Distinguish Between Colonialism And Neocolonialism Cultural Studies Essay

Distinguish Between Colonialism And Neocolonialism Cultural Studies Essay The term colony comes from the Latin word colonus, meaning farmer. This root reminds us that the practice of colonialism usually involved the transfer of population to a new territory, where the arrivals lived as permanent settlers while maintaining political allegiance to their country of origin. Colonialism is a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another. One of the difficulties in defining colonialism is that it is not easy to distinguish it from neocolonialism. Frequently the two concepts are treated as synonyms. Like colonialism, neocolonialism also involves political and economic control over a dependent territory. The etymology of the two terms, however, provides some clues about how they differ. According to Longman Contemporary English Dictionary colonialism is when a powerful country rules a weaker one and establishes its own trade and society there. ORIGIN OF COLONIALISM Before the abolition of the slave trade by Denmark in 1802 and Britain in 1807. The entire West African Coast witnessed trade in slaves which were need for the plantations of the then Industrialized new world. The nations involved were France, Britain, Denmark, Portugal and Germany. About forty years later the trade changed to that of colonialism conquest and occupation by Europeans. The Berlin West African Conference of 1884 1885 gave international recognition to a situation that was already in existence. 1945 1960 witnessed a reversal of the process of colonization decolonization while 1960 till date is witnessing a reincarnation and a resurrection of colonialism neocolonialism. Below shows a chronology of dates and the sequence of events from colonialism to neocolonialism and the present day ongoing process of neocolonialism. 1880 1885 Proto-Colonial period 1885 1945 Colonial Era Subdivision 1884 1885 Berlin Conference (the scramble for Africa) 1885 1900 Period of Conquest and occupation 1900 1919 Period of Penetration 1919 1939 Period of Colonial Rule 1939 1945 Decline of colonial rule 1945 1960 Period of decolonization 1960 Till date Period of Neocolonialism. MEANING OF NEOCOLONIALISM The term neocolonialism was first coined by Kwame Nkrumah, the first post-independence president of Ghana, and has been discussed by a number of twentieth century scholars and philosophers, including Jean-Paul Sartre and Noam Chomsky Neocolonialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization, and cultural forces to control a country (usually former European colonies in Africa or Asia) in lieu of direct military or political control. Such control can be economic, cultural, or linguistic, by promoting ones own culture, language or media in the colony, corporations embedded in that culture can then make greater headway in opening the markets in those countries. Thus, neocolonialism would be the result of business interests leading to deleterious cultural effects. Neocolonialism as defined by Longmans contemporary English Dictionary is when a powerful country uses its economic and political influence to control another country. DEFERENCE BETWEEN COLONIALISM AND NEOCOLONIALISM Though colonialism and neocolonialism are two sides of a coin. There are a number of differences that distinguishes the two. COLONIALISM NEOCOLONIALISM It is not modern (between 1880 1960s It involves physical or territorial occupation by the colonizers It has ended It is the early state of capitalism or imperialism It varies according to country e.g. Indirect Rule, (British) and policy of assimilation association by the French. It was led by France and Britain. It is a modern phenomenon It is not involve direct or physical presence of the colonizer any more It is ongoing i.e it is a continuous process It is the highest stage of Imperialism Neo-colonialism uses one methodology agents of Globalization It is now led by USA Probably nothing has become as controversial a subject as the impact of Colonialism on Africa among scholars of history and political science. Scholars such as Gann, Duignan, Perham and PC Lloyd see colonialism and neocolonialism as a blessing rather than a curse while other scholars such as Kwame Nkrumah, Che Guevara, Walter Rodney, MHY Kaniki A.E. Afigbo, A. Adu, Boahen, Ali Mazrai etc. sees it as a curse rather than a blessing. To buttress this further Che Guevaras says. As long as imperialism exists it will by definition exert its domination over other countries. Today that domination is called neocolonialism. Che Guevara, Marxist revolutionary 1965 In view of this, the impact of Neo-colonialism therefore is not a lesser task to assess particularly from social, economic and political perspectives in Nigeria. To be frank, though there were positive effects but every greater were the negative ones. Below is my assessment of the impact of neocolonialism on the social, economic and political life of Nigeria. (A) AN ASSESSMENT SOCIAL-CULTURAL IMPACT OF NEO-COLONIALISM IN NIGERIA (1) Provision of a lingua franca. This is a positive impact of Neo-colonialism in Nigeria. The provision of a lingua franca (official language) for Nigeria can now be seen as a blessing due to the marriage of inconvenience which brought the numerous linguistic groups that constitutes the country to easily adopt a neutral language. Neo-colonialism through globalization has further consolidated the use of English language as the business and official language not only Nigeria but across the Anglophone countries. (2) Cultural Dominance According to Ali-Mazrui: African are not necessarily the most brutalized of peoples, but they are almost certainly the most humiliated. Using the agents of a globalization e.g. the Mass Media, Internet Western Movies etc. Nigerian culture like other African countries is evidently being subjugated and dominated by the western culture. Many Nigerians today seem to have imbibed the European way of life at the expense of our rich African culture (colonial mentality). This is gradually leading to a loss of cultural identity. (3) Western Education This is an indispensable effect that Neo-colonialism has also used as a tool for Nigerian continuous reliance on the west for inadequate, lopsided and wrongly oriented education which was bequeathed by colonialism and consolidated by Neo-colonialism. This is evident from the fact that our acquisition of western education has helped in a neglect of technological and industrial education rather than that of a technological advancement. (4) Environment Degradation Oil spillages due to the exploitation of oil by some multinational companies such as Shell, Exxon Mobil etc. has to a large extent polluted Nigerias water and land resources particularly in the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta. Consequently this has affected the eco-system, the habitat and the cultural occupation of the people of that area. (B) AN ASSESSMENT OF ECONOMIC IMPACT OF NEO-COLONIALISM IN NIGERIA Positively Nigeria as a country has benefiting economically from Neo-colonialism. However the negative economic impacts seem to outweigh the positive impacts. One out of the negative economic impacts includes: (1) Economic Dependency International Organizations accused of participating in neo-colonialism are the World Bank, World Trade Organizations, the Group of Eight the Paris Club, the World economic forum, IMF etc. have been used by the first world countries to subject Nigeria into some structural adjustments which will increase rather than alleviate poverty . These Organizations are neocolonial agents used to ensure a perpetual economic failure and dependence of Nigeria as evident in the high rate of underdevelopment, poverty, debt burden etc. which has characterized our economy. (2) Economic Subjugation by Multi-national Corporations Critics of neocolonialism has also argued that investment by multinational corporations enriches few in under-developed countries and causes humanitarian, environmental and ecological devastation to the population which inhabits the colonies. These corporations such as Shell, Exxon Mobil etc. are responsible for a continuous flow of natural resources (oil) which unduly benefits the neo-colonial states. (3) Economic Brain Drain Today modern slavery exists through visa lotteries used to siphon not only Nigerias but ultimately the human resources of the developing countries. This is an economic brain drain strategy to subject the third world into a continuous technological hostage. (C) AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POLITICAL IMPACTS OF NEO-COLONIALISM IN NIGERIA (1) Consolidation of Democracy in Nigeria Though Nigerias political history has been characterized by the Military versus the Civilians. Recently democracy seems to have been fully entrenched in Nigeria through neo-colonial agent, such as the U.N. and other similar organizations. (2) Political Dependency Nigerias membership of the United Nations and the Commonwealth which sit joined immediately after Independence provided reasons why we have always been politically dependent on neo-colonial states like the USA and Britain. Consequently, Nigeria membership Pan-African Movement like, NEPAD, the Non-Aligned Movements, the African Union, the ECOWAS have not liberated as from this unending political grip of dependency. (3) Political Instability and Regime Change Apparently, government either Military or Civilian which poses no threat to the neo-colonial states in Nigeria seem to last longer than the unfriendly ones. In my opinion, no other reason can be tendered as why the Murtala Seven Months Regime (July 1975 February 1976) and the Buhari regime (December 1983 August 1985) were very short lived. Nigerian leaders who refuse to be stooges or puppets of the neo-colonial powers are usually forcefully removed. (4) Loss of Independence and Sovereignty Neo-colonialism, as a continuation of colonialism have of course eroded the independence or sovereignty which Nigeria like many third world countries claimed to have gotten. (5) New Colonialism Finally, neo-colonialism is the tool which has helped the neo-colonial states to continue the colonial process which started around 1880 and obstructed by decolonization or Independence of Nigeria in 1960 In conclusion, whatever colonialism and neo-colonialism did or is doing for Africans in Africa or Nigeria, given its opportunities, it resources and the power and influence it is wielding till date it could and should have done far more than it has done. It is precisely because the neo-colonial states not only did not see the development of Africans as their first priority but did not see it as a priority at all that they stand criticized. The continuous existence of the tools of neo-colonialism therefore poses an existential threat to the development of Nigeria and Africa.

Factors That Influence Human Development Essay

In our day and time, socioeconomic status, cultural context, and ethnicity play a huge role in human development. Human development begins while in the womb and at birth and continues through life heavily depending on these particular factors. These factors determine how a person communicates, works, looks, and chooses to live their daily lives. People are individuals and therefore, are all different people and will develop in different ways all depending on the influence of these three things in their lives. The first factor that influences human development is a person’s socioeconomic status. This indicates a person’s position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, and place of residence. As a child, socioeconomic status has a big effect on the way a child is raised and the opportunities available to him/her. Children that come from high socioeconomic status families typically are more successful because they have more resources readily available to their children. They are able to afford high-quality childcare, education, and healthcare. Read more: Explain how children and young peoples development is influenced by a range of personal factors essay Their children are also typically more involved in recreational sports and extra-curricular activities broadening their children’s horizons and talents. Children that are raised in low socioeconomic families lack the financial, educational, and social support that would make them feel equal to children from higher social standing families. These feelings of unease and not fitting in can lead to low confidence and low motivation. Children have to live with these feelings and the circumstances they were born into until they become adults and can make their own livings. Anyone is capable of overcoming his or her circumstances! When children grow up, they get to decide how far they want to take their education and what type of career field they want to go into as well as where and how they will choose to fit into modern day society. Cultural context is also a large factor that shapes a person’s development. Culture is defined as the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, and arts. Culture affects the way we dress, what we eat, what we believe, and even the way we think about life and make decisions. I think that culture is beginning to play a larger role in development as our country begins to grow exponentially with the number or foreign immigrants making this nation their home. Different cultures are beginning to merge together making their heritage and beliefs that much more important in the hearts of their people as they grow and develop into adults. For example, a Muslim or Hindu individual will celebrate certain holidays very differently than a Catholic or Christian individual. A person’s cultural beliefs and traditions have an affect on their everyday lives, and those things will be passed down through generations. One example of a culturally taught idea here in America is the typical â€Å"American Dream† that we, as American children, have been taught through childhood and youth. From an early age, we were taught and told that with hard work, determination, and never giving up on a dream, our opportunities would be endless. Culture is another huge factor on human development. According to the textbook, there is some confusion regarding the differences between race and ethnicity. Ethnicity or an ethnic group is defined as a people whose ancestors were born in the same region and who often share a language, culture, and religion. Race is defined as a group of people who are regarded by themselves or by others as distinct from other groups on the bases of physical appearance. Race can definitely be a misleading concept though. I think ethnicity and culture are very different things, but definitely go hand in hand pertaining to human development. Each human being is their own individual person, therefore, will grow and develop differently. Being a part of an ethnic group can have a very positive influence on a child or an adult by giving them a sense of belonging and identity; it helps them to discover and understand who they are and where they come from. It can also present negative consequences such as creating divisions between different groups of people which have caused discrimination and prejudice which in our history has unfortunately led to conflict and in extreme cases, war. All three of theses areas influence a person’s physical, cognitive, and social development in different ways. Explain why researchers interested in human development study different cultures. Give an example of a research question that would benefit from a multicultural comparison. This question can greatly be connected to the following one. Cultural tendencies are a huge factor in human development, so to get an accurate study regarding development; it would have to be a cross-cultural study. If you were questioning the correlation between height and weight of children from higher socioeconomic families versus children from lower socio economic families testing the theory that a major cause of malnutrition and low growth rate is family income and status, you would have to test your theory in different parts of the world and in different people groups. Things that would need to be considered are different styles of cooking and the way that certain people eat as well as amount of physical activity. For example, children in Africa whose job it is to work in the fields or help their family out doing some form of chores that most likely is outside and involves laborious activity are going to naturally get more physical exercise in their everyday lives that American children who sit in a classroom and then go home to play video games and maybe play an occasional game outside. Children raised in America definitely live a more sedentary lifestyle than most other people groups, and that is something to take into consideration when looking at things such as height and weight that ride on factors such as physical activity and activity level. This is the reason for researchers and psychologists that are interested in studying different cultures to get accurate answers to these questions regarding human development. Since culture, race, and ethnicity play such a huge role in development, it is necessary to study different types of people to make these assumptions. Review information related to Figure 1. 2 (Ecological Model). Explain your own development from a social, physical, and cognitive perspective from this model using at least three of the Five Characteristics of Development (page 11). This model illustrates the social, physical, and cognitive development of a person through these five different characteristics of development. The five systems are the Microsystems, exosystems, macrosystems, mesosystems, and the chronosystem. This model was created by Urie Bronfenbrenner to show how each person is significantly affected by interactions among a number of these overlapping systems. The microsystem seems to be the most critical in my personal opinion; they intimately and immediately shape development. Personally, the examples given in the model are the most important areas or things that mean the most to me as a person, and I would definitely say they are the things that have made me who I am today. My family, friends, and my faith are the most important things in my life and certainly have shaped my life. I was raised in a strong Christian family with two loving parents who support me in everything that I do. My faith is the cornerstone and foundation of who I am, and is my basis for decisions I make and the way I choose in which to live my life and the people I choose to surround myself with. I have an incredible group of friends that keep me grounded and sometimes I feel like they know me better than I know myself. These things that are included in the microsystem of development have certainly been heavyweights as I have developed into the woman I am today. The next system illustrated in this model is called the exosystem, which include external networks such as community, mass media, school/educational settings, and medical institutions that influence the inner circle of the microsystem. Personally, these areas definitely carry weight, especially in such a generation and society that is led by social networking and the media/entertainment industry. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all of the other social networking sites drive this generation, so I believe this system has a large impact on development. As far as schooling, since I am deciding to go back to school to aim for a master’s degree in nursing, this plays a huge role in my life and development. I spend large amounts of time focusing all of my attention on schoolwork and reading to further my education. The third area I feel like has had a large impact on my personal development and life itself is the macrosystem, which influences all of the other systems and includes cultural values, political philosophies, economic patterns, and social conditions. I think the one of these areas that has personally had the most influence on me is the social conditions. Being socially aware and socially open to meeting new people and being able to learn new ways to engage others at the college age level is crucial. When our high school group of friends breaks up and moves away to take on new endeavors of their own, you have to be able to adjust and meet new people, and I feel as if that is an area I have done really well in. I love to meet new people, and I think the reason for that is the social foundation that I already had established from growing up in an environment and around people who made me feel comfortable and established self-confidence and self-worth in me. These are the areas in which I feel like have greatly influenced my personal physical, cognitive, and social development.

Walt Disney: a Cultural Transformation

â€Å"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. † Walt Disney believed in this passionately. This is one of the many reasons Walt Disney accomplished so many things in his lifetime. With hard work and a great imagination you can truly do anything just as Walt Disney did. Even today Walt Disney’s company is extremely successful. All of the different things that Walt Disney and his company have done have contributed to the world’s popular culture. Walt Disney was born on December 5th, 1901. His parents were Elias and Flora Disney. Walt had a good childhood although it is said that his father had a bad temper that at times he could not control. Walt started to become interested in acting and drawing at a young age. At school, instead of focusing on his work, he would draw endlessly. Among his classmates he was known as Walt Disney, the artist. In 1917 Walt attended the Chicago Art Institute where he gained more experience. He dropped out of school in an attempt to join the army but was too young. Instead of the army, Walt joined the Red Cross where he drove an ambulance for a year. In 1919, Walt moved back to Chicago and started drawing for a living. After a couple fail attempts he and his brother were able to open Disney Brothers Studios. In 1927, Walt had created Oswald the lucky rabbit. Oswald turned out to be a huge success but Walt was betrayed. Universal pictures bought out Walt’s staff and he lost all rights to the character. Walt was desperate to create another successful character like Oswald. In 1928, Walt and his small circle of associates came up with a mouse character. The new character was named Mickey Mouse. At the time they didn’t know how much this little mouse would impact America. Mickey Mouse hit stardom when Steamboat Willie, the first animated short with sound and movement, was released. That’s when Walt Disney Productions was formed. During the time in which Mickey Mouse was introduced America was in the depths of a depression. The economy was hit badly on Black Tuesday October 29th 1929 when the stock market crashed. Then, tragedy struck again when a long drought destroyed crops and farms. So many people lost everything they had. Mickey Mouse was someone to pick them up in those hard times; a source f wishful thinking. In this time unemployment reached historic levels and the whole country looked for prosperity ahead. Throughout the 1930s the Disney cartoons were a business stimulus. Mickey Mouse merchandising exploded and there were a hundred products not only across the country but around the world. Mickey Mouse products were the only thing getting some companies through the Depression. By 1934 Mickey Mouse merchandise was earning around $600,000 a year. Political historians would likely say that the 1930s were the age of Franklin Roosevelt but cultural historians consider it the age of Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney is famous for saying, â€Å"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse. † Mickey Mouse is now one most recognized faces of all time and an icon of American culture. There is no doubt that Mickey Mouse and his ears are the face of The Disney Studios but Mickey isn’t the only iconic character that the company has created. Hundreds of characters have been born from Disney Studios, although some are more popular than others, they all have contributed to Disney Studios. Around the same time Mickey Mouse was introduced his â€Å"friends†, as they have been come to be called, were created. Mickey’s friends included Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. These characters represented friendship and often taught moral lessons like Disney often did. Snow White and Cinderella started the princess phenomenon. These movies lead to other Disney Princesses including The Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and Rapunzel. Girls around the world look up to these female heroes. The one thing that all these Disney characters have in common is that they will forever be embedded in pop culture. In 1937, Walt Disney made history when Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released. The film was the first full length animated film of its time. Critics had little faith in the productive of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but were proven wrong when the film earned over 8 million on its first release. The film was such a success that Walt built a studio specifically for the making of animated films. The film became a foundation for future feature length animated films. During the 1940s and 1950s the studio made many animated films including Fantasia, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice n Wonderland, and Peter Pan. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was an artistic and technological breakthrough in the entertainment world. Animated films lead to the production of live-action features and television programs. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs showed that animated films could be just as entertaining as other motion pictures. Walt Disney was known for transforming imagination into reality which was es pecially true when he made Disneyland, the first ever theme park. Disneyland changed the amusement park industry forever when it opened on July 18th 1955. Disneyland was the first start in making theme parks popular. Walt Disney once said, â€Å"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. † Although Disneyland was successful, it wasn’t the perfection Walt was looking for. Disneyland in California didn’t meet his vision because of the sleazy restaurants and hotels that were around the park. Fifteen years later Walt decided to build a new theme park in Orlando, Florida that would be a magical experience all around. Walt tried to keep the operation low key by setting up dummy corporations to buy the land. It was a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel newspaper who broke the news that it was Disney who bought the land. Walt never did get to see Disney World completed because of his death on December 15th 1966 of a cardiac arrest. Walt’s brother stayed on the project and Disney World opened to the public on October 1, 1971. Central Florida now has more theme parks than any other place in the world with Walt Disney World resort being the largest recreational resort ever built. The happiest place on earth didn’t just stay in the United States. Besides Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida there are three other Disney resorts in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong. Many people wonder how such a successful enterprise was created. At first, the Walt Disney Studio wasn’t profitable but it was staying afloat. Even when in debt Walt Disney looked to do more. He made smart moves to fundraise money to start new projects including Disneyland. As early as the 1930s Disney enterprises became global with branch offices in Chicago, Toronto, London, Paris, Copenhagen, Milan, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Sydney. After the death of Walt and his brother, Roy, the company struggled. In 1980s and 1990s the stock grew rapidly which made Disney the largest entertainment empire in the world. Before Walt Disney died he managed to build the first multinational media corporation. Disney now has five business segments including media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. The Walt Disney Company is now a $60 million dollar company and is the complete entertainment experience. Walt Disney is known for saying â€Å"if your dream it, you can do it. † He and his company are an example of just that. Although Walt Disney died his legacy lives on. The Walt Disney Company continues to create blockbuster films, parks, and television. Disney has made a few hundred movies and more than fifty of them being animated films. There is now a Disney channel on all five continents in several languages. The Walt Disney Company has become part of the world’s culture especially in the United States. He has created some of the most iconic characters of all time including the timeless Mickey Mouse. Disney characters have touched the hearts of people around the world. When the first full length animated movie was made it changed the course of film making forever. Disneyland and Disney World were the start of theme parks as we know them today. The achievements of Walt Disney are impressive and they have laid out the foundation for the whole entertainment industry. Even to this day, Walt Disney will forever be known as the king of animation.

Nafta ( North American Free Trade Agreement - 1449 Words

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was formed in 1994 and created one of the world’s largest free trade zones which includes Mexico, United States and Canada. NAFTA is an example of a multilateral approach to free trade. The multilateral approach states that a country will bargain with its trading partners to remove trade restrictions while the other countries do the same. Another multilateral approach is GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) which regulates international trade. GATT is comprised of representatives of all WTO member countries. The WTO (World Trade Organization) was established January 1, 1995 and is headquartered in Geneva Switzerland. As of November 2015 there were one hundred sixty-two countries that were members. The Uruguay Round was the most comprehensive international trade agreement and was finalized December 15, 1993. â€Å"Its Final Act prescribes, among other things, that tariffs on industrial products be reduced by an average of m ore than one-third, that trade in agricultural goods be progressively liberalized, and that a new body, the World Trade Organization, be established both to facilitate the implementation of multilateral trade agreements such as the Final Act and to serve as a forum for future negotiations.† (Fieleke, 1995) The Doha Round is the latest round of negotiations that began November 2001. Its aim was to lower trade barriers, revise trade rules and to promote trade in developing countries. 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