Discuss Research Into the Nature of Relationships in Different Cultures Essay Example for Free

Discuss Research Into the Nature of Relationships in Different Cultures Essay Relationships Discuss research into the nature of relationships in different cultures. (9 marks + 16 marks) In Western Cultures, it has been found that relationships are voluntary, temporary and focus on the needs of the individual as due to the predominantly urban settings in which we live in, we are able to (on a daily basis) interact with a large number of people. Western cultures therefore appear to be characterised by a high degree of choice in personal relationships and a greater ‘pool’ of potential relationships. Non-western cultures however, have less choice about whom they interact with on a daily basis, meaning that interaction with strangers are rare and relationships are frequently tied to other factors, such as family or economic resources. In societies with reduced mobility, (predominantly non-western cultures) arranged marriages are common as love is expected to grow due to the fact that it is not seen as necessary for marriage. Arranged marriages seem to work well and make good sense as divorce rates are low and Epstein (2002) found that perhaps about half of them report that they have fallen in love with each other. Myers et al. , (2005) studied individuals in India living in arranged marriages and found no differences in marital satisfaction in comparison to individuals in non-arranged marriages in the US. This is also supported by Gupta and Singh (1982) who studied 100 degree-educated couples living in India, 50 of who had chosen their partners and 50 of who had their marriages arranged for them. The couples were asked to indicate how much they liked/loved their partners and it was found that love and liking was high in love marriages but decreased whereas love increased in arranged marriages and after 10 years exceeded love marriages. However, this study is difficult to generalise as it studies only a small sample and so cannot be generalised to the wider population. It therefore lacks validity. However, in some adapting cultures such as China, there has been a noticeable increase in ‘love matches’ as the Chinese are currently attempting to move away from traditional ‘arranged’ marriages. Instances in which parents dominate the process of partner choice in china have declined from 70% prior to 1949, to less than 10% in the 1990s. Xioahe and Whyte (1990) studied women in love marriages and found that they were more satisfied than those in arranged marriages. Western cultures are also seen as individualistic due to their focuses on individuals rather than groups, with individual happiness and pleasure seen as fundamentally important. On the other hand, non-western cultures are seen as collectivist cultures as people are encouraged to be interdependent rather than independent. Moghaddam et al. (1993) claim that the cultural attitudes of individualist cultures, are consistent with the formation of relationships that are based on freedom of choice, whereas collectivism leads to relationships that may have more to do with the concerns of family or group. Norms and rules act as guidelines for behaviour and influence how we act out any given relationship. One such norm that plays a key part in personal relationships is the norm of reciprocity. Ting-Toomey (1986) found that in individualist cultures, reciprocity in personal relationships tend to be voluntary. In collectivist cultures however, it is more obligatory. In such cultures, failure to return a favour is seen as a failure of one’s moral duty. In Japanese culture, for example, there are specific rules about gift-giving and reciprocating, whereas n such formal norms exist in Western cultures. Argyle et al. ’s cross-cultural comparison of relationship rules in different cultures did find support for some predictions but failed to support others. However, a problem with this research is that the list of rules was formulated in the UK and may have failed to include rules that are specific to a particular culture such as Japan. Research on cross-cultural differences in norms and rules is important to be able to conduct cross-cultural relationships successfully. Knowledge of the norms and rules underlying cross-cultural relationships is an important aspect of any attempt to understand and improve relations between different cultural groups within a host country. Finally, relationships are difficult to study scientifically. Laboratory experiments, through the manipulation of isolated variables, are seen as the most rigorous way of establishing cause and effect, and he best way of furthering our understanding of the processes involved in human relationships. However, as Hogg and Vaughan (2008) point out, people do bring their cultural ‘baggage’ into the laboratory. Although cultural background may be seen as a problematic extraneous variable to some researchers, it is clear that culture itself is an important variable that influences the relationship processes being studied.

Nickel Metal Hydrive Battery For Electric Vehicles :: essays research papers

Electric vehicles can benefit us in many ways. Comparing with the internal combustion engine, EVs don’t cause pollution when operating. They can run in a long period of time. Economically, because these vehicles using battery, they reduce the oil import and the imbalance trading in the US and also the users save a lot of money. The cells used for these vehicles are called Nickel metal hydride battery which are very high power, long life, quick charge and easy to maintain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CELL REACTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The NiMH battery stores hydrogen as a reaction product in the solid phase. The anode electrode contain hydrogen material that can allow electrochemical storage and release of hydrogen during charge and discharge. The cathode electrode is reversible between Ni(OH)2 and nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH). At both electrode, oxidation-reduction reactions take place in an alkaline medium consisting of 30% by weight KOH in water. When charging, Ni(OH)2 at the positive electrode becomes oxidized and the metal hydride becomes reduced. In fact, the hydrogen which was separated from water come to react with the metal in the negative electrode to form MH. On the other hand, the hydroxyl ion ( from water) reacts with Ni(OH)2 at the positive electrode to form NiOOH. Ni now change from +2 to +3. M + H2O + e = MH + OH Ni(OH)2 +OH = NiOOH + H2O + e   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From equation (1) and (2) there is no net change in electrolyte quantity or concentration over the charge and discharge cycle. We can see that it is different from other alkaline electrode such as NiCd which water is produced at both electrode during charge and used up during discharge. In the NiMH battery, the constant average concentration can reduce the corrosion and swelling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  MATERIAL REQUIRED   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because the NiMH battery need to store a large amount of hydrogen to produce high energy, it is desirable to have high electrode capacity. Importantly, in the desire of MH, the range of metal to hydrogen bond strengths must be from 6 to 12 kcal /mol. If the bond strength is too weak, hydrogen will not react with the alloys and will be evaporate as a gas. If the bond strength is too large, the MH electrode becomes oxidized and does not store hydrogen reversibly. Furthermore, the power output of the battery depend on the electrochemical kinetics and transport processes which are involved in the use of the hydride material.

The Effects of Global Climate Change

The Effects of Global Climate Change The humanity has made significant progress in all spheres of life. It is not an exaggeration to say that during the last century more inventions were made, than during the whole of history. Man flew into space, tamed atomic energy, found a way to cure many diseases that were considered incurable, and every new day is marked with a new breakthrough. However, there is a downside. For a long period of time people didn’t think about the consequences of their exponential development.Vast tracts of forests were cleared for agricultural purposes, thousands of tons of carbon dioxide dissolved in the atmosphere, hundreds of species on animals and plants become extinct every year. The rapid development of humanity renders a bad influence on Earth. One of the examples of these influence’s is climate change. It’s not a secret that a couple of hundreds of years ago the climate on Earth was colder than now. Many scientists warn about what i s called global warming – a process of a constant increase of the annual temperature across the whole planet.For the first time its surge was recorded in the last quarter of the 20th century, and since that time the average temperature had increased by 0,7Â °?. The further one goes from the equator, the more obvious climate changes become. So what are the possible consequences of global warming? According to the recent reports of the United Nations, during the 21st century the average temperature will rise more than 1, 4-1, 8Â °? and will cause Arctic glaciers melt faster. The sea level will increase by 10 cm.It doesn’t seem to possess any danger, but in reality it will become a serious threat for those countries which are located not very high above the sea level. Some specialists predict that till the end of the current century the ocean will rise on the whole a meter. Netherlands, Great Britain, Japan, as well as the islands of Oceania and the Caribbean basin will be at risk. 30-40% of species and ecosystems will become extinct, because their habitat will change much faster than they adapt. If the temperature increases by one degree Celsius dramatic modifications to forests’ composition will occur.Some species have already begun to react to climate changes. For example, migratory birds start to fly away later in autumn and to come back much earlier in spring. Global warming will negatively affect precipitation maps. In arid regions, such as Central Asia, Australia, and Mediterranean, South Africa and so on, situation will become even more complicated due to the reduction of precipitation. At the same time, some regions may suffer from abnormal cyclones and the heavy rains that have become much more frequent. The recent hurricane in North America may be a demonstration of these processes.Such changes will have a bad effect on agriculture. Due to warming, it may improve in Northern Europe, but in Southern Europe, Africa and many regions of Asia high temperatures, droughts, floods and soil erosion will cause an irreparable damage. Specialists predict that yields in Africa and Asia will decrease, and Australia and New Zealand will face a great lack of drinking water. A risk of floods in Europe will increase, and the Eastern coast of the United States will undergo increased numbers of hurricanes and soil erosion.Besides, global warming will create a favorable environment for various diseases, so a dramatic growth of epidemics and pandemics can be expected. Scientists have discovered that Earth warms much faster than it did before, and there is convincing evidence that it is humanity who is responsible for that. At the moment research, which aim is to find solutions for this problem is being conducted. Every country should take action to prevent causing more damage to our planet, because the consequences will be serious for everyone.

What Is the Resource Mobilization Theory

Resource mobilization theory is used in the study of social movements and argues that the success of social movements depends on resources (time, money, skills, etc.) and the ability to use them. When the theory first appeared, it was a breakthrough in the study of social movements because it focused on variables that are sociological rather than psychological. No longer were social movements viewed as irrational, emotion-driven, and disorganized. For the first time, influences from outside social movements, such as support from various organizations or the government, were taken into account.