Africa and Colonialism Essays

Africa and Colonialism Essays Africa and Colonialism Paper Africa and Colonialism Paper When we look at Africa for that past couple of years wee see Genocide in Rwanda and Darfur ,instability in Sierra Leone, lack of a government in Somalia, Civil War in Sudan , land grabbing and AIDS in Zimbabwe, Diamond and Oil wars in Angola, Crime in South Africa. . Not to mention the problems caused by foreign debt, and affected by international ignorance and exploitation. In this paper I will try to you asses the political economic legacy of colonialism in Africa. he legacy is substantially based on the fact that that the Europeans wanted to extract resources from Africans by any means possible, even if that would lead to the instability in and destruction of the content political, economic, and social institutions up to the present time. The most crucial economic legacy that colonialism left on Africa’s economy was the integration of the African economy into the world economic system. n the Conference of Berlin in 1884-85, europians established the rules by which Africa wo uld be involed in the world economy ,these rules forced africa to produce raw materials and agricultural goods to meet the needs of Europes industries and consumers. what resulted is that traditional agricultural economies were forced to specialize in cash crops meant for export. This transformation led to dependence on foreign distribution and consumption. So there system brought all the economic benefit to the Europeans at the expense of their colonies by making them dependent on the europian seystem. Presedent Munro, for example, argues that integration into the international economy was the key factor that exacerbated colonial dependencies; He said â€Å"Being unprepared to compete in the global market, the integration of these new states into the world economy merely deepened their colonial dependency† This impact of colonialism effected both the internal and external causes of underdevelopment in africa today . Internally, the political and economic structures of the colonial state were bult to meet the needs of the europians ,which left africans with no abilitilty to develop after the fall of the british empire empires. And Externally, colonialism created dependencies that african states faced after the fall of formal colonial control, I say formal colonial control because many say that africa now is living in a stage of neo-clonolism since their substanstilly depend till now on many europians countries. So, if we take a step back and take a look at africa we see that all components of modern social and economic life in Africa are a direct or indirect result of colonialsm Its very important to maention that a lot of African countrys economies depend fully on one single export. The integration of the these economies to the world market made these countries fully dependent on the world price of its single export. Abid Rashed in his essay â€Å"The Enduring Impact of Imperialism and Colonialism on Africa â€Å" said â€Å"if the world supply of copper were to double because of new deposits in Brazil or Chile; the boom in Katanga and Zambia would quickly come to an end. Similarly, the prosperity or poverty of Ghanaian farmers depended directly on the price of cocoa on the world market†. And also, many of the African countries produce the same export, escpicially in the agricultural countries in east Africa and West Africa, so colonialsm forced them into an economic system that is based on competition while they don’t have the ability to compete with each other. Africa, as a result of all that, became so weak to the ups and downs of the world market Also, colonialism made African economies end their reliance on local manufacturing in . Most manufactures currnely are controlled by multinational corporations, and a lot of African countries are welcoming these corporations more and more because they want to get a share of the outsourcing that these corporation are involved in, in places like India and China, to manufacture their goods cheaply. The involment of multinational corporations in Africa might bring some money and revive the economy to a certain extent, but it also increases africa’s dependency on these these corporations and their producat. These corporations are creating the era of Europeans neo-colonialism in Africa . to the present day, most African countries get their goods from the europians that colonised thri country in the past and rely on these goods to continue surviving ; which make you think that nothing peobably changed except that the direct control of europians and the physical presence of their people Colonialism made Africa get trapped in a system where they will lose all the time , as long as they cant manufactoer their goods locally without depending on the Europeans. It would be very difficult to get out from the world economy because of there dependence on imports from europians (cars, machines, food) this reliance fro survival was unheard of in pre-colonial Africa. Famines, for example did not exist in pre-colonial Afrca, which gives you a sensed of the huge negative impact that the europians had. ). The importation of cars, machines, food- which was unheard of in pre-colonial Africa is needed for daily survival. There were no famines in Africa prior to colonialism Also, the ways in which the domestic economies of African states are structured is also shows effect of colonialism on Africa For example, colonialism extended commerce and the money economy into the interior of Africa. This process led to the creation a common currency which limited barter exchange â€Å"To trade goods or services without the exchange of money†, which are some of the basic components of pre-colonial African economies. 5- In addition, the commercialization of land, labour and produce o attached money to activities that had been for social use before. In pre-colonial Africa peasants and farmers would produce for there own use and maybe a little to trade for some goods but farming was for subsistence, there was no conception of production for the global market. No one owned the land in pre-colonial Africa; farmers had use rights over the land but could not sell the land One important economic benefit was the provision of infrastructure of roads, railways, harbours and ports, the telegraph and telephone. The basic infrastructure of every modern African state was completed during its colonial period. Politics Pre-colonial Africa had a large number of independent states. Some of these states were large and powerful; others were small land weaken. When the Europeans finished drawing their lines of partition, these states had been condensed into about 50 pieces of territory. This (scramble) that happened at the Berlin conference was drawn without any attention or care or consideration of the ethno cultural, geographical and ecological realities of Africa. Africa had different ethnic groups (tribes) with different historical traditions, cultures and speaking different languages. This destroyed the political development of these social groups; furthermore, ethnic groups were split into fragments in different countries for example the Ewes ere divided by the boundary between Ghana and Togo while akan are found in the ivory coast and in Ghana. The Senufo now live in Mali, the Ivory Coast and in Burkina Faso. This explains the border disputes between Burkina Faso and Mali ect. Nigeria under colonial rule brought more than a hundred ethnic groups into the colonial sphere. This colonial sphere included the theocracies of Northern Nigeria, the Chiefdoms of the Yoruba, Edo, and Itskiri, in the South, and the Ibo and Ibibio, in the East The scramble also led to the uneven sizes of and unequal distribution of natural resources in African states. Some got a lot of benefit like Nigeria with an approximated area of 357,000 square miles, while Gambia with an approximated area of 4000 square miles. Some states have few boarders e. . Gambia with one boarder whiles others had many boarders e. g. Mali with seven boarders. This makes it difficult to check the problems of security and smuggling. All this clearly would lead to many problems. Ethnic problems, economic problems, and corruption â€Å"We must remember that the European agreements that had carved up Africa into states paid little attention to cultural and ethnic boundaries and ethnic groups had little opportun ity or need to form political alliances or accommodations under repressive colonial rule. Think of countries such as Canada, which has been trying for hundreds of years with mixed success to accommodate only two linguistic groups - English and French - and you get an idea of the problems of African states with far greater cultural and linguistic divisions. † Africa certainly has more than 2 languages and more than few ethnic groups Also, to understand the political legacy we need to understand that many European countries like the British did not have any goals of assimilating Africans to thrir culture or giving them citzinship. It was a purely economic plan focused on maintaining stability and getting money and resources out of africa . To do that the brits divided colonies along social, cultural, or ethnic lines and maintained control by playing these groups against each other. With this system , the need for direct government intervention from the British government was less common. This worked well for the British government, in that it was cheaper to put select locals in charge rather than import European bureaucrats. And it also prevented any effective challenges to the colonial power To better understand the affect of that scarmbel on africa Consider the extent to which the Second World War of just 6 years duration has effected the developed world for 2 generations. Africa had 4 centuries of colonialism. When you get that you might be able to imagine how that might have affected the entire social, cultural, political, and economic structure of an undeveloped continent. In some parts of Africa, colonial administration had almost erased cultures and community with an â€Å"education† and â€Å"civilizing† program that gave Africans only a minimal skill set that served European colonial interests. Europeans started customary laws; notice the word customary laws to link it with tradition but it was all a new invention; Europeans started costmary land-rights, customary political structure. Like every Europeans belongs to a nation, every African belong to a tripe, the restructuring of these tribes imposed new political geography, which created social higherarchy which enabled ambitious individuals and groups to achieve positions of status, dominance, and wealth that might otherwise have been unattainable. To counter all that tribalism, some leader started a single party system, but without any decisions or moral check made by shared community (like it used to be in pre-colonial Africa) it turned out to be just another tool of oppression. If we look at African leaders we see that Of the 107 African leaders overthrown between 1960 and 2003 two-thirds were murdered, jailed or slung into exile. Up until 1979 59 African leaders were toppled or assassinated. Only three retired peacefully and not one was voted out of office. No incumbent African leader ever lost an election until 1982.

IntitleFree Commentary Essay Samples

IntitleFree Commentary Essay SamplesIntitleFree Commentary Essay Samples contains interesting and effective ideas on how to help an audience understand a passage better by providing examples. These samples are wonderful to use in an online class or for online classrooms.The last thing that you will want to do is to bore the students with your research or first paragraph. You want to establish the problem first and then present the solution. Here are some things that you can use from the IntitleFree Commentary Essay Samples:Commentaries are a good way to teach some basic concepts to your students. They are also a great tool for helping students put those concepts into practical situations. If you use this information in your classroom, your students will find it easy to understand the concept. Using this information in your writing will keep your students focused.Students who take tests that offer multiple choice answers will be much more motivated to do well. It is also helpful to pr ovide multiple choice answers when you write an essay. There are many online writing courses that will teach you how to include multiple choice answers to questions and your students will be much more motivated to take the time to complete the assignment.You can write a number of essays for your students to work on their favorite topic of the week. Your students will be interested in working on these new assignments and finding out how to build on what they have learned.These examples can help you develop lesson plans. One great way to have your students learn what you teach is to involve them in the activity. This can make the lessons fun for your students and they will love it.You can also use the examples to review what you taught in your lectures. Many teachers make use of this technique to ensure that students remember what they learned in their classroom.

Be Sure to Check Your Sources

Be Sure to Check Your Sources Be Sure to Check Your Sources Be Sure to Check Your Sources By Maeve Maddox A reader recently wanted to know if I could corroborate my reflections on certain idioms (Lying in State: Changing Perceptions Change Language). Considering the half-digested information and deliberate hoaxes that abound on the web, the question was a valid one. I know just what kind of thing has made that reader suspicious. A year or so ago, a colleague of mineaware of my areas of expertisesent me an email shed received, wanting to know if the facts presented in it were true. The text purported to explain the origin of various common expressions by linking them to supposed medieval activities. Some of the explanations sounded plausible, but had nothing to do with historical fact. As far as I know, the spurious email is still out there in cyberspace, spreading misinformation. The articles I write for Daily Writing Tips are not made up out of whole cloth. Some of what I write is a matter of opinion and when it is, I say so. Whenever I offer information about grammar or diction, I consult standard works on the subject. When Daniel launched DWT earlier this summer, I wrote my first articles more or less blindly, with little notion of whom I was writing for. Thanks to readers comments, I now know that the site is attracting a wonderful cross-section of English speakers and writers who have questions and insights relating to every aspect of the language. Knowing that my articles are being read gives me great pleasure, but it also keeps me on my toes. I dont want to be guilty of circulating faulty information if I can help it. So far Ive been relying on my considerable experience as a student and teacher of English. Sometimes Ill throw in a literary example from memory, but if I have any doubts about the instructional content of an article, I check with acknowledged printed authorities. Here are the desk references I reach for first: The Oxford English Dictionary (unabridged) Websters New Collegiate Dictionary Modern English Usage by H.W. Fowler English Pronouncing Dictionary by Daniel Jones A History of the English Language by A. C. Baugh Higher English by F. J. Rahtz A Dictionary of Modern American Usage by H. W. Horwill Language: Its Nature, Development, and Origin by Otto Jespersen When I need more specialized information, I go to my nearby university library. TIP: Whether youre gathering information for your latest writing project, or asking questions to improve your craft, it never hurts to double- and triple-check your sources. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcTry to vs. Try andConfusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Capitalism and Socialism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capitalism and Socialism - Term Paper Example Petras (2004) says that the debate between socialism and capitalism is still pressing and he even claims that the battle of ideas has begun to intensify. Petras (2004) continues that the social indicator show that the real capitalism is considerable worse than the full employment and steady employment rates that existed during the socialist period. Another author Bala (2009) argues that critics of capitalism describe it as unfair and distribution of wealth and power. Capitalist economic system has the tendency to create market monopoly or oligopoly. Bala (2009) observes that capitalism can also lead to imperialism, various forms of economic and cultural exploitation. An example of this kind of exploitation is the outsourcing business. U.S companies have discovered that Indian engineers for example can handle the production as professionally as any U.S specialist, however price twice as lower. Thus, many corporations outsourced their business to India and Chine in an attempt to cut co sts. Critics of capitalism argue that the imperialism which is associated with this system can also establish social alienation and inequality. Bala (2009) quotes such statements expressed by many socialists as irrational, because the economy has no direction and is unplanned, consequently it can create internal contradictions and inconsistencies. Over the last 20 years the countries from the former Soviet Block in Eastern Europe are trying to transit from socialism to capitalism. All basic industries from energy, mining, communication, trade to infrastructure have been taken over by private corporations. However, this transition and privatization do not seem to reflect the capitalist ideas and many countries from Eastern Europe are not swept by massive unemployment, gang groups, uncontrollable migration waves, relative economic instability, money laundring and illegal transfers. Bala (2009) poses that socialism is mainly criticized, because it is incompatible with civil liberties and it political model is not efficient with the general social, human performances. Friedrich Hayek (cited by Bala 2009) argues that a socialist economy can not adequately communicate the information about the productive quotas due in most cases to shortage in price mechanism. Furthermore Hayek (cited by Bala 2009) debates that the social control over the distribution allotment of wealth and private property preached by socialists can not be accomplished without a considerable reduction in prosperity and loss of economic and political freedom. This statement is proved by the Soviet Union socialist satellite countries which after the fall of the regime seem to have been lost in their attempts to revive their economies. Another negative aspect of the socialism is that it creates authoritarian regimes. All sectors of the economy are operated by the one personality usually the head of the state. The supporters from each of the commented economic systems argues that life is more satisfactory under their preferred system. Vivier (2003) says that capitalists refuse to agree that imposing capitalists values and economic doctrines on the "Third World" countries, only made their economic status worse. It increased their misery and poverty and the labor force was directly pushed into the hands of Western industrial capitalists. The capitalists values

Change is a feature of modern life; discuss and critically analyse how Essay

Change is a feature of modern life; discuss and critically analyse how a nurse can manage change in order to deliver effective patient care - Essay Example The presentation of current conditions regarding the above issue is also followed with views of literature on the specific subject with an effort to choose and evaluate the most appropriate model for the presentation of the nurse-patient relationship as been formulated under the influence of change in the internal and the external organizational environment. Change management is the process [1] of developing ‘a planned approach to change in an organization’. In this context it can be assumed that its main objective is ‘to maximize the collective benefits for all people involved in the change and minimize the risk of failure of implementing the change’. For the above reasons, it has been found that the discipline of change management ‘deals primarily with the human aspect of change, and is therefore related to pure and industrial psychology’. There are several theories referring to the role and the structure of change management, the most known of which is that of Lewin. Lewin’s theory of force field analysis (Lewin 1951) is widely used in change management and can be used to help understand most change processes in organisations. In force field analysis change, is characterised as ‘a state of imbalance between driving forces (e.g. new personnel, changing markets, new technology) and restraining forces (e.g. individuals fear of failure, organisational inertia)’. Moreover, in order to achieve change ‘towards a goal or vision three steps are required: Third, once the change is complete the forces are brought back into quasi-equilibrium and re-frozen’. The above theory although explains the role of secondary forces in an organizational environment does not offer an adequate explanation regarding the criteria on which the ‘frozen, de-frozen’ procedures are going to be based. Moreover, it has been

Narcissistic Leaders Essay Example for Free

Narcissistic Leaders Essay Big business today can be largely attributed to CEOs and leaders that are narcissistic. These leaders tend to be the center of attention more so now days then they used to be which is something a narcissistic person enjoys. Narcissists have been in business for a long time and have made great strides. People such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford were narcissists that were very successful business men. Narcissism may have been a good trait to achieve a high status in business but it can also make the person dangerous or not very likable. Heinz Kohut and Freud looked deeper into the theory and found that it could be treated by properly trained clinicians. Jack Welch and George Soros are prime examples of people who are what is called a productive narcissist; they strive to make a difference in the world and make a name for themselves. But narcissism can be bad enough that you believe that things are out to stand in your way of achievement and therefore you trust no one. Narcissists can sometimes become overly ambitious and shoot to high which can cause them to end up losing everything. Gyllenhammar is a prime example, he chose to not listen to anyone and found himself in court being forced to resign. Freud narrowed the main personality types down to erotic, obsessive, and narcissistic. Those with an erotic personality need to be loved by others that is the most important element of life to them. These types of people tend to be teachers, nurses or social workers. At their best, they help better the young and are a big help when working. They have a positive effect on those around them in the workplace. Freud referred to them as outer directed people. Freud referred to obsessives as inner directed. They are very in tune with what is going on and look to themselves to resolve conflicts. They are obsessed with improvement when working because by nature they value moral improvement over everything else. They tend to go into a field of work that spurs their interest but they don’t have what it takes to go from slightly above average to amazing. At their best they shoot high, and do what is necessary for the business to succeed. When productive they work well with others but when unproductive they usually don’t succeed. Narcissists are very self-indulged and don’t care much for others. When it comes to business they know their field inside and out and go above and beyond. Narcissists are extremely hungry for knowledge about their business. They desire to be admired by others but not necessarily loved. Maccoby (2000) states that unlike obsessives, they are not troubled by a punishing superego, so they are able to be very aggressive in pursuit of their goals. Maccoby (2000) goes on to say of all the personality types, narcissists run the greatest risk of isolating themselves at the moment of success. And because of their independence and aggressiveness, they are constantly looking out for enemies, sometimes degenerating into paranoia when they are under extreme stress. Obsessives as leaders tend to try and expand on a safe level that is practical and likely to benefit the company. Narcissists want more, they go all out and take big risks that if they work as planned will greatly benefit the business; but it is not as likely to work. Narcissists may hide it well but they feed of f of praise and recognition of followers. Without that admiration narcissists become overwhelmed, but too much admiration can cause them to feel too superior this can lead to dangerous acts that may be detrimental to the business. Narcissists can’t handle criticism; they remain out of tune with their emotions as much as possible. Due to the fact that narcissists can’t deal with being criticized they tend to completely ignore negative comments toward them. Narcissists also have no compassion what so ever. They can perform acts that may anger or sadden someone without any remorse. They are so independent that they don’t like to mentor anyone or be mentored. Competition is a narcissist’s forte; they get so into it that they would do almost anything to be the best. A trust-worthy sidekick has to be someone they can relate to and keeps him down to earth. They believe that everyone around them should think the same thing that they do even if it involves brainwashing. They are control-freaks, and want to know everything that’s going on at all times. These productive narcissists make good leaders by nature but the rest of them sometimes can’t see their limitations and will end up in trouble. Maccoby (2000) sums this altogether with for companies whose narcissistic leaders recognize their limitations, these will be the best of times. For others, these could turn out to be the worst.

Characterization, Symbolism, and Repetition in Hundred Years of Solitud

Characterization, Symbolism, and Repetition in One Hundred Years of Solitude  Ã‚   The names of characters often suggest something about their personalities, either straightforwardly or ironically. Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Prudencio Aguilar is neither "prudent" nor "eagle-like" (aguila means "eagle" in Spanish).   Repetition of names and behaviors is another technique of characterization. Certain character types, e.g., the contemplative, stubborn man, or the impetuous, forceful man, the patient and nurturing woman, and so on, are represented by more than one individual in the several generations of the Buendia family. All the Jose Arcadios, for example, are assumed to have at least some of the traits of the original Jose Arcadio Buendia (impetuous and forceful), and all the Aurelianos have something in common with Colonel Aureliano Buendia (tendency toward solitude and contemplation). The repetitions are not exact, but the use of similar names is one way to suggest more about a character than is actually said. There are also repetiti ons of particular behaviors, for example, secluding oneself in a room for experiments or study. Some characters have characteristic signs to identify them. Examples include Pilar Ternera's laugh, Colonel Aureliano Buendia's solitary look, Aureliano Segundo's extravagance, Fernanda's continual muttering, and so on. Physical descriptions are used sparingly, letting the reader fill in the details beyond such generalities as "skinny" or "fat," "beautiful," "huge." An exception is made for Colonel Aureliano Buendia, who seems to be drawn from an especially clear mental image of the author's, as though copied from a photograph. Some of the more spectacular individuals are ... ...wears away the axle," until the whole system, including both the constant attempts to renew Macondo and the reproduction of the Buendia clan, breaks down.    Works Cited Bell-Villada, Gene H. Garcia Marquez: The Man and His Work. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990. Griffin, Clive. "The Humour of One Hundred Years of Solitude." In McGuirk and Cardwell, 81-94. James, Regina. Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Revolutions in Wonderland. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1981. McGuirk, Bernard and Richard Cardwell, edd. Gabriel Garcia Marquez: New Readings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987). Williams, Raymond L. Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Boston: Twayne, 1984. Wood, Michael. "Review of One Hundred Years of Solitude." In Critical Essays on Gabriel Garcia Marquez. McMurray, George R., ed. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987.