Globalization Of Culture In Society

Globalization Of Culture In Society Virtually all countries in the world, if not all parts of their territory, and all segments of their society, have now become part of the larger global system in a way. The culture of globalization and globalization of culture strives towards deterritorialization and re-territorialization of political and economic power in the era of borderless world. The concept of global culture is today perceived as a spread of American values, goods and life style. As a matter of fact, the most visible globalization sign seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and Coke in almost every country in the world. As we all know the world became smaller as a result of the increasing development of transportation and information systems, but behavior types, values and attitudes that govern human relations can remain unchanged. Technological innovation leads to business internationalization and individuals from all firms levels become involved in cultural interaction. Firms extending their activities at international level need to communicate in an effective way with foreign clients taking into consideration cultural differences that in many cases are very important. In the past, managers that couldnt handle with culture challenge had the option of focusing on internal markets. At present, a company is obliged to keep up with international competition. In this global business environment, the idea according with culture is not so important is fatal. Cultural differences are often subject of jokes, but culture incompetence can affect million of dollars or euros through wrong negotiations and weak relations with customers. The cultural risk is as real as the political risk in international relations. As John Tomlinson said, in the centre of modern culture there is globalization; in the centre of globalization there are cultural practices. Observers of globalization are increasingly recognizing that globalization is having a significant impact on matters such as local cultures, matters which are less tangible and hard to quantify, but often fraught with intense emotion and controversy. Generally speaking, issues surrounding culture and globalization have received less attention than the debates, which have arisen over globalization and the environment or labor standards. In part this is because cultural issues are more subtle and sensitive, and often more confusing. The concept of global culture is today perceived as a spread of American values, goods and life style. As a matter of fact, the most visible globalization sign seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and Coke in almost every country in the world. Today globalization has the ears of Mickey Mouse, feeds with Big Macs, drinks Coke or Pepsi and works on an IBM laptopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Th. L. Friedman, 2001). In this context, the international aim of management is that of highlighting the cultural differences between countries and even in the same country between the different regions and then the establishment of some potential opportunities and problems. GLOBALIZATION AND LOCAL CULTURES The globalization of the production and distribution of goods and services brings many advantages for all countries offering them access to products that they would not otherwise have. But the changes brought by globalization affects the interests of some categories of people in some countries or regions. Because foreign products are usually cheaper, local farmers are disadvantaged. Globalization is also increasing international trade in cultural products and services, such as movies, music, and publications. The expansion of trade in cultural products is increasing the exposure of all societies to foreign cultures. And the exposure to foreign cultural goods frequently brings about changes in local cultures, values, and traditions. Although there is no consensus on the consequences of globalization on national cultures, many people believe that a peoples exposure to foreign culture can undermine their own cultural identity. Although we can talk about a globalization of culture, there are also a lot of cultural differences that should be taken into account by managers of multinational corporations if they want to be effective in approaching foreign markets. Culture has many elements but the most important are: language, religion, values and attitudes, habits, education. When you enter on a foreign market you must know very well the language of that country, because otherwise you should lose a lot of money. It is not enough to have a product and sell it, it is necessary to know if the name of the product has a negative meaning in that market. Religion is also essential when you are an international firm, because in Middle East for instance you cant sell pork meat or alcoholic products. The role of woman in business is also linked with religion in this region. That affects management in two ways: the firm cant use women as managers or in other positions in some countries and the role of the woman as a consumer or her influence on consumption process is different. Regarding the values and attitudes of a country, there are some cultures with a strong context like Japan for instance in which there are a lot of fact hard to be understood by other cultures. Firms will gain only if they have a long term approach of Japanese markets. For example, Procter Gamble had a long term perspective on its products and that was an approach in a Japanese style. Starting with the middle of 1970s, the company gained 20% of the market and made the word pampers familiar for Japanese mothers. For these results, the foreign firm has to accept to lose in the first years because the confidence of Japanese people is hard to be gained. Changes in habits and customs should be carefully monitored especially in cases that indicate a limitation of cultural differences between people. McDonalds or Coke phenomenon was successful worldwide but that doesnt mean that the world becomes identical with West countries and this is the case especially with Arabian countries. Understanding the habits of foreign countries is very important in negotiation. All types of communication must be understood in order to negotiate abroad. Americans perceive the lack of action or silence as negative signs. As a result, Japanese negotiators wait for Americans to reduce prices or ameliorate other conditions. Education is also very important in a culture. For instance, local recruitment will be affected by the availability level of experienced and trained stuff. The international manager should be ready to handle with recruitment obstacles. For Japanese culture for example loyalty is very important and employees are seen as members of a large family the corporation. If you produce and sell technology, you must take into account the educational level of the potential consumers. Decisions of product adjusting are often influenced by the way in which the consumers are capable to use the product or the service in a correct way. THE INFLUENCE OF U.S. CORPORATIONS ON LOCAL CULTURES One of the principal concerns about the new globalization of culture that is taking place in the world is that it doesnt lead only to a homogenization of world culture, but also that it largely represents the Americanization of world cultures. The spread of American corporations abroad has various consequences on local cultures, some very visible, and others less obvious. For example, the influence of American companies on other countries cultural identity can be seen with regard to food, which matters on two levels. First, food itself is in many countries an integral aspect of the culture. Second, food restaurants can influence the habits in societies where they operate. The French are proud of having a unique cuisine that reflects their culture, such as crepes and pastries. Because of their pride in their cuisine, some French people are concerned that U.S. restaurant chains crowd out their own products with fast food. Some French people would argue that fast food does not belong to French society and is of lower quality than their own. Moreover, restaurant chains not only affect eating habits, but they also influence the traditions in countries where they are located. Starbucks causes cultural concerns in Italy because of the association that Italians make between coffee and leisurely sidewalk cafes. Coffee in Italy is more than a drink; it is part of the way of life and Italian habits. While in the United States it is common for people to buy takeaway coffee for drinking in the street or office, in Italy people usually prefer to relax and chat with peers while drinking coffee. Coffee shops offer a personal, friendly atmosphere that many Italians believe a large chain could not provide. Similarly, many people would prefer to frequent coffee shops that are each unique, while Starbucks offers a standard formula. Another example can be seen with the introduction of the McDonalds restaurant in China. In the past, it was not considered proper for Chinese children to buy food with their own money, as they were expected to eat what was put in front of them. Because of McDonalds marketing to children, however, kids developed an interest in choosing their own food when going to McDonalds. After some time, it became more of a common practice for children to buy their food with their own money. We notice a phenomenon of McDonaldization in the world. McDonaldization is the process through which the principles of the fast-food restaurant become to dominate more and more sectors in the most countries in the world. This phenomenon affects all aspects of social life, not only the restaurants: education, work, health services, travel, spare time, alimentation, politics, family etc. Some authors sustain that McDonaldization is a process of the cultural imperialism used by the American system to dominate other countries. On the other side there are people sustaining that McDonald systems adjust to local medium. McDonaldization is a transnational phenomenon. There is no doubt that McDonalds adjusts to local conditions, realities and tastes. This adjusting capacity led to the success of the system on international markets. But if it adjusts too much, losing its standard methods, it will lose its identity and that would affect its success. McDonaldization influence the habits of societies as a whole; for example Japanese people didnt eat standing and didnt drink directly from the bottle till the American fast-food chain entered their market. This shows the great cultural impact of McDonalds on the traditions of other countries. Despite the negative effects on local habits we dont have to forget that McDonalds also changed the sanitary conditions in local restaurants and increased the competition, leading to progress. Concerns that globalization leads to a dominance of US customs and values are also present with regard to films and the entertainment industry. This is the case with French films in France, for example. Governments from countries like France have attempted to intervene in the functioning of the market to try to protect their local cultural industries, by taking measures such as restricting the number of foreign films that can be shown. But if a government imposes domestic films, TV shows, or books onto its people, it limits their choice to consume what they prefer. Throughout history, cultures have changed and evolved. Globalization may accelerate cultural change. However, because change is driven by the choice of consumers, the elements of a particular culture will inevitably reflect consumer choice. Although the United States may play a dominant role within the phenomenon of cultural globalization, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an entirely one-way street. Many other countries also contribute to global culture. Just as American popular culture influences foreign countries, other national cultures are influential within the United States. Hollywood is a good example of an industry that integrates elements from more than one culture. Most people would think of Hollywood as something entirely American. However, while Hollywood dominates world cinema, American movies are subject to foreign influence. According to The Economist, one reason for Hollywoods success is that from the earliest days it was open to foreign talent and foreign money. Many American movies are remakes of foreign films (Asian or European movies). Some examples would be Asian horror movies like The Grudge, The Ring, Shutter, The Eye and more other. Many film-making companies, producers, and actors in Hollywood are not even American. Arnold Schwarzenegger is from Austria, and Nicole Kidman grew up in Australia. From this perspective, one may argue that Hollywood is a typically global institution. However, one may also note that actors such as Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson, upon arriving in Hollywood, were given language lessons to help them lose their foreign accents. Hollywood producers had them do this largely over sensitivity that American audience might perceive them negatively if they appeared to be foreign. So while Hollywood may incorporate many foreign elements into its craft-especially behind the scenes-its public face is distinctly American. GLOBALIZATION VS. ASIAN AND ISLAM VALUES Some government officials in East Asian nations have proclaimed an alternative to the Western cultural model by declaring an adherence to traditional Asian values. Asian values are typically described as embodying the Confucian ideals of respect for authority, hard work and the belief that the community is more important than the individual. This is said to be coupled with a preference for economic, social and cultural rights rather than political rights. Lee Thesis (a Singapore leader Lee Kwan Yew) claims that political freedoms and rights can actually hamper economic growth and development. According to this notion, order and personal and social discipline, rather than political liberty and freedom, are most appropriate for Asian societies. Adherents to this view claim that political freedoms, liberties, and democracy are Western concepts, foreign to their traditions. The controversy over westernization has had major historical implications in the Middle East over the past several decades. Globalization is accelerating some peoples concerns about the infusions of Western values in Islamic countries. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has likewise adopted an approach with the motto modernization without westernization. One such example is a Saudi police issue ban on pet dogs and cats. The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a sign of Western influence. However, in the past decades, owning dogs or cats has become a fashion statement among Saudis. Showing off a Doberman, pit bull or fancy breed of felines has become a status symbol. For conservatives, it smells of imitating Western trends, just like the fast food, shorts, jeans and pop music that have become more common in the kingdom. Many governments around the world have attempted to protect their native cultures by imposing bans on what they declare to be foreign cultural intrusions. For example, with regard to language protection, the Chinese government has attempted to protect the purity of its language by removing the use of foreign words. Authorities in China recently scrutinized the brands and names of over 20,000 western companies, forcing them to change 2,000 to more Chinese-sounding names. But this is not specific only to Asian countries, all the other countries fighting to protect their language. France has attracted the most notoriety for attempting to protect its language from the immigration of foreign words. The French Academy routinely scours the land for invasive words from other languages, most notably English ones. Words such as walkman, talk show, and prime time have been declared unwelcome foreigners, and the government has attempted-with rather limited success-to replace them with French substitutes. This movement demonstrates the extreme sensitivity of cultural issues, and the visceral reaction that many people have to what they perceive to be threats to their traditional ways of life. In an interview that appeared in December 2005 in Asia Pacific Perspectives magazine, the international economist Yonosuke Hara expressed his thoughts about the potential of a dynamic Asian economic model that could serve as a new regional economic system and could prevent the tendency to a global standardization. According to Hara, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾the world will never become standardized through globalization. Asian societies have their own complex structures. In XXI-st century, the Asian economic model which is the product of its own history and social structure will continue. It is not necessary to undertake an economic system that alternate between joy and sadness on a profit basis and Asian countries should progress to an economic system valorizing long term profits through the production of goods and their distribution to the entire society. CONCLUSION Efforts to protect local culture from the homogenizing effects of globalization are often tangled with other, sometimes questionable, motives, including economic protectionism and the political suppression of ideas. Because the topic of culture can, almost by definition, include almost every human effort, it is often difficult to draw lines around what are legitimate cultural activities, worthy of special protective measures. Many organizations and groups have been formed at the local, national, and international level that aims to promote the protection of traditional cultures. Some aim to study the matter more deeply so that we may understand more clearly the implications of globalization on culture, and others are already taking on advocacy roles. Globalization critic Jeremy Rifkin has suggested there may be a need to establish a World Cultural Organization to help represent diverse cultures and put cultural protection on an equal footing with the WTO (Rifkin, 2001). Another group, the International Network for Cultural Diversity, has made a similar argument for an institution to ensure that culture is being protected. The INCD has proposed that: Governments must not enter into any agreements that constrain local cultures and the policies that support them. A new international agreement should be created, which can provide a permanent legal foundation for cultural diversity. An informal group of governments that has already been created to try to find solutions to cultural questions is the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP). The INCP is an international forum through which representatives of member countries can exchange views on emerging cultural policy issues. One of the ways in which the INCP seeks to strengthen cultures is by advocating more cultural exceptions to the global trade rules of the WTO. Forty-five countries are members of the INCP, including Canada, France, China, and the United Kingdom, but not the United States. In the coming years, efforts to protect traditional cultures are likely to play an increasingly prominent role in new trade agreements and within international cooperative ventures. Indeed, a global effort to protect local cultures from globalization would be a somewhat ironic development. But increasingly, local activists are trying to learn how to harness new worldwide forces to cope with the impact of international trends that have cultural effects.

Middle East Colonization

In the early days of Western Civilization, imperialism and colonization was a primary means of economic and sphere of influence expansion. That is, a country such as France, Belgium or Great Britain would expand their empire by marching their armies into smaller and less powerful nations and conquer. After conquering the nation, the sovereign government would become a subject of the colonizer and the colonizing nation would then appropriate the resources of the dominated country in order to enrich the economy of the colonizer as well as providing further infrastructure for further expansion. It is no surprise that the European powers found the Middle East to be an area of the world that was a prime target for colonization. In addition to the incredible oil reserves, the Middle East also had a host of other natural resources and export materials that proved quite tempting. Actually, very little temptation was required as numerous countries set about incursions into the Middle East to acquire territory and resources. In many instances, whether it be during the Crusades or during more modern situations such as the French-Algerian War, these colonial conquests would lead to incredible unrest, fighting and instability in the region. What events were the inciting incidents of the colonization of the Middle East? There were several including France (under Napoleon) invading Egypt in the late 1700’s, an incursion that is considered the first European campaign of colonization of the Middle East by a European power. Of course, further incursions by European nations, particularly the British Empire, would perpetuate into the region of the Middle East and North Africa. This, of course, lead to violent suppression of the indigenous people as well  as eventual colonial uprisings over the year and, oftentimes, these uprisings would become quite bloody and violent. Eventually, the entirety of the Middle East and North Africa fell under the control of the European nations. The land and resources of the indigenous peoples were appropriated in a violent fashion. In some instances, bloody wars of conquest would carry on for years and, even after their conclusion, insurgent violence would perpetually continue.Because of this, the image of the European powers by those people who inhabited the regions of the Middle East was generally highly negative. This should come as no surprise as the presence of a foreign military power in the midst of what was once a sovereign territory alone would give rise to negative images. When this is coupled with the fact that the military powers would instill puppet and client governments into the territory in order to suppress the independence of the people whose land has been occupied, it is understandable that a great deal of resentment towards the foreigners would develop. This becomes even more complicated as the military invader starts to procure the natural resources of the indigenous people in order to feed the economy of the foreign power. In other words, the wealth derived from the natural resources of the colonized territory becomes the booty of the invader. Because of this, the local economy collapses and the quality of living takes a huge nosedive. Poverty and pestilence sets in and there is  little that the indigenous people can do to reverse such a situation. In the Middle East (as well as elsewhere in the world) the need to overthrow the foreign colonists became a tremendous priority. Numerous revolutionary movements started with the primary goal of removing the foreigners from the land.   From this scenario, there developed perpetual problems between the people of the Middle East and those who live in the Western World, problems that have never been resolved to this day. What drove the Europeans to push such a brutal campaign? To a great degree, the motivating factor was a sense of arrogance and superiority that justified the conquest. Often, the dogmatic belief of â€Å"civilizing† an underdeveloped world provided a moral grounding in the obvious invasion and suppression of a body of people. This is exactly what occurred in the Middle East during the early days of colonization and even exists to a certain degree to this very day. To say that great resent built in the Middle East towards European nations would be a dramatic understatement. This resentment festered throughout the 18th, 19th and early 20th Century and yielded a great number of colonial rebellions designed to remove the imperial invaders. While the nations of the Middle East eventually all achieved independence, resentment remained. The current situation of Europe’s involvement in the Middle East oil trade, in fact, still stokes the fires to this day.      

Economics question and answer Essay

Economics: question and answer Introduction Question 1            War unrest in Middle East has negatively impacted on the price and quantity of oil in the market. The expectation of war from Syria and Iraq to spread to Middle East countries cause fear of possible shortages of supply as people may possibly do without oil. As a result people will buy more to store in preparation for future shortages. As the demand increases, price of oil goes up as people anticipate war unrest in the near future. When eventually the war sets in oil production is disrupted but people do not demand more since they had enough to cushion the scarcity (Kemp, 2013). In the graph illustration below, assuming the market was initially at the equilibrium. Since scarcity is expected in future people will by more (high demand) to spare for future. As the demand increase from 150 units to 350 units, the price also increases accordingly from $0.25 to $ 0.35. Graphical illustration 3411220146431000 Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1: when people expect civil unrest the demand is high but and the prices go up. Question 2            Car and petro are complimentary good that are consumed together. Taxation on one of the complimentary products greatly influences the price of the other good. The increase in price of one good causes a corresponding decrease in the price of the other good and vice versa. For instance, taxing petrol increase its price, leading to high demand for high fuel efficient cars. Increase in demand for high fuel efficient cars results to increased price and vice versa. On the other hand increase in price for petrol leads to decrease in demand for low fuel efficient cars thus leading to their low price (Dwivedi, 2012). Many thus will buy high fuel efficient cars Graphical illustration Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 2: price of petrol increases when tax is imposed Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 3 this graph shows increase in demand and price for high fuel efficient when the price for petrol increases due to taxation Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 4: the graph show decrease in demand for high fuel efficient cars when the price of petrol goes up Question 3            The fact that suppliers cannot sell live chicken directly to consumers coupled with the fear of mass death due to anticipated chicken flu results to high supply in the market. When supply increases beyond demand the price falls down. In addition since the health official are the only buyers a monopolistic competition comes into play since the price for chicken is not control by the market forces of demand and supply (Taylor, & Weerapana, 2012). The equilibrium the will shift to the right. Graphical illustration lefttop Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 5 : Excess supplies of chicken in the market results to low demand and eventually falls in price. The farmer expects future unfavorable condition due to outbreak of chicken flue. Question 4 Price elasticity of demand is the measure of responsive of the quantity demanded of a product to price change with other factors held ( Dwivedi, 2012). Price Elasticity of Demand (PEoD) = percentage change in quantity demanded (%ΔQ) à · percentage change in price (%ΔP) %ΔQ = 35 -50 / 50 Ãâ€"100 = -30% %ΔP = 8 -6 / 6 Ãâ€"100 = 33.33% Therefore, PEoD = -30 %/ 33.33% = -0.900            As economists we are not interested with the negative sign of our price elasticity of demand and therefore we take the absolute value. Therefore, the price elasticity of demand when price increases from $6 to $ 8 is 0.9. Interpretation.            For the above case the demand for the good is price inelastic. This means that the demand for the product does not respond highly ton price changes. As evident in the computation, an increase of price by 33.3 % of the price results to a corresponding decrease of quantity demanded by 30%. The demand thus is not very sensitive to price changes. Question 5(a)            Externality is an effect or a cost of the consumer behavior that may not be borne by the consumer but by the society. This mean s that the effects are caused by the consumer but the society bears the consequences. Tobacco smoking is among the activities that cause externalities. For instance narcotic in tobacco is believed to cause lung cancer to smokers. However the external cost of providing medical care to smokers is borne by non-smokers, by smokers and the government. Additionally environmental pollution due to smoking is borne by the family members of the smoker’s friends and even non-smokers strangers. Moreover, smoking has environmental externalities that involve deforestation to create room for tobacco growing. Agrochemical used in tobacco production also adds to environmental pollution and degradation. Cigarette wastes are common in all cities, sidewalks and around homes. Although majority of these wastes are biodegradable, the filter and plastic wr appers and remain in the environment for long and the consequences of such pollution are felt by the larger society. 5(b)            The Australian government in its attempt to control and minimize the external costs resulting from tobacco imposes high tax on tobacco. High taxation on tobacco increases the cost and as a result the demand for tobacco decreases. The tax imposed is transferred by producers to the consumers (smokers). When this happens, the demand curve will shift from right to left as indicated in the graph. Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 6: (Tax increase the price for tobacco leading to low demand and eventually low consumption) Question 6            When entry barriers are eliminated in the market huge number of firms enters the industry resulting to excessive supply of commodities. In a market where entry barriers are limited the price of commodities is determined by the market forces since no firm has control over the market. Excessive supply that is created results to low prices of goods and services offered. In response the price the price goes down due to competition from other firm. As a result, the profit that firms were making initially decreases due. Graphical illustration 1627833top00 Question 7            Oligopolistic market structures is a type of market where by small number of larger firms control the market jointly. The firms trade in almost similar goods. Oligopolistic firms do not engage in price competetion (Vives, 2001).Basing our argument on the game theory; where the actions one firm depend on those of other firms, it is evident that when for instance one firm lowers its price compared to other firms, customers will be attracted by the lower prices resulting to other firms making economical loss in their operation. In response to this the other will lower their price slighted below the initial firm eventually attracting the customers. The other firms in the market will make loss and eventually respond by making their prices much lower compared to other firms. This process continues until the firms sell at economically a low price that is illustrated by kinked curves (Vives, 2001).There to remain competitive and make profit do not engage in price competiti on. Alternatives to price completion            Oligopolistic firms compete by using alternative modes such as advertisement, product differentiation and barrier to entry in the market. Oligopolistic firms undertake a vigorous advertisement of their products both in national and international levels. Advertisement is made to make potential customers aware of the existence of the product in the market and the good qualities associated with such good and services (Taylor & Weerapana, 2012). Advertisement is carried out through mass media and product promotion. In addition oligopolistic firms constantly differentiate their products in terms of quality and always struggle to come up with new products design that outshine those of competitors. In the recent era product differentiation has been enhanced by ever growing technology and innovation. Since oligopolistic firms compete in almost similar goods and services coming up with new products with good qualities gives a firm advantage over its market rivals. For insta nce phones manufacturing firms have constantly developed phone with new applications to remain competitive.            Furthermore, the firms create market entry barriers to new firms, a strategy that ensures that the existing share of market. The common market barriers include the patent rights, important government franchises and the existing economies of scale. These barriers ensure that the market is not flooded by many firms that in the long run may reduce the existing firms’ share of the market control. References Dwivedi, D. N. (2012). Microeconomics. New Delhi, India: Pearson Education/Dorling Kindersley. Kemp, G. (2013). War with Iran: Political, military, and economic consequences. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Taylor, J. B., & Weerapana, A. (2012). Principles of microeconomics. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning Vives, X. (2001). Oligopoly pricing: Old ideas and new tools. Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.: MIT Press Source document

Development of Democracy as Political Theory - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2435 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/02/15 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Democracy Essay Did you like this example? The political theory we study today is founded upon the history of the ancient Greeks, dating all the way back to the era of Western political philosophy. Political theory is the nature and purpose of human society; it analyzes and explains how our society came about, how it works, and why it exists. We study political theory because it helps citizens to understand their relationship to their ruling government as well as identifies their role in society. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Development of Democracy as Political Theory" essay for you Create order Additionally, political theory examines moral claims and the way they are applied to politics. Moral claims – assumptions about a person’s internalized character and ethics, allows us to decipher between right and wrong and aids us in making proper judgements. This is especially important in politics so that our government can be built upon a strong, controlled, and just system. In ancient Greece, the laws of society were composed of customs and traditions, or nomos, and remained firm and consistent throughout time. George Klosko, author of History of Political Theory: An Introduction Volume I: Ancient and Medieval, states that, â€Å"As citizens of our countries, we have responsibilities to the citizens around us, our government, and our family and friends.† (Klosko) In addition to these duties, we are also guaranteed rights – more specifically, the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the United States Constitution. These responsibilities and rights of citizens, as well as the education and traditions of ancient governments will be discussed in more detail in the subsequent paragraphs as we compare and contrast the Athenian Model of the Polis and Plato’s â€Å"Just City†. The Greeks of ancient times were all bound together by common language, their way of life, and religion. (Klosko) Just as in various countries around the world today, ancient Greece was composed of different forms of government – just not as many as those that exist today. The foundation of our nation’s government were built upon the political ideas established in ancient Greece. In an autocratic government, as seen in many middle eastern countries, an absolute ruler such as a monarch, chosen by their extraordinary, innate abilities, manages society. Two forms of government – authoritarian and totalitarian stem from this autocratic government. An authoritarian government is one in which a leader or a small group of leaders rules without being constitutionally responsible for the people or the laws. A totalitarian government, on the other hand, is one that confiscates all individual freedoms and designates the characteristics citizens’ lives to the authorit y of the nation. In an aristocratic/oligarchical government (preferred by Plato), the power of the nation is designated to a relatively small, wealthy class of rulers. In a democracy, the official form of government in the United States, the nation is ruled by many people. There are two forms of democracy – a direct democracy and a representative democracy. In a representative democracy, the type of democracy we have today, the rulers are elected representatives chosen to maintain a system of checks and balances. In a direct democracy, as seen in ancient Athens, the nation is ruled by anyone who wishes and decisions are made by the citizens. In ancient Greece, specifically Athens and Sparta, the structure of their nation was referred to as a polis, which has many translations including â€Å"politics†, â€Å"politician†, and â€Å"police†. However, the most commonly used English derivative of the term polis, is â€Å"city-state†. In Athens, the polis is a purposely small, self-ruled institutional form of government that offers powerful common life for its citizens. The small size of Athen’s polis allows for citizens’ active involvement in public governmental affairs; this is known as a direct, participatory democracy – one in which citizens were actively involved in the nation’s government. Aristotle preferred the polis to be restricted in size as to provide an effective and well-organized community for its citizens. Within ancient Greece, each polis maintained their own laws and form of government within its own range of citizens. Specifically, in the Athenian mode l of the polis, there were two dimensions of the city-state: a popular assembly, and a social and educational institution. Within Athen’s popular assembly, rulers of the city-state were citizens randomly chosen by form of a â€Å"lottery†. These randomly chosen leaders, would meet within this popular assembly to debate upon and discuss governmental affairs and national decisions. Because the rulers were not voted upon, elections played very little, if any, role in Athenian democracy. Athen’s popular assembly within the democracy is comprised of courts of law with very large juries. Just as the United States citizens’ rights and responsibilities are founded upon historical documents, the government of ancient Athens also relies on a written Constitution. Unlike our current democracy, there was no separation between church and state within Athenian society. Rather than having multiple religions that citizens are free to follow, ancient Athens had one state religion. The goal of education in the Athenian polis was â€Å"to improve the lives of its population and to teach proper moral ideals and virtues.† (Klosko) Inside the social and educational institution of the polis, the virtues of the city-state were expressed through its laws. Because the polis of Athens was a powerful socializing force, the education creates a general idea of what the good life should be and what happiness is. The educational system of the polis was composed of 2 components: Education in the visual and literary arts, and physical training to prepare citizens for war. Greek law in Athens was primarily based upon the true moral principles that human beings are able to discover through experience and education. Because Greek laws were strongly and directly correlated with religion, the god(s) of the city-state were the ones who established the laws. Both the laws and the educational system of the polis consisted of the application of the existence of valid moral claim s to the city-state. In the Athenian city-state, citizenship was the center of communal life in the polis. Citizens exercised their active role in the participatory democracy by holding office such as that in a modern bureaucracy, serving on juries or being judges, serving direct rule which held a very specific meaning, and emphasizing a strong correlation between private and public life. In Athenian society, women had very few legal rights and lived in practical isolation from the political society. Women lived underneath the authority of men with their major function being to â€Å"produce legitimate offspring to inherit property.† (Klosko) The role of women was to give birth to and groom young children to become powerful leaders in the Athenian participatory democracy. However, women, slaves, and foreigners, were all denied full citizenship within the city-state. In terms of Athenian citizens’ relationship to their city-state, Aristotle referred to human beings as â€Å"political animals† – meaning that they can only reach their full potential by living life within the poleis. Although in our modern democratic government today we will not be randomly selected to participate directly in our country’s government like the Athenian’s were, we may still be selected to participate indirectly in our government such as serving jury duty or voting in election polls to uphold our nation’s representatives. Within the polis, only male adults were considered citizens and were required to directly serve in the democratic government. The most important decisions concerning the nation’s affairs (decisions affecting the lives of all inhabitants) were made directly by citizens collectively after a debate within the popular assembly. Within the city-state, democratic citizenship in the participatory direct govern ment was the center of life. All political institutions were composed of male citizens of proper age and citizens selected randomly through a lottery system. Political service in the democracy was a normal part, even a duty, of citizens’ lives. Contrary to the Athenian model of the polis is Plato’s idea of a â€Å"Just City†. Plato believed virtue was a necessary characteristic in order to obtain happiness. Plato asserts that without a just environment, one composed of the various definitions of justice, no one can become virtuous. The main function of Plato’s â€Å"just city† is to maintain a â€Å"state-controlled system of education which was designed to raise everyone to their greatest level of virtue.† (Klosko) The primary structure of Plato’s â€Å"just city† is a completely controlled environment. While the Athenian polis was a direct, participatory democracy, Plato’s â€Å"just city† was an oligarchy, preferred by Plato himself. Unlike Aristotle, Plato believed his â€Å"just city† should be composed of a large number of families and guarded by a large army. The main feature of Plato’s â€Å"just city† is its solid division of classes. Similar to our government’s 3 branches (the executive, legislative, and judicial), Plato’s â€Å"just city† is composed of Philosopher-kings, Auxiliaries, and producers. The only difference between our government’s branches and Plato’s branches is that the â€Å"just city† possesses a hierarchy. The philosopher-kings, or guardians, are the highest class that rule the city-state. The Auxiliaries are the second-class warriors that make up the city’s militia or a rmy. The economic life in the â€Å"just city† is maintained by the producers, or the third-class merchants. Within the city, the guardians and the auxiliaries receive the same education. The primary reason for the separation of these classes is to ensure that the city’s best citizens will rule the nation. As Socrates portrays it, â€Å"Unless cities have philosophers as kings†¦unless political power and philosophy coincide†¦there can be no end to political troubles†¦or even to human troubles in general.† (Klosko) The two main reasons why it is ideal for philosophers to rule the city are because of their knowledge of both moral and metaphysical truth, as well as their superior characters. Unlike modern day politicians, philosophers do not care about wealth; rather, the dedicate all of their motivation towards internal pleasures of the mind. People in our modern-day society similar to Plato’s â€Å"philosophers† include artists, pries ts and followers of various religions, Catholic monks, and scientists. All of these previously mentioned occupations work towards improving the mind and soul, rather than seeking immediate gratifications and tangible pleasures. Contrary to our government’s separation of powers, Plato believes his â€Å"just city† can rule without a system of checks and balances because his philosopher-king rulers have no reason to abuse their power. The paramount purpose of political institutions in Plato’s â€Å"just city† is the instillation of virtue on its citizens through education. Plato believes the city should shape the souls of its citizens after its own image and that only good men are to be modeled/imitated as example-setters. In Plato’s ideal city-state, education continues even after early education. Within his city, there is a designated program of higher education for philosophic-rulers to prepare them for their kingship and decipher between strong and weak rulers. The educational environment of the city works towards a goal of providing moral reform for its citizens. Unlike Aristotle’s idea of education, Plato emphasized education of the arts and steered away from physical training as in the polis. Plato shared the view with Socrates that moral beliefs should not rely on faith alone. Plato was against seeking poets for moral guidance, unless that poet was able to teach independent argu ments for their views, similar to the goals of Socrates’ Socratic method. Plato emphasized that art has significant moral and social influences and that people are especially influenced by the art they are exposed to during early childhood. However, if poetry and other arts do not meet his standards, Plato believes they could inflict harmful effects and thus should be prohibited from the â€Å"just city†. Plato believed that education begins before birth while the mother does rhythmic exercises in the womb. Additionally, he believed that art and other aspects of education are especially effective during early childhood â€Å"when the soul is most malleable.† (Klosko) This is similar to our modern views of early education with the exception that, instead of the soul being malleable, the mind is most malleable during childhood. Plato compares the child’s soul to a sponge because it soaks up the educational environment it is raised in. In Plato’s curr iculum schedule, philosophers begin their program of higher studies in mathematic dialectic, which lasts 15 years covering arithmetic, geometry, and harmonics (physics). After an additional 15 years of obtaining practical experience in the â€Å"just city†, education is finally complete at the age of 50. Similar to our nation’s modern-day views of media, Plato asserts that children’s attitudes towards violence may be negatively impacted by their exposure to violent TV shows and media sources. In order for education to achieve its goal of instilling virtue, Plato states that total control is demanded and advocates for â€Å"a system of conditioning that involves al aspects of the state.† (Klosko) Plato makes an analogy of a sick man and medication: A sick man who continues to take medications rather than altering his lifestyle that made him sick in the first place is similar to changing laws in a city that is corrupt at the center. A city’s corrupti on can be eliminated and replaced with a proper educational system only if the entire environment is reconstructed. Plato mentions three basic types of humans: philosophical, competitive, and appetitive. The philosophical humans are those that focus on reasoning elements and primarily care about wisdom and truth. The competitive humans are those that focus on the spiritual element and emphasize the virtue of honor. The last class of humans, the appetitive type, are those that focus on money and immediate pleasures/gratifications. In Plato’s â€Å"just city†, female guardians performed the same job as the male guardians and all guardians possess women and children in common. Men were not to know who their children were and were not allowed to display excessive love for one woman in particular. Additionally, women were also not allowed to know who their children were as they were taken from them at birth. In Plato’s idealistic city, war was supported by universal rule of law and children joined the adults in battle. If any citizen displayed weakness, their status as a guardian o r a philosopher-king was revoked. In order to ensure that the city’s rulers actually possessed the outstanding characteristics intended for philosophers, they were carefully selected during youth and then tested at various stages throughout their lives. The quality of Plato’s â€Å"just city† was determined by the strength of its philosopher-kings’ desires to rules. The philosopher-kings of the city rule involuntarily as a duty because the benefits of philosophy were not guaranteed through political power.