Japanese product Essay Example for Free

Japanese product Essay Historically, it would one impossible to conduct a discussion on the issue of American interest in the culture and society of Japan without mentioning World War Two. The conflict between the two nations during the 1940s forever linked each other as the landscape of the culture of modern Japan and the modern United States were shaped from the outcome of World War Two. In that regard, the histories of the two nations are forever interlocked. While one would assume that such an interlocking fusion would yield a negative, the reality is that the two countries eventually opened each others minds in terms of accepting each other. Granted, there are still obstacles present to understanding each other, but the acceptance and understanding between the two culture have been advanced do to eventual infusion of Japanese pop culture entertainment into the American conscious. Unfortunately, not all presentations of Japanese culture are presented with a clear understanding of the basics of Japanese societal structure. Any attempt to understand the Japanese must begin with their version of what it means to take ones proper station. Their reliance upon order and hierarchy and our faith in freedom and equality are poles apart and it is hard for us to give hierarchy its just due as a possible social mechanism. Japans confidence in hierarchy is basic in her whole notion of mans relation to his fellow man and of mans relation to the State and it is only by describing some of their national institutions like the family, the State, religious and economic life that it is possible for us to understand their view of life. (Benedict) A significant reason that Japanese culture has been embraced by those in the west centers on the fact that many people are exposed to Japanese pop culture when they are very young. The operative point here is that what people are exposed to are the more pop driven forms of Japanese entertainment. It is not the classics of Japanese cinema that helps to define a consciousness in the eyes of the public. Most people are not familiar with classic films such as YOJIMBO or GATE OF HELL of KWAIDAN. What people become familiar with are the various anime films, manga periodicals, etc. This is not because the public looks for lowbrow entertainment as much anime and manga output from Japan is very sophisticated in the storytelling techniques that are explored. Much of the reason that these forms of Japanese entertainment are so popular is that they utilize genres that â€Å"travel† well. In other words, regardless of which culture produces a horror comic, an action-adventure film, a sci-fi fantasy, very little is changed in terms of the way those types of genres are constructed. A comedy, however, centers far too much on a specific culture understanding of a particular humor to be effective. Since much of the output from Japan that reaches the United States borrows from genres that â€Å"travel† well, the ability for the American public to accept the Japanese product is maximized. (Actually, it is further maximized in light of the quality level of the writing that helps hook audiences) This does not mean, however, that there is a cohesion of understanding of the Japanese culture by the American audiences mainly because much of the homegrown American entertainment that uses Japan as a backdrop generally offers a very stereotyped image of Japanese society designed to be ‘swallowed’ by an American audience that has very limited knowledge of the actual culture. This can be viewed in such films as LOST IN TRANSLATION and the landmark film (in terms of providing a skewed insight into Japanese culture) BLACK RAIN. This is not to say that the purpose of BLACK RAIN was to present an inaccurate depiction of Japanese people. What the purpose of BLACK RAIN was, on a deeper level, was to provide a complicated scenario for the Michael Douglas character to overcome the obstacles in his way in order to achieve his goal of capturing the villain. The obstacles in BLACK RAIN, however, are fairly insurmountable: he is a stranger in a strange land who has difficulty functioning on his own and is forced to put his stubbornness and his prejudices aside so that he can bond with a Japanese police officer in order to achieve his objective. The character that Michael Douglas plays, however, is a complicated corrupt loner who is his own worst enemy. He is distrustful and keeps people at arms length. By being forced to accept help from these people who he has nothing in common with, he is able to ultimately grow as a person. Like the character Michael Douglas plays, Japanese culture is ripe with complexity. The culture is different and the way people interact with each other in Japan is far different that the way people interact with each other in the United States. While BLACK RAIN does shows these differences, it does not go beyond the surface value of the differences to provide a more complex side of the Japanese. As such, the Japanese characters often appear one dimensional and border on stereotypes.

Distortion of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Essay -- Essays o

In the past the American Dream was an inspiration to many, young and old. To live out the American Dream was what once was on the minds of many Americans. In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream was presented as a corrupted version of what used to be a pure and honest ideal way to live. The idea that the American Dream was about the wealth and the possessions one had been ingrained, somehow, into the minds of Americans during the 1920’s. As a result of the distortion of the American Dream, the characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby along with many others, lived life fully believing in the American Dream, becoming completely immersed in it and in the end suffered great tragedies. Around the 1920’s many American's outlook on life began to change. The American Dream gave them something to fight for, â€Å"a chance to achieve fame, power, or fortune†(Daeleiden 11), a chance to climb above their previous generation in terms of the social ladder. Even though it was superficial, Gatsby's outlook on life was something that could be labeled as optimistic. However as optimistic as it was, Gatsby was ignorant to the truths hovering around him. Although Gatsby’s intentions were good many times he became confused in what he really wished for. Gatsby believed that if he overcame the poverty of his early life and became someone new he would be able to capture the heart of his beloved Daisy, a woman whose materialistic outlook on life led Gatsby to extremities. Gatsby threw around large amounts of money as if it was nothing in an attempt to win over the heart of his beloved Daisy. He even threw incredibly lavish parties in hope that Daisy would attend one giving him t... ...kest way possible. To have an easy life without having to make an effort and to obtain all the materialist possessions within your ability. The difference between Fiztgerald's American dream and the Contemporary Dream is that one exemplifies the results rather then the process. Fitzgerald's American Dream is mostly portrayed as a miracle followed by a demise while the Contemporary Dream is more of a lack of effort in the achieving of a superficial American Dream. The similarities however lie in the materialism of the corrupted American Dream. What was once a pure dream became the race to becoming wealthy in ever possible way. Both Fitzgerald and the Contemporary Dream emphasize the possessions of one. Fitzgerald however looks at this in a negative way while the other presents materialism as positive and a necessity to achieving the American Dream.

Case Study Botswana: A Diamond in the Rough Essay

The Harvard Business School case study â€Å"Botswana: a diamond in the rough† deals with various reasons how Botswana became within 40 years the most successful economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. The case study leads through Botswana’s history before the colonization by the British Empire until today, stating several factors which made Botswana more successful compared to it’s neighbour countries in Sub-Sahara Africa. Within only 30 years a very rapid economical growth could be observed and in 2000 Botswana’s GDP growing rate reached a similar value as China. The political situation is stable since Botswana’s independence in 1966 and their corruption is, especially compared to other African countries, very low. The unemployment rate until 2000 never felt under 2%, which is even compared with countries outside of Africa very rare. Asking myself if Botswana is a success, I can definitely answer yes. Even if the country still has to struggle with the second highest HIV infection rate in the world and it is still a challenge for the government to diversify the economy, in order to be less dependent on the fluctuating diamond industry, Botswana is called to be the â€Å"African Miracle†. Taking into consideration that Botswana is a land-locked country and until 1968 there were no mentionable resources it seems quiet astonishing what they achieved in the short period of time since their independence. According to the case study there are several factors that made Botswana as successful as it is today. First of all, the fundament of Botswana’s highly democratic political system can be found in Botswana’s history in the 18th century. The Tswana tribe had less monarchical structures than other African countries, issues of public interest were discussed and decided by an assembly and criticisms of the policies were allowed to be expressed in public. Another reason for Botswana’s success today is, that even during the 80 years of British colony, Botswana was allowed to keep its political structures, as the British had only a limited interest in the resource-scarce country. As Botswana’s inhabitants were less oppressed by their colonial rulers, they were able to develop their democratically society more or less in freedom. In accordance with the case study Botswana’s biggest success factor was the discovery of gold and diamond mines in 1968. More mines were found in the following years and Botswana became number one diamond exporter worldwide. A very important but also controversial decision by Botswana’s government was the foundation of a Joint Venture with the South African multinational company DeBeers. As a contrast, other African countries with valuable resources decided to nationalize mines and oil fields and raised taxes unproportional. Due to Botswana’s decision to cooperate with DeBeers, they became the world’s most successful international cartel. In my opinion the discovery of the diamond mines in Botswana had a huge contribution to the country’s success today, but looking at other African countries which are rich in resources one will recognize that countries as Angola or Sierra Leone cannot document the similar successes as Botswana can do. Coming to the question if Botswana’s success is replicable on other African countries we have to remind, that only a few African countries are as rich in valuable resources as Botswana. But as I mentioned before, even countries that are provided with similar resources, weren’t able to channel the high revenues into physical, social and human capital infrastructures. Contrariwise, these countries have to struggle with civil wars and political conflicts, often initiated by the valuable resources. In my point of view the most important success factor of Botswana are the before mentioned democratically structures which were already founded in the 18th century. Most other African countries were ruled by absolutistic kings, which were replaced by dominant colonial powers. History cannot be changed, but a lesson that other African countries can learn from Botswana is the development and implementation of state institutions in order to achieve long-term oriented and sustainable governance.

The Arab Baath Movement and The Rise of the Baath Party...

Contrary to popular beliefs, civil activism and civil society has managed to thrive in the Middle East. Social movements on a variety of topics have occurred despite the lack of democracy and democratic institutions in certain countries. One popular movement was the Arab Ba’ath Movement which eventually led to the formation of the Baath Party. By analyzing the movement’s history, ideological stance, goals, the actors, dissenters, and international aspect, one can determine how and why the movement flourished in Syria. Syria was granted de jure independence from the French in 1941. However, the country was not truly independent until 1946. For the next twenty-five years, the country would be launched into extreme political instability and†¦show more content†¦They were attracted to the idea of equality on the basis of being an Arab and the promise of social reform, something that was desperately needed in the countryside. Additionally, the nationalist ideals the Baath promoted would neither exclude nor destroy the middle class and the positions they held (Galvani 4). The Baath also had a base in the military. Therefore, they were able to help members of rural communities join and gain prestige in the military. The Baath Party had two goals: to unite the Middle East into one Arab nation and to create a new set of political elites completely comprised of the rural, lower class to replace the tradition urban elites (Antoun and Quataert 33). They wanted to reverse the effects caused by imperialist intervention and the agrarian crisis in the 1950s. Therefore, when they took power, transformation – a reformation from the top down – occurred. The new regime took a more revolutionary turn and incorporated extreme leftist elements such as the idea of a one party system. It also had the state play a major role in national development, social welfare services, labor rights, regulation of private business in the national interest, and agrarian reform (Hinnebusch 680). What made the Baath Movement so successful was its ability to bring together various classes of society that divided Syria. It did this by promoting movements that were alignedShow MoreRelatedThe Is A Humanitarian Catastrophe1276 Words   |  6 PagesSyria Aleppo is a humanitarian catastrophe. Frequent air and chemical attacks leaves the average Syrian civilian in fear for their lives on a daily basis. With the Western half controlled by the Bashar al-Assad government and the Eastern half in controlled by anti-government rebels bloodshed always lingers. For years, power has shifted between the two sides with many outside forces joining, tipping the power balances. With no end in sight, massive loss of life is becoming a universal issue. InspiredRead MoreThe Conflict Of The Middle East1237 Words   |  5 Pagesparts in history occurred, whether it be different treaties or the fight for a Jewish State. The first main occurrence all started with Zionism, which was essentially was begining of the dispute over Israel. Zionism was a nationalist and political movement of the Jewish culture that supported the reestablishment of the Jewish Peoples original land in Israel. Due to the fact that a Jewish land was wanted and in need, an event occurred were The Balfour Declaration was created in 1917 when Secretary Arthur