...1 The Foundations of International Society 2013-2014 Part I: Politics 2 (International Relations I) Paper organiser: Professor Christopher Hill (POLIS): Room 105, Alison Richard Building Email: cjh68@cam.ac.uk Lecturers: Professor Hill (CH), Dr Elisabetta Brighi (EB), Dr Aaron Rapport (AR) and Dr Stefano Recchia (SR). Aims and Objectives The course aims to introduce students to the subject of International Relations (IR), whose main focus is the nature of politics at the international level. Students will acquire the empirical and conceptual foundations needed to understand a world political system which cannot be accurately described as either pure anarchy or a coherent form of ‘global governance’. The starting point is the notion of ‘international society’, which refers to the set of institutions and common procedures generated by states over the last three and a half centuries in their attempts to achieve some minimal form of co-existence, but which has gradually evolved to include many non-state actors and different levels of activity – diplomatic, economic and cultural, as well as that of military competition. By the end of the course you should be able to have an informed discussion about: the historical origins of the present system; what is distinctive about international politics as opposed to politics inside the state; and the main challenges which confront humanity in the twenty-first century. You will also acquire a basic familiarity with the main theories needed...
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...Russian Empire Essay “In what ways did Peter the Great’s reforms transform the concept of the Empire?” Peter the Great’s reforms are widely considered to be one of the most defining moments in Russian history. Beginning as an effort to modernize the country’s military, as the era progressed the reforms expanded, instigating economic development, governmental modernization, intellectual reorientation and social reconstruction.1 The injection of European practices into Russia arguably set the precedence for the onslaught of a top down modernization that has since been a trait of Russian state development, as well as illuminating the beginning of the transition into a form of Russian modernity. The geographical historian Dennis Shaw, reiterates this by suggesting Peter exposed Russia “to the ideas of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. Building on the achievements of his father, Peter launched a thoroughgoing reform or modernization of his realm with the aim of transforming it into a major European state.”2 In order to comprehend this transformation of the Russian empire, an appreciation of meaning of the term ‘empire’ is required. Stephen Howe suggests that ‘an empire is a large, composite, multiethnic or multinational political unit, usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate, sometimes far distant, peripheries.’3 While Howe’s definition provides a coherent basis from which to judge the concept of Empire from a modern day perspective...
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...Introduction The International Exposition (Expo) is an organization for placing brand and converging the public diplomacy. Since the Great Exhibition of 1851in London had opened the door to a procession of spectacular festivals of self-representation and image making, most western countries have accepted the Expo as an opportunity to show that their method to challenge of sustainable development of the city is in a more environmentally friendly interactive displays than others. However, the greatest honor cumulative to the hosts. The city of Shanghai, which was a badge member of the exclusive club of the world’s premiere cities, worthy of the event in a world-class. More widely, the Beijing Olympics of 2008 showed the new China and precisely provided an example of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Hence, the Chinese government may point to the Expo as another example of the admiration of the world turning toward China. It was reported that in the last 160 years, there has never an Expo similar to that, which took place in the 2010 Shanghai Expo. A case in point is that more than 700,000 people poured into a site the size of Baltimore in Shanghai in 184 days. They found that an unprecedented number of pavilions, built by the state and enterprises exhibitors, which deployed cutting edge architecture and state-of-the-art exhibition techniques to comment as ‘Better City, Better Life’ in English, but the Chinese version is closer to ‘city: let ’s make life better ’. Methodology ...
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...As estimated by the International Labour organization (ILO), there are over 20.9 million people in this 21st century that are still enslaved. Another source states that there are 29.8 million people who are still held in modern day slavery. When the word “slavery” is mentioned, the idea that comes to mind is when people are taken from India, Africa and other third world countries, to the West Indies or America, for the purpose of them to work in sugar cane plantation. Although that kind of slavery was abolished in the 19th century, men, women and children are still slaves, thus, the birth of modern slavery. “Slavery is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised”. Slavery is so much graver than forced labour, Slavery involves forced labour, but not every forced labour involves slavery. Despite being prohibited by so many International instruments, which includes the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1956 UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery and the 1926 UN Slavery Convention, Contemporary slavery still takes place in various forms, affecting all gender, races and color. Modern slavery has been in many forms, ranging from domestic servitude to bonded labour. In this 21st century, people are sold like goods, forced to work with little or no pay, left at the complete mercy of their “employers”. It...
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...EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKISH IMPRESSION IN GERMANY Introduction Countries tried to show their power and sovereignty with hard power. But now we are living in a century that soft power can be more powerful than hard power. Cultural diplomacy is one of the strongest soft power items of last century. With right strategy of cultural diplomacy, a new image of a country can be created at other countries. This can affect so many statistics of a country in a positive way, such as tourism and trade. There are still many countries which are not aware of the strength of soft power and cultural diplomacy. In the other hand there are countries which are aware of this strength and it is easy to see how they are successful to create an impressive image. United Kingdom, Germany and United States can be three examples to see success and power of cultural diplomacy. Turkey has been trying to attempt to European Union since so many years. All of attempts were not successful. What can be the reason for that? , Culture? , Impression of Turkey? , Politics? , Population? , Economics? , Religion? Or another question can be asked is, what is Turkey’s image at European Countries? What is Culture? The origin of the word “culture” in Latin “cultura” is a modern concept based on a term first used in classical antiquity by the Roman orator, Cicero: “cultura animi.” The term “culture” appeared first in its current sense in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, to connote a process of cultivation...
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...powerful look at the cruel and inefficient exploitation of natives by the “civilized societies”. This essay will discuss Conrad’s distain for imperialistic societies as seen in “Heart of Darkness”, and how these criticisms are relevant in contemporary societies. The story “Heart of Darkness” explores the issues and hypocrisy...
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...Kristen McNair ENC 1102 16 April 2012 Connecting through the Internet Connecting globally is possible because of great technologies such as the internet. The internet has evolved into a place where the whole world can connect and communicate with each other. The internet has tools such as email, instant messaging, social media sites and online video games that allow individuals to talk with almost anyone in the world as long as they have access to the internet. Having the capability to communicate with anyone around the world may change ones perception of the world personally and globally. Individuals can discuss various topics and express their different points of views on the subject. Recent events at ones fingertip is a powerful tool to have. Being able to hear about global events within minutes of it actually happening may change ones view on world issues personally and globally. Online video games and social media sites can alter ones perception of the word, while allowing individuals to acquire and discuss ideas from around the world. The internet’s advancements have allowed for online video games. These games allow players to have online contact with people all over the world. These online games are usually called MMO games, or Massive Multiplayer Online games. Many people around the world play online video games; experts say the companies strive to make the games addicting so more people play for longer periods of time. Online games allow individuals to meet people...
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...Strengthening Community We are living in a “connected” modern society that is made up of multiple communities and/or groups of people. A person may be part of several communities at one time; some of these communities may include school, work, home, and/or online communities. In today’s fast-paced environment, with 24/7 connectivity, there are many factors that create stress within the communities we belong to. For the purpose of this essay, I will focus on the work community I belong to and the stress that my work environment can create. Once a person identifies the stress factors in their work environment, is it possible for an individual to take action that would strengthen his or her work community? I say yes. Stress factors in the work environment can come from a variety of areas. A heavy workload, a difficult co-worker, poor working conditions, being underpaid, gossip and infighting are just some of the sources of stress a person can experience in their workplace. So how does a person combat stress in the workplace and what actions can he or she take to reduce stress levels? Consider the following tips: Stress Factor | Possible Solutions | Heavy Workload | Ask for additional help. Request an extended deadline to complete the work. Communicate problems through the proper channels and offer suggestions on how to solve the problem with a supervisor. Always try to help others that are experiencing the same problem whenever possible to be supportive. | Difficult...
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...Why Get Married? By Abdulla As the human race has evolved through the ages, so has the institution of marriage. According to an article published on BBC news, titled the ten key “moments in history of marriage”, many Anglo-Saxons and early British tribes used marriage as a tool to build strategic alliance in the realms of diplomacy and trade. With the advent of the Roman Catholic Church, the notion of marriage evolved and theologian began to view it as a sacred ceremony that was done in the presence of the Almighty. This position was further strengthened by the council of Trent in 1593 when marriage was officially deemed as one the seven sacraments. Then as the role of the church in society began to evolve so did the definition of the marriage and the way it was viewed in society. Divorce started to become more common and with the gradual separation of the church and the state, the State assumed the role of becoming an institution that granted marriage right to couple. These civil or non-religious marriages were the founding blocks for a long debate about the sanctity of marriage and led to individuals and society debate on long established of the nature of marriage and whether it is meant to be a sacred institution that allows the bond between a man and woman only or its possible for people of the same gender to share the bliss of holy matrimony. Regardless, of how society defines marriage and who it deems worthy of getting married, a very pertinent question still lingers...
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...Rebekah Chappell MG 305 Dr. Hamer Test 2 Essay Questions 1) Ethics is a moral standard of right and wrong. These standards are decided by each individual person. Corporate scandals: Enron-CEO Skilling and Lay kept huge debts off the balance sheet. They were turned in by a whistleblower. Lehman Brothers-the executives and their auditors, Ernest and Young, created the impression Lehman had $50 billion more in cash than they actually did. They went bankrupt. Saytam-Founder Raju falsified revenues, margins, and cash balances by a million rupees. They falsely boosted revenue by $1.5 billion. He admitted the fraud in a letter. HealthSouth-CEO Scrushy allegedly told underlings to make up numbers and transactions. He got caught because he sold $75 million in stock a day and people took notice. WorldCom-CEO Ebbers underreported line costs by capitalizing rather than expensing. The internal auditing department found $3.8 million in fraud. Level 1: Is the action legal? If the action is illegal, then it is unethical. Level 2: Is the action fair to all involved? Your behavior should be fair to all parties involved. Note that the concept of fairness does not mean that everyone is happy with the outcome. It only means that the decision has been made in an impartial and unbiased manner. Level 3: Does the behavior make you feel good? It is understandable that not everyone agrees on what is right and fair. This question gets to the personal aspect because your conscience becomes a consideration...
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...GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA Geog 209 - Fall 2014 T-Th 12:00-1:20 Plus Discussion Section and evening films McKenzie 240A Prof. Shaul Cohen Condon 107G Tel. 346-4500 Office Hours Tuesday 12:00-1:00 OBA scohen@uoregon.edu GTFs Ashley Wall Jennings Office Hours M 1:00-2:00 ajenning@uoregon.edu Christine Carolan ccarolan@uoregon.edu Purpose: This course explores the geography of the Middle East with an emphasis on politics, culture, and regional cohesion. Through a variety of sources including modern literature, film, images of landscape, traditional academic texts and the daily news, we will pursue an understanding of those elements that characterize the region, as well as those features that are distinct and mark different peoples and places. We will examine local, sub-national, national, and international issues relating to identity and status, history, environment, economy and other topics, in an attempt to create a portrait of daily life in the many venues of the region, whether they be urban or rural, coastal or desert, North African or Asian, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Arab, Israeli, Turkish, Iranian, and so on. Our goal will be to use the information available to us to discern patterns in the region that allow us to grasp its richness and complexity, to gain a sense of its past, contextualize current changes, and to anticipate future directions. Resources: For this course we will work from a number of selected writings, and...
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...prosperity have allowed the new democracies of Southeast Asia the latitude to pursue economic cooperation and relatively stable domestic policies. But while the reasonable stability of ASEAN has allowed its members to support each other’s traditional security interests while settling disputes through non-violent channels (Dosch 2007, p. 211), regional membership in this pluralistic community does not necessarily negate internal conflict of individual members. In fact, at least two low-level ongoing disputes—the Karen-led insurgency in Myanmar and the effective collapse of civil order in Papua New Guinea—have the potential to spill over into neighboring territories and therefore require the intervention of regional or global peacekeepers. This essay contends that despite the absence from contemporary media and perceived lack of attention by the Australian Government, these two countries are in a state of fundamental turmoil and could be considered as those most likely to require external intervention in the next 10 years. Although Myanmar has been a member of ASEAN in relatively favorable standing since 1997, the junta’s efforts to enforce its rule on the multiethnic population remain controversial both among the ASEAN membership (Than 2005, p. 20) and the wider international community. Several of the nation’s ethnic minorities have sponsored long-term secessionist movements; one of the strongest, that of the Karen culture, has proved to be extremely persistent over the last six decades...
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...Question 1 Section 1 1.1 – P1 – US has maintained a certain degree of dominance in the region that has ensured some degree of regional stability. P2 – A fundamental branch of Chinese soft power and a cornerstone of the Beijing consensus is the multilateralism that characterizes China’s shifting diplomacy. P3 – The rise of East Asian multilaterals in the wake of the Asian financial crisis and the formation of new regional bodies, such as ASEAN +3, has been a direct response to the failures of APEC and the IMF. Conclusion – The harmonious engagement of regional actors in multilateral frameworks has significant capacity to contribute to regional stability, rendering Washington’s role as an extra regional balancer redundant. The rise of a unified East Asia will undoubtedly recalibrate regional security arrangements. 1.2 – The US is a regional balancer due to its hub-and-spoke system. Many theories support this such as hegemonic stability theory, which priorities unipolarity challenges from disputing the status quo but with the failure of IMF and China’s diplomacy shift, China has a more active role with the region becoming more influenced by Beijing Consensus. Regional collaboration has increased with ASEAN +3 of Japan, China, and South Korea. This shows a power shift away from the hub-and-spoke alliance system (Ward, Alex. 2013). Section 2 US will not be the indispensable power in East Asia in the time to come as they are slowly losing their power because ASEAN +3 are...
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...In recognising the value of individual languages we acknowledge the dignity and worth of our fellow human beings. – Desmond Tutu (Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights Follow-up Committee. April, 1998) It all began with the steam engine. The industrial revolution, which kicked off in late 18th Century set off a series of rapid improvements in technology, which provided us with mass transit and mass communications. Many places that were once exotic realms barely set upon, became multi million dollar wellness centres for exhausted western tourists, complete with western television, McDonalds outlets and internet cafes. Professor Austin’s quote rightly alludes to the fact that the developments of modern technology over the past century have been a major factor in permanently concentrating the world closer together, a place where cultures bleed into one another. And it is having a dramatic effect on the number of languages. If means are not devised to stop it, half of the worlds 7000 odd languages that are spoken today will disappear within the next couple of generations. (SBS, 2013). This will also correspond to the loss of half of the world’s cultural wealth and ancestral knowledge. I will discuss the reasons why language diversity is important, and the challenges that are presented to it by contemporary society. Language is the most important tool we as humans have at our disposal. It is the means by which we learn, and the means by which we teach. It provides us...
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...Mark R. Peattie, Edward J. Drea, Hans J. van de Ven, eds. The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2010. Illustrations, maps. 664 pp. $65.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8047-6206-9. Reviewed by Roger H. Brown (Saitama University) Published on H-War (December, 2012) Commissioned by Margaret Sankey The Sino-Japanese War of 1937-45 was immense both in its scale and consequences. Nevertheless, Western military histories of World War II have focused overwhelmingly on the campaigns of the European and Pacific theaters, and those specialized studies of the conflict that do exist deal primarily with such matters as diplomacy; politics; mass mobilization; and, in more recent years, Japanese atrocities and public memory. Indeed, as the editors of the volume under review attest, “a general history of the military operations during the war based on Japanese, Chinese, and Western sources does not exist in English” (p. xix). In 2004, Japanese, Chinese, and Western scholars gathered to remedy this situation and in the belief that such a close study of the operations and strategy of the Sino-Japanese War would “illustrate that, in this period, warfare drove much of what happened in the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres in China and Japan.” They further recognized that because “much of the best scholarship on WWII in East Asia is naturally produced in China and Japan,” there was a need to “bring...
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