Impact of Ethnicity on Politics

Impact of Ethnicity on Politics Introduction: The concept of Ethnic Identity and the resulting Politics is a somewhat recent development. History is full of examples where certain ethnic group got together and won over other ethnic groups for exploiting and snatching the assets of the other group. The battle for supremacy has exploited the ethnic ties in groups for their own benefit. The American Civil War – as is evident today – is a variation of this type of conflict. The crusades undertaken by Christians – however unchristian that may be – is also coming under this category. Today the politicians are roping in ethnic groups to strengthen their rank and file so that they can exploit the number game of today. The invasion of India by Babur, the first Moghul Emperor, was an ethnic groups’ invasion of a foreign land where the things needed by the group were available. The Moghul Empire, after a shaky start, lasted out for a few centuries. Hence, the fact Ethnic psychology played a significant role in shaping the history of the world is common knowledge. However, there must be something more in these group affiliations which is beyond religion, caste, creed or even culture. This paper examines the possibility of some basic reasons like economics, common threats, recurring frustrations or uncertainty factors which evolve an ethnic group and their contribution for stimulating political activities. Discussion: Every ethnic group shares not only a culture, religion, caste system etc but they also face certain common hostilities, frustrations and drawbacks which they want to overcome. These days there is no way other than politics by which they can make their statement heard and acknowledged by the concerned people. In the past whenever there was any common threat to a group they combined under an umbrella which later came to be called an ethnic group. In most of the cases it was religion but fact remains the group maintained solidarity by some thread only to fight against the threat facing them. There have been a number of ‘terrorist attacks’ all around the globe and in almost all these cases the roots are traceable to certain factions of a religion. The threats faced by these groups are numerous but it cannot be denied that the ethnicity factor had become dormant and the political ambition has become dominant. A case in point is that of the Gorkhas in the eastern part of India. It is well known that the Gorkhas are Mongoloid in origin but as far as religion goes most of them are either Hindus or Buddhists. They have an identity of their own but are supposed to play a secondary role in the body politic of India in general and West Bengal in particular. They claim to be affiliated to certain tribes and have been living in the remote hilly area for generations. Some clans are traceable to Chine uplands and are just not compatible to the society and culture of the main land India. These people, who have earned distinction by their services under the Royal British Army, have a very gallant regiment under the Indian Army. They are known to be very tough and brave in all assignments they are given. Yet they have started feeling that, outside the Indian Armed Forces, they are being deprived of their rightful claim to all the facilities due to them. As far as education goes they are not given any preference, all the important jobs in their home country of Darjeeling and adjoining areas are being given to the main land people. Thus they are now demanding that they should be giving a separate state under the Indian Constitution where they will be able to protect the interest of the hill people. This is a glaring example of ethnic politics. This ethnic group is trying to maintain its identity by resorting to politics whereby they are trying to protect the interest of the ethnic Gorkhas. In the past they have used all the means available to them – strikes, non-cooperation, work stoppages and even violence in many cases so that their demands are at least heard if not met. The situation has become so serious that the tourist traffic to the hills has plummeted to the rock bottom causing great harm to the state’s exchequer. However for the last forty years they have been given no consideration at all and the successive state governments have only made a mockery of their demands. Tall promises have been made but not a single action has been initiated for addressing their demands – most of which are towards protecting the rights of the ethnic Gorkha. The cultural background of the Gorkha people is significantly different from that of the main land population. Their way of life, social bonding and group affiliation has ensured that they project themselves as a different lot and therefore the ethnic political actions have created a significant impact on the total nation. People all over the country have slowly but surely started realising that the Gorkha people have a point to state. The major political parties are trying to woo their support in gaining advantage and clout in all local elections and other related issues. Thus they are now on the threshold making a big impact on the Indian political scene. Due to their geographical location they cannot think of going with the Chinese set up and the Indian politics has been dragging its feet in giving them their rightful claim. The ethnic identity has led to a significant polarisation of the political forces and may be in some occasion in the not too distant a future the identity of the Gorkhas are accepted and accommodated in the body politic of the Indian sub continent. When this long awaited eventuality takes shape it will once again vindicate the thinking that ethnic identity has a significant role to play in the political ambience of a place. The present day Gorkha movement is a clear validation of the existence of ethnic identity influence on the political development of an area. It may once again be recalled that the visible and manifested problems of the Gorkha people are just an expression of their frustration and anger at being deprived of the due facilities which is their rightful claim. The ethnic display of social bonds, cultural affinities and religious leanings are all but a manifestation of basically economic factors. This has been mobilised into an ethnic identity for influencing the politics of the place. Conclusion: The involvement of ethnic issues into creating any political identity is as old as history. However the truth is that the form and feel of such identity Politics on ethnic grounds has undergone a metamorphosis over time. The social, political, cultural, and racial aspects are all traceable to some common threat and frustration faced by the people. Such instances are countless in all countries but the issue of Gorkha people fighting to have their home land (on which certain knowledgeable write-ups were available) was chosen to highlight the main issues in the ethnic identity in politics. Here also the underlying reason for such consolidation of peoples will, could be traced to essentially economic and deprivation issues. Thus so long there are reasons to feel frustrated people will unite – amongst others – under the ethnic identity and try to wrench out political advantage from the authorities. Crowding under the ethnic banner for an identity and visibility will continue to be a dominant force in shaping the political situation of the world in the days to come.

Gilgamesh, Persepolis and Hamlet: Exam Paper Essay

The following are the pool from which the three (3) questions on your Midterm Exam will be culled. As explained in the syllabus you are required to keep exam journals for the Gilgamesh, Persepolis and Hamlet readings, based on the separate questions listed on Blackboard for each text. You may use your Exam Journals together with your completed Freud Vocabulary when you take the Midterm Exam 1. Both Ophelia and Marjane experience bouts of deep depression. In what ways are the conditions that contribute to their respective depressions similar and how do they differ? What, other than the difference in their temperaments, might account for each responded to her sorrows? What events led to each young woman’s depression? What were the elements that helped Marjane recover that weren’t available to Ophelia? 2. Compare and contrast the friendship between Hamlet and Horatio to that of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. How did they meet and become friends?  What roles do Enkidu & Horatio play in helping Gil & Ham achieve their goals? How do Enk & Hor help their friends perceive the supernatural? Who mourns and eulogizes whom in Gil & in Hamlet? What might indicate that each relationship could have been homoerotic? 3. In what way might Freud’s concept of psychological resistance explain Gilgamesh’s response to Enkidu’s death? Hamlet’s response to the death of his father, King Hamlet? Use the technical Freudian terms for the psychological resistances and why you think they apply to each 4. Which Freudian concepts might help explain the underlying psychological reasons why the reigning mullahs instituted such harsh restrictions on the status and behavior of women in Iran? Use the technical Freudian terms for the psychological resistances and why you think they apply 5. Both Marjane and Hamlet sense that â€Å"there is something rotten† with the governance and policies of their native countries. What are the similarities and differences between how they respond to those wrongs? What did Hamlet  feel was rotten in Denmark? Marjane in Iran first under the Shah then under the Ayatollahs? How did each try to avoid dealing with those conditions? How did each try to accommodate their behaviors to those conditions? What actions did each take to try and correct the wrongs they perceived? 6. Describe the advantages and challenges that Gilgamesh, Marjane and Hamlet each experienced as a result of living the dynamics of a â€Å"Dual Identity?† What ways might their experiences been similar and how did they differ What conditions drove each to assume a dual identity? What were the natures of their respective dual identities? What did their respective dual identities allow them to do and what toll did it place on them? 7. Freud observed that ancient mythology ascribes to oracles and the gods effects that he claims are manifestations of the unconscious (eg. Parapraxes and Dreams). Citing examples based on your reading of Hamlet and Gilgamesh do you agree or disagree with his claim? Might specific instances of dreams and parapraxes represent manifestations of Gil’s unconscious? Might the Ghost and his reaction to Yorik’s skull represent manifestations of Hamlet’s unconscious? 8. In Gilgamesh sex plays a civilizing function. Freud claims that our sexual urges constantly threaten civilization. What are the pros and cons of each position and can they be reconciled? After Shamhat has sex with Enkidu the animals reject him. In what ways does heterosexual coupling lead to greater civilization? In what ways does Freud indicate that our aggressive, sexual urges (Id) can subvert civilization? Are these 2 views mutually exclusive or can they be reconciled? 9. Freud claims that the OedipalElectra dynamic plays a significant role in human development. How might understanding this dynamic help us interpret Hamlet’s actions? Ophelia’s actions? How might Hamlet’s unresolved issues with Gertrude, King Hamlet and Claudius explain his actions? How might Ophelia’s lack of a mother figure and relation to Polonius explain hers? 10. Based on the typology of Joseph Campbell, Lynne Milurn describes a typology of the Hero’s Journey. A. Apply her stages to the journey of: i. Gilgamesh & Enkidu’s from the poem’s beginning thru their journey to the Cedar Forest ii. Gilgamesh’s search for immortality iii. Hamlet B. In what ways do the aspects of Marjane’s journeys correspond and how do they deviate from Milum’s typology? Indicate those elements and characters of the Hero’s Journey present in Persepolis In what ways might they not follow the progression of stages that Milum details C. Can these same stages might be applied to the psycho-analytic (From the time one realizes the need to go to a therapist til one is cured) and or psycho-sexual developmental journey (from birth to adulthood) as described by Freud?

Finance: United States Dollar and Exchange Rate Risk Essay

Your write-up should be eight to ten pages (double-spaced). If you provide information outside the case or the textbook, use a footnote to indicate the source. You can use pictures, but no more than four, and each figure should be no more than half a page in size. 1. Executive Summary. Briefly describe the history and business of Tiffany’s Co. What type of decision did the company have to make in 1993? Why was the decision important? 2. History of Japanese Yen. Describe the historical exchange rates between Japanese Yen and U.S. dollar over time. Focus on the big changes and what was the exchange rate in (and years before) July 1993. 3. To Hedge or Not? Do you think Tiffany should actively manage its yen-dollar exchange rate risk? Why or why not? Explain the benefits and costs of hedging. 4. What to Hedge? If Tiffany were to manage its exchange rate risk, then identify what exposures should be managed via such a hedging program (e.g., hedge sales, hedge gross profit, or hedge cash flows, etc.). Explain why. 5. Forward or Options? If Tiffany were to hedge the yen-dollar exchange rate risk, it can choose either forward contracts or options. Explain how Tiffany can hedge using forward contracts? How to hedge using options? The available forward contracts and options are described in Exhibit 8, assuming Tiffany can only use those derivatives to hedge. Based on what you have learned in this course, what are the pros and cons of using options to hedge compared to using forward contracts to hedge? 6. Your Decision. If you were CFO of Tiffany, what would you have done in July 1993? No hedging at all? Or hedging? If you decided to hedge, quantify how much of these exposures should be covered and for how long. You have to justify your answers. Note that there is no â€Å"correct answer.† The reasoning is more important. You should obtain information from Tiffany’s financial statements (e.g., Exhibit 3) and use information in the case (e.g., on page 3 it says that â€Å"Tiffany’s sales accounted for only 1% of the $20 billion Japanese jewelry market†) and then make an educated guess on what is the exposure and how much you want to hedge and how (i.e., using forward contracts or options or a combination.) Again, if two groups have similar write-ups, both write-ups will receive a grade of 0. Also, you should provide an answer to each specific question. Quantify questions 5 and 6. Otherwise you have to rewrite. Finally, I just want to clarify the option prices in Exhibit 8 in case 2. The left panel says Calls: it means these are call options on U.S. dollars, and these are from Japan’s point of view, not from U.S.’s point of view. So the left panel gives you the right (but not obligation) to buy U.S. dollar with Yen (i.e., sell Yen for dollar), and that is what you want to use. Do not use the right panel. You may ask, how come the case says that Tiffany should use Yen put options to hedge? Well, a Yen put option IS a dollar call option, why? A call option on US dollar, written at an exercise price in terms of Yen, is a put option on Yen, written at an exercise in terms of dollar. For example, in Exhibit 8, the three months call option on dollar with a strike price of 92Yen has a premium of 2.52 100ths of a cent per yen (i.e., premium is 0.000252$/yen). This call option gives you (mainly Japanese investors) the right to buy $ using Yen, that is to say, it gives you the right to sell Yen at (1/92)$, therefore, this is a put option for Yen from U.S. investors’ point of view. Bottom line, since Tiffany has Yen exposure, so you want to sell Yen as financial manager of Tiffany, so you should use the left panel, not the right panel.

The Persuasive Antony of William Shakespeares Julius Caesar

The Persuasive Antony of William Shakespeares Julius Caesar In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, the characters give many persuasive speeches, some stronger than others, to convince characters in the story about what is true, false, right, and wrong. After given instructions on a way to present his funeral speech for Caesar, Antony uses knowledge and skill to cover for his persuasion. Antony speaks to the Roman mob after Brutus. His objective is to turn the people against Brutus and the conspirators in a persuading way so the group will no longer follow what is wrong. Antony has skillful ways to help him convince the Romans that Caesar was a loving man and Brutus is not so honorable. He uses verbal†¦show more content†¦In addition to the use of reverse psychology to persuade to mob, Antony is convincing when using parallel phrases with repetition. Antony repeatedly uses a phrase, only worded differently, to aid him in persuading the mob that Brutus is wrong. He says that Brutus claims Caesar was ambi tious and everyone knows that Brutus is a man of honor. This is done to test the crowd. Therefore, the Romans should believe Brutus, right? Of course they should not follow Brutus words, because Antony gives facts on how ambition does not define the honorable Caesar. He tells the mob how Caesar, hath brought many captives home to Rome,... (Act III, scene ii, 90). This shows that Antony knows how to prove that Caesar did care for the people of Rome and cannot possibly be a man of ambition. The use of parallel phrases with repetition is an excellent and common technique when trying to be persuasive. By repeating himself continuously through his speech, Antony is making sure the crowd hears and remembers his words. He seems to want the mob to know Brutus thoughts of Caesar and how, in the end, all are false comments. By using this technique, is there an added persuading feeling coming from the speech? 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