Multiculturalism

Introduction

            Asian Canadian visual artists are probably the most productive and best known (at least among those working in the United States). Since Vancouver has lately become the focus for immigrants from Hong Kong, China, Philippines and other Asian countries, it is hardly surprising that Canada is witnessing a booming Asian Canadian cinema (Xing and Chun 1998 32). “Yellow Peril: Reconsidered,” a 1990-1991 traveling show of film and video by Asian Canadian artists, showcased an impressive array (twenty-five in all) of Asian Canadian productions, in all styles from straightforward documentaries to experimental short films and performance pieces.

Because of Canada’s geographic and cultural proximity to the United States, there is a danger in drawing too many parallels between U.S and Canadian Asian communities—not the least is the inclination to discount Canada’s distinct and particular historical milieu (Ty 2004 198). However, shared issues and concerns exist when any oppressed minority group struggles for sovereignty within a hegemony social structure. Although Asian Canadian films arc distinguished from Asian Americans’ efforts by national, cultural, and ideological orientations, they do share similar thematic concerns, and they have developed comparable representational strategies and aesthetic sensitivities. The study involves the discussion on three Asian Canadian films specifically, Double Happiness (1994), Eve and the Fire Horse (2005) and The War Between Us (1995).

Discussion

Double Happiness (1994)

            In 2002, like her acclaimed autobiographically driven first feature, Double Happiness (1994), and unlike her unsuccessful second feature. Pre-release publicity made clear that Mina Shum had even brought back Sandra oh, the praised lead of Double Happiness (Xing and Chun 1998 32). Shum had already wanted the Korean Canadian actor, who passes as the Hong Kong-born Chinese Jade Li in Double Happiness, for the lead in her second feature, though its story reprised only the feminist theme of Double Happiness not its ethnic plot. Interpreting Sham’s record of successes and failures can reveal something about the enterprise of non-White and ethnic filmmakers making feature films in Canada today (Ty 2004 198). It would seem that critics and general audiences expect ethnic filmmakers to offer personal stories that reveal something about living in a multi racial and multi cultural society—which is particularly true of Canada today—and to do it in a lively and familiar format (Xing and Chun 1998 32). Discover the question 

in a free-market system, producers are most strongly driven by which

            Hong Kong-born Mina Shum (1966) is the first Chinese Canadian to have directed a feature film in Canada. Double Happiness (1994) is a story of Inter-generational conflict between a young daughter and her immigrant father. Described as a semi-autobiographical work of self-ethnography that seeks to explore the Chinese immigrant culture and its issues, Double Happiness uses its contemporary urban domestic setting to picture a non-typical Canadian family (Xing and Chun 1998 33). The film reflects the growing demographic importance of Chinese immigration to Canada in the 1990s, first from Hong Kong prior to the reversion of that city to Chinese sovereignty, then from Taiwan, and finally from China itself (Ty 2004 198). The issues raised by Shum are those that affected the lives of many Chinese adapting to life in Vancouver and Toronto during the 1990s.

            Produced mainly for the English-speaking world, such films as Double Happiness made by Asians in the diaspora are important because they contest not only the dominant Euro-American culture’s representations but also its power to represent. While Canada is a country of immigrants, greater Vancouver has become home to Chinese immigrants in particular (Xing and Chun 1998 33). In 1996, Chinese accounted for slightly over a quarter of the population of Vancouver, which included almost 45 per cent visible minorities. By the time Shum made Double Happiness, the Chinese population of Vancouver was almost 30 per cent, and across the river in Richmond, the percentage was even higher (Ty 2004 201). These numbers must have at least partially inspired the confidence Shum felt in embarking on her first Chinese-subject matter film, although her natural tendency for optimism has also played a part (Xing and Chun 1998 34). The racial and cultural mixing of populations in Vancouver; however, has not been without tensions. The quick transformation of the composition of the city strained ethnic relations in the 1990s. It is useful to review both the recent and distant history of Chinese immigration in Canada to place the production of Shum’s films in context for a better understanding of what making a Chinese subject matter film means in the framework of Vancouver and Canada.

            While multiculturalism is a relatively new concept in the United States, it has been official policy in Canada since 1971 and the government of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and it means something quite different here as opposed to the US. The various waves of Chinese immigrants, however, fall into only two groups when considering class aspects and attitude to their country of reception (Xing and Chun 1998 34). Accordingly, the immigrants who arrived soon after 1967 differed little from early immigrants and those who came after 1947. Generally relatively poor, at the time of their arrival, these immigrants lived modestly, careful not to stand out ‘too prominently” or annoy the White population. This contrasts with the majority of Chinese immigrants arriving in the 1980s and early 1990s who were often wealthy and disinterested in keeping a low profile (Ty 2004 201). This wave built a series of extensive Chinese malls where English signage was absent. Newspapers in the late 198os ran story after story of a ‘Chinese takeover” of the real estate market in Vancouver and the established white population expressed horror at the building of ‘monster homes” in their neighborhoods and at the cutting down of trees that the new arrivals considered to ‘block the path of good fortune (Xing and Chun 1998 36). This climate of xenophobia is the context in which Mina Shum made Double Happiness, a film that reaches out to say, “we Chinese are harmless and essentially just like you.” It should be noted, however, that at present anti-Chinese xenophobia has quieted down. New demographics, fewer financially competitive Chinese immigrants, and a well-integrated school system have lead to a new harmony between the Chinese and established White population. Although unacknowledged, as such, the film seems set in the past, before more recent immigrations, at a time when the Chinese community was harmonious and of a similar economic stratum—before the arrival of the special category investor immigrant of the 1990s—and when Chinese life in Vancouver was more physically circumscribed (Xing and Chun 1998 36). It is a vision of Chinese-Canadian existence in which the tension between the two poles—Chinese and Canadian—is eliminated because the implications of the second term are missing. Mina Shum’s films have at least demonstrated that ethnicity need not always be cast as suffering (Rueschmann 2003 152). Her theme of color blind casting in Double Floppiness has also succeeded in making a Chinese out of Sandra oh (everyone now seems certain that she is Chinese and not Korean). Thus, Peter Feng’s aspired-to label, “Asian-Canadian”, has been realized, though it seems here to have lost Feng’s political dimension, not a victory against hegemonic power (Tator 2003 174). This ambivalence and doubleness create the interests and tensions in Shum’s film. Double Happiness reveals the indeterminacy and some of the yet unresolved problems of Asian Canadian who choose to represent themselves (Rueschmann 2003 152). Shum undercuts the inside/outside opposition, her intervention is necessarily that of both a deceptive insider and a deceptive outsider. Shum’s Double Happiness ends with Jade in her own apartment, hanging up curtains with pictures of Marilyn Monroe on them (Tator 2003 174). Using Marilyn Monroe here as an icon is in keeping with the ambivalent spirit of the film, Monroe was successful in becoming a star, something Jade wants, arid yet her life was fraught with difficulties (Rueschmann 2003 153). In the final scene, in a rather suggestive gesture of drawing the curtains, Jade is at once inviting us to participate in her life at the same time as she is closing off the gaze of the outsider. Double Happiness premiered at the 1994 Toronto International Film Festival to a staggering response — director Mina Shum was heralded as a great new director, the films star Sandra Oh was showered with offers and U.S. distributors came knocking (Samuel 2005 132). All this for a funny, introspective, semi-autobiographical movie about an immigrant Chinese family in Vancouver, focusing on a rebellious, artistic young woman navigating through two cultures. The implications of such movie in Canadian society are the impression of Chinese, or in general – Asian, culture to be significantly acknowledge in the Canadian society (Rueschmann 2003 153).

            Mina Shum’s debut feature, Double Happiness is a film that challenges the scopic drive of mainstream Hollywood films by intervening in what Ann Kaplan calls dominant looking relations. The film, the first feature produced by a Chinese Canadian woman, self- consciously plays with its North American audience’s expectations of cinematic gaze, narrative voice, subjectivity, and racial stereotypes (Tator 2003 174). In the opening scene, the central character, Jade Li, talks directly to the camera, comparing her Chinese family with that of the TV sitcom “The Brady Bunch”. However, she notes with irony, “The Brady Bunch never needed subtitles” (Rueschmann 2003 153). Subtitles and the need for translation suggest a concern with cultural and artistic re-presentation. Similar to the last two authors I examined, who dealt with issues of alienation and dislocation, Shum grapples with misunderstandings due to one’s ethnicity. However, she adds the dimension of staging and representation to the politics of the visible (Tator 2003 176). Through the genre of comedy romance, Shum reveals the extent to which identity is constantly being performed — in Judith Butler’s sense of the term, performance. Racial and gendered identity is re-enacted arid problematized together in Double Happiness (Rueschmann 2003 154). Double Happiness highlights what Judith Butler calls the ‘performativity’ of racialized and gendered subjectivity by its metafilmic structure. Several scenes contest the notion of a stable ethnic subject by playing with accents, dress, and performance (Tator 2003 178). A number of instances in the movie demonstrate that being Asian is a negative marker in Canadian society Jade’s Asian features engenders certain expectations in the people she meets (Rueschmann 2003 154).

Eve and the Fire Horse (2005)

            In Julia Kwan’s movie of Eve and the Fire Horse, the concept mainly portrays the spiritual diversion that occurs in consideration to multiculturalism. The religious as aspect of diversity in the form of Chinese Buddhism and Canadian Christianity present in the Asian-Canadian society (Hammamoto and Liu 2000 254). Julia Kwan evidently introduced these concepts of religious diversion in the form of two sisters that somehow implicate the cultural thought occurring in the society (Raphael and Shannon 2006 231). It does not seem to find this an important goal. By way of example, some years ago the Swiss theologian Hans Kung was in Toronto to lecture on religious diversity and the need for dialogue (Samuel 2005 134). The host, Trinity College professor Willard Oxtoby, called upon a distinguished Japanese-Canadian scholar to represent Buddhism. When it came time for this individual to reflect on the possible significance of what inter-religious dialogue purports for the future, he remarked that the search for dialogue appeared to be a Christian “problem.” Non-Asian Buddhism in Canada reveals an amorphous scene (Hammamoto and Liu 2000 256). There is on the one hand a distinguished scholarly record that is in large part attributable to Euro-Canadian scholars, all of whom respect the subject enormously, though few arc practicing Buddhists (Raphael and Shannon 2006 231). On the other hand, there are some bona fide tradition-based Buddhist temples and schools, presided over by non-Asian monks or teachers, as well as guru-based organizations with largely (though not completely) Asian Buddhist teachers. However, Buddhism has a far wider impact on non-Asian Canadian awareness than its temple- based presence (Samuel 2005 134).

            In Julia Kwan’s film, the superstitious perspective and coverage of the leads and the overall concept provides the conjoining of two different religions in a society in a form of social proposal. As discrimination or prejudice may have been occurring due to religion multiculturalism, Julia Kwan utilized the stories provided by her father when she was young. The story goes on two separate idealism wherein the end points out the rationale and logic between two separate religions (Raphael and Shannon 2006 233). Julia Kwan’s creativity utilizes this scenario in order to provide a media message in a form of Asian-Canadian film, which institute and reveals the presence of diversion in the society (Hammamoto and Liu 2000 256).

            Second, even if the communalistic roots of ethnic Buddhism are to a degree intensified by Canada’s policy of multiculturalism, Canadian-Asian Buddhists continue to retain their ethnic identities with certainty and pride, finding security in cultural and spiritual roots in an adopted country that is not in the least antagonistic to their religion. Technological globalization has also made voice and other forms of rapid communication with distant homelands so much easier that they function in effect as taproots, sending up the juices of spiritual life (Samuel 2005 136). Though there may not be much formal contact, Buddhism in Canada is clearly embedded within a global transnational network. Admittedly, such contacts with Asia may in one sense retard Canadianized forms of Buddhism based on fusion and syntheses of ethnic and non-Asian Buddhism. As with the movie, Julia Kwan introduces the concepts of Buddhism under Chinese’ religious diversity towards the Canadian religious diversion, Christianity. Although Buddhism in Canada does not have a unified presence, single prelate, or spokesperson, it still bears certain identifying features, whether Asian or non-Asian (Raphael and Shannon 2006 233). Most, if not all, of these are entirely inoffensive in Canadian society. Buddhism is not a religion burdened with dogmatic fundamentalism, different dress codes, unusual diet, or special demands for educational needs beyond what the state can provide (Hammamoto and Liu 2000 256).

The War Between Us (1995)

            Anne Wheeler is a prolific Canadian filmmaker born in Alberta; she has lived for the last decade in British Columbia (Desai 2004 48). Anne Wheeler is one of the most celebrated Canadian filmmakers. Wheeler came to direct after a number of varied experiences as a mathematician, teacher, actor, photographer, and activist. Wheeler’s films usually center around women’s issues and women’s stories. Her ties to region are clear in her oeuvre: her prairie and Alberta films inhabitant their locations and brave, not unlike the landscape (at the risk of bad cliché), moved laterally across a range of themes and have insisted on plumbing the depths of historical memory for the visible evidence of the violence of that plumbing the depths of historical memory for the visible evidence of the violence of that repressed and contained past (Samuel 2005 142). Her West Coast projects clearly draw from Vancouver’s iconic neighborhoods, and workplaces, as well as from BC’s particular experience of the World War two in the internment of Japanese Canadians (Hammamoto and Liu 2000 256). One of her featured film is War Between Us (1995), which is a sensitive study of Japanese-Canadians displaced to a small town in the BC interior during World War 2. Wheeler’s handling of the controversial subject matter is admirable, particularly in its emphasis on female friendship and community-mindedness. Despite the difficulties Wheeler has faced in funding situations, she maintains that perseverance pays off in the end (Desai 2004 48).

            The movie tells about the Japanese society in the aspect of its multiculturalism in a different scenario particularly, during World War II. Neighboring Canada adopted a similar policy wherein Canadian troops had helped defend Hong Kong, and stories of Japanese atrocities followed its capitulation (Beard and White 1999 132). The Canadian-Japanese community in British Columbia, about 22,000 in numbers, were also deported from the coastal region and interned. The British Columbia politicians demanded that after the war they be expelled from Canada to Japan (Desai 2004 49). In wartime propaganda, emanating from Hollywood and other film studios, the Japanese were invariably portrayed as sub-human monsters (Kooh 2003 72). A wartime “Japanese type” was evolved, more ape than man, with huge, hideous teeth, low forehead and shambling gait (Hammamoto and Liu 2000 258). In the scenes of brutality in such films as Betrayal from the East and Black Dragon, die Japanese-Americans, the Nisei, were depicted as traitors and spies (Beard and White 1999 132). When wartime propaganda films handled German themes these almost always emphasized that it was the Nazis who were the enemy; such films took care to include at least one “good German” to indicate that the war in the West was not directed against a whole nation (Desai 2004 49). There were no “good Japanese” in the films about the Pacific war. The creative movie angles brought by Anne Wheeler provided this perspective on her film indicating how it was like to be a Japanese individual in the time of war wherein the fight is between nations and not individually (Kooh 2003 72).

            The cultural diversion and intense discrimination due to the great social, economic and moral impacts of war brought undeniably by Japan in several countries. Japanese individuals were regarded with negative image indicating bloodthirsty monsters, which are somehow illustrated in the film of Anne Wheeler (Beard and White 1999 133). The inclination of Anne Wheeler’s film is mostly and evidently on the aspect of history, which unquestionably because of her experience during these significant periods (Desai 2004 51). On the other hand, compared to the treatment of the Chinese during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the state of the Japanese remained relatively favorable, due primarily to the active attention of the Japanese officials. The movie of “The War Between Us” emphasized the character of the director mainly in terms of Anne Wheeler’s being Canadian. The war that occurred between the social strata of Japanese and Canadian in the time of World War II is the primary scenario depicted in the story (Kooh 2003 72).

            Anne Wheeler emphasizes the historical perspective of Japanese-Canadian relations during the time of World War II and to influence the Canadian audience that the stigma of war and the discrimination of Japanese individuals should be relinquished. In the movie, Japanese were demoralized by the loss of their homes and property and devastated by being cast into an alien world, where, because of the disappearance of their communities and their lack of English, they were forced to relinquish authority over second generation (Kooh 2003 86). Yet the legacy of World War II lives on strongly in the minds of Canadians and the Japanese. There is more to the folk memory of the war than the monuments in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which memorialize the tens of thousands killed by the atomic bombs; mote than lingering Canadian animosity about the treatment of Canadian soldiers and prisoners of war during and after the fall of Hong Kong in December 1941. Often unstated, often unconscious, is the recollection that Canada and Japan were mortal enemies, sworn to kill soldiers, undermine civilian morale and bring the other to its knees (Desai 2004 51).

            Movies and popular culture have trivialized World War II, turning it into a military struggle between competing armies, and obscuring the intensity of the conflict on both sides of the Pacific (Beard and White 1999 136). The friendliness of the postwar relationship, which gives cause to hide the bad blood of earlier years, has the same effect (Kooh 2003 86). However, the memory is there— potent and important. Canadians lived in fear of being overrun by the Yellow Peril, armed to the teeth with guns, bombers, battleships and a suicidal commitment to the emperor and the country. Canadians gave their all for the war effort, throwing their support behind rationing campaigns, victory bond drives and military recruitment campaigns. The Japanese, stirred to war by patriotic appeals to help the country reach its national destiny, approached World War II with steely determination (Beard and White 1999 136).

Conclusion

            In the conclusion of the study, Asian-Canadian films have greatly yet discreetly influenced the move of Canadian society with respect to the awakening on Asian presence in the country. Discrimination and lesser placement in society are evidently provided in these strata of citizenship, which should not be the case. The stigma brought by the influx of Chinese immigrants, the religion disparity present in the society itself as well as the historical dilemma that occurred between Japanese and Canadian society. These are all tackled in the discussion via the elaboration of three movies, specifically Double Happiness (1994), Eve and the Fire Horse (2005) and The War Between Us (1995).

Works Cited

Xing, Jun, and Chun Hsing. Asian America Through the Lens: History, Representations, and Identity. Rowman & Littlefield, 1998.

Rueschmann, Eva. Moving Pictures, Migrating Identities. Univ. Press of Missipi, 2003.

Raphael, Haike, and Shannon Steen. AfroAsian Encounters: Culture, History, Politics. NYU Press, 2006.

Desai, Jigna. Beyond Bollywood: The Cultural Politics of South Asian Diasporic Film. Routledge, 2004.

Beard, William, and Jerry White. North of Everything: English-Canadian Cinema Since 1980. University of Alberta, 2002.

Kooh, Tsen-Ling. Banana Bending: Asian-Australian and Asian-Canadian Literatures. Hong Kong University Press, 2003.

Ty, Eleanor. The Politics of the Visible in Asian North American Narratives. University of TorontoPress, 2004.

Tator, Carol, and Frances Henry. Challenging Racism in the Arts: Case Studies of Controversy and Conflict. University of TorontoPress, 2003.

Hammamoto, Darrel Y., and Sandra Liu. Countervisions: Asian American Film Criticism. Temple University Press, 2000.

Samuel, Edith. Integrative Antiracism: South Asians in Canadian Academe. University of Toronto Press, 2005.

Today, the mankind is living under the shadow of sudden death. It appears that we have come to the end of our journey. Now we stand on the brink of complete and final destruction. The earth has become a dangerous place. It may explode to pieces at any moment.

Man has been living on this earth for thousands of years. It has been giving him everything he needed. Then, why it has become so dangerous. The only thing responsible for this is science and its inventions. Science has brought more fear and danger than hope and comfort.In the beginning, it appeared to be the greatest friend and helper of man. It promised to overcome disease and death.

The atom bomb wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It has broken up the established institutins. What has to accomplished? It has not ended poverty. He loved his neighbours and respected his elders. It promised to make this earth a paradise, and man an immortal god. Science has developed such terrible weapons of war that in the next world war not a single man will escape death. It has made this earth a hell and man an insance devel.

Of curse, there were wars and famines sometimes.Science has, no doubt, made it possible to produce things in great quantities. The last two World Wars killed millions of people and destroyed many cities. The disadvantages:

1. Can be easily manipulated by irresponsible persons.
2. We’ll be too dependant on it. When technology fails, we r helpless (in one way or another).
3. Sometimes, it affects our health and lifestyles(we’ll be complacent and lazy. The chemicals r hazardous).
4. It destroys our simple and healthy life(I miss the traditional style of living).
5. Invasion of our privacy.
6. Science can pollute waters.Scientists die in labs because of accidents.
7. Too many species to keep track of.
8. Animals disturbed from habitats.
9. Plant species taken from environment.
10. Rare species threatened. due to nuclear development there is a danger of occurence of secon world war

2. due to nuclear radiation there are many diseases throught the world

3. it leads to globular warming On the minus side there is weaponry which is the inseparable issue of the new technologies. Hence the main problem is the proper use of this knowledge. Nevertheless, weapon engineering propels and provides a huge advance. Also, the industry despite highly developed machinery pollutes the globe.

On the other hand while many people live in horrible conditions and famine governments spend a lot of money on developing weapon industry. Is it the right way? Maybe the modern technology should either stop or prevent social disproportions. Lastly, do new technologies make us happier? It is not an easy question and each person should consider it. If at one hand, science and technology has brought a lot of wonders for us then on the other hand, there are disadvantages of science and technology as well. Firstly, it has increased the anxiety in our lives. Secondly, when technology goes in the wrong hands then it can negatively impact the society such as the increasing rate of cyber crime, hacking, stealing of personal information and pornography websites. Thirdly, technology has also increased the alternatives and opportunities for the terrorists.

Moreover, technology has suppressed our physical efforts and we are getting more luxurious and comfort living. The economies which lag behind in incorporating new technologies are considered poor economies and their progress in the world is hindered.

The proverbs are the “code” of the people, expressing the individual way of life of each nation. The way in which images are used and how the assessment of the same phenomenon comes from mentality, and it is different in every nation’s proverbs. It is hard to understand such articles at one point, because it is important for them to be aware of the people’s lifestyle. The different representation of the proverbs in all languages is attributed to their diversity of religion, geographical location, and diversity of historical processes. The proverbs have long been a matter of national character, and the idea that a particular nation is a way of life is seen as an urgent problem for many years. It is also important to consider the social environment in order to understand the similarities and differences in proverbs. At the same time, it is also important that the population of the nation and the size of a social group in the society.

When we look at the proverbs of all peoples, we do not see the same amount of proverbs in all subjects, because in the people’s genealogy some subjects are of vital importance, and another is less important. For example, African countries can often be found in landscapes, steppe, steppe and forest, and indigenous people live onthefield. Do not call the forest that shelters you in the jungle (Do not call the jungle for shelter as a forest). Do not abuse anyone who cares for you. In Central Asian countries, where the role of family, neighborhood and family is high, articles in these subjects are used in large numbers. Mother’s House is home to the house of the fatherly house (Uzbek folklore, p. 252)

Goodneighbor-parent

Bad neighbor – a headache (Uzbek folklore, p 259) It is worth noting that the proverb and the value contribute to the development of a person in a particular society. Does the wisdom in the articles mean that all countries have the same meanings or different uses? Although they are similar in terms of their structure, they are different in two other nations.
Where there is a will, there is a way (where there is a way there will be a path.)

This proverb is an English-language proverb that also appears in East African countries (Iwapo nia, kuna njia). However, there are two different interpretations in both languages. In English, this proverb is a positive meaning that means that if you want something that is still hoping for a spiritually supportive person who has lost his way, he can continue on his way.

This article also describes East African countries in a negative way. They say that because of the fact that a person is unable to find a job, he has no wish to do so because “there is a will, there is a way;  Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. (be warned of the Greek greetings). In this proverbs, we need to recall the history of the events of historic events, and we must remember the battle of ancient Greeks with the troika to make it clear to us. Greeks, who have been unable to reach Troika for years, are planning to build a horse-shaped horse-shaped siege into which Greek soldiers will be hiding. They send him to Troya as a gift.

The trojans, who are proud of their victory, accept it as a gift. During the night, the Troika celebrated the victory and the Greeks using the cart will come out of the horse-shaped wooden puppet, and the Greeks, who have been unable to serve the Trojan for many years, will take trophies in one night. After this historic event, a horse-drawn gift is regarded as a human trick capable of being hostile to human beings. These articles may be familiar to the Greeks or to some European countries, but may be unfamiliar to other nations who do not know what happened.

There are various genres that can be found in the origin of proverbs. Here are some examples of proverbs in English:

1. Historical events – All braves lived before Agamemnon (all the survivors lived before Agamemnon). Agamemnon has been in history as a person who has exploited all the powerful people.
2. The Bible – An IDLE brain is the Devil’s workshop (the untrained brain is the Devil’s slot).
3. British realia

MORE people know Tom Fool than Tom Fool knows (Fool’s Tom recognizes many others rather than others). One of the most commonly used names in the English language is Tom, which became the symbol of the English language. In the given proverb, exactly the name given to Tom is used for the proverbs, and for the listener to make it clear that this name is not just a historical person, but simply Tom’s name, the British realm. Since the origins of the proverb in both English and English are derived from various sources, it is difficult to understand some proverbs, and we can see the difference between the proverbs in this case.

In general, the proverbs have two types of features that unify them, depending on their national and global characteristics. The proverbs are not famous for the wisdom of the people, but the long history of the people and no author. All proverbs have their own rhythm, rhyme, and thought.

1. Metaphor: A rotten apple spoils the barrel. (Infected with oatmeal jams). A single sheep lamb (from the Uzbek collection of proverbs) is Poda.
2. Have a Rhythm: When the cats are away, the mice will play (funny mice fun). Solomon’s death giants were saved. (From the Uzbek collection of proverbs)
3. Alliteration: Your Lord Peter pay Paul. (Paying for Peter to pay for Peter). This feature of proverbs shows that they are homogeneous in all nations. Differently, the diversity of proverbs suggests that the outlook of each nation should be analyzed in the way of life, the nationality.

Needs, values, priorities of employees and employers have changed dramatically over the last decade. On all levels of the corporate ladder, men and women are seeking new ways to manage the time they spend working so they can spend more time living. In the boardrooms, executives are seeking ways to attract – and retain – the best employees so they can continue to survive and thrive in a highly competitive global economy. As companies are becoming more and more diverse it is becoming more and more important for companies to understand and manage diversity.

The people of different background, races, religion creates diverse workforce. There is an importance of having diverse workforce to provide better performance. There are perspectives of managing the diverse workforce, which require organization leaders and managers of being responsible of attaining better diverse workforce. Diversity means differences, difference of age, sex, race, religion and culture etc. People with different demographic differences working in the organization makes diverse workforce. And it is becoming more important for the organizations to know about these differences and how to manage it.

Diversity is also the common issue in the workforce environment, in some companies employees often get discriminated or misunderstood because of the diverse features. So it is important for the companies to manage the diversity workforce to value best performance. As differences have often been associated with discrimination, bias, unfair treatment and conflicts, managing diversity in workforce is an important task for managers today. Managing diversity in the workplace refers to the ways of managers used in ensuring employees in the organizations who come from different group do not suffer discrimination.

Management can mobilize the differences and similarities in each and every one of the employees for the benefits of both the individuals and organizations. Ensuring fairness and equality in a diverse workplace is more than just doing a good deed, it is imperative in today’s fast moving and sophisticated business world. Diversity is increasing everyday in every organization: in America 1 in 4 Americans belongs to a minority or is foreign-born. Women, who currently make up less than half the work force, are expected to fill 65 percent of the jobs created during this decade. Whether you are a business owner, executive, salesperson or customer- service professional, your success will increasingly depend on your ability to function in a culturally diverse marketplace,” (Profiting in America’s Multicultural Marketplace’ Lexington Books). Why should companies concern themselves with diversity? Many managers answered this question with the statement that discrimination is wrong, both legally and morally. But today managers are voicing a second notion as well. A more diverse workforce, they say, will increase organizational effectiveness.

It will lift morale, bring greater access to new segments of the marketplace, and enhance productivity. In short, they claim, diversity will be good for business. Research stated that the Canadian companies leading the way in the area of diversity management have discovered that by embracing the elements of ethnic and cultural diversity in their workforce they have enhanced their ability to understand and tap new markets, both within Canada and abroad. Managing diversity There is no doubt that the American workforce has changed in dramatic ways.

Twenty years ago the American workforce was predominantly white and male: in the 70’s, non-Hipic white males represented about 68% of the workforce while in 2006 represented less than 40% of the workforce. (Ivancevich,p54). One of the reasons white males no longer dominate the workforce is that women have entered the workforce in record numbers. It is estimated that at the end of the decade, more than 60% percent of adult American workforce, or almost half of the American work force will be female(Ivancevich. 2007).

Organizations have to follow the many guidelines to get diversity stick: they have to focus on getting the best talent out of the person regardless of different age, sex and other demographic differences; they have to develop career plans for all employees of the organization including the minorities; they have to promote minorities to responsible positions in the workplace; they have to make managers responsible to obtain diversity goals by managing their employees well. Managers also have to communicate well with all the employees and listen to their problems that are of different background or cultures.

Also organizations should build diversity into senior management. Improved understanding of diversity seems to be an obvious need, yet most firms fail to invest time and resources to become “diversity-friendly. ” Even though there is a long way until diversity in the work force will be fully integrated, there are a few success stories about diversity management that could serve as an example. For example United Airlines experienced an increase in Spanish-speaking travelers when it installed a Spanish-speaking telephone reservation line.

Avon Products had significant revenue growth after it hired African American, Hipic American, and Asian American sales and marketing personnel. Another example that we can use is Pillsbury Company and Kraft General Foods who both recorded access to more of the African American and Hipic American markets after increasing the number of sales and advertising professionals from these ethnic-racial groups. Lookism Lookism is the ugly prejudice that judges people on their physical beauty instead of their ability.

This happens everywhere: in the office, on the street, in the media and in virtually every aspect of our lives. The media fully perpetuates this myth that beauty is more important than anything else, that skinny women are more beautiful than overweight women, and that beautiful skin, hair and teeth make a person better than the one that is considered plain. If you’re unattractive in face or body, you probably learned early on that you pay a price. In school, you were excluded from the “in” group. When you wanted to date, few people were interested.

On the street, people look not at you but past you. We all know that, after all, looks does matter. And it matters in the workplace too. As we can read in the article “Your appearance, good or bad, can affect size of your paycheck”, a “growing body of research supports what many suspect: in the workplace, an employee’s physical appearance is a powerful symbol that affects job success. Reading more we discover that , “Looking good on the job is an intangible asset that can be important, just as sharp technology skills or the ability to be a team player can give certain workers an edge”.

We have to admit that there are industries that solely judge people by their looks such as the entertainment industry and modeling. In those industries, a person’s looks is his/her commodity because the public want to see attractive gods and goddesses, not average-looking people. As a conclusion I can say that even though people are protesting the fact that lookism is deemed as discrimination, there is a slim chance that the concept of judging people based upon looks will change overnight.

In order for this to change, we all have to change. We, as people, we need to stop judging by the look. We should judge by the qualities that a person has. Organizational Culture An organization’s culture varies as widely as the nature of work itself. Oftentimes a unique different mix of values and norms govern the cultural environment of an organization. In today’s fast changing business environment, the cultural make-up of an organizations plays a critical role in the success of the firm to achieve its strategic objectives.

Culture is not an easily defined concept, but generally it is the values, beliefs, and norms expressed in work practices and behavior. An organization’s culture is not necessarily an articulated list of values found in an appendix in an annual report. Rather, culture is created by the organization itself. Many corporations have recognized that diversity contributes to the bottom line by making it easier to retain good employees, lowering costs by developing skill in-house and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees.

As Swanson states in the article “Diversity: Creating an Environment of inclusiveness”, “It has been suggested that one of the keys to integrating diversity is developing the ability to hold multiple perspectives without judgment. A statement easier written than accomplished! Although this is a challenge, there are several strategies that we can use to develop this skill: staying in the present, working to increase our comfort level with ambiguity, striving to decrease distortion, and choosing actions that support our desired outcomes. ”

We can see that organizations have created specific recruiting programs that target traditional minority universities and trade schools. They have also tied the recruiting programs into a reporting relationship with the diversity council and other leadership initiatives. In tandem with recruiting programs, retention programs have been formed to address existing employees. Almost all organizations have started diversity programs. As a result high quality minority candidates are being recruited by other companies. This has created a highly competitive market for the very best minority employees.

Gender In early societies, women bore children, cared for the home, and helped maintain the family’s economic production. Men hunted, made war, and, in settled societies, assumed primary responsibility for field crop production. Women’s status is a complex issue and a hard-to-define subject. Around the world, women’s status in each society and culture varies in different ways. In some societies, women’s status improved gradually, while in other, it declined or remained unchanged. As it is mentioned in the article “Why Aren’t We There Yet? An Equal Pay Day 2009 Primer on the Wage Gap. , “Unfair pay is not simply the result of women choosing the wrong college major or career. Women attend similar kinds of colleges as men, outperform men academically, and are more likely to earn a professional license or certificate. Yet women earn less than men even within majors. These wage gaps start upon entering the workforce; just one year after college, female graduates working full time earn only about 80 percent as much as male graduates earn. Ten years after graduation, women fall farther behind, earning only 69 percent as much as men earn.

And college educated women still earn less than their male peers when controlling for hours, occupation, parenthood, and other factors normally associated with pay. ” However, women have made positively progress towards equality and their role in the society has been changed dramatically since the last century. The number of working women with children has more than doubled in the past 50 years. As my own opinion, I can say that even with all the changes that happen around the world regarding women’s place in the workforce, the stereotypical role of housewife is still present.

Even when women break out from this role, they still not had given an equal opportunity. Men tend to hold administrative positions, while women usually have the positions that support the administrator. Religion The business world has gone global, and our diverse workplace could be the key to connecting with potential customers here and abroad. In my opinion, encouraging dialog and sharing of religious and cultural norms in the working place, not only will help decrease misunderstanding and misinformation among the employees, but interaction with clients and vendors from other cultures and religions will become second nature.

Knowing when (or when not to) shake hands, share a meal, or offer a glass of wine can give your company a good advantage in today’s global market. Based on this problem, a paragraph from the article “Religious groups and employers try a new approach to faith at work. ” got my attention: “The idea of addressing religion in the secular business world often causes even seasoned human resources executives to pause and see how it complements their people-management strategies.

At Texas Instruments, worldwide diversity director Terry Howard remembers his reaction when approached by 10 Christian employees about forming a company-sanctioned religious group. “The questions that I raised were: What does this mean to TI? How would recognizing you as a group help TI meet its business objectives and targets? How is it going to make TI serve customers better? How is it going to make TI a good place to work for everyone and be inclusive? ” he says.

They made it quite clear that they saw themselves as being in the position to help us recruit and retain people of faith-based backgrounds. ” In my opinion, having companies that respect employees religious background (allowing employees to take days off based on their religious beliefs), can attract top candidates for the company. In my opinion, each feels honored and respected and it is a win-win for the company and for the employee as well. By showing employees that you respect their beliefs and customs, you will be building a strong relation and in the same time creates employee loyalty.

Appreciating differences and developing an atmosphere that everyone will feel accepted and valued is a diversity management concept that should be used by all organizations. If carried out properly this technique will improve recruitment and strengthen relationships with customers by creating a common set of values. Fear of change can sometimes lead to resistance of diversity management. Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn (2005) Race, gender, age, religion, and ethnicity are all factors of diversity.

In the workforce, the challenge for a manager is to promote a common feeling of company vision and respect of the employees’ distinct perceptions and contributions. Managing diversity gets more critical as the workforce diversity increases and stereotyping and discrimination possibilities increase. Discrimination originating from the employer prevents utilizing contributions from the discriminated and is therefore counterproductive when a diverse workforce can help to bring organizations closer to their customers.

If a person understands his or her own culture he or she will be more likely to work well with people from other cultures. Most people are not aware of their own culture until confronted with a culture that is very different. Changing demographics can bring diversity into an organization but is often not fully respected, valued, or utilized. Minority cultures face misunderstandings and lack of sensitivity daily in the workplace and sometimes harassment or discrimination.

Prejudice can result in discrimination that places individuals in a disadvantage by being treated unfairly and denied the benefit of organizational membership. Schermerhorn et al. (2005) There are some useful strategies that an organization can implement to address these issues. A cultural sensitization program can be organized to bring in a consulting firm to introduce employees to generalizations, stereotypes, and individual attitudes concerning culture. Participants would be involved in interactive exercises like games and case studies to help reinforce the learning.

The program addresses the issue comprehensively with tangible results. An e-learning program on cultural diversity can also be implemented to educate employees on cultural diversity through role plays, case studies, and assessments. The program would enable employees to learn and understand at their own pace. The use of role play and real-to-life scenarios helps employees that are likely to wake up to the realities in their own environment. Cultural fests could also be organized every six months as theme parties where activities could be woven around cultural themes originating from different countries.

Employees would be encouraged to present interesting aspects of different cultures in innovative ways through skits, role-plays, and costumes. Multi-cultural cuisine would also be provided at these fests. The fests provide an informal environment for employees to interact. People tend to unwind at such activities, which improves inter-personal relationships. When people begin to respect others at an individual level, they are more likely to be tolerant toward others sensitivities, be it personal or cultural.

Theme-oriented fests will give people an opportunity to appreciate the richness of other cultures. These ideas originate from the Understanding Issues in Organizational Behavior simulation. Today’s managers increasingly see that an organization rich with unique talents and ideas makes good business sense. There are many different useful viewpoints to be used to solve problems in today’s complex and competitive environments. Today’s customer and supplier base is also diverse and a workforce that reflects that diversity may have the edge needed to succeed.

Employers who do not recognize and respect the impact of culture on behavior may contribute to the surfacing of workplace tensions and discrimination. Schermerhorn et al. (2005) Men and women have very little differences in analytical skills, problem-solving, motivation, sociability, competitive drive, or problem-solving ability. Women seem to have lower expectations of success than men and are more conforming. Although the absenteeism rates of woman are currently higher than men’s the trend of men playing a more active part in childrearing may change that.

A woman is more likely to hand out rewards for performance and to be more democratic. Men tend to receive more recognition and rewards for leadership. More women are taking on leadership roles today and contribute to an enhanced leadership pool. Stereotypes can also affect older workers as being labeled inflexible or undesirable and lead more often to age discrimination lawsuits. Even employees in their forties feel that their skills and experience are not valued anymore. Small businesses do value the stability and experience of the older worker, relying on the decreased chance for absenteeism and turnover.

It predicts higher performance from a diverse organization and view diversity as a business necessity’. [4] As a result, diversity is a concept celebrated by many organizations [4]. Yet, in spite of the amount of attention diversity receives, the concept is neither clearly defined nor well understood by the general public. [4] Given diversity ambiguous meaning, people may interpret the concept of diversity in a manner consistent with their desire to preserve inequality along socially important dimensions, such as race.

In our report, we will explore whether diversity s, in fact, a changeable concept capable of serving opposing social agendas. Diversity: Definition In simple terms, diversity can be defined as a point of reference. According to Coffey, “diversity is a term for valuing and promoting differences, similarities, and unique characteristics of groups and individuals in different areas in the world. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. ” [1] In today’s world, we can all agree that everybody is unique and different as each has different characteristics and ideas.

So, in general, it can be said that “diversity is no ore than Just tolerating differences”. [1] Diversity: Past Over 25 years ago, what we now dub diversity was often referred to as pluralism. [6] This Journey began when we wanted to recognize that there was more than one culture present in the workplace. We could continue to be different, yet be part of the same firm. We believed that co-existence was better than trying to help people to become culturally assimilated into one larger culture. 6] For some companies, the story of diversity started after the civil rights movement of the ass’s. It was about beginning to appreciate each other for who we are. In the ginning, we appreciated pluralism in an attempt to move beyond anti- discriminating laws. Pluralism encouraged people to be authentic – who they really are rather than who others want them to be. “Think of the bilingual employee who is challenged to hide his/her accent while at work but speaks only Spanish with his/her family.

Or the white employee who works in a multi-ethnic work environment but worships in an all-white environment and has no friends or family of color. ” [6] Following pluralism, diversity was the first attempt to move away from race and gender by adding other attributes to the equation. In order that society progresses award the ultimate goal of diversity, it was important to have a foundation of balanced race and gender. Diversity’s main purpose is that it “should help everyone assume that everyone is included and that there is no underestimations of any group in any given situation, team, group, etc. [6] Diversity: Present Discussions on diversity have evolved from consisting of advancement in race-based civil rights employment legislation to including a broad range of demographic dimensions not protected by law [4]. For example, in present-days research on organizational behavior, diversity has been defined as “the distribution of differences mongo the members of a unit with respect to a common attribute X, such as tenure, ethnicity, conscientiousness, task attitude, or pay’ [4].

It has also been defined more simply as “heterogeneity in personality attributes, personal values, work attitudes, education, and life-style” [4]. Thus, diversity now seems to encompass heterogeneity in a wide range of dimensions – not Just racial composition, as was originally intended when the term came into common use [4]. Research on laypeople understanding of diversity also suggests the term may be not be clearly understood. For example, Unguent found that people define diversity n broad terms that include a wide range of demographic dimensions (e. . , race, religion, parenting style, age and education). [4] Yet, other research shows that even when diversity is construed in racial terms, people disagree about which particular groups are most associated with diversity. Specifically, Unguent found that members of minority groups (I. E. , Asians, Latino, and African Americans) perceive diversity as primarily entailing the representation of their in-group. [4] Today, many organizations are attempting to move closer to intellectual diversity or diversity of thought. [6] Diversity: In The Future

To ensure future success, “diversity must be authentic and honest”. [6] “To keep diversity authentic in corporations, it will be vital that we create environments that allow for authentic contributions of all”. [6] It may not mean training that comes at the expense of only one group, but it does mean asking questions and listening and learning from those around us. If we are sincere about our intentions as well as respectful of our differences, “organizations have the potential for growth and the possibility of reaping the rich benefits that diversity has to offer”. 6] This means an all-inclusive organization with the richest of profits. Diversity: What you Want It To Be Research reported by Unguent suggests that when people are exposed to vague information concerning an organization’s diversity, they interpret diversity in a manner consistent with their social-dominance motives. [4] Specifically, anti- egalitarian individuals broaden their interpretation of diversity to include nonracial (I. E. , occupational) differences when an organization’s racial differences are low.

By contrast, egalitarian individuals broaden their understanding of diversity to include nonracial heterogeneity when an organization’s racial differences are high. [4] The inclusion of occupational differences in perceptions of diversity allows people across the spectrum of social-dominance orientation to Justify their support for or opposition to affirmative-action policies. Nausea’s findings suggest that diversity may not have a fixed meaning and that, without a specific sketch of what the concept means in particular contexts, people may interpret diversity in a manner consistent with their social motivations. 4] Factors that Affect Diversity There are several factors that affect diversity among people and in organizations across the world. Such factors include, but are not limited to the following: “giving errors a chance to be trained, long-term evaluation of training results, awarding successes among people and managerial rewards for increasing diversity, and believing the power of inclusion in the organization”. [1] Different characteristics are other factors that affect diversity and diversity management.

Examples of such characteristics include but are not limited to are: “age, culture, cognitive style, disability (mental and physical), background (economic, geographic, and psychological), ethnicity, race, education, gender identity, language(s) spoken, partnered status, physical appearance, political affiliation, religious affiliation ND so on”. [1] Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity Management Workforce diversity can generate both advantages and disadvantages for organizations. The advantages include mainly enabling access too changing marketplace by mirroring increasing diverse markets, better-quality solutions to brainstorming tasks and displaying more cooperative behaviors, among others”. [3] The disadvantages are the existence of segregated ethnic communities within the organization, increased conflict, increased training costs, communication breakdown, low cohesion, and high turnover. [3] According to Jaguars, the key to capitalizing on the advantages and minimizing disadvantages of workforce diversity is to effectively manage diversity [3].

Main business benefits of focusing on diversity management are “the ability to recruit from a wider selection of people and retain better workers for longer, broader market intelligence and internationalization, greater creativity and innovation, diverse perspectives on business issues, and improved problem solving and decision making, improved marketing, improved community relations and an enhanced company image, increased productivity, reduced costs linked to turnover and absenteeism, and increased resilience and flexibility’. 3] Managing Diversity Managing diversity involves understanding that there are differences among employees and that these differences, if properly managed, are an asset to work being done more efficiently and effectively [3] “Diversity management initiatives are specific activities, programs, policies, and any other formal processes or efforts designed to promote organizational culture change”. 3] Its objective for organizations is to “raise awareness of cultural differences; develop the ability to recognize, accept, and value diversity through organizational intervention to minimize patterns of inequality, modify organizational culture and leadership practices so that members of all socio-cultural backgrounds can contribute and achieve their full potential”. [3] Some examples of diversity management initiatives include flexible work arrangements, work-life balance initiatives, education and training programs to raise cultural awareness, and equal opportunity policies and practices. 3] Conclusion As the world becomes global, the managers’ Job is changing. In broad terms, “diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups, workers, and people from others”. 1] That means people should respect and appreciate differences in ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, education, and religion. [1] “But no one can deny that it’s more than this. Diversity management has an important role for the organizations.

It is significant to understand diversity in diversity management to manage people”. [l] Other research may suggest that diversity may be in the eye of the beholder. It is a concept that is widely discussed yet poorly understood. It seems that diversity meaning can shift in accordance with people’s social motivations. Rather than reading a more welcoming environment for underrepresented minorities, attempting to achieve equal racial representation for example, may inadvertently allow people to turn diversity into whatever they want it to be.