Imperialistic Africa Essay Example for Free

Imperialistic Africa Essay During the 19th century of the Industrial Age, many European nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Britain) sought for a source for raw material and a market for manufactured goods in Africa. This economic motivation helped drive the Scramble for Africa. The Scramble for Africa [1885-1910] was when many European nations competed for colonies in Africa. To take control of these regions, the European powers came up with the Treaty of Berlin. This stated that they would not sell firearms to Africa; which resulted in Europeans having a monopoly on guns in Africa. However, although it stated that they would not sell firearms to Africa making it easier to take it over, it also stated that they would suppress slavery. During the Scramble for Africa, or the imperialism imposed in Africa, there were great contributions that ultimately modernized Africa, as well as, bad influences, such as the carving of Africa without the influence of the traditional tribal boundaries, causing tribalism and civil wars. Many modernizing contributions were in medicine and education. The British built hospital and schools in Africa. They also contributed to putting an end to the slave trade. The access to basic medical care and education were, therefore, due to British intervention. This boost in medical care also heightened many African life spans. Also, some Africans were even allowed to have a western education rather than just basic education. Also, eventually, Britain allowed the African colonies to vote for power, realizing that the only way for safety in Africa was to rule with the people. This eventually concluded with many African nations liberating themselves from British control and becoming an independent nation, such as Republic of Congo (1958), and Tanzania (1964), Although there were some contributions that helped to modernize Africa, there were also many harmful effects from the imperialism of Africa, such as the methods they used to take control of some regions. In other cases, there was not a clear understanding of what the treaties were about or what the consequences of them would be. Secondly, military force was used in some cases when there was a large amount of resistance to colonial rule. Unit Two: Studying Africa through the Social Studies] This suggested that sometimes European nations would use brute force to impose their authority over the native people. For example, during the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors were killed for their land. This left only a remnants of a once strong tribe of warriors. This demonstrates how military force was used in some cases when there was a large amount of resistance to colonial rule. Also, according to The White Man’s Burden, by Rudyard Kipling, many native people did not like European imperialism. For example, in the 1st stanza 4th line, he states,† To serve your captives need† This illustrates how many natives thought themselves like prisoners. In another line, he states, â€Å"To seek anothers profit, and work anothers gain. † This demonstrates how rather than how Europeans said they came to protect them by signing the treaty; they actually used the colonies raw materials to help fuel their own economy. A major long-term negative effect that still affects Africa today are the arbitrary political boundaries which European nations established. The European nations never thought about the traditional tribal boundaries. This results with several different tribes in one nation that may feel ill towards one another causing civil wars and power struggles within national governments. For example, the 2nd Congo War involved eight African nations, as well as about 25 armed groups. By 2008 the war and its aftermath had killed 5. 4 million people, mostly from disease and starvation. By the turn of the 21st century, the economy of many African nations was suffering. They were battered by rapid population growth, declining export earnings, foreign debt, drought, floods, and civil war. The average African household consumed 20% less than it had in the 1950s. The continents birthrates and mortality rates were the highest in the world. More than half of all foreign aid was consumed by debt service. In addition, over 73% of the more than 40 million people infected with HIV (see AIDS) in 2002 lived in Africa; 30% or more of the populations of Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe were infected. Nevertheless, Africa largely escaped the financial turbulence that engulfed much of the rest of the world in the late 1990s and again in the early 21st century. [Africa, History of (II)] Because of the imperialism of Africa, many European countries have become powerful nations filled with wealth and prosperity and Africa now have many schools and hospitals. Many Africans can now go to school and get an education and may even one day start businesses. However, the negative aftermaths of European Imperialism on Africa has greatly affected its nations. Because of the long-term political borders dividing Africa, there are many civil wars killing millions of lives and spreading disease. Although Europe brought schools and hospitals, it does not make up for all the lives that could have been saved if the European nations had just considered the traditional boundaries rather than for their own profit. Even the education and health care were not substantial. They were the most basic forms of education and health care. Only very few were allowed to have western education. Therefore, overall there weren’t many positive impacts for the African people from European Imperialism.

Toni Morrison and bell hooks - Society and the Media :: Biography Biographies Essays

Toni Morrison and bell hooks - Society and the Media There is a lot of misrepresentation of the black society as a whole in the media. The reason that this is true is because the mostly white society accepts this and prolongs s this misrepresentation in the media. Toni Morrison and bell hooks share some of the same ideas on sexism, racism and conformity. This American society is made up of mostly whites. The whites have an extreme effect on how the stereotypes of today relate with media. Sexism is a current issue that happens everyday. It is supported with the stereotypes that area ready preconceived and we just go along with them. In hooks analysis of Lees movie she explores how Carolyn is the care take she is the mother so that is her job. As hooks says. "Sexist/racist stereotypes of gender identity in black experience are evident in the construction of these two characters. Although Carolyn is glamorous, beautiful in her afrocentric style, she is portrayed as a bitch goddess"(hooks 103). She is the dominate on in the house hold because it is considered to be her job as the female. The father does not do much of anything to support her. He is not responsible for actions because he is an, "artistic, non-patriarchal mindset; he cannot be held accountable."(hooks 104). This is because the society say that it is O.K. for the man to do this and it should be accepted. While Carolyn was near death Carolyn talks to her daughter and, "Troy is given instructions as to how she must assume the caretaker role. Contemporary feminist thinkers are calling attention to the girlhood... No one in the film is concerned about the loss of Troy's girlhood, though her brothers remain free to maintain their spirit of play"(bell 104). So instead of the mother asking the father she goes to her ten-year-old daughter and instructs her that she is now the caretaker compared to her older brothers or her father. This is confusing, wouldn't the oldest take care of the youngest. I guess not, I think this is a prime example of sexism. Taking her girlhood away, because it is a woman's job.

Neo-Confucianism

Hart Benton Dr. Levey HI/Hon 282 26 November 2010 Neo-Confucian History and its Application to Government Neo-Confucianism arose in China during the Song Dynasty as a vehicle to reapply Confucian teachings and morality to an era in which Buddhist and Daoist followers were all but competing with Confucianism. Such competition found Confucianism becoming more and more related to the state as an official religion, reducing the true existence of Confucianism as predicated by Kung T’zu’s own canonical texts.The revival of Confucian thought during this dynasty lead for replacement of a militaristically centered society academia and cultural achievements, changing the view of Chinese history and the historian as well as leadership in the government as both began to take on the characteristics of Confucian practices such as The Way. The transformation of the view of history was radical at best. The overall essence of history was questioned as notable historians such as Lu Zuqia n and Zhen Qiao professed the correct way of viewing history to be to view history as a continuous stream as opposed to solitary confined moments in time.Lu notes that history must be viewed as the continued record of organic growth and change in Lu Donglai wenji. Zheng Qiao claims that Confucius’ credibility as a notable sage lie in his ability to view history as an entirety and the stream that makes it up as opposed to Ban Gu who compartmentalized history by narrowing on one topic, or as he literally puts it in Tongzhi, â€Å"Ban Gu wrote the history of only one dynasty, this principle of continuity has been ignored. †Another way that history became molded to the form of Confucianism was in its application. The application of history could be noted as a two- way process, one being the application of the past to see the present and thereby stimulating intellectual growth as well as practicability, and the other being that history provides morals of conducts for the hi storian. The latter has a greater sense of Confucian character in that the process of being provided the conducts of morality involves the historian to mentally ut himself into the actual situation, apply the context of the day, and imagine to face these facts and come to a conclusions. This, Lu Zuqian says, is the way â€Å"you will get real profit from your reading. † A sense of morality was also applied to the role of history in, quite literally, the beginning of the history. The words of an emperor were recorded in the Song Dynasty immediately at the moment, lending the historiographer to record the entirety of the emperor’s words, both the good and bad.In Zizhi tongjian, Sima Guang writes: The emperor said, â€Å"If I do something that is not good, do you then also record it? † Suilian replied, â€Å"My office is to wield the brush. How could I dare not record it? † The Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Liu Ji added, â€Å"Even if Suilang failed to recor d it, everyone else in the empire would† Zizhi tongjian The necessary morality of the emperors in their actions transcended itself through the historiographer’s recording and into the text and finally into the readers.Such a direct relationship between published and actual history manifests itself in the image of history as a mirror in this neo- Confucian era. The image is used in several ways: one being that upon looking in a mirror, everything is completely visible including any flaw or blemish. As Liu Zhiji states, â€Å"When a clear mirror reflects objects, beauty and ugliness are bound to be revealed. † It is the job of the historian to present a clean mirror, and as Zhiji also notes, â€Å"celebrate the good, censure the evil, and control the powerful† in doing so.The second way that the neo-Confucian role of history should resemble a mirror is that any government official, leader, statesman, or ruler should be able to look into the mirror and in the reflection make a value judgment and discover a truth about the issues in their day. Herein lays they connection between governmental leadership and history. Perhaps no Chinese Song historian better notes the close connection between history and government than Sima Guang in his 294-chapter work, Zizhi tongjian, or Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance.Using this same metaphor of the mirror, Guang strikes on the fact of history becoming a predominantly political history and attaining an almost entirely political purpose. Just as part of Neo-Confucianism’s role in history relayed the essence of The Way in its acquiescence and practice, the same holds true for government policy. Cheng Yi memorializes an appeal for the Confucian Way to be adapted as a foundation for Chinese governmental policy implementation and return rule to scholars and sage kings as opposed to leaders focusing more on the role of the military as was evident in pre-Song dynasties.In the adaption of the W ay to government policy, Cheng Hao took a more pragmatic Confucian stance on reform of government in association with the Way in that laws should â€Å"change according to the times and be embodied in systems that suited the conditions in obtaining each. † In other words, let not the policies of the day digress to blanketing an entire spectrum disregarding of context and situational prowess, but rather cater the policy to where it fits in with the Way of the day by allowing the policy to follow in itself the Way.The emergence of Neo-Confucianism brought with it a change in the view of the development of history, application of history, and the role of the historian as history overall began to follow the role of the Way and morality throughout the Song Dynasty. With this shift in the role of history came the shift in role of government policy. As history became more politically applicable with the â€Å"history as a mirror† metaphor, government followed the role of hist ory and it too began to follow The Way in its practice and usage as a moral system.

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