Saturday, February 22, 2020
Rise of modern state in europe, under international relations and Essay
Rise of modern state in europe, under international relations and politics - Essay Example The most undesirable conditions of military defeats, civil wars and revolution which were prevailing during the origin of the third republic had intense impact on every facet of the life of French men. There have been a lot of scandals during the third republican rule and the Stateââ¬â¢s relationship with the church was disturbing. In spite of all these issue the third republic succeeded in unifying the feelings of French men towards the state by breaking the regional, linguistic and racial barriers. Origin of the Third Republic of France The living conditions of the French men were disgusting and the rich were becoming richer and the poor were becoming poorer. They were facing food shortage and the terrible after effects of military defeat especially the disastrous defeat at Sedan in 1870 were tormenting the people. All these factors turned the preference of the working class and the upper middle class towards the formation of democratic republic. They demanded a self governing F rance and a government with fairer managing techniques (The Third Republic of France 2004). The republican government of France during the period starting from 1870 until the attack of Germany on France in 1940 is termed as the Third Republic which emerged immediately after the fall of Napoleon III (Bloy 2011). There were sixty governments in France during the seventy years period renowned as the Third republic and Paris Commune was one among them occupying the period from March 18 to May 28, 1871. Certain historians prefer to divide the period in to three sections as the monarchist republic (1870-1879), the opportunist republic (1879-1899) and the radical republic (after 1899). As an outcome of the defeat of Napoleon III at Sedan against Prussia, there was a situation of political confusion. This was a crucial stage and the French emotion was towards monarchy and they were expecting ââ¬ËThe Comte de Chambordââ¬â¢ or ââ¬ËThe Comte de Parisââ¬â¢, the former from the Bourb on family and the latter, the grandson of Louis Philippe to rule them. But the monarchists failed to agree on an appropriate candidate, which paved the way for the victory of republicans in several elections. The republican leaders gained public support and constituted a provisional government called as the ââ¬ËGovernment of National Defenceââ¬â¢ consisting of 11 members and the government was led by Adolphe Theirs who became the president in 1871. Theirs made a lot of enemies around him by his famous statement ââ¬Å"there is only one throne of France and two men can not sit on itâ⬠which resulted in the removal of the moderate republican president and Marshal McMahon representing the monarchist became the president (Anderson 1984, p. 5). The constitutional laws implemented in1875 gave definitions to the Executive power and the Legislative power. They were the laws on Senate, laws on the authorities, and laws on the election of Senators and representatives. The president was elected by the Congress and his tenure was seven years. The Executive power was supposed to be exercised by the president while the Legislative powers were on the Senate and the Chamber. The amendment in 1879 made the constitution more republican in nature. Official establishment and the first ever celebration of the national day in the history of France happened on 14th July 1880 during the period of the third republic (France History - French Third Republic 2011). Social
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Ice-Fili .. Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Ice-Fili .. Case Analysis - Essay Example In fact, many players are entering the market since it is very attractive. The economy of Russia has grown strong and cities such as Moscow is a very attractive position to start a business. It can be said that the Russian ice-cream market would evolve rapidly as many new players have gained entry to the market. Although the GOST was supposed to have created as a barrier for new players, existing foreign giants such as Nestle can dominate the market. Regional producers also pose as a threat to existing players since they can easily be flexible. In short, this means that the ice-cream industry is robust and dynamic. Despite the foreign players and regional producers coming into play , Ice-Fili has sustainable competitive advantage. For one, the company has the most number of brands. This gives the company advantage since it can penetrate many markets and create market segmentation of its consumers. Also, it has the largest production capacity which can easily cope up with production needs. These are internal strengths that the company can effectively use to capture the market .Although Nestle appears as a threat, its only edge of Nestle against Ice-Fili is its distribution channels which has strategically created a nice in the premium ice-cream market. There are also other factors such as pricing and cost which a company should consider when evaluating its competitiveness in the industry. Currently, Ice-Fili has placed its price as average, but as an Ice-Fili executive said, the slight 10% increase would not affect consumer behavior. This reveals a wealth of insight that the company can raise the price of some premium products. However, this move must be supported with a campaign to project to the Russians the uniqueness of these premium products. Ice-Fili has young managers who can creatively make a marketing program aimed at different segments. As for the cost-position, Ice-Fili must stick to its recipe since this is exactly what foreigners wanted
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Truman Show Essay Example for Free
Truman Show Essay Society watches and is attracted to these shows because they are supposed to relate to ordinary peopleââ¬â¢s lives. Even though it appears that their real lives are playing out on television, it is not as real as it seems when compared to peopleââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"realâ⬠lives. These ââ¬Å"actorsâ⬠have nothing to fear. They have security guards surrounding them when filming the show. They do not have to pay for anything because the company pays for their needs and wants. The director cuts and edits the clips to show the adience how he wants the actorsââ¬â¢ lives and show to appear. The only difference between the reality shows of today and the Truman show is that Truman was not aware that he was part of a show. In todayââ¬â¢s reality shows, the actors are very aware of their surroundings and display behavior that will make the shows more amusing to their audience. Trumanââ¬â¢s world was in a way almost a ââ¬Å"utopiaâ⬠with no worries and no fear. It was, however, repetitive. Every day was the same. There were no difficult choices to make; much like reality television is portrayed today. The decisions they make and the outcomes do not truly reflect what would happen if an ordinary person does the same. The actors in todayââ¬â¢s reality television have welcomed the public eye to see everything they are doing, but this isnââ¬â¢t true for everyone in society. While the rest of the society hasnââ¬â¢t invited anyone to track their actions, government and other organizations are already doing this in many ways. These groups have the ability to put up surveillance cameras to track when people are in different locations. They can track internet, credit card and cell phone usage. When traveling by a cell tower, for example, the tower stores the location information in a database. It is ready to be revealed to any government official when solicited (ACLU). Purchases can be tracked, along with, vacations, hotel stays, etc. According to an article written by Daniel J. Solove, for The Chronicle of Higher Education, the most common response to privacy advocates is ââ¬Å"Only if youââ¬â¢re doing something wrong should you worry, and then you donââ¬â¢t deserve to keep it private. â⬠(cite ). The problem with the government collecting private information goes beyond someone doing right or wrong. Some of the problems resulting from collecting and using personal data include the fact that people do not know that this data is being collected about them. They cannot fix an issue if they do not know this technology exists. Another problem with government gathering and using personal data is the distortion of the data. It often fails to reflect the whole person and can paint an untrue picture (Chronicle). Privacy is not typically lost with one major action, but it occurs over time with many pieces of information being collected and used to make assumptions about a person. The question is can it be stopped? The best way to slow down the invasion of privacy is to be careful of the information a person is freely giving out, especially on the internet. Information provided in emails, Facebook, on-line shopping sites, use of credit-cards, or completing surveys for a ââ¬Å"free-giftâ⬠all contribute to an ongoing database of personal information. Consumers can continue to express their opinions with government representatives on how this personal information is collected and used. Those who want an increase in privacy should encourage the policy makers to look at the spending programs, regulatory agencies, privacy-invading regulations and investigative agencies for influence (Privacilla). The Truman show portrays the government or ââ¬Å"creatorâ⬠as having all personal information of Truman and is able to influence and control his entire life. This is not a future that society wishes to imitate. Bibliography ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union. American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU, n. d. Web. 12 May 2013. Privacilla. Welcome to Privacilla. org. Welcome to Privacilla. org. Privacilla, 3 June 2012. Web. 12 May 2013. Solove, Daniel J. Why Privacy Matters. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Chronicle Review, 15 May 2011. Web. 12 May 2013.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Sammy in A&P by John Updike Essay -- A&P John Updike Working Careers
Sammy in A&P by John Updike Is where you are in your working career where you want to be for the rest of your life? The answer to that question is simple for Sammy in the story ââ¬Å"A&Pâ⬠by John Updike. Sammy, like many others in this world, is a young man trying to make some money in a small town. But unlike some, he refuses to be stuck in the same job for many years or possibly the rest of his life. One day while working the register at a local grocery store, Sammy notices three girls walk in. The girls are wearing their bathing suits because the beach is close to the store. When the girls reach the register the manager notices the girls attire. He walks over to them and argues with them for a moment and then girls leave. Sammy didnââ¬â¢t understand why the manager had such a problem with what the girls were wearing. Suddenly Sammy decides to quit. He takes off his apron and walks out the door. One of the things that caught my attention the most was Updikeââ¬â¢s use of imagery in describing Sammyââ¬â¢s working environment. ââ¬Å"The sheep pushing their carts down the aisle-â⬠(34), I thou...
Sunday, January 12, 2020
The Bean Trees
In the book The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, there is a young girl named Taylor who did not want to be like the typical girls from Kentucky. She wanted to go and get out of the small town. She got in her old beat up car and traveled throughout the United States, until she landed in Arizona. When she was there she not only had to deal with herself, but she now had a little girl who she named Turtle. This was not her daughter; instead someone she barely knew handed her off to Taylor. Turtle was not your average toddler, she was what some people call retarded or slow, but Taylor did not even notice that, all she saw was a little girl in need of help. Even though Taylor could not give Turtle a life of riches, she knew she could at least do better than before. Throughout the rest of the book Taylor experiences many events that portray evil. ââ¬Å"Turtle's main goal in life, other than hanging on to things, seemed to be to pass unnoticedâ⬠(81). Turtle was a mentally slow child. When she was given to Taylor the woman said that her mother had died and that the little girl had no home. Taylor was just being a good person and taking Turtle, so that she could live in a better place. Once she had Turtle she took her back to the hotel and gave her a bath. When she did she realized that the black and blue marks on her body was not just dirt, but bruises. Taylor had grown up in a loving house with a loving mother who taught her the necessities of life. Seeing Turtle and beat up and scared broke Taylorââ¬â¢s heart. There was a cactus with bushy arms and a coat of yellow spines as thick as fur. A bird had built her nest in it. In and out she flew among the horrible spiny branches, never once hesitating. You just couldn't imagine how she'd made a home in thereâ⬠(130). Which makes Turtleââ¬â¢s new life, not glamorous, but a lot better than it could have been. Turtle was not the only person in Taylorââ¬â¢s life. There were two immigrants that were friends of hers they were Esperanza and Esteven. She knew that they were in the country illegally, but Taylor did not care. They were nice people who had been tortured in their life as well. The government had been trying to get them and everyone seemed to be very rude to them. ââ¬Å"You can go and visit heaven. What? You see a room just like the first one, the same table, the same pot of stew, the same spoons as long as a sponge mop. But these people are all happy and fatâ⬠(113). Esteven meant that there is people will help you in heaven, but no one will help you in hell. He was influencing that he was in hell because someone had kidnapped his very own kid, and the government is out to get rid of them. This shows how their whole life they have been trying to run away from evil. Turtle was a very unlucky and lucky girl. She was unlucky in the sense that she had been abused and almost lost and kidnapped. She was in the park one day playing with Lou Annââ¬â¢s child, when this scary man came up and was going to take her. Her babysitter put up her cane and scared the man away. Turtle did not just forget about it though. She went on not talking to anyone about anything, even Taylor. Taylor had always been very strong when hard or scary situations came upon them. In this case she was not, she was going crazy worried that Turtle would never talk again. She also started feeling sorry for herself, like she wasnââ¬â¢t good enough to be a mother to Turtle. She soon came to realize that she was the best life that Turtle could have right now. Eventually Turtle talked again but it she felt most comfortable with Taylor. Throughout this book there were many bad experiences that happened to Taylor. She found a sad little girl that was abandoned and bruised, friends that were in trouble with the government, and a new daughter that was almost kidnapped. Even throughout all of those hard times Taylor managed to not ââ¬Å"freak outâ⬠she always looked at life in the positive eye. Taylor is a strong woman, and even though people have their weaknesses she was a great mother to Turtle. Out of all the evil in her life she made it look so simple to deal with. ââ¬Å"â⬠¦I was not the smartest or even particularly outstanding but I was there and staying out of trouble and I intended to finishâ⬠(3). Taylor was not the perfect mother or a perfect person, but she had a great heart and a great passion to do the right thing, and that she was amazing at. The Bean Trees In the book The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, there is a young girl named Taylor who did not want to be like the typical girls from Kentucky. She wanted to go and get out of the small town. She got in her old beat up car and traveled throughout the United States, until she landed in Arizona. When she was there she not only had to deal with herself, but she now had a little girl who she named Turtle. This was not her daughter; instead someone she barely knew handed her off to Taylor. Turtle was not your average toddler, she was what some people call retarded or slow, but Taylor did not even notice that, all she saw was a little girl in need of help. Even though Taylor could not give Turtle a life of riches, she knew she could at least do better than before. Throughout the rest of the book Taylor experiences many events that portray evil. ââ¬Å"Turtle's main goal in life, other than hanging on to things, seemed to be to pass unnoticedâ⬠(81). Turtle was a mentally slow child. When she was given to Taylor the woman said that her mother had died and that the little girl had no home. Taylor was just being a good person and taking Turtle, so that she could live in a better place. Once she had Turtle she took her back to the hotel and gave her a bath. When she did she realized that the black and blue marks on her body was not just dirt, but bruises. Taylor had grown up in a loving house with a loving mother who taught her the necessities of life. Seeing Turtle and beat up and scared broke Taylorââ¬â¢s heart. There was a cactus with bushy arms and a coat of yellow spines as thick as fur. A bird had built her nest in it. In and out she flew among the horrible spiny branches, never once hesitating. You just couldn't imagine how she'd made a home in thereâ⬠(130). Which makes Turtleââ¬â¢s new life, not glamorous, but a lot better than it could have been. Turtle was not the only person in Taylorââ¬â¢s life. There were two immigrants that were friends of hers they were Esperanza and Esteven. She knew that they were in the country illegally, but Taylor did not care. They were nice people who had been tortured in their life as well. The government had been trying to get them and everyone seemed to be very rude to them. ââ¬Å"You can go and visit heaven. What? You see a room just like the first one, the same table, the same pot of stew, the same spoons as long as a sponge mop. But these people are all happy and fatâ⬠(113). Esteven meant that there is people will help you in heaven, but no one will help you in hell. He was influencing that he was in hell because someone had kidnapped his very own kid, and the government is out to get rid of them. This shows how their whole life they have been trying to run away from evil. Turtle was a very unlucky and lucky girl. She was unlucky in the sense that she had been abused and almost lost and kidnapped. She was in the park one day playing with Lou Annââ¬â¢s child, when this scary man came up and was going to take her. Her babysitter put up her cane and scared the man away. Turtle did not just forget about it though. She went on not talking to anyone about anything, even Taylor. Taylor had always been very strong when hard or scary situations came upon them. In this case she was not, she was going crazy worried that Turtle would never talk again. She also started feeling sorry for herself, like she wasnââ¬â¢t good enough to be a mother to Turtle. She soon came to realize that she was the best life that Turtle could have right now. Eventually Turtle talked again but it she felt most comfortable with Taylor. Throughout this book there were many bad experiences that happened to Taylor. She found a sad little girl that was abandoned and bruised, friends that were in trouble with the government, and a new daughter that was almost kidnapped. Even throughout all of those hard times Taylor managed to not ââ¬Å"freak outâ⬠she always looked at life in the positive eye. Taylor is a strong woman, and even though people have their weaknesses she was a great mother to Turtle. Out of all the evil in her life she made it look so simple to deal with. ââ¬Å"â⬠¦I was not the smartest or even particularly outstanding but I was there and staying out of trouble and I intended to finishâ⬠(3). Taylor was not the perfect mother or a perfect person, but she had a great heart and a great passion to do the right thing, and that she was amazing at.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Learn About the Von Thunen Model
The Von Thunen model of agricultural land use (also called location theory) was created by the German farmer, landowner, and amateur economist Johann Heinrich Von Thunen (1783ââ¬â1850). He presented it in 1826 in a book called The Isolated State, but it wasnt translated into English until 1966. Von Thunen created his model before industrialization and in it, he laid the foundation for what we know as the field of human geography. He strove to identify trends of peoples economic relationship with the landscape surrounding them. What Is the Von Thunen Model? The Von Thunen model is a theory which, after Von Thunens own observations and very meticulous mathematical calculations, predicts human behavior in terms of landscape and economy. Like any other scientific experiment or theory, it is based on a series of assumptions, that Von Thunen sums up in his concept of an Isolated State. Von Thunen was interested in ways people tend to use and would use the land around a city if the conditions were laboratory-like, as in his Isolated State. His premise is that if people have the freedom to organize the landscape around their cities as they wish, they will naturally set up their economyââ¬âgrowing and selling crops, livestock, timber, and produceââ¬â into what Von Thunen identified as Four Rings. Isolated State The following are the conditions Von Thunen noted as the basis for his model. These are laboratory-style conditions and dont necessarily exist in the real world. But they are a workable basis for his agricultural theory, which seemed to reflect how people actually organized their world and how some modern agricultural regions are still laid out. The city is located centrally within an Isolated State that is self-sufficient and has no external influences.The Isolated State is surrounded by an unoccupied wilderness.The land of the State is completely flat and has no rivers or mountains to interrupt the terrain.The soil quality and climate are consistent throughout the State.Farmers in the Isolated State transport their own goods to market via oxcart, across the land, directly to the central city. Therefore, there are no roads.Farmers act to maximize profits. The Four Rings In an Isolated State with the foregoing statements being true, Von Thunen hypothesized that a pattern of rings around the city would develop based on land cost and transportation cost.à Dairying and intensive farming occur in the ring closest to the city: Because vegetables, fruit, milk, and other dairy products must get to market quickly, they would be produced close to the city. (Remember, in the 19th century, people didnt have refrigerated oxcarts that would enable them to travel larger distances.) The first ring of land is also more expensive, so the agricultural products from that area would have to be highly valuable ones and the rate of return maximized.Timber and firewood: These would be produced for fuel and building materials in the second zone. Before industrialization (and coal power), wood was a very important fuel for heating and cooking, and thus comes in second in value after dairy and produce. Wood is also very heavy and difficult to transport, so it is located as close to the city as possible to minimize additional transportation costs.Crops: The third zone consists of extensive field crops such as grains for bread. Because grains last longer than dairy products and are much lighter than wood, reducing transport costs, they can be located farther from the city.Livestock: Ranching is located in the final ring surrounding the central city. Animals can be raised far from the city because they are self-transportingââ¬âthey can walk to the central city for sale or for butchering. Beyond the fourth ring lies the unoccupied wilderness, which is too great a distance from the central city for any type of agricultural product because the amount earned for the product doesnt justify the expenses of producing it after transportation to the city is factored in. What the Model Can Tell Us Even though the Von Thunen model was created in a time before factories, highways, and even railroads, it is still an important model in geography. It is an excellent illustration of the balance between land cost and transportation costs. As one gets closer to a city, the price of land increases. The farmers of the Isolated State balance the cost of transportation, land, and profit and produce the most cost-effective product for the market. Of course, in the real world, things dont happen as they would in a model, but Von Thunens model gives us a good base to work from.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Otakus Are A Consumer Based Subculture - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2511 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/10/30 Category Culture Essay Level High school Tags: Subculture Essay Did you like this example? Otakus are a consumer based subculture, strictly adhering to buying the merchandise of anime, manga, and video games. This has been viewed by outsiders as reclusive behavior. They are often met with animosity and confusion. Forced to operate on the fringes of society, they develop into their own subcultures. By piggybacking of the commercialization of mediums such as anime and manga, they are able to challenge nationalistic pressures by creating a culture of escapism. This has allowed them to redefine the role of the individual in society and spread the Otaku subculture around the world. Otaku are those who dont and cant conform: theyre seen to be uncool, weird, ugly and outcast. In short, Otaku are everything the normal person ought to revile (Cloutman). In the early days of its creation Otaku was seen a pejorative term for calling someone a nerd or geek. Otakus took the word and owned it, being proud of their subculture. Otaku culture is passionate about the genre of anime, games, and manga. This expansion of the Otaku culture can be traced back to the Japanese economic miracle. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Otakus Are A Consumer Based Subculture" essay for you Create order After World War II, Japan had been crippled economically. They were occupied by the US to oversee reconstruction. Because of this the Japanese citizens had a huge loss of morale. However due to the strategic positioning of Japan, as well as help from other countries. Japan quickly recovered very quickly and became the second largest economy in the world. Despite this success, it was difficult for the populous to feel a sense of nationalism since their country had suffered a total loss and committed war crimes. The countrys people felt abandoned from any strong organization and this caused its society to crumble. The rapid industrialization caused by the economic boom left its workers feeling disconnected from their jobs. They also had the fundamental rules of their society changed by a new global economy but high military sanction placed upon them. This lack of social norms and commodification of vocations led to anomie in the Japanese society. Many replaced their nationalistic pride with a growing pop culture market. This consisted of manga, anime, games, and music. These mediums painted a new world for its young men. They were able to forget about the burdens of daily life and escape into a fantasy world. They no longer had to tie themselves to weak government, instead they could feed their happiness with merchandise. They became hooked on this consumer culture, and were indoctrinated into this mercantile religion. This was the beginning of the otaku. The escapism in the otaku movement allowed the Japanese people to create cultural capital needed to kick start their economy. Given that almost every class in Japan had encountered hardship after the war, desperately ate up some sort of distraction. The pursuit of entertainment and material goods allowed Otaku to move on from wartime recovery and create a new culture in Japan. The ability to forget the past and move forward served as resistance within the Otaku subculture. By actively seeking out refuge from their new post-war environment, male Japanese youth demonstrated their disappointment in their country for being forced to pick up the pieces of a broken country with little hope for the future. These individuals were viewed as being worker drones, existing only to achieve the goals of their country or companies platform. Therefore, by dropping out, the Otakus were able to gain a sense of identity that existed outside of being a cog in the machine. The Mecca of Otaku culture is based out of the district of Akihabara in Tokyo. There are maid cafà ©s featuring waitresses who dress up and act like maids or anime characters. These are prominent attraction centers for Otaku. Akihabara also has dozens of stores specializing in anime, manga, retro video games, figurines, card games and other collectibles. While Akihabara does rely on tourism, the people who inhabits has actually created a self-sufficient bubble economy within Japan. This demonstrates on important commerce is within the Otaku subculture. The US had heavily influenced these markets during the reconstruction and was an important trading partner that globalized Japans economy. Many of Japans indigenous art forms were combined with American pop themes. They also experienced American commercialism at its finest through things like product placement. This mishmash of Eastern and Western pop culture slowly took form into their own entity. Japan had started creating their own cartoons (anime) and music (J-pop). When these hybrid art styles entered the global market they were an immediate success. Anime and J-pop were exported to the US. This was a huge economic success for the otaku culture and allowed them to flip the script on the US/Japan pop culture trade industry. This victory was larger than just otaku, but affected all of Japan. They were able to resist against the control the US had over them. Due to this, anime has become an essential icon to the Japanese identity. Otaku culture started coming to the United States during this period of Japanese exportation. Small groups of people would watch anime with no subtitles or English dubbing and try to speculate on what the plot was. From there it picked up speed with the great works of studio Ghibli becoming very popular, such as My Neighbor Totoro. This caused anime to enter the mainstream and even be broadcast on Cartoon Network in a segment called Toonami. It was hugely popular with 90s kids in show like Pokà ©mon and Yu-Gi-Oh on WBs 4kids, these shows were created to sell merchandise to children, and were a massive success. This commercialization followed anime and the otaku subculture. It eventually gained momentum amongst teenagers and young adults with the advent of action oriented shows such as Dragon Ball and Naruto. Slowly, adults started becoming more and more interested and started finding seinen (adult-themed) anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion. The internet anime streaming websites such as Crunchyroll and manga reading sites has allowed the American fan base to be just as caught up and immersed into the anime culture as those in Japan. This has allowed the Otaku culture and anime appreciation to spread worldwide without being picked up by specific T.V networks. After Japans economy began to settle in the late 1990s, people began to view the Otaku subculture as a social problem. Due to the rise of the internet, Otakus activities can be completed from their room. This has perpetuated a stereotype of otaku being shut-ins. This has been seen as dysfunctional by Japanese society. It is often associated with anti-social behavior, no sense of ambition, and a weight on society. People who show these symptoms are seen to have a predisposition for failing in school, work, or relationships. Despite this, the Nomura Research Institute classifies Otaku based off of the medium of choice they subscribe to. This means that manga Otaku are fundamentally different from anime Otaku. NRI also has classified many different archetypes of Otaku. For example, the family-oriented Otaku, does not allow his interests to surpass his duty to his family, they also tend to be closet Otaku (NRI). These subgroups exist because neoliberal capitalist societies tend to have a low tolerance for non-productivity. This encourages members of these subcultures to assimilate to the mainstream by getting jobs and working. The stigma against Otaku in Japan was strengthened after the 1989 Otaku Murderer case. The identification of Otaku turned negative when Kaoru Kobayashi kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered a seven-year-old first-grade student. Japanese journalist Akihiro tani suspected that Kobayashi was member of the Otaku, due to his collection anime figurines. Although Kobayashi was did not represent the larger Otaku subculture, the degree of social hostility against them increased. When this combined with the fact that anime is often rife with themes of sexual perversion, pedophilia and incest. Otaku were seen by law enforcement as possible suspects for sex crimes, and local governments called for stricter laws controlling the depiction of eroticism in Otaku materials (Whaley 135). The prevalence of sexual themes in the media that Otakus consume is important in understanding how Otakus interact with society. Since the typical Otaku profile is a middle to upper class single young man, their desired mediums will reflect what young men have always wanted, sex. This male dominated subculture has acted like an echo chamber for misogynistic sexual themes in anime and manga (Brett).The fact that the characters they were creating were not real allowed for a wider variety of what was legally allowed (such as the sexual objectification of children and animals). They also change certain characteristics (such as the classic large eyed anime girl) to give them more emotional appeal. This has led to the preference of these 2D mediums to real women. The inclination to begin to focus on 2D characters over human women in integral to the Otaku identity. This reinforces their rejection of society and they commodified their biological desires into marketable products of fictional characters. Despite these stigmas against the otaku, the otaku rarely, if ever, become politically motivated. They will often meet with likeminded individuals, however this is different from the organizing required in Social Justice Youth Development (Ginwright). SJYD key features is examining institutions and how they oppress groups that the youth identify with. Otaku organize to buy and sell products. While they do have a sense of community at these meetings (e.g. Comiket) the underlying reason for gathering is commerce. Otakus do not critically examine their society or seek to undo injustices. They live in a culture of escapism through commercialism. This lack of productivity as a social movement is often looked down upon by the societies they reside in, alienating the otaku more. It is important to note that Otaku do have a sense of community and are not just mindless consumers. They have their own vernacular and jargon when discussing anime. They are also prone to write their own manga, and occasionally will dress up as their favorite characters. This is known as cosplay and it is a very popular activity and pillar within the otaku subculture. The ability to transform into a different person is a fitting activity for a subculture of escapism. However, cosplay also brings the community together and allows these reclusive individuals to make connections. This community has grown exponentially over the last few years. Transforming the Otaku from being a localized subculture to an international phenomenon. This seems to have been sponsored by the Japanese government and promoted by corporations in hopes of relocating the centers of global interest in commerce back to Japan. Another reason why cosplay and otaku culture has spread globally is due to a change in how the world has come to consume cultural products. Those who cosplay are no longer passive consumers, they dedicate a lot of time in effort recreating the looks of their favorite characters. This provides an intimacy with the products and the culture surrounding it. With the outlet of cosplay and a fandom of mostly-female cast anime. Otaku were able to explore non-normative adult male roles and deviate from typical images of masculinity. The Otaku found it easier to feel an attachment to anime because it was fully illustrated. Cartoons are able to convey emotion easier and suspend the disbelief of the real world. Another thing that attracts Otaku to the anime and challenges masculinity is the un-ironic appreciation for cute things. The girls from anime are small and colorful with big eyes, and are known for their cuteness by being labeled kawaii or moe. It has also become increasingly common for male characters to appear in the show indistinguishable from the girl character. They too, appear feminine and cute. This has worked abolish the stigma against homosexuality in Japan as well as giving Otakus a channel to feel open about gender and sexual fluidity. This again gave the Otakus a new sense of identity in the post-war era. Japan had gone through a huge societal change that was supposed to suppress open sexuality among the Japanese population. Anime and cosplay encouraged experimentation with gender in ways that opposed the mainstream and encouraged individuals to view gender as a personal expression. Adult male fans of the show often face strong stigma because they violate not only gender rules, but age norms. (Robertson 2014). They change the identity of what it means to be an adult man. Media will often ridicule them for not only for their distinct turn from traditional gender roles, but also for not complying with what society dictates about adult behavior. By watching anime and following J-Pop idols, seek to change what society dictates a man should enjoy. The Otaku subculture will often act in the themes their chosen genre, valuing kindness and friendship as well as acceptance for others. Through this medium, man are able to express themselves in a gentler way, rather than the hyper masculine nature of most societies. Otaku resistance is not as outright as many other subgroups. They will often just try to escape into the medium of their choice rather than hold a protest. The Otakus subculture has been defined as a counterculture as it deviates against the traditional values of Japanese culture, but it strictly adhering the demands of globalized capitalism. They focus of materialistic gains rather than long careers. They spend their days discussing cartoons and music rather than politics. They seem to have simply stepped out of the rat race of society to seek immediate happiness than plan for the future. This is the subculture that rebuilt Japans economy and spread across the world. Works Cited Broinowski, Adam. Otaku: Resistance and Conformity. In/Stead Journal, University of Melbourne, www.insteadjournal.com/article/otaku-resistance-and-conformity/. Cloutman, Violet. An Introduction to Otaku: Japans Counterculture Heroes. Japan Tours, Tailormade Holidays Vacations | Inside Japan Tours, 10 June 2016, www.insidejapantours.com/blog/2016/06/10/otaku-japans-counterculture-heroes/. Epstein, Jonathon S. Youth Culture: Identity in a Postmodern World. Blackwell, 2004 Ginwright, S. and James, T. From assets to agents of change: Social justice, organizing, and youth development. New Directions for Youth Development, 2002: 27-46. Hack, Brett. Subculture as Social Knowledge: A Hopeful Reading of Otaku Culture. Contemporary Japan Journal of the German Institute for Japanese Studies, Tokyo, vol. 28, no. 1, Mar. 2016, pp. 33-57. New Market Scale Estimation for Otaku: Population of 1.72 Million with Market Scale of 411 Billion. New Market Scale Estimation for Otaku, Nomura Research Institute, 6 Oct. 2005, nri.com/global/news/2005/051006.html. Otaku Culture in a Connected World: An Interview with Mizuko Ito, Daisuke Okabe, Izumi Tsuji, Henry Jenkins, Apr. 2012, henryjenkins.org/blog/2012/04/otaku_culture_in_a_connected_w_1.html. Robertson, Venetia. Of ponies and men: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the Brony fandom. International Journal of Cultural Studies. 2014 U.S. Department of State, Japan Reconstruction, history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/japan-reconstruction. Whaley, Ben. Debating Otaku in Contemporary Japan: Historical Perspectives and New Horizons. Journal of Japanese Studies, vol. 44, no. 1, Winter2018, pp. 133-138. Zappa, Marco. Otaku, Cosplay Is No Longer Just for Losers. Eastwest Ultime News Dal Mondo Opinioni e Approfondimenti, 2 Apr. 2015, eastwest.eu/en/opinions/next-station-ikebukuro/otaku-cosplay-is-no-longer-just-for-losers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)