Jessie Faucet's poems and went on to write about her personal life. Simian Sinai tells about Jessie point of view as she says Jessie says she saw the good and the bad side of people. The analysis was the author's point of view on how she thinks Jessie thought and wrote her novels and poems.Handwrit ing, Mary. â€Å"Faucet, Jessie 1882-1961 Contemporary Black Biography. 1994. Encyclopedia. Com. 18 DCE. 2012 . This website helped me because it had a lot of things I did not receive from other websites. Such as quotes and facts about Jessie Faucet , such as she was taught Latin and died two years after the death of her husband. This website is very easily readable and is highly recommended for information on basic topics. I also found out that Jessie was the seventh child and her mother soon died after having her.Her dad hen went on to marry someone who also had three kids, so she had a very large family. Basking, Andrew, and Crystal D. Thomas. â€Å"Faucet,Jessie R. (1882-1961). † Blacklist. Org Remembered and Reclaimed. An Online Reference Guide to African American History. Web. 18 DCE 2012. This website gave me a lot of facts that other websites didn't. A fact such as Jessie was known as the â€Å"Midwife of the Harlem Renaissance. † Though there were two authors , I personally didn't think they give much information but they gave me enough for me to finish this project.I also found out from this website that Jessie died three years after her husband died. She died three days after her birthday. THREE By loveformusic257 author took information from various documents and talked about the different interviews discussing Jessie. Martin included all the sources all the different websites he used for information which helped me because I went on it to check all the facts. The web document also included all the works of Jessie Faucet including poems, articles, and novels.Sinai, Simian. â€Å"Jessie Redmond Faucet. † 1st Period's Harlem This website was a great website because it had a lot of information. The author also included some of Jessie Faucet's poems and went on to write about her personal â€Å"Faucet, Jessie 1882-1961 . † Contemporary Black Biography. Family. Basking, Andrew, and Crystal D. Thomas. â€Å"Faucet, Jessie R. That other websites didn't. A fact such as Jessie was known as the â€Å"Midwife of the Harlem Renaissance. † Though there were two authors, I personally didn't think they

Cross Cultural Issues Between China and Usa

Tourism and hospitality industry is a large industry where cross cultural incidents are always an issue. A comparative study between Chinese and American culture will be made in social and business context followed by a theoretical approach using cultural dimensions to explain the differences among the cultures. The results will be used to suggest and recommend methods to overcome cultural conflicts and tensions Contents 1. 0Background2 2. 0Introduction3 3. 0Cultural awareness for tourism and hospitality4 4. 0 Background on China and United States of America6 5. Difference in social behaviour: Chinese and American Culture7 6. 0Difference in business behaviour: Chinese and American Culture10 7. 0Impacts on tourism and hospitality industry12 8. 0Conclusion13 References14 1. 0 Background The evolution of mankind since prehistoric ages has led to the diversity of people and how people live their lives in the 21st century. The existence of different human race and different environment is the reason why people are so different from one another. Their external environments mould them into what they have become as of today. The ongoing development and recollection of customs which a community conditions themselves into their lives and passing on to the next generation is culture. Culture is whereby a community, regardless of its size shares a way of life where they are associated together with common and distinctive characteristics, beliefs and activities (THE 101 PowerPoint Lecture 2 2011). On the other hand, Hofstede defined culture as the â€Å"collective mental programming of the human spirit that allows us to distinguish the members of one category in comparison with the members of another category† (Hofstede 2011). The basic element which makes up culture are such as history, religion, values, social organizations and language (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel 2008). The mentioned elements are portrayed by means of language, food, buildings, houses, monuments, agriculture, shrines, market, fashions and art (Trompenaars 1997) The presence of massive amount of different culture suggests for the need of the study of cross cultural communications in order to understand and overcome cultural differences. The socialization of people is different and their perceptions are not necessarily in synch, therefore it is inevitable that there will be misinterpretation of other’s culture and behaviour (Cushner & Brislin 1996). With the developments of new technology and information systems, the evolving populations and the rapid movement toward a global economy, â€Å"no nation, group, or culture can remain aloof or autonomous. † (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel 2008). 2. Introduction The tourism and hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and is expanding rapidly. The nature of this industry is considered to be one of the industries that has a direct relationship with cross cultural issues. This is because tourism and hospitality business involves the interaction of variety of people from different background where incidents of culture shock or misinterpretation of behaviours will happen. Cross cultural issue is an incident where two or more people of different culture meet, interact and results in a conflict of a certain degree. In order to avoid, resolve or improve the conflict, once has to anticipate and adapt to cultural differences by understanding them. Only then, it would be profitable to the whole business and reputation of a certain establishment. The world’s economic power house: China and United States of America. The mentioned countries are two of the most influential nations which have the ability to change the world. China has a very distinctive culture as they are one of the oldest civilisations compared to USA which is one of the youngest civilizations which promotes multiculturalism. China and USA were chosen as the main subject of discussion. Tourism and Hospitality industry is phenomenal in these two countries and it is interesting to have an insight on how people from both countries work hand in hand to seal a deal or complete a task despite their uncertain perceptions on each other. Social behaviour and business tiquettes between Chinese and Americans are very different and often will offend each other. The cultural dimensions of Hofstede and Trompenaars will be applied to evaluate the cultural difference between Chinese and Americans in later part of the discussion. These theories allow managers or relevant users to identify and rectify the problems that might have arisen due to a cultural clash. 3. 0Cultural awareness for tourism and hospitality The tourism and hospitality industry is ex pected to have a rise of 4. 2% in GDP per year which is estimated to reach US$9. trillion by 2021. On top of that, statistics shows that â€Å"10% of the worker on the planet will be employed in Travel & Tourism and related sectors† (WTTC 2011 cited in LesRoches 2011). The world is ever-changing and globalization is taking place. Globalization is a worldwide integration and development of nations whereby all nations share a certain element in common. For instance, English is the most widely used language in the world where English is actually not the mother tongue for more than half of the world’s population. Nations are working together to produce a better tomorrow. However, it is also debated that globalization has led to the loss of individual cultural identities. Giles & Middleton (2008:149) state that global tourism is not only about the economics of a worldwide industry but it involves â€Å"us in issues of identity and difference, representation, ‘heritage’ and history, and the transformation of geographical places into meaningful places. Tourism and hospitality industry as mentioned earlier on has direct contact with people from other cultures and they can be described as ‘crucial encounters† because the effectiveness of engagement and interaction between two cultures could determine whether the industry is going to be successful or not (Fitzgerald 2002). Therefore, the understanding of cultural difference is important in this aspect. Tourism and hospitality industry employed its human resources from all over the world to cater to the demand of answering the questions of cross cultural issues and cultural diversity. This phenomenon is most evident in international chains of luxury hotels where the workforce consists of a diverse population of people. For instance, majority of the guest relations officers in five star hotels are from different countries. This is to allow foreign guests to feel more comfortable and at ease because they are meeting someone of the same culture and speak the same language and is someone whom they can rely on during their stay. This greatly reduces the guest’s feeling of anxiety and distress while visiting a place that is foreign to them. This is especially true for Chinese and Japanese people where they took pride in their language and barely speaks a second language. From making a room reservation in Finland from India to flying across the globe from Chile to Africa, the industry is constantly bombarded by inquiries of different nature from each and every corner of the world. This raises the challenges of managing cultural diversity; internally and externally. The industry itself has a culturally diverse workforce which is employed to serve culturally diverse customers. In order to effectively manage cultural diversity, it is a demanding task for managers within the industry. It is a life-long learning process for an individual to negotiate his way through the complexity of cultural diversity in the world of work, community and in global contexts (Devine, Baum & Hearns 2009). Therefore it is imperative that the industry need to address to the need of understanding and learning the importance of cultural differences in everyday needs. People who are involved in the tourism and hospitality industry need to be able to access to resources such as academic materials or formal/informal training which allow them to widen their perceptions of the relationship between social and cultural theory â€Å"(cultural difference, ethnicity, nationalism, cultural identity, cultural taboos, cultural shock, cultures colliding, equality and diversity)† and uses the theory and effectively apply to practice (Devine, Baum & Hearns 2009). 4. 0 Background on China and United States of America China or known as People’s Republic of China is a huge nation located in mid Asia with a staggering population of 1. 2 billion which accounts for 20% of the earth’s population (Fitzgerald, 2002). China is divided into twenty two provinces, five autonomous regions, three municipalities and Beijing as the capital city (Morrison & Conaway 2006). The predominant religion is Buddhism and language spoken is Mandarin. United States of America is federal democratic republic that has an approximate population of 260 million. It is divided into forty eight contiguous states with Washington D. C as its capital. The people in China referred as Chinese and Americans the case of United States of America. Both countries boast a rich history and cultural background that led to their success at present. China and USA shares a unique symbiotic relationship where the factors which affect this relationship are economic, strategic, diplomatic and cultural elements (Zhu 2002). There has been a dilemma regarding USA regard China as its partner or enemy. Chinese culture has been evolving until present since 4000 years ago as recorded in history of mankind. Undoubtedly, it shows that Chinese culture is very distinctive and unique compared to the American culture. American culture has more diversity in terms of its culture or in another word, multiculturalism. The population in United States of America is a melting pot of various ethnic groups with large minority of Asians, Afro-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans . There is no mainstream culture that dominates USA but it is a lot similar to the other English speaking dominant countries (Fitzgerald, 2002). 5. Difference in social behaviour: Chinese and American Culture In general, the initial thought of an individual when it comes to Chinese food culture is probably going to be the consumption of dog meat which is considered to be a barbaric act according to a lot of cultures. On the other hand, when it comes to American culture, the initial thought would pretty much be fast food and obesity. In terms of general behaviour, Chinese are generally considered to be loud, rude and impat ient and on the opposite aspect, an American behaves suavely and politely. Hooker argued that according to a westerner, India on the upfront looks alien but within the culture, it has a considerable amount of cultural ties with western culture. On the other hand, China may seem to be quite similar on the upfront, but he found out that the Chinese culture is alien to him (Hooker, 2003). The culture in United States of America can be classified as western culture where it focuses on internalized universalizing rationality. Meanwhile, in Chinese culture, the Confucian culture is predominantly instilled within the Chinese (Hooker, 2003). Confucianism is a philosophy which was developed by famous Chinese scholar named Confucius 2,000 years ago. He developed a rigid ethical and moral system that governs all relationships and emphasised that family is the basic unit of a society city (Morrison & Conaway 2006). The Chinese culture also put a lot of emphasis on filial piety which is the utmost care and attention dedicated to one’s parents regardless of any circumstances. Moreover, they pay a significant attention towards their extended families. In USA, where the ideals are concentrated on Puritanism, liberalism, individualism and republicanism, they put less emphasis on the family while concentrating more on individual developments and rights. From this difference, the cultural dimensions formulated by Professor Hofstede which states the differences is the notion of individualism versus collectivism. LEGENDS PDI: Power Distance IDV: Individualism MAS: Masculinity UAI: Uncertainty Avoidance LTO: Long term orientation LEGENDS PDI: Power Distance IDV: Individualism MAS: Masculinity UAI: Uncertainty Avoidance LTO: Long term orientation Figure 1 Difference in cultural dimensions between China and United States of America (ITIM 2009) Figure 1 Difference in cultural dimensions between China and United States of America (ITIM 2009) The model above shows the level of individualism of both countries. It is evident that there is a huge gap between USA and China which indeed proves that the general assumptions of the cultures and the scientific research coincide with each other. In an individualistic society (USA), people tend to take more interest in individualistic matters compared to a group. China has a high low score in individualism as they considered themselves to be collectivist, focusing on group activities and cherish social ties. Trompenaars’ culture dimensions of individualism versus communitarianism can also be used to explain the difference in social behaviour. Therefore children tend to depend on their parents more even until adulthood. Even when a child grew up to become an adult and is making contribution to the society, he or she will still remain faithful to the parents. In American culture, a person over the age of 18 is seen as an adult and is expected to be able to release from their parents and fend for themselves. Another social behaviour that is worth to look at is the short term orientation and the long term orientation. Culture that exhibits long term orientation tends to be oriented towards the future. As seen from the model above, China is clearly a country with high score for dimensions of long-term orientation compared to USA. This means that in general, Chinese people think more into the future than Americans do. For example, Chinese people favour large savings and money for investments as they feel secure if they have it. They do not see leisure time as important as Americans did where younger Americans or working Americas focuses on going to parties and spent what they earned to enjoy life as much as they can which is different from the Chinese culture. Therefore, if an American would like to invite a Chinese to a party, a typical Chinese may have to consider. â€Å"Do I have to go? Should I spend the money on more useful items instead of parties? Even though the model does not show a big difference in terms of masculinity and femininity, the Chinese mind still favours male over female. In the history of Chinese culture, male is regarded as more superior to female in the past where it has change dramatically after the government structure changes into a republican constitution. Even though women are purported to have the same status as men but in terms of economic and social inequalities, women are still at a disadvantage. This phenomenon could be easily identified in the case of favouritism of a baby boy rather than a girl when giving birth. This is mainly due to the ‘one child policy’ adopted by the Chinese government to prevent the country from being over-populated (Morrison & Conaway 2006). 6. 0Difference in business behaviour: Chinese and American Culture China and United States of America is the economic powerhouse of the world. Both countries have been cooperating with each other ever since the world war ended. At present, USA has huge debt to China that creates a weird tension between both countries. However, they have constantly and mutually helped each other at difficult times. When it comes to business term, both cultures stand at very different position. Hofstede’s cultural dimension on power distance is the degree of accepting the fact that power is distributed unequally. The model suggests that power distance in China is much higher compared to USA. Hierarchy in China is seen as a normal phenomenon where age and titles are very well respected. An American company representative will have to acknowledge this aspect if he wants to seal a deal with a Chinese company. Given that American culture focuses on equality, and they may have been used to the business culture back in the states where opinions and disagreement could be expressed to superiors, it will be very wrong to do the same to a typical Chinese as they regard it as intrusion of power, Trompenaars’ theory of specific versus diffuse can also be used to explain the difference in the business setting between a Chinese and American. In a specific oriented culture, the â€Å"work relationship is insulated from other dealings. † (THE101 PowerPoint Lecture 7 2011). This means that in an organisation or business dealing, work and private life relationships are distinctively separated from each other. This will create a fair working environment where bias and prejudice are eliminated to the minimum. This is true in the business culture of an American. In Chinese culture, a subordinate may have developed a special relationship with their superior. The superior may have a significant status to the subordinate. This is known as a diffuse culture and China is part of it. â€Å"Guan Xi† is regarded as very important in Chinese culture. â€Å"Guan Xi† literally means relationships. In another term, it is networking. Often, Chinese try their best to network as much as possible with potential clients or bosses in order to secure a benefit in the future such as a better position in working environment or favouritism. This ideal may seemed far-fetched to USA which emphasised on equal opportunities of work, but in Chinese culture it is regarded as normal and essential. Negotiation is an important part of a business deal. In order for an American to partner together for a business purpose, there is a need to understand a general business practice from both culture perspectives to attain a win-win situation. Business deal is done very quickly and do not need many meetings to agree on a deal. These are mostly done prior to the meeting and one can expect an American to bring the final contract to the first meeting. In the case of a Chinese, it is completely different. Chinese will drag negotiations until the very end to gain an advantage. Chinese are very careful when it comes to business matters and they expect to establish a positive relationship between themselves (Morrison & Conaway 2006). Trompenaars investigated into cultural dimensions of sequential versus synchronic. In a sequential oriented society, schedule of a person is very tight, regard time as money and is very systematic. In the scenario of negotiation, a typical American business man is most like to desire a quick negotiation as they are often impatient. On the contrary, Chinese is synchronic oriented where they value time less tends to negotiate slowly as their notion is â€Å"slow and steady wins the race†. Hierarchy is respected in the Chinese culture. In a business context, it is normal to expect to make business presentations to many different groups at different levels. As mentioned earlier in the model of Hofstede’s cultural dimentions, the power distance in China is far greater than USA and explains this particular situation. 7. 0Impacts on tourism and hospitality industry Notable international American hotel chains such as Marriott, Ritz Carlton, and Accor have numerous properties around the world and especially in China. However, with such a big portfolio of hotels how do the companies manage the impacts of cultural diversity within their establishments? The companies have actually developed their own culture where employees of the company are expected to honour it. They are such as the philosophy and mission statement of a company. For example, one of the manifesto of Shangri-la Hotels for their employee is â€Å"We are family†. This suggests to the employee that all members of Shangri-la are treated as family and there is no segregation of rights which is related to Hofstede’s power distance. The development of company culture is an effective method in addressing cross cultural issues within the workforce. American tourism and hospitality companies have a lot of expansion projects going on in China as china is becoming the superpower of the 21st century. The cultural difference between Chinese culture and American culture is huge. In order for American companies to sustain in the Chinese market, the American companies will not be able to complete infused the typical American culture into establishment in China. Both parties will have to find a solution that they agree to each other. In the context of an American who is on a business trip to China, if the relevant employees know a lot about American culture, he will: * Make sure everything (room, transportation and etc. ) has been prepared for him before arrival as Americans are always in a hurry and want to accomplish task as soon and as effective as possible. (sequential versus synchronic) * Make sure a range of technological products are readily available to them if they need it. (General business practices of an American) 8. 0Conclusion Culture has been changing and evolving with the flow of time. Understanding cultural difference is crucial in the 21st century when doing business or socialising with people. Humans are conditioned to their own culture for too long and may be subjected to culture shock when they are bombarded by abnormal cultures not of their own. The growth of the tourism and hospitality industry is evident and relevant agencies working in this industry will have to learn and understand cultural differences to contribute to a better industry. The culture of China and United States of America are very different. In social context, the Chinese culture differs very greatly from Americans in terms of its power distance, short and long term orientation and individualism according to Hofstede’s theories of cultural dimensions. In business context, the difference in between the two culture are more accessed by Trompernaars’s theories of specific versus diffuse and sequential versus synchronic. The cross cultural issue between Chinese and Americans has an impact towards the tourism and hospitality industry whereby both parties will have to compromise with each other to

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