Ch 24

Ch 24

Wow I cant believe that we have finished the textbook already, I don’t think that I have ever read an entire textbook in my whole life. After two semesters of world history I have learned a lot of interesting information. People say that if you don’t know the history of the past then history will just repeat it self, and the same mistakes will be made. I think that this course has taught me a lot and looking and discussing in depth about very important topics of history I feel like I am more knowledgeable about the history of the world.

Chapter 24 opens up talking about Barbie and Ken. I think that this topic is very interesting as I used to play with barbies when I was younger, I had never really realized the debate over the dolls before. I had both ken and Barbie along with other dolls of other ethnicities. Some don’t like barbies because they say that she has a negative influence over young girls. Arguing that barbie’s body is unrealistic and that girls will try to have that body when the chances of having that body type is 1 in 100,000. Also, the fact that Barbie is so much into her looks and her style, many people argue that it does not matter whether she is beautiful or ugly, but what matters is how her personality is and what iconic things she does for young girls. While others, say that Barbie is beautiful and smart and that this is encouraging for young girls, especially because Barbie has had many great jobs for example a doctor, a vet, a teacher, a paleontologist etc. Those who argue that Barbie is a positive influence over young girls say that Barbie allows girls to use there imaginations, to dress Barbie however they wish, they can make Barbie walk and talk how they wish. However one looks at Barbie, the toy is still a multi-billion selling industry and will remain that way for a long time.

            Another debate about Barbie is the one that concerns ken. Barbie and ken, Ken and Barbie, these names are known almost all over, but is this relationship healthy? Sure, some parents in America like the relationship, it shows that Barbie can be independent and stand on her own feet, because she is not married. But others in countries like Iran for example people believe Barbie is not a good role model because she has an unmarried companion. So instead of having the big Barbie ken phenomenon in Iran they have Sara and Dara, sister and brother twins. They teach values like helping each other problem solve, and looking to their parents for guidance. This relationship is totally different than that of ken and Barbie, the values are the opposite; the way they dress is opposite. This is an example of how values differ all across the world, and how industries like that of Barbie have to alter their products in order to sell in different parts of the world. I really liked how the textbook used this example in order to make the concept of the chapter clear.

           

          Another important aspect of this chapter was the paragraphs concerning feminism. In the 1960 feminist organizations came out with strong opinions. They argued that they no longer wanted to be seen as the “other” or deviant. Women are human just like men; we are not some alien forces that should be viewed differently than men. Women began to speak out and fight for their equality. Also women wanted to be able to control what happens to their bodies. That’s where the big debates of abortion really began. Whether I agree with that issue or not, I understand where women were coming from with the start up of this debate. Women were also fighting for equal rights in employment and education. I think that its kind of sad that it was roughly only 50 years ago when women were beginning to be looked at as equal to men! 

            

Ch 23- The roles of influential people

Chapter 23

         As I opened up and began reading chapter 23 I realized how inspirational this chapter is. It talks about how countries fought for and attained their independence and who were the motivational and inspiring people who helped in the process. Right when I opened the textbook the first page of chapter 23 is a large picture of Nelson Mandela. Even before reading the first paragraph I felt inspired, just from the picture. As I began reading the chapter I learned about the enormous effect that he as one individual had in South Africa. Nelson Mandela went through many hardships in order for his voice to be heard. Imagine spending 27 years in prison for no reason at all, imagine that you did nothing wrong except speak out against your government. He was imprisoned for treason, sabatage, and conspiracy. This just shows what kind of government south Africa and many other countries as this time had. Nelson spent his nights sleeping on the floor because that is all he had for a bed, a cold stone hard floor, and if he wanted to use the bathroom… he had a bucket! That’s not even the  worst part of it, the more I read the worst it got. While in prison, Nelson Mandela was allowed one visitor a year for 30 minutes, and was allowed to write and receive one letter every six months! Scientist have proven that people need the company of others. That the body and especially the mind can go crazy with out other people around, that is why so solitary confinement is such a horrid place, and why prisoners dislike it so much. 

      When he was finally released in 1990 from growing domestic and international pressure he gave his first speech and battling through many more hardships he eventually came South Africas first black president. The fight that Mandela endured was incredibly inspiring to many other countries around the world. Take a moment to look at the date that he was released from prison, 1990, that was only 21 years ago, a man who spent 9,828 days being brutally treated spent his years as a free man fighting for the lives and freedom of the people in his country. 

      Other people were just as inspiring as he was, which lead to the freedom of other countries. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, he did so much for the freedom of india from british rule. Before the 1900’s many who lived in india did not see themselves as “Indians”, the cultural identity of India was mainly that of the locals and diversity was enormous. The British rule promoted a growing sense of Indian identity, unlike foreign rulers, the British didn’t assimilate, and rather, Indians shared more similarities to each other than to the rulers. I think this was beneficial for the people of India because they got to keep pieces of their cultures. The influence and role that Gandhi had, most believe, encouraged the freedom of india. He was originally suppose to be  a lawyer but that profession did not lead him far, and in 1893 Gandhi traveled to south Africa where he joined the fight against racial segregation. Later, he developed a  political philosophy of satyagraga meaning, truth force, a nonviolent approach to political action. When he went back to india he became the leader of the INC. he made movements to get rid of colonial rule and also the mistreatment of indias untouchables and the evils of modernization.

              Many supported ghandi and his struggle for independence india, however many had issues with what he was doing. There was a growing muslim/hindu divide and in 1906 an all india muslim league was created. Also, some Hindu politicians defined the nationalist struggle in religious terms. Finally in 1947, india finally gained its independence, however, india was divided and Pakistan was created. Pakistan was mainly the home of many muslims where india remained the home of many hindus. This new separation sparked much violence, around 1 million died, and roughly 12 million refugees relocated. Sadly, in 1948, a year after ghandi finally achieved the independence he spent his life trying to achieve he was assassinated by a hindu extremist. To think that any ordinary man or women can achieve and influence so much in one lifetime is amazing. Although I did not talk about all the influential people who dedicated there lives to gaining independence for those of there country and for future generations, there were many! 

intro paragraph

After reading and doing research on the region that is currently in turmoil, it would make anyone realize how fortunate he or she is, especially those who live in the United States. We live in a country where we have the opportunity to choose those who govern over us, and what we want to do with the life we are given to live. Some of those in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa are rebelling from their government and are seeking freedom. The Webster definition of oppress is “to keep someone in subservience and hardship, esp. by the unjust exercise of authority”. Millions of people are living in a society where they have no control over their lives, where the government controls them, they are living in a society where the richer stay rich and the poor become poorer. Imagine living a life where one’s voice has no meaning when it comes to government, and those in power decide the outcome of one’s life. Finally, after years of oppression people are beginning to fight back, the countries in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula are echoing from one another, and the fight for equality is happening. 

ch 21

This chapter is filled with many major points in history. The chapter starts off talking about World War I, or also known as the Great War. It lasted from 1914–1918. After WWI, the Great Depression hit, followed by the rise of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, and then World War II. All of these events proved to be sad in one way or another. The death total of all of these historical events is just horrendous, and if one were to take a moment of there day to think about how many people, all around the world died in these horrific events, it would bring any person down. I just thought about how many people died in two major wars, the great depression, and during the holocaust, and this feeling of sadness just overtook me. To think that not only did millions and millions of people die during these years, but for each life that was taken, a family member of friend also suffered the loss. Now that I’m talking about such sad, horrific thoughts I think that I am going to talk about the Holocaust. I wanted to originally talk about the entire chapter, and summarize the major events of history, but it only feels right to dedicate most of this blog to the holocaust. I think that we have learned about the holocaust every year in school since the 6^th grade, or at least I have. Every time that the subject of the holocaust comes up, I think that its one of the saddest moments in history, and people often get very emotional over the subject. One of the most famous names in history, Adolf Hitler, one of the biggest communist the world has ever seen, became chancellor of Germany in 1933, and immediately outlawed other political parties, arrested opponents, censured the press, and assumed police power. Hitler succeeded in bringing Germany out of the depression, and he invoked rural and traditional values, and by the 1930’s had the majority of the support from his people. In my opinion, Hitler is the worst, most cruel, and heartless person that I have ever learned about. I don’t think that any other person in the world has made me so mad and depressed. How can one man do that? This is one question that puzzles my mind every time the subject of Hitler or the Holocaust is brought up. I think that many people around the world feel the same way that I do. For example, a middle school in Tennessee started this project, where one paper clip represented a person who died in the holocaust. It started off as a small project; the school had no idea about how many paper clips they actually needed. The paper clip project ended up being national project, and they received paper clips from people all around the country. The total number of paper clips they collected ended up being over 30 million. Just let that number sink in for a minute. It is truly sad. Following the holocaust, even more lives were taken during World War II. This Second World War was an even more global conflict, it is recorded that an estimated 60 million people died due to WWII, and roughly about half of those who died were civilians, the line between civilians and those in the military was blurred. The USSR suffered about 40% of the total number of deaths and Chinese civilians undertook massive attacks, in most villages at least one human and one animal was killed. China also suffered the Rape of Nanking, from the years of 1937-1938, it’s estimated that 200,000-300,000 civilians of china were killed, and countless more women were raped. World War II left Europe in ruins, and they no longer had the power or the strength to hold onto their Asians and African colonies.  Coincidently, WWII brought on feelings of internationalism, and the United Nations was created in 1945, and the Unites States became a superpower. I think that this chapter was filled with a lot of very important information, and I believe that it is one of the most chapters in our book and I’m glad that I got to reflect on it through this blog.

Ch 20

Colonial rule ended up disturbing the way of life that people had, and the concept of racism was becoming more widespread at an extremely fast rate, especially in places like Africa. The cultural identities that people had were being altered, and cultures were changing due to colonial rule. One aspect where change can be seen is in the way people viewed education. The idea of education was enlightening to many people, especially the illiterate. They saw it as a chance to move up in society, and attain better jobs, to escape from former obligations that they had, such as forced labor.  Along with embracing education, many people embraced other European ideas, for example the way that building and houses were designed, and the little girl fantasy of getting married in a white dress. Many people saw the colonial rule progress as a path to a better future, hoping to achieve a better life for themselves and their families. In India many reforms were taking place, people sought to change the Indian culture that was free of idolatry, child marriages, caste, and discrimination against women, while keeping their mindset along the texts of Hinduism. I think that while I was reading this, this particular section stood out to me because it mentioned the country that my ancestors are from. I may have not been born in India, or grown up in a traditional Indian household, and I think that has a lot to do because of the reforms that started years and years ago. For example, all of those horrid practices that took place, like child marriages, and the discrimination against women, were still part of the Indian culture today, I don’t think that I would be the person that I am today. Especially the part that has to due with discrimination against women, everyone knows that people do not see women equal to men in the society that we live in today. Especially in foreign countries outside of the U.S. like India and the middle east for example. Imagine what it was like before the reforms and colonial rule took place. So, I am glad that these reforms took place, and people became educated because it opened up new doors for many people, who previously were naïve to the rights they had as human beings. 

Collapse

          For this weeks blog we had to read Collapse by, Jared Diamond. I thought that the reading was really interesting; it really touched some points that are important to our world today. At the end of the reading there was quote that I would like to state again. Jared wrote “ I introduced this section by acknowledging that there are important differences between the ancient world and the modern world. The differences that I then went on to mention- today’s larger populations and more potent destructive technology, and today’s interconnectedness posing the risk of a global rather than a local collapse- may seem to suggest a pessimistic outcome.” I chose to talk about this quote because I think that it really connects everything that this last chapter was about. He talked about the different ways that our world is destructing itself and or losing its natural resources. I think that everyone has there own opinion when it comes to choosing which of the 12 would be the most important to preserve or work towards preserving. In my opinion, the most important thing to preserve would be destroying our natural habitats. By destroying the natural homes of animals we are breaking the cycle of life and eventually that is going to catch up to us humans today or to future generations, who will undoubtedly suffer because of us. Aside from hurting the natural habitats of animals, we are also depleting the natural resources like trees and plants. This therefore has a negative impact on our environment. Yes, paper and such is important, but people should recycle. I don’t think that people understand the importance of the world’s natural habitats, and it is a very bad thing because these natural resources are very important! Aside from this, I think another important thing off the list of 12 is depletion of fresh water. Water is obviously one of the most important resources in life. For humans, for animals, for plants, water is a basic essential. Yes, people could argue that fresh water is not that important because there are water cleaning systems and such things that could easily clean the water we drink and we would be able to keep living. But, it is not that simple for the millions of animals living in the world’s oceans and seas etc. The natural water that we pollute are polluting is wrong. Its not fair for the animals that are trying to survive, and its not fair for the words future population. All together, this reading was very eye opening and it made me realize how important our world is and not to take it for granted. 

ch 22

Communist Feminism

            As Communist countries began to develop a lot of their effort when into liberating and mobilizing the women of their countries, Western countries adopted these ideas later. These movements were largely state directed. In Russia or the USSR, women were declared full legal and political equality. After years and years of inequality women were now able to divorce easily. Before this became easier, women who were in abusive marriages or were unhappy for some reason were no able to leave, with these new freedoms women could now be happier and gained more freedom. Also, abortion was not allowed. Whether people were for or against it, women now had the opportunity to choose what they wanted to do with their bodies. During the industrial revolution, we learned that working conditions were very bad, and no special treatment was given to anyone even those who were pregnant. However, laws were now made to help these women. Pregnancy leave was now available to women who were expecting. Even though it took many years for these types of laws that were beneficial to women to flourish, I am happy that people began to notice that women are just as equal to men, and that we should of received the same rights as men from the very beginning. Lastly, women were now encouraged to work, and support their family. As all of these ideas were taking place in communist areas, the western world was beginning to pick up on these ideas. Thankfully, today women are just as equal as men. I am able to go to school, work, and have laws that protects me if I were ever to get into a troubling situation. I feel bad that women were once prone to such hard life conditions, it is just unfair and it makes me sad to think about it. In communist China, things began to look better for women there as well. The marriage law of 1950 allowed women to marry the man of their choice, and made divorce easier. Also, it was finally an end of concubines and child marriage. Along with all of these other laws, property rights were now given to women. Lastly, in communist china, women became much more active in the workforce.