Life is precious :: essays research papers fc

Life Is Precious   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It has been argued that it should be made legal for patients to have doctor-assisted suicide, or mercy-killing, which is the term used to describe ending life through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medication, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose (DHS-Internet). By approximately a two-to-one ratio, most adults in the US agree that it should be this way. â€Å"When read a brief description of the Oregon proposition, allowing physician-assisted suicide for patients who are thought to have less than six months to live, a 61% to 34% majority said that they would favor such a law in their state†(Harris # 2). However, I myself feel, that it shouldn’t be approved for several reasons: this matter does not belong upon human beings to decide; physicians and family members, rather than patients are likely to be the real decision makers; terminally ill patients are not sufficiently conscious to make end-of-life decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, no one should have the right to decide about ending lives, even if it is his/her own. For the breath of life was given without being requested, therefore no one has the power to decide upon when it should end or be taken away from a person. Indeed, most Americans feel that it is fine for terminally ill patients to take away their own lives. However, if the suicide is successfully done, who will be able to say that person would not have recovered if they had waited patiently? We have all heard some cases about people who were dying and for some reason, a miracle happened which made them react and live again. I myself have a similar experience in my family. About five years ago, my brother was under no condition to live, due to a serious chronic kidney complication. He got to the point to where the doctors asked for the family’s consent to turn the machines off because there was no more chance of survival. For many diverse reasons we chose to wa it upon time to see what would happen. Not very long after that, the one who was supposed to be already dead miraculously reacted and started to live again. This shows that many times though doctors seem to know the best escape, time and patience proves them otherwise. According to Stephen R. Katz M.D., the term doctor-assisted suicide may sound reassuring, almost comforting, and maybe even a peaceful alternative to a sometimes agonizing death, but the true meaning is that it is nothing but the act of taking of a life by another human (Doctor Inform-internet).

The Symbolism of the Piano in The Piano Essay -- Piano

The Symbolism of the Piano in The Piano      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The piano has been inextricably linked with the roles and expectations of women in British society since its advent in the mid 1700s to the late 1800s when rising standards of living made it more accessible to middle class society. Pianos were regarded as "secure icons of social distinction" 1 and a wife was viewed similarly as a possession of "privatization, success and respectability."2 Pianos were instrumental in both reinforcing gender roles and as delineators of class distinction thus perpetuating the class system. 3    While concentrating primarily on Ada, this essay will discuss the symbolism of the piano in The Piano expressed through the relationship with each of   the four main characters of the film. I will also comment on the piano as a colonial representation of conquest.    In one of the earliest scenes in The Piano, Ada waits with her young daughter for the arrival of her new husband and a party of Maori workers who will carry the their baggage to the house. On the empty beach in a new land, and alone with her daughter asleep beside her, she consoles herself by fingering her piano, still trapped within its wooden house. On Stewart's arrival the next day, he quickly rejects her plea to have the piano carried to Ada's new home or even to return to collect it.   As the party climb a ridge behind the beach, Ada stands on a promontory and views the piano standing alone on the sand below her. Framed in the overpowering and commanding landscape of   the harsh, unyielding New Zealand bush, the crafted wood and iron piano stands as an image of colonialism.4 However, the dominant image conveyed in the scene is one of   loss, isolation and the separation of the pi... ...ight and mocking "carnivalesque". (Politics of Voice, p.36). 8 The performance of music was to be "in private company" Music and Image, p.39 9 Hazel, Valerie The Politics of Voice and Jane Campion's Piano, p.30 10 As for instance when he offers four keys for them to lie together, she counters with five. 11 Gordon, Suzy "I clipped your wing, that's all": auto-erotism and the female spectator, p.202 12 "And the wind said 'remember how we used to play?' "Then the wind took her hand and said 'come with me.' "But she refused." This story suggests a change from a compliant Flora to an independent, free-thinking Flora whose choice is her own. 13 Edmond Abat quoted in Reading Readings 14 The piano was not previously at his house so it cannot really be termed a return.   Baines' comment "I'm giving it back" refers more to possession than place.   

The Three Paths of Salvation in the Bhagavad-Gita

Bhagavad Gita through the Lord Krishna primarily advocates three spiritual paths towards attaining spiritual salvation, namely Karma Yoga, Jhana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. The online Indian Purans describes these three paths as follows: Karma Yoga, the as the path of action; Bhakti Yoga as the path of love; and Jnana or Dhyana as the path of wisdom (www. indianet. zone, 2008). The Three Paths for Salvation Karma Yoga is articulated by the Lord Krishna to Arjuna when he exhorted the latter, â€Å"Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot maintain one’s physical body without working†. On what manner or under what circumstance that work should be done, the Lord Krishna further elaborated, â€Å"Work done as a sacrifice to Vishnu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribe duties for his satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage (Prabhupada, p. 94-95)†. This exhortation is for the path seeker to dedicate his mundane works to the Lord Vishnu. The fruits of his labor should not be served for sense gratification. Dhyana Yoga, calls for one to possess the proper knowledge to know the path of right wisdom. The knowledge that is referred here is transcendental knowledge. Krishna referred to this in reverently, â€Å"In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in the due course of time (Prabhupada, p. 168)†. What is referred here is spiritual understanding. It is the conclusion of the premise that the cause of our suffering and bondage is ignorance. This is the result of devotional service to Krishna. One finds peace within himself in this self-realization â€Å"Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in me always, without a doubt (Prabhupada, p. 433)†. This statement of the Lord Krishna embodies the path of love or bhakti yoga. This is love through expression of devotional services as prescribed in the vedas. There is acceptance that there is love of god in the hearts of everyone, many of these are impure by material association. One has to free his or her senses to be a true devotee. Conclusion All these paths ultimately lead to the supreme state of being. Nothing is indicated as being superior or more prominent among the three Paths. The Path of Wisdom or the dhyana or jhanna path could be in a bit in an elevated plane than bhakti and karma since Khrishna himself has described it in the indicated quote in superlative terms, â€Å"In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. . . â€Å". What is being imparted in the Bhagavad Gita is for the three paths to serve as options to man. Through each, one may ultimately trod the other or perhaps not at all. Yet any of the three will lead to Nirvana.

Why Did the British Lose the American Revolution?

America started being independent after British lose American Revolution. British had the best military and best equipped. Literally, they had the better superiority and more advantages than America got. Therefore, Britain is a very gentle country, this culture and the way they treat the colonies which are in northern America might impact the result of revolution as well. Some choices they made and the way they thought as well as the location they are, these total main elements caused the British lose revolution and made the events happened in history.The causes of conflict are that Britain was attacking American economy. Such as Boston Tea Party, The British monopoly North America tea import, and controlling prices, etc. In colonies of Britain, because of the mode of British government used so that almost every colonies had freedom and thought of democratic consciousness. The people who live in the northern America colony for twenty to thirty years had deep effects of it. Even the y oung people who were born in colony in new generation had more a sense of belonging and national identity on north colony than their actually homeland which is Britain.Accordingly, Britain loses the hearts of people, but they were trying to caught back in the wrong way. Although, it looks peaceful in the inside of America, the wars from Europe that are separated by Pacific and Atlantic are still continually affecting the northern colony in America. On the military and policy sides, although the British military are the best, but the crossing- ocean distance between Britain and American truly reduce the military power. So it didn’t be helpful on supporting the British military.At the meantime, Washington organized powerful troops and made a system for collectively resist British troops. Also, there are some countries, such as Netherlands and French which had enmity with Britain were supporting American being independent. Especially when America made public Declaration of Indep endence, French establishes diplomatic relations with America. French gave the American military supplies, food, and qualified military instructors to improve the combat effectiveness of the armed forces in North America. These elements did surely help American out on wining revolution.

Dissertation Research Design

Sample Dissertation Methodology: Quantitative Survey Strategy1 Research Methodology1.1 IntroductionThis research project has been one of the most thought-provoking and challenging feature of the master’s course. It provides a chance to endorse, simplify, pursue and even explore new facets of one’s research topic. The research approach adopted is an important aspect to increase the rationality of the research according to Cresswell (2007). The research ‘onion’ is a methodology that was developed by Saunders et al (2003).According to the research ‘onion’, as shown in figure 4.1, the entire process is in the form of an onion comprising of various layers. The research philosophy, research approaches, research strategies, time horizons and the data collection method form the different layers of the onion depicting each of the research process. The process involves peeling each layer at a time to reach the centre which is the actual question of the r esearch. For this research philosophy of interpretivism was chosen along with deductive approach and mainly using quantitative techniques for data collection and analysis (Saunders et al., 2009). The chapter details the research process adopted and continues with an explanation of the data collection and data analysis methods employed by the researcher including a justification for the approach and method. The sampling method used by the researcher is discussed and justified and the chapter continues with a commentary of the limitation of the study design. Finally the issues of observer influence are covered as in the ethical approach to the research and a summary of the chapter is presented1.2 The Research Philosophy Research philosophy forms the outermost layer of the research ‘onion’. There are three views based on the way knowledge is developed and corroborated. Individuals or groups rely upon their individual experiences, memories and expectations to derive logic from situations occurring in the society. This logic gets revised over a period of time with new experiences which in turns leads to different interpretations. Therefore it is essential to determine and understand the factors that impact, govern and affect the interpretations of individuals. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2003) interpretivists believe in multiple realities. Hatch and Cuncliffe (2006) have described how interpretivists try to draw meaning from realities and further creat new ones to analyse the different point of views and to validate them against academic literatures. Since the aim is to interpret the thinking of ‘social actors’ and gaining insights using their pointo of views, it cannot be generalised (Saunders et al. 2007). Remenyi et al. (1998) described an interpretivist as one who tries to ascertain the details of the situation with the underlying motive to unearth the working logic behind the situation. Eriksson and Kovalainen (2008) point out a flaw which researchers need to take care of while adopting the interpretivism. They say that because of the closeness of the researcher and the researched, there is a likelihood of a bias in the interpretation. The solution is self-reflection This research attempts to ascertain a relationship, if any, between knowledge management framework in an organisation and the behaviour resulting from the knowledge management practices. This approach adopted by the researcher requires to ‘get close’ to the participants and try and throw light on their acumen of the reality. Thus it can be said that the researcher adopts a interpretivism philosophy.The Research ApproachThe next layer of the research ‘onion’ is the research approach. The design of the research project determines the choice of research approach adopted. If the research involves developing a theory and hypothesis (or hypotheses) and design a research strategy to test the hypotheses then the approach classifies as a deductive approach. On the other hand the inductive approach involves data collection and developing a theory based on the analysis of the data. In an inductive approach a theory follows the data collection where as it is vice versa in case of a deductive approach. According to Saunders et al (2003), researchers in the 20th century criticised the deductive approach stating that deductive approach help establish cause-effect links between specific variable without taking in to account the human interpretation. Saunders et al. (2000) suggest that researcher should be independent of what is being observed, which the deductive approach dictates. Robson (1993) suggests that the deductive approach is a theory testing practice which arises from an established theory or generalisation, and tries to validate the theory in context to specific instances. According to Jashapara (2004) Knowledge Management, the central topic of the research, has been around since ancient Greece and Rome and it further mentions that knowledge management is growing at an exponential growth with a lot of literature available. As Creswell (1994) suggests that a deductive approach would be a better approach in such a scenario. Since the data collection for this research involves online surveys by professionals, time is a valuable commodity. In a deductive approach, data collection is less time consuming and works on a ‘one take’ basis, which is also beneficial for the participant of the survey. Following a deductive approach ensures a highly structured methodology (Giles and Johnson, 1997) and can also be basis for future research adopting an inductive approach.1.3 Research StrategyThe research strategy provides a rough picture about how the research question (s) will be answered. It also specifies the sources for data collection and hindrance s faced throughout the research like data access limitations, time constraints, economical and ethical issues. Saunders et al. (2003) explain that the strategy is concerned with the overall approach you adopt while the tactics involves the details like data collection methods (questionnaire, interviews published data) and analysis methods. There are several strategies that can be employed and they can be classified based on the approach, deductive or inductive, adopted. This research adopts deductive approach. Survey strategy is well suited for this approach. A large amount of data was required to determine the relationship, if any, between the constructs defined in the literature review. According to Saunders et al (2003) and Collins and Hussey (2003) surveys allows data collection and can be addressed to a sizeable audience in a very cost-effective way. Surveys are mostly done in the form of questionnaire, as questionnaire provides standardised data making it easy for comparison. One drawback is the time spent to construct and test a questionnaire. In a survey there is a huge dependence on the participants to answer the questionnaire causing unnecessary delays. There is also a limitation on the number of questions that can be included in the questionnaire. This limitation is from the respondents’ perspective if the researcher wants a high quality of response from the participants. Owing to the nature and amount of size required, statistical analysis of data, time available for the research and for economic reasons the survey strategy has been adopted for this research. Choice of research method According to Saunders et al. (2003) the research methods are in accord with the methods and used for data collection and analysis. Quantitative research is associated with numeric data collection and analysis while, ‘qualitative’ methods are inclined towards non-numeric or data that is gained from inference. However a combined approach can also be adopted as suggested by Tashakori and Teddlie’s (2003). The main advantage is that the researcher can get a different perspective while attempting to answer the research questions and also make more reliable interpretations, ’triangulation’ (Saunders et al. 2009). For this research data was collected via online questionnaire and was statically analysed and represented using graphs. Number crunching methods are generally used in business and management studies. This method is primarily contributed to quantitative analysis. To answer the research question data was also collected from theories and case studies and analysed qualitatively. To present the analysis in a structured manner and articulate the inferences from the theories and statistical analysis could only be done by means of words (Saunders et al., 2009). By making use of qualitative methods the data could be categorized under â€Å"knowledge management environment†, â€Å"organisational knowledge behaviour† and â€Å"Individual knowledge behaviour† and with the aid of narrative an attempt to establish relationships, if any, between them (Saunders et al., 2009, p.516).1.4 Time HorizonsSaunders et al. (2009) suggest that a research can be depicted in a snap look ali ke or can have a diary like perspective. A ‘snapshot’ horizon is termed as a cross sectional whereas the diary perspective is termed as longitudinal. Further Saunders et al (2003) suggest that the time perspective to research (cross-sectional or longitudinal) is independent of the research strategy. Longitudinal research is adopted when change or development that occurs over a period of time is to be studied. Adam and Schvaneveldt (1991) suggest that in longitudinal studies is very useful in studying human behaviours and development. Longitudinal studies do have a limitation when time is a constraint. In cross-sectional research, a certain phenomenon is studied at a particular point in time. This research tries to explore the relationship between organisational environment and its effect on organisational behaviours in the context of Knowledge Management. It is aimed to find the relation at the present time so a cross-sectional study is adopted. According to Easterby-Smith et al. ( 2002) surveys are preferred in cross-sectional studies. However Robson (2002) g=further says that qualitative methods can also be adopted in cross-sectional studies by considering interviews carried out in a short span of time. 1.5 Secondary Data Collection According to Saunders et al. ( 2003) secondary data includes both quantitative and qualitative data. Secondary data is usually used in the form of case studies or survey-based research in management and business research. Saunders et al. (2003) have classified secondary data under documentary data, complied data and survey-based data as shown in figure 3.1 For this research the primary data collection was using online questionnaires. However documentary secondary data was also unsed in conjunction to the primary data. The purpose of making use of secondary data was to explore the existing literature and explore the various facets of knowledge management. Documentary secondary data like books, journals articles were used in this research to define the three constructs explained in chapter 2. Also secondary data was used to explore the literature to define the research question. Books by noted authors and academic journals such as Emerald journals, swetswise e-journals, ebsco host were refereed for the purpose of data collection. The reliability and validity of secondary data relates to the methods by which the data was collected and the source of the data. A quick assessment of the source can ensure validity and reliability of the data. Dochartaigh (2002) suggests the testing of reliability and validity refers to testing the authority and reputation of the source. Articles and papers found in Emerald and Ebscohost are likely to be more reliable and trustworthy which can be inferred from the continued existence of such organisations. Dochartaigh (2002) furthers the point of assessment by looking out for copyright statement.1.6 Research SampleSaunders et al. (2003) differentiated sampling techniques as probability sampling and non-probability sampling based on their generalizability. Probability sampling meant that the research question could be answered and generalized across the target population, based on the responses from the sample size. Time was a constraint owing to the business of the participants who belonged to Knowledge intensive industry, selecting a sampling method was a challenge. According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002), sampling methods must reduce the amount of data to be collected by focusing on the target population rather than a random sample population. Snowball sampling was selected to ensure that maximum participants could be reached. The research was carried within 7 organisations across 5 countries. The researcher could not personally know so many professional from IT and other knowledge intensive industry, so a few managers was contacted who subsequently forwarded the questionnaire to others with in their respective organisation resulting in to a homogeneous sample (Babbie, 2008). Manager also had to be contacted since all participants could not be addressed directly due company policies restricting external emails. Since the questionnaire was target at the users of knowledge management tools and practices with in the organisation, the researcher requested the managers to forward the questionnaire across the organisation independent of the managerial status. Sample selection was continued till 20 responses from each organisation were received. 140 samples have been considered for this study.1.7 Primary Data collectionQuestionnaire is a form of data collection in which all the respondents are asked the same set of questions in a pre-set order (deVaus, 2002). Robson (2002) suggested that questionnaires are not effective in a descriptive research as it is requires many open ended questions to be answered. All the participants should interpret the questionnaire in the same manner; the data collected can be reliable. If the questionnaire is worded correctly, less effort is required to administer the questionnaire (Jankowicz, 2000). Questionnaire can be classified as shown in the Figure below. The dif ferentiation is based on the level of interaction between the researcher and the respondents. The research has an international orientation to it. The respondents are based in 5 countries and it was not feasible for the researcher to meet each respondent. So a self-administered questionnaire was the most appropriate option. Time and monetary constraint further helped to narrow down the survey to an online questionnaire where the questionnaire was forwarded to the emails. Email offers a better reliability as the respondents would access their own emails and respond to the questionnaire (Witmer et al., 1999). In this case the questionnaire was sent to the managers who further forwarded the emails to their colleagues. In this scenario online questionnaire was a more feasible option because it is easy to forward emails, unauthorised access to emails would be difficult and the responses would go directly to the researcher without them being disclosed or discussed with. The questionnaire has been divided into two parts. The first part consists of information regarding demographics such as organisation location, age, tenure in the organisation and job role. The second part consists of questions related to organization’s knowledge management practices, knowledge behaviour and use of the knowledge. The data required for the research required responses from managerial and non-managerial employees working in a knowledge intensive environment. It was required to create an accurate cause – effect relationship of the KM practices with respect the organisational environment and behaviour of employees. This required honest responses about the KM practices. Appendix shows the questions that were asked to define the relationship amongst the construct defined in the literature review. Likert scale has been used to score each question and score will be given from strongly disagree(1) to strongly agree(5) to. In the questionnaire 1 question has been framed using negation and in a reverse order. Podsakoff et al. (2003) suggest that this should be done to ensure that respondent pay attention while reading the question. All questionnaires were returned within 72 hours. Considering the incentives and time constraints for the respondents the questionnaire was designed so that it does not take more than 8-10 minutes to be answered.1.8 Dota Analysis methodsQualitative and quantitative data has been used in this research. Qualitative data has been used to study the literature about knowledge manangement and define the constructs that for the basis of the research question. Quantitiative data was collected primarily with the help of questionnaire.1 .9 Methodological ReviewSaunders et al. (2003) emphasis on two aspects of data collection: validity and reliability. The validity and reliability of secondary data has been explained in SECTION. Saunders et al. (2007) suggest that in case of a questionnaire pilot testing should be done to ensure the validity of the question and the reliability of the data subsequently collected. The questionnaire used for the survey has been tested on a group, to test the comprehensibility of the content and the logic of the questions. Bell (1999) suggests that a trail run should never be compromised even if time is a constraint. While testing the questionnaire the respondent were asked regarding the time taken to complete, ambiguity of the questions, if any questions caused a uncomfortable feeling or awkward state of mind and the last was the structure. Validating the questionnaire ensures that the response for each question and the motive for the question are the relevant (Saunders et al. 2000). Reliability of the questionnaire depends on the consistency of the response to the same questions. To ensure this the questionnaire must be answered twice by the respondent at differing time (Easterby-Smith, et al. 2002). This may be difficult due time constraints but should be done. Mitchell (1996) suggests that the responses of the questions should be checked for consistency within the subgroup. In this research the questionnaire has been divided in to 4 sections. During the pilot testing the responses where checked for consistency with in each section to ensure the reliability. The results can be generalised to an extent due to the sample size and inferences are gathered based on the statistical analysis. Steps have been taken to ensure the anonymous nature of the questionnaire so that the responses are honest and unbiased.

Othello and the human conditio essays

Othello and the human conditio essays Othello is a play written by William Shakespeare about the tragedy of a black army general who is fatally flawed by jealousy. This human quality, this condition, is expressed through Othello; his character clearly highlights how someone morally good can also experience dark emotions. He felt guilty about resorting to ugly, barbaric means to his end despite the fact that anyone else in his position would have done the same. The main human condition in Othello is this feeling of guilt. Another aspect of this is there is a difference in the mannerism of a modern Venetian (Iago) and a primitive Moor (Othello). The difference is that to survive as a Moor, Othello has to be honest and trustworthy. This is because he needs his people to support him due to his inability to survive in any another way than resorting to primitive means. Iago, on the other hand, has no need for others to trust him. Instead, he takes advantage of other people like Roderigo to make himself rich. At the start of the play Iago debates on why Cassio was chosen over him by Othello. Here Othello is unknown to the audience, and Iago appears to be justified in his argument. His justification comes from the fact that he has battled by Othello's side for years, whereas Cassio is "a Florentine, ... That never set a squadron in the field, ... Mere prattle without practice is all his soldiership" (Iago - Act1, Scene1). While Iago's identity is hidden, he is extremely crude in addressing Brabantio; "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe..." (Iago - Act 1, Scene1), whereas in front of Othello he is far more respectable; "Those are the raised father and his friends; You were best go in" (Iago - Act1, Scene2). Iago is manipulative, as we see here, and back then it would have seemed odd to an English audience. To a Venetian, this currency based nature was natural, and wealth was valued more than honesty much like our modern day world. This represen...

Forces Reducing Linguistic Diversity

Forces Reducing Linguistic Diversity Introduction People’s perceptions of language differ greatly and consequently, this makes it hard to give a universally acceptable definition of language. However, communication appears as being central to every single definition.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Forces Reducing Linguistic Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A language may thus be defined as a huge set of words that are used for the sole purpose of relating with one another in a given setting. A language will usually be shared by individuals who have grown up in a community or a particular area governed by the same customs and values. It brings out the uniqueness of a group of people and makes life quite interesting especially when we get to see the differences in the way people live and relate with one another. According to Janse (2003), language is a means of solving problems that affect a group of people who speak it. It offe rs a way for individuals in a community to stay in touch with and understand one another. This explains why most people will get alarmed at the mention of the fact that language diversity continues to reduce at a very high rate (Janse, 2003). In the world today, there are thousands of languages that are spoken by people from different corners of the world. Maffi (1998) observed that the total number of languages spoken then worldwide were approximately between 5,000 and 7,000. Statistics from Maffi’s study also indicated that 32% of these languages were spoken in the Asia, 30% were found in African, 19% in the Pacific, 15% in the United States and only 3% were spoken in Europe (Maffi, 1998). With the current technological advancements, the world is becoming more of a global village and to stay abreast with the rapid changes communities across the world are forced to make some radical adjustments. The biggest concern, however, is the effect that all these events on the diversi ty of languages.Advertising Looking for research paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Over time some of these languages have lost their originality and usage within the groups leading to reduced language diversity. Whilst in the past communities mostly lived in closed environments, it is practically impossible for this to happen in the present world due to the many changes that are happening internationally. People are busy moving from one part of the continent to another and as they do so, they carry with them their language, culture and tradition built over time. One thing that we have to be clear about is the fact that globalization has opened up numerous channels of communication and subsequently, reaching out to one another a cross borders is no longer a problem. As a result, there is so much interaction that is going on between communities across the world as nations choose to work closely with neighbors so as they benefit each other. Sadly though, this interaction has a detrimental effect on the diversity of languages as well as culture. Unless a community is very strong, its language and culture easily get swallowed by others that are deemed to be much stronger. Nevertheless, this is a challenge that has to be accommodated as it is no longer possible for individuals and countries to live or operate in isolation. This paper talks about some forces that are considered responsible for the reduction in linguistic diversity and the erosion of a people’s cultural identity. Language Diversity Before going further, it may be helpful to try and explain what is meant by language diversity. According to Maffi (1998), a number of definitions have been given for linguistic diversity. Maffi, however, attempts to provide a definition by providing facts about different languages that are spoken all over the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample o n Forces Reducing Linguistic Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By looking at the way languages are distributed world wide, it becomes easy for one to notice the variation that characterizes languages (Maffi, 1998). Often, the people speaking a particular common language are also bound by cultural values that distinguish them from the rest and define who they are as a people. According to studies done in this area, the languages that have been found to define linguistic diversity are spoken by only a small number of communities that are made up of indigenous people. Apparently, these are the very languages that are in danger of disappearing. The threat normally comes from increased pressure to them integrate into others but in the end, they get absorbed by languages of other communities. Once the amalgamation takes place, individuals from the minority speakers often end up dumping their own languages and slowly, they begin to learnin g the majority languages (Maffi, 1998). Crawford (1995) carried out a study on language extinction in the United States and pointed out that the problem of language loss is now considered a crisis and a threat to the entire world. Crawford also observed that by 1995, close to 50% of all the languages in the world were being spoken by only a few elderly people who made very little or no effort at all to make sure that the younger generations learned the languages (Crawford, 1995). Crawford further explained that over and above the 50% of the languages that were not being taught to the upcoming generations, about 40% of the total world languages were also at risk given that there was an ever increasing reduction in the number of children learning them. Therefore, out of all the languages spoken in the world back then only 10% appeared secure and obviously by now it is even worse (Crawford, 1995). Generally, even though language death is a threat to all languages, the level of suscepti bility greatly differs from one language to another and mostly, languages that have 1,000 or fewer speakers are more at risk than those with a larger number of speakers (Maffi, 1998).Advertising Looking for research paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A further challenge for the smaller languages is that the small number of people who speak them will keep reducing and more often than not, the up coming generation usually has very little interest in learning and preserving these languages let alone culture. It is very common to find that a few survivors from the older generation are the only ones who are able to speak the languages as expected (Maffi, 1998). It has, however, been noted that loss of linguistic diversity does not necessarily imply the death of a language (Janse, 2003). Janse stated that language loss is often regarded as a social loss and often an indication that an ethnic group lacks confidence in itself. In addition, language death is considered responsible for the loss of cultural diversity (Janse, 2003). Forces behind the Loss of Linguistic Diversity Research has indicated that many languages have been exposed to serious challenges that have threatened their existence (Crawford, 1995). According to Crystal (1997 ), language loss is most prevalent in parts of the world where a huge number of languages are spoken by only a few individuals confined in smaller geographical areas. A number of factors have been identified as being directly responsible for the reduction of language diversity. Some of these factors are listed and discussed in the following sub sections. Technology Recent advances in technology have introduced a new culture that has completely changed the way people live (Crawford, 1995). Working, communicating, traveling, teaching and socializing are now all being done very differently. Unlike in the past when people lived and did everything in an almost closed up environment, today we are all part of one big â€Å"village†. The strong community structures that once existed have been exposed to external forces that have really weakened them. Technology has forced people to learn many new things and to accept certain ways of living. Learning new languages and skills is necess arily if one to continue living in the present world. Without the relevant skills and means of communicating, it becomes very challenging for people to live and work in a world greatly dominated by technology. Migration People will migrate for different reasons. Some move around looking for better settlements, others such as pastoralists will go around trying to locate suitable places for their livestock and the reasons are many. As people migrate from place to place in search of better things, they are forced to interact with other people. Language is obviously a powerful means of interaction and it gets really affected by these migration activities. Sometimes a group of people migrating may be forced to learn a new language so as to be able to communicate or it may even be vice versa. Many times, the majority speakers get swallowed up by the minority speakers who will be compelled to learn the dominant language to guarantee their survival. The minority languages are therefore put aside in favor of the foreign language and this to a large extent jeopardizes the existence of language with minority speakers. Pressure to be assimilated into the Dominant Cultures Given that we no longer live in a closed setup and that the way things are done across the world has really changed over time, people are obliged to look for acceptance among the dominant cultures tom ensure that they are not being left behind. By being integrated with the dominant cultures, a community is made to compromise on language and cultural issues so as to exist. Most of the time the language will be lost since one has to learn the dominant language that is usually needed to cope. The same thing happens to culture and gradually, the beliefs and values that were at one time held by a group of people are lost. For political reasons, the assimilation into the dominant cultures has always been done in ruthless manner. It has seen governments dictating the dominant language to be used in the school s ystem, in the running of government offices and in the media too. With almost equal zeal, a minority language is looked down upon as being flawed and of a poor standard (Crawford, 1995). Tyrannical Policies A language may also die if a government operates with oppressive laws that do not respect or look for ways to preserve the minority languages. Policies that do not advocate for the conservation of the small groups will lead to the extinction of languages spoken by them and this will in turn lead to a reduction in linguistic and cultural diversity. It is therefore imperative that the government of the day takes it upon itself to make sure that the laws that are put in place recognize the importance of all languages regardless of the number of speakers. The government should also create an environment that will help to nurture all languages in an impartial way. War In times of war, if the small population who speak a particular language are wiped out, it only means one thing; the l anguage may also goes with them (Crawford, 1995). Although it did not completely wipe out the minority group, the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994 is an example that shows how war, whether civil or otherwise, can easily destroy language and culture and eventually linguistic diversity. The Hutu majority managed to plan and went on execute a huge population of the minority Tutsi. If the Tutsi had their own beliefs and languages that guided them and all of them got wiped out, no one would remain to carry on with the language, beliefs and values they held. This therefore means that peace among citizens of a nation and between neighboring countries also has a part to play in preserving linguistic diversity. Shifting to Dominant Regional Languages This is a common scenario in many parts of the world where individuals try to make adjustments in favor of the language that is considered to not only be dominant but also advantageous in the region (Janse, 2003). English and Swahili a re two languages that are commonly spoken in East Africa and with the revival of the East African Community (EAC) all East African countries are being forced to ensure that citizens can speak English. Countries like Rwanda and Burundi that have had French as the official language for a long time are now forced to reinforce the use of English in their school systems to equip citizens with skills required survive in the region lest they get disadvantaged. Another example is the use of Swahili language. Even though it is mainly spoken in Kenya and Tanzania and to some extent in Uganda, individuals from other East African countries have to work very hard to learn the Swahili language. Education Education systems across the world may also give an impression that some languages are probably more superior compared to others. The language reinforced in a school system as the main one may end up being more popular than others. English for example is a language of choice for most nations and is heavily used in learning institution as the main language of communication. Even in Africa, a continent with very diverse languages and cultures, most countries have adopted English to be used in the education system. This may give an impression to many people that as long as they are able to communicate in English, they live in various environments and are therefore safe. This is a major problem especially with the younger generation that now doesn’t feel obligated to learn native languages. Conclusion Linguistic diversity that is mainly represented by the various indigenous languages is presently subjected to threats that are bound to bring loss to language and the knowledge carried by them (Maffi, 1998). Language diversity is a key ingredient for cultural diversity and without this diversity it follows that cultural diversity will also be automatically lost (Maffi, 1998). It is therefore very important that deliberate efforts are made to slow down and where possible sto p completely, the ongoing trend of reduction in linguistic diversity. References Crawford, J. (1995). Endangered Native American Languages: What is to be done, and Why? The Bilingual Research Journal, 19(1) 1995: 17-38. Web. Crystal, D. (1997). Vanishing Languages. Washington, DC: Civilization (Library of Congress). Web. Janse, M. (2003). Language Death and Language Maintenance: Theoretical, Practical and Descriptive Approaches. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Maffi, L. (1998). Language: A Resource for Nature. The UNESCO Journal on the Environment and National Resources Research, 34(4) 1998: 12-21. Web.