Thursday, November 7, 2019

Biography of William McKinley, 25th U.S. President

Biography of William McKinley, 25th U.S. President William McKinley (January 29, 1843–September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States. Prior to that, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the governor of Ohio. McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist less than a year into his second term as president. Fast Facts: William McKinley Known For: McKinley was the 25th president of the United States; he oversaw the beginning of U.S. imperialism in Latin America.Born: January 29, 1843 in Niles, OhioParents: William McKinley Sr.  and Nancy McKinleyDied: September 14, 1901 in Buffalo, New YorkEducation: Allegheny College, Mount Union College, Albany Law SchoolSpouse: Ida Saxton (m. 1871–1901)Children: Katherine, Ida Early Life William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio, the son of  William McKinley, Sr., a pig iron manufacturer, and  Nancy Allison McKinley. He had four  sisters and three brothers. McKinley attended public school and in 1852 enrolled in the Poland Seminary. When he was 17, he enrolled in Allegheny College in Pennsylvania but soon dropped out due to illness. He never returned to college because of financial difficulties and instead taught for a while at a school near Poland, Ohio. Civil War and Legal Career After the Civil War began in 1861, McKinley enlisted in the Union Army and became part of the 23rd Ohio Infantry. Under Colonel Eliakim P. Scammon, the unit headed east to Virginia. It eventually joined the Army of the Potomac and participated in the bloody Battle of Antietam. For his service, McKinley was made a second lieutenant. He later saw action at the Battle of Buffington Island and in Lexington, Virginia. Near the end of the war, McKinley was promoted to major. After the war, McKinley studied law with an attorney in Ohio and later at Albany Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1867. On January 25, 1871, he married  Ida Saxton. Together they had two daughters, Katherine and Ida, but both sadly died as infants. Political Career In 1887, McKinley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served until 1883 and again from 1885 to 1891. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1892 and held the post until 1896. As governor, McKinley supported other Republicans running for office and promoted business inside the state. In 1896, McKinley was nominated to run for president as the Republican Party nominee with Garret Hobart as his running mate. He was opposed by William Jennings Bryan, who, upon accepting the Democratic nomination, gave his famous Cross of Gold speech in which he denounced the gold standard. The main issue of the campaign was what should back the U.S. currency, silver or gold. McKinley was in favor of the gold standard. In the end, he won the election with 51 percent of the popular vote and 271 out of 447 electoral votes. McKinley easily won the nomination for president again in 1900 and was again opposed by William Jennings Bryan. Theodore Roosevelt ran as McKinleys vice president. The main issue of the campaign was Americas growing imperialism, which the Democrats spoke out against. McKinley won the election with 292 out of 447 electoral votes. Presidency During McKinleys time in office, Hawaii was annexed. This would be the first step toward statehood for the island territory. In 1898, the Spanish-American War began with the Maine incident. On February 15, the U.S. battleship  Maine- which was stationed in Cubas Havana harbor- exploded and sank, killing 266 of the crew members. The cause of the explosion is not known to this day. However, the press- led by newspapers such as those published by William Randolph Hearst- published articles claiming that Spanish mines had destroyed the ship. Remember the Maine! became a popular rallying cry. On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war against Spain. Commodore George Dewey destroyed Spains  Pacific fleet, while Admiral William Sampson destroyed the Atlantic fleet. U.S. troops then captured Manila and took possession of the Philippines. In Cuba, Santiago was captured. The U.S. also captured Puerto Rico before Spain asked for peace. On December 10, 1898, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed. Spain gave up its claim to Cuba and gave Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands to the United States in exchange for $20 million. The acquisition of these territories marked a major turning point in American history; the nation, previously somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, became an imperial power with interests around the globe. In 1899, Secretary of State John Hay created the Open Door policy, where the United States asked for China to make it so that all nations would be able to trade equally in China. However, in June 1900 the Boxer Rebellion occurred, and the Chinese targeted Western missionaries and foreign communities. The Americans joined forces with Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan to stop the rebellion. One final important act during McKinleys time in office was the passage of the Gold Standard Act, which officially placed the United States on the gold standard. Death McKinley was shot two times by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while the president was visiting the Pan-American Exhibit in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901. He died on September 14, 1901. Czolgosz stated that he shot McKinley because he was an enemy of working people. He was convicted of the murder and died by electrocution on October 29, 1901. Legacy McKinley is best remembered for his role in U.S. expansionism; during his time in office, the nation became a world colonial power, controlling territories in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Central America. McKinley was also the third of four U.S. presidents who have been assassinated. His face appears on the $500 bill, which was discontinued in 1969. Sources Gould, Lewis L.  The Presidency of William McKinley. Lawrence: Regents Press of Kansas, 1980.Merry, Robert W.  President McKinley: Architect of the American Century. Simon Schuster Paperbacks, an Imprint of Simon Schuster, Inc., 2018.Morgan, H. W.  William McKinley and His America. 1964.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Chinese Birthdays and Customs for Newborn Babies

Chinese Birthdays and Customs for Newborn Babies Chinese people put their family in a very important position as they regard it as a means to continue the family bloodline. The continuation of the family bloodline maintains the life of the whole nation. That is why reproduction and family planning in China truly becomes a focus of all members of families it is, in essence, an essential moral duty. There is a Chinese saying that of all who lack filial piety, the worst is who has no children. Traditions Surrounding Pregnancy and Childbirth The fact that Chinese people pay great attention to beginning and growing a family can be supported by many customary practices. Many traditional customs about the reproduction of children are all based on the idea of protecting the child. When a wife is found to be pregnant, people will say she has happiness, and all her family members will be overjoyed. Throughout the whole period of pregnancy, both she and the fetus are well attended, so that the new generation is born both physically and mentally healthy. To keep the fetus healthy, the expectant mother is offered sufficient nutritious foods and  traditional Chinese medicines believed to be beneficial to the fetus. When the baby is born, the mother is required to zuoyuezi or stay in bed for a month in order to recover from childbirth. In this month, she is advised to not even go outdoors. Cold, wind, pollution and tiredness are all said to exert a bad effect on her health and thus her later life. Choosing the Right Name A good name for a child is considered equally important. The Chinese think a name will somehow determine the future of the child. Therefore, all possible factors must be taken into account when naming a newborn. Traditionally, two parts of a name are essential the family name or last name, and a character showing the generation order of the family. Another character in the first name is chosen as the namer pleases. The generation signing characters in the names are usually given by the forefathers, who chose them from a line of a poem or found their own and put them in the genealogy for their descendants to use. For this reason, it is possible to know the relationships between the family relatives by just looking at their names. Eight Characters Another custom is to find the newborn babys Eight Characters (in four pairs, indicating the year, month, day and hour of a persons birth, each pair consisting of one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch, formerly used in fortune-telling) and the element in the Eight Characters. It is traditionally believed in China that the world is made up of five principal elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. A persons name is to include an element that he lacks in his Eight Characters. If he lacks water, for example, then his name is supposed to contain a word like river, lake, tide, sea, stream, rain, or any word associating with water. If he lacks metal, then he is to be given a word like gold, silver, iron, or steel. The Number of Strokes of a Name Some people even believe that the number of strokes of a name has a lot to do with the owners fate. So when they name a child, the number of strokes of the name is taken into account. Some parents prefer to use a character from an eminent persons name, hoping that their child inherits that persons nobility and greatness. Characters with noble and encouraging connotations are also among the first choices. Some parents inject their own wishes into their childrens names. When they want to have a boy, they may name their girl Zhaodi meaning expecting a brother. The One-Month Celebration The first important event for the newborn baby is the  one-month celebration. In Buddhist or Taoist families, on the morning of the babys 30th day of life, sacrifices are offered to the gods so that the gods will protect the baby in his subsequent life. Ancestors are also virtually informed of the arrival of the new member in the family. According to the customs, relatives and friends receive gifts from the childs parents. Types of gifts vary from place to place, but eggs dyed red are usually a must both in town and the countryside. Red eggs are chosen as gifts probably because they are the symbol of the changing process of life and their round shape is the symbol of a harmonious and happy life. They are made red because red color is a sign of happiness in Chinese culture. Besides eggs, food like cakes, chickens, and hams are often used as gifts. As people do in the Spring Festival, gifts given are always in an even number. During the celebration, relatives and friends of the family will also return some presents. The presents include those which the child may use, like foods, daily materials, gold or silver wares. But the most common  is money wrapped in a piece of red paper. Grandparents usually give their grandchild a gold or silver gift to show their deep love for the child. In the evening, the childs parents give a rich feast at home or a restaurant to the guests at the celebration.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Human rights in armed conflict and the relationship between Essay

Human rights in armed conflict and the relationship between international criminal law and international use of force, and the r - Essay Example This paper will examine the legal framework within which the human rights of individuals and territorial rights of nations around the world is critically examined. The paper will examine the research question, the reconciliation of national sovereignty and non-intervention with humanitarian intervention to preserve human rights. To this end, the research will examine the position of national sovereignty and the prevention of military intervention as posited by UN law against humanitarian interventions. This will involve a critique of international laws and the prevention of military intervention. The limits of military intervention in areas like humanitarian intervention and the right to protect as defined in international law and its justification for intervention. International Law Against Interventions The United Nations was formed in 1945 as a response to the large scale human rights violations and destruction that came with World War II1. The primary essence of the UN was to ens ure that nations were created and structured in a way and manner that they would serve the real and true interests of the citizens and people it serves, not interest groups and individuals who had selfish interests. The United Nations came up with different views and different efforts to prevent foreign aggression and international wars that could potentially destroy nations and cause large-scale wars and destruction. This was done through the formation of the UN charter that created a context of a â€Å"family of nations† that were required to deal with issues and matters according to universal standards preserved by the United Nations which became the basis for international law and the foundation of international relations2. One of the approaches for achieving international peace was through a system of guaranteeing the rights of different nations around the world. This way, there was the guarantee that foreign nations could not just invade weaker nations as it was in the two World Wars. The two World Wars and other wars that created major regional and continental destabilization like the Napoleonic wars were because nations rose up against other nations. So the UN found it necessary to create laws that were meant to negate and prevent other nations from attaching others. Some of the core rules and core regulations of the UN were integrated into the UN Charter. The UN Charter was meant to create the framework for the regulation of nations. Thus, Article 1 of the UN Charter set the preamble of the United Nations, its composition and values. However, Article 2 moved to set out the core and fundamental principles that defined the UN. Article 2(4) of the UN stated explicitly that: â€Å"All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations†3 This article indicates that the UN renders international aggression by one nation against another through the use of force as illegal. This is because the UN needed a framework to define the interactions of nations. Hence, the article makes it illegal and wrong for any nation to rise against another through military force or violence. Another angle through which Article 2(4) can be critiqued is on the grounds of preserving the territorial sovereignty of

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Evaluate an Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Evaluate an Argument - Essay Example The author further states that the information may be true but, but since the experts do not review the site’s access; there is a substantial peril in relying on this resource for your academic works (Isites.harvard.edu, n.d.). As with the conclusion of the argument, the author clamps the whole argument against the use of Wikipedia and suggests that Wikipedia is good for use for some functions. For instance, they can be used for becoming accustomed or background information of what one is researching (Isites.harvard.edu, n.d.). For the validation of the argument to hold, it means that all of their premises that support the argument are all true and the conclusion must ultimately be true. The argument in this article is valid because the premises are well linked to the conclusion. In terms of soundness, the argument is not sound even if it is deductive and logically valid; it has some mythical arguments that habitually make it unsound. When viewed from an inductive perspective, which holds on the basis of probability, that if the premises given are true then conclusion is most likely to be true. The inductive argument employed here is strong- it holds on the assumption that the conclusion of X is probably true if the premises of X are true. The deductive is valid as per the author’s premises for a number of reasons, which include; the contributors are not expertise and are anonymous and, therefore, their credibility is questionable; the information or articles on the website are out-of-date and may be posted by someone who wants to just mislead the audience; and because the administrators do not review the site’s access. Based on these validations, it clear that the deductive argument is true and valid since its conclusion sustains all the premises stated therein. However, the deductive argument in the article is not sound because of the following. Several

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Is Google maling us stupid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Google maling us stupid - Essay Example Knowledge was now a living and breathing thing that, although not physical in appearance, had a direct and positive effect on the minds of society as people were forced to memorize the spoken word. Each and every bit of information needed to be committed to memory in order to successfully pass it on to the next generation. Then the advent of writing came about and now we had a permanent record of all these teachings to look back on anytime that we needed to. However, this knowledge was now incomplete in its solid form. It was no longer that easy to add new information to it because of the difficulties posed by the writing method of the time. And yet, we somehow managed to continue to grow this databank of information for future use. When typewriters were invented, the world of learning changed forever as it now became easier to understand the written word. Books and newspapers, these were the icing on the cake at the time. It helped people collect knowledge that they deemed important for themselves and their closest family members and friends. But that was not the end of the evolution of knowledge. Instead, it marked only the beginning. Then, television came and allowed us to not only hear about the information that could be gleaned from books, now, we could also see it in actuality and discover the wonders of learning in a totally new way. Thanks to television, we saw the past of the knowledge that we had but also, managed to see its future as well. And this electronic piece of technology was already considered the biggest threat to learning by most academicians and scholars because they felt that the brain was no longer functioning the way it should be. That is, reading and remembering the information that was passing through it. That belief proved to be unfounded and nothing but the fear of people who did not understand how learning and knowledge were fast evolving and becoming an even more relevant part of the daily lives of people. And that academic and sc holarly argument is the very same argument that is now being used by the very same people to prove that the internet and search engines in particular are stunting the growth of the human brain. Rewiring it and turning it into a lazy soft mass in our skulls that cannot be used for anything. Not even remembering simple information. If only these people would get over their fear of technology and the way that it changes the learning process of man for the better, maybe they would finally see that mankind is actually reaching a learning type of maturity that was not available to him before. These people argue that because all the answers to all the questions one has, regardless of how inane it is, can be found through the internet and the use of a search engine then man no longer knows how to research, discern the statements he is reading, and most disturbingly, he no longer has the ability to remember information because he just needs to bookmark the information for future reference. T hus turning our brains into a pile of mush. In reality, the search engines are a highly beneficial tool for those who wish to further learn and gain knowledge about specific topics. Gone are the times of sitting in a dusty old library going through piles of reading material, poring over them for significant information for days on end. These days, knowledge

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Constructivism Analysis of Chinas Rise

Constructivism Analysis of Chinas Rise China has been rising rapidly since the implication of reform and open-door policy in 1978. During the thirty years, China became the second largest economic power with $8.3 trillion GDP and growth rate of 7.8% in 2013. The income per capital is 6000$. On the political side, China has been taking actions on reform domestically and taking part in the international activities. Military, cultural as well as technology have been developed. Most important of this fact is that China consistently adopting the peaceful rise strategy which seeks a new regional structure of mutual trust, cooperation and mutual beneficial. This essay will explain Chinas rise process in Constructivism approach. Realism, liberalism and Constructivism are the three important theories of international relations. Under Realism, there is a game of super power states to survive. The rise of China is reasonable seen as a threat regarding its growing political, economic and military capabilities. Neighbour states should be cautious about the unsatisfied China (à §Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ) to transform the regional system. Liberalism argues that the increase of economic interdependence will increase of economic interdependence will decrease the likelihood of political conflicts (21111). Due to the high opportunity cost, violence could be avoided to maintain each countrys material interests. These two theories focus on visible facts in the international relations; while there is invisible factors should be highlighted. Social Constructivism is an important approach in explain international relation with a starting point of human behaviour and unconsciously follows cultural and historical norms; meanwhile, compared with other materialistic theories who regard countries are unitary actors to maximise their power, constructivists see countries as social actors that may follow both material power comparison and international rules.(32) Wendt thinks that the international structure would influences both national behaviour and identity, interest. Two important spheres should be highlighted in the ongoing international structures-the national identity and structural change for a certain region.(à ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° National Identity of China In the international society (rather than international system (b1,193)), national identity is an important role for the regional security,(45) Wdent, one of the most prominent constructivists, defines identity is a property of international actors that generates motivational and behavioural dispositions'(wdent 1999,224 cited in36) and is a relatively stable, role-specific understandings and expectations about self(Wdent,1999,21 cited in 36). National identity is crucial in the international relations that matters foreign policy making as well as the interaction between Self and Other. (b1, 197) Under the constructivism view, East Asia is a society of states with various national images among which China is quite unique since it has been à ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ µÃ‚ ° in so called Chinese Model for about forty years. A better understanding of Chinas national identity is based on the application of Wendts four identities categories (b2,224-233). First, corporate identity of China argues the essential properties that rarely changes. Domestically, no matter which kind of political regime is applied, government policies are deeply influenced by thousands-year Confucian morality which values harmony and prosperity(Culture Revolution from 1966 to 1976 is an exception and an extreme case in very special situation). The huge population of 1.3 billion from 56 ethnic groups and large geographic territory helps China to achieve a successful domestic market but regard domestic stability of first importance. Second, type identity is corresponding to regime type which reflects self-organising and social quality(b2,226). Stated in 1982 Constitution, http://english.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html The Peoples Republic of Chinais a socialist state under the peoples democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. Even though the word democratic is always ignored by foreign scholars, the tight central control does not mean an arbitrary all the time, nor does it possible in the globalising process. Marxism with Chinese characters is the main doctrine (47), as a result, the so called arbitrary governance is actually a Chinese style governance based on social reality rather than the compelling aspiration from a single party, it is the lesson learned from massive history from 1959 to 1976. On economic aspect, China now is applying a two-track system of socialist plus market economy with Chinese characteristicsà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ once again), which has led to huge achievements in last two decades. Chinese develop process has constructed the Beijing Consensus that draws many attention from the world. Third, the following two national identity categoriesroleà ¨Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ³Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ…’à §Ã‚ §Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦-†¡Ãƒ ¥Ã…’- and collective identity are more important in this article because they are closely related to interactions with foreign countries and contribute to structural change in a long-term. Chinas rise is a continuing process, so collective identity would be discussed in the next section. Wendt (b2,227-228) argues that role identity cannot realised by oneself, but carry Others around with us in our heads. In the international society, role identity is based on the degree of interdependence†¦of Self and Others. Corresponding to the rising China, is the increasing cultural, political and economic interactions with East Asia countries. This raises the question to many countries that whether China is a status quo power. Though status quo and revisionist power are two concepts under realisms power transition theory, they are vital in constructivism by showing that how would neighbour countries identify China and to interpret their further foreign policies in the region. For this question, Chinese foreign policies such as neighbour friendly and peace-loving would make sense if there is a positive answer. However, China Threat idea, which indicates an unsatisfied and revisionist China, is also widespread and seems quite convinced. Numbers of literatures have been discussing about the problem and Johnston(49) summarised that China for now is generally a status quo power while seeking a more favourable international system in a moderate method, a revisionist situation would occur when territory dis pute and Taiwan dilemma are heavily intensified. Back to the theme of the article, a status quo power is more aligned with Chinas peace rise strategy. Wendt also find the constructive approach to describe the undergoing situation of China in East Asia. He(1999) promotes three kinds culturesHobbesian culture, Lockean culture, Kantian Culture with dominant roles of enemy, rival, and friend respectively to illustrate the tendency of an anarchic system. Since Hobbesian is naturally related to the realism theory of a hard world (b2,259) and the high level coherence in Kantian culture (there is no need for any discussion if China and other East Asian countries are already morally good friends), Kantian Culture is applicable in East Asia, furthermore, Wendt himself also agree the status quo is implicit in such culture(279). It is a shared idea for every East Asian country recognise others sovereignty, life and liberty(279),even for small countries like those ASEAN members, sovereignty and rights are recognised by others, however, there is no guarantee in East Asia that violence will disappear, especially concerning the territory disputes between China-Japan on Diaoyu Island and South China Sea Dispute. Rivalry also admits the uncertainty of Others but denied the realist approach to prepare for the worst because they are not enemies. The reactions of China and neighbour countries just reflect Wendts policy implication of Lockean culture. The avoidance of hot conflict with Japan and dispute suspend, development policy with ASEAN members are examples for behave in a status quo toward each others sovereignty and High-risk aversion(282). On the other hand, military power is still important, this is could be seen from Chinas deep-blue navy development and more frequent Japan, Philippines joint military exercise with the United States since 2010. As Wendt notes, rivals limit rather than delete violence. Projecting Chinas new identity and Changing East Asians Structure The section above has defined China as a big developing power with unique Chinese characteristics and a status quo country in the region. This kind of image would more or less provide confidence for East Asians future, as Wendt argues, even though it is too difficult to reach Kantian Culture, the situation will not go backward. In fact, China and its East Asian neighbours do put effort for a better regional system. To be specific, the constructivism task is to à §Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚  identity gap(45à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬42à ¦Ã‚ ³Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã…  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° and then promote a collective identity. à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  Shared knowledge, material resources and practices are the three components of a social structure (34), this norm reflects the society is composed of both objective and subjective knowledge and more importantly, it is a dynamic process of change. Mearsheimer gave one site on the change logic how social structure effect actions by constituting actors with certain identities and interests and Wendt add another site of interaction and reproduction of structures. Wendt thinks that there is much slack in the international structure which encourages policymakers work toward peaceful change. To sum up, Identity and structural change is a matter of micro and macro level. New identity of one country would cause the collective identity change in that region, usually by way of foreign policy and interaction. This kind of common in-group identity and we-feeling would ultimately create a new regional structure. China has been projecting a new national identity since the came out of reform and open-up grand policy in 1978 when jieji douzheng à ©Ã‹Å" ¶Ãƒ §Ã‚ ºÃ‚ §Ãƒ ¦Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ° is replaced by à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã… ¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å" ¯ and development, it is corresponding to the national political and economic development. In general ,more actions are made from the 1990s when Overseas Propaganda Department under the Party Central Committee and a new Information Office under the State Council were established, there are many white papers with subjects of human rights, environment protection published, for example 1992 Tibet — Its Ownership and Human Rights Situation, 1996 Environmental Protection in China and 1999 National Minorities Policy and Its Practice in China.(40) The change from avoidance or ignoring such issues to engagement indicates that China is beginning to think about the soft power development. Cultural and media communication event is another method to promote Chinese new image and the hiring of a American firm in the 2008 Olympic Game is a case in this point. A research by Hongying Wang(à ¤Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ »Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã…“à ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °shows that China’s self-conception in international affairs consist with These four national images — a peace-loving nation, victim of foreign aggression, anti-hegemonic force and developing country. Though there is still difference from others perception, this project does makes China à ©Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ©Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ in foreign affairs.(40) Good neighbour policy(41) is the core theme for East Asia. In the 1950s, though Chairman Mao had adopted leaning to one side as grand foreign policy, Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was proposed as the main doctrine in Asian affairs especial with third world countries. During the 1990s to 2010s, the main period of Chinas rise, China adopted Deng Xiaopingsâ€Å"Tao guang yang hui, you suo zuo wei † to active defence of China’s interests†¦ and not try to be either a hegemon or challenger to one as well as to be a participant or co-builder that contribute to the construction of a New International Order.(41) After established the diplomatic relations with neighbour countries like Indonesian, Singapore and South Korea, China gradually find the importance on multilateral means for the common interests. From the late 1990s, China has been promoting the democratisation of international relations in the New international Order. Accord with Wendts emphasise of verba l communication, terms like shelve difference, common grounds, peaceful, multi-polar are frequently seen from Chinese foreign policy papers. Apart from foreign policies, China has been passion about participating in regional activities. For Southeast Asia, China formalised its interaction with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1991, and became a regular dialogue partner in 1996 which led to ASEAN plus Three (Japan, India and China) and ASEAN plus China. Joining in China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and ASEAN Regional Forum reflects increasing economic and political interaction. For Northeast, efforts put on both bilateral relationship with Japan and South Korea, as well multilateral relations on whole region, the Six-Party Talks and the â€Å"Track II† Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) strengthen its involvement in Northeast Asian affairs(41). The effort and interaction would significantly influence the future of East Asia. Besides the huge economic gains and the general peaceful environment, on the constructivism aspect, the interactions would cause a collective identity of We in East Asia that has more confidence in dealing regional affairs peacefully. Countries are more interdependent which could be seen from the data and interaction facts above. Chinas engagement in East Asia would also create the common fate with its neighbours because it is impossible for China to escape from any international events, especially the for non-traditional security problems. Nevertheless, there is also fear of exploitation, just as skeptics judging Chinas peaceful rise is buying time, however, in the long term, the worry can be overcomed since the gain is reduced compared with a high level of interdependence and states has already internalised the collective identity at that time. (b2,349). In order to be more accepted by neighbour countries during communication, China has been working on eliminating the regime differences in proper areas. Under the principle of 1982 Constitution (socialist country led by Chinese Communist Party) and general domestic stability, more authority is distributed to local units as well as marketised several areas of economy aligned with the international market. These efforts are building the homogeneity or alikeness to other countries that China is, the same as any else, a developing country needs a peaceful environment. Homogeneity would have à ¦Ã‹Å" ¾Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ-à ¥Ã…“ ° effect on military development which decrease the uncertainty for Chinas bullying action (even though China will never do that). The trend of a Kantian Culture in East Asia also benefits for everyone, to say that if the cooperation now is coloured with much material interests in Realism, but would change in a long period. The impact of structure on the agent could be seen from the ASEAN involvement of China in the very early stage. (32) When China became the candidate of regional hegemony, ASEAN posed a wide range of diplomatic initiatives contrary to realist way to intensify the dilemma that welcome China as a friend. Even though met many difficulties in the multilateral approach, significant achievement is undeniable. The structure change in East Asia is not as simple as we thought and we should consider the following points. First, the historical stereotype. For a big power, national identity à §Ã‚ ´Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¯Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ³Ã‚ » with its historical legacy.(45) Wendt (34) also notes history matters. It is quite hard to breakdown old identity and emerge new identity (b2,228) and (38) agrees it is a long-term proposal. In modern political society, the socialism China spent about forty years establish a national identity of exclusive (especially towards capitalism countries), assertiveness (both inside and outside). This situation began with Maos leaning to one side to Soviet Union in the early Cold War and à ©Ã‚ «Ã‹Å"à ¥Ã‚ ³Ã‚ ° in the Culture Revolution. After reform and open-up, China has been confronting with double difficulties of China Threat view in west world as well as breaking the former identity. These encourage China be intelligent in its friendly foreign policy but enhance its material power simultaneously. Second, regime differences. China as the biggest socialist country in the world, its political and economic regime is till mysterious to many countries. Though China tight center control is gradually understood and accepted based on Chinas achievements, so called none-democratic society is usually accused meeting sensitive cases, which makes it the biggest barrier for a homogeneity. On the contrary, Japan went through a better situation for its political revolution in the U.S. occupied period (45). However, this does not deny Japans other efforts of unmilitarisation, international assistance, etc. A westernised democratic regime helped it accepted easily psychologically. Based on the content above, China should keep on its process of reform domestically and externally. Peaceful rise is the only way in so that new national identity could be internalised to every countries and a co-existence East Asia is built. Conclusion The understanding of Chinas rise is a combination of realism, liberalism and constructivism. In the 2008 financial crisis, Chinas soon recovery makes it stronger economic power and the assistance for neighbour countries also contribute to a country of responsibility and kindness. Constructivism also helps explained why East Asia is generally peaceful with numbers of disputes. Apart from the economic lose in liberalism view; the shared norm of mutual trust and peace-loving plays an important role. Chinas peaceful rise strategy is the achievement made by both China itself and other countries in the region. Their transforming attitude toward China form hostility to acceptance is a core condition for Chinas proactive engagement. Finally, in the East Asian society, the entire process of Chinas rise is a Spiral Model (b1,198) that countries generate norms in the increasing interaction, and new norms and identities would result in a new regional structure that encourage the formation of interdependence, common fate and homogeneity. Even though there are obstacles, East Asian countries are à ¥Ã…  Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã…  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ towards it.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essays --

Identity is defined as one’s personal characteristics or attributes and their membership of a social category. In today’s society it is important to note how social media impacts upon our individual identities. To begin with, we technically are not born with identity; it is a socially constructed attribute. Identity is a transient thing, which changes over time as we grow and mature. The self-concept, which is our own personal understanding of who we are, combines with self awareness to cultivate a cognitive representation of the self, called identity (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p.118). In other words, who we are is controlled by internal and external factors that combine to make us who we become. Bring new media outlets into the equation, such as the internet, and media is now regarded as an "extension of everyday life and a tool of cultural change" (Singh, 2010). Thus, identity formation, as a social concept, is being transformed in new and even more global ways. When we talk about social media and identity, what comes to mind? We all know they have a pretty complicated relationship, but how exactly is social media related to identity? In exploring the connections between social media and identity, we have realised there has been a gradual but obvious transition within the social media- identity relation. Within this essay I am going to take a look at how the linkage between social media and identity has evolved over the course of my studies. Whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Researchers noted television's power to influence even people who are illiterate. Smith-Speck and Roy (2008) explained that even individua... ... by creating alternative personas –her different facebook profiles serving as a manifestation of the life she wished she could have had; media was a way out. The television series of this show â€Å"Catfish† shows us that there are many individuals out there like Angela, who create completely fabricated identities, for many different reasons. Whether it is malicious or a release for the person; It is an escape from reality in most cases. This alerts us to the dangers of social media, and makes us wary of meeting new people online, as all may not be what it seems. In a way, this creates a suspicious environment in the world of social media. If we don’t know the individuals we befriend on social media sites personally, how are we to know if they are real people or fictional characters produced out of the mind of someone else. In this way, a sense of identity is destroyed. Essays -- Identity is defined as one’s personal characteristics or attributes and their membership of a social category. In today’s society it is important to note how social media impacts upon our individual identities. To begin with, we technically are not born with identity; it is a socially constructed attribute. Identity is a transient thing, which changes over time as we grow and mature. The self-concept, which is our own personal understanding of who we are, combines with self awareness to cultivate a cognitive representation of the self, called identity (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p.118). In other words, who we are is controlled by internal and external factors that combine to make us who we become. Bring new media outlets into the equation, such as the internet, and media is now regarded as an "extension of everyday life and a tool of cultural change" (Singh, 2010). Thus, identity formation, as a social concept, is being transformed in new and even more global ways. When we talk about social media and identity, what comes to mind? We all know they have a pretty complicated relationship, but how exactly is social media related to identity? In exploring the connections between social media and identity, we have realised there has been a gradual but obvious transition within the social media- identity relation. Within this essay I am going to take a look at how the linkage between social media and identity has evolved over the course of my studies. Whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Researchers noted television's power to influence even people who are illiterate. Smith-Speck and Roy (2008) explained that even individua... ... by creating alternative personas –her different facebook profiles serving as a manifestation of the life she wished she could have had; media was a way out. The television series of this show â€Å"Catfish† shows us that there are many individuals out there like Angela, who create completely fabricated identities, for many different reasons. Whether it is malicious or a release for the person; It is an escape from reality in most cases. This alerts us to the dangers of social media, and makes us wary of meeting new people online, as all may not be what it seems. In a way, this creates a suspicious environment in the world of social media. If we don’t know the individuals we befriend on social media sites personally, how are we to know if they are real people or fictional characters produced out of the mind of someone else. In this way, a sense of identity is destroyed.