Liberalism Is Simply Another Tool to Maintain Western Hegemony Essay

Liberalism Is Simply Another Tool to Maintain Western Hegemony. Discuss - Essay Example In the modern world, most peoples’ thinking is dominated by liberal ideas and most political systems especially in the west are founded on and shaped by liberal principles and values (Ramsay, 2004). Liberal democracies ensure the will of the people is reflected in government policies by ensuring free and fair elections with full participation of electorates and minimum intervention in private affairs of citizens. However, liberal theory is accused of masking actual inequalities in power, wealth and abilities of individuals in liberal society. For example, if an individual has the freedom to pursue his interests but has no resources, then the freedom makes no sense. The liberal theory in international politics focuses on achieving lasting peace and cooperation in international relations. The debate surrounding this issue is whether cooperation among sovereign states is possible bearing in mind that each state is rational and utilitarian. Most scholars argue that trade and economic interdependence among nations can lead to cooperation among states (Keohane 1980; Chandler, 2010, Weber, 2010). However, though the interdependence among states brings relative gains to members, it is used as a means to maintain western supremacy over the rest of the world since the west has the resources and power to influence other states especially developing countries. The developing countries consent to the western ideas and incorporate them in their policies due to gains from the cooperation. The essay in trying to answer the question is divided into 3 sections. The first section will deal with defining the key concepts used in the essay as well as the ideas underlying the liberalism theory of international relations. The second section will be to explain how liberalism is used as a tool to maintain western hegemony. The first argument will focus on free trade as a tool to gain consent and maintain western hegemony. This is because most third world countries are lured to accept western liberal values through free trade which guarantees them economic growth. The second argument will focus on international institutions that are used to gain consent through cooperative regimes hence maintain western hegemony. I will also argue how globalization has been used to spread western ideas hence maintain western hegemony. The last section is the conclusion whereby the main points will be highlighted. DEFINING KEY CONCEPTS The liberal theory of international relations is based on various ideas from different liberalists but they all agree on various key ideas. The concepts mostly used in this theory include; liberalism, freedom, equality, justice, rights, public society and private society. Liberalism is derived from the concept of human nature which views individuals as autonomous beings with equal natural rights, intrinsic dignity and equal worth (Ramsay, 2004). Individuals are considered as rational beings able to pursue personal interests and find the best way to satisfy those wants. In this case, public interest does not exist although neoliberals argue that individuals can give up their interests for the good of others since they are impartial. They encourage cooperation among states so as to achieve joint absolute gains for the good of all. Freedom refers to the â€Å"intrinsic dignity and equal worth of each individual† (Ramsay, 2004: 17).It can be negative or positive liberty but negative freedom is more emphasized and entails non- interference. For example, freedom of speech means other individuals should not restrict one

Comparative Essay: Mothers With A Divided Heart -- essays research pap

Comparative Essay: Mothers With A Divided Heart Kathy O'Reilly April 3, 1997 Comparative Essay The importance of raising children to be productive members of a rapidly evolving, achievement oriented society, is paramount to the success of the family and the global economy. At the same time, the stresses of every day individual economic and personal fulfillment needs are a significant counter force. This force works against the available time and effort required for mothers to successfully nurture their young. It has resulted in societal "Mommy Wars", pitting the working mom against the stay-at-home mom, in a battle over which model offers the clearest path to nurturing success. Bridging the gap requires each to accept that there is not one right choice for every family and to understand and respect each individual decision. All moms have one thing in common: they make sacrifices to do what is best for their families. To a working mom, this means not spending as much time with her children, and for stay-at-home moms, this means not getting much time to herself. Being home or not with the children is not as important as creating an environment where the children can thrive and feel loved. Stay-at-home moms are often viewed as "soap-opera-watching couch potatoes" with no ambition. Rather than being praised for their decision to stay home, they often feel they need to defend it. Society talks so much about family values, yet gives little respect or value ...

Interesting Sociology Essay Topics Essay

Sociology essays deal with the study of human social behavior in a society, thus, it is quite interesting for the students who are interested in human psyche but boring for those who don’t like studying their species. By and large, essays on sociology are mostly based on informative and argumentative style of writing, the argumentative sociology essay demands to work on thesis while essays on the sociology of knowledge are mostly assigned to the students in the informative arena. Whether it is argumentative or informative essays, one has to develop a topic that can grab the attention of the reader in no time and this is not such an easy task. While developing a topic for sociology essay, on should remember the nature of the subject, that is it deals with human behavior, psychology, humanities and social science. Thus, the topic should be as such which revolves around these subjects. Following are some of the recommended sociology essay topic for the students who are not able to select a good topic for their assignment. 1- Youth addiction to alcohol – Causes and concerns 2- Comparison between the children brought up in Filipino and Europe 3- What is and should the role of politicians in socializing through campaigning? 4- Merits and demerits of media for a society? 5- How cross cultural media transformation destroys the culture of a particular society? 6- Internet and its implications on a society. 7- Diffusion of innovation in European culture. 8- Critical comparison between sociology and anthropology 9- Homosexuality – crucial warning to our society 10- Views about organ transplantation in our society 11- What are the causes of increasing street crimes in our society? 12- What does mean to be a single parent in a conservative society? 13- Comparison between marriages and live-in? 14- Life in rural areas and life in a metropolitan city 15- Increasing materialism increases the depression in a society 16- In spite of such an advanced means of communication people are increasingly going for solitude. 17- Adoption and its consequences for an adopted child 18- How does divorce effects on the minds of the children 19- Comparison between materialistic and a spiritualistic person 20- Living a life as an eternal bachelor 21- Women empowerment in a conservative society 22- Challenges a working women faces in our society 23- Comparison between inferiority and superiority complex 24- Living whole life in a prison 25- Origin of sociology as a science

Kate Chopin s `` The Storm `` And Clint Eastwood s The...

The topic of adultery has always been a touchy subject amongst couples; never the less, many people have succumb to it. In Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Storm† and Clint Eastwood’s The Bridges of Madison County, both protagonists were married mothers who were becoming complacent living their ordinary housewife lifestyle on a farm. As a lone character comes into their lives, a new passionate love is sparked which will test the loyalty to their husbands and children. Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Storm† and Clint Eastwood’s The Bridges of Madison County, share the use of love, passion, and loyalty in order to show the complications and justifications of an affair. Calixta and Francesca, main characters of the two stories, both showed signs of nothing less than love towards their families; however, the idea of true love that sits in the minds of today’s society is questioned in the stories. Francesca spends her life distant from others, so she cherishes the time she has to spend with her family even though the family might not feel the same way; so when Robert comes into her life, she is treated a way she has never been treated before, and she loves it. One night, while hard at work preparing a wonderful dinner for her family, Francesca sets the dinner table expecting a beautiful family dinner. When she asks for grace to be called before the first bites of supper, her request is casually put down and the remaining supper time is spent disappointedly eating silently (Eastwood). Her husband Richard