StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Todays Isms - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper will briefly discuss the isms’ of today in light of the history of the modern world.  Through nationalism, people have been united and revolutions have seen the light of day. Nationalism has been a key factor in the drive to colonize or imperialize other nations…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.5% of users find it useful
Todays Isms
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Todays Isms"

Today’s Isms In the cause of history, people have experienced an attachment to their traditions and authorities. This attachment has led to people having a strong affiliation to their nations. Nationalism has in this respect led to the unification of people much as it has led other people to move further apart from their contemporaries. Apart from nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, and neo-colonialism have characterized the modern world. This paper will briefly discuss the isms’ of today in light of the history of the modern world. Nationalism Historians define nationalism as the creed, belief, or political ideology associated with an individual becoming attached to or strongly being affiliated to their nation. As a political ideology, the premise of nationalism is that an individual’s devotion and loyalty to the nation-state goes far beyond their loyalty and devotion to other personal or group interests. In other words, nationalism has a lot to do with national identity. Human history has been characterized by the tendency of people to be attached to their parents’ traditions, native place of origin, and to territorial authorities that exist. While this trend has not changed much, the end of the 18th century saw a new trend emerge - one that effectively marked the beginning of modern history (regentsprep, 2014). At this time, people began to recognize nationalism and its effects in regard to the molding of private and public life. People began to experience the pull toward nationalistic feeling. Historians are quick to cite the French and American revolutions as some of the events that have exemplified the manifestation of nationalism in modern history. In Europe, the decline of feudalism marked the beginning of nationalism. In England, for example, Queen Elizabeth I consolidated power that was previously decentralized to form a strong, stable nation-state (regentsprep, 2014). Before the emergence of nationalism in England, the church was known to be the one factor that unified the people. As the power of the church declined during the Renaissance period, the people of England got awake to the fact that they were similar and had more or less the same interests beyond religion. Nationalism has been a key factor in the history of many nation-states including Germany and Russia and has been a driving force in the emergence of revolutions, ethnic tensions, and wars much as it has contributed to the unification of people (regentsprep, 2014). Imperialism During the 19th century, nationalism was rife in many European nations. Nationalism unified many people and divided others based on ethnic lines (regentsprep, 2014). Many of the countries that were unified by nationalism found themselves in a period of imperialism. Imperialism saw stronger nations take over weaker ones in different parts of the world. The 20th century, however, saw many of the countries that had been imperialized rise against European imperial influencers in a bid to see the establishment of their own fee and independent states. Imperialism is characterized by the practice of dominance and the feeling of superiority of one territory or people over others (regentsprep1, 2014). It is also characterized by the extension of command and authority of one people or state over another. Beginning the 1700s, many nations that were more developed that their contemporaries took over and colonized weaker states as a means toward extending their own power. Several European countries, for example, scrambled for Africa in an act of imperialism. Many of the imperial nations benefited from their colonies as they exploited their resources and gained political control of them (regentsprep1, 2014). Many countries that practiced imperialism over their contemporaries often were industrialized and therefore sought cheap raw materials and new markets for their products. This was, for example, the case with Japan and many European nations during the1800s. The move toward imperialism was also propelled by nationalism given that many citizens approved of and took pride in the accomplishments of their nations. At a time when European countries were in competition with one another, imperialism emerged as a good solution to the great desire to maintain power balance in Europe (regentsprep1, 2014). Colonialism Colonialism may be simply defined as the practice of domination in which one person, nation, or territory is subjugated to another (plato.stanford.edu, 2012). Colonialism has a lot to do with the establishment, acquisition exploitation, and expansion of colonies by people from a different territory. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, many European powers including Britain, France, Portugal, and Italy established colonies in Africa, Asia, North America and South America. The colonies in this respect were controlled by their colonizers both economically and politically. Much like it happened with imperial control, colonizers were driven to colonize other nations as they sought to find cheap raw materials for their industries and new markets for their products. In other cases, colonies were established out of exploration activities to find new lands such as was the case with Spain. As was in the case of imperialism, nationalism was a driving force toward colonialism as citizens took pride in their nations for expanding and taking control of other territories in a show of superiority. Colonialism was greatly associated with the abuse of natural rights much as it has been associated with the broad appreciation of natural law. Established in many parts of the world for centuries, colonialism effectively met its death in the 1960s with the rise of national liberation movements (plato.stanford.edu, 2012). These movements used different means to pressurize colonial governments to withdraw their control over the colonies. In Kenya for example, the Mau Mau rebellion together with diplomatic interventions such as in the case of the Lancaster Congress eventually saw the British government yield to the demand for the country’s independence. Neo-imperialism/ Neo-colonialism Neo-colonialism as practiced today is considered by many a historian to be the final and, perhaps, the most dangerous stage of colonialism. Neocolonialism is the situation that comes into being when an imperial power exerts control over its an independent state through international institutions, business globalization, and cultural imperialism, as opposed to military or indirect political control (marxists.org, 2014). In other words, while the nation that is subject to neo-colonialism is independent and sovereign by international standards, its political policies and economic system is subject to the control of another country or territory. Modern day neo-colonists often control their subjects through monetary and economic means. For example, the neo-colonial state may be obliged to take products produced by the imperial state and reject those from other nations. Similarly, the neo-colonial state may have its policies dictated by an imperial state in exchange for payments toward running the state, foreign aid, and by the imposition of a banking system that is biased toward the imperial nation (marxists.org, 2014). As an example, neocolonialism is practiced toward Congo and many other African countries by different countries through international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Neo colonialism may be practiced by former colonial powers or by powers that in reality did not colonize a country such as is the case of the United States’ control of South Vietnam which was colonized by France. Essentially, when an imperial power invests in a country that is subject its neo-colonial control, the investment is not directed to the development of the less developed country but rather serves to exploit it(marxists.org, 2014). Neo colonialism has been blamed for the widening economic gap between poor and rich nations. Many countries have taken arms against neocolonialism by adopting non-alignment policies. Ghana, for example, cooperates with all countries irrespective of their economic systems as a way of avoiding the control of its political and economic systems by imperial powers. Conclusion Through nationalism, people have been united and revolutions have seen the light of day. Nationalism has been a key factor in the drive to colonize or imperialize other nations. This has been the case since it has been one factor that have propelled nations to seek resources and markets beyond what their nations or territories offer. It has also been the motivation and fuel behind the competition that many nations have struggled so much to overcome. On the other hand, it has led to revolutions as nations that have seen subject to colonialism or imperialism have risen to claim their independence in the spirit of nationalism. Worth noting is that colonialism and imperialism are closely related and there exists a thin line between the two given that both involve the control of nations/territories by stronger or more powerful ones. The end of colonialism and imperialism in the 1960s ushered in a new period that has been characterized by neocolonialism. Considered to be the last and worst stage of imperialism or colonialism, neo-colonialism is characterized by the control of political and economic policies of less developed nations by more developed ones. It is blamed for the high levels of poverty in many third world countries most of which are in Africa. More particularly it is blamed for the widening gap between poor and rich nations as it often is associated with the exploitation of poor nations by their former colonizers or richer nations. References regentsprep (2014). Nationalism and the Nation State. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/nationalism/index.cfm marxists.org (2014). Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of imperialism Kwame Nkrumah 1965. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from https://www.marxists.org/subject/africa/nkrumah/neo-colonialism/introduction.htm plato.stanford.edu (2012). Colonialism. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/colonialism/ regentsprep1 (2014). Imperialism. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/imperialism/index.cfm Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Todays Isms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words, n.d.)
Todays Isms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/social-science/1811808-todays-isms
(Todays Isms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words)
Todays Isms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1811808-todays-isms.
“Todays Isms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1811808-todays-isms.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Todays Isms

A reflective paper of 1000 words discussing design work and research methods

Notice that the words ‘unstable regions' are included in the question.... Considering that every region in the earth can be targeted by terrorists or any social… However, doing away with the philosophical abstractions, ‘unstable regions' are defined in this study as those which are currently known to be potential terrorist targets such as the 2....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Does Representative Democracy Facilitate the Participation of the People

The author states that the notion of representative democracy, through history, has been the major effort to involve public interest in the critical matters of government.... But what has originated doubts over its efficacy now is the trend of corrupted politicians and aftermaths of globalization....
8 Pages (2000 words) Term Paper

Alibaba

After a specific type of business model is selected, then the firm must consider other important factors, which are essential for good business model.... A good business model needs to consider several factors, some of which include: A good business model must have an incomparable… It needs to distinguish itself from its competitors by selecting an appropriate strategy such as cost differentiation, niche strategy or differentiation strategy....
2 Pages (500 words) Assignment

The FCC and Regardless of the Opinions of the Cable Industry

The paper describes the traditional route of cable and satellite carriers that has become too costly and, no longer necessarily offers the best programming, which creates an economic and creative disadvantage to network and cable television networks, which includes the premium networks.... hellip; Eventually, society will no longer engage in traditional television; not when they can record, save, and watch series and films whenever and wherever they like....
1 Pages (250 words) Research Paper

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory

Aristotle's Virtue or Nicomachean ethics has never been more relevant than today where the world is reduced to tinder box because of the many conflicts that beset us.... Particularly is the recent conflict in Iraq and Syria where an extremist group ISIS or ISIL is terrorizing… Both Muslims and non-Muslims are threatened by their ideological extremism that even the terrorist group Al Qaeda distanced itself from them due to its wanton disregard to human life and dignity Teacher Interpreting the world according to Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle's Virtue or Nicomachean ethics has never been more relevant than today where the world is reduced to tinder box because of the many conflicts that beset us....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

One of the Verses of the Quran

One of the verses of Quran that is quite relevant to the present age is Chapter 3, Verse 186 that states, “You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves.... And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate… But if you are patient and fear Allah - indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of determination” (“Surat Āli 'Imrān”)....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Why young British Women are joining ISIS

In the recent past, a large number of young Europeans have joined ISIS.... This article will evaluate the factors that have influenced these young people to join the radical group.... oday, ISIS is one of the most notorious terrorist organizations.... … Another reason why these girls are joining ISIS is because of Islamist ideologies of radicalization....
2 Pages (500 words) Assignment

Explanation of I Believe That Deep Down All Human Beings Are Really Good Quote by Anne Frank

The author in this essay explains the quote by Anna Frank "I Believe That Deep Down All Human Beings Are Really Good".... It can be interpreted to mean that despite the horrible things that people do, they are still capable of doing good.... People engage in many evil activities.... nbsp; … The activities highlighted by the media in the modern world about terrorist activities also contribute to this point....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us