Book review Fate and fortune in rural China

Introduction China is among the world’s nations with rich historical backgrounds that perhaps every historian seeks to understand. Endowed with a strong political history that interrelates perfectly with its cultural, social, and economic developments, China has attracted the world’s attention due to its unique developments in different spheres. Socialists and historians have found it imperative to record the literature of China in several forms of writings including books in a bid to enrich the world with this unique historical matter.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Book review: Fate and fortune in rural China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The work of James Lee and Cameron Campbell is a good example of a book that examines the social and population history of the conventional rural China with regard to social arrangement and behavior of the Chinese living in Liaoning. With regard to such i ssues concerning social organization, this essay explores the major themes and concepts articulated in the book, Fate and Fortune in Rural China: Social Organization and Population Behavior in Liaoning, by James Lee and Cameron Campbell. China and the province of Liaoning Liaoning is a small Chinese province that has its history connected to the ancient capital Shenyang, which existed during the Qing regime of 1644-1911 (Lee and Campbell, 1997). Literature describes this region in the form of a conventional Daoyi landscape that greatly contributed to the development of the modern Liaoning province. The village history was initially much of a family history rather than a community development history, with Daoyi termed as (tun) being a military community form that prevailed during the Qing dynasty. Through examining the archives of Liaoning province, Lee and Campbell (1997) perused through a series of long-preserved household data and population registers, which revealed that the Dao yi and surrounding communities in Liaoning were initially 12, 000 people. Although little sources substantiate the population density of the contemporary Liaoning, the initial sources of the imperial period reveal that Shenyang had 500,000 people, Baodao had 10,000, and Daoyi tun had 20,000 and these three regions form the Liaoning province. Major themes and content of the book The book aimed at examining the social arrangement and population behavior of the Daoyi and the surrounding communities that resided in Liaoning back in the Chinese history (Lee and Campbell, 1997). The book contains primary research on the Liaoning province and it investigates four fundamental issues in the social organization and population behavior of the Liaoning communities. The book describes the Daoyi landscape, the history of a flood and the development of a bridge, and the social organization and mobility of communities around the Liaoning province (Lee and Campbell, 1997). The historical legacy docu mented in the book about Daoyi, its neighboring communities and their social arrangement around this province are the only events that occurred between 1774 and 1873 (Lee and Campbell, 1997). It portrays the long history of the Daoyi, surrounding communities and their form of settlement arrangement based on the natural historical events that almost certainly contributed to their present day social mobility and population behavior.Advertising Looking for term paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lee and Campbell (1997) graphically illustrate how the association between demographic trends and social and natural pressures somehow become integral factors that determine social arrangement of the population as it occurred in the Liaoning province in China. The authors begin by discussing the geographical setting of Shenyang by considering three important physical and infrastructural features that include the riv er (Pu), the road, and the ridge. The river, which constantly experienced periodic floods, is a major feature that possibly explains the social arrangement of the communities in Shenyang. As Lee and Campbell (1997; 1) postulate, â€Å"Past floods have left scattered ponds in and around the village, as well as several hollows filled with mud.† The authors further explain that the flood-prone river caused the formation of deep gullies that are currently thick and occupied by stout vegetation. This aspect explains why the population of Daoyi and the surrounding communities are arranged depending on the area landscape, especially when considered that this river has less agricultural importance to them. The road is another infrastructural feature that Lee and Campbell (1997) consider as important in the social organization and population behavior in the traditional China. The road connecting Shenyang, Jilin, and Mongolia is a common geographical feature that best explains the natu re of social mobility in the rural suburbs of the traditional China (Lee and Campbell, 1997). As the postcolonial road became continuously busier during the modernization period, the village population tended to move away from the busy street, which explains its contemporary residential housing that tends to develop away from the main road (Lee and Campbell, 1997). This aspect separates the local poor villagers from the rich who possessed the brightly decorated restaurants and worked in the beautiful stores and businesses. The ridge is another feature that determined fate and fortune of villagers in the rural China. Perhaps due to persistent floods from river Pu, Lee and Campbell (1997) state that a village had once developed in this ridge, but later relocated. In elaborating the theme of social mobility and social organization, Lee and Campbell (1997) connect the historical flood issues of river Pu with the transferring of the village to its present day region. Believed to have hap pened during the early nineteenth century when prolonged floods were common in many Chinese villages, the events are vividly presented in the local stories (Lee and Campbell, 1997).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Book review: Fate and fortune in rural China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As explained by the local posters, the tortoise that found habitat in the swampy flood-prove zones repeatedly destroyed the bridge structures that forced them to construct a turtle temple (Wangba Miao). Although the present day community portrays a mixture of perceptions on their settlement in Shenyang, Lee and Campbell (1997) believe that the Qing government integrated these communities through the imperial ‘banner’ initiative. Therefore, Lee and Campbell’s story has a complicated and construed realities pertaining to the Shenyang inhabitants, which seem like a jumbled story with convincing evidence. One can barely understand if these communities settled through government’s process or social order. Comparison between the book and course materials Although having a mixed story on the social mobility and social arrangement of populations in the rural China in its colonial perspective, the book carries an important message on the concept of human social order as contemporarily evident. According to Lee and Campbell (1997), humans differ distinctively from their social living, which reveals the postmodern societal arrangement as even demonstrated by the housing disparities. The story earmarks significant attention to gradual societal changes impelled by social pressures, ecological forces, and political circumstances. Lee and Campbell’s book interrelates with important concepts discussed by Chirot (1994), who postulates that social change is a gradual and continuous process that seems to occur in microscopic unnoticed constructive periods. Chirot (1994) rests his jud gment on why, notwithstanding human’s biological and psychological similarities, people tend to differ as years of postmodernism replace traditional histories. Chirot (1994) wonders why despite interbreeding happening so well and even having basic human similarities, there exist huge disparities in social, political, and even economic behaviors. In his understanding of revolutionary biology, Chariot demonstrates that the process of societal change involves a combination of certain efforts and probabilities, where individuals may genetically inherit useful life characteristics that make them succeed. According to Chirot (1994: 9), â€Å"one of the most important technological changes in human societies, which prepared the way for the evolution of modern societies, was a slow shift from gathering, hunting, and fishing towards agricultural revolution.† Certain modern human aspects, including agriculture and construction activities carry significant influence on the social order of individuals.Advertising Looking for term paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More More importantly, the issue of agrarian revolution is eminent in the two books where rice growing slowly started shaping the modernity of Shenyang in the case of social mobility as demonstrated by Lee and Campbell. Chariot’s book explains how agricultural revolution, marked by the advent of crop growing, brought enormous social changes through influencing settlements in Mexico and parts of China. From the story articulated by Lee and Campbell (1997), the notion of economic disparity, which happens naturally, as the poor villagers slowly segregate themselves from the wealthy business tycoons who manage to settle along the busy traffic, clearly demonstrates Diamond’s convictions over scientific technology and economic disparity. In his book, Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Diamond (1999) seeks to express how the human history developed from the influence of geographical and environmental factors. Just as demonstrated in the story articulated by Lee a nd Campbell (1997) where ecological and geographical issues helped to shape the modern social arrangement of Liaoning province, Diamond has similar convictions. Diamond (1999) disputes the prevailing racially based theories, that claim human history has evolved in social mobility based on racial trend, and instead explains significant issues connecting human social arrangement with environmental and geographical factors. The author provides ultimate examples of the influence of geographical and environmental factors and mentions facts from Eurasian, African, Australian, and some American history that reveal such influences. Diamond (1999) expresses his ultimate perceptions through an elaborate description of how human history unfolded across the different continents, by pointing different ecological and geographical evidences to comprehend his argument. Geographical factors and environmental factors according to Diamond (1999) influenced the historical development of the preemptive domestication and crop farming that subsequently influenced social arrangements in different continents. Diamond (1999) also connects Chinese social mobility with the advent of Chinese food production with the geographical expansion and interaction of local cultures. Additionally, the story of social mobility and social arrangement of the people of Liaoning province demonstrated by Lee and Campbell (1997) is connected with issues discussed by Nolan and Lenski. In their book, Human Societies: An Introduction to Macro-sociology, these socialists seek to explain the major transformations of the swiftly changing times across the globe. Studying humans in the large scale and describing how human historical social arrangements influence social order, the two authors also believe that political, ecological, and geographical pressures influenced human social mobility. Just as portrayed in the story of Lee and Campbell (1997), Nolan and Lenski (2010) use the macro-sociological global approac h that describes how human societies offer a comparatively cross-cultural and historical arrangement to establish facts behind the evolution of human social changes. Through emphasis on the comparison of society’s history and cross-environmental factors, Nolan and Lenski (2010) explain how such natural dynamics contributes to human social changes. They present a clear ecological-evolutionary perception that provides a powerful hypothetical structure for understanding how the arrangement of social order in human societies has occurred. Just as emphasized by Lee and Campbell (1997), Nolan and Lenski (2010) articulate major evidences that demonstrate how social arrangements relate with the environmental and even the technological contexts as eminent in the modern living. In connection to evolutionary aspects, the authors examine how modernity, which is characterized by cyber warfare and changing political ideologies are presenting unique problems to modern societies. Conclusion The contemporary social order with fragmented social arrangements may trace its roots to important traditional social, political, and even ecological pressures that influenced population behaviors. The story of human evolution seems to be considerably long and disparate stories interpreted it differently as documentation of information might have arrived too late in the decades when human historical events had already surpassed developments. However, with the little evidence accumulated by the theorists, even the socialists like Lee and Campbell (1997) can greatly contribute to the understanding of human evolution, social arrangement and social mobility. Lee and Campbell (1997), akin to the rest of the socialists, believe that many of the human social transformations and development possess certain ecological, political, and social factors that influenced populations in their settlement behavior. Retrospective to historical events, the ecological and geographical story of Liaoning e xplicitly demonstrated how the Shenyang, Daoyi, and the surrounding communities followed such events to establish their housing arrangement. References Chirot, Daniel. 1994. How Societies Change. London, UK: Pine Forge Press. Diamond, Jared. 1999. Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton Company. Lee, James and Cameron Campbell. 1997. Fate and Fortune in Rural China: Social Organization and Population Behavior in Liaoning 1774-1873. New York: Cambridge University Press. Nolan, Patrick and Gerhard Lenski. 2010. Human Societies: An Introduction to Macro-sociology. New York: Paradigm Publishers. This term paper on Book review: Fate and fortune in rural China was written and submitted by user Grievous to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

2000 Problem

2000 Problem Fiction, Fantasy, and Fact:'The Mad Scramble for the Elusive Silver Bullet . . . and the Clock Ticks Away.'The year 2000 is practically around the corner, promising a new era of greatness andwonder . . . as long as you don't own a computer or work with one. The year 2000 is bringing aPandora's Box of gifts to the computer world, and the latch is slowly coming undone.The year 2000 bug is not really a 'bug' or 'virus,' but is more a computer industrymistake. Many of the PC's, mainframes, and software out there are not designed orprogrammed to compute a future year ending in double zeros. This is going to be a costly 'fix'for the industry to absorb. In fact, Mike Elgan who is the editor of Windows Magazine, says ' . .. the problem could cost businesses a total of $600 billion to remedy.'IBM Portable Personal Computer :: Retrocomputing o...(p. 1)The fallacy that mainframes were the only machines to be affected was short lived as industryrealized that 60 to 80 million home and small busin ess users doing math or accounting etc. onWindows 3.1 or older software, are just as susceptible to this 'bug.' Can this be repaired intime? For some, it is already too late. A system that is devised to cut an annual federal deficit to0 by the year 2002 is already in 'hot water.' Data will become erroneous as the numbers 'justdon't add up' anymore. Some PC owners can upgrade their computer's BIOS (or completeoperating system) and upgrade the OS (operating system) to Windows 95, this will set them upfor another 99 years. Older software however, may very well have to be replaced or at the veryleast, upgraded.The year 2000 has become a two-fold...

Job Training and Management Development Assignment

Job Training and Management Development - Assignment Example The aforementioned steps are applicable in a healthcare setting to impart new skills needed by nurses and other healthcare professionals (Guo, 2003). For instance, during training, and in the need analysis, management tells nurses about job performance skills needed, develop healthcare objectives and assess prospective training skills. Typical skills imparted to nurses during training include hands-on activities, such as handling patients with various needs. The training exercise at any stage bears the foundation for future career excellence. Ideally, it is a process of skills’ transfer, which requires management to make skills transfer easy (Belaiche, 1999). As a result, trainers in a healthcare setting maximize similarities between work situation and training situation. Contrastingly, as the name goes, management development is an activity that targets managers. Dessler (2008) defines management development as attempts to improve future or current management performance through skills, knowledge or changing management attitude. Management development is a more personalized activity and prepares managers for additional long-term job roles (Guo, 2003).In addition, management development is a process through which manager plan for, and eventually fills senior level openings. This is commonly referred to as succession planning. Management development is implemented using two methods, which include management on-the-job training, and management off-the-job training. Either way, the process’ sole aim is to improve future and current management performance. Correspondingly, management development is of particular importance to the healthcare setting. Senior healthcare professionals are involved in training to improve skills, such as employee management. They are tasked with ensuring job satisfaction and quality nurse performance, which requires patience and strategic approach to achieve.  

Lifting the Veil- Prest V Petrodel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Lifting the Veil- Prest V Petrodel - Essay Example Whenever a company is formed as a separate entity, it acquires the capacity and authority to have its own rights and duties (Gibson, 1988). It can be observed that once the company has been incorporated, it can then be viewed as a separate or independent person with legal rights and liabilities. The popular case of Salomon v Salomon& Co [1897] AC 22 (Hl) illustrates this point. Salomon was the sole owner of the organization and he decides to turn the business venture into a limited company having realised that it had great potential. Salomon got ?10  000 in debentures from the shareholders which were acquired through a bond of the company’s assets. Unfortunately, the deal did not materialise given that the company was later liquidated and the assets were sold and the shareholders were left out. The court upheld that the company was just like Salomon since it was treated just like an individual person. Essentially, it can be seen that the concept of corporate personality is m ainly concerned with maintaining the identity of a company through establishing what is known as corporate veil (Gibson, 1988). However, in certain instances, the court ignores the existence of the legal person in what is termed â€Å"piercing the corporate veil† (Cillers et al, 2004). ... Some people tend to use the aspect of corporate veil to suppress other people since it can also act as a shield to protect their properties. Whenever, a company is viewed as a separate entity, it ceases to belong to an individual but it can stand on its own. However, under certain circumstances, it can be seen that this status can be pierced by the court where necessary. The Supreme Court (12,June 2013) case of Prest (Appellant) v Petrodel Resources Limited & Others (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 34 On appeal from: [2012] EWCA Civ 1395, outlines the proceedings for financial remedies following a divorce between Michael and Yasmin Prest. The appellant argues that she should get remedies from the sale of companies belonging to the Petrodel Group which apparently were wholly owned and controlled by Michael Prest, her husband. The Supreme Court case outline also states that â€Å"Under Section 24(1)(a) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (â€Å"the 1973 Act†), the court may order that â€Å"a party to the marriage shall transfer to the other party†¦such property as may be so specified, being property to which the first-mentioned party is entitled, either in possession or reversion.† In the judgement of this case, it was unanimously agreed that appeal by Yasmin Prest was valid given that the seven disputed properties were â€Å"property to which the [husband] is entitled, either in possession or reversion† hence, they belonged to him. In this case, the respondents argued that the properties belonged to the company not the husband. However, in passing judgement, â€Å"the Court confirmed that there is a principle of English law which enables a court in very limited circumstances to pierce the corporate veil† such as the

Melting Pot versus Cultural Mosaic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Melting Pot versus Cultural Mosaic - Essay Example Those who adhere to a melting pot theory tend to be more traditional and/or conservative in nature. They see â€Å"America† as a white, English-speaking country in which minorities need to arrive and assimilate in a few years as possible. The multiculturalists tend to be left-leaning and seek to enable immigrants to maintain their own cultures while attempting to become American.The advantage of the melting pot theory is that it reflects what has largely happened to most immigrant groups in America. Thus the Italians, the Irish, the Eastern Europeans, and the Asians arrived at various times in American history and tended to adapt to the culture quickly. They learned English quickly and took on many of the characteristics of what it meant to â€Å"be American† at the specific time that they arrived. The melting pot is what actually happened. One of the disadvantages of the melting pot theory is that it reflects the situation in the past rather than the present. The same principles do not necessarily apply within the 21st Century that did in the 20th and 19th.   Also, the melting pot may be regarded as obliquely racist, requiring all immigrants to take on the characteristics of the dominant white European society.The advantage of the multicultural theory is that it allows for immigrants to maintain as much of their original identity as possible while becoming American. This enables the group to be stronger. One of the disadvantages of this theory is that there are virtually no examples of it having successfully occurred anywhere in the world in general, or within America in particular. A truly multicultural society would be perhaps hopelessly complicated. Unless the USA become like Switzerland, with many people speaking two or three languages it seems necessary for there to be one common language in order for the country to be successful. For a country to have a national identity its citizens need to be able to talk to one another. If they cannot, or if they maintain too much of a separate identity based upon their origins then the country may eventually split apart. This does not only happen in poor, chaotically run Third World countries: it is also happening in Canada with Quebec wanting to break away and become independent, largely because its people speak French and the rest of Canada speaks English.

Qualities of the Hero: Comparing Gilgamesh and Odysseus

Qualities of the Hero: Comparing Gilgamesh and Odysseus The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are two very amazing epic poems in which the main characters that are faced with unbelievable challenges. The Epic of Gilgamesh was created in the 20th 10th century BCE. in Mesopotamia and is one of the earliest known literary writings. The Odyssey was later made in 725 BCE. in Greece and was written in Homeric Greek and was sung more than read (Mastin, 2009a). The main characters in both of these epic poems the hero must embark on dangerous quests and adventures to reach their goal. Their adventures and tales tell describe what a true hero is and what characteristics every man should have. In both these epic poems both Gilgamesh and Odysseus are required to deal with dangerous tasks that must be dealt with in order to proceed. In the story with Gilgamesh he must confront and kill Humbaba, a demon-ogre who is a guardian in the sacred Cedar Forest. While Odysseus lands in the land of the Cyclopes and is trapped in a cave and he must come up with a plan to escape with his men. Gilgamesh went to kill the guardian to make a name for himself even when he was begged not to by his friends and even mother. Odysseus on the other hand was trying to save his men from being eating from a giant cyclops, devised a plan to blind the beast and escape with his remaining men. Both men have great strengths and weaknesses such as raw strength and courage while Gilgamesh has his beauty he also is hated by his people since he would sleep with their wives. Odysseus has his cleverness and eloquence that would help him in tricky situations but he was also a good liar which he used in many situa tions. In these epic poems, the main characters had someone with them during their adventures and journeys. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh had Enkidu, a wild-man who was created by the Aruru, the goddess of creation. Enkidu was more of a wild beast than man but Gilgamesh sent a prostitute to spend time with him to turn him into a man and to stop living with the animals. They dont become true friends until they fight one another which helps Gilgamesh change for the better. Enkidu disliked the way Gilgamesh would treat women and after a wedding party when he tried to sleep with the new bride Enkidu would stop him. They would fight but Enkidu would lose the battle and instead of taking his life Gilgamesh would spare it and learn from this experience his faults, through this he would become a better man (Mastin, 2009b). In the Odyssey, Odysseus would have his shipmates as his friends who accompanied him on his journey. These men would go on with Odysseus from adventure to adventure during some there would always be trouble and he would have to save them over and over but they would also die off. They would slowly die off from dangerous adventures or even be turned in to pigs from a witch. Needless to say, by the time Odysseus would finally reach his home he would be the last to survive from all his crew. They also had some difference between both of them especially when it came to their journey. Gilgamesh adventure with the Humbaba was one that could have been avoided and should have. This adventure was solely Gilgamesh decision to go and kill the beast with no other reason but to have his name live on in history. Even his friend Enkidu tries to stop him and change his mind since its no place for mortals. This is done for fame and also to show the people that the gods who forbid it could be defied by a mortal. While Odysseus goes on his adventure by chance when he is trying to get home. Many things even Gods play a role in his adventures who try and stop him on his w ay and forcing him to endure another adventure only trying to survive to see his family again. The Mesopotamians believed in many Gods and was very important to them in their daily life. Even with Gilgamesh he asked guidance and help from the Gods to seek approval for what he wants to do. The Gods would make beast that would be good or evil but would be worshiped by the people. An example of this would be Humbaba the guardian of the cedar forest that Gilgamesh kills in the end which would punish him in the end. With Odysseus in the Greek culture they to believe in many Gods but didnt rely on them as much to interfere. He would be tested and pushed further and further away from his family but he would overcome the obstacles placed in front of him showing his strengths, intelligence and even his weaknesses. This was in most Greek culture which everyman would aspire to do. It never told of him asking for help from the Gods but showed how man would overcome and prevail. Even in today culture and ideals this is seen throughout the world. There are so many people in the world who rely on a higher power to ask for advice and think they are being tested in their own adventures. There are many heroes and role models people have who they look up to and try and want to try and have the same type of traits as they do. Strength and intelligence are not the only thing that makes a good man or women its all the other qualities that will help them overcome adversity and continue on their journey. References Atsma, A. J. (2000-2017). HOMER, ODYSSEY 9. Retrieved from http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerOdyssey9.html Homer. (1997). The Odyssey (R. Fagles, Trans.). Wilder Publications. Karas, M., Megas, C. (1997-2017). Odysseus. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Heroes/Odysseus/odysseus.html The Epic of Gilgamesh (M. G. Kovacs, Trans.). (1998). Retrieved from http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/tab3.htm Learning about Ancient Mesopotamian Religion and Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://www.smspromotions.org/mesopotamian-religion.html Mark, J. J. (2009, September 2). Mesopotamia. Retrieved from http://www.ancient.eu/Mesopotamia/ Mastin, L. (2009a). The Odyssey Homer Ancient Greece Classical Literature. Retrieved from http://www.ancient-literature.com/greece_homer_odyssey.html Mastin, L. (2009b). Epic of Gilgamesh Other Ancient Civilizations Classical Literature. Retrieved from http://www.ancient-literature.com/other_gilgamesh.html Sandars, N. K. (Trans.). (1972). The Epic of Gilgamesh. NY: Penguin Books.

The Spanish Inquistition Essay -- essays research papers fc

Ferdinand and Isabella used the Inquisition to eliminate opposition in Spain. Their thoughts were that by eliminating the Jews, Muslims, and New Christians in Spain they would gain unity, wealth, and power. They wanted to make a Christian and only a Christian Spain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since Ferdinand and Isabella were married they strived to make Spain a whole. With Ferdinand ruling Aragon and Isabella ruling Castile they united Spain as one. Soon Ferdinand and Isabella had the regions of Granada and Portugal as part of Spain. But Ferdinand and Isabella wanted to increase their authority over their kingdom through religion as well. Ferdinand new that the church controlled large amounts of land and also served significant roles in the political system, he took these very important things into major consideration. Isabella on the other hand, â€Å"†¦had a genuine concern for religious reform and believed in their responsibility for the spiritual life of their subjects and people.†(Ovid 3). Ferdinand and Isabella didn’t think of using the Inquisition to purify Spain until a priest named Tomas de Torquemada brought it to their attention. Torquemada was Isabella’s confessor or spiritual leader. Torquemada convinced Ferdinan d and Isabella that once the Inquisition was in place they could eliminate all non-Catholic believers. He bribed them with the thought that they,â€Å"†¦could use it to solidify the supremacy of Catholicism in Spanish life†¦the inquisition would promise them con...