Causes of World War I and the Rise of Germany

The early years of the 20th century saw tremendous growth in Europe of both population and prosperity. With arts and culture flourishing, few believed a general war possible due to the peaceful cooperation required to maintain increased levels of trade as well as technologies such as the telegraph and railroad. Despite this, numerous social, military, and nationalistic tensions ran beneath the surface. As the great European empires struggled to expand their territory, they were confronted with increasing social unrest at home as new political forces began to emerge. Rise of Germany Before 1870, Germany consisted of several small kingdoms, duchies, and principalities rather than one unified nation. In the 1860s, the Kingdom of Prussia, led by Kaiser Wilhelm I and his prime minister, Otto von Bismarck, initiated a series of conflicts designed to unite the German states under their influence. Following the victory over the Danes in the 1864 Second Schleswig War, Bismarck turned to eliminating Austrian influence over the southern German states. Provoking war in 1866, the well-trained Prussian military quickly and decisively defeated their larger neighbors. Forming the North German Confederation after the victory, Bismarcks new polity included Prussias German allies, while those states which had fought with Austria were pulled into its sphere of influence. In 1870, the Confederation entered into a conflict with France after Bismarck attempted to place a German prince on the Spanish throne. The resulting Franco-Prussian War saw the Germans rout the French, capture Emperor Napoleon III, and occupy Paris. Proclaiming the German Empire at Versailles in early 1871, Wilhelm and Bismarck effectively united the country. In the resulting Treaty of Frankfurt which ended the war, France was forced to cede Alsace and Lorraine to Germany. The loss of this territory badly stung the French and was a motivating factor in 1914. Building a Tangled Web With Germany united, Bismarck set about to protect his newly formed empire from foreign attack. Aware that Germanys position in central Europe made it vulnerable, he began seeking alliances to ensure that its enemies remained isolated and that a two-front war could be avoided. The first of these was a mutual protection pact with Austria-Hungary and Russia known as the Three Emperors League. This collapsed in 1878 and was replaced by the Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary which called for mutual support if either was attacked by Russia. In 1881, the two nations entered into the Triple Alliance with Italy which bound the signatories to aid each other in the case of war with France. The Italians soon undercut this treaty by concluding a secret agreement with France stating that they would provide aid if Germany invaded. Still concerned with Russia, Bismarck concluded the Reinsurance Treaty in 1887, in which both countries agreed to remain neutral if attacked by a third. In 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm I died and was succeeded by his son Wilhelm II. Rasher than his father, Wilhelm quickly tired of Bismarcks control and dismissed him in 1890. As a result, the carefully built web of treaties Bismarck had constructed for Germanys protection began to unravel. The Reinsurance Treaty lapsed in 1890, and France ended its diplomatic isolation by concluding a military alliance with Russia in 1892. This agreement called for the two to work in concert if one was attacked by a member of the Triple Alliance. Place in the Sun Naval Arms Race An ambitious leader and the grandson of Englands Queen Victoria, Wilhelm sought to elevate Germany to equal status with the other great powers of Europe. As a result, Germany entered the race for colonies with the goal of becoming an imperial power. In a speech in Hamburg, Wilhelm said, If we understood the enthusiasm of the people of Hamburg alright, I think I can assume that it is their opinion that our navy should be further strengthened, so that we may be sure that no one can dispute with us the place in the sun that is our due. These efforts to obtain territory overseas brought Germany into conflict with the other powers, especially France, as the German flag was soon raised over parts of Africa and on islands in the Pacific. As Germany sought to grow its international influence, Wilhelm began a massive program of naval construction. Embarrassed by the German fleets poor showing at Victorias Diamond Jubilee in 1897, a succession of naval bills were passed to expand and improve the Kaiserliche Marine under the oversight of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. This sudden expansion in naval construction stirred Britain, which possessed the worlds preeminent fleet, from several decades of splendid isolation. A global power, Britain moved in 1902 to form an alliance with Japan to curtail German ambitions in the Pacific. This was followed by the Entente Cordiale with France in 1904, which while not a military alliance, resolved many of the colonial squabbles and issues between the two nations. With the completion of HMS Dreadnought in 1906, the naval arms race between Britain and Germany accelerated with each striving to build more tonnage than the other. A direct challenge to the Royal Navy, the Kaiser saw the fleet as a way to increase German influence and compel the British to meet his demands. As a result, Britain concluded the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907, which tied together British and Russian interests. This agreement effectively formed the Triple Entente of Britain, Russia, and France which was opposed by the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Powder Keg in the Balkans While the European powers were posturing for colonies and alliances, the Ottoman Empire was in deep decline. Once a powerful state that had threatened European Christendom, by the early years of the 20th century it was dubbed the sick man of Europe. With the rise of nationalism in the 19th century, many of the ethnic minorities within the empire began clamoring for independence or autonomy. As a result, numerous new states such as Serbia, Romania, and Montenegro became independent. Sensing weakness, Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia in 1878. In 1908, Austria officially annexed Bosnia igniting outrage in Serbia and Russia. Linked by their Slavic ethnicity, the two nations wished to prevent Austrian expansion. Their efforts were defeated when the Ottomans agreed to recognize Austrian control in exchange for monetary compensation. The incident permanently damaged the already tense relations between the nations. Faced with increasing problems within its already diverse population, Austria-Hungary viewed Serbia as a threat. This was largely due to Serbias desire to unite the Slavic people, including those living in the southern parts of the empire. This pan-Slavic sentiment was backed by Russia who had signed a military agreement to aid Serbia if the nation was attacked by the Austrians. The Balkan Wars Seeking to take advantage of Ottoman weakness, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece declared war in October 1912. Overwhelmed by this combined force, the Ottomans lost most of their European lands. Ended by the Treaty of London in May 1913, the conflict led to issues among the victors as they battled over the spoils. This resulted in the Second Balkan War which saw the former allies, as well as the Ottomans, defeat Bulgaria. With the end of the fighting, Serbia emerged as a stronger power much to the annoyance of the Austrians. Concerned, Austria-Hungary sought support for a possible conflict with Serbia from Germany. After initially rebuffing their allies, the Germans offered support if Austria-Hungary was forced to fight for its position as a Great Power. Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand With the situation in the Balkans already tense, Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, head of Serbias military intelligence, initiated a plan to kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, intended to travel to Sarajevo, Bosnia on an inspection tour. A six-man assassination team was assembled and infiltrated into Bosnia. Guided by Danilo Ilic, they intended to kill the archduke on June 28, 1914, as he toured the city in an open-topped car. While the first two conspirators failed to act when Ferdinands car passed by, the third threw a bomb that bounced off the vehicle. Undamaged, the archdukes car sped away while the attempted assassin was captured by the crowd. The remainder of Ilics team was unable to take action. After attending an event at the town hall, the archdukes motorcade resumed. One of the assassins, Gavrilo Princip, stumbled across the motorcade as he exited a shop near the Latin Bridge. Approaching, he drew a gun and shot both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. Both died a short time later. The July Crisis Though stunning, Franz Ferdinands death was not viewed by most Europeans as an event that would lead to general war. In Austria-Hungary, where the politically moderate archduke was not well-liked, the government elected instead to use the assassination as an opportunity to deal with the Serbs. Quickly capturing Ilic and his men, the Austrians learned many of the details of the plot. Wishing to take military action, the government in Vienna was hesitant due to concerns about Russian intervention. Turning to their ally, the Austrians inquired regarding the German position on the matter. On July 5, 1914, Wilhelm, downplaying the Russian threat, informed the Austrian ambassador that his nation could count on Germany’s full support regardless of the outcome. This blank check of support from Germany shaped Viennas actions. With the backing of Berlin, the Austrians began a campaign of coercive diplomacy designed to bring about a limited war. The focus of this was the presentation of an ultimatum to Serbia at 4:30 p.m. on July 23. Included in the ultimatum were 10 demands, ranging from the arrest of the conspirators to allowing Austrian participation in the investigation, that Vienna knew Serbia could not accept as a sovereign nation. Failure to comply within 48 hours would mean war. Desperate to avoid a conflict, the Serbian government sought aid from the Russians but were told by Tsar Nicholas II to accept the ultimatum and hope for the best. War Declared On July 24, with the deadline looming, most of Europe awoke to the severity of the situation. While the Russians asked for the deadline to be extended or the terms altered, the British suggested a conference be held to prevent war. Shortly before the deadline on July 25, Serbia replied that it would accept nine of the terms with reservations, but that it could not allow the Austrian authorities to operate in their territory. Judging the Serbian response to be unsatisfactory, the Austrians immediately broke off relations. While the Austrian army began to mobilize for war, the Russians announced a pre-mobilization period known as â€Å"Period Preparatory to War. While the foreign ministers of the Triple Entente worked to prevent war, Austria-Hungary began massing its troops. In the face of this, Russia increased support for its small, Slavic ally. At 11 a.m. on July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. That same day Russia ordered a mobilization for the districts bordering Austria-Hungary. As Europe moved towards a larger conflict, Nicholas opened communications with Wilhelm in an effort to prevent the situation from escalating. Behind the scenes in Berlin, German officials were eager for a war with Russia but were restrained by the need to make the Russians appear as the aggressors. The Dominoes Fall While the German military clamored for war, its diplomats were working feverishly in an attempt to get Britain to remain neutral if war began. Meeting with the British ambassador on July 29, Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg stated he believed that Germany would soon be going to war with France and Russia and alluded that German forces would violate Belgiums neutrality. As Britain was bound to protect Belgium by the 1839 Treaty of London, this meeting helped push the nation towards actively supporting its entente partners. While news that Britain was prepared to back its allies in a European war initially spooked Bethmann-Hollweg into calling on the Austrians to accept peace initiatives, word that King George V intended to remain neutral led him to halt these efforts. Early on July 31, Russia began a full mobilization of its forces in preparation for war with Austria-Hungary. This pleased Bethmann-Hollweg who was able to couch German mobilization later that day as a response to the Russians even though it was scheduled to begin regardless. Concerned about the escalating situation, French Premier Raymond Poincarà © and Prime Minister Renà © Viviani urged Russia not to provoke a war with Germany. Shortly thereafter the French government was informed that if the Russian mobilization did not cease, Germany would attack France. The following day, August 1, Germany declared war on Russia and German troops began moving into Luxembourg in preparation for invading Belgium and France. As a result, France began mobilizing that day. With France being pulled into the conflict through its alliance to Russia, Britain contacted Paris on August 2 and offered to protect the French coast from naval attack. That same day, Germany contacted the Belgian government requesting free passage through Belgium for its troops. This was refused by King Albert and Germany declared war on both Belgium and France on August 3. Though it was unlikely that Britain could have remained neutral if France was attacked, it entered the fray that next day when German troops invaded Belgium activating the 1839 Treaty of London. On August 6, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia and six days later entered into hostilities with France and Britain. Thus by August 12, 1914, the Great Powers of Europe were at war and four and a half years of savage bloodshed were to follow.

Go back to where you came from Essay - 1102 Words

Go Back To Where You Came From Analysis - Religion Go Back To Where You Came From is an Australian documentary/reality show in which participants are given the opportunity to experience what the life of refugee and asylum seeker can be like, albeit edited and packaged for an audience. During the course of the three hour long series, the six individuals not only have the chance to get under the skin of a refugee in terms of achieving a greater degree of insight into what being a refugee really means, but also to get on the viewing audiences nerves in perhaps all or any of the of the first three senses described above. Moreover the refugees participating in the series may ‘get under the skin’ of the programme participants and the†¦show more content†¦I could’ve gone over there with a gun and shot the lot of them. Isn’t that terrible (Go Back To Where You Came From Episode 1 6min17sec) Raye refers to her own space which is disturbed, not by the arrival of individual refugees per second, but by the presence of a building, a physical solid object containing and restraining refugees, this building intrudes into Raye’s visual field and impinges and presses upon her metaphorical skin, the idyllic space surrounding her home. When she says she could have gone there and shot them with a gun, she is not literal as she concedes in her tag question. She is, however, pulling away metaphorically from the object of her disgust. The fact, the image of a gun carries a two-fold effect; the metaphorical â€Å"killing† of the detainees would effectible remove them, and the firing of the gun entails recoil, in which the holder of the gun is thrown backwards from the target being fired at. Darren In contrast to Raye’s discourse of violence, Darren’s disgust for asylum seeking boat people is expressed as moral opprobrium, expressed from the comfort of his own living room, with his family watching TV; Darren; we’re getting bombarded with boat people coming and it was only a matter of time before Christmas Island happened. Seeing children drown after their boat crashed against the rocks. It’s awful. I just couldn’t imagine that position so we need to send a tougher signal out that this is notShow MoreRelatedGo Back to Where You Came from Documentary Analysis Essay786 Words   |  4 PagesTask 1 There are many different views about refugees in Australian society, where illegal boat people and over flowing detention centres are a controversial problem today. Go Back To Where You Came From is a documentary directed by Ivan O’Mahoney about a social experiment that challenges the dominant views of six Australians about refugees and asylum seekers. 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Professional Environment for Ethics and Technology - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theProfessional Environment for Ethics and Technology. Answer: Some Issues for Ethics, Professionalism and Technology An IT Perspective Ethics can be understood as the moral principles that underlie the code of conduct, and action of an individual. Professionalism is the set of skills or competencies expected from a professional (Kurtines 2014). Professional ethics should include moral principles and professionalism (Durkheim 2013). What happened? Prof. Karl Reeds lecture titled Some Issues for Ethics, Professionalism and Technology An IT Perspective highlights some of the ethical issues affecting professional code of conduct, in the Information Technology (IT) industry. It discusses how ethics can have impact social/political scenarios, social behavior, security and authenticity of data/ information, contracting jobs, and surveillance systems (Quinn 2014). It is important to identify and differentiate the responsibilities expected from the organization and compliance to ethical standards. What did it mean to me? Surprisingly. unethical practice in IT industry is not very uncommon. Breach of client contract, divulgence of personal data, providing misleading or incorrect information has been practiced by both agencies and individuals. Working in these scenarios, it is important that professionals know their rights, and responsibilities. One cannot be forced to do unethical work, and consenting to such activity, can indict the individual as an accessory of crime. The Goals and Methods matrix suggested by Turner and Cochrane can be used to analyze the potential complexity of a project. A well defined project has clear objectives, and goals, and provides a clarity of information and expectations (Senescu, Aranda-Mena and Haymaker 2012). Any unethical practice expected from an individual can be easily identified (and disputed) from a well defined project, in contrast to a fuzzy outline, that leaves room for speculation, and promotes sequestering of unethical practices. Ethically, an engineer ought to demonstrate integrity, practice competently, exercise leadership, and promote sustainability. Often adhering to such practices can cause conflict of interest between the job and principles. What value is it to me? As professionals, we have the responsibility to not only serve the organization, but also the society, which is why ethical protocols should get precedence over personal/business objectives. For example, every citizen has the constitutional right to privacy of information. Leaking of sensitive data by Snowden or Manning have only exposed the illegal practice of surveillance (Greenwald, MacAskill, and Poitras 2013). Similarly, leak of police data can threaten the security of individuals, especially if it ends up in the wrong hands. As we see, privatization of government information can lead to data security issues (Fitzgibbon 2013). How it might help me in the future. This knowledge can be helpful in the future to decide the correct curse of action, if faced with such a conundrum. To summarize, any action expected from a professional may or may not be ethical, and therefore an understanding of rights and responsibilities of an individual as a professional and responsible citizen is necessary. Cultural Awareness in Intercultural Communication: Cultural awareness is the simply the cognition of different aspects of culture (values, beliefs, perceptions and practices) and their diversity. It can include the awareness of culturally induced behavior of own self and others (Tomalin and Stempleski 2013). In the modern day, culturally diverse society, intercultural communication is not only important, but is almost unavoidable. What happened? The project analysed the cultural diversity in different groups, with respect to language, beliefs, and practices (Banks 2015). These can be potential hurdles towards communication and team work. For example, religious practices can cause individuals to refrain from work on certain days, or consumption of certain food. Both of these can affect profession or personal relations, and therefore one needs to be sensitive to the others beliefs and practices, to avoid conflicts. What did it mean to me? Analysing cultural diversity sheds light into the heterogenous nature of human behavior, and beliefs. Since thought and action are intrinsically related to cognition, it is particularly relevant in understanding behavior (Kuhl and Beckman 2012). This insight can be useful to maintain a cultural sensitivity within a culturally diverse framework, to avoid any unintentional offense. For example, to refrain from offering certain food that can be offensive on religious grounds. What value is it to me? Much of our social turmoil is fuelled by a lack of cultural sensitivity, in a multicultural environment. This generally results in an alienation of the people belonging to different cultural groups. Knowledge of beliefs and practices of a cultural group is important recognize and implement the proper code of conduct. For example a single colour (like white) can have different cultural meanings- from cleanliness or spirituality (in occidental cultures) to the concept of death (in certain oriental cultures). So, the practice of gift-wrapping with white paper, can have different meanings for different cultures. How it might help me in the future. A knowledge of the social and cultural diversity allows a deeper introspection on how beliefs and practices can influence actions. We can understand when a line has been crossed, and when our behavior can potentially upset someone from a different cultural background. Since todays cosmopolitan/metropolitan society is culturally diverse, it is important to be sensitized to these differences. Teamwork can mean regular and stipulated interaction with individuals from other cultural groups. An effective and positive teamwork can exist if this diversity is acknowledged, and a workable communication and conduct is structured around this knowledge, and can prevent the feeling of discrimination and alienation (Geyer and Schweitzer 2012). References: Banks, J.A., 2015. Cultural diversity and education. Routledge. Durkheim, E., 2013. Professional ethics and civic morals. Routledge. Fitzgibbon, W., 2013. Risk and privatisation. British Journal of Community Justice, 11(2/3), p.87. Geyer, R.F. and Schweitzer, D.R. eds., 2012. Theories of alienation: critical perspectives in philosophy and the social sciences. Springer Science Business Media. Greenwald, G., MacAskill, E. and Poitras, L., 2013. Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations. The Guardian, 9(6). Kuhl, J. and Beckmann, J. eds., 2012. Action control: From cognition to behavior. Springer Science Business Media. Kurtines, W.M., 2014. Handbook of moral behavior and development: Volume 1: Theory. Psychology Press. Quinn, M.J., 2014. Ethics for the information age. Pearson. Senescu, R.R., Aranda-Mena, G. and Haymaker, J.R., 2012. Relationships between project complexity and communication. Journal of Management in Engineering, 29(2), pp.183-197. Tomalin, B. and Stempleski, S., 2013. Cultural Awareness-Resource Books for Teachers. Oxford University Press.

Professional Environment for Ethics and Technology - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theProfessional Environment for Ethics and Technology. Answer: Some Issues for Ethics, Professionalism and Technology An IT Perspective Ethics can be understood as the moral principles that underlie the code of conduct, and action of an individual. Professionalism is the set of skills or competencies expected from a professional (Kurtines 2014). Professional ethics should include moral principles and professionalism (Durkheim 2013). What happened? Prof. Karl Reeds lecture titled Some Issues for Ethics, Professionalism and Technology An IT Perspective highlights some of the ethical issues affecting professional code of conduct, in the Information Technology (IT) industry. It discusses how ethics can have impact social/political scenarios, social behavior, security and authenticity of data/ information, contracting jobs, and surveillance systems (Quinn 2014). It is important to identify and differentiate the responsibilities expected from the organization and compliance to ethical standards. What did it mean to me? Surprisingly. unethical practice in IT industry is not very uncommon. Breach of client contract, divulgence of personal data, providing misleading or incorrect information has been practiced by both agencies and individuals. Working in these scenarios, it is important that professionals know their rights, and responsibilities. One cannot be forced to do unethical work, and consenting to such activity, can indict the individual as an accessory of crime. The Goals and Methods matrix suggested by Turner and Cochrane can be used to analyze the potential complexity of a project. A well defined project has clear objectives, and goals, and provides a clarity of information and expectations (Senescu, Aranda-Mena and Haymaker 2012). Any unethical practice expected from an individual can be easily identified (and disputed) from a well defined project, in contrast to a fuzzy outline, that leaves room for speculation, and promotes sequestering of unethical practices. Ethically, an engineer ought to demonstrate integrity, practice competently, exercise leadership, and promote sustainability. Often adhering to such practices can cause conflict of interest between the job and principles. What value is it to me? As professionals, we have the responsibility to not only serve the organization, but also the society, which is why ethical protocols should get precedence over personal/business objectives. For example, every citizen has the constitutional right to privacy of information. Leaking of sensitive data by Snowden or Manning have only exposed the illegal practice of surveillance (Greenwald, MacAskill, and Poitras 2013). Similarly, leak of police data can threaten the security of individuals, especially if it ends up in the wrong hands. As we see, privatization of government information can lead to data security issues (Fitzgibbon 2013). How it might help me in the future. This knowledge can be helpful in the future to decide the correct curse of action, if faced with such a conundrum. To summarize, any action expected from a professional may or may not be ethical, and therefore an understanding of rights and responsibilities of an individual as a professional and responsible citizen is necessary. Cultural Awareness in Intercultural Communication: Cultural awareness is the simply the cognition of different aspects of culture (values, beliefs, perceptions and practices) and their diversity. It can include the awareness of culturally induced behavior of own self and others (Tomalin and Stempleski 2013). In the modern day, culturally diverse society, intercultural communication is not only important, but is almost unavoidable. What happened? The project analysed the cultural diversity in different groups, with respect to language, beliefs, and practices (Banks 2015). These can be potential hurdles towards communication and team work. For example, religious practices can cause individuals to refrain from work on certain days, or consumption of certain food. Both of these can affect profession or personal relations, and therefore one needs to be sensitive to the others beliefs and practices, to avoid conflicts. What did it mean to me? Analysing cultural diversity sheds light into the heterogenous nature of human behavior, and beliefs. Since thought and action are intrinsically related to cognition, it is particularly relevant in understanding behavior (Kuhl and Beckman 2012). This insight can be useful to maintain a cultural sensitivity within a culturally diverse framework, to avoid any unintentional offense. For example, to refrain from offering certain food that can be offensive on religious grounds. What value is it to me? Much of our social turmoil is fuelled by a lack of cultural sensitivity, in a multicultural environment. This generally results in an alienation of the people belonging to different cultural groups. Knowledge of beliefs and practices of a cultural group is important recognize and implement the proper code of conduct. For example a single colour (like white) can have different cultural meanings- from cleanliness or spirituality (in occidental cultures) to the concept of death (in certain oriental cultures). So, the practice of gift-wrapping with white paper, can have different meanings for different cultures. How it might help me in the future. A knowledge of the social and cultural diversity allows a deeper introspection on how beliefs and practices can influence actions. We can understand when a line has been crossed, and when our behavior can potentially upset someone from a different cultural background. Since todays cosmopolitan/metropolitan society is culturally diverse, it is important to be sensitized to these differences. Teamwork can mean regular and stipulated interaction with individuals from other cultural groups. An effective and positive teamwork can exist if this diversity is acknowledged, and a workable communication and conduct is structured around this knowledge, and can prevent the feeling of discrimination and alienation (Geyer and Schweitzer 2012). References: Banks, J.A., 2015. Cultural diversity and education. Routledge. Durkheim, E., 2013. Professional ethics and civic morals. Routledge. Fitzgibbon, W., 2013. Risk and privatisation. British Journal of Community Justice, 11(2/3), p.87. Geyer, R.F. and Schweitzer, D.R. eds., 2012. Theories of alienation: critical perspectives in philosophy and the social sciences. Springer Science Business Media. Greenwald, G., MacAskill, E. and Poitras, L., 2013. Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations. The Guardian, 9(6). Kuhl, J. and Beckmann, J. eds., 2012. Action control: From cognition to behavior. Springer Science Business Media. Kurtines, W.M., 2014. Handbook of moral behavior and development: Volume 1: Theory. Psychology Press. Quinn, M.J., 2014. Ethics for the information age. Pearson. Senescu, R.R., Aranda-Mena, G. and Haymaker, J.R., 2012. Relationships between project complexity and communication. Journal of Management in Engineering, 29(2), pp.183-197. Tomalin, B. and Stempleski, S., 2013. Cultural Awareness-Resource Books for Teachers. Oxford University Press.

Popular Culture and Teenage Pregnancy Among Americans

Table of Contents Introduction Popular culture and teenage pregnancy Teenage pregnancy among Americans Teenage pregnancy among Asians Recommendations for tackling teenage pregnancy Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Popular culture, which is popularly referred to as pop culture is the entirety of thoughts, points of view, approaches, reflections and other trends that are considered chosen per an unofficial accord within the conventions of a certain civilization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Popular Culture and Teenage Pregnancy Among Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has been the case particularly in regards to the Western society of the early to the middle 20th century and the up-and-coming international normalcy of the late 20th and 21st century (Browne, Ray Pat, 6). The mass media has been very instrumental in swaying the populace to adhere to these trends. The expression ‘popular culture’ was made up in the 19th century and it was initially used to make reference to the learning and ways of life of the lowly in social class in the society. The present meaning of the expression, way of life for mass consumption, started off in the US and was instituted at the end of the Second World War. The truncated version, ‘pop culture,’ came later in the 60s decade. The persons who are mostly swayed and adhere to these trends are the youth. With modernization and the advance of technology, information and of all kind is relayed to every part of any nation, especially the first world nations like the United States. The people popular with the youth and teenagers are mostly those in the entertainment sector. These are musicians and movie stars mostly. The young people are keen to keep abreast with what these famous persons are up to and imitate their trends. Unfortunately, the lives of these celebrities revolve around practices that the grown and mature generation find morally wrong and harmful to whomever decides to follow that route (Browne, Ray Pat, 34). Most of these celebrities that the youth are passionate about live reckless lives. Their day-to-day activities revolve around drug abuse, immoral sex, nightlife, unusual dressing, and unusual body decorations like tattoos, among others. These are some of the trends that the growing generation is always keen to keep up with. Immoral sex is one of those trends that are on the rise and the foremost consequence of this is an increase in teenage pregnancy almost everywhere. The main cause of this is the fact that the young are copying what they see and read about in the media in a bid to get consensual recognition right through the majority. On the other hand, this trend has come under intense condemnation from a variety of quarters and the one at the forefront has been the religious sector. From the religious and moral point of view, the trend is trivial, consumerist, scandalous a nd tarnished.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Popular culture and teenage pregnancy Teenagers come across a stream of communications as relates to sexual orientation in popular culture. These are messages that form their personalities and learning practices in intense manners. For the meantime, teenage sexual orientation, unwanted pregnancies, and sexually spread infections (STIs) all the time more stir up public alarm. Up to now, though, learning institutions do very little to assist young people make sense of their sexual orientations (Ashcraft, 2). Experts have reiterated that school will more and more turn immaterial and ineffectual if instructors are not up to snuff to concentrate on youngster sexuality and pop culture. This study aims to look at teenage pregnancy as a result of popular culture in the United States and compare it with the situation in Asia. Teenage pregnanc y among Americans Popular culture forms an essential platform where teenagers make their sexual personalities. This is the case in advanced nations like the United States where these youngsters have easy access to all forms of media and as a result are able to keep attune to the latest trends. Teenage pregnancy has taken place right through America’s times gone by. However, it is only in recent years that the levels of occurrence have gone so high that it has had to be declared an urgent predicament. In jeopardy situations linked with teen pregnancy consist of therapeutic and health problems, reduced education and elevated school withdrawal levels, lesser profession ambitions, and a life bordered by impoverishment (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy). The United States still visages calamity levels of unmarried teenage pregnancy. Close to 10% of 15 – 19 year olds become expectant annually. Above 40% of the teenage population will become expectant before hittin g 20 years of age. At present, approximately 400,000 newborns yearly are born to single mothers under twenty years of age. Investigations divulge that a lot of teenage girls become pregnant with intent as they cannot envision any other life aspirations that they can attain. Weighed down by poor education performance and near to the ground sense of worth, they have no sensible prospects as regards to education or professions. As a result, pregnancy is perceived as another path to economic freedom and grown-up class. In almost all cases, teenagers who become mothers are by then having educational troubles, hold low learning prospects, and lack confidence that they will make it through high school. If schooling is not the problem, then the other reason is girls who are trying to break away from cruel and offensive home conditions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Popular Culture and Teenage Pregnancy Among Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $ 11/page Learn More For such cases, following higher learning or a profession is not realistically within their accomplishment. They, thus, are left with emotions of despair as relates to their future. Such a factor combined with the absence of people worthy of imitation and poor living conditions, teenage girls make up their minds to become pregnant as this appears to be the best alternative. It is also imperative to be aware that teenage pregnancy can be an encouraging life option for ladies from some cultural or societal factions. Family formation is a key element leading to teenage pregnancy in America. Research that has been carried out in recent periods reveals that a rising number of American teenage girls live in somewhat unsteady family setups. This can be attributed to changing ways of life and people are getting more engrossed in their careers and thus spending little time with their families. Children raised in such families most of the times practice sex f or a quick-fix feeling of console. Dysfunctional families deny children in the setup the kindness and care that they so much need and consequently, they go after relationships outside the family to heighten their sense of worth. Well-built family correlations and those with both parents have been observed to experience reduced teen pregnancies (Lawlor, 121). In the present day, puberty, arguably, comes about early in adolescents. This means that these youngsters are having sex at a younger age and the result is a more sexually knowledgeable society of young people. Statistics from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy shows that in the period from 1988 to 1995, the number of teenage girls who at first had sex at fourteen years of age or less virtually grew twice. In as much as there exists no express connection between the time a girl hits teenage years and the likelihood of her becoming expectant, it is important to bear in mind that in advance start of teenage hood coupl ed with further peer pressure and reduced parental guidance and supervision ends up in teenagers making wrong sexual choices. With this increasingly becoming the popular culture, teenagers whose mothers bore child(s) as adolescents or who have expecting siblings are as well prone to get involved in premature sex and turn out to be teenage parents also. Future expectations in today’s popular culture have a major role to play in teenage pregnancies. In most times, the experience of intended maternity is restricted to susceptible, low-income teenagers since they are more expected to envision their prospects as desolate and motherhood as a more honorable alternative. More often than not teenagers who gave birth underwent academic troubles or if no, they tried to run away from foul and cruel home conditions (Boonstra, 3).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A majority of teenage mothers envisioned higher learning as unachievable, and they had little knowledge of their life choices and profession chances. They saw no prospects for themselves and this combined with an absence of people worthy of imitation, they chose to become expectant as this looked like the most excellent way to go. Motherhood was seen as a thing that one could get into and which appeared socially conscientious, gave life a sense, and gave prospects for the future. Sexual Abuse has always been on the increase has been shown to change perceptions about sex. It has been observed that girls who have been sexually abused in the past initiate sex at a premature age and have more partners. Many teenage pregnancies come about as a consequence of unsettled emotions and conduct connected with previous sexual exploitation. Even though the greater part of teenage girls claimed their initial sexual incident was deliberate, about 40% of girls who had first sex at 14 years said it was unintentional with an older partner. Statistics also show that girls who were sexually exploited while young are more prone to become expectant in the course of their teenage years and normally become expectant at a more immature age. Much in the same way, about two-thirds of teenage mothers were in the past sexually exploited and in many times suffered from a low sense of self worth and depression. Further studies revealed that above 65% of teenage mothers bore children with men who were at least 20 years or more (Boonstra, 13). The implication here is that an elevated amount of teenage pregnancies may come about from sexual exploitation that earlier thought. Teenage pregnancy among Asians In the period of the last twenty years, there has been a center of attention in the name of teenage pregnancy in the larger Asian continent and its island nations. Nevertheless, the list of items crafted to tackle this major concern has been founded on a deficient comprehension of the existin g information. For instance, teenage pregnancy has been perceived as a tribal/racial subject matter (Population Council Youth in India). The notion coming out is that this issue is not a concern for the entire nation or community. Consequently, the public in the larger continent is in most times paid no heed to by community health crusades, strategy crafters, and public services schedules working at the significant subject matter of teenage pregnancy deterrence. This is the reason as to why in the year 2000 a two-way undertaking was crafted with the aim of throwing light on the allegory that teen pregnancy is not a subject for the entire Asian society and to put in the picture to policy drafters of the requirement to make available resources to prop up teenage pregnancy deterrence efforts. For the past three years there has been observed a remarkable change in the notion that the issue was not a concern for the entire community. Compared to the United States, here there exists a hug e disparity since in America the issues of tribal or racial affiliation as regards to matters like general education rarely do come to the fore. Whenever tackling societal issues such as teenage pregnancy and immoral pop culture, the education or enlightenment is directed to the whole populace. A comprehension of the matter of teenage pregnancy requires that the issues of the youth and especially women have to be paid attention to. When the teenagers in this community were asked what their take on hale and hearty sexuality means they gave varied answers. Sticking with one partner, protected sex, absence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), looking well after one’s body, pride in one’s gender, proud in being female and boasting of the liberty to come up with fine alternatives, were some of the responses that came up. All the answers given left an impression that underage sex has generally become accepted by the young and the root cause is pop culture (Dangal, 11). What with the exposure to both electronic and print media even in areas that in the recent parts were considered remote. The research also went ahead to find out from these young people what according to them were the reasons as to why teenage pregnancy was/is on the rise. The responses given touched on societal, economic and political situations in the day to day lives of these youngsters. In particular, the popular way of life in the region is that there is a deficiency of chances to connect with grown persons or with one another as regards to queries or issues relating to sexual orientation. One respondent said that she cannot talk to her parents about sex as they will get the impression that she is practicing sex. In addition to that, her parents are rarely at home in any case since they are always at work. Thus, there is not enough time for her to bond and learn important issues from them. This is the case with a majority of the modern day families, much the same as in America . The respondent in this case also came clear about what happens between the youngsters. They just look at things at face value, making fun at them since no one would like to look unintelligent as regards to these matters. According to several respondents, in this part of the world the sex tutoring lessons in school are more of a gag since they only run for a couple of hours and no one asks questions. This is much the same as in the United States. As a result, the youngsters are left to find out matters by themselves. No wonder then that the most accessible source of knowledge for them is the media since they have time to catch up with the latest in the entertainment industry. A majority of the celebrities that they adore have sexual insinuations in the way they dress and perform their acts. The youth are, thus, inclined to ape these celebs in order to appear to be keeping up with the latest trends. Many areas in Asia do not have leisure and positive opportunities where their youngs ters can pass free time and also keep their minds focused away from immoral acts. In America there are leisure areas but a good number of them cannot be said to hold positive opportunities. In Asia same as in the United States, most of these young people spend their free times in the malls (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy). As the case is with the United States, pop culture depicts women and girls as sexual toys. This is the message that comes out in music, film and commercials, just to mention but a few. For example, whenever a new product is to be launched in the market, female models pose with the commodity in a majority of the times. The impression is that the female gender is an object. This increases the female persons’ susceptibility to assault. Most of the teenage female respondents to the study admitted that sexual harassment and date rape had happened to them and their allies. Many pregnancies occurred through this, much same in America. The society gene rally seems to have hit a low end, particularly as regards to the youth. A majority of them have a low down sense of worth and feel they do not hold any power. As a result they do not envision a future. At times, such ladies are left with the feeling that finding a boyfriend and carrying out what he desires never minding the outcome, is the most essential thing in their lives. These are the sentiments from regions having poor learning institutions. What appears interesting and fun in such situations is only what they watch and read, a good part of it being the prevailing pop culture. In the United States the same is the case especially in the poor and densely populated urban districts. The campaign and efforts to make everyone look at teenage pregnancy in the region as a national issue and that there needs to be a change in the popular culture so that the phenomenon is reduced seems to be yielding much fruit (Population Council Youth in India). Media communications on this subject o ver and over again outlined the concern as a national matter and in most of the times labeled teenage pregnancy as core foundation for the region’s economic and societal problems. This general public argument and media fascination with the matter of underage pregnancy has been instrumental in adding force to the cost-effectively, culturally, and in a social context up to standard race and sexual category roles for low-earning women and girls. Popular culture mainly spreads through the media. Taking this into account campaigns in Asia against teenage pregnancy through the same platform have proved successful. When asked, the youth made out a number of reappearing communications touching on teenage pregnancy. The foremost was that ways out sought principally to affect the personal-level conduct. This coupled with enticements go a long way in setting up personal conduct that exhibits fine ethical decisions like waiting for matrimony and abstinence. It was clear that young people who are not entirely able of being in charge of their sexual desires are fundamental foundations for the public’s rising poverty (Dangal, 12). To rub salt to injury, this poverty is at the cost of taxpayers. The campaign has shown that government involvement through rigorous societal and cost-effective strategies and regulations has the ability to turn the tables of underage pregnancy and births that are taxing to the community. Disgrace is a general feeling that accompanies unchecked sexual activity, in particular among the young. To respond to this outlook, girls suggested that they work in collusion with strategy crafters and media envoys to communicate messages that do not appear to be at the cost of ladies’ wellbeing. Instead the messages need to make out the major causes for society’s problems which include disproportionate division of affluence and ethnic live outs. This has been capped up with the message that any lady holds reproductive independence wh en she holds the authority and resources to come up with hale and hearty preferences for herself and her relations in all areas of her existence. Recommendations for tackling teenage pregnancy To begin with, teenage pregnancy has to be made out as an important subject matter in any modern society. Information needs to be gathered by all involved and concerned at different levels of strategy crafting and plan build up. This information, facts and figures are normally very important in coming up with solutions to tackle the problem. Having accurate data is means the problem is halfway solved since it has been fully defined and what is at stake is clearly understood (Ashcraft, 4). Following this then the areas having high teenage births should be provided with adequate resources, avails, and agendas associated with such pregnancy deterrence. These plans and avails need to be devised particularly to deal with the only one of its kind cultural and lingual aspects. They need to tackle the main causes of teenage pregnancy. Exchange of ideas as relates to teenage pregnancy needs to be restructured with a perspective of generative independence. Finally, wellbeing improvement needs to be perceived as key to fully comprehending teenage pregnancy. Conclusion In a bid to deal with the problem of teenage pregnancy as a result of popular culture, a twofold approach will be appropriate. To begin with, sex education especially has to address popular culture. Secondly, society can no longer afford to restrict labors to deal with youngster sexual orientation and pop culture to sex teaching. To a considerable extent, such labors must be widened crossways a broad array of classroom and learning perspectives (Lawlor, 123). Going ahead with this will be very important as it will help attain three enlightening goals. The first one being to establish a broad array of programs of study, for example skill, societal lessons, and sex learning, further significant and racially receptive to youngsters from various backgrounds. The second is to build up significant multiracial programs of study that cross-examines societal inequities, and finally, to obliquely establish circumstances that would cut down teenage pregnancy, sexually spread infections (STIs), and HIV/AIDS. Works Cited Ashcraft, C. â€Å"Starting with sexuality: Developing disruptive, democratic curriculum/classrooms for diverse urban youth.† (2005, March). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Quebec. Boonstra, H. â€Å"Comprehensive approach needed to combat sexually transmitted infections among youth.† The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy. (2004, March) pp. 3–4, 13. Browne, Ray B. and Pat Browne, eds. â€Å"The Guide to U.S. Popular Culture.† (2001), 1010 pages; essays by experts on many topics. Dangal, G. â€Å"An update on teenage pregnancy.† (2006). Internet Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics, 5(1). Lawlor DA., Shaw M. â€Å"Teenage pregnancy rates: high compared with where and when?† Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.2004;97:121–123. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. â€Å"Not just another single issue: Teen pregnancy prevention’s link to other critical social issues.† (2002, February). Web. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. â€Å"Fact sheet: Recent trends in teen pregnancy, sexual activity, contraceptive use.† (2003). Web. Population Council Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-2007. Population Council, New Delhi. 2007. Web. This essay on Popular Culture and Teenage Pregnancy Among Americans was written and submitted by user Frank V. to help you with your own studies. 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