Purpose of Cross Cultural Management

Question: Discuss about the Purpose of Cross Cultural Management. Answer: Introduction: The purpose of this following assignment is to accomplish a self-reflection and development plan in terms of cross-cultural competency. Following this particular aim, the current discourse will be segmented into two distinct parts - one is an in depth self-reflection and the other is about the development plan on individual cultural intelligence. Hence, the entire assignment is going to be prepared as a reflective piece. Most important to mention, that the self-reflection assessment is going to be prepared considering the socio-cultural aspects of Singapore. Self-reflection Prior to make an in-depth self-reflective analysis, I would like to mention that my experience in Singapore is a result of my educational visit to Singapore for a couple of weeks. Being a student of anthropology, I have been in many places before though I should admit that my current visit is exceptional in comparison to them. I went to Singapore near about two weeks ago and I still cannot get over the overwhelming experience I have been through my visit. The very thing I want to note down is the diversified cultural aspects of Singapore. Singapore is considered as a melting pot of varied ethnicities (Chong 2014). What I came to know is, people has the misconception that Singapores cultural premise is fundamentally influenced by South and East Asian culture. The truth I have encountered is, the biggest reason to call Singapores culture a diverse one, is the potential influence of European culture. The most interesting thing is all my life I have heard that Singapore is called to be p lace where western culture meets the Asian or Eastern culture. The truth of this distinct characteristic accomplishment of the country came in front of my when I put my feet in the country. However, at the initial stage it has been difficult for me to have a coherent understanding of the complex identities of the country instead of having one particular national identity. However, I am glad to see that the place has a cosmopolitan society that gives a room for the human behavior of the people for developing harmony and integrity. It has been surprising for me to see that how comfortably people are mingling with people belonging to other races and cultures. In this context, it is probably significant enough to contemplate that largely the immigrants influenced Singapores culture, which has been initially dominated by the British colonization (Yum et al. 2015). I came to know that a bulky amount of immigrants came from India and China. Most importantly, I have seen that people of the place are still following their individual cultural way of life with all rituals and manners instead of living in a place that is celebrated for modernity. Nevertheless, I am bound to appreciate the colorful festivals of different cultural groups those are mostly comprised with Indian, Malay Muslims and Chinese inhabitants. In the Serangoon Street, I get an authentic Indian ambience whereas in the old roads of Chinatown I got a typical Chinese atmosphere. The next week of my educational tour, I visited the Chinese temples, which have a versatile mix of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The beautiful architecture combined with a serene atmosphere caught my mind. I should admit that I would like to spend a good amount of time in the temples again in my future visit. In this respect, I need to admit that I have learnt the true meaning of peace of mind from my visit of the temples. In the context of talking about the socio-cultural premise of Singapore, it is essential to talk about the food culture and food habit of the inhabitants of the place as like the culture, food culture of Singapore is diversified (Kong and Sinha 2015). Here, I am again bound to say that Singaporean people like to welcome and adopt foreign food culture along with their ethnic ones. The capital city is filled with restaurants and hawker centers specializing in selling fusion foods to authentic ones (Tseng and Wu 2013). I believe my biggest lesson after the trip is I have learnt the true meaning of cultural amalgamation. I learnt how to maintain harmony and integrity in a society and welcome people of different community or race with respect. In this respect, one more thing I need to include that my cross-cultural potentialities have found a new light with my recent visit to Singapore as the diversified ethnicity has taught me to show equal respect to aspects of every culture. Alongside, I must say that Arts Festival of Singapore which is considered as the biggest annual festival has mesmerized me. I have seen hundreds of performing artists from multiple territories. However, I believe the censorship of Singapore should provide more chances to the local artists who I believe possess immense creative potentiality. Overall, I can say after the visit that I have discovered a new self of me who has a compassionate heart and a strong desire to thrive different cultural aspects. My opinion regarding my self-rating Considering my self-ratings in the cross-cultural competency assessment form, I can say that I have potentialities for developing myself as a leader in managing people of different culture. Furthermore, I should appreciate myself for being a person having impressive amount interest to enjoy a culturally diversified environment, which is accompanied by my strong ability to make plan for interacting with people belonging to different culture. However, it is disappointing that I am lacking in socio-linguistic skills and should increase my capability of absorbing and learning the beneficial aspect of a culturally diversified environment. Most important to contribute in this context, is that my checking ability is worth admirable and that is why I believe I can turn out to be an efficient leader in future. I believe the most challenging thing is I need to learn more from culturally diversified atmosphere rather than enjoying them and confidently approaching in diverse situations. That is why I think my power of self-efficacy should be shaped more efficiently by the development of my capability of understanding the norms of social interaction and different communications. I have realized that I could not accumulate any exact facet to learn and use them in my practical life. May be lack of opportunity for mingling with multifaceted societies in frequent terms is the main obstacle. My strength and weakness Based on the ratings I can say that my cross-cultural competency is related with my ability to make strategy before interaction and managing cultural relationship as I have a very good hold on speech acts. Most importantly, I have the power of checking assumptions and control situations when the atmosphere does not match with the expectation. It is because being a student of anthropology I use to interact with people of different race, religion and culture though not in frequent rate. Nevertheless, I always have appreciation for making god relations with people based on which I believe I have the strength of being a leader. However, it is disappointing that I am lacking in non-verbal skills, which I fear can affect my effectiveness of giving leadership for controlling cross-cultural relationships. It is because a leader who has the responsibility to manage cross-cultural relationships, should have the ability to control a person through non verbal gestures like eye contact, welcomin g nature and understanding others non-verbal gestures (Caligiuri and Tarique 2012). I think the support of my family for learning non- verbal skills and encouraging me to engage in a course to learn non-verbal skills is going to help in improving my weakness. Another thing I want to mention is that I have lack of knowledge about the legal systems and economical condition of different countries; even I do not have a clear knowledge about how these premises influence society and culture. Future challenges Studying human behavior and cultural norms have shaped my aim to become a philanthropic guide and want to travel several countries to acquire knowledge about different cultural heritage. That is why I believe, I need to make improvement upon two of the mentioned ground. Action step for achieving goals Prior to make an effective action plan for improvising my cross-cultural competencies, I need to mark that I want to sharpen my CQ (Cross-cultural Intelligence) action in terms of improving non-verbal skills and my CQ knowledge in terms of socio linguistic and business. Actions 1 month 6 months Additional steps Development plan for CQ action Exercise of facial expression and making eye contact Enrollment in a non-verbal skills learning course Research online to gain knowledge for learning gestures Development plan for CQ knowledge Online research about the legal construction and current economic premises of several countries Engage in a special tutorial course Enrollment in a public library for learning different legal norms and economic systems References Caligiuri, P. and Tarique, I., 2012. Dynamic cross-cultural competencies and global leadership effectiveness.Journal of World Business,47(4), pp.612-622. Chong, T., 2014. Bureaucratic imaginations in the global city: arts and culture in Singapore. InCultural Policies in East Asia(pp. 17-34). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Kong, L. and Sinha, V. eds., 2015.Food, foodways and foodscapes: Culture, community and consumption in post-colonial Singapore. World Scientific. Tseng, W.S. and Wu, D.Y. eds., 2013.Chinese culture and mental health. Academic Press. Yum, Y.O., Canary, D.J. and Baptist, J., 2015. The roles of culture and fairness in maintaining relationships: A comparison of romantic partners from Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,44, pp.100-112. Caligiuri, P. and Tarique, I., 2012. Dynamic cross-cultural competencies and global leadership effectiveness.Journal of World Business,47(4), pp.612-622. Chang, W.W., Yuan, Y.H. and Chuang, Y.T., 2013. The relationship between international experience and cross-cultural adaptability.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,37(2), pp.268-273. Chen, J., 2013. Singapore's Culture War over Section 377A: Through the Lens of Public Choice and Multilingual Research.Law Social Inquiry,38(1), pp.106-137. Chong, T., 2014. Bureaucratic imaginations in the global city: arts and culture in Singapore. InCultural Policies in East Asia(pp. 17-34). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Crane, D., Kawashima, N. and Kawasaki, K.I. eds., 2016.Global culture: Media, arts, policy, and globalization. Routledge. Emmerling, R.J. and Boyatzis, R.E., 2012. Emotional and social intelligence competencies: cross cultural implications.Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal,19(1), pp.4-18. Hoppner, J.J., Griffith, D.A. and White, R.C., 2015. Reciprocity in Relationship Marketing: A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Effects of Equivalence and Immediacy on Relationship Quality and Satisfaction with Performance.Journal of International Marketing,23(4), pp.64-83. Kong, L. and Sinha, V. eds., 2015.Food, foodways and foodscapes: Culture, community and consumption in post-colonial Singapore. World Scientific. Minkov, M. and Hofstede, G., 2012.Cross-cultural analysis: the science and art of comparing the world's modern societies and their cultures. Sage. Oi, K.K.C., 2015. Art Education as Exhibition: Reconceptualizing Cultural History in Singapore through an Art Response to Ah Ku and Karayuki-san Prostitution.Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education (Online),32, p.207. Tseng, W.S. and Wu, D.Y. eds., 2013.Chinese culture and mental health. Academic Press. Yum, Y.O., Canary, D.J. and Baptist, J., 2015. The roles of culture and fairness in maintaining relationships: A comparison of romantic partners from Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,44, pp.100-112.

Women Work On Factories Essays - Gender Studies, Gender Role

Women Work On Factories During the 19th and early 20th centuries, women have made great strides towards equality. The 19th century saw the emergence of women entering the work force, gaining economic freedom, starting and participating in movements and most importantly, challenging the traditional and excepted role of women. Along the path for womens social and economic freedom, there were many detours and barriers, as well as exceptional opportunities for their advancement. The first major step for women was the emergence into the work force and thus challenging the accepted female gender role in society. They left their families, homes and friends to venture into the working world, leaving behind a safe-haven. Women entering the work force had its advantages and disadvantages. One problem that arose was the matter of the family. If a mother left her children to go work to help support the family, she was looked down upon by society as a bad mother. The father was also, more than likely, looked down upon as well for not being able to sufficiently provide for his family. This is probably why many mothers were hesitant to enter the workforce for fear of social humiliation. But many women saw this as the only way to properly provide for her children. If the husband was a heavy drinker or gambler, there were little alternative opportunities for the mother to provide for her family. Many women found jobs in locally on farms or in mills, or they ventured to large cities for factory and millwork. Many of theses women were unmarried and they gained independence from their families by going to work. The women worked long, hard hours six to seven days a week and had little time for leisure outside of their home. By working, they were given the rare opportunity of economic freedom and independence from males. The working conditions in these mills or factory were far from the desired conditions with low pay, long hours and harsh working conditions. Complaints of working conditions arouse in several mills and the female workers wanted a change. The workers organized groups during breaks or at their homes. Many of the workers lived together in company homes and it would be easy for them to converse on the conditions in the workplace. Because of the tight living quarters, one was expected and socially forced to cohere with the majority opinion. This could be both a positive and a negative force for the women. Social pressure tends to gathered large numbers, but this could have given rise to irrational thinking and unnecessary action. When in a large group, ideas and thoughts have a tendency to be viewed as less harmful than they would if suggested in a small group. The more people involved, the more chance ideas have a way of being accepted out of fear of being outcast by the larger group. Th is could have been a major barrier for these workers, although, little is mentioned on this aspect. For the most part, the large numbers provided more power to the women and their cause. A key aspect of a womans life was simply belonging to a group. Whether it was in the factories, mills, abolition or womens movement, or even the Washingtonians, women strived to belong and be apart of an organization of other women. Coherence to social norms and expectations was key to a womans success or failure to belong to an organized body. This is seen with the factory girls, and their expectation to cohere with the group, otherwise, they would be outcast by the group and their time in the home or work would be long, lonely and painful. Another example of expected social coherence pertained to alcohol. A mother who was fond of the drink was looked down upon by society for not following through with her responsibility to her husband and children, and the same went for the husbands. Heavy social pressure steered many women away from alcohol with the friendly pressure from the Washingtonians. These workingwomen went on strike to send out the message of their seriousness and loyalty to their movement and failed several times. This was, more than likely, a lack of the necessary skills required to

Theme of Blindness in Lear and Oedipus Essays

Theme of Blindness in Lear and Oedipus Essays Theme of Blindness in Lear and Oedipus Paper Theme of Blindness in Lear and Oedipus Paper Essay Topic: Bless Me Ultima Blindness Sometimes the blind can see more than the sighted. During a scary movie or a horrific event, people may cover their eyes, choosing not to see the truth. As human beings, we often become entrenched in the material world, becoming oblivious to and unable to see the most apparent truths. Oedipus, the main character in Sophocles play Oedipus Rex, could not see the truth, but the blind man, Teiresias, saw it plainly. Sophocles uses blindness as a motif in the play Oedipus Rex. Oedipus, known for his intelligence, is ignorant and therefore blind to the truth about himself and his past. Yet, when Teiresias exposes the truth he is shunned. It is left to Oedipus to overcome his blindness, realize the truth, and accept fate. Oedipus, who bear the famous name, fled his home of Corinth in fear of fulfilling the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. During his flight, he Oedipus kills a caravan of presumed low-class travelers. Oedipus comes into Thebes a stranger and hero who solved the riddle of the sphinx. Believing that he is blessed with great luck, Oedipus marries the recently widowed Iokaste and becomes King of Thebes. After many years, a plague vexes the city and Kreon, brother of Iokaste, comes to Oedipus with news from the oracle. He states that the plague will be lifted when the murder of Laios is avenged. Oedipus claims that he sees and understands the terrible fate of Thebes and vows to find the murderer. Since the criminal is said to still be in Thebes, Oedipus believes that a man of his intelligence should have no difficulty in finding the perpetrator. When Oedipus is confronted by Teiresias with truth, perhaps it is Oedipus own hubris, which blinds him to the unthinkable truth. Unwillingly, Teiresias the blind seer provides Oedipus with the hurtful truth. Although before the truth is announced, Oedipus describes Teiresias as a seer: student of mysteries. Oedipus looks to Teiresias for help in finding the murderer of the former king. He is trusted and respected by everyone in the city as evidenced by his introduction as the holy prophet In whom, alone of all men, truth was born. Yet, when Teiresias speaks, reluctantly but honestly to Oedipus, he is shunned and his credibility and motives are attacked. Oedipus accuses Teiresias of plotting against him and helping Kreon become king. He claims that Kreon has brought this decrepit fortune-teller, this collector of dirty pennies, this prophet fraud to him. Sadly, the citizens represented by the chorus, who once trusted Teiresias, will not side with him because there is no proof that h is prophecy is true. Within one conversation, the lavish praise of Teiresias crumbles into Oedipus hatred of him. Responding to Oedipus attacks, Teiresias tells him you with both your eyes you are blind: You can not see the wretchedness of your life, Nor in whose house you live, no, nor with whom. Who are your father and mother? Can you tell me? You dont even know the blind wrongs That you have done them, on earth and in the world below. Although, Oedipus and the citizens of Thebes do not know the truth, the audience understands that Teiresias represents insight, therefore his wise words should be perceived as prophecies of events to come and morals to learn. Teiresias though physically blind can see better or more clairvoyant than Oedipus who has perfect vision and yet still blind to the truth. In the same dialogue, Teiresias foreshadows the double lash of your parents curse will whip you. Out of this land someday with only night Upon you precious eyes. Leaving with the last word, Teiresias exits the stage telling Oedipus the truth once more. It is not till the confession of the Shepherd and the suicide hangin Now with the truth of himself realized, Oedipus is filled with grief and guilt. He blinds himself, left forever with the knowledge of the destruction and shame he has brought on his family. He says goodbye to daughters because he must live the rest of his life in exile and die where his parents intended, the wild hills of Kithairon. Oedipus blinding himself symbolizes his increase of knowledge, his sensitivity, and gives him the ability to finally see. He is now able to recognize the flaws of his hubris and the consequences of which his pride brought him. The same theme appearing in most Greek stories applies to Oedipus; the will of the gods is ultimate, and one must live humbly.

When the Recession of the Late 2000s Began and Ended

When the Recession of the Late 2000s Began and Ended The recession that began in the late 2000s was, to date, the worst economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression. They didnt call it the Great Recession for nothing. So how long did the recession last? When did it begin? When did it end? How did the length of the recession compare to previous recessions? See more: Even in Recession, Congress Pay Grew Heres a brief Q and A on the recession. When did the Great Recession begin? December 2007, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private, nonprofit research group. When did the Great Recession end? June 2009, though lingering effects such as high unemployment continued to plague the United States well beyond that date. In determining that a trough occurred in June 2009, the committee did not conclude that economic conditions since that month have been favorable or that the economy has returned to operating at normal capacity, the NBER reported in September 2010. Rather, the committee determined only that the recession ended and a recovery began in that month. And a slow recovery it would be. How does the committee define a recession and a recovery? A recession is a period of falling economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales, NBER said. The trough marks the end of the declining phase and the start of the rising phase of the business cycle. Economic activity is typically below normal in the early stages of an expansion, and it sometimes remains so well into the expansion. How does the length of the Great Recession compare to past downturns? The recession lasted 18 months, making it the longest of any recession since World War II, according to the committee. Previously the longest postwar recessions were those of 1973-75 and 1981-82, both of which lasted 16 months. When and for how long did the other modern recessions occur? The recession of 2001 lasted eight months, from March through November of that year. The recession of the early 1990s also lasted eight months, from July 1990 through March 1991. The recession of the early 1980s lasted 16 months, from July 1981 through November 1982. How did the government deal with the Great Recession? In order to deal with the nation’s worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Congress passed legislation that increased discretionary government spending in order to stimulate the economy. This legislation created programs ranging from financial assistance to large banks and car manufacturers to direct tax rebates for low-income households. In addition, Congress funded a series of massive â€Å"shovel-ready† public works projects, such as highway construction and improvement. At its peak, in early 2009, total discretionary government spending reached about $1.2 trillion in annual terms, or 7% of the nation’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In other words, ending the Great Recession required spending a lot of money the government simply had not planned to spend. How did the Great Recession affect taxpayers? Recessions, especially â€Å"Great† ones, can be costly affairs for taxpayers. According to the Federal Reserve Board, the Great Recession raised the U.S. federal debt and fiscal deficit to record peacetime levels. The federal debt increased from 62% of the GDP in 2007 before the recession to over 100% in 2013, five years after the supposed end of the recession. Indeed, the effects of the Great Depression of 2008 will linger for years to come. Updated by Robert Longley

Design development report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Design development report - Assignment Example It guides design goals in order to meet the least significant detail or challenge up to the most important requirement for a more holistic result. Choices are guided by these principles for costs, economics, functionality, ergonomics, re-design methods or changes to meet goals such as elegant, modern, or stylish looks (Holm, 2006). Design approaches include user-centred which focuses on the requirement and limitations of the user, use-centred which is guided by the function of the artefact, the TIMTOWDI approach or â€Å"there is more than one way to do it† approach that follows multiple approaches, and keep it simple or KISS approach that minimises process and content without sacrificing aesthetics (Holm, 2006). Methods used in the design process may apply the following: Exploration of possibilities that encompass definition of problem and research. This may be used for existing facilities, products or services or even for creating new ones. This process also includes brainst orming where all stakeholders involved contribute to the goals and outcomes. Redefinition is the development and improvement of traditional specifications and guidelines to arrive at better options, solutions, and goals applicable n many fields of design. Management is the process of a continues approach to defining, exploring and creating new designs Prototyping is the production of possible products that improves traditional or existing designs Trend-spotting is the approach towards development of emerging or new products in order to achieve innovation (Getlein, 2008). Design in business has occupied a major role from a previously minor one. There was a time when industrialists hire designers to develop appearances of products or incorporate aesthetics on functional and already existing products. Today, even enterprises need to be designed in such a way as achieve a desired structure and external, visible properties as influenced by the environment and relationships (Giachetti, 20 10) Translation of the design brief into an outcome The design development process adopts fitting systems that meet the goals of the stakeholders. The design development involves defined scope of activities, understands the user and user needs, adopts ways to meet user needs, evaluates the solution, and finally implement the design. In a more streamlined approach, it involves: Identification of need Brief-building Concept generation Concept development Concept presentation Prototyping and testing Manufacturing (Presentation). Under the concept generation and development, solution centred approach is adopted where various factors meet on the centre. These include the various aspects of the design with consideration to target audience or market, final outcome of the materials, moral responsibility, the design, legislation, and raw materials. Each of these aspects encompass a wider concept that contributes to the whole: the audience are influenced to become aware of the brand and value of the product; the outcome needs to address functionality, safety, durability and longevity; under the moral responsibility is the firm’s commitment to its workers and the community of users;

SWOT analysis on UK business 'What competition does Bubbleology face Essay

SWOT analysis on UK business 'What competition does Bubbleology face in the Uk niche drinks market ' - Essay Example I analyzed and compared different sources as well as the website of the reference business to derive relevant information. My sources are relevant, up-to-date, authoritative, and efficient to address the competition that Novosco face in the UK cloud technologies, managed service, and consulting market. Findings Novosco Novosco is a company based in Belfast U.K (ULSTER Business 2013, p. 1), which deals with cloud technologies, managed service, and consulting services. The company has been in operation since 1994 and has recorded immense growth and success over the years (Novosco 2013, p. 1). As a result, the company has won major recognitions in its operations like the Cisco Datacenter Partner of the Year and EMC Partner of the Year in 2012 based on the volume and caliber of work delivered (Novosco Ltd 2012, p. 21). Moreover, the company has been enjoying consistent and immense economic growth in the technology industry. In fact, Novosco received the Deloitte FAST50 award in 2012 for the 13th consecutive year for being the most successive technology company in revenue growth (Novosco Ltd 2012, p. 21). The company manifests high level of technical ability where it investment in delivery and support staff (Novosco 2013, p. 1). Indeed, the company accommodates continuous training and certification in its operations with a view of gaining optimum expertise and receiving maximum accreditation on the technologies they recommend to their customers (Novosco 2013, p. 1). Novosco specializes with helping institutions to utilize the unique aspects of emerging technologies for purposes of addressing business challenges in a more efficient and cost-effective manner (Novosco 2013, p. 1). It provides unique consulting talent and technical support to organization seeking to maximize the advantages of their investment in information technologies. Notably, the company operates under managed service or strategic partnership contracts with its major clients to realize its objective s (Novosco 2013, p. 1). As such, it collaborates with the best hardware and software companies that deal with cloud technologies, managed service, and other technology applications. The company commits itself to offering help to their clients in the evaluation of all potential solutions that enables them to design and deliver cost-effective solutions (Novosco 2013, p. 1). Its main clients include universities, government departments, and UK and Ireland health trusts (Weir 2013, p. 1) with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust being its largest client (Gosling 2012, p. 1). Novosco Competition among Cloud Technologies, Managed Service, and Consulting Companies Novosco is the leading provider of managed services and cloud based infrastructure in U.K (Novosco 2013, p. 1). However, the company faces immense competition in different sectors including the winning of contracts. Novosco seeks to enroll its services to the wider market and its directors know that it will face stiff competition from established companies (WEIR 2013, p. 1) like AJUBEO and CDNETWORKS. The competition will be in the field of internet connectivity, supply of cloud computing, transfer of data, servicing

The Importance of Determination Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Determination Essay Everyday people face challenges, but it is important that one does not give up, and to keep trying until they successfully overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are two different works written by two different authors yet they both convey the same message. Together, the two authors stress the significance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up. Using figurative language and repetition, Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou effectively emphasize this message in both of their poems. In both poems, both authors attempt to convince the reader of the importance of not giving up and trying harder, and do so successfully. In â€Å"Mother to Son†, Langston Hughes is able to open the eyes and the mind of the reader by comparing the narrator’s difficult life to an object that is elegant, clear and simple. At the beginning and end of the poem Hughes’ writes, â€Å"Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.† (Hughes 2, 20). Using the crystal stair as a symbol of clarity, Hughes’ is implying that life for the narrator is not clear and is not elegant, nor simple. He establishes the struggle in the narrator’s life and compares it to the crystal stair all while subliminally hinting that one must not back down from difficult courses in one’s life because no one’s life is a â€Å"crystal stair†. Much like the previous metaphor, Hughes’ highlights the importance of determination through another metaphor. He expresses, â€Å"It’s had tacks in it / And splinters / And boards torn up / And places with no carpet on the floor† (3-6). This metaphor is comparing life to a rough, bare and hard floor that has been through a lot. The use of this metaphor illustrates the image of a life that has been through a lot, but yet continues to persevere and manage through all the problems. In the same fashion as Hughes, poet Maya Angelou has used similar figurative language in her piece â€Å"Still I Rise†. It is important to note that similarly to the use of metaphors in â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes; Maya Angelou makes a point to emphasize the same importance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up by using similes. Angelou writes, â€Å"You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I’ll rise.† (Angelou, 3-4). Angelou compares triumph after a challenge in life being similar to that of dust rising after dirt has been trotted on, thus proving that just as important as it was for the dust to rise after the dirt, it is equally as important to rise after being faced with a challenge in life. Identically to the previous quotation, Angelou again expresses the importance of determination by writing, â€Å"Just like moons and like suns / With the certainty of tides / Just like hopes springing high / Still I’ll rise.† (9-12). Angelou effectively compares the sure rising of moons and suns rising with the certainty of tides, and the guaranteed rise of hopes to her own certainty to rise. Her persistence to continue to rise after being put through many evident hardships demonstrates the importance of pushing harder when encountering difficulties rather than quitting when things get hard. All things considered, both poets are able to successfully interpret the importance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up by using figurative language such as metaphors and similes. Equally as significant as the use of figurative language in both Langston Hughes’ poem, and Maya Angelou’s poem, is the use of repetition.   Though individually the poems may seem different, together the two poets commendably integrate and are able to convey the significance of persistence when one finds themselves in difficult situations in life. In the final analysis, using literary devices such as figurative language and repetition have assisted the two poets in emphasizing their message. It is important that one must not simply tolerate the troubling things they are faced with in life, but rather overcome them.