Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of Research Paper

Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children - Research Paper Example The assignment will propose a theoretical framework which assigns a central role to the interaction or the interdependence between the factors in explaining the academic as well as cognitive development of bilingual children. The paucity of meaningful data on the effectiveness of bilingual children can be attributed to the case that evaluations have ignored the correlations between the factors. The findings of the previous attempts stated bilingual children performed below expectations on the verbal parts of tests on intelligence and on the academic tasks and the researches and the investigators stated mental confusion and language handicaps to be the behind factors. The â€Å"balance effect† hypothesis in this genre proposed that a bilingual child paid for the L2 skills by a fall in L1 skills (Cummins, 1979). A mismatch between the language at home and the language at schools leads in retardation in the field of academics. The UNESCO exemplified the hypothesis stating that a child can be best taught in his mother tongue. Some researchers argued that instructions proposed through a medium of weaker language will lead to retardation in the subject matter taught. The researchers studied the inadequacy of both linguistic mismatch hypothesis as well as the hypothesis that bilingualism to be the source of academic and cognitive retardation. The researchers opined that bi lingualism can influence in positive fashion to cognitive and linguistic development. The fine documented achievement of immersion programs for the linguistic programs is far from being inconsistent without the simplistic notion that mismatch in linguistics can cause academic retardation. It is not surprising that educators re-examined the assumptions behind the underlying bilingual education and have emphasized the socio cultural as well as the school program variables rather than the factors on linguistics. The recent reviews on the perspectives of linguistics

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HR - Essay Example Ensuring proper performance management and ensuring that performance of the employees is rewarded are essential factors for the success of the organizations. COLLECTING HR OR L&D DATA The organizations need to collect appropriate data of the staff to assess their performance. This data must be linked to the appraisals offered to the employees, sick absences which the employees take etc. This is done because human capital is the biggest asset for the company. By assessing the performance of the employees incentives can be planned to amplify the performance of the staff members. Constantly monitoring the workforce helps in assessing the strengths of the organization. Therefore the performance of the individuals will be monitored on every project that they work. This would allow collecting information regarding every good and bad performance they have throughout the year. In addition to this, collecting information from peers, colleagues and managers can also be helpful. The managers and the staff need tobe motivated to learn and implement strategies which in the long run prove to be beneficial for the organization. DATA COLLECTION TO SUPPORT HR OR L&D PRACTICES The organization frequently collectsdata of individual performances which is maintained by the line manager. This helps them in assessing the individual performance and the effectiveness of the incentive which have been offered to improve the employee performance (PCS). Appropriate performance management is essential to accomplish the organizational goals and objectives. Generally, in the organization the performance is evaluated on the basis of different factors or criteria that have been formulated by the human resource department. These evaluation or performance evaluation forms are filled by the HR department as well as the direct manager or supervisor. Organizations conduct training of staff and coach them to deal with various situations. This helps in finding the outcome and effectiveness of the training that are conducted. All big organizations which have developed HR departments continuously engage in training and development activities. One of the most used techniques of training is on-job training in which the direct supervisor or mentor is guiding the employees in how to accomplish the task in the best possible manner. STORING RECORDS There are two methods of storing records. These methods are described below, Manual storage is the method of storing data in physical form. This requires a lot of paperwork and utilizes physical space in the cupboards and shelves as files. The data which is required in a later stage is stored in the form of hard copy. The benefit of such data is that it is easily accessible and notes can be made easily and it would not cost too much to the organization. Moreover, data can be stored and it can be used in future to know the achievements of the employees. Electronic storageis convenient and it stores more data and utilizes resources in t he most efficient manner. The electronic data requires less physical space and stores a large amount of data at the same time. Such data is useful for running reports and analyzing the data for HR activities and take important strategic decisions. ESSENTIALS MENTIONED IN UK LEGISLATION The UK legislation emphasizes that the data that is obtained from the

US History Regional Differences of North and South Essay Example for Free

US History Regional Differences of North and South Essay It seems crucial, in this day and age, that we fully understand the conflicts that occurred within our very own country back in the early developmental phases of the United States. If you have done some traveling within our country you can see the differences with your own eyes but you have to wonder how it all came to be. The conflict of the Northern and Southern regions has had a direct influence on the development of our society in the U. S. nd continues to do so. The South had a very difficult struggle with its social structure and resulted in a shortage of help and in turn resulted in the buying and trading of slaves who were forced to work on their large plantations. The result of the lack of agriculture in the Northern region gave the Southern some advantages and caused an increased need for trade. They sustained trade with Africa and Indians which is known as â€Å"The Triangular Trade†. The South had more of a one-crop-economy which caused a lack of stability in their area since this was directly affected by supply, demand and climate. The Northern region was mainly prosperous, educated, and overall healthy in most cases. This was mainly due to the government that was put in place and the main focus of production and material items. The South did not have the same opportunities as the schooling was limited due to the spread out locations of the people and lack of funding for more schools. Education is the back bone of success in the US. It is quite evident that having two completely opposite ways of life and thinking can lead to a direct influence to how each region viewed the political side of life. The Northern region had the anti-slavery expansion activists known as the Republican party. This group opposed the Southern states which had a dominant group as well known as the Democrats. Both of these parties exist today and are still very opposite in their concepts and methods. I have witnessed the contrast between states myself. An example would be seeing the difference in my job when I transferred from Wyoming to Georgia. I got to see the opposition first hand. The climate, agriculture, religious views, poverty levels, education requirements and wages were almost the complete opposite. I honestly didn’t feel like I was even in the same country. It is amazing to see how our country has so many different viewpoints and lifestyles and how they all stemmed from the early history of our country.

Controversial Nature Of The Subject Of Sufism Religion Essay

Controversial Nature Of The Subject Of Sufism Religion Essay Before tenth century there had been started a new emphasis began to develop within the religion of Islam. This emphasis was a reaction against the prevailing impersonal and formal nature of Islam. For many Muslims the sharia, while seen as necessary, failed to satisfy their deepest spiritual longings and desires. The search for deeper meaning led to the development of the popular mystical side of Islam known as tasawwuf or Sufism. The controversial nature of the subject of Sufism becomes evident when one realizes that this short introduction already reveals a viewpoint which the Sufi would strongly disagree with. For, if the Sufi spiritual quest is to be viewed as legitimate, even within Islam itself, it must be rooted in the Quran and the Sunna of Muhammad. (p.b.u.h) In defense of Sufi legitimacy, some Muslims argue that it was simply a response to the growing materialism in the Islamic world. However, this argument skirts the basic reason for Sufism, as during early Islamic times under Muhammads (p.b.u.h) leadership, wealth was enjoyed and served as a great motivation for the military expansion of Islam. Muslims, at the time, followed a legal system allowing unbridled materialism, though they were fully observant of the present religious doctrine. The formal and legal nature of the Islamic system never addressed the issue of materialism, and as a result was seen as inadequate by those who became Sufis in their search for deeper spirituality. Sufism has inclined many Muslims, and is, especially in the West, represent and regarded as a valuable and legitimate part of the Islamic faith. Fazlur Rahman, in his work Islam, says that considerable ink has been spent by modern scholarship on the origins of Sufism in Islam, as to how far it is genuinely Islamic and how far a product, in the face of Islam, of outside influences, particularly Christian and Gnostic. Rahman seems to hint that some of this ink has been wasted, as he concludes that outside influences must have played an accessory role and these no one may deny, but they must have supervened upon an initial native tendency. However, aside from a vague reference to the ideas of trust in and love of Allah as being a result of developments within the intellectual and spiritual life of the community, In reaction to critics, Sufis argue that tasawwuf has been present from the very initial stages of Islam, and profess to find evidence for their claims in the Sunna and the Quran. On this basis they state that tasawwuf is the batin aspect of Islam. According to Sufi principle a number of verses in the Quran provide clear support for their mysticism. Perhaps the most often quoted as a proof is Surah 24:35, Allah is the Light of Heaven and Earth! His light may be compared to a niche in which there is a lamp; the lamp is in a glass; the glass is just as if it were a glittering star kindled from a blessed olive tree, {which is} neither Eastern nor Western, whose oil will almost glow though the fire has never touched it. Light upon light, Allah guides anyone He wishes to His light. Sufism does throw in in the means of spirituality to the religion of Islam. Mounting out of the weakness of the Islamic system of faith and practice, it, however, added a aspect which has varied and further destabilized the structure of Islamic belief and practice. Reflecting on the authentication presented, and ending given, we see that to suppose Sufism, with its important concepts, is a rightful part of Islam introduces definite problems for anyone who then challenge to try to defend Islam as a logically consistent set of beliefs. For Sufism not only points to a lack of spirituality in Islam, but also contradicts orthodox Muslim teachings in the process clearly opening the door to all the worlds religions There have been a lot of aspects which should be discussed and reconsidered regarding this aspect of orthodox teachings of Islam, so I can write it is to be continued Reference Notes: Sufism, Reformed Internet Ministries Andrew Rippin, Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (New York: Routledge, 1990), 118, 119, 120 Fazlur Rahman, Islam (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1966), 131, 148,149 Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Sufi Essays (London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1972), 11-12, 15, 137, 138, 139, 147, 149 Tara Charan Rastogi, Islamic Mysticism Sufism (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Private Ltd., 1982), 1.. Titus Burckhardt, An Introduction to Sufism (Wellingborough: The Aquarian Press, 1990), 15, 16 In Arabic Inna liLlahi wa-inna ilayhi raji un. Martin Lings, What Is Sufism? (London: George Allen Unwin Ltd., 1975), 28,32 Haqiqa refers to the inner Truth or inner Reality that Sufis believe is at the heart of Islamic revelation. William Stoddart, Sufism The Mystical Doctrines and Methods of Islam (New York: Paragon House Publishers, 1986), 41, 66,67,83,74 Eisegesis, or the practice of interpreting meaning into a passage, bears a striking resemblance to Sufi methods of Quranic interpretation. Orthodox Muslims opposed to Sufism argue that Sufi interpretations are indeed eisegesis in other words the Sufis are ascribing an inner meaning which the verses themselves do not contain. Fazlur Rahman in his work Islam states, the Sufis, in order to justify their stand, formulated (ie. verbally invented) statements, sometimes quite fanciful and historically completely fictitious, which they attributed to the Prophet. Rahman, 132,133,134.. J. Spencer Trimingham, The Sufi Orders in Islam (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1971), 246.. Rahman, 140. Other authors also agree with Rahmans position on this point. A.J. Arberry argues that Abu Hamid al-Ghazali brought about Sufisms reconciliation and assimilation with orthodox Sunni theology and religious law, through a number of writings consolidated in the Ihyaulum al-din, which was written between 1099 and 1102 A.D. A.J. Arberry, Sufism An Account of the Mystics of Islam (London: George Allen Unwin Ltd., 1950), 74. . Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240 A.D.) was one of the great Sufi masters of all time and is referred to as The Greatest Shaikh (al-Shaykh al-Akbar). Muslim opinion has always been split about Ibn al-Arabi: for some he is a great heretic; for others, a great saint. Ian Richard Netton, A Popular Dictionary of Islam (London: Curzon Press, 1992), 110.. Elliot Miller, Sufis The Mystical Muslims, Forward (Spring/Summer 1986), 17-23.. Martin Lings, What is Sufism? (London: George Allen Unwin Ltd., 1975), 84, 85, 99.. Dara Shikoh (also spelled Shukuh) was a Sufi of the Qadiriyyah order and a devout Muslim according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Shukuh believed the Upanishads to be the Hidden Books to which the Quran refers (lvi. 77-80) and wrote that they contain the essence of unity and they are secrets which have to be kept hidden. Nasr states that it is enough to read Shukuhs translation of any of the Upanishads to realize that he was not only translating words into Persian but also ideas into the framework of Sufism. However, as usual Nasr follows up with a statement denying that this is an attempt to syncretize, once again revealing a blatant disregard for the evidence presented, not to mention a complete lack of logical thought. The members of one popular order (the Mawlawiyya) begun by Jalal ad-Din Rumi (d. 1273) are the origin of the Western term whirling dervishes John Alden Williams, ed., Islam (New York: George Brazillier, 1962), 155-156.. Idries Shah, Reflections Fables in the Sufi Tradition (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), 1.; Miller, 20..

America the Racist Tyrant Essay -- essays research papers

America the Racist Tyrant In "The Declaration of Independence," Thomas Jefferson shows the King of Great Britain acting as a tyrant to the colonies, and Jefferson declared America to be free from Britain. In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. writes to a clergyman logically analyzing criticisms while communicating to the public his arguments. Jefferson fought for freedom and right for America. King also fought for better civil rights for his black people. They both fought for their people, King however fought peacefully with white people, who in return were cruel. This comparing Jefferson's and King's fought for freedom, different skin color demonstrates racism causing unfairness to this day still exists because the fight for justice and rights still exist which calls for a social contract. Every single human being has a right to life, civil rights, and freedom. This is a right that Americans base their government on. Jefferson states that "all men are created equal" and man should naturally stand for every single person, no matter what color or sex they are. (53) Equality in all men however is untrue. Different race, religion or gender often causes conflicts between people. Conflicts results in discrimination against groups. This can be shown through King's fight for black's civil rights. Americans already have freedom and rights, however, the black people are still being looked down. For King and his people, they were treated without respect. The black people "have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights."(217) The black people have waited silently while everyone else received their God-given rights. They are rights that everyone should possess; however, the black Americans did not because of their color. People are often judged according to the color of their skin. This judging of another person is often negative and is known as racism. America is known as the melting pot with all kinds of race living there. It is clear that no matter how big a melting pot, it can not contain all race mixed together. As a black man, King witnessed and experienced racism during the segregation period. People were "haunted by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro" shows that black people were being discriminated.(218) This judging and disrespe... ...or poor, strong or weak in rights to have freedom and justice. Just as Jefferson "has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of Government" (54). The colonies have also found equality between them and Britain by becoming an independent government. As King puts it "oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever" (222) people are forever fighting and yearning for freedom from justice. In conclusion, Jefferson demonstrates that by declaring independence, thirteen colonies have given themselves their rightful freedom. However, these freedoms were given mainly to the white. The black, like King, fights nonviolently hard to change the society and government slowly to receive the same justice and freedoms as the whites. When comparing the people in Jefferson's time and the people in King's time, it is surprising to see that they are both fighting for similar rights on the same grounds, yet King is fighting for it later when America already have the rights. This concludes that racism indeed plays an important role in our past and present as we try to be free from other judges.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Can Make a Difference through Social Work :: College Admissions Essays

Social Work: I Can Make a Difference I am applying to (Name of School) for the Masters of Social Work program. My career goal is to work with underprivileged adolescents, especially those with a history of behavioral and emotional problems. I have significant background in this area; in addition to a full-time position with a recruitment firm, I am a relief counselor for this target group in a residential treatment setting. I want to complement this practical experience with specialized training in order to best serve these individuals. My desire for this profession springs from the troubles of my childhood. In my youth, I was a ward of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts--in essence, a foster child. Both of my birth parents abused me physically and emotionally, prompting the courts to permanently remove me from their power. I subsequently moved through a succession of foster homes and adolescent shelters. My high school years were therefore highly traumatic; I could not have survived them without the aid of the counselors and social workers that were so kind to me. Yet my problems did not end at the emotional level. I constantly battled financial difficulties in order to graduate high school and embark on a college career. I was essentially paying my way through college on minimum wage--a monumental task. My first two years of college proved quite difficult because of this. But I persevered, and achieved an overall G.P.A. of 3.5 during my final two years at school. I also dedicated much time to campus activities, in which I held a number of leadership positions. Today, I work with an international recruitment firm that allows me to travel through the United States and Europe. This has given me a sense of accomplishment and maturity, yet I feel a deep void in my life. I need to give back to the community that helped me so much. I know what it is like to be on the " receiving end" of social work--I was the one who stayed with foster families after the social workers had gone home. I am thus in a unique position to understand the conflicts within the hearts of troubled adolescents. I comprehend, for instance, the importance of such issues as trust.

Globalization: the Americanization of the World?

Andrew J. Bacevich, American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U. S. Diplomacy (Harvard University Press, 2002). Joseph E. Stiglitz, Making Globalization Work (Norton, 2007). James L. Watson, ed. , Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia (2nd edition, Stanford University Press, 2007). Robert McCrum, Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language (Norton, 2010). Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World (Norton, 2009). Globalization is the integration of the world’s different regions into a global culture, economy, geo-political arena, and communication network. It is the process by which the lines of nation states are blurred, smoothed over by new international institutions. Globalization is the undeniable destination of human history and as such permeates nearly every facet of it. It is liquid in this sense, flowing and changing to fill in wherever it flows, but there can be no doubts of the tide of globalizations source: The United States of America. At first glance, the distinctions between Globalization and Americanization are almost imperceptible. â€Å"Big Mac, Coke, and Disney† (Watson, 5) are as recognizable to Chinese and Russians as they are to Americans. The World Bank and IMF’s policies are more or less set by Washington. The American military has the most powerful armies and fleets the world has ever seen, and has effectively dominated the world from World War I onwards. The United States population which is less than 5% of the world population produces about a quarter of global GDP. Such realities might lead one to the conclusion that Globalization and Americanization are synonymous, but is this actually the case? In the discussion of the books at hand, globalization as it pertains to Americanization is made evident. Andrew Bacevich contends that the United States is the primary agent of modern globalization. It has capitalized on the opportunities it has been presented with in order to create a system of global politics and economics that is of the most benefit to itself, all the while packaging it in altruistic rhetoric. Joseph Stiglitz contends that the United States has conducted globalization by dominating the institutions of world governance and finance. It has done so to the detriment of other nations and as such, the American means of globalization is not the best strategy if true globalization† is the desired end. James Watson holds that McDonald’s, once as iconic of America as the stars and stripes and one of the leading agents of globalization, has been assimilated into many local cultures. As such, it no longer represents the Americanized aspect of globalization, but is rather an international institution and an agent of globalization at large. Yet, some of the seemingly obvious aspects of American led globalization are not as American as they may seem today. Robert McCrum asserts that English being the world’s language arises not from American economic and foreign policies, but is rather a legacy of the British Empire. Furthermore, that America is not spreading its culture through English, it is only a tool to be used for communication. Finally, Fareed Zakaria demonstrates that we are departing from a unipolar world dominated by America. Although it will continue to play a leading role in the globalization of the world, â€Å"the rise of the rest† is diminishing its role and the United States is no longer solely holding the reins of globalization. Andrew Bacevich’s assertion is that the idea of the American empire differs only in form from traditional imperialism. Its function, enriching the mother country, is precisely the same but employs a variety of techniques to make this less evident. The United States embraces its role in history of exerting power only as a last resort. Only when circumstances totally necessitated it would America resort to using Theodore Roosevelt’s proverbial â€Å"big stick† (Bacevich 117). The Spanish American war began only when General Valeriano â€Å"Butcher† Weyler could be tolerated no more. World War I was entered only because of the unprovoked German aggression upon the Lusitania. Cold War military and political endeavors were nobly pursued to defend against Communist aggression. Yet Andrew Bacevich rejects this view. He argues that this â€Å"myth of the ‘reluctant superpower’—Americans asserting themselves only under duress and then always for the noblest purposes† (Bacevich 7-8) is exactly that, a myth. That Roosevelt’s reportedly soft speaking and big stick carrying America uses the† reluctant superpower† myth only in order to justify acts of self-interest. Perhaps the more fitting description of America by Theodore Roosevelt is his affirmation that â€Å"of course, our whole national history has been one of expansion† (Bacevich, 7). The United States has conscientiously exerted itself at every opportunity in order to expand its global economic and strategic interests. America’s superpower status and role as an agent of globalization is driven entirely by the machinery of self-interest. Bacevich writes that â€Å"ever increasing prosperity† (Bacevich, 85) is the primary national interest. Furthermore, as Bill Clinton stated â€Å"Growth at home depends upon growth abroad. † Of course, there is still the legitimate idealistic side of globalization as â€Å"the ultimate promise of peace, prosperity, and democracy† (Bacevich, 42), but America’s actual interest and role in globalization is to expand the American economy. In other words, America’s aims in globalization are to benefit the world yes, but â€Å"benefit the United States most of all† (Bacevich, 96). The American economic empire, brought about by the domestic desire for continued growth is the overarching American interest in the realm of globalization. The fact that â€Å"where interests were slight, the United States seldom bothered to make the effort to assert any substantial leverage† (Bacevich, 107) vividly illustrates this. Considering the insubstantial economic incentives of Africa, it â€Å"consistently ranks dead last in U. S. strategic priorities† (Bacevich, 107). Now, take into account the economic and political incentives of Europe’s markets and the Middle East’s oil reserves. Based on US military intervention, it is telling that â€Å"conditions that in the Balkans or the Persian Gulf the United States found intolerable were in Africa merely unfortunate† (Bacevich, 108). The United States found it necessary to militarily intervene in the former two interest-rife locations, and merely sent aid and rhetorical sympathies to the economically barren latter. The portrait of Americanization and Globalization that Andrew Bacevich paints acknowledges one of the primary facets upon which the two collide, the global economy and the United States role within it. To deny that America has been the driving force behind the creation and continuance of modern open market operations, and to deny that it has done so for the betterment of its own economic interests is to deny all but the rhetoric of American imperialism. The United States did not have, as the historian Ernest May naively stated, â€Å"greatness thrust upon it† (Bacevich, 7), but rather calculatedly and ingeniously shaped its responses to global politics and economics in order to integrate and derive the most benefit from the new globalized economy. Joseph Stiglitz, rather explicitly argues that â€Å"globalization should not mean the Americanization of either economic policy or culture, but it often does—and that has caused resentment† (Stiglitz, 9). He argues that â€Å"the worry about American unilateralism, about the world’s most powerful country imposing its will on others† (Stiglitz, 5) is fast becoming substantiated. Despite economic indicators such as GDP suggesting that poor countries seem to be improving, â€Å"globalization might be creating rich countries with poor people† (Stiglitz, 9). As Stiglitz argues, the United States’ goal of making Americanization a component of globalization is causing this. Particularly responsible has been the Washington Consensus, a set of development promoting policies created between the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the U. S. Treasury. The former two of these are basically international lending bodies, delivering short and long term loans, respectively, to countries in need. The policies outlined are â€Å"downscaling of government, deregulation, and rapid liberalization and privatization† (Stiglitz, 17). Although these are the characteristics of western countries, western countries did not become this way through the â€Å"shock therapy† of instant implementation. Rather they came from a drawn out progression of events The implication is that the United States, in attempting to make its political and economic policies integral concepts of the grander one of globalization, is actually turning countries off to the Americanized aspect of globalization. Similarly, the manner in which the United States encourages international trade to be conducted is a hindrance to globalization at large within poor countries. Stiglitz writes that â€Å"countries often need time to develop in order to compete with foreign companies† (Stiglitz, 70). Yet, The United States and the international trade organizations which it dominates oppose tariffs for many industries on the grounds of it inhibiting trade and not allowing the all-wise power of the market to control the economy. However, â€Å"most successful countries did in fact develop behind protectionist barriers† and climbed the â€Å"ladder of development†. The anti-tariff policies that soundly developed countries advocate are viewed as trying to â€Å"kick the ladder away so others can’t follow† (Stiglitz, 71). The uncertain effectiveness of these western policies, policies necessary for developing countries to get assistance from the IMF and World Bank, which they almost undeniably need, calls into question the western policies which they don’t necessarily need, namely democracy. Stiglitz writes that â€Å"IMF conditionality undermines democracy† (Stiglitz, 56), that although â€Å"globalization has helped spread the idea of democracy, it has, paradoxically, been managed in a way that undermines democratic processes within countries† (Stiglitz, 12). America, in efforts to save countries from spending time on the economic policy learning curve, in reality ends up harming them. As such, the United States’ inadequacy for creating economic agendas for developing countries is a paradox of its own success. He posits that in order for the developing countries to benefit from globalization, the agenda of globalization needs to depart from the Americanized version, and instead â€Å"have the voices of developing nations (be) heard more clearly† (Stiglitz, 98). If the hardline factors of globalization—economics, geo-political military assertions, and international governance are the easiest to assess the American-ness of—the soft aspects: cultural and linguistic patterns, are the most difficult. James Watson contends that in some respect, global corporations gain their transnational appeal simply by being American; by being an image of modernity. However, he also holds that components of globalization that were once considered agents of Americanization are now accepted as local. Japanese McDonald’s have â€Å"clearly capitalized on the fact that it is associated with American culture† (Watson, 172). In China, McDonald’s promotes â€Å"the corporations image as an exemplar of modernity† (Watson, 42). McDonald’s in these countries represents what the West represents, or more accurately, what the locals believe the West to represent—â€Å"the promise of modernization† (Watson, 41). It has gone so far as to even change cultural eating habits. In these locations, McDonald’s sells more than hamburgers. It sells America as an ideology, a place of modernity, cleanliness, efficiency, and equality. As Watson would contend in China and Japan, McDonald’s represents the convergence of the idealistic facets of Americanization and globalization: the United States as a favorable model to be emulated. Yet in the case of McDonald’s in Hong Kong, it is not considered â€Å"an example of American-inspired transnational culture† or â€Å"perceived as an exotic or alien institution† (Watson, 107). Rather it is a fully assimilated part of Hong Kong’s modern culture. As Watson writes, â€Å"the transnational is the local. † The younger generation could not â€Å"imagine life without it† (Watson, 109). Thusly, at least in Hong Kong, the American aspect of McDonald’s globalization has faded with its assimilation into the national identity. Although American, it no longer Americanizes or suggests that the American odel is something good and unique that should be followed. McDonald’s in Korea however suggests a different view of Americanization. Some people hold that â€Å"eating McDonald’s hamburgers is tantamount to treason and loss of Korean identity† (Watson, 158) At least here, to some degree McDonald’s is view ed as an American crusader of â€Å"cultural imperialism—a new form of exploitation that results from the export of popular culture from the United States† (Watson, 5). McDonald’s represents a conquering American agent seeking to enthrall and draw in cultures to that of its global Americanized one. Another phenomenon of globalization, one might argue American-driven globalization, is English becoming the language of the world. Robert McCrum argues however that this is not a legacy of the American century, but rather a legacy of the British Empire. America has helped to propagate it but it in fact is originally an agent of British-ization. McCrum writes â€Å"The nineteenth (century) was, supremely, the century of British English – first the King’s and then the Queen’s – but it also witnessed the beginnings of the world’s English† (McCrum, 174). English spread to the earth not as a result of America’s dominance in the 20th century, but rather Britain’s far flung immigration in the 19th. McCrum contends that this is what made Jean-Paul Nerriere’s global English (Globish) so accessible to so many people across the world. It is removed from American influence in that it was not asserted upon the world by America. Rather because of Britain and certain historical tilts towards English speaking, it simply fell into place. In essence, McCrum asserts that British English lay the foundation for English to become, as John Adams wrote in 1780, â€Å"in the next and succeeding centuries†¦the language of the world† (McCrum, 105), and as such is not truly an assertion of American influence. However, McCrum’s points are debatable. As a proud Englishman, he seems ready to assert the obvious role of Britain in making it a global language, but is less generous when it comes to the American aspects. Furthermore, his denial of English as a cultural force is problematic. The global media is dominated by America. The largest media conglomerates in the world are American. Ten of the highest twelve paid musicians in the world are American. McCrum seems to ignore the fact that media is one of the largest aspects of globalization, and that American influences dominate it. These have been the themes of globalization. The convergence of Americanization and globalization has dually permeated military affairs, economics, culture, and language. On the global stage, the United States has been the dominant player for over a century. However, to what extent will this remain true in the 21st century? Fareed Zakaria contends that it will, but will require a reassessment of the global community. Zakaria puts forth that we are â€Å"now living through the third great power shift of the modern era† (Zakaria, 2), not â€Å"the decline of America but rather†¦the rise of everyone else† (Zakaria, 1). What this means for Globalization as it is linked to Americanization is that although the U. S. ’s role will still be there, it is diminishing. The historically United States dominated past has paved the way for this. Its active efforts in globalizing the worlds consequence is the â€Å"rise of the rest† (Zakaria, 2). As Zakaria writes â€Å"the United States succeeded in its great and historic mission—it globalized the world. But along the way†¦it forgot to globalize itself† (Zakaria, 48). The arising international order that Zakaria see’s is a term invented by Samuel Huntington â€Å"uni-multipolarity†, which can be described as â€Å"many powers and one super-power† (Zakaria, 43). In the new international order, the United States will merely be a leading actor on a stage of many. The other actors are comprised of new powerful economies—China, India, Brazil. The United States has been able to maintain its preeminence within globalization in the past but the changing realities of the global economic landscape will require according change from America. Zakaria lays out a series of principles that the United States should or must follow in order to maintain its position in the modern world as a chief agent of globalization. These principles recognize the changing landscape and suggest how America can perpetuate its interests, its goal of Americanization within globalization. Firstly, the United States must choose which policies it actively wants to pursue. The ambiguity of policy facing Iran and North Korea do not allow the United States to reach an attainable international goal. If the United States were to decide that they were simply proponents of â€Å"regime change or policy change (that is, denuclearization)† (Zakaria, 234) they could more efficiently define the changes they wish to see in the global community. Similarly, in order for the US to continue to blend Americanization with Globalization, they must set out broad rules and seek to cultivate its bilateral relationships with other nations. As Zakaria argues, if the U. S. has strong relationships with other strong nations, better than anyone has with another, â€Å"it gives the United States the greatest leverage†¦maximizing its ability to shape a peaceful and stable world† (Zakaria, 242). The United States must also be careful in how it shapes it’s responses to international conflict. â€Å"Legitimacy is power† (Zakaria, 247) and the nature of the United States’ current conflicts are â€Å"asymmetrical†, meaning they are not facing conventional military forces or typical state actors. As Zakaria writes â€Å"asymmetrical responses have become easier to execute and difficult to defeat† (Zakaria, 244). Therefore in order to remain legitimate, to have the power to â€Å"set the agenda, define a crisis, and mobilize support† (Zakaria, 247) for the United States’ interests in globalization, reactions need to be shaped to fit the conflicts at hand. Overall, Zakaria contends that if the United States is not willing to change its policies and approach towards globalization and the global community, it will no longer effectively be able to mesh Americanization with globalization. In the analysis of how linked globalization and Americanization are within the context of these books, a complex and comprehensive picture can be draw. The United States has been able to use globalization as a tool to create a global economic empire and cultural model. Through the capitalization of opportunities to expand its markets, packaged in its â€Å"reluctant superpower† myth, the United States has been able to assert itself internationally and accomplish its political and economic aims. However, the changing nature of the global landscape calls for a recalculation of how this strategy of self-interest can be perpetuated. Furthermore, the United States will have to make some concessions regarding its hegemony as other nations with large populations and strong economies grow in power and importance. Culturally, the United States benefited from the British Empire’s legacy of spreading English around the world. However, it has also been able to capitalize on this and further Americanize the world through the consequentially large English speaking media outlets. Multinational corporations such as McDonald’s still possess their American identity abroad, but this is beginning to change in respect to the world’s youth. It is now dually perceived as a symbol of modernity (which sometimes equates to Americanization) but also a component of local culture. Therefore, whether globalization is the Americanization of the world seems to be a yes. The debate whether it will, or should continue to be, is still ongoing, and remains to be seen, dependent on how America conducts itself in the post-American World.