Abstract The following paper discusses the exciting course of the history of one of the world's most prominent and influential countries ? Japan. It examines Japan's days through simple life in the ancient times (Yayoi, Jomon, and Heian periods) to years of civil unrest during the Feudal times, dominated by constant warfare for the position of ultimate power ? shogun. This paper also looks at Japan's culture, her people and her ideology, as time passes into the Meiji restoration. The writer discusses Japan's fierce struggle for global prominence as she tries to expand beyond her tiny island nation onto mainland Asia, only to be sucked into the global conflict of World War II. The writer reflects on the country's vital role in this war, and analyzes her sad defeat and ultimate rebirth out of one of the darkest periods in history. The paper also has a brief summary of Japanese history from the 1970's to the present day.
From the Paper "The Japanese archipelago was first inhabited more than 100,000 years ago, when it still comprised part of the continental Asian land mass. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the ancient people of this time (The Old Stone Age or Paleolithic Age) survived on a very basic diet provided through daily hunting and gathering. The New Stone, or Neolithic age, dating at 10,000 years BC, is characterized by the manufacture of refined stone implements, the development of advanced hunting techniques using bows and arrows, and the production of earthenware containers for cooking and storing food. This age ushered in the Jomon period (around 8000 to 300 BC) so named after the jomon (cord-marked) style of pottery which originated during this time. Agriculture, primarily rice planting, and metalworking techniques were introduced from mainland Asia around 300 BC, towards the end of the period. The native peoples of Japan now began incorporating farming tools, metal weapons and bronze swords, and mirrors into their daily life and culture. The new machinery helped increase agricultural production, mirrors were used in religious rituals, and the newfound weapons helped settle any domestic disputes between rival Japanese tribes."
Abstract The paper explores the life and literary pieces of Japanese writer and poet, Akutogawa Ryunosuke who was one of the first writers of the Japanese modernist movement to be translated widely into English. The paper shows that Akutagawa is probably best known for his single short story "Rashomon", which inspired director Akira Kurosawa's film of that name in 1950. In order to understand the times in which Akutogawa lived and worked, the paper defines modernism and explains the difference between Japanese and Western modernism.
From the Paper "The stories that Akutagawa wrote and that Kurosawa adapted were in fact based on stories that had probably been compiled in the 10th century. Akutagawa would over the course of his short professional life adopt many ancient Japanese stories, seeming to prefer tales that were both Gothic and based on pre-modern elements. His settings, as grotesque and bizarre as any that Edgar Allan Poe could ever have dreamed up, would have struck his readers as standing in obvious contrast the to "civilized" state of Western-influenced 20th-century Japan."
Tags: Tokyo, Meiji, William, Morris, Arts, and, Crafts, Movement
Abstract Following a tour of productions lines in Asia, the director of Huntingtons, a clothing company discovered most of the work was being performed by child labor. This paper presents some of the findings of his report. It looks at the spread of child labor in the textile industry across Asia and the dangerous precedent it is setting. It shows how the institution of global ethics could eradicate this problem.
From the Paper "Child labor is a persistent problem throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Africa and Asia together has over 90 percent of total child employment. Child labor is particularly rampant in rural areas where the capacity to enforce minimum age requirements for schooling and work is lacking. Children work for a variety of reasons, the most important being poverty and the induced pressure upon them to escape from this dilemma. Though children are not well paid, they still serve as major contributors to family income in developing countries. Schooling problems also contribute to child labor, whether it is the aloofness of schools or the lack of quality education, which spurs parents to enter their children in more profitable pursuits. Traditional factors such as rigid cultural and social roles in certain countries further limit educational realization and increase child labor."
Abstract An evaluation of the opinions of multi racial Asians living in different countries and a review of the problems they face. Articles by two authors who have addressed the issue according to their own experiences as part of a multiracial community are discussed. These are Lonnae O'Neal Parker's:" White Girl? Cousin Kim Is Passing. But Cousin Lonnae Doesn't Want to Let Her Go" and Remy Gastambide's "Living in Shame". This paper also discusses issues relating to Tiger Woods' multiracial identity.
From the Paper "While considering the experiences of Parker, who is a multiracial woman living in the United States; it has been observed that the major problem faced by the multiracial individuals is that of their identity. They are ever confused by the question as to which group they belong to? She shares her experience of how her mother was being questioned about her as to whose child was she and what difficulties she went through during her childhood. She shares the thoughts on how the multiracial families try to escape from their identity in order to get accepted by the society. In this regard, she shares her experience with her cousin who considers herself as a white person just because her skin gives an impression of a white women, eve though she is a multiracial individual like her."
Abstract This paper looks at our views of race and ethnic groups as a result of mass media stereotyping. It describes the negative images of minorities distort our views of the world, as stereotypes of the media become part of the common culture of American society. The paper argues that media stereotypes create their own problems of crime, teenage pregnancy, unemployment and despair.
From the Paper "Certain things are nearly universal. They are actions that cut across lines of class, race, and ethnicity. Every morning, virtually every American gets up, looks at himself in the mirror, fixes himself up, and gets ready to face the world. Yet the image that a person sees when he looks into the mirror each day is not necessarily that seen by others. One's personal background colors the way one views those around him. Experiences, images, things learned in school and from television, movies, and books, influence our opinions of the world, and of those who are different from ourselves. The media is a powerful factor in determining our attitudes and prejudices. Films, television programs, and newspaper articles create stereotypes that have a lasting effect not only on our own opinions but also on those who on those who are subject to those opinions. The Italian gangster, the Jewish miser, and perhaps most of all, the Latino gang member, the African-American addict and welfare mother are burned into the minds of America's white majority. But these terrible images are also seared into the hearts and souls of the often-voiceless minorities whom they purport to portray. Media stereotypes create their own problems of crime, teenage pregnancy, unemployment, and despair."
Abstract This paper discusses Japan's rise to the international forefront at the beginning of the twentieth century and examines how the economic downturn in the 1920s paved the way for the rise of the militarists and ultimately to Japanese aggression in the 1930s.
From the Paper "In 1920 Japan's wartime economic boom distorted, and the country suffered a series of recessions. The great Kanto earthquake of 1923, which devastated the Tokyo-Yokohama region, aggravated bad economic conditions. Agricultural prices plunged, and the rural economy became indolent. A major bank panic in 1927 set off alarm bells, but conditions grew much poorer with the onset of the Great Depression?the global economic slump that began at the end of 1929. Japan's manufacturing production fell, workers were laid off, a new wave of strikes began, and the rural economy went into a tailspin."
An analysis of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 which struck Thailand in July 1997, soon engulfed most of the countries in the region ,and at one time threatened to spread the world over.
Abstract This paper is about the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, one of the severest financial meltdowns to hit a group of countries in modern day history. It describes how the crisis developed, gives a hypotheses about its causes followed by evidence from research, explaining the causes in detail. Effects of the crisis and a conclusion containing a summary of the research and lessons learnt are also included.
From the Paper "The unprecedented economic growth of the Southeast Asian countries? in the 1980s and 90s was a result of "opening-up" of their economies to take advantage of the globalization trend. This coincided with rapid appreciation of the Japanese yen in the mid-1980s that drove the cost of production sky high in Japan, forcing several Japanese companies to move their production facilities offshore?initially, to South Korea and Taiwan. The Japanese also started an aggressive policy of monetary expansion resulting in ?asset price bubble,? and triggering massive capital inflows into South Korea and Taiwan. By the late 1980s, the Korean and Taiwanese economies experienced a similar appreciation in their currencies, followed by similar policies and large capital outflows?to the neighboring Southeast Asian countries."
Tags: imf, currencies, stock, singapore, taiwan, malaysia, indonesia, international, banks
Abstract This paper focuses on the characters of the novel. June is the centerpiece of the plot and the relationship she has with her mother triggers the rest of the events in the story. The paper looks at how this relationship balances the fine line between integration into American society and the maintaining of one's own culture and identity - in this case, Chinese.
From the Paper "The Joy Luck Club? by Amy Tan is the story of the mother and daughter relationships of a group of Chinese women who have been transplanted to America and raised their daughters in a very different culture than they were raised. Tan's novel is told through vignettes as each mother tells her tale of the struggles and sorrows of what life was like for her in China. Through these stories, the daughters learn that their mothers had a very different life than they have had in America. Moreover, they gain insights that grow into appreciation of the women."
Abstract This novel was written by an aristocratic lady known as Murasaki Shikibu soon after the year 1000 A.D.. It offers a glimpse into the spirit as well as magnificence of the Heian era of Japan that extended from 794 AD to 1191. It tells the story of the life and loves of a handsome son, Hikaru Genji, born to an Emperor during the Heian Period. It details his various encounters with women and discusses the themes of love, friendship, affection and family.
From the Paper "'The Tale of Genji' has offered its readers an unparalleled glimpse into the spirit as well as magnificence of the Heian era of Japan that extended from 794 AD to 1191, between eras of the Nara and Kamakura. During that period where there was peace and economic stability, an aristocracy controlled by the Fujiwara family has dominated Japan, and the country's capital was located at Kyoto. While evaluating the novel, the readers may find with a strong theme, which is the notion of love, lust, in addition to the interaction of members of the opposite sex. Thus, The Tale of Genji is mostly the story about the relations between Genji and the people, which include mostly women whom he encountered. At the same time the story also explored the various themes of love, friendship, affection, filial loyalty, and last but not the least, family."
Abstract This paper explores some of the issues involved in American investment in China. The paper shows how such investments allow us to learn a great deal about the specific relationship between the United States and American investors and the Chinese government and Chinese business people. It also demonstrates some of the many complexities involved in the foreign investment procedure.
From the Paper "Investing in a foreign nation can prove highly profitable for companies or groups of independent investors (or government entities themselves), but it is also a strategy that contains a great deal of risk. There are, however, well-established ways of reducing the risk to the foreign investor. The most important of these is in fact the same way that one reduces risk in any investment, which is to become as knowledgeable as possible about the present and future conditions that will affect that investment. The difficulties with foreign (over domestic) investment arise primarily from the fact that there are more conditions to be considered in foreign investment as well as the fact that it may be more difficult for the investor to obtain accurate information about conditions in another country. This is likely to be especially true of countries that are relatively closed to foreigners. This paper explores some of the issues involved in American investment in China. Such investments allow us to learn both a great deal about the specific relationship between the United States and American investors and the Chinese government and Chinese business people but also demonstrates something of the complexities that obtain in any case of foreign investment."
Abstract A paper discussing all aspects of China being admitted into the World Trade Organization in 2001 after having been denied entry repeatedly in the past. Discussion includes China's expectation of being one of the main powers in the WTO after the United States and Europe. One of the main advantages discussed is the financial impact of globalization on China's labor force.
From the Paper "China is expected to become one of the main entities in the World Trade Organization, next to the United States and Europe. Besides becoming the dominant power in Asia, what this also means for China is that they could possibly see their unemployment rate surge if imports from member nations are now allowed to flood the market. Becoming the dominant power in Asia could be a direct result of China's entrance into the World Trade Organization. Some of the many advantages of growth and development for China now that they are involved in free trade and globalization through the World Trade Organization are quite varied."
Abstract This paper explores Lawrence F. Kaplan's article ?Trade Barrier: Why Trade won't bring Democracy to China.? Issues affecting the democratization of China are examined including a lack of wide interest in political change, Chinese property rights and fear of persecution.
From the Paper "It is widely believed that economic liberty follows political freedom. And the one reason why United States has not been doing anything concrete to hasten the democratization process in China is because it firmly believes in this notion. Almost every policy that United States has made so far in connection with China incorporates this vague idea and the results have been close to negligent if not downright negative. United States maintains that once China starts trading freely with the rest of the world, it will automatically be forced to bring some political changes and that would lead to democracy. But it is easier said than done. For reasons best known to U.S. policymakers, this idea is consistently being reiterated in every congressional speech including the ones delivered by President Bush."
Abstract This paper discusses the risks and benefits that are associated with foreign investment. The author uses China as an example to illustrate how foreign investment, particularly American, would affect both the financial and political make-up of the country. The author makes several arguments in favor of this type of investment including the size of the Chinese market and the fact that, since the early 1990s, the Chinese government has been making a concerted effort to lure foreign investors to the country. The paper concludes with a discussion of the areas where China can still improve its practices, in order to become more attractive to the foreign investor.
From the Paper "Among these changes are a greater adherence on the part of Chinese companies (and more vigilance on the part of the Chinese government) to international copyright laws and international labor standards (such as the exclusion of prison labor). Secondly, the Chinese government must make a greater commitment to at least close to full currency convertibility, an issue that has become stalled several times over the past years as the government has refused to devalue the Yuan. Full currency convertibility may not be necessary (and has certainly not yet been achieved), but the Chinese government must make a clear decision as to what extent it intends to make its currency convertible and then act on that decision."
Abstract This paper looks at the changes that Japanese women have undergone with respect to their identity. It focuses on the changes since the mid - 20th century. It links the historical changes in Japanese society over the past 150 years with the changes in their women's identity and also looks at social, political, economic and environmental factors that have influenced the identity of Japanese women.
From the Paper "Before 1868, especially under the Tokugawa Shogunate government, Japanese women had no legal personality. They could not own property and were in fact the property of men who could do with them virtually anything they fancied. At that time, they could read and write only hiragana, but business, political and literary materials were written in the more formal kanji which prevented them from sharing the more fulfilling and dignified world of men."
Tags: change, 20th, century, historical, economic, political, social, environmental
