Magic, Science, And Religion - 1542 Words

Magic, science, and religion are culturally constructed concepts that we use as ways of apprehending, comprehending, and interacting to orient ourselves within the world. A world without meaning cannot be interpreted—chaos, a state of complete disorder and confusion, is the most feared idea by humans. The human brain tries to create meaning out of the chaos and meaninglessness of the world in an effort to understand its surroundings. By gaining an understanding of the world and how it functions, we are able to begin to conceptualize an order to existence. Clifford Geertz explains that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance that he himself has spun. With this idea, Geertz describes our affinity for culturally constructed†¦show more content†¦E.E. Evans-Pritchard explains that humans are fascinated with the idea of coincidence, how unrelated events coincide in time and space. For example, he describes how fire has the universal quality to burn, but not th e universal quality to burn you. Thus, we are drawn to this idea and attempt to rationalize its occurrence (Evans-Pritchard). By attempting to find meaning through associations, we make an attempt to decode our environment as a result of our natural attraction to the control of chaos. Magic is commonly used in situations where individuals lack a sense of control, where we encounter a gap but must continue on our path. In this type of instance, magic functions to offer power and guidance, instilling confidence and an aura of reason. The role of magic in baseball, which arises through superstition and is most notably observed through routine practices of baseball players is described by Goerge Gmelsch. He compares these examples of the sense of control and added confidence that the comfort of a routine gives to a baseball player to Trobian islanders use of magic in ocean fishing, as a means of showing the long standing tradition and wide use of magic. Both baseball and fishing are activities with a high amount of natural uncertainty, thus the incorporation of magic aims to control this chance. Gmelsch describes magic through three venues: ritual, taboo, and fetish. Rituals

Risk Management Program For A Small Community Bank

Risk Management Program A risk management program provides the framework for an organization to assess the risks that the company faces. As a Chief Risk Officer (CRO) for a small community bank with one location, employing 30 people either in full-time or part-time positions, it is important to develop a complete, thorough risk management program for the bank. A thorough program involves planning, organizing, leading and controlling the resources of the bank in order to achieve the organization’s overall objectives (Elliott, 2012). The objectives of the bank include remaining profitable, yet, serving the needs of the small community where it resides, with roughly a population of 100,000. The overall risk management program for the†¦show more content†¦1. Gap Analysis 2. Evaluation of Internal and External Environments 3. Integration into Existing Processes 4. Commitment of Resources 5. Communication and Reporting 6. Monitoring and Improvement. Traditional Risk Management Traditional risk management deals with hazard risks to the organization. Hazard risks, or negative risks, are transferred through of through the use of insurance or to an external party (Elliott, 2012). A CRO must align the objectives of the risk management program with the objectives of the organization. This involves understanding the tolerable uncertainty or risk tolerance that the management can handle. If the bank management tends to be very conservative and risk adverse, then the risk management program will have to take that into account especially in areas of insurable hazard risks. When an organization is assessing hazard risks using traditional risk management techniques, the CRO is evaluating risks based solely upon the event in question and its probability of occurrence without any regard to interdependence on other factors (Elliott, 2012). Three hazard risks that the management program has prioritized are the risks of property loss, of wo rkplace violence, and of business interruption. Figure 1. Traditional risk hazards was adapted from Elliott, M. W. (2012). Risk management principles and practices (1st ed.). Malvern, PA: The Institutes. Property Loss Risk The risk

Red Badge Of Courage (1368 words) Essay Example For Students

Red Badge Of Courage (1368 words) Essay Red Badge Of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage, by Steven Crane, has been proclaimed one of thegreatest war novels of all time. It is a story that realistically depicts theAmerican Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy whodecides to become a soldier. Henry, who is fighting for the Union, is verydetermined to become a hero, and the story depicts Henrys voyage from being ayoung coward, to a brave man. This voyage is the classic trip from innocence toexperience. The story starts out with a heated debate between the soldiers. Oneboy had heard a rumor that the regiment would be moving on to fight a battle thenext day. Some of the soldiers agree with this boy, while others think thattheir regiment will never partake in a real battle. While watching thisargument, Henry, the protagonist, decides that he would rather go lay down andthink rather then take part in the heated argument between the soldiers. Henry,a simple farm boy, is rather excited when he hears the rum or that they will befighting soon. It had always been a dream of his to fight in a war, and become ahero, and now his dream was coming true. Henry begins to think about what lifewas like before he entered the army, and remembers the stories of war he hasheard from old veterans. This flashback is very effective in showing how hisprevious experiences have affected his thoughts on war now. It is blatantlyobvious that he is afraid that he will not be able to withstand the pressures ofa battle. He keeps telling himself that if he wants to become a hero, he can notrun away. He must stick out the battle with the rest of his comrades. Whilemarching along, Henry sees the first corpse he has ever seen. He shows pity forthe man, because the dead man had died in such poor conditions. The souls of hisshoes were worn bare. When Henry sees the corpse, he begins to wonder if hisgenerals actually know what they are doing. He thinks that the generals areleading him right into a trap, right into the m iddle of the rebels. Henry dealswith his fear of battle by acting arrogant. He acts as if he has been in athousand battles, and complains about the walking, even though the reader knowsthat he would rather be walking forever then go to battle at this point in time. It shows one of Henrys defense mechanisms, how he uses his arrogance to hidehis innocence. Regiment 304 moves on to battle the next day. Henry becomes veryscared, but is too proud to talk to any of the others soldiers about his fears. All the soldiers are very anxious to fight in the war, and Tom and Henry talkabout how they are not going to run away from war, and how they want to becomebig time war heroes. This is ironic, because in the end of the book their wishescome true. When the battle starts, all the soldiers get very anxious andnervous. Tom and Henry dont turn out to be as brave as they think that theycould be. While hiding, Tom finds Henry, and gives him a manila envelope ofletters for his family. Tom believes that this will be his first and his lastbattle. Henry ends up fulfilling his worst nightmare. Instead of sticking outthe battle with the rest of his regiment, he hides behind some brush in order tospare himself from dying. He listens in on the battle, and to much of hissurprise, he hears cheering from whats left of his regiment. He then takesoff into the woods in anger. While running through the woods his consciencebegins to speak to him. His conscience calls him a coward, and a deserter. Outof guil t, Henry runs back to the battle site, and meets again with his regiment. .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .postImageUrl , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:hover , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:visited , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:active { border:0!important; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:active , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Case 1-1 Ribbons and Bows EssayThese actions showed Henrys maturity, and desire to be a war hero. When Henrymeets up his regiment and older tattered man begins to have a discussion withhim. The old man asks Henry where yeh hit, ol boy? meaning, where hegot shot. With massive feelings of guilt, Henry shrugs away from the man andruns back into the woods. From behind a tree, he looks at all the woundedsoldiers. At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. Heconceived persons with torn bodies to be particularly happy. He wished that he,too had a wound, a red badge of courage This shows Henrys desire to be awounded war hero. He does not want to be set apart from the other boys as acoward. As soon as the old soldier passed him, he went back to the lines andcontinued on with the boys. He starts walking next to Jim Conklin, a soldierthat he knew pretty well. They are talking, when all of a sudden Jim runs away. He falls onto the ground and dies. This death has a very big affect on Henry. Jim was his first friend to be killed in battle. He feels guilty that Jim wasput through so much pain, and he just ran away, like a coward. After spendingthe night sleeping near Jims corpse, Henry woke up and was ready to marchagain. He meets up with another tattered soldier, who is crazy and dying. Henrygets very angry at the mad for talking to him, and runs away, swearing that theman knows his secret. He refuses to go back to the regiment, because he thinksthat everyone will regard him as a coward. All of a sudden, Henry sees thesoldiers frantically running. One grabs him, and Henry asks him why they arerunning so frantically. The only response he gets is a whack in the head withthe soldiers gun. A few moments later, when Henry is able to get up, hebegins to march with passer by soldiers. A soldier walking next to him noticesthe wound on his head, and automatically assumes it to be a bullet wound. Thekind-hearted soldier leads Henry back to his regiment. The first person Henrysees when he gets to the group is his friend Tom. In order to save face, Henrymakes up a big story about how he got shot in the head, and then got separatedfrom the regiment. Tom takes great care of Henry, cleans him up and makes surethat he gets enough food, and a good nights sleep. After being pampered byTom, Henry realizes that this is not the way to becoming a hero. In order tobecome a hero, he must fight in battles, and get a real red badge of courage,not just a knock in the head. He returns the envelope of letters to Tom. Thisscene marks a dramatic change in character for both of the boys. It shows theirmovement from innocence to experience. From then on, the two men walk side byside while marching. They showed their courage often in tough situations. Henrysuspected that his generals were leading them right into trouble, and he getsvery angry about that fact. Henry tells Tom about his speculations, but Tom willnot believe him. During the next battle, Henry shows his courage by bein g thefirst and the fastest soldier to fire. After the victorious battle, Henry andTom over hear a conversation between generals and captains, and they find outthat the next battle they are going to be fighting is going to be very tough,and the general is looking for spar regiment.. The leader feels that there is noway Regiment 304 will survive the battle, and calls the soldiers ?muledrivers, thinking that they are slow, and rather stupid. When Henry and Tomhear this, they are enraged. They are determined to fight as hard as the can,with all their heart and souls. Henry and Tom prove themselves well in thebattle. They steal the confederate flag, and are both brave enough to go out onthe field with out weapons. After the regiment retreats, the general recognizesboth soldiers as extremely brave, and comment that they are fit to be generalsthemselves. This final action is what finalizes the movement from innocence toexperience for Henry and Tom. They went into the war as little boys, an d nowthey are moving on as men. They have both earned their red badges of courage, aswell as the hero status they had dreamed of obtaining forever.

Simple horror stories Essay Example For Students

Simple horror stories Essay Gothic novels are not merely simple horror stories; often the themes used reach a psychological level, tackling human nature, and the imagination. The horror aspect is used as a tool to induce fear in the reader on not only a physical level but also a psychological level, themes such as loneliness, revenge, jealousy, victimisation and a need to rationalise surreal images, sounds and feelings. In all the Gothic explores human identity, a train of thought that every human being will wonder about at some point or another in their life. Discovering who and what you are is a daunting prospect, especially when realisations such as the existence of a deep evil as well as good within us all are made, leading to themes such as ever-present evil and madness. Situations such as loneliness and facing the supernatural are also frightening, and so such texts are written in style of what can be seen as simple horror stories on the surface. William Patrick Day also assumes this concept: the descent into the Gothic underworld becomes a descent into the self in which the protagonists confront their own fearsHowever the conventions of the genre always externalise this processwith exotic places, creatures and events. The Gothic concerns these thought-provoking, and naturalistic issues in The Woman In Black by Susan Hill, and The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins. Both novels tackle the theme of evil, good, nurturing and identity, all issues which make them more than just scary stories. The Woman In White also concerns greed, entrapment, and sanity. The Woman In Black begins with a scene set on Christmas Eve, a day associated with family life, and giving a warm atmosphere. This is our first hint to the theme of parenthood in the novel, for later we see that the protagonist Kipps, is subjected to the wrath of a mother who watched her son die. Supernatural elements in the novel, such as an eerie atmosphere; the world went dark around me, or the surreal idea of her presence as the deaths occur are used to lead us to conclude that she goes as far as to kill his wife and son too. The subject of parenting is also taken up in observing the relationship between the woman in white and her mother; Mrs Catherick puts her daughter in an insane asylum to keep her from revealing a wicked secret that she has overheard, perhaps actually driving her to insanity. This idea of parenthood and nurturing in isolation from the novels are far from being simple horror, and the inclusion of this issue forms part of what makes them complex pieces of literature. In taking these courses of action both mothers lead us to the theme of morality -one speculates if their actions be justified? the woman in black is evil, she terrifies, haunts and traumatises Kipps, someone unrelated to her cause of distress, and in The Woman In White Mrs Catherick has her only daughter locked up for no other reason than for having a curious and innocent nature that is common in childhood. This also represents the battle between good and evil -Kipps represents good by attempting to overcome, or deny, his fears of the other-worldly woman in black. Ann Catherick, the woman in white maintains a struggle to be heard and speak out against those who have wronged her, representing good, which is furthered by her image -dressed completely and unassumingly modest in white. The theme of morality and good versus evil is something very pertinent in terms of human identity, no matter what period of time we are in, and so these novels cannot be simple horror stories for they address concerns that reach us on a much deeper level. .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 , .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .postImageUrl , .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 , .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:hover , .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:visited , .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:active { border:0!important; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:active , .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315 .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u16057eaffc6c5f2130c2fd97c91c9315:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Romeo and Juliet in a modern version adaptation ideasMalice and revenge as forms of evil exist in The Woman In Black herself, as a result of the immense agony and suffering she has endured, and so she is embodied in a supernatural form, which one cannot say is or is not a ghost. What is habitual in life is seen as ordinary and good, and she is unknown for we cannot identify what she is, and has an ability to terrify and shock in an inexplicable and intense manner, making her supernatural, extraordinary and as a result emphasising evil. In The Woman In White Ann Catherick is seen as the supernatural element, in terms of her description and the atmosphere created when she is present: Under the wan wild evening light, that woman and I were met together again; a grave between us, the dead about us, the lonesome hills closing us round on every side. The supernatural and sublime, motifs that run throughout both novels, are a prime example of a deeper meaning hidden by an exterior of a foreboding atmosphere. In The Woman In Black for example, there was the sound of moaning down all the chimneys of the house and whistling through every nook and cranny, and in The Woman In White, The sharp autumn breeze that scattered the dead leaves at our feet, same as cold to me, on a sudden, as if my own mad hopes were dead leaves, too. After both of these eerie settings, an equally eerie event occurs which holds connotations to be explored on a psychological level, and are not to be taken as simple horror. In between the lines of this externalisation of horror, for example in the description we get of the woman in black; she was suffering from some terrible wasting disease, for not only was she extremely palebut the skin, and, it seemed, only the thinnest layer of flesh was tautly stretched and strained across her bones, and the chilling events that are perhaps caused by her, we see that what is truly terrifying is the fact that she is, or was once, a human. She proves that humans have the capacity to wreak desolation. She victimises the innocent by plaguing death among children, and this falls into a horror genre, but is a complicated rather than simple story due to the fact that her pain can be identified with. This is also true of Count Fosco, Sir Percival Glyde and Mrs Catherick. Their greed drives them beyond malevolent trickery and cheating, to the point where the death of Ann Catherick is worth nothing except to lead their way to acquire a desired wealth. The features of victimising others, inflicting pain, suffering pain, and greed can be easily identified with, creating another complex layer to what are supposedly simple horror stories. The creation of this psychological affinity with the affairs of the characters in the novels evidently shows that they are not simple horror stories. The style of both novels increases this level of realism, for Susan Hills novel is written in the first person, and so we journey with him, and see what he sees, hear and feel what he does, and the dialogue too is naturalistic. With Wilkie Collinss novel, the story is unravelled by each of the main characters, and the language and style is adapted to each one of them, therefore also giving an acute sense of naturalism, that the reader can relate to. Another contribution to the naturalism of The Woman In Black is Kippss constant battle to rationalise the irrational, he is always in a state of denial of his sixth sense, which relates to the theme of human identity -one can choose to accept that supernatural forces such as evil exist, or to be in complete denial of it. The use of dogs in both novels agree with the former option, for they are said to have a stronger sense of the phenomenal; when Sir Percival Glyde arrives Laura Fairlies dog reacts in a negative manner, to reflect that this character has a darkness around him, and in The Woman In White, the dog Spider whines and is frightened when something evil is about to occur. .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf , .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .postImageUrl , .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf , .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:hover , .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:visited , .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:active { border:0!important; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:active , .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u869dbe461081523316ba482f80e3a5cf:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: What or Who is Responsible for the  Deaths of Romeo and Juliet EssayThe Woman In Black and The Woman In White may be termed simple horror stories, but this is because they employ the use of pathetic phallacy, and a desolate, ruined, foreboding building or location, and frightening imagery, events, sounds and the characters reactions to create a mysterious and terrifying atmosphere. However this is merely a build up for the readers to be prepared for concepts that are even more frightening, for they affect us on a psychological level, aided by literary devices to make the novels naturalistic. Exploring human identity and liberating ones imagination are the primary themes of all Gothic novels; they lead into the themes used, such as good versus evil, malice, revenge, denial and nurturing. These novels are much more complex as a result, they are thought provoking, and we are able to identify with the characters although they endure otherworldly experiences.

The Future and Stability of Taiwans Independence

Introduction For decades now, Taiwan’s international status has been in limbo. The Taipei’s government, which in the past represented China in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), currently does not enjoy a lot of support. Only around twenty diplomats continue supporting the government.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Future and Stability of Taiwan’s Independence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, the government finds it hard to gain recognition in the international arena. Today, very few states recognise Taiwan as an autonomous country (Chu 2004). However, Taiwan has been self-governed for a long time and has enjoyed a democratic government for over fifteen years. Relative to China, Taiwan enjoys what it refers to as the status quo, a situation that paves room for flexibility, but curtails the likelihood of Taiwan becoming a sovereign state. Currently, Taiwan’s condition does not appear too complex. The truce it established with china has allowed it to continue with its activities without interferences. Furthermore, Taiwan partakes in numerous international organisations. For instance, the country became a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2002. Besides, in 2009, the country became an observer in the World Health Organisation (WHO) (Hickey 2011). This paper will focus on the future of Taiwan’s independence in ten years and give some of the factors that affect the stability of Taiwan’s independence. The issue of independence Since early 1990s, the call for Taiwan’s democratisation stirred the subject about the identity of the Republic of China (Crane 2006). It unlocked the political continuum for parties that do not support the belief that the Republic of China stands for China’s government, but which posits that Taiwan is autonomous with a different national identity from China. In other words, the call for democratisation led to disagreement about the future of Taiwan as a sovereign state. These developments made it hard for Taiwan to hold public referenda, which could have helped the state to acquire its independence. Nevertheless, even if Taiwan gained independence, either as Taiwan or as the Republic of China, it would be very hard for it to change its international status (Hickey 2011). The state would only participate fully in the international affairs if other countries agreed to recognise it as a sovereign state. By declaring itself as a sovereign state, the move would not change the way other countries perceived it. Moreover, it would harm its relationship with numerous countries, especially those that recognise China as the only sovereign state in the region.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most of the superpowers have openly expressed their opposition to the separation o f Taiwan from China. For instance, the United States has heavily invested in promoting good ties with China. Therefore, the United States does all it can to ensure that it discourages any move by Taiwan to gain its independence, no matter how Taiwan tries to disguise its intentions (Ross 2002). For instance, in 2008, the United States opposed the referenda that sought to see Taiwan become a member of the United Nations (Lowther 2010). It is evident that in the next ten years, it will be hard for Taiwan to gain independence due to pressure from the international community. For Taiwan to continue enjoying a cordial relationship with other countries, it will have to nurture and promote a peaceful co-existence with China as advocated by most of the influential countries. No possibility for unification Unification with China would help in defining Taiwan’s status in global affairs. Nevertheless, chances of unification between the two are minimal. Among all the available options fo r Taiwan, unification is treated as the last result. In an independent society, the move to embrace unification would only be decided by the Taiwanese people, who largely opt to keep the option pending and seek other alternatives (Kastner 2006). Nevertheless, it is hard to rule out that the two countries might end up unifying in the near future. There is a high chance that Taiwan may drop its call for independence in the next ten years if it continues to experience pressure from China and if it is promised that the unification will pave room for it to continue enjoying its current autonomy (Kastner 2006). Nevertheless, currently, no plans are underway to facilitate this move, and the Taiwanese population strongly opposes chances of union between China and Taiwan.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Future and Stability of Taiwan’s Independence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taiwanese voters oppose the c laim by the Chinese government that the union would pave room for a â€Å"one state, two systems† policy, which would ensure that Taiwan maintains its current autonomy and probably help Taiwan take part in global organisations even though it is not a state member. Some scholars claim that even if the two countries agreed on the unification, the move would only benefit the two countries and would have no benefit to the world (Kastner 2006). The two countries would come up with a stronger economy, since most of the economic resources that are currently used in safeguarding their divergent policies would be used in enhancing the economy. Status quo as the ultimate solution Rather than fighting to gain independence, there are high chances that Taiwan will fight to maintain the status quo for the next ten years. In late 1980s, Taiwan lost the majority of its diplomatic allies. Furthermore, it was scrapped from the international organisations. This made it hard for Taiwan to reflec t anywhere on the political map (Tsang 2006). Therefore, to ensure that it reflected on the political map, the Taiwanese government had to come up with creative strategies. Lee Teng-hui’s regime came up with the notion of â€Å"flexible† or practical diplomacy that claimed that if it were not possible for Taiwan to have formal relationships with other states, then the country would work towards entertaining considerable relations (Tsang 2006). This meant that Taiwan would work towards establishing close ties with other countries in the absence of diplomatic recognition. In addition, the country had to look for measures to help it participate in global organisations by using different names to suit the demands of the organisations. All these measures sought to help Taiwan maintain its status quo in the eyes of other countries. The current pressures from global organisations and influential nations imply that, it will be hard for Taiwan to continue fighting for its separ ation (Tsang 2006). Instead, the next ten years will see Taiwan struggling to maintain its status quo as the only strategy for its survival both politically and economically. After years of wrangles between China and Taiwan, President Ying-jeou stated that Taiwan was not ready for unification. Besides, he claimed that his country would no longer fight for independence and his government would cease applying force (Tucker 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The move led to stability in the region and economic ties between the two countries became strong. Since then, the two countries have engaged in numerous government-to-government talks and significantly enhanced the association between the Chinese and Taiwanese population. Taiwan has been the major beneficiary of this close relationship. The state’s economy has strongly improved. As china is opposed to any call for independence and is ready to use its military powers to ensure that Taiwan does not gain independence, Taiwan has no feasible alternative, but to maintain the status quo (Tucker 2007). This would be the only way that Taiwan would continue enjoying its ties with China. Taiwan will definitely have to come up with a solution to the current challenges facing it on matters to do with independence and self-determination (Tucker 2007). Most of the Taiwanese believe that the move to call for independence is not misguided. Nevertheless, they feel that the move would jeopard ise their close relations with the international community. Hence, currently, Taiwan is not only facing pressure from the international community, but it is also facing immense internal political disagreements. Some of the Taiwanese feel that even though they need to be independent, the independence will do more harm than good to them. Hence, they prefer maintaining the status quo since it helps in maintaining the country’s good reputation in the international arena (Wang 2010). Currently, Taiwan is a major attraction to the Chinese people. Hence, Taiwanese citizens do not want to ruin this relation. Most probably, in the next ten years Taiwan will continually drop its desire to become independent and work on enhancing its relations with China while maintaining its status. For a long time, Taiwan has been using different names to continue working with international organisations. Its absence in such organisations would be detrimental to its economy. On the other hand, the org anisations would not allow it use a name that is similar or contradicts with that used by China (Hickey 2011). In a bid to ensure that it remains as a member in most of the international organisations, Taiwan has continuously kept on changing its name whenever it realises that the existing name would contradict or interfere with the one used by People’s Republic of China. The main reason why most of the international bodies fail to support Taiwan’s call for independence is the influence that China has in the global economy (Hickey 2011). Supporting Taiwan would lead to China withdrawing all the support it extends to international organisations. In return, this would incapacitate them making it hard for the organisations to manage their operations. In this view, for Taiwan to ensure that it continues participating in global organisations, it has to drop its call for independence. Consequently, the possibility of Taiwan gaining independence in the next ten years is minim al (Crane 2006). Hence, Taiwan will only strive to maintain the status quo so that it can continue enjoying its current relations with international organisations. While Taiwan continues struggling to gain independence, it will be hard to gain it since it can only do that by negotiating with China. With most of the world states opting to support China due to its international influence, Taiwan is left with no state to turn to for support, in case it collides with China (Crane 2006). China is not likely to heed to these demands in the near future implying that it is hard for Taiwan to gain independence in the next ten years. Factors that affect the stability of Taiwan’s independence One of the factors that destabilise Taiwan’s independence is the â€Å"Anti-secession Law† signed by China in 2005. According to this law, the People’s Republic of China declared that it would use non-peaceful measures and ensure that Taiwan does not detach itself from China (H ickey 2011). Hence, this declaration destabilises the move by Taiwan to call for secession since it fears that China might attack it. Taiwan is weaker in terms of military powers relative to China. Hence, it would be hard for Taiwan to defend itself from china. In addition, most of the influential countries are against the secession calls. Failure to gain support from the international community also makes it hard for the country to demand its independence. For instance, the United States is opposed to the call since most of its military forces are involved in other battlefields. Hence, it would be hard to rescue Taiwan from any attacks. Moreover, the existing laws that define the relations between Taiwan and the United States do not commit the United States to protecting Taiwan. They only give the United States an option to protect Taiwan in case of any incursion. An internal political wrangle in Taiwan is another factor that destabilises its independence. In as much as Taiwanese a re calling for independence, there are some people within the country that do not approve this move (Chao 2003). Those opposed to the call claim that calling for secession would affect the country’s young economy, and ruin its current relationship with China and other global countries. Besides, they believe that the move would lead to the country suffering from disfavour from the international community. This disunity among the Taiwanese makes it hard for the country to pursue its goals with one voice. The divisions weaken the call for secession from the People’s Republic of China (Carpenter 2006). After the 2000 presidential elections, there emerged two opposing forces in Taiwan. The Pan-Green and the Pan-Blue supported the Taiwanese identity and the Chinese identity respectively. The two forces destabilised the effort by the country to fight for its independence. The Pan-Green supporters claimed that there was an imbalanced economic dependence on China (Carpenter 200 6). They warned that such an economic dependence might jeopardise Taiwan’s national security. Consequently, the Pan-Green politicians started looking for support from individuals that did not benefit from the economic ties between China and Taiwan. On the other hand, the Pan-Blue politicians asserted that the Taiwan-China economic relations would have positive effects on the country’s economy. Hence, they sought the support of individuals that benefited from the economic ties. Since then, the country has been split between these two groups of politicians (Carpenter 2006). While one of the groups supports the unification, the other one calls for separation. It is hard for the country to speak in one voice thus making it hard for people to make an informed decision on whether to advocate for independence or not. The cost of seceding from China is high for Taiwan. The current relationship with China allows Taiwan to enjoy a cordial relationship with the international comm unity. Most of the countries acknowledge the one-China Principle; hence, if Taiwan happens to declare itself as a sovereign state and cuts its relationship with China, there are high possibilities that the international community would stop associating with it (Chao 2003). The pursuit for the one-China policy destabilises the Taiwan’s independence. Gaining independence would push most of the nations that are members of the international community to stop supporting the country financially. Hence, the move would render Taiwan economically handicapped making it had for it to manage its operations. Furthermore, China supports Taiwan financially, which destabilises Taiwan’s independence since Taiwan fears that it would lose this support upon becoming independent. These economic costs associated with independence compel Taiwan to abandon its independence calls (Wang 2010). Rather, the country uses other methods to ensure that it develops its economy to a self-reliant level. Today, China is under no pressure from the international community to assist Taiwan to gain its independence. Hence, China uses its influence to destabilise the fight for independence in Taiwan. China uses its power to lure other countries into opposing the Taiwan’s call for independence (Barbieri 2003). As Taiwan seeks to enhance its membership in the international organisations, it faces stiff challenges from China, which has significant influence on most of the organisations. China uses its influence to ensure that other member states compel Taiwan to compromise on some of its conditions. The influence from China has affected the stability of Taiwan’s independence, and thus Taiwan has been forced to ensure that it maintains the status quo to enjoy cordial relationship with international organisations. Conclusion For decades now, the Taiwan’s international status has faced immense challenges. Unlike in the past when the Taiwanese government represented China, today the international community does not recognise this government. Currently, Taiwan enjoys what it refers to as the status quo, which allows it to enjoy numerous privileges in the international arena and manage its affairs. However, the status quo does not allow the country to gain full independence. Since 1990s, Taiwan came up with the issue of democratisation, which sought to help the Taiwan Strait break away from the mainland China. However, the call for independence led to Taiwan facing opposition from other countries that advocated for the one-China policy. In a bid to ensure that Taiwan continues enjoying its interaction with the international community, some parties call for unification. However, the Taiwan citizens are against unification, thus leaving it as the last option. Taiwan is not likely to achieve its independence in the next ten years. Instead, the country will continue working on maintaining the status quo to help it gain financial support from the internatio nal community. Since President Ying-jeou called for Taiwan to maintain the status quo, the country has enjoyed a good relationship not only with China, but also with other global states. China has vowed to use its political and military powers to ensure that Taiwan does not gain independence. Hence, the fear of being attacked by China may hamper Taiwan’s ability to gain independence in the next ten years, thus opting to maintain the status quo. Numerous factors affect the stability of Taiwan’s independence including the anti secession law signed by China in 2005. The law gives China the power to use military means to ensure that Taiwan does not gain independence. Another factor is the internal political wrangles among the different groups of politicians. While the Pan-Green group calls for secession, the Pan-Blue calls for unification thus hampering the collective efforts to pursue independence. Reference List Barbieri, K 2003, ‘Economic Interdependence: A Path t o Peace or a Source of Interstate Conflict?’ Journal of Peace Research, vol. 33 no. 1, pp. 29-49. Carpenter, T 2006, America’s Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Chao, C 2003, ‘Will Economic Integration between Mainland China and Taiwan Lead to a Congenial Political Culture’, Asian Survey, vol. 43 no. 2, pp. 280-304. Chu, Y 2004, Taiwan’s National Identity Politics and the Prospect of Cross-Strait Relations’, Asian Survey, vol. 44 no. 4, pp. 497-503. Crane, G 2006, ‘China and Taiwan: Not Yet ‘Greater China’, International Affairs, vol. 69 no. 4, pp. 705-723. Hickey, D 2011, ‘Rapprochement between Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland: implications for American foreign policy’, Journal of Contemporary China, vol. 20 no. 69, pp. 233-245. Kastner, S 2006, ‘Does Economic Integration Across the Taiwan Strait Make Military Conflict Less Likely’, Journal of East Asian Studies, vol. 6, pp. 319-346. Lowther, W 2010, US, PRC discussing ways for Taiwan to join world bodies, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/print/2010/12/09/2003490463 Ross, R 2002, ‘Navigating the Taiwan Strait: Deterrence, Escalation Dominance, and US-China Relations’, International Security, vol. 27 no. 2, pp. 48-85. Tsang, S 2006, If China Attacks Taiwan: Military Strategy, Politics and Economics, Routledge, London. Tucker, N 2007, ‘If Taiwan Chooses Unification, Should the United States Care’, The Washington Quarterly, vol. 25 no. 3, pp. 21-24. Wang, Y 2010, ‘China’s Growing Strength, Taiwan’s Diminishing Options’, Taiwan-U.S. Quarterly Analysis, vol. 23 no. 3, pp. 34-47. This essay on The Future and Stability of Taiwan’s Independence was written and submitted by user Crystal Carson 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.

Free Essays on Mayan And Brazilian Indians

After viewing Victor Montejo’s presentation on the formation of Maya ethnicity and the creation of Maya identity in Guatemala it has become apparently clear that not only do the Brazilian Indians have hardship, but indigenous people from other locations as well. His people, the Mayans, have gone through and will continue to face many similar problems that the indigenous groups of Brazil have faced. One of the major reasons that all of these different indigenous groups have such a hard time prospering is a lack of unity, not too mention a number of other things. In Guatemala, the Mayans make up sixty-five percent of the population, which is a very significant amount. They have strength in numbers, but where they fall short is lacking Mayan unity. According to Montejo, there are some 21 different linguistic groups among the Mayans. The numerous amounts of languages disturb the â€Å"togetherness† of all of the Mayan population. If the Mayan people had less of a hard time coming together, they would have a much easier time standing as one. Just as the Mayans have many different languages and groups, all of the indigenous peoples of Brazil are vastly different. The Nambiquara, Kayopo and Yanomoami are just three of many different tribes among the Brazilian Indians. They are not only different tribes, but they are totally different from one another in their cultures too. Each one of the different tribes in Brazil is like a small country in itself. They have their own separate language and culture that is commonly vastly different from the other indigenous tribes around. The indigenous peoples of these tribes are at an even greater disadvantage than the Mayans of Guatemala in this respect, plus in Brazil, the indigenous peoples only make up a small percentage of the total population which hurts them tremendously. At least for the Mayans sake they have a majority of the population, but the Indians in Brazil only make up a smal... Free Essays on Mayan And Brazilian Indians Free Essays on Mayan And Brazilian Indians After viewing Victor Montejo’s presentation on the formation of Maya ethnicity and the creation of Maya identity in Guatemala it has become apparently clear that not only do the Brazilian Indians have hardship, but indigenous people from other locations as well. His people, the Mayans, have gone through and will continue to face many similar problems that the indigenous groups of Brazil have faced. One of the major reasons that all of these different indigenous groups have such a hard time prospering is a lack of unity, not too mention a number of other things. In Guatemala, the Mayans make up sixty-five percent of the population, which is a very significant amount. They have strength in numbers, but where they fall short is lacking Mayan unity. According to Montejo, there are some 21 different linguistic groups among the Mayans. The numerous amounts of languages disturb the â€Å"togetherness† of all of the Mayan population. If the Mayan people had less of a hard time coming together, they would have a much easier time standing as one. Just as the Mayans have many different languages and groups, all of the indigenous peoples of Brazil are vastly different. The Nambiquara, Kayopo and Yanomoami are just three of many different tribes among the Brazilian Indians. They are not only different tribes, but they are totally different from one another in their cultures too. Each one of the different tribes in Brazil is like a small country in itself. They have their own separate language and culture that is commonly vastly different from the other indigenous tribes around. The indigenous peoples of these tribes are at an even greater disadvantage than the Mayans of Guatemala in this respect, plus in Brazil, the indigenous peoples only make up a small percentage of the total population which hurts them tremendously. At least for the Mayans sake they have a majority of the population, but the Indians in Brazil only make up a smal...

Chose a good topic for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chose a good topic for me - Essay Example The key areas to be discussed include the style of love represented in the relationships, the stages, defense mechanism, conflict, power, self disclosure and interpersonal needs theory. The movie Five Year Engagement was released in 2012 and was among the top 100 box office movies. This film is a story of love and how life’s unpredictability makes it hard for the two lovers who are the main characters in this movie to get married. The movie starts with Tom proposing to Violet and the two live together happily this being a sign of a good marriage. However, it seems like luck is not on their way as Violet who is research psychologist gets a job offer in another state. Tom leaves his job as a chef hence their wedding has to be postponed. With Violet working in her dream job and Tom having abandoned his, the two grow apart slowly and eventually break up after Violet was involved in an affair with her boss. Tom goes back to his old job in San Francisco and even gets a younger girlf riend. After being apart for a long time, the two get back together and this time around they do not waste time and immediately get married. The kind of love that is mainly displayed by Tom and Violet is Eros. This is because they are strongly attracted to each other and are very romantic especially in the beginning of the movie and at the end. At some point, this love is seen to be storge type after they had been together for a long time and passion between them had died. Violet sees Tom more as a friend than a lover and this leads to their break up (West et al, 15). This relationship goes through several stages of love. At the beginning of the film, the two are in the experimenting stage. They have started living together and are happy as a couple. Tom proposes to Violet and they believe that a marriage between them would definitely work. After the couple moved to Ann Arbor and Violet extended the time she was to work at the University of Michigan, the relationship stopped growing . It was in the stagnation stage and they eventually broke up. The type of Gibbs pairing in this film can be identified as superiority vs. equality. When the couple was in San Francisco, none felt superior or inferior to the other. Tom was doing very well as the chief chef and Violet was also doing well in her career. There was no conflict in this area. However, when they moved to Ann Arbor, Tom’s life stagnated. He could not get a job with the same status as the one he had in San Francisco and he eventually decided not to work at all. He became disoriented in life and could not even remember to trim his hair. Violet on the other hand progressed in her career (West et al, 13). This made them incompatible with Violet becoming attracted to her boss Prof. Winton. In this situation, Tom was the one losing from the relationship but did not find a way of expressing his displeasure. He used the defense mechanism of psychological withdrawal. He started being careless with himself eve n neglecting to groom himself. He would even stay in the house without pants watching TV and was disconnect from reality. At one point, he was left to look after his nephew but he was completely taken away by his games that he left the child to get close to some dangerous hunting objects and this resulted in a person being hurt. Escaping from reality helped him avoid the troubling facts that reality offered. It is evident that Tom and Violet dealt with their conflict through denial and suppression and