Yamamoto Recording Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Yamamoto Recording Media - Essay Example Under the manufacturing department, capacity constraint combined with scheduled preventive maintenance and other unforeseen factors such as the absence of necessary raw materials can make the production department unable to meet its target schedule (Collins 7). Lack of support from manufacturing staff can also make it impossible for Fazer to meet his plan of cutting down the order-to-delivery cycle (9). With regards to its distribution network, shipping the final product to Yamato Logistics Europe (YLE) for warehousing and dispatching purposes can only add unnecessary expenses to the company. Therefore, YLE staff should be supportive of Fazan’s plan to change its role from warehousing and dispatching to a more responsive logistics and distribution hub in Europe (Collins 10). As a common business practice, the NSC department was made responsible in getting orders directly from customers or retailers which then will be submitted to P/S department for order scheduling and forecast (Collins 7, 9). Because of added work load, NSC staff has been skeptical to change the ordering plan from monthly period to weekly basis (9). On the other hand, unreliable demand forecast coming from the P/S department can also trigger some problems in the company’s inventory level and the company’s ability to fill the market demand (7). In product life cycle, manufacturing companies such as the case of Yamamoto should avoid products that are obsolete because of high levels of inventory.

Influenza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Influenza - Essay Example The disease attacks the respiratory system, is spread by inhaling droplets and these droplets are spread when an infected, contagious person sneezes and/or contaminated hands and/or surfaces are touched and then the virus gains entry into the body. The disease has a 1-2 day incubation period and symptoms displayed can include the following: â€Å"†¦ malaise, myalgia †¦ fever lasting a few days and respiratory symptoms of varied intensity† (Kuszewski & Brydak, 2000, 188). Some of the complications that can develop from contracting the disease are myocardial infections or pneumonia (Kuszewski & Brydak, 2000, 189). Individuals with low immune systems, the young and the old, are particularly susceptible to the disease. Epidemiologically, an influenza outbreak occurs when there are higher than normal levels of infected persons, a low rate of mortality and very few complications. In a pandemic situation, the death rate is quite high and there are numerous complications and , sometimes, depending on the severity of the pandemic, there are short and long-term effects on an economy.The Centres for Disease Control define the social determinants of health as â€Å"†¦the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, as well as the systems put in place to deal with illness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The CDC further notes that the above circumstances are strongly influenced by â€Å"†¦economics, social policies, and politics†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (CDC, 2014). In other words, the disease does not occur in isolation but is influenced by the manner in which individuals live.

Change and Modernization Essay Example for Free

Change and Modernization Essay The Industrial Revolution has had a tremendous impact on the whole world. But because of its British origin the people living on the island bore most of the hardships and went through the quickest and most radical change out off all the people affected by this movement. The beginning of the movement can be traced to 1750 and continued through to about 1870. Although Britain was the epicenter of this change not many countries were unaffected by this. It may be argued that the reason the Industrial Revolution spanned a period of 120 years was due to it transforming a large-scale culture as opposed to a quicker change in a small-scale Arembepe like culture. Subsequent to the revolution, agricultural growth took a backseat to technological innovations and mass production. Society changed in a very short time from an agrarian and relatively self-sufficient society to an industrial and consumption driven one. As a result, this gave rise to Capitalism, as well as, Marxism because a revolution of this sort pitted the people with little access to resources against the wealthy factory managers and owners. Associated with this progress is also religion, which played an integral part in the shaping of the revolution and its progress. The industrial revolution forever changed the face of the modern world. The modernization and change that was brought upon by this revolution improved lives and at the same time disregarded the basic principles of humane treatment. All of this was achieved with the blood and sweat of the British factory laborer in the 18th and 19th century. Prior to the Industrial Revolution Britain experienced a boom from colonial entrepreneurship. Britain was at the forefront of colonial discovery helped by advances in marine architecture and navigation. Sociopolitical organization was stratified and Britain was still mostly an agrarian society. Ascribed statues determined who was noble and who was not and social roles were an integral part of the British society. Institutions like the royal court and tribunals along with nobility, which was also entrusted with keeping the peace, represented basic the structure of the state. Farming was the engine that moved the British economy prior to the Industrial Revolution and wealth was relative to the amount of land one owned. In most regions, the ownership of agricultural land and the organization of production followed a common pattern. A large proportion of  land was owed by medium to large landowners, (More, 5) but a significant number of small land owners, whose numbers were declining i n the late 18th century, also existed. Life in the country was hard because there was no specialization, thus large numbers of laborers were needed and wages were low. Division of labor was evident but was not gender based due to a degree of specialization within each specific production type. Disgruntled youth who faced bleak prospects in agricultural life often chose to join the military or the clergy. These two institutions were viewed as appropriate alternatives to a future mired with difficulty and little or no prospect of advancement in status. Compared with an agricultural vocation the clergy and the military provided the opportunity of increase in status and power. Religion was also an integral feature of British society in the pre-Industrial age. As mentioned above sociopolitical structure was stratified with a King who presided over all state matters. His/her rule was considered divine and the church played a key role in most state matters. It is evident that legitimacy was achieved through authority and that formal institutions were well in place generations prior to the Industrial Revolution. Even during the first years of the Industrial Revolution Britain was considered to be one of the most advanced nations in the world and its superiority was reflected in the higher living standards and more diverse patterns of consumption than elsewhere. (Evans, 6) Even prior to the Industrial Revolution people living on the British Isle enjoyed a more prosperous life than their neighbors. The English consumed far greater amounts of meat than their French counterparts (Evans, 6) and what is even more surprising is that this prosperity was also enjoyed by populations living well outside urban settlements. Stratification in British society was more than evident in this period and this is evident by unequal access to wealth, status, and power. Aristocracy was an integral part of the society and divine rule was still a universal belief held by most subjects of the British society. Bureaucracy, at the time, was a well established institution which seemed to grow with the growth of the econ omy subsequent to the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was the result of several factors that Britain had supremacy over. The British colonies were  at its highest productivity and all the exports were shipped to England where they were sold or used as raw materials for production. It is argued that the cotton industry was the largest contributor to the technological advances of the period, more specifically, advances in weaving techniques. Factories grew in urban areas of England, where labor was plentiful, and it was not long before even the cities were not big enough to supply the labor requirements of the factories. Rural settlements soon were emptied by the promise of prosperity and independence from communal living. Massive amounts of previously agricultural workers were migrating to the cities with no vision of what may be in store for them. What awaited them were long hours, a hazardous working environment and deplorable living conditions. Innovation was at the core of the Industrial Revolution hence systems were developed to accommodate this but had themselves gone through numerous changes. The Patent System gave the inventor sole proprietorship of an invention and its distribution for fourteen years and many industrialists argued that this was monopolizing. (Bowden, 30) Therefore, they successfully lobbied for firmer regulations when the government awarded patents. The rigidity of the patent system manifested itself in the form of numerous approvals one had to seek to have his invention recognized. Unfortunately, it was mostly men who partook in inventions and technological advancement at this time. These inventions were immediately, upon government approval, implemented in the industrial infrastructure and as a result modernization and change is most obvious during this period. The Industrial Revolution ha[d] enormously increased living standards and it cannot be disputed that the benefits of economic growth filtered down through society to produce higher per capita incomes and vastly increased consumer choices. (Evans, 157) These choices greatly impacted the resettlement of people to urban areas, thus, affecting the growth of cities in Britain in an unimaginable way. Cities grew by as much as 180 percent in a span of 25 years. This resettlement affected agricultural production and combined with price increases of agricultural goods the average laborer in the city could barely support his/her family. Slowly through economic growth wages of laborers improved and gained buoyancy (Evans, 161) While some professions continued unflustered, industrialization influenced the relationship most people had with work. Lawyers, doctors and shopkeepers and some artisans were mostly unaffected by the industrial revolution but skilled artisans that had to compete with the factories were driven out of business and had to settle for a job as a semi skilled laborer in a factory. (Strayer, 102) This impacted the family dynamic greatly because the putting out system was extinguished almost overnight. (Bowden, 248) This system was unique in that it involved a household rather than a factory in the production of goods. This mode of production involved a family or a household which would receive raw materials and refine them and pass them on to a different household which would work on the good according to its trade. This would sometimes occur numerous times until it was delivered to the merchant who sold it at the market and then paid the household for their work. With the rise of factories families were now obsolete, as far as production factors are concerned, and were forced to seek work outside the household. This divided the family unit with the husband, the wife, and even the child all working in a factory. A principle that was established even in agrarian society, not long before, was adopted in industrialization. Families tended to have more children because children were seen as potential wage earners and, thus, were considered to be an asset capable of earning a wage and contributing to the family. Sense of community was also disturbed by the industrialization in Britain. Church bells symbolized communal notions but soon became obsolete with the advent of the pocket watch. A Pocket watch also symbolized individualism because it meant that people were measuring time for themselves due to increased demand for efficiency. By 1899 Britain had the largest city in Europe. London had overtaken its continental counterparts and numerous other vastly populated cities could only be compared to certain cities in France and Italy. From the 1700 to 1800s Londons population doubled to 950,000 and the number of towns with a population over 20,000 changed from eight to about twenty in the period from 1750 to 1800. (More, 21) Trade between these towns was crucial to sustain the economy and it was done through a very complicated  transportation network which included roads, canals, and royal highways. Canals were crucial to the British economy because river travel was less costly and viewed to be safer. The dawn of complex transport infrastructure led to the introduction of the mail service in 1784. Roads and canals were maintained by the people living in the region and by wealthy landowners who saw that it was in their interest to maintain the infrastructure that was crucial to their prosperity. These entrepreneurs saw the potential in the income these roads can bring to them, thus, toll booth levying was evident throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Britain was fortunate in possessing waterways which accommodated trade and transportation and also in that major cities and industrial centers had ports that were easily accessible. The exchange of goods and materials was accommodated by a very sophisticated system that involved paper money, gold, silver and bronze coins. The economy was bolstered by the emerging banking system which was the precursor to the system that banks follow today. The Industrial Revolution had influenced the life of an urban citizen in numerous ways. Market demand forced companies to specialize in selling and producing one good rather than various goods. The Lipton Tea company (More, 126) specialized in packaging and selling tea it had imported from the Indies and with this companies emerged to accommodate the tea industry. Butter companies and other companies merged to produce goods which would satisfy the tea drinking population of Britain. This shows the specialization that emerged as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These are examples from the consumer goods sector but numerous companies emerged that produced capital goods and usually these companies produced just one good. Industrial companies were no exception to this new trend in production and they specialized on a much larger scale than ever before in history. Industry now became a new concept in the old world. The beginning of the 19th century saw the emergence of the iron and engineering industry that complimented each other. The engineering industry can be divided into two separate entities that both impacted the British society enormously. The heavy engineering sector was growing due to iron production and also due to demands for mechanization, whose importance was realized in the 19th century. The steam engine (predecessor to the gas powered one) was invented  by James Watt and had significantly improved the efficiency of some industries. Engineering also took on a form of light engineering as well. Light engineering accommodated the rise in demand for consumer products. These products usually took the form of cutlery, pots, pans but also textiles. As more and more people moved to urban areas there was a higher demand for products that were used by the upper class. Class differences were obvious and with the onset of migration to urban areas the rural population was witness to the life styles of the rich and, thus, there was and increased demand for the products the wealthy were using. The rise in wage also accommodated this rise in demand for consumer products. The textile industry which had seen mechanization impact its production was now less responsive to change. Change was more gradual and incremental instead of being rapid or sudden. Wool had overtaken the demand of cotton due to its higher quality and affordability which came about as a result of rising incomes, as mentioned before. The industrial revolution was a phenomenon that transformed the face of Britain and the world the moment it presented itself. Its results are visible today by societys high demand for mechanization and constant movement towards modernization. The face of Britain changed almost instantly and with it so did the lives of the people who represented the backbone of the British society. The Industrial Revolution is the largest single example of change and modernization in the modern age. Lives were tumultuously changed and behavior patterns forever altered for the sake of technological advancement. Agricultural revolution took a back seat and emphasis moved from relative self-sufficiency to wage earning. The common laborer experienced tumultuous times ridden with economic and domestic hardships. The quality of life was deplorable at best in some places but eventually the situation improved with the rise in moralist ideologies. Change was achieved at the expense of early industrial laborers and the hardships they have endured. Whether modernization benefits the human species is an argument that will be debated until the final outcome is realized. Until then the society around us is following a natural course of evolution that is sometimes damaging everything around us. This change that occurred and is still occurring, although less drastically now, is change that is endogenous  to our society and that is why we must view it as being natural and occurring independent of outside influences. Modernization is a result of change and change is a natural occurring event and all we can do is watch and not let it rule us.

The Edo Period Of Japan

The Edo Period Of Japan The Edo period, also known as the Tokugawa period-taken from the name of the ruling Tokugawa family-was a long period of peace and order that lasted for about 250 years. This was a remarkable feat considering the fact that this period was preceded by devastating ordeals. The sengoku jidai (the age of country at war) was the Warring States Period of Japan during which numerous rival daimyos with their individual armies fought each other to gain greater jurisdiction of control over Japan, which was divided into about 260 countries. The term, Warring State Period was borrowed, among many other things, from the Chinese. But though the name was appropriate in describing the chaotic feudal warfare, it was more of a war (power struggle) among warlords. Regardless of the kind of war fought, the war took a toll on the cities and the Japanese people. The cost for the individual daimyo was tremendous, and a century of conflict would so weaken the bulk of Japanese warlords, that the three great figures of Japanese unification, beginning with Oda Nobunaga, would find it easier to militarily assert a single, unified military government.(Washington State University. n.d.) A rigid political and social structure was one of the determining factors for the long-lasting peace under the Edo period. Under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the government transitioned from being a decentralized feudal government to a military government in the form of the bakufu. This centralized feudalism also maintained a controlled environment among the daimyos whose rivalry greatly contributed to the Chaos of the recently concluded Warring States Period. The key policies of the Tokugawa System were manipulating daimyo, managing the imperial court, controlling foreign relations, and sacralizing the Tokugawa legacy. (N.A. 1990) According to Tokugawa Japan: The Social and Economic Antecedents of Modern Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu made an extra effort to control the daimyos and minimize them in number. The adoption of the buke sho-hatto (laws pertaining to the military houses) restricted the daimyos tremendously-from the way they had to repair their castles to requiring their wive s and children to stay in Edo. A similar set of laws was placed on court nobles and it was called kinchu narabi ni kuge sho-hatto. Military authorities were in charge of keeping the court nobles in line and assured obedience through the punishment of exile in case of non-compliance. This control over the imperial court consequently assigned the emperor with a more scholarly (rather than military) and representative role. With regards to foreign policy, Ieyasus ban on Christianity was said to have sparked the seclusion of Japan (sakoku) from the rest of the world. Speculations indicate that this policy was implemented to create a monopoly on foreign trade and information from abroad because in exchange for exclusive trade with Japan, the Dutch and Chinese gave annual reports about the outside world The negativity toward Christianity began with Ieyasus fear of the increasing numbers of Christians revolting against him. This effort to eliminate Christianity left a path of death and des truction; these Christians worshipped Christ and placed him above the shogun, which apparently threatened and angered Ieyasu, who wanted the people to worship him instead. This led to a general fear of contamination from Western (or non-Japanese) cultures and ideologies and the eventual closing of Japans doors to the world. Though it had its own share of drawbacks, this cultural isolation, coupled with steady economic development from unparalleled agricultural productivity, led to the peace and eventual development of Japan as a unified country and served as a foundation for a rich distinct Japanese culture. The society was organized by means of a hierarchy in which movement in class was very difficult if not totally impossible. This rigidity was said to primarily be a strategy employed by shoguns to ensure their stay in power and the continuous benefits that came with it. Samurais comprised the highest class in society, followed by the peasants, then the artisans, then finally, merchants. This structure was strongly influenced by Confucian beliefs, much like many other aspects of Japanese culture, which borrowed heavily from that of the Chinese. The warrior class was headed by the Shogun, beneath him were the local feudal lords (daimyo) who were responsible for certain pieces of land. Each daimyo had a number of samurais who served as guards, advisers, and members of the private army. Some samurais carried on without the support and assistance of a master. These masterless samurai (ronin) became teachers, wanderers, or warriors for hire. Peasants provided the primary nourishment of the Japanese people and that earned them considerably high ranking. Differentiating artisans and merchants was a very tricky matter though; more often than not, their occupations overlapped. But despite this confusion, sword makers held a privileged position in society for their vital contribution to the samurais. The reason behind the subordination of merchants springs from the Confucian emphasis on not enriching ones self in the expense of others-which is why the merchants practice of making a living out of others hard work (craftsmen) was looked down upon. Entertainers, priests, and certain other people were not part of the class system. This detachment had its share of advantages and disadvantages. Freedom was the main benefit since the system was very limiting and strict. On the other hand, excluded from the protection of the system. Outcastes (eta) included people whose livelihoods were associated with death-leather tanners, animal carcass disposers etc-and people who were banished by their villages. The former were shunned by the rest of the Japanese community because strong Buddhist influences gave high respect to all living things. The latter were alienated for obvious reasons and will be described in greater detail later. In conclusion, it is evident that the government had a very militaristic way of structuring things. The power of the military as a means of intimidation and instilling fear among the people is a testament to this. Given the militaristic nature of the Edo period, criminal punishment was something ultimately utilized to discourage the people from committing any crimes or offenses, great or small. Their government structure gave power to the village-level administration with regards to dealing with majority of the crimes committed by individuals belonging to their corresponding areas of responsibility-leaving only especially serious crimes to be dealt with by the higher bakufu. Serious crimes included everything from theft to gambling and manslaughter. Aside from the crime committed, ones class or position in society was also a determining factor with regards to how he was sanctioned. Though regardless of class, the mode of punishment in the Edo period was harsh more often than not. Criminal Justice during the Edo Period Capital punishment was something only the bakufu could impose on the gravest of offenders; death penalties were in the form of beheading. On a local level, kyuri or banishment was the most serious punishment the village governments could impose. The legal system in their time affirmed the fact that a single persons wrongdoings could lead to the torment of his entire village. This substantiates the significance of banishment in a sense that the offenders village mates-who are presumably directly uninvolved in the criminal act-are absolved from any vicarious liability they may have incurred. Through the consent of the offenders parents, the village officials and a bakufu representative, the offenders name was literally erased from the population rosters. The banished (mushuku) were often marked with tattoos; non-samurais were commonly subject to Tokoro-barai, which meant that he was to be banished to a certain place and samurais were usually assigned to the post of Kofu in the mountain s west of Edo. Murahachibu (Ostracism) literally translates to eight parts out of ten. This pertained to the disqualification of an offender from receiving any assistance from his community in eight of the ten traditional facets of community life. These eight parts include: births, coming of age ceremonies, weddings, sicknesses, memorial services, travel, floods, and building and repairs. The only two facets in which they were allowed assistance were help in case of a fire and in preparation for funeral. This loss of residence or homelessness would degrade the banished and his family to an outcaste (hinin) status in a process known as hinin teka. Unfortunately, this descent in status was not confined to the person or generation that first occasioned the original ostracism, but extended in perpetuity. Unofficial ostracism, on the other hand, occurred when the individual was removed from the village through a votation (irefuda) without sufficient evidence (or any evidence at all for t hat matter). In such cases, the individual is merely asked to leave the village, while still remaining in the population roster. Irefuda was the votation of the village people to identify a particular offender, which they believe is responsible for whatever recurring crime they may be experiencing. Honesty and participation was key in this activity to the extent that villagers would make oaths before the gods and drink holy water to keep their words pure and those who dont vote are punished along with the guilty and his supporters. Another rather odd part of the Tokugawa law was the idea of rakushogisho, which means, dropped oaths before gods. Here, an anonymous paper with an accusation is dropped in front of the shrine and whoever picks this paper up first is obliged to implement it because this is seen as a sign from the gods themselves. For a crime such as theft, men could be punished with banishment and additional physical mutilation (cutting off ones nose and or ears) would arise depending on the severity of the theft. Women were forced to walk through the village naked, which was a punishment they deemed as even worse than physical mutilation. Mandatory community service(labor camps, gold mining, slavery), ostracism, distinct clothing, and the payment of festival expenses were other possible sanctions as well. One must note that the concealment of theft was a crime as severe as the theft itself-which means that the victim is treated the same way as the offender and is equally punished. Flagellation was another means of penalty for theft (and fighting). It was usually reserved for commoners of both sexes and knights and priests were exempted from it. This practice of stripping the offender to his underwear and striking his back and buttocks for, at most, 100 times, was eventually replaced by ear/nose cutting in th e early Edo period. Punishment for murder was dependent on the manner in which it was executed, ones involvement in the aforementioned crime, and the status of the person murdered. Accomplices to murder, execution of contractual murder, and the murder of inferiors were punishable by banishment. Premeditated, self-enriching, delivering the initial blow (even if it is not the fatal blow) and the masterminding of murder on the other hand were punishable by the death penalty. Through the bakufus discretion, additional additions such as gibbeting (hanging), crucifixion (for murder of a parent/husband), confiscation of property, or ones corpse being the sword practice dummy for a local samurai could be incorporated into ones sentence. Other variations of the death penalty include boiling, burning for those guilty of arson, decapitation, sawing, and cutting the accused in half. This was usually preceded by the parading of the accused around town, and then concluded with the public display of the severed head or body part/s. Torture was an accepted means of obtaining a confession, although a confession was a requisite for the death penalty and the central focus of a trial, it was not something that could be done on a whim (required approval of several levels of authority) and therefore, was hardly ever performed. Even in punishment, ones class is still taken into consideration; special distinction is especially given to samurais. The beheading of a samurai was called zanzai, whereas it is called shizai when done to a commoner. Seppuku, suicide by disembowelment, is also a special option reserved only for the warrior class. It is considered as a better alternative because if one performs seppuku, he dies with his honor intact. The Legal and Judicial System Japans modern legal and judicial systems trace their roots back to 1232 when the Kamakura shogunate (1185-1333) created uniform guidelines the Goseibai Shikimoku (Formulary of Adjudications) for its samurai, or warrior vassals. Drawn from the laws and procedures of such other older institutions as the imperial and provincial governments, private estates and religious orders, the bukeho (warrior house law) was not a legal code in the modern sense but, rather, a compilation of the most common and important court disputes settled by the shogunate. The Goseibai Shikimoku provided the foundation of Japans legal system for the next 400 years. The legal system of Japan evolved when it was unified by the Tokugawa shogunate . Iyesu Tokugawa strengthened the centralization of militaristic and economic power on the shogunates hands, but also replaced the laws issued by regional warlords with standard codes. Two important laws were made during this time, the 13-article Buke Shohatto(Laws for Military Houses) and the Kinchu Narabi ni Kuge Shohatto (Laws Governing the Imperial Court and Nobility). The final contribution of the Tokugawa or Edo period was the 742 Kujikata Osadamegaki (Official Provisions). For the first time a set of rules was made for the commoners and lesser samurais and not for those in the elite class. This had two parts. One was the administrative procedures and civil rules composed of 81 articles. The second, which composed the bulk is on criminal laws and penalties which is made up of 103 articles. This was the first time that the commoners who were under the shogun had to answer to a codified set of laws. Japanese Values behind the System The Japanese valued social responsibility and obligation very much. This can be translated as giri. Giri implies that people should behave according to what society dictates of you. The Japanese see this as very important that is why anyone who deviates from the law or from the expectations of society is punished for it. There is also a strong sense of community seen in the valuing of human relations and empathy because even those that are not the criminals are subject to be punished if they do not report the offender. More people will get hurt as crimes increase especially in the villages where there is voting on who the culprit is. If you want it to stop, then community as a whole must stop because everyone is affected. Confessing immediately is best rather than getting tortured to admit the fault or whose fault it is. Ninjo which is they psychological factor refers to a persons feelings and reactions which may or may not be in line with the giri. If one experiences conflict with t hese interests, one may suppress his feelings, close his eyes from all of these or worst case scenario, commit suicide. Samurais are known to do the last because of the common practice of seppuku. If a samurai does not reach the expectations society has for him he feels the need to kill himself for losing his honor. Here we see another important Japanese value, honor. The Japanese highly value this that some of the punishments just mainly strip away ones honor and dignity. Women parading naked, being proclaimed a criminal and many more are just some of the ways that the old penal system has stripped away the honor of many individuals. Loyalty and obedience not only to ones master, but society as a whole is also very important. Those who disobey may be executed or be tortured just for not following the law. Harmony and order is so important for them that they would do anything to maintain this. Even today these values are still practised in society. Honor for the Japanese is just as important before as it is today. One example would be how students study so hard to get into a good university that failing leads to a lot of suicides in Japan. By not passing one has not only disgraced his name, but more importantly, disgraced his family. This is why they would prefer death, similar to how the samurais would think. Japanese highly value social obligation that your responsibility to the community is far greater than to a transcendent god. From the past, Japan has relied on social rather than supernatural sanctions and they have always emphasized the benefits of having a harmonious society. They are also very disciplined people today and there is more often than not, fear of authority. The hierarchies present before are still present now. There are still people who have a higher status than you such as your parents. Loyalty and obedience has always been emphasized before and just like now any disloyal act against your parents is frowned up by society. Here the strong influence of Confucianism is seen and by following ones roles, order can finally be obtained. Although punishment today may not be as harsh before, the Japanese have kept these in their minds and have worked very hard to keep the order in their society which has made them one of the strongest and most influential countries today. From past to present: The Yakuza The militaristic nature of Edo period in Japan gave importance towards the use of physical might as well as more strict control over the people. The context during that time forced people to resort to more dire measures for survival and people were under pressure on a daily basis. Some people conformed to the harsh settings but others sought escape and lived defiantly, away from society. This strict way of living entailed the first beginnings of the formation of various groups that eventually led to a more famously known group in Japan: yakuza. Currently, yakuza are more popularly known as an organized crime syndicate in Japan, similar to the Mafia. They are known to be an extremely large and influential group in Japanese politics as well as business; having direct or hidden control over several businesses and political figures. The yakuza are infamous for their ruthlessness and for being forceful in their dealings with people, Japanese or foreign. The pop culture depiction of yakuza members varies from tattooed hoodlums and thugs to the high class suit-and-tie figure. They are infamous for their activities that range from political activities and assassinations to protection rackets and shady business dealings including drugs, weaponry, gambling, smuggling, etc. These income generating activities are generally called shinogi. Admirably, the yakuza are also famous for having a strong sense of honor and loyalty amongst themselves. They strictly follow a structure similar to that of a family, even referring to their superiors as oyabun or father and the followers as kobun or child. This structure allows the yakuza to have a systematic way of carrying out their work and helps in creating loyalty to the family. The early origins of the Yakuza during the Edo-period can be traced back to the emergence of two groups. First we have the kabukimono (crazy ones) which include people that are peculiarly dressed, have odd hairstyles and have volatile, violent behavior. Kabukimono groups usually consist of unemployed samurais or ronins that have resorted to violence, banditry and other vigilante acts instead of enlisting in other jobs. Another name for the members of this group is the hatamato-yakko, which means servants of the shogun, referring more to their previous affiliation with the shogun than their more recent deviant nature. Their constant harassment of local towns forced the townsfolk to find protection of their own, as the daimyos were less concerned over the common town and townsfolk. This led to the rise of the other group so called machi-yakko, also came to be known as servants of the town or local town heroes. These machi-yakko comprised of local people who have banded together to repe l the assaults of the invading bandits. The members of the machi-yakko were usually weaker than the kabukimono, seeing as they were usually untrained individuals. A remarkable aspect of both groups that is still associated with yakuza is the developed sense of family trust and loyalty among the members. The more common notion of most people would be to identify yakuza gangsters to have come from the line of the kabukimono or hatamato-yakko. However, from the yakuzas point of view, their claim is that they are descendants from the machi-yakko faction. We can note that the yakuza seem to have taken characteristics from both of these groups. However, it is unclear and erroneous to directly link the modern yakuza to any of the two groups. A second, but not entirely exclusive explanation as to the formation of the yakuza is that the yakuza derive from the two classes of tekiya (peddlers) and bakuto (gamblers). Basically, the tekiya is a group comprised of small-time peddlers that banded together. Although in the Edo period, they were considered to be of low social standing, their organized mass activities eventually gained them influence on commercial dealings and administrative duties. Tekiyas business activities were considered legal at the time and were eventually allowed by the Edo government for their oyabun (leaders) to have surnames and to carry swords, which was previously only available for samurais and nobles. Bakuto, or gamblers, were considered lower than tekiya, primarily because gambling was frowned upon and considered illegal. Gambling houses were present in more or less deserted areas in town, or on the outskirts and were looked down upon. Bakuto also dealt in loan sharking businesses and held their own security force. The bakutos way of doing business is what is more commonly associated for the negative image of the yakuza today. In fact, the term yakuza is said to have originated from a card game. Ya-ku-sa or the most useless hand in the game, caught on as a term to refer to the bakuto, seen as derogatory to society. It is also from bakuto that the infamous yakuza tattoos originated from, as the members of this group usually had on their bodies. To the yakuza, tattoos were a symbol for toughness and most yakuza had majority of their bodies tattooed. It is from the history of the tekiya as well as the bakuto groups that we can see how the structure of the yakuza began to form. Knowing the backgrounds of the tekiya, bakuto and kabukimono, we can see how the yakuza are also known to allow misfits and rejects of society into their organization. It is also from the four previously mentioned groups that we see the early stages of the kinds of transactions and dealings that the yakuza do. Basically, we can see how and why the yakuza are said to have origins from all of these different groups. The yakuza evolved into a larger, more organized and structured group after the Meiji Restoration period, which ushered in a more formal political format as well as military might. The yakuza also made motions to modernize their organization but they still held on to their former activities: businesses and gambling rings. They expanded recruitment and began to take interest in and dealt in politics. The yakuza were also vital during the American occupation years in Japan. During the occupation years, Japan was in a sunken economic state and the black market emerged as a more viable option for the people to survive. The yakuza, especially the tekiya group, took advantage of the black market. They proved to be an extreme difficulty for the Americans in controlling Japan. Eventually, another cluster of yakuza, called the gurentai emerged, who also dealt in the black market. The gurentai group is what is more closely associated to the organized and violent side of the yakuza (similar to the Italian Mob in America), portraying the more stereotypical gangster image. After the war, the yakuza continued its black market transactions and started to use more direct violence, which resulted in the group entitled boryokudan (violence gang). Post-war Japan started improving economically and dependency on the black market declined. As such, the yakuza continued to adapt and were able to prosper. The yakuza began to grow in number, but the yakuza also began to fragment into regional sub-organizations. Much of the post-war regaining of strength for the yakuza are attributed to Yoshio Kodama, an extremely wise and powerful man who worked his way through industry and politics to empower the different yakuza groups. The many opportunities in the market also bred competition amongst the yakuza subgroups. The existence of different yakuza gangs led to gang wars and has troubled both the yakuza structure as a whole and the law enforcement. There was a spike in the number rate of boryokudan arrests, which consisted of a lot of physical violence against other groups. These subgroups are usually headed by a single family. An example is one of the most famous and powerful yakuza clans to have existed: the Yamaguchi-gumi. This particu lar group is said to have been able to dominate a good majority of its territories. One particular head of this clan was Kazuo Taoka, known to be one of the most, if not the most effective leader of this clan. During his period as the kumicho (family boss), he was able to empower the Yamaguchi-gumi clan into one of the most powerful clans in his time. In the latter part of the 20th century, Japanese government has worked towards the stoppage of the violent and criminal acts performed by the yakuza. More specifically, they have even passed a law against the boryokudan; this law is called the Botaiho (passed in May 1991). Despite this, the yakuza are still at large in many other aspects and are usually conducting their work within the law. Their influence on business and politics is still significant but clandestine to most. Again, the modern day yakuza has evolved and has been able to adapt to the current context of the world today, and not just in Japan. In the end, the yakuza has always had an influential role on the lives and culture of the Japanese, even if their actions were never stated explicitly in the history books. Their early existence began during the Edo period and throughout Japanese history, they have evolved into what they are today: a formidable force in everyday Japanese life.

Scandals :: essays research papers

Contemporary society is always portrayed as a civilized society, in which the sense of democracy has come to woven throughout the fabric of our lives. Thanks to the mass media, the public has become more informed about what is happening in the world, from the political field such as the state and national government to the business area such as the international stock market. At the same time, people are paying more attention to the leaders. Some insist that since the major mission of the leaders is to lead the whole group to succeed in the intense competition, a leader should try every means to achieve his goal rather than care much about the ethic and morality. Those from the other camp hold a strong belief that to be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards. As far as I am concerned, I prefer the latter point of view. In the following discussion, I would like to present several evidences to support my standpoint. First and foremost, a public official with high ethical and moral standards will set a good example for the society as a whole which does good to the improvement of the morality of the public. From ancient times to the present world, the public leaders always serve as a focus of the ordinary that treat the words and actions of the leaders as a sign of right. So what and how the leaders say and do would produce a far-reaching effect on the public. A case in point is Gandhi, the greatest leader in Indian history. He led a simple and hard way of living all his life and never wasted even one coin, , and this encouraged all citizens of India to spare no effort to work hard for a better further of their country and no one pursued a luxury material life. This illustrates that a leader with high ethical and moral standards promote a good ethos in the society. Meanwhile, high ethical and moral standards embodied in the words and actions of a public official would help him or her to gain the trust and support of the public especially of his or her subordinates which make his or her policy to be implemented more effectively and efficiently. Take Mao Zedong, the founder of our new China for example: in the period of hardship, he advocated that all Chinese should tie up their belts and try every effort to go through this difficult time.

Things impact on the effectiveness of the communication process Essay

1.Needs & Expectations Needs and expectations help people predict the action of ourselves and other people under different environment. If an employee does not complete a work on time, the manager must be disappointed. Also, if the manager does not communicate clearly with an employee when the manager give the employee his expectations, then the person will have some problems on meeting his needs. However, if the manager communicates clearly expectations, then the employee can do works productively and minimize problems. 2.Technology Most people now use e-mail to communicate with each other. E-mail is really a useful and convenient communication method in the world. However, it also can bring some troubles. If X send an e-mail to Y but there are many mistakes in grammar and spelling, this e-mail must leave a bad impression on Y. As we lack of fact-to-face communication, the impression of someone is from using electronic communication mode such as e-mail, but sometimes this mode will influence the effective of communication progress. 3.Cultural Differences Culture differences in language, customs, behaviors and so on. Sometimes, culture may set a barrier to communication between individuals. People with different cultural backgrounds may think their culture is the best. This thought may affect the communication between individuals from different cultural backgrounds and set barrier to our stable and harmonious society. 4.Attitude Bad attitude will affect the effective of communication with another person. The bad attitude can lead to mistrust or nervous or fears which will set barriers to communication. These feelings will make people lack of interest in the topic that they are talking now. Good attitude can make communication effectively. For making a good communication, people need to use â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  and find the point of other people.

Ethical Dilemma Essay

In searching for a solution to the ethical dilemma of animal factories using antibiotics to keep animals well, I think there is only one solution; that is to stop buying animal products that come from these places. The hard part is getting more people to follow suit. The hard part about getting people to stop buying a certain product is that consumer’s don’t always know the risks or problems associated with a certain product, in this case, meat that is tainted with antibiotics. When consumers in the United States go to the grocery store or market, we are so hurried in our lives that checking where the food comes from often is not of importance. If consumers are to make a change, they first need to be educated, and this takes time, so someone has to get the word out, and on a large scale. I would contact major media sectors and draw their attention to the problem. I would check out Internet sources and make blogs or posts of my own. I myself would become an educated consumer and stop buying these products. I would speak to medical professionals such as my family physician to ask about the potential dangers of eating meat and poultry that had been fed antibiotics, and I would change my diet accordingly. I might even get my own hens if my city allowed that in city limits, and I would suggest to others that they do the same. I would share what I know with others and refuse to buy products from animal factories. This is the power that I hold as a consumer, and I would utilize it to solve this ethical dilemma.