Theories Explaining the Development of Japan since 1945

The social, political, and economic development of the country can be described or explained with the help of different theories or models. This paper is aimed at examining such frameworks as ideological state apparatuses, the concept of hegemony, and orientalism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theories Explaining the Development of Japan since 1945 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, it is necessary to determine the extent to which they are relevant to issues described by Joe Moore’s article Democracy and Capitalism in Postwar Japan. On the whole, these approaches can be useful for explaining how Japan achieved sustainable growth and avoided political instability. These are the main questions that should be examined. At first, one can speak about the concept of ideological state apparatuses introduced by Louis Alhusser. This model is used to describe those institutions or organizations that are s upposed to ensure the cooperation between the subordinate classes and the elites (Ferretter 7). Among such institutions and agencies, one can distinguish educational organizations, mass media, church, or political parties. These state apparatuses are supposed to make the majority more willing to accept the rule of the dominant classes. These are the main premises involved in this theory. Certainly, this approach can be critiqued because it describes the interactions between classes as the continuous conflict, while they bear more resemblance to the process of negotiation (Ferretter 7). However, this concept is partly relevant to the issues examined in Joe Moore’s article. For instance, it is possible to speak about the role played by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan. This political party placed emphasis on the rights of employers and their economic freedom. Its policies were regarded by socialist politicians as an attempt to control the workers (Moore 380). Neverth eless, by laying stress on the rights of businesses, LDP contributed to the rapid economic growth of Japan. So, it is difficult to say that political parties of this country acted only as the instrument of suppression. This is one of the aspects that can be distinguished since it can throw light on the limitations of this model introduced by Louis Alhusser. Much attention should be paid to the concept of hegemony. This term is used to describe the economic, military, or cultural influence of one country over others. This notion implies that a certain state that can be viewed as a superpower dictates its terms to other states and influences their political or economic development.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this case, one can speak about the role played by the United States since this country can be regarded as a hegemon. In particular, America was able to turn Japan into one of it s allies through various mechanisms. For instance, the American government provided Japan with the access to Western markets, and this opportunity was essential for the growth of many Japanese businesses and the improvement in the living conditions of people (Moore 368). Furthermore, one should speak about the increased military presence of the United States in Asia. Overall, the concept of hegemony is helpful for examining the relations between different states. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that the government of Japan was willing to cooperate with the United States since it was critical for the sustainability of the country. So, the concept of hegemony can be important for analyzing the socio-political evolution of Japan. However, this approach cannot fully explain the internal tensions within the Japanese society. For example, close attention should be paid to the conflict between the supporters of liberal politics and socialists. It is also possible to discuss such a n approach as orientalism. At the beginning, this term was only applied to the study of eastern countries and their cultures (Dallmayr 87). Yet, this notion is now used to describe a system of beliefs according to which western civilizations are essentially superior to the eastern ones (Dallmayr 87). The critics of orientalism attempt to how Eastern cultures can be misrepresented. Orientalism can be applied to Joe Moore’s article. To some degree, Japan was also encouraged to implement some of the elements that are imbedded in the political and economic culture of western countries. Much attention should be paid to the adoption of democratic principles and liberalization of economy (Moore 374). Yet, it is critical to point out that this approach contributed to the improved welfare of people. Furthermore, Japan achieved the results that cannot be matched by other western states.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theories Explaining the Development of Japan since 1945 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, one can say that orientalist perspective is not fully relevant to such a country as Japan which is now regarded as an example of a capitalist and democraty country. However, it also retains its distinct Asian identity. This is one of the points that can be made. This discussion suggests that there are various frameworks which can be used to analyze the development of a country. Each of the theoretical models should be considered because it can increase a person’s understanding of different processes that influence the society. However, a single model may not explain the tensions which existed in the Japanese society after 1945. This is one of the main arguments that can be put forward. Works Cited Dallmayr, Fred. Beyond Orientalism: Essays on Cross-Cultural Encounter, New York: SUNY Press, 1996. Print. Ferretter, Luke. Louis Althusser, New York: Routledge, 2013. Print. Moore, Jo e. â€Å"Democracy and Capitalism in Postwar Japan.† The Other Japan:  Conflict, Compromise, and Resistance since 1945. Ed. Mark Selden. New York: M.E. Sharp, 1997. 353-393. Print. This essay on Theories Explaining the Development of Japan since 1945 was written and submitted by user Molecule Man to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

isolation essays

isolation essays Isolation is defined in the Websters Encyclopedic Dictionary as occurring when something is placed apart or alone. Naturally, humans are faced with feelings of isolation at certain times throughout their lives. However, there are particular types of isolation that capture the imagination of writers and artists. Canadian authors are drawn towards the theme of isolation in their literature. Characters portrayed in Canadian literature are either spiritually, emotionally, physically or geographically isolated. Isolation can either have a positive or negative affect on humans. Humans are often driven mad by isolation, where their only means of escaping is by death. Others who are isolated develop psychotic tendances which cause them to destroy themselves, as well as others. Throughout Canadian literature, isolation has an extremely negative effect upon the development of the individuals character. In the short story The Lamp at Noon, Sinclair Ross portrays the young woman Ellen as a character who is driven mad by her geographical isolation. Throughout this story, Ellen struggles to break free from the poor, barren and hopeless prairie landscape she and her family inhabit. Ellen has little contact with other people. Living in a two bedroom home and once a month to town with not a penny to spend was not the type of environment Ellen wanted to live in ( Ross, 36). Feelings of loneliness and isolation surround Ellen, trapping her in an inevitable, Undoubtable, Ellens geographical and physical isolation were not the only components of Ellens insanity. Ellen felt emotionally isolated from her husband, Paul. Paul was too preoccupied with his farm to even acknowledge Ellens feelings of isolation. Ellen addresses Paul many times, trying to convince him to leave the deserted prairie. Paul does not listen to Elle...

Assessing The Confucianism On Relationships Cultural Studies Essay

Assessing The Confucianism On Relationships Cultural Studies Essay Confucianism has been the main foundation of traditional thought that is deeply rooted in Chinese society. Confucianism is ethical teachings rather than a religion as described in Western literatures. Confucianism is widely regarded as the behavioral or moral regulations that are mainly concerned with human relationships, social structures, virtuous behavior and work ethics. In Confucianism, rules are specified for the social behavior of every individual, governing the entire range of interpersonal relations within the society. The core virtues of Confucius basic teaching can be extracted as Ren (Humanity), Yi (Righteousness), Li (Propriety), Zhi (Wisdom) and Xin (Faithfulness). According to Confucius, each person had a specific place in society, certain rules to follow and certain duties to fulfill. Confucius hoped that if people knew what was expected of them they would behave accordingly. He, therefore, set up Five Cardinal Relations, in which most people are involved, moreover h e also laid down the principles for each relation. These can be illustrated as follows: Basic Human Relations Principles Sovereign and subject (master and follower) Loyalty and duty Father and son Love and obedience Elder and younger brothers Seniority and modeling subject Husband and wife Obligation and submission Friend and friend Trust Source: Fan, 2000 All of these five, except the last, involve the authority of one person over another. Power and the right to rule belong to superiors over subordinates. Each person has to give obedience and respect to his/her ‘superiors’; the subject to his/her ruler, the wife to her husband, the son to his parents, and the younger brother to the older brother. The ‘superior’, however, owes loving responsibility to the subordinates. These relationships are structured to generate optimal benefits for both parties, and the principles are laid to achieve a harmonious society (Fan, 2000). Among these five basic human relatio ns, three are family relations, which show strong family-orientation in the Chinese society. Such a characteristic when applied to organizational management, leads to the birth of a parternalistic management style in Chinese society (Hsiao, et al., 1990). As China is a high context culture (Hall, 1976) and places much emphasis on Confucianism, relationships within the Chinese society have been explained in terms of harmony, hierarchy, and development of morality and kinship (Shenkar and Ronen, 1987). Defining Guanxi Under the impact of Confucianism, China is a nation whose social relationships are neither individual-based nor society-based, but typically a relationship-based society (Liang, 1974), in which almost everyone tries to maintain Guanxi. Guanxi, which literally means social relationship or social connection, is a prevalent cultural phenomenon that has strong implications for interpersonal and interorganisational dynamics in Chinese society. The concept of Guanxi is enormou sly rich, complex and dynamic (Yang, 2001). In English as well as Chinese, it can be defined at various levels and from different perspectives. Chen and Chen (2004) argue that rather than social networks or interpersonal relationships found in the Western literature, Guanxi should be viewed as an indigenous Chinese construct and should be defined as an informal, particularistic personal connection between two individuals who are bounded by an implicit psychological contract to follow the social norms as maintaining a long-term relationship, mutual commitment, loyalty, and obligation.

Continental Drift Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Continental Drift Theory - Essay Example In the last part of the 20th century, modern investigations have led to the evidence of sea-floor spreading or the diversion of ocean floor from the mod-ocean ridges. Under geometric continental reconstructions evidence, Wegener proposed that the coastline geography of the continents on either side of the Atlantic Ocean have pattern and can be fitted back together like a jigsaw puzzle. Example of which are the coastlines of western Africa and eastern South America (Rogers, 2008, 93). In addition, Wegener reiterated it is the end of the submerged continental shelf that marks the line of the originally-joined continents and not the coastline-fit misconception. Geological match and continuity of structure evidence explained how there are similar rock types, succession of strata or igneous bodies which have unique characteristics were found on either side of the ocean. This evidence was observed in the similarities of the rock strata and geological structures of the Appalachian and Caled onian mountain belts of eastern USA and northwestern Europe, as well as the Precambrian rocks and geological structures similarity observed between South America and Africa (Rogers, 2008, 95). ... The modern evidence gathered during the latter part of the 20th century which has made the continental drift theory acceptable is the sea-floor spreading evidence. Modern geologists had explained the inaccessible ocean floor in Wegener’s theory and discovered striped patterns of magnetic polarities at both sides of the ocean and on mid-ocean ridges (Frisch, Meschede & Blakey, 2011, 3). Scientists and physicists during Wegener’s time rejected his idea because the forces suggested by Wegener are too weak to explain the drift of the continents. Furthermore, the lack of strong mechanism to drive continents across the ocean basins’ questioned the credibility of the Wegener’s continental drift theory, particularly the use of scientific method. During that time, Americans believed that scientific method is empirical, inductive, modest, holding close to the object of study, and is resistant to the impulse of going further (Oreskes, 2003, 11). Derived from the form er description, Americans believed that Wegener breached the scientific method because of drawing out the theory first before gathering evidence. Scientist of today accepted Wegener’s theory but used plates instead to describe the division and pattern of relative movement between regions of the Earth surface because modern physicists discovered the sea-floor spreading and the tectonic cycle (Frisch, Meschede & Blakey, 2011, 3). In addition, the process of scientific method and theory development are further improved. The scientific method starts with a question of the object/topic under investigation. Hypothesis is identified and initial experiment is done. Observation and measurement of the initial experiment took

Indian Philosophy. What Is Indian Philosophy Essay

Indian Philosophy. What Is Indian Philosophy - Essay Example The main consideration is that, the practical drive of Indian Philosophy is motivated by the view that human life is full of suffering. Human beings suffer in their journey to realize actual truth about their life. Despite of many sufferings, Indian philosophy brings into light the importance of worship and meditation to achieve peace and liberty provided by the Supreme Being. Indian philosophy is strongly spiritual and emphasizes the need of realizing the truth about life. The philosophy aims at achieving the knowledge of truth. It helps human beings to attain instinctive vision of reality and perception of truth, which leads to actual realization. According to Datta (571), Indian philosophy is intimately linked with religious facts. For instance, Indians believe on the fact that existence does not come from non-existence. In other words, there is nothing in this world comes out of nothing. There is a supreme being who is sole cause and source of the universes. This contradicts with Descartes who in his philosophy believed that all philosophy do not start with God’s scripture. Descartes believed that all philosophy should start with the argument â€Å"I think I am†. Descartes assumed that existence occur in the essence of being perfect being without believing in the essence of finite thing. This follows that; the existence of human beings should not be compared with God’s existence. Secondly, most of Indian philosophies are derived from Vedas principles. Basically, these principles explore that just as a seed flourishes one time, human beings have all knowledge to become the best. The Vedas principles guide human beings to live in peace with one another and life in reference with the fear of Supreme Being. The principles guide human beings to live a life that is fulfilling in the spiritual realm. Indian philosophy accepts the principles and authority of Veda. Therefore, human beings are unable to seek realization and truth openly and freel y. This contradicts with the Western philosophers who believe in having complete freedom to do and act the way one wishes. Indian philosophy rejects the notion of doing things as per one’s desires and wishes but as per principles that guide human beings to live in harmony with one another. The nature of man depends on the nature of reality and his destiny. The Indian’s philosophy affirms that man is not an animal or plant, but a spiritual and thinking being set to accomplish his dreams and goals for higher purposes. Human beings should strive to live an integrated life that honours the maker. The accepted position in Indian Philosophy provides steps of obtaining truth to life. First, human beings are encouraged to read and hear the truth from a book or a teacher. Secondly, it is crucial to apply what one has heard or read in search for truth. Thirdly, human beings should meditate on the teachings and truth taught in books or by teachers. Indian philosophy values the co ncept of meditation as one that seize and motivates human beings to have a peace of mind and live in peace with another. According to Datta (571), Indian philosophy depends on direct and mystical experience. Indian philosophy is concerned with norms and values that relate to religion. However, western philosophy relates to the notion of science and nature, and in most cases it is concerned with facts. The doctrine or principle of inwardness is a major concern for Indian philosophy. Specifically, Indian philosophy is mainly concerned with the aspect of changing man’s mind rather than changing the world in which human being live. The whole aspect points out on the importance of changing the mindset to succeed and achieve the best in life. Based on this analysis, one would argue that Indian philosophy

Friendship Expectations of Early Adolescents in Cuba and Canada :: essays research papers

Friendship Expectations of Early Adolescents in Cuba and Canada Gonzales, Y.S., & Moreno, D.S., & Schneider, B.H. (2004). Friendship expectations of early adolescents in Cuba and Canada. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 436-445. The article entitled â€Å"Friendship Expectations of Early Adolescents in Cuba and Canada† is a study done to see whether the emphasis of character education, as in Cuba, or moral education, as in Canada, create different types of friendships in developing adolescents. He purpose of this study is to see how much the Cuban culture, which is interdependent, is reproduced in the children’s idea of friendship. The Canadians were used to compare the results from Cuba to. The author’s hypothesis is that the idea of friendship in Cuba would be more advanced than the Canadian idea, because of the emphasis of interdependence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this study there are three hundred Cuban and two hundred and ninety-four Canadian students in grades seven, eight, and nine. The seventh graders are the youngest chosen because that is the first year that the students start a new school in both countries. Both groups off students were taken from large cities in their respective countries. The researchers asked the students to write an essay about what a best friend, of the same-sex, should be willing to do for them, and what makes a best friend different from any other friend. These essays were then â€Å"graded† by two raters using a category of numbers, from 1 (not mentioned at all), to 4 (especially important).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The results of this study were varied between the two countries answers. The responses from the subjects could be described as character admiration, and were much more likely to be used by the Canadian adolescents. An example of this was that the Canadian students said that their friends should be easygoing, and does not make them be someone they are not. In contrast many Cubans responded that they like their best friends because of their willingness to help others, and do things for the good of the group. Some of the ideas that were seen as important to one culture were not as important to the other. For example the theme of help given to a friend was present in 82% of Cuban essays, but only present in 22% of Canadian essays. Also, the theme of similar personalities was included in 97% of Cuban essays, and only included in 38% of Canadian essays.

Introduction to Communication Skills Essay

Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. And it’s a process that can be fraught with error, with messages often misinterpreted by the recipient. When this isn’t detected, it can cause tremendous confusion, wasted effort and missed opportunity. In fact, communication is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively. When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own, causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals – both personally and professionally. In a recent survey of recruiters from companies with more than 50,000 employees, communication skills were cited as the single more important decisive factor in choosing managers. The survey, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Business School, points out that communication skills, including written and oral presentations, as well as an ability to work with others, are the main factor contributing to job success. In spite of the increasing importance placed on communication skills, many individuals continue to struggle with this, unable to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively – whether in verbal or written format. This inability makes it nearly impossible for them to compete effectively in the workplace, and stands in the way of career progression. Getting your message across is paramount to progressing. To do this, you must understand what your message is, what audience you are sending it to, and how it will be perceived. You must also weigh-in the circumstances surrounding your communications, such as situational and cultural context.