Preserving Minority Languages

Preserving Minority Languages On the other hand, according to Anthony Ellis, it would be trifling to insist that extinction of language causes extinction of culture because language is not whole culture but just one part of it (Ellis, 2005). Nevertheless, according to David Harrison, linguist and professor of the Swarthmore College, languages have been shaped by people to serve as repositories for cultural knowledge, efficiently packaged and readily transmittable across generations. (Harrison, 2007:7). In other words, it is crucial for human race to keep the conservation of minority language due to its cultural values: academic, ethnic and social values. The first cultural value of minority language is its academic value. Linguists especially have academic passion for protecting and researching minority languages. They should study many different languages to restore their all functions and structures of endangered languages. It must also be noted that linguists need to train many youngsters at school to transmit their native languages to next generations. Moreover, one of most important reason why it is needed to keep minority languages researching is that academically new and attractive facts are always discovered in minority languages. Ubykh, one of minority language of the North-western Caucasian group spoken by the Ubykh people until the early 1990s, was regarded as a language which has a large number of consonants (Romaine, 2007). Recent researches, however, show that some African language have more consonants than Ubykhs. Furthermore, linguists found an African language called Hixkaryana, which has about 350 speakers. The reason why this language and its adjacent languages have an attention is that they are cases of language which place their object first when they make a sentence. For an instance, if the English sentence, I love you, is made, the sentence in Hixkaryana should be you love I instead of I love you. In the case of Korean and Japanese, they have the archetypal structural order, Subject + Object + Verb(SOV). They say I you love whilst English speakers say I love you. It is clear that contemporary English has self-evident sentence order, Subject + Verb + Object(SVO). However, Irish puts its verb firs t. Unfortunately, linguists predict that object-initial languages such as Hixkaryana will vanish in the next century. (Nettle Romaine, 2000:11) At this point, it should be academically asked that why object-initial languages are hard to survive in the modern era. This is the academic question which needs to be examined by researching minority languages. There will be a number of these kinds of academic questions from minority languages. This academic knowledge will be a great legacy for human race. This is why we preserve minority languages. The second cultural value of minority language is the value about its ethnic identity. One of the most important factors of ethnic identity is language. In the time of globalisation, identity of people is defined by the language that they speak and write rather than the region that people live. For an example, although every people in London speak common language, English, it is unsure that all of them are English people because some of them have their native languages. It means that people can find their ethnic identity when they speak their native languages. The importance of ethnic identity acquired by using native languages is closely related with national stature of each country. For example, one of the urgent issues of Ukraine after independence in 1991 was to establish its linguistic identity to rise up the stature of nation-state. After breaking up Soviet-union, one of differences between other nation-states and Ukraine was the influence of Russian. Unlike other nation-states, Russians was used in more widely and still made an impact on culture, science, management and so on in Ukraine. In this situation, Ukraine declared the new constitution and it expressed clearly that there is only one national language. By this process, Ukrainian became only one official language of Ukraine. People who used Ukrainian thought that people who still used Russian didnt have any ethnic identity as the member of Ukraine (Zhurzhenko, 2002). For another example of historically dark side, during the Japanese occupation in the past, Hangeul, Korean native language made by Sejong the Great in 1443, was strictly banned to use among Koreans as a colonial policy for ethnocide. Koreans were forced to change even their Hangeul names to Japanese names. Koreas national stature could not help fall. These historical facts above clearly demonstrate that language can not be divided from the ethnic identity. For this reason, if minority languages become extinct, the ethnic identity of those who use minority language will be disappeared as well. The third cultural value of minority language is its aesthetic value. Every language has its aesthetic values. This is expressed by art works through languages such as novels, poets and even music. Research has shown that there is the tendency to regard analogies between artforms and linguistic structures as relevant and illuminating. (Kraut, 2007:177). It is said that Jazz improvisation is analogous to spontaneous speech.'(ibid). In other words, it means that all minority languages have their unique aesthetic values. For an instance, China is unified multiracial nation and 56 tribes are living together in an extensive land. The numbers of minority tribes languages are around 60. Even though they are minority languages, their aesthetic values are proved by their literatures. Tibetians literary value is excellent and its Gesaer, written in the 13th century BC, has been well-known as the longest heroic epic over the world. Dong, one of minority ethnic groups in China has their native language, Kradai. It is told that Kradai is a profusion of musical value because it has various tones and vocabularies. Kradai has been developed in unique musical ways of Dongs people. It is known that Kradai is the most complex language over the world because it has 15 tones whilst the language of the Han race in China has 4 tones. As a matter of fact, its complexity contributed to make its aesthetic value. Therefore, it is natural that this great value dies if minority languages of Chinas minority ethnic groups die. For these three cultural values, which are academic, ethnic and aesthetic values, it is self-evident that minority languages are definitely deserved to be protected and transmit to their next generations as their great legacy. That is to say, minority languages are not a part of culture and a method of communications but culture itself. When a language dies, a culture dies. Conclusion In conclusion, it is urgently asked at this time to protect minority languages. Firstly, it is essential that the endangered languages ought to be found, stabilised all linguistic functions and all people help them be transmitted to next generations. Secondly, it is needed to make preserving minority languages be an important part of Conservation ethic. It means that people should realise that our language is equally one of the great natural environments and endeavour to protect our linguistic environment. Lastly, there has to be unremitting exertion for native language education even if it is minority language. For an instance, some Korean scholars pointed out to Koreas education environment just focused on English instead of Hangeul, Korean language and predicted there will be no Hangeul after 200 years if we keep this education system. Minority language education is important especially for next generations. Therefore, the fact that extinction of a language engenders extinction of a culture should be remembered to all generations and make a great effort to preserve minority languages. Bibliography Ellis, Anthony (2005). Minority Rights and the Preservation of Languages. Cambridge Journals: 199-217. The Royal institute of Philosophy. Harrison, David. K. (2007). When Languages Die: The Extinction of the Worlds Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. USA, Oxford University Press. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7206411.stm (Accessed 08 November 2010). Kraut, Robert. (2007). Artworld Metaphysics. Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2008. Nettle, D. and S. Romaine (2000). Vanishing voices : the extinction of the worlds languages. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Romaine, Suzanne. (2007). Preserving Endangered Languages. Language and Linguistics compass 1/1-2:115-132. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Zhurzhenko, Tatiana. (2002). Language Politics in Contemporary Ukraine: Nationalism and Identity Formation. IWM Junior Visiting Fellows Conferences, Vol. XII/2.

Marketing Discussion Essay

From the scenario, propose two (2) methods that Golds Reling, Inc. could use in order to effectively measure customer satisfaction for the new product launch. Choose the most effective method, and suggest one (1) process that the organization could follow in order to implement your chosen method. Justify your response. Upload a short (one to two [1-2] minute) video using Kaltura to share your ideas. You may use an iPad, cellphone, laptop, desktop, or traditional video recorder to record your discussion response. You may embed your video or include the link in the discussion board. Note: Your video must be professional and of academic quality. Discounts and Loyalty Programs are perfect ways to keep customers satisfied and interested in new products. A discount depending on the size of the discount can grab the attention of new customers and continue to entice existing customers. Discounts are great because the customer and the business are getting attention. The customer is getting a new product for a fraction of its original cost and the business is getting word-of-mouth advertising from consumers who feel the product is great. Not only is the product great but it looks a lot better with a discount. Since many senior citizens are becoming tech savvy and purchasing computers more a discount specifically designed for seniors will benefit the senior community. Another group will benefit from the discount and the group is called students. Students and student parents spend millions of dollars annually on laptop computers and the accessories. Loyalty Programs work wonders because it engages customers to shop on the company’s website more often. Loyalty Programs also offer customers incentives such as upgrading hotel rooms upgrading flights free flights and discount tickets for places like amusement parks for children. Loyalty Programs work well for a business in the sense of forcing members to surf the company’s website more often. If you can get the customer on the website more often it is a great possibility consumers will spend more. Discounts are very easy to do and the discount can be offered in the form of a coupon with two versions clip (paper) and non clip (download the coupon to a smart phone). Customers will love the fact of scanning a phone or clipping a coupon from the weekly circular and receiving a great discount on a new computer. Imagine that you have been tasked with creating an app for Apple’s iTunes store. Determine two (2) research tools (surveys focus groups, concept testing, etc.) you will use to identify customers’ needs.

A Review of Writing Dissertation Service

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The Water Crisis and Solutions Essay - 1467 Words

There is a global shortage of drinking water. A person might wonder how this can be if seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Most of the Earth’s water is unsuitable for human consuption. Ocean water is salt water, which makes up 97.5% of all water on the planet. Freshwater is only 3.5% of all the water on Earth. Drinking water is sourced from bodies of freshwater. Freshwater is quite scarce, but it is even scarcer than one might think: about seventy percent of all freshwater is frozen in the icecaps of Antarctica and Greenland and is unavailable to humans. Most of the remainder is present as soil moisture or lies in deep underground aquifers as groundwater. It is not economically feasible to extract this waster†¦show more content†¦Instead of increasing the supply of water to meet demand, a more viable method of addressing the water crisis is to manage consumption. The world population continues to grow, and trying to increase the supply of water is risky at best and usually costs exorbitant amounts of money, making this option available only to wealthy or economically developed countries. Therefore, controlling the use of water in municipalities or having a national policy of water conservation would allow the world’s supply of freshwater to better sustain itself through rainfall and other methods. Conserving water also saves energy, and energy is needed to treat, transport, and heat freshwater. For water-saving programs to succeed, however, several things must be in place. The water saving program implemented by the city of Zaragoza in Spain highlights some basic actions required for such a program to succeed. Firstly, â€Å"rather than being a collection of fragmented, individual initiatives, the setting up of the Zaragoza Water Commission allowed the effective coordination of consultation, implementation and evaluation of different activities, with the aim of achieving a common goal.† (Water demand management, 2010) Secondly, the goal of reducing water use by all types of consumers requires the cooperation of a wide range of stakeholders. Working closely with stakeholder representatives allows the identification of realistic and acceptable waterShow MoreRelatedSolution to the Water Crisis in Sudan1070 Words   |  4 Pagesoptions 3 3.1 Cost of Operation 4 3.2 Environment Impact 5 3.3 Feasibility of Options 5 4.0 Conclusion and Recommendations 6 â€Æ' 1.0 Introduction Water is one very essential resource for human existence. It accounts for about two thirds of the earth surface with a volume of about 1.4 billion cubic centimeter. About 97 percent of the total earth’s water is salt water from the ocean with only a minute percentage existing as freshwater accessible for direct human consumption. Freshwater is found in lakes,Read MoreThe Dam River Basin : A Dangerous Solution For The Water Crisis1951 Words   |  8 PagesThe use of groundwater is depended on in Palm Springs California and many other places, however it is depleting water that is impossible to replace, so it is a dangerous solution for the water crisis. â€Å"A new study by NASA and University of California, Irvine, scientists finds more than 75 percent of the water loss in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin since late 2004 came from underground resources† (Northon, 2014). Since underground aquifers are regulated by individual states, it is not veryRead MoreA Shor t Note On The Global Water Crisis1220 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Water Crisis With everyday lives, people take showers, cook, clean, and drink with water. People may not think about it much, but water is very vital to life. Roughly about 97% of the earth is covered with saltwater. Yet, only 2.5% of the earth’s surface is covered with fresh water. The global water crisis is a major problem in the world, and most people are not doing much to conserve the water that is available. The world is in a high demand of water, yet there is not much water availableRead MoreWhen Will Lebanon Ever Be At Peace? Essay1691 Words   |  7 Pagesgarbage is not new for Lebanese, but over the summer it had increased drastically, developing into a crisis with no solution until now. This problem began with the termination of Sukleen’s contact and the closure of some landfills. The reason behind finding no appropriate solution is unknown yet, whether it is blamed on the people or the government, but an answer must be found since this crisis not only wrecks the image of Lebanon for immigrants, but affects the health of everyone living in citiesRead MoreFlint Water Crisis. In Today’S Society, Clean Water Is1666 Words   |  7 PagesFlint Water Crisis In today’s society, clean water is taken for granted by many individuals. Like many other luxuries, safe drinking water is not recognized until it is unavailable. Unfortunately, this became the reality for many americans living in Flint, Michigan around August 2014. This problem arose shortly after the government switched the county’s water supply. Therefore, many believe that the government was the source of this major crisis. However, the government has also taken many actionsRead MoreThe Scarcity Of Water Supply Crisis1086 Words   |  5 Pagesregarding water supply. The water supply crisis is a major world problem, and many countries around the world have started to feel the effects of water scarcity. There is a picture in the Few Resources article that shows the predictions of the world’s water scarcity in the year 2025 if the rate of water extraction remains the same as it is now. In the picture, almost every country will be facing some sort of water cri sis, whether it be an economic shortage, or a physical shortage of water. As statedRead MoreEssay about The Global Water Shortage1260 Words   |  6 Pagesthe world is water scarcity. Almost all countries suffer from it and many of them cannot find the most effective solution to avoid this difficulty. The meaning of the world water crisis is very easy to understand, but solving it is very difficult. The amount of world water is limited, as the population is growing fast; the necessity of water use is growing even faster. This essay will examine the water crisis specifically in China, because it is the country with the most serious water shortage problemsRead MoreThe Syrian Conflict Of The United Nations Inter Agency On Water Essay1250 Words   |  5 Pagespopulation, as a result of the Syrian crisis, has placed a major strain on Jordan’s economic infrastructure, specifically through the region’s production of freshwater resources. According to the United Nations Inte r-Agency on Water (UNIA), Jordan is ranked one of the ten water-depressed countries in the world. The growth in Syrian population has increased this strain, with UN estimates revealing that it may take weeks before a single drop reaches a local tap. The crisis has led both the Jordanian communityRead MoreThe Problem Of Water Scarcity1555 Words   |  7 PagesLingering water scarcity has been in our global forecast for years. Although water accessibility fluctuates from country to country, climate change, environmental factors and population growth have intensified the dwindling of freshwater worldwide. As a result, tensions have emerged between users nationally and internationally, especially in areas where water reservoirs overlap recognized territorial boundaries. It goes without saying that water shortages eventually result in food shortages and ofRead MoreCalifornia Is Destroying The State Of California1244 Words   |  5 PagesMany people have suffered from water crisis. Plac es like California have been dealt with this for some time and has affected so many people lives. Is destroying the most important areas where water is needed. In addition, several people get caught by this situation which eventually leads to death. This is definitely a major issue in today s world since is destroying the state of California. Most people who come to California for their first time are not even aware that these problems occur and are

Review on My Name Is Khan - 944 Words

To write a review about a film which contains not only the magical combo of Shahrukh Khan-Kajol-Karan Johar but also something different from melodramatic love story or usual remake of hardcore commercial film is pleasurable.My Name Is Khan has a excellent point to a class of audience who likes to watch Shahrukh Khan in a different characteristic. But the film does not show the excellence enough to get a perfect worship from all audiences and critics. In the movie Rizwan embarks on a touching journey and gets the true recognition of his love,love for Mandira_we reveal a simple but touchy characteristic of an ordinary man’s love,we go through an extra ordinary journey. The movie has some points for which it can be appreciated. Firstly,†¦show more content†¦The narrative style may influenced by The Shawshank Redemption and Godfellas. The ending is quite good but it may be more gothic and more authentic. The journey of Khan may be showed more smartly in accordance with happenings as sometime it has feel us melodramatic. Cinematography is worthy off a hand of applause, specially using the background and wide angle shot. Editing is fine. Thanks Ravi K. Chandran (director of photography) and Deepa Bhatia (editing) Shankar-Ehsan-Loy has done a great job both in soundtrack and background score.Thanks to the lyricist(Niranjan Iyengar and Javed Akhtar) The songs such as Noor-e-Khuda blend western bar blues and techno sounds with Indian classical styles such as Sufi and Hindustani. The soundtrack is thus representative of the indie fusion genre. Unlike Karan Johars other films, this film has no lip-sync songs. All the songs are in background. Tere Naina is a good one. In short The content of My Name Is Khan is diametrically opposite to whatever Karan Johar done in the past. My Name Is Khan is not all about terrorism, or 9/11. It’s about a relationship between two people, between an individual and the State, and between an individual and the country. In short, there the three important components: love story, Islam and a mild form of autism. You can watch it. Sometime it is impressive, dramatic, a little bit slow,Show MoreRelatedFaith and the Hijab Essay examples1707 Words   |  7 Pageswear these head coverings. Then also remembering 9/11 I also remember seeing the violence that men had toward women in Iraq. To me the head coverings were a sign of male domination and the women submission. At least these were my ideas before actually starting any research. So my ultimate quest was to find out why women in Islam wore their head coverings. Along with, what where the origins of the head coverings, are there obligations? Do all woman have to wear the head coverings. Why are there severalRead MorePrinciples of Marketing1392 Words   |  6 PagesA G E N E R A L O V E RV I E W O N PRAN IN BANGLADESH American International University of Bangladesh Subject: Principles Of Marketing Section: K Name and ID of the members of the group1.Islam Aminul 2.Islam Touhidul 3.Rahman Md Mostafizor 4.Shahnawaz Khan 5.Khalid Ibrahim Submitted To, Samira Nuzhat Lecturer AIUB Last date of submission: 19 April 2010. 2 09-14147-2 09-14139-2 09-14084-2 09-14134-2 08-11892-2 Date: 19 April 2010 Samira Nuzhat Course Instructor Principles of MarketingRead MoreThe Wearing Celebrity s Transgression And If Any Negative Implications Allotted By Purchasers1333 Words   |  6 Pageson youth Today a youth is more likely to listen to the remarks and impact of an icon than their guardians. With this pattern it is paramount for folks to take a dynamic part in their kid s lives in order to control the negative impact that a big name can have on them. A portion of the impact originates from media sources who have a tendency to blossom with negative conduct instead of the individuals who are having a positive effect in others exists (Barbara, 2012). Sports exercises have been aRead MoreResponsibility and Control Essay899 Words   |  4 Pageslocus of control such as â€Å"anxiety, depression, and anger.† Similarly, Kormanik and Rocco (2009) observe and analyze the presence of locus of control in several different settings such as the â€Å"life course,† â€Å"critical events,† and the â€Å"workplace† to name a few. By studying the internal versus external locus of controls in various places, Kormanik and Rocco (2009) were able to associate the positive and negative effects of having internal locus of control or external locus of control, depending on theRead MoreCase Study : Clark Daughtrey944 Words   |  4 Pagesthe busiest single-site in the state. Their five locations are located throughout Lakeland, Florida. This includes a Medical, Cancer, Orthopedics, Sports Rehabilitation Center, and a Surgical and Trauma office. In an article titled â€Å"Hospital Changes Name to Show Broader Focus† dated February 5, 2015 in the Lakeland Ledger, Lakeland Regional Medical Center and Clark Daughtrey Medical Group officially became Lakeland Regional Health. The new logo groups three people in a pyramid or bouquet shape overRead MoreDiscussion on the Choice of Genre2804 Words   |  12 PagesDiscuss the choice of genre; comedy or tragedy? In this assignment I will discuss the choice of genre; comedy or tragedy? In the play Death of a Salesman (2000) by Arthur Miller and the movie east is east (1999) by Ayub Khan-Din. I will suggest Willy Loman within the play Death of a Salesman (2000) actually is the architect of his own failure. I will put forward Loman’s ideal of the American Dream and show while he strived to achieve this goal, this ultimately proved to be the cause of his demiseRead MoreThe Impact Of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour By The Five Dimensions, Antecedents And Their Consequences1648 Words   |  7 PagesSOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY Student Name : Aneesh Rama Student ID No. : 22496283 Unit Name : Organisational Behaviour Unit Code : MNG82001 Assignment No. : 1 Assignment Title : Literature Review Due date : 23rd November 2015 Date submitted : 19th November 2015 Word count : 1472 Declaration: I have read and understand the Rules relating to Awards (Rule 3.18) as contained in the University Handbook. I understand the penalties that apply forRead MoreSrk N His Life4461 Words   |  18 PagesShahrukh Khan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Shahrukh redirects here. For the Timurid dynasty ruler, see Shah Rukh (Timurid dynasty). This article is semi-protected to prevent libelous additions. Shahrukh Khan Born 2 November 1965 (1965-11-02) (age 44) New Delhi, India Other name(s) Shah Rukh Khan, King Khan, SRK, King of Bollywood[1] Occupation Actor, producer, television presenter Years active 1988–present Spouse(s) Gauri Khan (1991–present) Shahrukh KhanRead MoreSelection Process of Marketing Manager3805 Words   |  16 PagesShahid Mehmood mbaf6-95 Fasih Ullah Khan Suri mbaf6-20 Waqas Manzur mbaf6-74 [pic] [pic] DEDICATION This piece of work is dedicated to My parent teachers Who deliberately pray for me Day and Night ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Up and above every thing, all praise goes to ALMIGHTY ALLAH. We are grateful to ALMIGHTY ALLAH, the Beneficent the Merciful, for encouraging me to complete this work successfully. We are extremely thankful to my respected Sir. Fahad Hassan for his great teachingRead MoreThe Seated Scribe, By Egypt Fourth Dynasty Essay1201 Words   |  5 Pagesit was dishonourable to insinuate that they aged as they were supposed to be gods on earth. According to the Louvre website, (www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/seated-scribe) the sculpture was found in Saqqara Egypt in 1850 by an archaeologist by the name of Auguste Mariette. The exact location of the Seated Scribe has remained a mystery because the excavation findings were published after Auguste died in 1881 and his journals on the subject had been lost, the location of it is said to be to the north

The Louisiana Purchase Free Essays

Describe the events leading to the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803. Discuss the terms of the treaty and how Jefferson reconciled his strict interpretation of the Constitution with the acquisition of the territory. Before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the entire Louisiana territory covered what is today known as the Midwest. We will write a custom essay sample on The Louisiana Purchase or any similar topic only for you Order Now The purchase of the land was a monumental step in the expansion of the United States. Thomas Jefferson became the 2nd president of the United States in 1800 and assumed control in 1801.He envisioned a society of independent farmers that were free from the restraints of industrial towns and the mobs of European cities (Brinkley p. 181). In 1763, France lost control of the Louisiana Territory to Great Britain. Under the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800, France regained control of Louisiana in an acquisition that Napoleon Bonaparte hoped would become the heart of the great French empire in America (Brinkley p. 200). Napoleon envision a French empire that would control much of the trade and establish French dominance in the New World.All was not well within the French empire though; African slaves in San Domingo would revolt under the leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the West Indies. Napoleon would have to send an army to restore order in the Indies. This revolt was but the start of the problems of Napoleon realizing his ambitions in America (Brinkley p. 200). Thomas Jefferson had begun to reconsider his association with France after he learned of the secret treaty in which France regained Louisiana.Jefferson had become even more alarmed in the fall of 1802 when he learned that the Spanish intendant who controlled the Louisiana Territory had announced a new regulation (Brinkley p. 200). American vessels had long used the Mississippi River as a supply route to get cargo to New Orleans in order to load ocean bound ships for export. The new regulation revealed by the Spanish forbade the use of the route effectively shutting down the lower Mississippi. Upon learning of the new regulation, Jefferson sent his French ambassador to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans (Brinkley p. 00). His ambassador, Robert Livingston, took it upon himself to try and purchase the majority of western Louisiana as well. While Livingston was trying to acquire Louisiana, Jefferson had persuaded Congress to appropriate funds to expand the army and the construction of a river fleet (Brinkley p. 200). Jefferson wanted to give the illusion that the US had partnered with the British if the problems with France were not resolved soon. Shortly afterward, Napoleon decided to accept the United States offer to purchase Louisiana. On April 30, 1803, James Monroe and Richard Livingston signed the agreement with France for the purchase. The United States purchased Louisiana from the French for $80,000,000 francs ($15mil US. ). The US also had to promise certain exclusive commercial privileges to France and to incorporate its residents into the Union (Brinkley p. 201). The agreement stated that Louisiana would occupy the â€Å"same extent† as it had when France and Spain had controlled it (Brinkley p. 202). Thomas Jefferson was pleased with the acquisition of Louisiana but was unsure if he possessed the authority to accept the agreement terms. He was convinced by his advisors that with this treaty making power under the Constitution, that his acceptance of the agreement was justified. In 1803, the French assumed control of Louisiana from Spain and immediately transferred the rights to the territory to the United States. Louisiana was admitted into the Union as a recognized state in 1812. Brinkley p. 202) The purchase of Louisiana was a major step in the development of the Midwestern United States. Gaining control of the territory from France helped the United States regain the power to transport goods down the Mississippi River to get to the port of New Orleans. This was a big deal to the United States as New Orleans was the focal point of moving goods across the ocean for export.Bibliography †¢ Brinkley, A. (2007). American History: A Survey. Boston: McGraw Hill. How to cite The Louisiana Purchase, Papers

Musuis Story free essay sample

Musui’s Story: A Transition From Isolation to Interaction The varying social interactions between status groups in Katsu Kokichi’s autobiography, Musui’s Story, convey a shift from the hierarchically strict Heian/Kamakura epochs to the more socially open late Tokugawa period. Throughout the work, Katsu illustrates his various dealings and communications with peasants, merchants, artisans and fellow samurai. While in theory a social hierarchy still presided, Musui’s Story dismisses the notion that social groups remained isolated from each other, as in previous Japanese eras, and instead reveals that people of Japan in the late-Tokugawa-era mingled with one another during their lives, regardless of their social status. Considering the demise of the aristocracy that inhibited so much of Heian Japan, the late Tokugawa era fostered the idea that no matter your status or class it remained possible to interact with anyone outside the imperial family. Musui’s Story served as an indicator of transition from status groups that people attain through birth, to class groups that anyone can achieve no matter their ranking upon birth. While better-positioned social groups in society still garnered additional respect, it did not mean that their position in society remained fixed and could not move up or down the social hierarchy due to their actions. Katsu’s work personifies a prime source for understanding that while status group ideals still endured, a clear rift continued forming between the ideals and the reality of Japan at the time when it came to social interactions. The character of Katsu embodied uniqueness, considering his birth to a well to do yet low ranking Samurai family in Edo. His early interactions, especially those that take place after he runs away from home, serve to illustrate the spreading chasm between social ideals and social realities. For example, Katsu received lodging from a samurai, and an offer of a spot in their household even though on his first runaway his dress looked quite similar to that of a beggar (Katsu 30-31). The interaction would seem shocking on its own, if not for Katsu’s introduction to the samurai commencing through his laughter at their pathetic attempts to ride horses which, if following samurai ideals, could have led to Katsu’s death due to disrespecting the samurai who inhibited the highest status of the social order besides the imperial family. Katsu’s journey during his first attempt at running away reveal how various groups of people, no matter their status or class, interact with a person who identifies himself as a beggar, tradesmen, or a person on a religious pilgrimage. Whether that means getting ripped off by tradesmen, having shelter provided by priests and beggars, or receiving alms from gamblers and a man enjoying a brothel (Katsu 24, 25-29, 32, 34-35, 37). Yet, Katsu relied on his status to help him out of sticky situations from time to time as well. For example, during the introduction to the pleasure district in Edo, Katsu steals about 200 ryo, and even though it becomes clear that he committed the crime, Katsu remains innocent and goes unpunished thanks to his role as future family heir (Katsu 44-46). Katsu does not begin to represent the ideals of the samurai until his adult years. His epiphany came when an old man bequeathed a few nuggets of wisdom on Katsu, exemplified by his words, â€Å"People are wont to repay a good deed with ingratitude. Well, why don’t you be different and try returning a good deed for every act of ill will? † (Katsu 73). A key aspect of Katsu’s life during his adult years becomes his perpetual debt and lack of money. The ways through which Katsu goes about abolishing his debts and earning a living do not always represent the samurai ideals. Katsu begins to dabble in selling swords, as well as learning how to do shadow lotteries, deeds clearly at odds with samurai ideals, yet they represent the stark reality of Katsu’s monetary situation (Katsu 74, 84). Katsu evolves into a unique figure because, while he does not always follow samurai ideals, he does realize the weight his status holds, and he does not shy away from using it to acquire privileges that he would not receive otherwise. Because of his social standing and his benevolent nature, even Katsu’s friends come to his aid with money, as they create a savings association and place Katsu as the head without even having to put in an initial payment (Katsu 95). Another example would include an incident near the end of the autobiography, where Katsu goes out of his way to bail out his landlord by tricking the villagers that he would use his samurai status to shame them in the eyes of the Osaka magistrate (Katsu 129-142). Essentially, Katsu gains a mastery of using his samurai ideals to help his maligned reality, and through it he can call in favors, rely on his friends for monetary support, and use his status to awe members of society. While ongoing change became the status quo in late-Tokugawa era Japan the ideals of the samurai—and the respect they receive—endured. And, because samurai could still fall back on the prestige their class represented, members of society still held them in awe. Even while partaking in illegal activities, such as sword-dealing, Katsu receives such a great amount of respect that his losses remain meager, as referenced by the quote, â€Å"At the auction market, if I guessed wrong and put in a written bid of fifteen silver monme for something worth only three monme, the auctioneer would take out my slip of paper from under the straw and say, â€Å"For Katsu-sama, it’s three and a half monme,† and let me off with a loss of only half a monme† (Katsu 96). Even though Katsu’s younger life did not illustrate the samurai ideals that he would later come to rely on, that did not stop him from instilling awe in people, as illustrated by Katsu’s interaction with Master Danno: â€Å"Whether it concerned a dispute between rival schools, disagreements between fellow students, or initiations into secret techniques, I was the one who was usually called in. For that matter Master Danno made a point of consulting me about initiations at his school. And not one person ever contested my decisions† (Katsu 98). Yet, not everyone held the samurai in awe, as shown by the actions of Hyogo, a Shinto priest. Hyogo became drunk and embarrassed himself and Katsu, and later on, his nephew, Otake Gentaro, also refuses to respect Katsu or his status, and Katsu threatens to kill him for dishonoring him. As Katsu would state, â€Å"In my opinion Hyogo was a thoroughly bad sort. I severed all connections with the association. The other members that I’d persuaded to join left, too, and I heard that the whole thing fell apart† (Katsu 79). When it comes to the ideals that status groups championed in the late-Tokugawa era, the reality actually matched it on a greater level than previous eras. One ideal followed by Katsu included this excerpt in the textbook, â€Å"Although merchant and samurai held many values in common, it was a mark of samurai pride to regard financial considerations with contempt† (Schirokauer 151). Katsu seemed to follow this quite strictly as he never hoarded money—or made a point to make it—until he teetered on financial ruin, which spurred him to rely on his status and his previous good deeds to amass the ryos necessary to pay off his debts. In addition, the text also exposes that â€Å"Most (samurai) were now occupied more with civil than with military affairs† (Schirokauer 150). Katsu’s life represented this perfectly, considering that, throughout his autobiography, mentions of him going off to war did not appear, and emphasis instead fell on stories of him helping out his landlords, heading saving associations and dealing swords to make quick money. The universal samurai ideals known as bushido, which imparted ideals such as frugality, loyalty, honor to the death, and possessing a mastery of martial arts, did not quite evoke the same adherence as they did in previous eras, or at least when reading Musui’s Story. Katsu’s idea of frugality only came when he had no more money to spend because he had squandered most—if not all of it—in the pleasure district, and for Katsu, loyalty represented a difficult ideal to follow when he lacked loyalty to his own family, considering that he ran away from them twice. Musui’s Story personifies a detailed glimpse into the life of a samurai in the late-Tokugawa era, and how through social interactions we can see how reality and ideals became disjointed. Ideals and reality remained connected, but the main point—that ideals did not always influence how events and interactions took place in reality because, with everyone interacting with each other freely it did not seem logical to base their entire lives on ideals championed hundreds of years before in a different era—demonstrated an increasing distance between ideals and reality. The reality of the society portrayed through Musui’s Story exemplifies one that did not have as much concern with status groups, and therefore ideals, of those groups. With the rise of class groups that people could rise into, reality became much more focused on social interactions, rather than merely seclusion based on ideals that still held weight, but lacked the importance of having social interaction with all classes. Bibliography Katsu, Kokichi. Musuis Story: the Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. Tucson: University of Arizona, 1988. Print. Schirokauer, Conrad, David Lurie, and Suzanne Marie. Gay. A Brief History of Japanese Civilization. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006. Print.