Abstract An examination of the the new era of globalization, focusing on Egypt, and its many effects on a distinctive Islamic society. The paper looks at Egypt during the 19th century, the era of colonialism, the cold war, and nowadays -- the age of U.S. dominated globalization. A major theme of the paper is the effect of the interaction of 'East' and 'West' on the development of radical Islam, as well as on the growth of feminism in Egypt.
From the Paper "The processes of globalization can viewed as a process, in which "the world is rapidly being moulded into a shared social space by economic and technological forces…" (Held, McGrew, Goldblatt & Perraton) As the economies and cultures of the world become integrated into the whole of the global information age, the concept and reality of globalization becomes more complex and far-reaching. The consequences of this increased sense of interconnectedness is that events in one community will inevitably affect all societies. And due to imbalance of power, the most forceful, dynamic and potent culture is likely to dominate others, thereby inducing much resentment in many indigenous cultures. Thus many argue that globalization, in this sense, is similar to colonialism. Encapsulating this sentiment about interaction with the dominant Western culture, indigenous leaders recently held a convention in which they argued that tension is created since "people have to defend themselves against that kind of attack". (Lucas) Globalization is therefore challenging existing social identities across the planet in many important ways. Many have forgotten the positive aspects of globalization because they are more concerned about preservation of their own distinctive identity. Ever-increasing cultural interactions, it is said, "break down human-scale structures, destroy bonds of reciprocity and mutual dependence, and pressure the young to substitute their own culture and values with the artificial values of advertising and the media." Like many others, Helena Norberg-Hodge goes on to argue that much of the discontents and conflicts that exist in various parts of the world is a result of increasing exposure to foreign cultures. Both domestic and international conflicts nowadays, it is therefore argued, are to a large extent a result of this interaction of cultures."
Tags: arab, colonialism, conflict, cultural, east, egypt, feminism, gender, globalization, imperialism, islam, israeli, middle, radicalism, religion, socialism, terrorism, west
Abstract This essay discusses the life of people in ancient Egypt. It describes how they lived and what family life was like. More than anything, we see how Egypt was a profoundly religious society.
Abstract This paper discusses the way that tomb construction developed and changed in Egypt. The paper looks at three periods - The Old Kingdom (c2780-2260 BC); Middle Kingdom (c1997 -1650 BC) and New Kingdom (1552-1069 BC) - in order to compare the methods.
From the Paper "Because of the incredible power and authority of the king at this time, his tomb was designed to exemplify his grandeur as well as serve as the final resting-place for his body and earthly possessions. In addition, the tomb complex was also the focal point of the king's cult for ritual prayer and for worship. Unfortunately, the roles of the king's tomb proved to nullify each other; the builders tried to "hide" the king's body and possessions while at the same time allowing the public in to worship him at the same time. As a result, the whereabouts of the king's treasure were common knowledge and over time each of these tombs was stripped of everything of value, not excluding the king's corpse itself? "
Abstract This paper takes a chronological look at the Hellenistic kingdom of Ptolemaic Egypt from its founding to its eventual end and integration into the Roman Empire under Caesar. It also looks at the succession of Ptolemaic rulers, the Ptolemy governments, and the infrastructure and economy established under these rulers. Included are descriptions of the significant aspects of the culture and religion of that era. The paper also covers the fall of the Ptolemaic empire and the events and characters in history that contributed to the fall.
From the Paper "After entering Egypt with no resistance, Alexander the Great stayed in Egypt about six months. (Platt and Ashwani 1985) From there he marched east into Asia and onto the plains of Indus, (modern day India). Before departing for points east Alexander appointed a nobleman from Macedonia satrap, (governor), of Egypt. His name was Ptolemy. In 306 B.C. having been part of ongoing civil wars with the other generals from Alexander's campaigns, Ptolemy declared himself king, and later god-king, of Egypt. Thus began the Hellenistic kingdom of Ptolemaic Egypt."
Abstract This paper discusses the economic advantages and disadvantages of the nation of Egypt. It explores the nation's natural wealth in terms of oil reserves, the stability of its government and its culture. It expands on the number of challenges faced by the country, including the fact that the nation's oil supplies will run out in the relatively near future. The author highlights the fact that the nation's economy will, in all likelihood, continue to be negatively affected by the violence in the region.
From the Paper "The nation of Egypt has both economic advantages and disadvantages. The nation is blessed with a great deal of natural wealth in terms of oil reserves. It is headed by a stable government and is the seat of one of the most ancient civilizations in the world. ..."
Abstract This paper provides an evaluation of the organizational development of General Motors, Egypt. The paper covers the issues of background of the company, market analysis, assessment of business problems and evaluation of strategy.
From the Paper "This research presents the findings of an organizational development analysis of General Motors, Egypt. The findings are presented in the following discussions: A background on the company and its environment, B environmental and market analysis, C major business problems, D assessment of business problems and E evaluation of the strategy of General Motors, Egypt. General Motors Corporation, GM, ranks number one on the Fortune and GM is a premiere America company by any measure."
Tags: organizational development, General Motors, Egypt, strategy
Abstract The paper examines key issues associated with privatization and focuses on the specific cases of Egypt and Tunisia.
From the Paper "The latter half of the twentieth century saw a concerted worldwide move toward free market economic principles. Colonies won their independence from their European masters and struggled to create their own political and economic identities. Post-war Europe grew into a strong economic power while post-war Japan became an economic powerhouse with multinational companies doing business around the world."
Abstract This paper reviews the history of Egypt as well as two fundamental governmental institutions. Namely, the paper examines the legislative organ of Egyptian government - the People's Assembly - and the executive organ of the government - namely, the Office of the Presidency. As soon becomes evident, the former has a ways to go before it can overcome the current powers and privileges of the latter.
From the Paper "The purpose of this paper is twofold. Chiefly, this paper is about examining two governmental institutions in Egypt - the legislature or People's Assembly, and the executive or Egyptian presidency. But more than that, this paper is an examination of Egypt itself, because it is only by placing these institutions within their proper context that they can be fully appreciated. This paper will provide a brief overview of the nation of Egypt and proceed to a discussion of the two aforementioned governmental institutions. While Egypt's governmental institutions share certain features with other countries, those institutions are still, in their own way, uniquely Egyptian. The history of Egypt is a fascinating one. The Egyptians were a dominant power from roughly 3200 B.C. until 341 B.C. when their native land was conquered by marauding Persian forces. "
Abstract This essay presents the opinion of an ordinary citizen on peasant life in Egypt since the 1980s. It describes increased U.S influence, World Bank restructuring, removal of food subsidy and other aspects of national development schemes that aimed to help rural women. It emphasizes rural-urban split in a country that cannot afford a dual economy and ensures political stability.
From the Paper "An Egyptian Woman Comments on the Rural Standard of Living since the 1980s. Better relations between Egypt, Israel and the United States, had mixed results. For instance, women's groups in Egypt were aided by influences from abroad, and new investment in the rural sector, but this progress was short-lived. There was optimism to the mid-1980s, as the United States backed Egypt's social and economic development plan of investment in agriculture, health care and basic education. After 1990, however, Egypt fell prone to restructuring, as in other countries affected by the shift of the World Bank to do with removing debt, running economies according to cost-benefit analysis, towards less social spending."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of civil society in Egypt. Firstly, a brief historical overview of civil society in Egypt is presented and an analytical overview of the political situation in Egypt is provided, illustrating the authoritarian nature of the regime and assessing the influence of the regime on the growth and nature of civil society. Next, an analytical overview of the economic situation in Egypt is presented, assessing the influence of the economic malaise on the growth of civil society. Next, a sectoral overview of civil society organizations in Egypt is presented, by dividing the civil organizations in to categories (service provision, charity and welfare, guilds and unions, development civil society organizations, political parties, human rights/citizenship rights, research organizations, cultural groups, and finally sports clubs) and within this section, several organizations within each category are discussed, in terms of their activities. This section includes information on the total number of CSOs in Egypt. This section also highlights the fact that a culturally specific approach is necessary when discussing CSOs in Egypt, as a large quantity of Islamic groups are spread throughout the sectors. Next, an in-depth analysis of three groups and their activities is presented: one Islamic, one political party (maybe the Muslim brotherhood) and one an International NGO.
From the Paper "Researchers have identified that several elements have shaped the profile of Egypt's civic sector: government policies shifted over time from laissez faire to increased government control under different regimes, yet religion has always been an element of associational life in Egypt (Kandil, 1999). In a 1993 survey, it was found that about 31% of associations were Islamic and about 7% were Christian: most of these organizations provided health services, social assistance, and religious services (Kandil, 1999). Further influences on civil society have been identified (by Ibrahim et al., 1998) as the state, traditional forces (via the Communities of Virtue), and external Western forces: it is argued that the current status of civil society in Egypt has come about due to a complex historical - and current - relationship between these three factors (Ibrahim et al., 1998)."
Abstract Analysis of the 1978 Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement on Egypt's economic development. History of Egypt's social, political and economic struggles under different leaders in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Government control of the economy. The Camp David Peace Accord and economic progress in Egypt since its signing. High military spending. 11 Tables.
From the Paper "The Effects of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement on the Economic Development of Egypt
Introduction:
Egypt has had a long, troubled road to economic development. From the first attempts at industrialization in the early 1800's to the country's present-day struggle, Egypt has faced social and political hurdles as well as troubles in the world economy throughout its attempt to become an industrialized nation. This paper will examine that struggle with special emphasis on the impact of the Camp David Peace Accord on economic development in Egypt.
The economic history of Egypt, beginning in the mid-1800's, will first be explored in order to put post-Camp David..."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the two nations of Egypt and Bahrain. The paper looks at both countries in terms of history, politics in general and political developments since World War Two, religion, geography and international relations. While there are some similarities between the two, such as their close proximity to each other, their connection to Islam, the paper points out the differences as well.
Contents:
History and Politics
Political Development and Modernization
Bahrain and Egypt in the Latter 20th Century
Foreign Policy for Bahrain and Egypt References
From the Paper "Geographical position played a critical role in the political development of both nations. In ancient times, Bahrain lay across the main ocean trading routes between the Romans and Greeks to the West, the Indian subcontinent, and sea trade among nations along the Persian or Arabic Gulf. Nakhleh said that for centuries Bahrain has prided itself "on the urbanity and middle-class pragmatism of its people," the result of its long history as a trading entrepot (96). Like Egypt, Bahrain encountered many alien rulers, but most of them came before the 15th century A.D. from the Middle East, Babylonians, Persians, and in 940 A.D."
Abstract This paper examines how understanding the extent of corruption, as it has been exposed by globalization, is important because it allows us to better understand consistent underdevelopment in Third World nations, such as Egypt. It shows how an analysis of financial corruption in Egypt and the country's resistance to change versus the efforts toward the political and economic reform of the country by external powers, underscores that the country's problem is not economic poverty, but corruption and misuse of foreign aid funds and national resources. After establishing the connection between globalization and corruption, the main argument is that the high level of corruption in a country like Egypt proves the necessity of enforcing international anti-corruption laws, thus, removing a significant obstacle to development.
From the Paper "In "Politics of Corruption," Patrick Fitzsimons discusses corruption within the framework of globalization. He begins his article by referring to the characteristics and concerns of the new global economic and political system, from the concern with multiculturalism, to terrorism, to economic liberalism, and notes the meaning and importance of these new concepts and concerns. According to Fitzsimmons' argument, their importance lies in the fact that they effectively define the thoughts and ideologies of the current political and economic environment."
Abstract This paper explains that the major event marking the beginning of civilization was the development of agriculture, which was made possible by the presence of three important rivers--the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia, the "Cradle of Civilization", and the great Nile River in Egypt. The author points out that, only after the development of village/farming life, the civilized societies of the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Hittites and the Sumerians in Mesopotamia and the Egyptians in the Nile River valley originated or further developed concepts such as government, law, formal religions, writing, monumental architecture, measurement and calculation. The paper relates that, in the days of the Pharaohs, the land of Egypt was dotted with marshes and island ridges and what is now arid desert valley was grassy meadows well suited for grazing cattle and hunting --the fertility of Egypt was proverbial.
From the Paper "In contrast to the civilizations that arose and perished in the "Cradle of Civilization," the Nile River defined the culture that lived by virtue of its presence--ancient Egypt. Originating deep in Africa, the Nile River descends through many cataracts to sea level at the delta in Egypt, where in its annual flooding, rich soil is deposited. Hemmed in by its narrow valleys, the Nile flows through regions that may not have a single drop of rainfall in a decade. Yet crops grow luxuriantly from the fertilized silt, just as they did in ancient times. Thus, the great Nile made life possible and allowed the peoples of Egypt to build one of the greatest civilizations of all time."
Abstract The paper states that when analyzing the political environment in Egypt, one of the most important questions one would ask refers to the political regime of Egypt. This paper focuses on presenting the level of democratization in Egypt by analyzing the latest elections that took place there in 2005. The paper specifically focuses on elections as these are a very significant indicator of the level of democratization of a country.
From the Paper "The respect of human rights and of principles of equality show how developed a country is and the level of development is closely linked to the level of democratization. Elections represent a democratic practice that allows citizens to choose their representatives and freedom of elections is a guarantee of the freedom that each citizen has to chose and be chosen. Freedom of elections is an indicator of the political freedom of a country and of the level of democratization of that country. Based on this argument, this paper analyzes the latest elections in Egypt and how free and fair they were, arguing that the level of democratization of Egypt can be determined after analyzing its elections."
