Monday, May 25, 2020

Understanding Soft Power in U.S. Foreign Policy

Soft power is a term used to describe a nations use of cooperative programs and monetary aide to persuade other nations to ascribe to its policies. Origin of the Phrase Dr. Joseph Nye, Jr., a noted foreign policy scholar, and practitioner coined the phrase soft power in 1990. Nye has served as the dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and assistant secretary of defense in President Bill Clintons administration. He has written and lectured extensively on the idea and usage of soft power. Nye describes soft power as the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion. He sees strong relations with allies, economic assistance programs, and vital cultural exchanges as examples of soft power. Obviously, soft power is the opposite of hard power. Hard power includes the more noticeable and predictable power associated with military force, coercion, and intimidation. One of the main objectives of foreign policy is to get other nations to adopt your policy goals as their own. Soft power programs can often influence that without the expense—in people, equipment, and munitions—and animosity that military power can create. Examples The classic example of American soft power is the Marshall Plan. After World War II, the United States pumped billions of dollars into war-ravaged Western Europe to prevent it from falling to the influence of the Communist Soviet Union. The Marshall Plan included humanitarian aid, such as food and medical care; expert advice for rebuilding destroyed infrastructures, such as transportation and communication networks and public utilities; and outright monetary grants. Educational exchange programs, such as President Barack Obamas 100,000 Strong initiative with China, are also an element of soft power and so are all varieties of disaster assistance programs, such as flood control in Pakistan; earthquake relief in Japan and Haiti; tsunami relief in Japan and India; and famine relief in the Horn of Africa. Nye also sees American cultural exports, such as movies, soft drinks, and fast-food chains, as an element of soft power. While those also include the decisions of many private American businesses, U.S. international trade and business policies enable those cultural exchanges to occur. Cultural exchanges repeatedly impress foreign nations with the freedom and openness of U.S. business and communication dynamics. The internet, which reflects American freedom of expression, is also a soft power. Obamas administration reacted harshly to attempts of some nations to curb the internet to eliminate the influence of dissidents, and they readily pointed to the effectiveness of social media in encouraging the rebellions of the Arab Spring. Decline of Soft Power Nye has seen a decline in the United States use of soft power since 9/11. The wars of Afghanistan and Iraq and the Bush Doctrines use of preventive warfare and unilateral decision making have all eclipsed the value of soft power in the minds of people at home and abroad. Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the United States dropped from the top ranked in the world in soft power to fourth in 2018, according to Fortune, as the country shifts toward unilateralism as part of Trumps America First policy. Paired With Hard Power Venture capitalist and political scientist Eric X. Li argues that soft power cant exist without hard power. He says in Foreign Policy: In reality, soft power is and always will be an extension of hard power. Imagine if the United States had become poor, destitute, and weak like many of the new democracies around the world but had retained its liberal values and institutions. Few other countries would continue to want to be like it. North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns meetings with Trump as a perceived equal were not made possible by soft power, notes Li, but by hard power. Russia meanwhile, has been using soft power in an underhanded way to subvert politics in the West. China, on the other hand, has turned to a new form of soft power to aid its economy as well as that of others while not embracing the values of its partners. As Li describes it, This is, in many ways, the opposite of Nye’s formulation, with all the downfalls that approach entails: overreach, the illusion of universal appeals, and internal and external backlashes.

Friday, May 15, 2020

Running Head Dual Relationships1. . Dual Relationships

Running head: DUAL RELATIONSHIPS 1 DUAL RELATIONSHIPS 11 Dual Relationship Issues in Social Work Clinical Supervision Melissa Harcrow WNMU School of Social Work Definition of Problem The ethics of social workers engaging in possible conflicts of interest in the case of boundary and dual relationships presents major challenges for the clinical social work supervisor. After the many mistakes in this realm during the formative period of social work during the 20th century the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the American Psychological Association (APA) have defined various code of ethics and practice standards in order to shield vulnerable clients from over-confident, manipulative, or confused†¦show more content†¦It centers on a holistic approach to psychotherapy and the client’s relationship to his or her environment. Clinical social work views the client’s relationship with his or her environment as essential to treatment planning.† (NASW, 2008) Through the lens of the Code of Ethics, various guidelines have the potential to be impacted through this practice if attention to method, transference /countertransference, mindfulness and competence are not examined. The three primary ethical principles that have the potential to be impacted would be; 1) Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise, 2) Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships, and 3) Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. To ensure that all three potential conflicts are not present, a supervisee should research and interview potential clinical supervisors prior to engaging in a contractual relationship. Secondly, a supervisee should partner with their potential supervisor to discuss, evaluate, and plan for potential pitfalls within the relationship through a very objectively written contract with accountability built in to ensure that potential issues are proactively addressed. And finally, a

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Gender, Race, Social Class And Relationship Essay

Gender, Race, Social Class and Relationship â€Å"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† is in the first story collection of Junot Diaz that was published in 1996. Junot Diaz was born in Dominican Republic, he moved to the United States at the age of seven. He is currently a creative writing teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Meyer 97). In the short story, Diaz describes how a teenage boy approaches romantic relationships and characterizes the girls based on their race and social class, instead of focusing on their individuality. The author also adds some sarcastic details to point out that a relationship should be built on trust, not massive lies. In the book Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, Barry defines narratology â€Å"as the study of how narratives make meaning, and what the basic mechanisms and procedures are which are common to all acts of story-telling† (Barry 214). Barry also introduces the narrative theories of famous narratologist s - Aristotle, Vladimir Propp, and Gerard Genette. In Genette’s theory, he discusses six areas including narrative mode, focalisation, kinds of narrators, timing, types of narratives, and different types of speeches. The story â€Å"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† answers six questions from the theory of Genette and has successfully depicted Diaz’s theme regarding the impact of gender, race, and social class on one’s behavior towards others, In hisShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Daughter From Danang 1272 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the process of social construction, various social statuses, such as race, class, and gender, are given a deeper meaning than simply a category. In turn, these statuses begin having an effect on the groups they encompass, causing some groups to become dominate over others and shaping the hierarchy of their society. Once established, these statuses begin to intertwine and influence one another, along wi th space and time, which is called intersections. These intersections work together to furtherRead MoreSocial Variables Of Race, Gender, Class And Health914 Words   |  4 Pagesareas of social life using specialized fields of inquiry (Giddens Sutton, 2010). Browne (2005) argues that sociology in simpler terms is planned and organized study of human groups and social life in modern societies, more so concerned with social institution. Contribution of sociologist in understanding human behavior is remarkable. The aim of this paper is to explain how sociologist views the relationship between the key social variables of race, gender, class and health. The relationship betweenRead MoreSocial Class From The Perspectives Of People Of Color, Women, And Gender Orientation977 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Class in America America is divided into groups based on many different characteristics. Some of those characteristics may include race and ethnicity, cultures, religions, age, sexual orientations and genders. No matter which group someone defines with based on those characteristics, an individual will be labeled one step further to fit into a social class. In America, the most basic structure of social classes is broken down into upper, middle, and lower class. However, the perspectives ofRead MoreSocial Stratification1349 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Social Stratification: Impacting Positions in Society Social stratification is vertical hierarchical arrangement which differentiate people as superior or inferior. Societies are stratified in three ways which are,1) Social Class; 2) Racial and Ethnic stratification; and 3) Gender. 1) Social Class: According to Karl Marx, Class society is based around a primary line of division between two antagonistic classes, those who owns the means of production and those who do not own. Comer addedRead More Race, gender and class in Faulkners Literature Essay862 Words   |  4 Pagesimportance. Class, gender and race each play a vital role in determining the interactions of Jefferson’s residents. Notably, these issues affect how Emily Grierson, Homer Barron, and Emily’s Negro servant Tobe are treated by the townspeople, as well as their behavior. Together race, gender and class portray and define the characters for who they are and act to elucidate their positions in society. The hierarchy in Jefferson dictates that class supersedes gender, which in turn, supersedes race. AtRead MoreGender Socialization Is The Process Of Learning The Social1326 Words   |  6 PagesGender socialization is the process of learning the social prospects and behaviors connected with one s sex. According to gender socialization there are so many reasons why males and females act in different ways: they learn different social roles. For example, girls learn to do different household chores such as: how to cook, how to clean, how to do sweep, how to take care of family etc and boys learn to work outside, how to earn money, how to rule the world etc. The effect of family, school, mediaRead MoreGender, Gender And Sexuality Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesIt has been discussed in the class lectures that Women and Gender Studies challenge the idea of whose knowledge is privileged or valued. The article â€Å"Doing Gender, Doing Class† serves as a great example to ask that question in regards to the expression of gender and sexuality, and how those two are heavily influen ced by the social class construct. Trautner argues that â€Å"gender in organizations interacts with other major features of stratification - such as class and race - to construct unique organizationalRead MoreThe Social Learning And Behavioral Theory1617 Words   |  7 Pagescontinue on until the age of 25, their relations with the police, the environment they were raised in and their experiences could prolong their run ins with the government and create a bad viewing of the police for the rest of their lives. By using the social learning and behavioral theory, which believes development of these young and ever-expanding minds are determined by not only what they experience and see growing up, but how they are taught, their environment and conditioning, the Criminal JusticeRead MoreEssay on Collins Theory of Intersectionality589 Words   |  3 PagesCollins is the â€Å"theory of the relationship between race, gender and class† (1990), also known as the â€Å"matrix of d omination† (2000). This matrix shows that there is no one way to understand the complex nature of how gender, race and class inequalities within women’s lives can be separated; for they are intertwined within each other. Gender order according to our text is labeled as â€Å"hierarchal† (2008), stating that â€Å"Men dominate women in terms of wealth, power, and social position, but not all menRead MoreClassism: The Concept Essay574 Words   |  3 PagesAt first glance it might appear that a study of first generation students would naturally reflect a racial relationship and race would be the â€Å"ism† that is most influential on first generation students’ university attrition. This is especially true when the focus of the study is turned toward historically black colleges and universities. Additionally, a case could be built for the racial â€Å"ism† aspect of the study by focusing on the history of HBCU and the large concentration of first generation African

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Voting System free essay sample

Introduction The Student Council elections have always been a perennial activity for every school. It is an activity wherein each student is required to choose from a set of candidates who will represent each position in the Student Council. In order for the student to accomplish this, the student must go through several processes. First the student must go to the Administration Office if he is a registered voter, then goes to the voting area and chooses the candidates he likes. After that, the student submits the filled-up ballot form to the voting administrator in order for his votes to be cast. Then the student is marked with an indelible ink to signify that he has already voted. After all the votes have been cast, the voting procedure goes again through several processes. The votes are collected and are then counted, which could take several hours to several days, depending on the volume of votes. B. Background of the Study The introduction of computers greatly enhances the speed and efficiency of voting process. Results could be attained even right after the elections reducing the time to a mere fraction compared to the time it takes if the voting is done manually. It also increases the level of the voting experience because of multimedia enhancements. The manual voting system of San Juan National High school lacks the advantages of a Graphical User Interface that the Windows OS could offer. It is in this effect that the proponent has decided to propose a system to improve the existing manual voting system. The proponent aims to convert the existing manual system into a Graphical User Interface to take advantage of the many possibilities that a visual program could offer. C. The Theoretical Framework The following paradigm illustrates the theory of the input-process-output of the system. Existing System Proposed System Fig 1. 0 Theoretical Framework of Existing and Proposed System The Theoretical Framework of the study can be clearly explained through the Input-Processed-Output Paradigm. The Input represents those things that brought into the system processing. Processing is the step that represents the transformation of the things that entered the system as input. A series of processing that takes place to complete the transformation. The system will be the one to provide the list of all the candidates for each position, thus, giving the user the easiness and time-saving effort compared to the manual system. The system will automatically tabulate the votes of the user. The results of the processing are represented by the Output that is the results of the tabulation for each candidate. The middle portion of the paradigm represents the existing system, illustrating the manual process of gathering information from the student. This serves as the proponents input, then the process is the one wherein the proponents fills up the necessary forms, listing down all the candidates, plus the effort of the administrator to tally all the votes manually and compute the total number of votes for each candidates, thus, resulting to the output wherein the administrator will produce the results of the election. D. Statement of the Problem The study aims on the development and design of Student Council Voting to make it more efficient for the students and staff in the campus. The study will answer the following questions: 1. What are the perception of the student and staff on the following items: a. Accuracy of casting votes b. Speed of processing of the entire voting procedure. c. Security of vote ballots. 2. How speed affects the efficiency of Student Council Election in terms of paper ballot system? 3. In case there’s a need to deliver additional candidates information during the voting procedure, is it possible to add one? E. Significance of the Study The focus of this study is on the improvement of manual system of San Juan National High school. Aside from the fact that it can be used in a school-based election, for future enhancements and modifications, it can also be used in a nationwide election. Economic Significance. Due to the fact that the existing manual system is very time consuming, with the proposed system it can be used as a tool for decreasing the number of people assisting the election. Hence, it lessen the cost of the school expenses. Social Significance. We can say that the proposed system is subject for enhancement in case that it will be used for the small organization election, thus, making the Philippines one of the countries that will be practicing a computerized system election for academic institution. In addition, it also familiarized people how computerized voting works. Technological Significance. The system has its contribution for the development and widely use of technology. F. Scope and Delimitation The proponent proposed a system entitled, â€Å"SJNHS Student Council’s Voting System† which will be programmed in Visual Basic. Net. The proposed system is capable of running in a networked environment and has a user-friendly interface. The proposed system also has improved efficiency in terms of program security. It can also produce a printed output of the tally sheets of each candidate. It can also display all the names of the voters and those who haven’t voted yet. The student should only enter their voter id number and they will already be able to vote. The system has also its limitations. It cannot be applied in a nationwide electoral area. G. Definition of terms Vote.