Does Globalisation Americanisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Does Globalisation Americanisation - Essay Example Another feature of globalisation is grobalisation by which â€Å"the imperialistic ambitions of nations, corporations, organisations† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 41) promote the imposition of themselves in various geographic areas for increased power, influence and profits. Two subprocesses of grobalisation are Americanisation and McDonaldisation. Americanisation can be defined as the further spread and establishment of American ideas, customs, social patterns, language, industry, and capital around the world. The concept of Americanisation â€Å"envisions a growth in American influence in all realms throughout the world† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 47). McDonaldization is the spread of the fast-food restaurant concept not only within the United States, but in increasing numbers of other societies throughout the world (Ritzer 2010). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether globalisation is synonymous with Americanisation. The Emergence and Evolution of Amer icanisation and Globalisation Americanisation is the larger conceptual framework that includes various interconnected phenomena, among which globalisation is one of the most important. The cultural impact of globalisation on Americanisation as a key 20th century transformation has great consequences. Mennell (2009) believes that globalisation and Americanisation should be examined together in long term perspective. The United States drove globalisation from 1945 to 2000; during this time globalisation was synonymous with Americanisation and Westernization, although terms such as â€Å"hybridity† and â€Å"flexible acculturation† which pertain to immigrants in the United States, prevailed only after 2001 (Nederveen Pieterse 2009). Globalisation is radically transforming all nations and the lives of billions of people all over the world. Globalisation theory characteristically accorded a great deal of significance to developments in the west, and its western bias also me ant that â€Å"the rest of the world had little choice but to become like it† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 41). After the Second World War, American companies with a highly efficient industrial management system expanded to locations across the globe. This globalisation of American companies had an effect on the internationalisation of German firms between 1945 to the early 1970s, and the resultant outcomes on German corporate management and competitive strategies throws light on how global corporate players evolved. The Americans tried to recapture the markets that they lost during the war, and attempted to enter new geographic markets. To withstand the American challenge, German companies resorted to new management strategies such as the adoption of American know-how, leading to a process of catching up and globalised corporate growth in German companies (Hilger 2008). Conversi (2010) argues that the consequences of cultural Americanisation is one of the least studied areas of the phenomenon of globalisation, although it is the most critical feature. The global expansion of Americanisation can be denoted accurately through distinctive stages of expansion, followed by periods of comparative and momentary recession; this in turn is followed by increased expansion. Hence, Americanisation is the broader conceptual framework that consists of various interconnected phenomena, out of which the most important is globalisation. This has established

City Planners Analysis Essay Example for Free

City Planners Analysis Essay The City-Planners is an indictment on the superficiality of progress, and the attribution of incorrigible rationality to the same. The poem views modern life as empty, artificial, and its inhabitants as robotic and lacking in spirit. The land in the city has a great contrast with the rural land. The influx of people moving from rural to urban areas keeps on increasing to this day. Living in such an environment with only concrete, steel and buildings, man consequently becomes more mechanical, stressed and partially dehumanized. The absence of vast land in cities deprives the harmony that a huge area of empty land provides. This absence of land in cities is severely criticized by Margaret Atwood in this poem where the houses in pedantic rows shows lack of warmth. The theme of this poem is perfection, uniformity, man’s attempts to control nature, and its lust of power (the city planners). As the poet moves about in a residential area, she is offended by the sanities of the area. The word sanities may possess a double meaning here. Firstly, it may allude to the unnatural sanitariness of the place. Secondly, it may denote the saneness of minds, or soundness that render them sophisticated, uniform and therefore boring. The dry August sunlight alludes to the province from which the speaker hails: Canada. The houses in rows appear too pedantic to be real. The trees have the appearance of being planted to render the scene picture-perfect. The levelness of surface further provokes the poetess as it appears to be a rebuke to the dent in their car door. There is no shouting there, no shatter of glass. No instinctive action takes place here: everything is after-thought and preplanned. There are no shouts here, no loud wants as people are economically well-off and complacent. The only noise is the rational whine of a power mower. It is that rationality that makes this noise a voice. In the era of applied technology, this sound is more pleasing to the ears than emotional echoes. The power mower cut a straight swath in the discouraged grass; and thus established the victory of Science over Nature. Throughout the second stanza there has been absolutely no mention of any human movement, making it seem as if the sub-division is empty. This could metaphorically indicate that the people living here live empty, monotonous lives that are without meaning. The driveways neatly revealing even roads, appear like mathematical units. Even a domestic entity like a coiled pipe appears as poisonous as a snake, as it is out of place. The windows portray a fixed-stare as though everything is static, and nothing is kinetic. The natural scenery appears to be at the back of this residential area. Mans mistakes seem to offer more than his creations in this stanza. The poetess seems to plead and demand at the same time when she opines give momentary access. The speaker hopes that the future cracks in the plaster will enable one to view the breathtaking natural view behind. She also admits that, â€Å"the houses in pedantic rows, the planted sanitary trees, offend us with their transitory lines, rigid as wooden borders†. Mans mistakes seem to offer more than his creations in this stanza. The poet is trying to give power back to nature here, and stating that nature will eventually, definitely rise once again and break down these suburbs. Margaret Atwood claims that there will come an inevitable stage when nature will ultimately conquer. Houses will capsize into clay seas. Is the poetess foreboding a natural disaster, most probably a Tsunami? It would only take a minute to put to years of city-planning to naught. They will appear like glaciers then. The speaker utilizes the metaphor of ice to connote transience. Nobody notices how fleeting all this is. Blizzards and snows are used as an extended metaphor for the blindness and confusion of a city that is completely bland and uniform, in which the people do not even realise how routine and structured their lives and the suburbia in general are in reality. These City Planners-calculating and manipulative in their approach to reach their ends are no less than political conspirators. In such a situation, they will be subjected to unsurveyed territories they had not even envisaged. They will be hidden from each other, where competitiveness will take a back-seat. The poem eventually envisages the city planners’ consequences of being greedy, and ends by saying that, the creations of these city planners will inevitably be destroyed by nature. To counteract the disturbing effect upon the human mind, land must be used in an effective manner. Land is essential to instil serenity in peoples lives. To sustain the availability of land in cities, housing must be carefully planned so as to minimize the use of land. Green architects are required to maintain this balance between building and nature. The driveways neatly side-step hysteria by revealing even roads that appear like mathematical units. Hysteria is conveniently side-stepped as nothing can defy logic. The roofs also display the same slant to the hot sky. The act of displaying a slant also means the projection of an angle. This angle of avoidance is everywhere whether it to the hot sun, the smell of spilled oil, or a faint sick smell lingering in the garage. Even a splash of paint on a brick is as amazing as a bruise. A domestic entity like a coiled pipe appears as poisonous as a snake, as it is out of place. The windows portray a fixed-stare as though everything is static, and nothing is kinetic.

Wuthering Heights and Northanger Abbey as Gothic Novels Essay -- Emily

While on the vigorous journey through a novel, a reader can be faced with many questions, put forth intentionally by the author, as well as ones they might conjure up for themselves. Roland Barthes says â€Å"Literature is the question minus the answer.† For the most part this is true, however when one is reading for leisure or the author does not portray as well as they could this statement is invalid. Two novels that have been broken down recently are Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Neither book has a common central question, but they both have their pros and cons. Wuthering Heights is a book containing an intricate plot, and a labyrinth of relationships and emotions. The characterization in this book is extravagant, this is done primarily to draw attention to Bronte’s central question, â€Å"how good is humanity?† Most of Bronte’s focus goes into her characters, her most distinct character is Heathcliff, followed by the older Catherine then to Nelly. As we look back at the text, there were many moments of pain when Heathcliff is described. As a child he was abandoned by his biological family, then Earnshaw died and left him, then the rest of the family treated him poorly and he grew up a villain dragging Catherine with him. He is depicted as manipulative, cruel and heartless, and the classic outsider in Gothic novels. Most can agree that he was put through vast hardships and unfair circumstances and undoubtedly, his personality was altered negatively by this. Could he have changed to a good person? Did he want to? Maybe, but the death of his saviour and the hindrances of his new family all prevented him from becoming anything better. Yet we are all faced with hard circumstances and bitter hat... ...son for writing the novel. Even though the book was written over one hundred and fifty years ago, she still had a grasp on the ways of humanity. Austen on the other hand was not quite there. She did try to make the reader see beyond the plot and characters, and most of the readers pick up on the satire, but it seemed as if there was no more to the book aside from this and critic of the Gothic. Bronte wants us to look at our lives and see what wrongs we are doing and change them, but she still leaves the unanswered questions: ‘How?’ and ‘Why are humans like this?’ Austen may have intended to have more to her novel than just critic, but it was not obvious enough to be usable. All-in-all, both novels gave the reader a sense of being there with the characters, and both used precision in their narration to keep the readers in suspension or rolling on the floor laughing.

Ralph and Jack in “The Lord of the Flies” Essay

Question 1 There are a number of differences and a few similarities between Jack and Ralph. First of all the main similarity is the fact that both boys are roughly the same age. Then furthermore, there is the fact that both pf them are boys. In addition their share the quality of leadership, or in other words both of them have the abilities to be a leader. Then on the other hand there are the numerous differences they in clued; different style of leadership, different believes, maturity, and the symbol that they represent. Jack and Ralph have a very different style of leading. Ralph has a democratic leadership and Jack is more of a dictator figure. Then furthermore, there is the difference of believes, Jack believes that the main objective on the island is to hunt and Ralph believes that it is to be saved. Then there is the maturity, Ralph is more mature that Jack. And the last difference in the symbols that these characters represent, Jack represents the bad side of human nature and Ralph represents the good side or democracy. Question 2 Piggy represents intelligence and thinking. This idea is proven through out the whole book, until his death. Fist of all there is the fact that because of Piggy the boys were able to create the fire. The secondary, idea is the fact that Piggy acts very mature through out the book. He is even more mature than Ralph. Piggy comes up with ideas that not a single other boy had though of. For example there is the fact that Piggy though of the sundial. Furthermore there is the idea that Piggy constantly reminds Ralph of their objective to the island, and which is to be saved.

Christmas party Essay

The dorm that I am supposed to live in was a terrible sight. At least that was my initial reaction during my â€Å"college move in day†. Countless staircases, smelly and scary corridors, a room that is so small and a chatty roommate gave me such a negative first impression of where I am to be stuck in throughout college life. An impression that fortunately is not going to last†¦ Countless Staircases and Odd-Smelling Corridors The seemingly countless staircases and endless climbing to the third floor of the dormitory made it excruciatingly difficult for my feet to move on. The corridors that lead to my room are quite dark and wood-smelling making it more creepy and intolerable to walk through. Miniature Room The room is exceedingly small that there is almost no space in between those two sets of twin bunk beds and one king size foldout bed that may be turned out into a sofa during daytime. In spite of its size though, it holds a private bath with shower. It also has a cable television, coffeemaker, DVD player, microwave oven, as well as, refrigerator. Conversational Roommate The dorm room is made lively by an exceedingly talkative roommate. We are four in the room: one is a senior, another is a sophomore and two of us are freshmen. Our roommate who is already in the senior year greeted me by bombarding me with countless questions including: â€Å"What course are you enrolled in? Are you going to take up BS Biology as well? Do you know the scientific name of spider? What is your favorite animal? Do you have the courage to hold large frogs, remove the skin of a cat, and dissect a horse? † When I responded â€Å"yes† to the first two questions and â€Å"no† to the third and last question, she was quick to comment and suggest that I should be prepared with college life and that even it is only the first day the following day, our professors are sure to already give us excruciating quizzes. Dwellers’ Relationship Our room in the dormitory though it looks and smells very old is still exceptionally lively because of the dwellers’ relationship with each other. Sometimes, we do not bother to go to the mess hall and eat or to the mini library and study room to browse through our lessons. We just stay in our room no matter how cramped or inadequate the space is. We bond together in our room when â€Å"working out, eating, and even studying† (Xplore.. n. p. ). Sleeping Difficulties Since the dorm room is designed to hold all beds close to each other and no dividers were made available, I had troubles resting or sleeping because two of my roommates have been engaged in non-stop snoring especially at night. Enjoyable Dorm Room There are other pleasant things or descriptions that go along with our dorm room in spite of all the aforementioned complaints and negative adjectives mentioned though. First of all is when there are social events, for instance, â€Å"open house†, â€Å"Christmas party†, â€Å"valentine’s day celebration† etc. During these days/events, the dorm room, especially ours is full of life. During â€Å"open house† days, the room is full of decoration, sandwiches, donuts, as well as, fruits are set on the table, the coffeemaker is continuously switched on; while during â€Å"Christmas party†, even the corridors are spray painted with green and red, the walls of the room are newly painted with Christmas designs as well, then gold-colored balls and multi-colored lights are placed after also, miniature trees are placed in a corner along with small socks and gifts beside and around it; during â€Å"valentine’s day† however, red hearts of all sizes may be seen, either they are glued on to the walls or hanging from all over the ceiling. The decorated dorm room at the time of social events uphold the emotions of an individual that even if loved ones are not living with you in that room, you are bound to feel that you are at home and they will be there for you no matter what (Xplore.. n. d. ). Second, we have our own lockers outsized enough for our backpacks. The hassle of packing before leaving and unpacking after arrival is avoided because we can just place our things there when we get to the dorm and we can just pick it up the next time we leave for school again. Third, folded study tables are provided to us to make studying more interesting and motivating. These study tables have several drawers wherein we can place our school supplies including our books, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. there are other small compartments as well for any school-related material that needs to be placed where it can be taken speedily and conveniently. Fourth, the dorm room is also provided with an â€Å"exterior patio† where you can enjoy your cup of coffee in the morning while watching the ever bright rising sun. It is also the perfect area for making abstract paintings during a lazy afternoon. In addition to that, it is wonderful to just sit there and observe the slowly setting of the sun and even the moon and stars in the middle of the night. A place that is just right for students who wanted to relax, reminisce, or just stare into blank space while passing the time. Finally, the dorm room is full of life because of the things that are in it. These include shining gold and silver medals, as well as, elevated & soaring trophies. All these are bagged by our higher level roommates during the previous semesters. The gold and silver medals were typically acquired from academic contests like science, math, and history quiz bees; while the trophies were obtained from soccer championships. The room seemed to be very much alive because it has gotten hold of such awards. The room is radiating with brilliance, sport-mindedness, determination, intelligence, competence, and excellence as it exhibits the recognitions, prizes, and rewards of the people that it houses. Reference Xplor Communications. On- Versus Off- Campus: Part 1. 2004. n. a. 22 January 2008 http://getouttoday. com/collegelife/living/apartment/aptvdorm. htm

The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Essay Example

The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Essay Example The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Essay The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Essay Essay Topic: Hamilton Between October 1787 and August 1788, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote and submitted eighty-five seemingly persuasive essays to various New York newspapers.Their essential goal was to convince the people of New York to support the new Constitution that was drafted in Philadelphia in 1787.If they could not sway the people of New York the new country would have been split in half therefore welcoming tension between the two sides as well as foreign invaders. Their success resulted in the uniting of a single power under which we still stand today. The authors were all but subtle in the introduction of the essays.They put the fate of the new Constitution in the hands of one of the bigger, more populous states as well as one of the three most important states.They sought federalism, the mixture of unitary and confederate governments, thus granting the states local power, but also a strong centralized power.They believed that between individual freedom and social order and between a tyrannical government and a government too weak to be effective was a middle ground in which the new Constitution would settle.(Gilbert-Rolfe, 1). The Federalist Papers are probably the most important documentation of the road traveled to the ratification of the new Constitution. This is in fact where we originated as a country. They play such an important role in American history, without them there may well have not been a United States. In America: Past and Present, Divine, one author, points out some of the more important papers written.In paper no. 10, Madisonsfirst contribution, he states the problem with the influence of factions or political groups, which is especially relevant to political problems faced today. (Gilbert-Rolfe, 10).He believes the new Constitution will solve this problem and that is another reason to vote for it.Today in America we have the same prob

Fathers of Confederation essays

Fathers of Confederation essays The concept of "Fathers of Confederation" generally gives us the idea of the people who were responsible for making Canada what it is today. Your right too, But there is more too it then that. The "Fathers of Confederation" were politicians that represented the British-North American colonies at one or more of the two conferances that led the way to the Charlottetown Conferance which decided on weither the maritimes was going to join the rest of the nation or was going to say a British Colony or mabey just go off on it's own. There were three factors that contributed to this discussion and they were. A) A political deadlock with the parliment of Canada. B) The threat of American expansion. C) Economic development and the railroad construction. There were 36 "politicians" that had that were attending these conferance's but three of them were one's that really had an impact on what Canada is today, hence "Fathers of Confederation". The first person is the guy that everyone has seen but dosn't know it, John A. Macdonald. He's the guy on the 5 dollar bill. Macdonald was a very powerful force that back up confederation. He originally was a lawyer in the 1930's and thats all he did was law. Macdonald was elected to the legislative assembly of Canada at the age of 28. He was on both sides of the Goverment and the Oppisition until the election of 1854. In this time he created the Liberal Conservitive party. In 1856 he became joint premire of Canada west. The political dead was at starting to begin with Macdonald so he started lay the tracks for confederation. Macdonald was a strong, centralized leader who made alot of good things happen. George Brown is the next person the influance Canada. Brown was a strong and influential publisher, bussinessman, and parlimentarian in Upper Canada. In 1844 Brown had founded what was to be the most powerful newpaper in British America. For a lonf time he support ...