Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions model in relation to Jordanian culture Essay

Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions model in relation to Jordanian culture - Essay Example The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is one such nation in the Arab world which is currently promoting itself as an attractive venue for Foreign Direct Investments, especially in the Information & Communication Technology (ITC) industry and the tourism industry (Al-Jaghoub & Westrup 2003). Lead by the charismatic leader, King Abdullah, the country is poised today to capitalize from the growing world market for software and information technology products, which can be catered through the abundance of high caliber human capital endowment the country is in possessing with. The aim is to attract companies from America and Europe in to investing in the country’s ITC sector and act as a hub for ITC activities in the region to cater the needs of not only the US and European customers but also the rest of the Arab world (REACH 2000). However, the success of these cross-cultural FDI ventures and other forms of business dealings depend heavily upon how well the host country and the investi ng country manage to integrate their operations and manage their human resource in to high performance. Therefore such business ventures require a high level of awareness and sensitivity to the diverse national cultures, which bears upon the manner in which business dealings are conducted. Success of cross-cultural business dealings will depend upon a deep understanding of the national cultures and a mutual respect, which should form the backbone of all forms of business strategies including the HRM strategies (Hill 2003).

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International marketing - Essay Example In today’s environment, a lot of segmentation has been done in every industry and for every product (Segmentation strategy, n.d.). Examples of the two major industries that are textile industry and hair care industry are discussed in subsequent paragraphs in order to provide insights about segmentation options. Since the needs and wants of customers are getting more customized and particular, therefore after the broader markets are defined, marketers go for further segmentation especially when they are addressing internal markets. These additional segmentations are called as Segmentation Options for instance if a company deals in hair care products, then the market which it selects to cater can depend upon several options. The segmentation option available to an international marketer can include different problems of hair. Therefore, it can address the needs of customers related to hair fall, dandruff, damaged hair, dry and dull hair etc. Apart from focusing on the hair probl ems, other segmentation option includes type of products to be delivered. They can include hair shampoo, hair conditioner, hair gel, hair spray, hair mask, hair color, hair oil etc. These will be considered as segmentation options available to international marketer through which it can enter a new market. ... Apart from the type of product, other segmentation options include manner of usage. Manner of usage is more inclined toward the events where the products can be used for instance clothes can be further categorized as bridal wear, party wear, office wear etc. In linens, marketer has to decide which products to prepare. Options include bed sheets, bed covers, curtains, pillow cover cushions etc. Nature of fabric comprises of the material that will be required for each individual product. 2. Discuss, giving examples, how an organization can determine the appropriateness of an international market. Explain what issues in gathering information may be experienced.   Appropriateness of Marketing Internationally Nowadays, concern of appropriateness is always in center of the minds of international marketers. That’s what brings an epic recession to the widely known brands of the world. Numbers of products get obsolete due to their inappropriateness in the market. The brands which are best positioned nowadays are the one which are relevant, necessary, wholesome as well as caring and nurturing. In the world of brands, marketers are facing an emotional recession that is causing the decline in the norms of acceptable brands. International marketing requires being very relevant and appropriate otherwise the products will become disasters. An example of inappropriate product includes McPizza which was introduced by McDonalds in mid-nineties. McDonalds spent a large amount on expensive ovens and drive through windows that were not required at all. The Pizza market was already so much saturated that Americans gradually abandoned and finally forgot if any pizza was introduced by McDonalds. The

Anarchy State and Utopia Essay Example for Free

Anarchy State and Utopia Essay Distributive Justice Robert Nozick From Anarchy, State, and Utopia, 149-182, with omissions. Copyright @ 1974 by Basic Books, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Basic Books, a subsidiary of Perseus Books Group, LLC. The minimal state is the most extensive state that can be justified. Any state more extensive violates peoples rights. Yet many persons have put forth reasons purporting to justify a more extensive state. It is impossible within the compass of this book to examine all the reasons that have been put forth. Therefore, I shall focus upon those generally acknowledged to be most weighty and influential, to see precisely wherein they fail. In this chapter we consider the claim that a more extensive state is justified, because necessary (or the best instrument) to achieve distributive justice; in the next chapter we shall take up diverse other claims. The term distributive justice is not a neutral one. Hearing the term distribution, most people presume that some thing or mechanism uses some principle or criterion to give out a supply of things. Into this process of distributing shares some error may have crept. So it is an open question, at least, whether redistribution should take place; whether we should do again what has already been done once, though poorly. However, we are not in the position of children who have been given portions of pie by someone who now makes last minute adjustments to rectify careless cutting. There is no central distribution, no person or group entitled to control all the resources, jointly deciding how they are to be doled out. What each person gets, he gets from others who give to him in exchange for something, or as a gift. In a free society, diverse persons control different resources, and new holdings arise out of the voluntary exchanges and actions of persons. There is no more a distributing or distribution of shares than there is a distributing of mates in a society in which persons choose whom they shall marry. The total result is the product of many individual decisions which the different individuals involved are entitled to make. Some uses of the term distribution, it is true, do not imply a previous distributing appropriately judged by some criterion (for example, probability distribution); nevertheless, despite the title of this chapter, it would be best to use a terminology that clearly is neutral. We shall speak of peoples holdings; a principle of justice in holdings describes (part of) what justice tells us (requires) about holdings. I shall state first what I take to be the correct view about justice in holdings, and then turn to the discussion of alternate views. Section 1 The Entitlement Theory The subject of justice in holdings consists of three major topics. The first is the original acquisition of holdings, the appropriation of unheld things. This includes the issues of how unheld things may come to be held, the process, or processes, by which unheld things may come to be held, the things that may come to be held by these processes, the extent of what comes to be held by a particular process, and so on. We shall refer to the complicated truth about this topic, which we shall not formulate here, as the principle of justice in acquisition. The second topic concerns the transfer of holdings from one person to another. By what processes may a person transfer holdings to another? How may a person acquire a holding from another who holds it? Under this topic come general descriptions of voluntary exchange, and gift and (on the other hand) fraud, as well as reference to particular conventional details fixed upon in a given society. The complicated truth about this subject (with placeholders for conventional details) we shall call the principle of justice in transfer. And we shall suppose it also includes principles governing how a person may divest himself of a holding, passing it into an unheld state. ) If the world were wholly just, the following inductive definition would exhaustively cover the subject of justice in holdings. 1. A person who acquires a holding in accordance with the principle of justice in acquisition is entitled to that holding. 2. A person who acquires a holding in accordance with the principle of justice in transfer, from someone else entitled to the holding, is entitled to the holding. . No one is entitled to a holding except by (repeated) applications of 1 and 2. The complete principle of distributive justice would say simply that a distribution is just if everyone is entitled to the holdings they possess under the distribution. A distribution is just if it arises from another just distribution by legitimate means. The legitimate means of moving from one distribution to another are specified by the principle of justice in transfer. The legitimate first moves are specified by the principle of justice in acquisition. Whatever arises from a just situation by just steps is itself just. The means of change specified by the principle of justice in transfer preserve justice. As correct rules of inference are truth-preserving, and any conclusion deduced via repeated application of such rules from only true premisses is itself true, so the means of transition from one situation to another specified by the principle of justice in transfer are justice-preserving, and any situation actually arising from repeated transitions in accordance with the principle from a just situation is itself just. The parallel between justice-preserving transformations and truth-preserving transformations illuminates where it fails as well as where it holds. That a conclusion could have been deduced by truth-preserving means from premisses that are true suffices to show its truth. That from a just situation a situation could have arisen via justice-preserving means does not suffice to show its justice. The fact that a thiefs victims voluntarily could have presented him with gifts does not entitle the thief to his ill-gotten gains. Justice in holdings is historical; it depends upon what actually has happened. We shall return to this point later. Not all actual situations are generated in accordance with the two principles of justice in holdings: the principle of justice in acquisition and the principle of justice in transfer. Some people steal from others, or defraud them, or enslave them, seizing their product and preventing them from living as they choose, or forcibly exclude others from competing in exchanges. None of these are permissible modes of transition from one situation to another. And some persons acquire holdings by means not sanctioned by the principle of justice in acquisition. The existence of past injustice (previous violations of the first two principles of justice in holdings) raises the third major topic under justice in holdings: the rectification of injustice in holdings. If past injustice has shaped present holdings in various ways, some identifiable and some not, what now, if anything, ought to be done to rectify these injustices? What obligations do the performers of injustice have toward those whose position is worse than it would have been had the injustice not been done? Or, than it would have been had compensation been paid promptly? How, if at all, do things change if the beneficiaries and those made worse off are not the direct parties in the act of injustice, but, for example, their descendants? Is an injustice done to someone whose holding was itself based upon an unrectified injustice? How far back must one go in wiping clean the historical slate of injustices? What may victims of injustice permissibly do in order to rectify the injustices being done to them, including the many injustices done by persons acting through their government? I do not know of a thorough or theoretically sophisticated treatment of such issues. Idealizing greatly, let us suppose theoretical investigation will produce a principle of rectification. This principle uses historical information about previous situations and injustices done in them (as defined by the first two principles of justice and rights against interference), and information about the actual course of events that flowed from these injustices, until the present, and it yields a description (or descriptions) of holdings in the society. The principle of rectification presumably will make use of its best estimate of subjunctive information about what would have occurred (or a probability distribution over what might have occurred, using the expected value) if the injustice had not taken place. If the actual description of holdings turns out not to be one of the descriptions yielded by the principle, then one of the descriptions yielded must be realized. The general outlines of the theory of justice in holdings are that the holdings of a person are just if he is entitled to them by the principles of justice in acquisition and transfer, or by the principle of rectification of injustice (as specified by the first two principles). If each persons holdings are just, then the total set (distribution) of holdings is just. To turn these general outlines into a specific theory we would have to specify the details of each of the three principles of justice in holdings: the principle of acquisition of holdings, the principle of transfer of holdings, and the principle of rectification of violations of the first two principles. I shall not attempt that task here (Lockes principle of justice in acquisition is discussed below. ) . How Liberty Upsets Patterns It is not clear how those holding alternative conceptions of distributive justice can reject the entitlement conception of justice in holdings. For suppose a distribution favored by one of these non-entitlement conceptions is realized.

Great Depression Impact on US

Great Depression Impact on US This investigation will investigate how the Great Depression affected the United States in their economy during the second half of the 20th century. This investigation will be conducted by first analyzing the involvement of the United States in their economy a decade before the Great Depression in order to provide an understanding of the state of the United States prior to the Great Depression. U.S. involvement in their economy will also be evaluated during the time period of the Great Depression to determine the immediate effects. Finally, the participation of the United States in their economy during the second half of the 20th century will be examined in order to observe the more long-term effects of the Great Depression. These three different time periods will provide an overall understanding of how events transpired and their outcomes. Summary of Evidence U.S. involvement in their economy before the Great Depression (primarily 1920s) Before the Great Depression, the United States was one of the many industrialized countries that followed the gold standard. The gold standard measured the value of a dollar. It enabled countries to conduct trade and exchange their products because everyone followed the same monetary system. In order to sustain the value of a dollar, countries had to follow the same system; however, as the Great Depression neared, countries began to leave the system of the gold standard because of various reasons such as possessing an economy that is unable to keep up with the system. For instance, after the First World War, Germanys economy was no longer able to continue on because of the debt that they owed. In the case of the United States, the Federal Reserve decided to sustain stability internationally rather than focus on the prosperity of their country.  [1]   U.S. involvement in their economy during the Great Depression During the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, there were two large groups who competed with one another in order to control the United States foreign economic policy.  [2]  The Hoover Republicans chose to support manufacturers who made up the relatively smaller and more moderately sized part of the manufacturers in the United States.  [3]  By doing so, they caused the government to neglect the larger manufacturers during the time of the Hoover administration; however, once the Roosevelt administration came into power, there was a change in the tariff policy. In 1934, the Congressed formed the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934 in accordance to the needs of the Presidents Executive position.  [4]   U.S. involvement in their economy after the Great Depression The United States was having difficulty continuing to follow a monetary policy that followed a gold standard. Eventually, during the early 1970s, the country finally stopped following the gold standard. The United States was increasing their monetary policy at a speed that made them unable to follow the gold standard of the time. Soon, the United States was unable to internationally use gold anymore since they have deterred away from the gold standard. Essentially, abandonment of gold did not lead to expansionary monetary policy and inflation, rather, expansionary policy and inflation forced the abandonment of gold.  [5]   Evaluation of Sources The World Economy between the World Wars written by Charles H. Feinstein, Peter Temin, and Gianni Toniolo examine the Great Depression in relation to the financial crisis that is experienced by many countries across the world such as Germany, Britain, and the United States. Feinstein, Temin, and Toniolo examine the causes leading up to the Great Depression. They also examine the effects of the Great Depression and the improvement of the economy after it was hit by the Great Depression. The focus of this book is to further understand the interrelated financial issues among several of the worlds leading countries during the 1920s. Federal Reserve System: Background, Analyses and Bibliography by George B. Grey examines the Federal Reserve of the United States. The author focuses primarily of the institution referred to as the Federal Reserve. He breaks down the actions and non-actions of the Federal Reserve System which provides a comprehensive critical analysis on its causes and effects on the United States economy. This is a limitation because other institutions in the United States are not addressed as well. The author inserts many of his opinions and deductions throughout the piece. For example, Essentially, abandonment of gold did not lead to expansionary monetary policy and inflation, rather, expansionary policy and inflation forced the abandonment of gold.  [6]   Analysis U.S. involvement in their economy before the Great Depression (primarily 1920s) The actions of the Federal Reserve resulted in an increase of deflation and decline in the economy. Their actions demonstrate more concern held for upholding international needs before domestic ones. Before the Great Depression, the United States had entered the First World War in April of 1917. They had practiced isolationism until the United States could no longer stand by and watch on the sidelines any longer. This leads to the question of which is more important, supporting the country or supporting the international balance. After being exposed to the international issues that occurred as a result of the First World War, the United States felt as though they should support any international issues from the start of the problem before it escalades and ends up hurting their economy even more. U.S. involvement in their economy during the Great Depression Alterations to the trade policy were made in order to accommodate the executive power since the power of the president was expanding. Since this act was passed during Roosevelts presidency, the president was able to negotiate with other countries in order to reduce tariffs. The changes made from the Hoover Republicans to the Roosevelt Democrats resulted in an inconsistency of the government. During Hoovers time in power, he had allowed Congress to increase the rates of tariffs to points that could be dangerous to the United States. Roosevelt on the other hand had worked alongside with Congress in order to ensure lower tariffs by creating a trade policy that would allow so. By doing so, the barriers set to the United States trade would primarily be decided by the President. Overall, this inconsistency would negatively affect the United States economy because of the constant shift in policies. During this time period, the government actions towards the economy appeared to be indecisive . After the Great Depression hit, it was difficult for the one in presidency to determine the best strategy of recovering the economy. U.S. involvement in their economy after the Great Depression The United States switched their system of currencies since the current one no longer allowed them to conduct effective transactions. Many of the previous standards and systems that the United States had once followed no longer worked for them. The public primarily stopped using gold in 1933 which was about during the time of the Great Depression; however, it was not until 1971 and 1973 that the United States had finally ended any relationship it had with gold for good. A positive aspect of abandoning the gold standard was saving the country from following a system that their current state could no longer follow; however, a negative factor is that it made international business more difficult. This could harm the economy because it limits those that they can conduct business with. People are only able to conduct transactions when they provide the equivalent or sufficient funds which can only be conducted if all parties involved follow an international system of currency. Conclusion In conclusion, the Great Depression negatively affected the United States involvement in their economy. The Great Depression broke the confidence of the American people as well as their leaders. The future of their economy was unclear and shaky strategies were used in order to attempt to recover. After the Great Depression, the United States government sought to remove systems that did not work for them in order to protect the country from any possible complications that could arise in the economy. After the Great Depression, the United States were more careful in what could stay and what had to go. List of Sources Feinstein, C. H., Peter Temin, and Gianni Toniolo. The World Economy between the World Wars. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Grey, George B. Federal Reserve System: Background, Analyses and Bibliography. Huntington, NY: Nova Science, 2002. Print. Ikenberry, G. John., David A. Lake, and Michael Mastanduno. The State and American Foreign Economic Policy. Pastor, Robert A. Congress and the Politics of U. S. Foreign Economic Policy 1929-1976 McCormick, Thomas J. Americas Half-century: United States Foreign Policy in the Cold War and after.

Sammy Davis Jr. :: essays research papers

Sammy Davis, Jr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sammy Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem on December 8, 1925, to Elvera Sanchez, a chorus girl, and Sam Davis, a dancer. He was raised by his father and grandmother. His father was in an act with Will Mastin, who was a close friend of the family. At a young age, Sammy joined the act as a singer and dancer. They were known as the â€Å"Will Mastin Trio†. It was not the best job, but it put food on the table.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sammy tried to join the army when Pearl Harbor was bombed, but he was too young. The next year, he got in. He had to go through basic training eight times because there was not much room in the army for performers. He was put down and spit on in the army, but that made him want to perform more. Upon his discharge the trio got back together, and Sammy met Frank Sinatra for the first time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sammy wanted to be a big star and he realized this major difference between most black artists and the famous white artists. Most black artists came on stage played some songs, joked at or to each other, and left. The white artists talked with the audience. It was as if the black artists were not fit to talk to the audience. Sammy changed this at a nightclub in Hollywood. He â€Å"touched the audience†. This got him a record deal with Decca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Sammy was a rising star, he was driving from Las Vegas to L.A. He had an accident that took away his left eye. This gave him publicity and boosted his career. After this, he converted to Judaism and started to refer to God as â€Å"The Cat Upstairs†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sammy worked hard. You already know he had many talents. What you probably did not know is that he often worked on several projects at the same time. He never received an award, but he was merely a performer, not a writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Rat Pack was made up of Sammy, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and several other actors who worked together on Ocean’s Eleven. While they were in Vegas shooting scenes they worked the Sands Hotel and Casino.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1960, he wed May Britt. They had Children, but Sammy’s devotion to his career led to their divorce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sammy was active in politics. He supported Democrats until 1972, when he ran to President Nixon’s side. When questioned about selling out Sammy said that Nixon had bought him with good deeds for our country.

Cause of Eating Disorders Essay -- essays papers

Cause of Eating Disorders In America, today we often hear of people who suffer from illness such as cancer, aids etc. what we often don’t hear about is the illness that effects a lot of people each year that being eating disorders. Whenever I hear about eating disorders it remains me of one of my cousin who had suffered from anorexia. It all started when her family and acquaintances started to say that she was fat and chubby. In her family everyone is very slim and tall so her brothers started teasing and calling her fatty and used to say that she need to loose weight otherwise nobody will marry her or even wants to be with her. She used to worry so much about her weight and wanted to loose weight. The only way she found for loosing weight was stop eating. She starved herself and lost couple of pounds. She was happy with the result and had great determination of loosing weight. Nobody noticed anything wrong until one day she was completely dehydrated and fainted at school. She was hospitalize d for almost a week. But she got all the help and support that she needed from her Doctors, family and got better. Eating disorders have become serious issues in the past 25 years. Many people have been diagnosed with eating disorders. More teens out of any other age groups suffer from it. Sports, body image, peer pressure and low self-esteem can cause teens to be driven to eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are the two main types of eating disorders. Anorexia is the self-starving behavior that can lead to severe health problems an even death. Bulimia is when a binge/ purge cycle is used or laxatives are used at an excessive amount. Anorexia and Bulimia affect persons thoughts and feelings as well as his or her body. ... ...happy with any thing they do. Being over weight is hard to cope with in this day and age. Many teens get very depressed when they are over weight because people tease them they cannot fit in with the crowd. Sometimes even if a teenager is not overweight, they feel they must maintain their body size, so they can look like models. It is unfortunate, but in today’s society, people have forgotten that it is what inside a person that counts, not what’s on the outside. In conclusion, we need to start loving and accepting each other for who we are, and not what we look like. We need to teach our children to be proud of whom they are. Parent’s needs to also teach our children the value of healthy leaving and not send the message that being thin is important. Family and peers need to support people with weight problems and not make them feel guilty about how they look.

Black Psychology

Divided Among two Different Views of the World: But this is my Story Michelle Williams Black Psychology Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Abstract: This is an autobiographical essay where I briefly analyzes and interpret significant and impactful events that has transpired over my last 20 years in my life from school to my community in Portland, Oregon. The objective of this essay is to connect concepts and the course objectives related to Black Psychology which I enrolled in at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) spring 2009 term.The outline for this essay is in a chronological age order starting from my birth in 1988 till my current experience at FAMU. The book that is mainly referenced in this essay is the Kobi K. Kambon textbook African/ Black Psychology in American Context: An African Centered Approach along with Joseph Baldwin’s class lectures that I attended. Divided Among two Different Views of the World: But this is my Story The idea tha t a black person is from Portland, Oregon seems to be shocking information for certain African-Americans.Once I introduce myself to new friends and professors who never traveled to Portland or were never informed that â€Å"Black people† live in Oregon. Many are intrigued by this information and have a quest to know more. So to answer that question, yes there are blacks who live in Oregon. I am a product of Oregon I, Michelle Williams, was born and raised in the urban community in Portland amongst other African-Americans. One may assume that I had a difficult time growing up in Oregon.Experiencing discrimination, racism, or identity crisis; however, my six siblings and I never did. Although, I did not experience those types of issues, I understood that in Portland, the Black race was the minority and Europeans were the majority in the race factor. In addition, do not assume that my family lineage only lines in Oregon, on both sides of my family southern roots run deep. Theref ore, southern traditions, values, morals, beliefs, and customs were inbreeded into my up brings.Without questions, I am an African-American woman from Portland, Oregon; however, my geographic region does not define my blackness, nor does it determine if I am capable of experiencing hardships like my fellow peers who were raised in Southern states. In my early childhood, I resided with my maternal grandmother due to my parent’s abuse to their environment and the use of narcotics. However, my time spent with my grandmother was not in vein, yet filled with years of observing and learning how to uphold traditional southern values, which the modern world of psychology considers the â€Å"African/ Black Worldviews†.In the book, African/ Black Psychology in the American context: An African- Centered Approach Kobi K. Kambon explains the difference between the African/ Black and European Worldviews. The four components that compose the worldviews are: cosmology, ontology, axiol ogy, and epistemology (Kambon, 1998) In the African/ African-American worldviews one are taught to believe in oneness/ harmony with nature, survival of the group, sameness; whereas the European Worldview have the notion of survival of the fittest, competiveness, independence, and uniqueness (being different).In my middle childhood my parents redirected their life, and my mother returned to college and obtained her bachelors and masters in Psychology with a minor in Black Studies at Portland State University. While in school she begun to incorporate her findings into her parenting. Although, my mother and I were led by Eurocentric teachings, my family and our surroundings reinforced the black/African-American Worldviews in the household. I recall myself adapting to the ideologies and beliefs of those who were not within my own indigenous cultural group.Kambon defines this experience as a black child who has been influenced by Eurocentric teachings resulting in â€Å"Abnormal Unnatur al Circumstances†. The child has accepted and identified him or herself as a member of a â€Å"group that is not indigenous cultural reality (Kambon, 1998). I was able to bounce back to the normal-nature circumstances, with the help of my Black community friends, and family through our morals and beliefs. I had to stay true to my own cultural reality and not be amongst those who are â€Å"cultural mis-identified†.An example of how I demonstrated abnormal unnatural circumstances was when I accepted the European philosophies and allowed the whites to dictate and define what was appropriate or correct based off their standards and views on life. By this I allowed the notion that white Barbie dolls are better, rather than the Black China Doll my grandmother purchased for Christmas one year. While in middle school, which is considered my late or pre-adolescence years, I was offered acceptance into the Talent and Gift also known as the TAG program.The TAG programs honors and congratulates students â€Å"who demonstrated outstanding abilities or potentials in areas of general intellectual ability or specific ability aptitude† (Davenport Community School Website). After discovering the truth in the Black Psychology course, I have come to the understanding that this particular program has several flaws that discriminates against the Black race. The black students who excel above the standards set for Blacks are called â€Å"Talented or Gifted†. In chapter eight it stated that â€Å"there was some Blacks who scored as high as Whites on Standard tests of so-called intelligence (i. research on Black â€Å"gifted† children)† (Kambon, 1998). The foundation of the Tag program continues and supports â€Å"White Supremacy†. The definition the European psychologist use to define intelligence which were examined on Caucasians only was: â€Å"(a) the repertoire of intellectual/cognitive skills and knowledge available to a person a t any one period of time, or (b) the aggregate of global capacity of the individual to act purposely, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his/her environment† (Kambon,1998).The names of a couple of exams that exemplified that one was intelligent were: The Alfred Binet and the Binet Test, also known as Intelligence Quotient/ IQ, Charles Spearman with the GS Factor test, and a few others (Kambon, 1998). Robert L. Williams the second National Chairman/ President of American of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) (Kambon, 1998), developed a â€Å"Black â€Å"cultural specific† intelligence test which demonstrated that Blacks could perform superiority to Whites on such a Black cultural based test.The test was called Black Intelligence Test for Cultural Homogeneity† formally known as â€Å"BITCH’. His intelligence test showcased that African-American students were out performing whites by 30 to 50 points (Kambon, 1998). In relations to my acceptance to th e TAG program I felt a sense of being privileged, superior, and connected to the white race in some sense. I belittled my peers who the Europeans and the test scored them as being underachievers. Through my actions I had continued on the European worldviews.The people see the good that the TAG program promotes; however, there are down sides and negative characteristics of being called a â€Å"Talented or Gifted† child. In my early adolescence years, I was considered at times a student who could be insubordinate, disrespectful, and disruptive in class. However, my actions were to challenge an question my teacher’s philosophy about Western History, colonization in Africa, slavery, and anything that focused on the Black race. Now looking back on what transpired in high school I was trying to discover the truth regarding my peoples.I tried to unravel the mess that the Europeans, Western historians, philosophers, and psychologist created. Removing the blind folds that had b een placed over my eyes through the European teachings; I was tired of receiving the edited, shorten, and beautified story the teachers and academic curriculum spoon-feed me every year during the one month Blacks are allowed to celebrate their history (February). I have come to accept that knowledge is key and discovered like John Henrik Clarke that, â€Å"African History/ Negro History are the missing pages of World History† (John Henrik Clarke, 1996).In chapter three of Kambon books, he explains this idea of cultural reality and worldviews construct, and how â€Å"ones thoughts beliefs, values and actions are not uniquely our own, distinct and separate from those of others, particularly other individuals† (Kambon, 119). In today’s society we accept as true that European’s set the standards or dictated/ guide one to believe that their ways of living and doing things are how things ought to be done; continues white supremacy.I am now in my third year at F AMU as a nursing major interested in psychology, following sibling’s footsteps of attending a Historical Black University. My journey in the Black Psychology has taught me new things about my personality and where I come from. In my opinion Oregon is a diverse and complex state. I had adopted and balanced the different worldviews. From my secondary education I have come to a new found knowledge about this Black Psychology and it’s striving for perfection in the Black communities.I have come to understand that my people are from the Southern or African Cradle, which developed before the Northern or European Cradle a model Diop (Kambon, 1998). I am from the lineage of infamous Pharaoh’s and Queens such as Narmar, Pharaoh and Queen who whore the red and white crown Hatshepsut (Abarry, 1996). For years information has been hidden and sheltered from my peers and I. Not only from the African descendents in Oregon, but from all of the descendents of Africa has that pop ulated the 50 states in America.I have learned that I am a descendant of great Queens and Kings and African’s who were educated, governed themselves, ran a successful economy that was developed in many aspects before the 1500’s when Europeans arrived. Ancient Kemit (KMT) and the Ma’at which is the foundation in which the KMT people lived by (Abarry, 1996). I have grown accustomed to both Western and this new psychology called â€Å"Black Psychology†. I am able to observe and fully understand and acknowledge the course objectives in Black Psychology because I have been in the ream of both worlds.My parents were educated and products of the early 60’s; where there was a large movement on civil rights and black psychologist making a change for the black community. Such as the Pan-African Cultural nationalism movement group who where â€Å"Black Psychologist who advocate that race and culture are the foundation of African self-identity and psychologic al well being† (Kambon, 1998). Black psychology has made tremendous accomplishments; they have challenged the ideals and ideologies of Western Psychology. Rather than being the blinded test mice used in Western Psychology, Black psychologist has made a mark in Psychology.There has been a creation of Psychology geared to the Blacks. They have developed an impressive editorial journal that comes out quarterly called The Journal of Black Psychology which has been around for about 35 years (Kambon, 1996). The members of the Association of Black Psychologist have overcome many obstacles that have been presented in front of them, and will continue to do so for following years to come (Kamon, 1998). I find that my mind was once held captive in a sense, before I entered college under Eurocentric teachings.I upheld the ideas of Eurocentric teachings, yet the status quo has changed; in favor for the Black Race, and my cognitive for that matter. In today’s society black children a re taught by a Eurocentric teaching, where there is a mis-education which manifests itself in the Eurocentric conceptual incarceration (Kambon, 1998). The portrait the European psychologists painted through their views and studies of the black race, personality, mental health, and behavioral problems have not reflected the Black people in anyway. On the contrary it has caused a separation between blacks.Those who believed in changing the psychology world for the black race have succeeded at founding its place and did not allow the standards set by Western Psychology to be the foundation for Black Psychology (Kambon, 1996). Today the black’s can see the ‘great depth of the Eurocentric cultural incarceration that encapsulates African intellectual consciousness and scholarship. † (Kambon,1998). Which has caused a developmental problem of the knowledge of the African/ black race. From the motivation of Francis Cecil Sumner, Herman G. Canady, Robert L. Williams, Marcus Gravey, Nat Turners, W.E. B Dubois, Frances Cress Welsing, and the thousands of members of the Association of Black Psychology, there is a psychology that focuses on the black community which is not defined by the Western Psychology standards. It is up to students like me to utilize the essential tools from courses like Black Psychology, and turn a deaf ear to the myths and misleading information that the Western Psychology once succeeded at incarcerating. This was my experience from growing up in Portland, Oregon and making a much need journey to Florida A&M University which landed me a seat in Dr.Joseph Baldwin course Black Psychology. References Abarry, S. , Asante, M. ,(1996). African intellectual Heritiage. Philadelphia, PA: Temple Press A Great and Might Walk. Dir. St. Claire Bourne. Perf. Wesley Snipes John Henrik Clarke. 1996. Bourne, C. [Westley Snipes] (1996): Los Angles Davenport Community School Website. (1998, Aug). Retrieved Mar. 09, 2009, from http://www. davenport. k12. ia. us/curriculum/gifted. asp Kambon, K. (1998). African/ black psychology in the american context: an african- centered approach. Tallahassee, Fl: Nubian Nation Publication Black Psychology Divided Among two Different Views of the World: But this is my Story Michelle Williams Black Psychology Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Abstract: This is an autobiographical essay where I briefly analyzes and interpret significant and impactful events that has transpired over my last 20 years in my life from school to my community in Portland, Oregon. The objective of this essay is to connect concepts and the course objectives related to Black Psychology which I enrolled in at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) spring 2009 term.The outline for this essay is in a chronological age order starting from my birth in 1988 till my current experience at FAMU. The book that is mainly referenced in this essay is the Kobi K. Kambon textbook African/ Black Psychology in American Context: An African Centered Approach along with Joseph Baldwin’s class lectures that I attended. Divided Among two Different Views of the World: But this is my Story The idea tha t a black person is from Portland, Oregon seems to be shocking information for certain African-Americans.Once I introduce myself to new friends and professors who never traveled to Portland or were never informed that â€Å"Black people† live in Oregon. Many are intrigued by this information and have a quest to know more. So to answer that question, yes there are blacks who live in Oregon. I am a product of Oregon I, Michelle Williams, was born and raised in the urban community in Portland amongst other African-Americans. One may assume that I had a difficult time growing up in Oregon.Experiencing discrimination, racism, or identity crisis; however, my six siblings and I never did. Although, I did not experience those types of issues, I understood that in Portland, the Black race was the minority and Europeans were the majority in the race factor. In addition, do not assume that my family lineage only lines in Oregon, on both sides of my family southern roots run deep. Theref ore, southern traditions, values, morals, beliefs, and customs were inbreeded into my up brings.Without questions, I am an African-American woman from Portland, Oregon; however, my geographic region does not define my blackness, nor does it determine if I am capable of experiencing hardships like my fellow peers who were raised in Southern states. In my early childhood, I resided with my maternal grandmother due to my parent’s abuse to their environment and the use of narcotics. However, my time spent with my grandmother was not in vein, yet filled with years of observing and learning how to uphold traditional southern values, which the modern world of psychology considers the â€Å"African/ Black Worldviews†.In the book, African/ Black Psychology in the American context: An African- Centered Approach Kobi K. Kambon explains the difference between the African/ Black and European Worldviews. The four components that compose the worldviews are: cosmology, ontology, axiol ogy, and epistemology (Kambon, 1998) In the African/ African-American worldviews one are taught to believe in oneness/ harmony with nature, survival of the group, sameness; whereas the European Worldview have the notion of survival of the fittest, competiveness, independence, and uniqueness (being different).In my middle childhood my parents redirected their life, and my mother returned to college and obtained her bachelors and masters in Psychology with a minor in Black Studies at Portland State University. While in school she begun to incorporate her findings into her parenting. Although, my mother and I were led by Eurocentric teachings, my family and our surroundings reinforced the black/African-American Worldviews in the household. I recall myself adapting to the ideologies and beliefs of those who were not within my own indigenous cultural group.Kambon defines this experience as a black child who has been influenced by Eurocentric teachings resulting in â€Å"Abnormal Unnatur al Circumstances†. The child has accepted and identified him or herself as a member of a â€Å"group that is not indigenous cultural reality (Kambon, 1998). I was able to bounce back to the normal-nature circumstances, with the help of my Black community friends, and family through our morals and beliefs. I had to stay true to my own cultural reality and not be amongst those who are â€Å"cultural mis-identified†.An example of how I demonstrated abnormal unnatural circumstances was when I accepted the European philosophies and allowed the whites to dictate and define what was appropriate or correct based off their standards and views on life. By this I allowed the notion that white Barbie dolls are better, rather than the Black China Doll my grandmother purchased for Christmas one year. While in middle school, which is considered my late or pre-adolescence years, I was offered acceptance into the Talent and Gift also known as the TAG program.The TAG programs honors and congratulates students â€Å"who demonstrated outstanding abilities or potentials in areas of general intellectual ability or specific ability aptitude† (Davenport Community School Website). After discovering the truth in the Black Psychology course, I have come to the understanding that this particular program has several flaws that discriminates against the Black race. The black students who excel above the standards set for Blacks are called â€Å"Talented or Gifted†. In chapter eight it stated that â€Å"there was some Blacks who scored as high as Whites on Standard tests of so-called intelligence (i. research on Black â€Å"gifted† children)† (Kambon, 1998). The foundation of the Tag program continues and supports â€Å"White Supremacy†. The definition the European psychologist use to define intelligence which were examined on Caucasians only was: â€Å"(a) the repertoire of intellectual/cognitive skills and knowledge available to a person a t any one period of time, or (b) the aggregate of global capacity of the individual to act purposely, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his/her environment† (Kambon,1998).The names of a couple of exams that exemplified that one was intelligent were: The Alfred Binet and the Binet Test, also known as Intelligence Quotient/ IQ, Charles Spearman with the GS Factor test, and a few others (Kambon, 1998). Robert L. Williams the second National Chairman/ President of American of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) (Kambon, 1998), developed a â€Å"Black â€Å"cultural specific† intelligence test which demonstrated that Blacks could perform superiority to Whites on such a Black cultural based test.The test was called Black Intelligence Test for Cultural Homogeneity† formally known as â€Å"BITCH’. His intelligence test showcased that African-American students were out performing whites by 30 to 50 points (Kambon, 1998). In relations to my acceptance to th e TAG program I felt a sense of being privileged, superior, and connected to the white race in some sense. I belittled my peers who the Europeans and the test scored them as being underachievers. Through my actions I had continued on the European worldviews.The people see the good that the TAG program promotes; however, there are down sides and negative characteristics of being called a â€Å"Talented or Gifted† child. In my early adolescence years, I was considered at times a student who could be insubordinate, disrespectful, and disruptive in class. However, my actions were to challenge an question my teacher’s philosophy about Western History, colonization in Africa, slavery, and anything that focused on the Black race. Now looking back on what transpired in high school I was trying to discover the truth regarding my peoples.I tried to unravel the mess that the Europeans, Western historians, philosophers, and psychologist created. Removing the blind folds that had b een placed over my eyes through the European teachings; I was tired of receiving the edited, shorten, and beautified story the teachers and academic curriculum spoon-feed me every year during the one month Blacks are allowed to celebrate their history (February). I have come to accept that knowledge is key and discovered like John Henrik Clarke that, â€Å"African History/ Negro History are the missing pages of World History† (John Henrik Clarke, 1996).In chapter three of Kambon books, he explains this idea of cultural reality and worldviews construct, and how â€Å"ones thoughts beliefs, values and actions are not uniquely our own, distinct and separate from those of others, particularly other individuals† (Kambon, 119). In today’s society we accept as true that European’s set the standards or dictated/ guide one to believe that their ways of living and doing things are how things ought to be done; continues white supremacy.I am now in my third year at F AMU as a nursing major interested in psychology, following sibling’s footsteps of attending a Historical Black University. My journey in the Black Psychology has taught me new things about my personality and where I come from. In my opinion Oregon is a diverse and complex state. I had adopted and balanced the different worldviews. From my secondary education I have come to a new found knowledge about this Black Psychology and it’s striving for perfection in the Black communities.I have come to understand that my people are from the Southern or African Cradle, which developed before the Northern or European Cradle a model Diop (Kambon, 1998). I am from the lineage of infamous Pharaoh’s and Queens such as Narmar, Pharaoh and Queen who whore the red and white crown Hatshepsut (Abarry, 1996). For years information has been hidden and sheltered from my peers and I. Not only from the African descendents in Oregon, but from all of the descendents of Africa has that pop ulated the 50 states in America.I have learned that I am a descendant of great Queens and Kings and African’s who were educated, governed themselves, ran a successful economy that was developed in many aspects before the 1500’s when Europeans arrived. Ancient Kemit (KMT) and the Ma’at which is the foundation in which the KMT people lived by (Abarry, 1996). I have grown accustomed to both Western and this new psychology called â€Å"Black Psychology†. I am able to observe and fully understand and acknowledge the course objectives in Black Psychology because I have been in the ream of both worlds.My parents were educated and products of the early 60’s; where there was a large movement on civil rights and black psychologist making a change for the black community. Such as the Pan-African Cultural nationalism movement group who where â€Å"Black Psychologist who advocate that race and culture are the foundation of African self-identity and psychologic al well being† (Kambon, 1998). Black psychology has made tremendous accomplishments; they have challenged the ideals and ideologies of Western Psychology. Rather than being the blinded test mice used in Western Psychology, Black psychologist has made a mark in Psychology.There has been a creation of Psychology geared to the Blacks. They have developed an impressive editorial journal that comes out quarterly called The Journal of Black Psychology which has been around for about 35 years (Kambon, 1996). The members of the Association of Black Psychologist have overcome many obstacles that have been presented in front of them, and will continue to do so for following years to come (Kamon, 1998). I find that my mind was once held captive in a sense, before I entered college under Eurocentric teachings.I upheld the ideas of Eurocentric teachings, yet the status quo has changed; in favor for the Black Race, and my cognitive for that matter. In today’s society black children a re taught by a Eurocentric teaching, where there is a mis-education which manifests itself in the Eurocentric conceptual incarceration (Kambon, 1998). The portrait the European psychologists painted through their views and studies of the black race, personality, mental health, and behavioral problems have not reflected the Black people in anyway. On the contrary it has caused a separation between blacks.Those who believed in changing the psychology world for the black race have succeeded at founding its place and did not allow the standards set by Western Psychology to be the foundation for Black Psychology (Kambon, 1996). Today the black’s can see the ‘great depth of the Eurocentric cultural incarceration that encapsulates African intellectual consciousness and scholarship. † (Kambon,1998). Which has caused a developmental problem of the knowledge of the African/ black race. From the motivation of Francis Cecil Sumner, Herman G. Canady, Robert L. Williams, Marcus Gravey, Nat Turners, W.E. B Dubois, Frances Cress Welsing, and the thousands of members of the Association of Black Psychology, there is a psychology that focuses on the black community which is not defined by the Western Psychology standards. It is up to students like me to utilize the essential tools from courses like Black Psychology, and turn a deaf ear to the myths and misleading information that the Western Psychology once succeeded at incarcerating. This was my experience from growing up in Portland, Oregon and making a much need journey to Florida A&M University which landed me a seat in Dr.Joseph Baldwin course Black Psychology. References Abarry, S. , Asante, M. ,(1996). African intellectual Heritiage. Philadelphia, PA: Temple Press A Great and Might Walk. Dir. St. Claire Bourne. Perf. Wesley Snipes John Henrik Clarke. 1996. Bourne, C. [Westley Snipes] (1996): Los Angles Davenport Community School Website. (1998, Aug). Retrieved Mar. 09, 2009, from http://www. davenport. k12. ia. us/curriculum/gifted. asp Kambon, K. (1998). African/ black psychology in the american context: an african- centered approach. Tallahassee, Fl: Nubian Nation Publication