5 Forces Model of Verizon Essay Example for Free

5 Forces Model of Verizon Essay Verizon’s wireline business, which includes the operations of the former MCI, provides telephone services, including voice, broadband data and video services, network access, nationwide long-distance and other communications products and services, and also owns and operates one of the most expansive end-to-end global Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Verizon’s domestic wireless business, operating as Verizon Wireless, provides wireless voice and data products and services across the United States using one of the most extensive and reliable wireless networks. The results of high competitive pressure could impact prices, margins, and hence, on profitability for every company in the industry. a. Sprint Nextel b. Cingular ATT wireless c. T-Mobile d. AOL e. Qwest f. RBOCs g. COMCAST 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low The term suppliers comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. If there is a market with much choice supplier choice, bargaining power will be less. There are many network equipment suppliers, which are suffered from the down telecom market. Having mature technologies also commoditize the products. As such, the bargaining power of suppliers has been weak. 5. Bargaining Power of Customers – Low The bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Since most of buyers are small (residential and small business users), they do not have much buyer power. Big corporations are better positioned to negotiate for discounts but industry consolidations of SBC acquiring ATT and Verizon acquiring MCI have significantly reduced the available lternatives for these corporations and thus their negotiation power. PEST Analysis A PEST analysis is an investigation of the important factors that are changing which influence a business from the outside, these include: Political Factors †¢This includes government regulations and legal issues that define both formal and informal rules of the operation of Verizon. Economic Factors †¢This factor affects the purchasing power of consumers and the Verizon’s cost of capital. Social Factors †¢Cultural and demographics of the environment would affect the customer’s needs as well as potential market size. Technological Factors †¢This can lower barriers to entry, improve production efficiency and influence outsourcing decisions. ? PoliticalEconomicalSocialTechnology Stability of the internal/external political environmentEconomic growthPopulation growth rate Automation Trading agreementsInterest ratesAge distributionTechnology incentives employment lawsInflation rateCareer attitudesRate of technological change environmental regulationsBudget allocation Perception of technological change within the unit Trade restrictions and tariffsThe level of inflation

Exploring How Selections from The Best American Essays Essay Example for Free

Exploring How Selections from The Best American Essays Essay The selection of essays contained in The Best American Essays which highlight painful truths and confront undesirable social realities do not only paint a clear picture of the imperfect world we live in, but also serve as catalysts for change that we may be sorely in need of. The relevant knowledge conveyed by the essayists provide more than catharsis or a cleansing or anxiety-relieving purging effect. They have huge potential to elicit concrete ethical responses, notably new attitudes and mindsets that will eventually shape future action. The latter depends greatly, though, on how closely the readers identify with the painful truths or social realities contained in the literary pieces. Nonetheless, the superbly written essays merit close scrutiny or perusal, which should be enough, ideally, to jolt people to action. Exploring How Selections from The Best American Essays Can be Catalysts for Change Where does learning end and action begin? Can knowledge spur action? Mulling over the hard facts, undesirable societal realities or painful truths expressed in beautiful fluid prose by literary talents in insightful essays contained in The Best American Essays edited by David Foster Wallace, one question comes to mind: are the masterfully written pieces capable of spurring people to action? Offhand, the answer points to a resounding yes. Literary masterpieces, particularly the essays under study, have an immense potential to serve as catalysts for change. Any standstill or hindrance, however, for works of literature to elevate humankind in terms of heightened awareness and positive behavioral changes, may depend a great on the values and predispositions that the current crop of readers may have. It is a known fact that we, as humans, cannot escape pain as we go about our day-to-day lives. Just about everyone can identify with pain, but the natural tendency of the average person is to crawl into his comfort zone and not to ponder on negative or painful realities, much less do something about what they may have read. The painful truths, usually in the form of trying individual circumstances or clear societal harms, expressed by the most gifted writer in the most riveting prose may not always warrant the desired ethical response. The sad reality is, complacent people who glean useful insights from reading about painful truths expressed in clear and incisive essays may not budge, even if the ideas may stick around in the recesses of their minds for some time. Each person will also be relying on his own perception of truth, and this perception will most likely guide his future action. On the other hand, there are also those individuals who are inclined to strive to make life generally better, both for themselves and society-at-large. This latter breed of people brings to mind ancient Confucian teaching on doing the right thing at the right time. By following the dictum of choosing to do what is right and moral over ones self-centered interests, people who adopt a new way of thinking or do something about a vexing social truth expressed, for instance, in an essay like â€Å"What Should a Billionaire Give – and What Should You? By Peter Singer (Wallace, 2007, p. 266), make the writer’s efforts worthwhile. The sense of enlightenment, followed by change in one’s mode of thinking created by a well-written essay makes every ounce of investigative effort poured into it well worth it. There are also certain essays in the collection that highlight idiosyncrasies, or peculiar habits and traits, such as the piece about people with stage fright, or another dealing with the apex of sex childhood, or even the youth-oriented essay about a cellular phone ring tone that drifts into a discourse about adults’ tendencies as they age. They not only amuse and inform but also lead readers to adopt new ways of thinking and behaving. There are other clear-cut examples of works included in the collection that forcefully makes the case for a controversial issue that may spur action, notably â€Å"Loaded† by Garret Keizer, who explosively says, â€Å"I hope that I shall never have to confront anyone with my gun, but owning a gun has forced me to confront myself† (Wallace, 2007, p. 137) and â€Å"Rules of Engagement† by Elaine Scarry, who opined that â€Å"every act that carries us into neo-absolutist territory burs our vision†¦ and puts us at ever-accelerating risk of carrying out moral harms (such as the use of nuclear weapons) from which we may not soon recover† (Scarry, 2006, para. 12). There are likewise lighter topics explored in essays in the collection, such as â€Å"What the Dog Saw† by Malcolm Gladwell that focuses on how an egocentric person may not be emulated, while prescribing better ways of dealing with those around us. The various other essays, whether they serve as an earnest appeal for action or as subtle vehicles for behavioral change, providing stern warnings of things to come, derive much of their strength on the fact that what is presented is a shared experience, most of them culled from real-life circumstances and developments, forming painful realities that people must contend with. They may reflect hard truths about society’s past intermingling with the present, or they may point to the future, but the single thread running through the selected essays in The Best American Essays that the writers may want to put across is that their readers can do something about the painful truths or hard-to-bear facts presented therein. In essence, the essays under study embody a form of literature that â€Å"represents much more than a pristine chronicle of a particular time and place†¦As a flexible medium, literature (like the essays) allows the author to manipulate modalities of past and future, real and unreal to alter patterns of perception†¦ Analysis of these models can shed light on the events which actually took place, and on the scope of possibility for alternative outcomes (Werbach, 1991, Introduction section, para. 1). Thus, when people learn painful truths about themselves or society-at-large, how they act depends, to a large extent, on where their beliefs and principles are anchored, not to mention the resources at their disposal, which still does not negate the fact that great works of literature can be catalysts for change. References Wallace, D. (Ed. ). (2007). The best American essays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Werbach, K. D. (1991). Literary models for alternative social development in Russia. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from http://werbach. com/stuff/thesis. html Scarry, E. (2006). Rules of engagement. Boston Review. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from http://bostonreview. net/BR31. 6/scarry. php

Indian Railways Financial Capacity Enhancement

Indian Railways Financial Capacity Enhancement Physical and financial capacity enhancement/capacity building of Indian railways over years To analyze how the physical capacity of Indian railways has enhanced over years. To examine financial capacity enhancement of Indian railways over years In our research we have considered two types of Capacity enhancements one is physical capacity and another one is financial capacity. Capacity enhancement has been defined in multiple ways; its ultimate purpose is to leave behind better skilled and oriented individuals, more responsive and effective institutions, and a better policy environment for pursuing development goals. Capacity enhancement at the institutional or policy level has three main ingredients The country’s resources and capabilities An enabling institutional environment Motivations and incentives/pressures that promote and help to sustain behavioral change Capacity utilization: Capacity utilization is a concept in economics and managerial accounting which refers to the extent to which an enterprise or a nation actually uses its installed productive capacity. Thus, it refers to the relationship between actual output that is produced with the installed equipment and the potential output which could be produced with it, if capacity was fully used. If market demand grows, capacity utilization will rise. If demand weakens, capacity utilization will slacken. Economists and bankers often watch capacity utilization indicators for signs of inflation pressures. The capacity utilization rate is also an indicator of how efficiently thefactors of productionare being used. Economic efficiency: In economics, the term economic efficiency refers to the use of resources so as to maximize the production of goods and services. An economic system is said to be more efficient than another (in relative terms) if it can provide more goods and services for society without using more resources. In absolute terms, a situation can be called economically efficient if: No one can be made better off without making someone else worse off (commonly referred to asPareto efficiency). No additional output can be obtained without increasing the amount of inputs. Production proceeds at the lowest possible per-unit cost. Technical efficiency: Technical efficiency means that natural resources are transformed into goods and services without waste, Situation where it is impossible for a firm to produce, with the given know how, (1) a larger output from the same inputs or (2) the same output with less of one or more inputs without increasing the amount of other input. Technical efficiency is the effectiveness with which a given set of inputs is used to produce an output. A firm is said to be technically efficient if a firm is producing the maximum output from the minimum quantity of inputs, such as labor, capital and technology. Productivity: Productivity is a measure of the efficiency ofproduction. Productivity is a ratio of production output to what is required to produce it (inputs). The measure of productivity is defined as a total output per one unit of a total input. Physical capacity Railway stations Employees Route length Locomotives Total investment Capital at charge Passenger service vehicles Volume of traffic Other coaching vehicles Wagons (To calculate efficiency and productivity we must apply models and tests. Dan bogart and lathika have used cobb douglas production function to calculate efficiency in the operations. Alivelu used a model to calculate productivity. DEA may be used) Locomotives, coaches, wagons and other type of railway vehicles are together called as rolling stock, rolling stock originally referred to the vehicles that move on a railway, it usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles (Wikipedia). In In some countries the term is usually use to refer only to unpowered vehicles, specifically excluding locomotives which may be referred to as running stock, traction or motive power. In India all the railway vehicles are called as rolling stock. In simple language locomotive is also called as engine, it is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word locomotive originates from the Latin word loco which means from a place and motivus which means causing motion. A locomotive has no payload capacity of its own and its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. A wagon is a large container on wheels which is pulled by a train. Goods wagons or freight wagons are unpowered railway vehicles that are used for the transportation of cargo. OTIF definition: a railway vehicle not provided with a means of traction, which is intended to carry goods. A passenger car is also known as bogie in India. It is a piece of railway rolling ,stock that is designed to carry passengers. The term passenger car is also associated with a sleeping car, baggage, dining, railway post office and prisoner transport cars. EMU DMU DHMU (EMU) A set of electrically powered self-propelling passenger rail vehicles able to operate in multiple with other such sets (DMU) A set of diesel-powered self-propelling passenger rail vehicles able to operate in multiple with other such sets. Such units, especially those consisting of a single vehicle, are sometimes termed railcars . A  diesel multiple unit  or  DMU  is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country. Diesel-powered units may be further classified by their transmission type: diesel-electric (DEMU), diesel-mechanical (DMMU) or diesel-hydraulic (DHMU). Diesel-mechanical In a diesel-mechanical multiple unit (DMMU) the rotating energy of the engine is transmitted via a gearbox and driveshaft directly to the wheels of the train, like a car. The transmissions can be shifted manually by the driver, as in the great majority of first-generation British Rail DMUs, but in most applications gears are changed automatically. Diesel-hydraulic In a diesel-hydraulic multiple unit, a hydraulic torque converter, a type of fluid coupling, acts as the transmission medium for the motive power of the diesel engine to turn the wheels. Some units feature a hybrid mix of hydraulic and mechanical transmissions, usually reverting to the latter at higher operating speeds as this decreases engine RPM and noise. Diesel-electric In a diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) a diesel engine drives an electrical generator or an alternator which produces electrical energy. The generated current is then fed to electric traction motors on the wheels or bogies in the same way as a conventional diesel electric locomotive. [1] In modern DEMUs, such as the Bombardier Voyager family, each car is entirely self-contained and has its own engine, generator and electric motors. [1] In older designs, such as the British Rail Class 207, some cars within the consist may be entirely unpowered or only feature electric motors, obtaining electrical current from other cars in the consist which have a generator and engine. Year No. of railway stations Employees (in thousands) Route length (in kilometers) Total investment (in crore) Capital at charge 1980-81 7035 1572 61240 7448.4 6096.3 1981-82 7072 1575 61230 8164.3 6698.1 1982-83 7068 1584 61385 8882.2 7251.1 1983-84 7065 1592 61460 9401.4 7567.8 1984-85 7093 1603 61850 10377.3 8285.6 1985-86 7092 1613 61836 11492.0 9078.1 1986-87 7105 1611 61813 13306.9 10373.1 1987-88 7084 1618 61976 15177.6 11622.2 1988-89 7083 1626 61985 17239.4 12987.5 1989-90 7076 1647 62211 19730.6 14629.5 1990-91 7100 1652 62367 22200.5 16125.8 1991-92 7116 1654 65458 24808.4 17712.5 1992-93 7043 1646 62486 28524.3 20123.2 1993-94 7050 1625 62462 32212.0 22620.6 1994-95 7056 1602 62660 35618.2 24924.8 1995-96 7068 1587 62915 39816.0 27712.89 1996-97 6984 1584 62725 44627.3 30911.77 1997-98 6929 1579 62495 49057.8 33846.33 1998-99 6896 1578 62809 53657.6 36829.34 1999-00 6867 1577 62759 58353.4 39772.06 2000-01 6843 1545 63028 63341.01 43051.88 2001-02 6856 1511 63140 70117.47 47147.35 2002-03 6906 1472 63122 77915.78 51099.09 2003-04 7031 1442 63221 87474.50 56061.79 2004-05 7133 1424 63465 98490.02 59346.93 2005-06 6974 1412 63332 112180.41 66878.37 2006-07 6909 1398 63327 130168.71 76030.69 2007-08 7025 1394 63273 151434.35 88521.14 2008-09 7030 1386 64015 176726.41 104301.25 2009-10 7083 1362 63974 203315.37 123000.69 2010-11 7133 1328 64460 231615.25 143220.57 2011-12 7146 1306 64600 257958.35 161447.97 2012-13 2013-14 Source: statistical summary- Indian railways Year Passenger carriage EMU DMU DHMU Other coaching vehicles (in units) Wagons (in units) Locomotives(in units) steam diesel electric 1980-81 27410 2625 8230 400946 7469 2403 1036 1981-82 27192 2658 8058 392062 7245 2520 1104 1982-83 26894 2765 7840 383431 6292 2638 1157 1983-84 27311 2837 7751 374757 6217 2800 1194 1984-85 27793 2957 7789 365392 5870 2905 1252 1985-86 27735 2965 7543 359617 5571 3046 1302 1986-87 27629 2988 7336 354041 4950 3182 1366 1987-88 27466 2977 7274 346844 4427 3298 1433 1988-89 27715 3052 7077 345821 3826 3454 1533 1989-90 27969 3100 6861 349661 3336 3610 1644 1990-91 28677 3142 6668 346102 2915 3759 1743 1991-92 29469 3366 6491 346394 2492 3905 1871 1992-93 30298 3444 6158 337562 1725 4069 2012 1993-94 30537 3537 5955 312405 911 4192 2117 1994-95 30036 3618 5536 291360 358 4259 2302 1995-96 29472 3691 5694 280791 209 4313 2387 1996-97 29978 3846 5460 272144 85 4363 2527 1997-98 30739 3971 5432 263981 64 4496 2646 1998-99 31554 4076 5338 252944 58 4586 2785 1999-00 32208 4266 4891 234397 56 4651 2810 2000-01 33236 4668 4731 222193 54 4702 2810 2001-02 34338 4876 4827 216717 53 4815 2871 2002-03 34871 4957 4904 214760 52 4699 2930 2003-04 35654 5278 5519 227752 45 4769 3004 2004-05 37087 5388 5600 222409 44 4807 3065 2005-06 38156 5894 5612 207983 44 4793 3188 2006-07 38855 6454 5905 207723 43 4816 3294 2007-08 40696 6641 6180 204034 44 4843 3443 2008-09 42079 6984 5985 212835 43 4963 3586 2009-10 43526 7487 6477 220549 42 5022 3825 2010-11 45048 8053 6500 229997 43 5137 4033 2011-12 46688 8617 6560 239321 43 5197 4309 2012-13 Source: statistical summary- Indian railways Capacity enhancement in Passenger service Year No. of passenger origination( in million) Passenger kms (in million) Passenger earning (in crore) 1980-81 3613 208558 827.5 1981-82 3704 220787 988.6 1982-83 3655 226930 1161.6 1983-84 3325 222935 1351.9 1984-85 3333 226582 1456.8 1985-86 3433 240614 1719.4 1986-87 3594 256535 1939.7 1987-88 3792 269389 2058.1 1988-89 3500 263731 2453.4 1989-90 3653 280848 2666.4* 1990-91 3858 295644 3144.7* 1991-92 4049 314564 3681.6 1992-93 3749 300103 4311.2 1993-94 3708 296245 4891.2 1994-95 3915 319365 5458.8 1995-96 4018 341999 6113.0 1996-97 4153 357013 6616.1 1997-98 4348 379897 7554.0 1998-99 4411 403884 8526.7 1999-00 4585 430666 9555.6 2000-01 4833 457022 10483.2 2001-02 5093 490912 11162.2 2002-03 4971 515044 12540.8 2003-04 5112 541208 13259.8 2004-05 5378 575702 14072.52 2005-06 5725 615614 15080.77 2006-07 6219 694764 17176.01 2007-08 6524 769764 19783.25 2008-09 6920 838032 21866.48 2009-10 7246 903465 23414.44 2010-11 7651 978508 25705.64 2011-12 8224 1046522 28246.43 2012-13 Source: statistical summary- Indian railways Capacity enhancement in freight service Years Total traffic Tonnes originating (in millions) Total traffic net tonne kms (in millions) Earnings from freight carried 1980-81 220.0 158474 1550.9 1981-82 245.8 174202 2250.3 1982-83 256.0 177767 2865.9 1983-84 258.0 178446 3234.3 1984-85 264.8

The African-American Civil Rights Movement 1955-1958 Essay -- segregat

The civil rights movement in the United States was the start of a political and social conflict for African-Americans in the United States to gain their full rights in the country, and to have the same equality as white Americans. The civil rights movement was a challenge to segregation, the laws and ordinances that separated blacks and whites. This movement had the goal to end racial segregation against the black Americans of the United States. Many different acts and campaigns of civil resistance represented this movement. African-Americans and whites performed many forms of protest and civil disobedience including 'sit-ins', boycotts, marches and other nonviolent activities. Out of this movement, came many successful achievements such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the segment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ‘restored and protected voting rights for African-Americans. But along with achievements, many outbreaks and controversies swept the South and caused casualties and the side track of acts of violence. Background After the American Civil War, three constitutional amendments passed that favored African-Americans. The Thirteenth Amendment of 1865, abolished slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment of 1868, secured the former slaves their rights as citizens. And the Fifteenth Amendment of 1870, gave African American males the right to vote in elections, where at the time only white males were able to vote in the United States. From the period 1877-1965, the United States went through a Reconstruction Era that tried to establish free labor and civil rights of freedmen in the South. Many whites living in the South did not like these changes and began to form their own movements to ... ...ber 1, 2013. http://www.lib.lsu.edu/special/exhibits/e-exhibits/boycott/background.html. Rosenblum, Thom. n.d. The Segregation of Topeka's Public School System, 1879-1951. Accessed November 1, 2013. http://www.nps.gov/brvb/historyculture/topekasegregation.htm. The Authentic History Center. 2012. The Civil Rights Movement: The Surge Forward 1954-1960. July 18. Accessed November 2 2013, 2013. http://www.authentichistory.com/1946-1960/8-civilrights/1954-1960/#top. Tsesis, Alexander. 2004. The Thirteenth Amendment and American Freedom. New York City: NYU Press. Walker, Anders. 2009. The Ghost of Jim Crow. New York: Oxford University Press. Williams, Juan. 2005. Brown v. Board of Education: It's Impact on Public Education. Brooklyn: Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. Wright, Roberta Hughes. 1991. The Birth of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Southfield: Charro Press.

Joan Baez :: essays research papers

Joan Baez was born on Staten Island in 1941. Her mother’s name was Joan also, and her father’s name was Vincent. She spent a part of her childhood in Iraq because her father had a job there. While she was fourteen, her family moved back to the U.S. and lived in California.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Joan was sixteen, she performed her first act of civil disobedience by refusing to leave her high school during an aid-raid drill. Joan gained strong feelings on nonviolence and civil rights during this time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After high school, Joan attends Boston University. However, she attended classes inconsistently and soon dropped out to have more time for her now-blossoming singing career. She began singing regularly at clubs and bars. Vanguard Recording noticed her while she was singing at Club 47. She went on to produce her first hit album: â€Å"Joan Boaz†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She released many more albums after this, including â€Å"Joan Baez in Concert†, â€Å"Folksingers Round Harvard Square†, and â€Å"Joan Baez in San Francisco†. She also went on many national tours, most of them lasting for months at a time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan was more than just a singer though. She was a very strong anti-war activist. She demonstrated her contempt for Vietnam by withholding her income taxes. This got her into some trouble with the law. She was made to pay the taxes and spent 90 days in jail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan’s most famous song was â€Å"Blowing in the Wind.† It’s about the Vietnam War and how oblivious many people are to the terrible things caused by it. How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand? Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The answer is blowin' in the wind. How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,

Sigmund Freud and Everyday Use :: Everyday Use essays

Sigmund Freud and Everyday Use Sigmund Freud is best known for his development and use of psychoanalysis. The theory of psychoanalysis focuses on the concept of how our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and emotions play an active role in our daily lives. The id, ego, and superego are the three mental zones that encompass our psyche. Each zone has a specific function: The id functions on the pleasure principle; the ego on the protection of the individual; and the superego on protection of society. The degree of which each zone has been developed can be broken down and then analyzed. These three zones can be visualized by imagining a pie cut into three slices. Every individual is composed of different amounts of each mental zone. The ultimate goal is to achieve the perfect balance of the three areas by understanding how each area works alone and contributes to make the whole. In the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, Dee's actions are clearly attributed to her over and under development in specific mental zones. Dee, rather Wangero as she prefers being called, suffers from an overdeveloped id, a distorted sense of ego, and an underdeveloped superego. With this degree of pull and tug, misunderstandings are a common experience between Dee (Wangero) and her peers. The id is the main energy source for the psyche. The id " '...knows no values, no good and evil, no morality' " (HCAL 130); it functions on instinctual motives. Dee (Wangero) possesses a straightforward, rather blunt, disposition about life. Life is hers for the taking and she dares anything to stand in her way. She takes on the attitude that the world was created to satisfy her. Since the world gave her books to read, she expected the world to listen to her read; because the world giving her clothing options to choose from, she expected the world to respect her choices; in changing her name, she expected the world to honor this change. Her id was overdeveloped because she acted on instinctual sources rather than moral for her decisions. The overdeveloped id frequently appears when the self-centered, self-serving side of her become more prominent than her outward orientated, selfless side.

A Cultural Comparison of English and Chinese Family Names

Abstract The family names of humans are formed and used in the long process of the course of history and the development of society. Family names, being a part of culture, are closely related to history and culture. English and Chinese names are different in their origins and name orders, which is certain to be reflected in their perspective culture.Therefore an exploration of their reflections in the cultural aspects of historical development, feudal history, historical tradition, historical influence and current social situation will be beneficial for the deepening of English study and the mutual understanding and communication of the East and the West. Keywords: Cultural comparison, English family names, Chinese family names, Origin, Name order The word â€Å"culture† comes from the Latin root â€Å"colere† (to inhabit, to cultivate, or to honor).In general, it refers to human activity; different definitions of culture reflect different theories for understanding, or criteria for valuing, human activity. Culture is traditionally the oldest human character, its significant traces separating Homo from australopithecines, and Man from the Animals, though new discoveries are blurring these edges in our day. Sir Edward B. Tylor wrote in 1871 that â€Å"culture or civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of ociety† while a 2002 document from the United Nations agency UNESCO states that culture is the â€Å"set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs†. [UNESCO, 2002].It is generally accepted that language is part of culture. It carries culture, thus be influenced by culture. Names includin g family names, which is a part of language, are sure to reflect the distinct culture of the people using it.This paper intends to start from the English and Chinese family names from the perspectives of the origin and order so as to reveal their reflections on their own culture. A family name (in Western contexts often referred to as a last name or surname) is part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. A family name is the most fundamental and most significant symbols showing the identification of the members of a society. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world, which means family names are part of culture.As far as English and Chinese names are concerned, their cultural differences can be shown in the origins of their family names and the different orders of their names so as to make us learn about the development history of a society or a nation and some other aspects of its culture, which is the purpose of this paper in tending to make an analysis between English and Chinese family names from their cultures reflected. 1. Cultural reflections of the origins of family names If we trace back into the origins of Chinese family names, we can see that Chinese family names are closely related to the development history of the Chinese nation.According to legend, family names started with Emperor Fu Xi in 2852 BC. His administration standardized the naming system in order to facilitate census-taking, and the use of census information. For scientific documentation that matrilineal surnames existed in China before the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and that â€Å"by the time of the Shang Dynasty they (Chinese surnames) had become patrilinea. † Therefore, what we can learn first is that the ancestors of the Chinese nation came from primitive society.When the Chinese nation went into class society, the emperors had the supreme powers in their hands in awarding lands and fields to those ministers who perfor med meritorious service to their reigns, establishing official positions. Their supreme power was best exemplified in granting a surname to a person when he was alive or after his death. In addition, in feudal societies, the emperors’ names was a taboo on every occasions. The origins of family names also showed that Chinese nation actually is combination of multiple nationalities, which is the same case for the British and American people.As for English family names, 226 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025 www. ccsenet. org/ass Asian Social Science Vol. 6, No. 11; November 2010 they have a relatively short history. Documents indicate that surnames were first adopted among the feudal nobility and gentry, and only slowly spread to the other parts of society. In Britain, hereditary surnames were adopted in the 13th and 14th centuries, initially by the aristocracy but eventually by everyone. By 1400, most English and Scottish people had acquired surnames, but many Scottish and Welsh people did not adopt surnames until the 17th century, or even later.Henry VIII (1491–1547) ordered that marital births be recorded under the surname of the father. The whole process lasted for 500 years. However, English family names differ from Chinese family names in their civilians consciousness, which can be shown in the casual choice of their family names for even a nickname, childhood name like Fox, Stout, Armstrong, Longfellow can be a person's family name. The origins of English family names can show their love for nature, respect for and sentimental attachment to everything in it. English family names like Bird, Lion, Swan, Wood, Wolf, Bush, Flower, Rose and Apple are such examples.Their family names also indicated that English people are characterised by the pursuit for novelty and oddness without an exception of their family names. According to a survey made in 1974, there were as many as 1,280,000 family names in America, among which more than 1/3 were those that had never been used before, which was obviously a result of Americans' unconventional and original personality. 2. Cultural reflections of the order of family names 2. 1 Reflection of perspective feudal history The nations with a name order of family names preceding given names usually have a long feudal history.The Han nationality have a feudal history of more than 2,500 years, which started from the Western Zhou (1066 – 771 BC)or Eastern Zhou (770 – 256 BC) Chinese society to the Opium War in1839. However, the feudal history of those nations with a name order whose given names precede family names is relatively short. Great Britain is a case in point. It only had a short feudal history of several hundred years. From the 9th century to the 11th century, Britain was still on its way to feudalization and there exited a large number of free farmers.It was only after the Norman Conquest of 1066, the feudal system was widely established in Britain. However, only several hu ndred years later, in the 14th century, its feudal system was disintegrated. When it came to the 16th century, the capitalism was widely developed, which directly led to the British Bourgeois Revolution in the 17th century. To sum up, the feudal history of Britain is very short with no more than 500 years, but its capitalism was developed quite early. 2. 2 Reflection of perspective historical traditionThe nations with a name order of family names preceding given names usually have a long feudal history, in which there wasn’t any democratic tradition and everything was determined by the will of the supreme emperors. Therefore, in those nations, given names which represent a person himself can only be put behind family names which stand for home ownership. In China, from the very beginning of family names, they were put before given names and the tradition lasted for more than 2,500 years. In these nations, although the choice of a person’s given names has always been ch anging with the era, the order of names has always been stable.On the contrary, the British and American people had their democratic tradition even in the feudal reign, which made these nations strengthened more on individual roles. Therefore, their given name which stands for the individual himself was always put before their family name which is a representation of their family. 2. 3 Reflection of their historical influence Chinese name order has a direct influence on that of its neighbouring countries like Korea, Vietnam and Japan because of its 5,000 year history of civilization. China's naming system came into being as early as the reign of Emperor Fu Xi.Its neighbouring countries like Korea, Vietnam and Japan either had long been its dependent country or using Chinese characters as their own language. They were greatly influenced by its culture. Similarly, these countries all had a long feudal history, had no democratic tradition, bordered China, used Chinese characters. There fore it was no wonder that they were sure to be influenced Chinese cultures including naming system. However, the English name order was influenced by Roman Republic in its early time. Rome became a republic in about B. C. 510.From then on, the civilians had constant fights against nobility for their rights, which was the origin of their democratic tradition. Because at that time, ancient Rome was the number one civilized country in Europe and in the course of its development it constantly expanded its territories and formed its hegemony in the Mediterranean in the 2nd century B. C. , therefore, its democratic tradition had a great influence on the formation of the national psychology of the whole Europe. Ancient Romans' name was spelled in Latin, and freeman’s name was formed by given name plus tribe or clan name, which was actually their family name.Take the famous Great Emperor Caesar of ancient Rome for example, his name was formed by three parts, that is Caius, Julius Pu blished by Canadian Center of Science and Education 227 www. ccsenet. org/ass Asian Social Science Vol. 6, No. 11; November 2010 and Caesar. With the development of history, the middle name which was one's clan name disappeared with the diminishing power of clan. The Roman name order which strengthened individual role was widely accepted in the Miderterranean with its expansion in this area.The Latin language which was spoken by ancient Romans first replaced other languages in this area but then split into Italian, French, Portugese and Spanish with the fall of the Roman Empire. Because these languages all have Latin origin, it's natural that the name order of the Latin language permeated into their languages. 3. Reflection of current social situation Family names are not only used for addressing people, they also reflect social realities at that time. In China’s ancient Zhou Dynasty, having or not having a family name showed the contradictory relation between the ruling clas s and the working class.Before the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Chinese women followed their husband’s family name by abandoning their original family name, which showed the feudal prejudice against and bondage upon them. After the establishment of the P. R. C. , the social status of Chinese women has been greatly improved and been considered â€Å"half sky†, they can keep their own family name when they get married. However, in England and cultures derived from there, there has long been a tradition for a woman to change her surname upon marriage from her birth name to her husband's last name.From the first known US instance of a woman keeping her birth name, Lucy Stone in 1855, there has been a general increase in the rate of women keeping their original name. This has gone through periods of flux, however, and the 1990s saw a decline in the percentage of name retention among women. As of 2004, roughly 90% of American women automatically assumed t heir husband's surname upon getting married. Even in families where the wife has kept her birth name, parents traditionally choose to give their children their father's family name.Although in America, there was a great change for married women traditionally known as Mrs [Husband's full name] into a modern Mrs [Husband's last name], the incompleteness of women's liberation can still be shown from this. To sum up, family names are not only a sign for a person but reflect culture from different aspects. And a comparison of English and Chinese family names can make us learn about the cultural differences shown from the origins and name orders, which is good for the deepening of the study of English as well as helps to promote the mutual understanding and communication of the East and the West.