Qing Dynasty Essay Example for Free

Qing Dynasty Essay The last dynasty in China, the Qing dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1911, and there is argument to say that their failures, especially those towards the end of their rule, created the underlying tension and ideologies behind the Communist victory in China and the consequential establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). These failures can be subdivided into military failures, weaknesses of the leadership, financial disarray, political troubles, and the Qing dynasty’s failure to implement lasting, effective reforms. It can easily be argued that the Qing dynasty didn’t recognise the importance of the military until it was too late and they suffered for neglecting it. The dismissal of a key general, Yuan Shikai in 1908 can be seen as a turning point for the military in this period. The dismissal wasn’t for valid reasons, but purely a chance for Regent Prince Chun to assert his authority. However, this had disastrous consequences the Qing dynasty, as they had lost their only loyal general, leaving them without military protection, an issue which had already been exacerbated by the Boxer Rising in 1900-1901. The Qing dynasty then made a further mistake in putting too much trust in him when he (reluctantly) returned. This resulted in Yuan Shikai using his unarguable military strength to gain political power. In all, this left the Qing dynasty with little, if any military strength. Their army wasn’t loyal, nor was it organised and there was much internal strife. Therefore the Chinese people were left yearning for a government that was strong enough to command military as well as political power, planting the ideas of revolution in their heads. The Qing dynasty also had a lot of problems with leadership. During the â€Å"100 Days† period of attempted reform, obvious internal power struggles arose which further weakened the dynasty. Here there was the struggle between the reactionaries of the government, those that wanted China to remain traditional and to uphold the ideas of Confucian living, and progressives who were in support of bringing in reform and change to modify China . With hindsight, it can be argued that, perhaps if the progressives had won the debate over reform, there might not have even been a need for a revolution. However, at the time it is important to note that the ideas of Confucian living and social harmony were a core part of Chinese society, and because most of the Chinese public had not known any different, something as radical as what the progressives were suggesting was seen as alien and threatening.  The reactionaries outweighed the progressives in court, and led by Dowager Empress Cixi, they forced themselves into power. For a while, although Cixi was in no way a perfect leader, at least there was a constant leader who was reliable. However in 1908, upon the death of Emperor Guangxu and Dowager Empress Cixi, Pu Yi came to be emperor. However emperor Pu Yi was only a very small child at the time, so Prince Chun acted as regent. He lacked authority, and so 3 further years of inconsistent leadership followed. The Chinese public started looking for someone who was confident to lead them into a revolution and give them what they need in way of reform, opening up and opportunity for a n ew leader to step in. From the end of the Opium Wars, the Qing government had been plunged into a state of bankruptcy, leaving them without enough money to impose an industrial modernisation programme that China so desperately needed. This was made worse by the crippling penalties imposed after the Boxer Rising in 1900-01. The effect of this is most obviously highlighted with the railways crisis from 18958-1911. During this time the railway boom in China meant a great opportunity for provinces to thrive, bringing in trade and new jobs. However, the Qing government chose to nationalise the railway, and to be able to afford to do so, that meant that they had to raise taxes and rely on foreign loans. Naturally, the Chinese people in these provinces weren’t happy with the fact that not only have the government taken away a huge possibility for local investment, but were then imposing taxes on the very people who were missing out. This led to open opposition of the government for the first time in China, as well as a damaged sense of pride because they were relying on foreign investment. The Qing dynasty was widely regarded among the Chinese as old-fashioned and redundant. First of all, this was down to the simple fact that they originated from Manchuria, which wasn’t even part of China, meaning that they were out of touch with the growing popularity of nationalism. Also, their authoritarian tradition made them incapable of responding to the demands of the revolutionaries, who were inspired by Japanese and Western models of democracy. This is because, among the people, there was fear of the punishments associated with â€Å"disrupting the social harmony† (defying the government). Combined with the government’s fear of change, it can be argued that this is why it took until 1949 for China to have a revolution, compared to America or France. Finally, and most importantly, was the Qing dynasty’s  blatant disregard for the crucial need for reforms. The closest that they got to reform was during the â€Å"100 Days† in 1905, when reforms based on western models were proposed but completely ignored in courts and so therefore didn’t go through. Part of this was to do with Dowager Empress Cixi leading a strong opposition against the reform. However, she later went on to introduce some reform, for example she brought an end to tests in Confucianism for government positions and she created provincial assemblies. Many historians have argued, however, that this was just an attempt to win over the revolutionaries who were turning against the idea of an â€Å"establishment† all together. Generally, by the time of the formal abdication of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the revolutionaries within China were ready for change. They were fed up with having a corrupt, inconsistent central government that weren’t in touch with the modern concepts behind revolutionary thoughts. This lay the foundations for the Chinese revolution and the eventual establishment of the PRC in 1949.

Mind Body & Soul :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone has their own opinions and beliefs and can interpret information as they see fit. Both Bertrand Rusell and Richard Swinburne have expressed their views on the topics of the mind soul and the after life. These are very complex areas of science and have their own ideas of what the mind and soul are and what there purposes are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Russell discussed the finality of Death. He argues that there cannot be life after death and that after the destruction of our body’s that our memories and personality are destroyed as well. He discusses the importance of fear when dealing with death. He states that this is the strongest emotion and he also states that it is instinctive and biological and that it is useful. He thinks that if we truly believed in future life that we should have no fear of death. I have a few opinions about this subject. For one I think that fearing death can be to your advantage. For instance I know people who believe in the after life but they still fear death. Having this fear of death prevents them from doing any harm to themselves. Also not knowing what awaits them in the after life could cause this fear as well. This also has to do with religions there are some that believe strongly that there is life after death and that it is their destiny to be with God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furthermore Russell talks about memories and how after we die they no longer exist. I feel that he has not way of proving this. I do not agree or disagree with his theory. I think that there are so many ways to record our memories now that they could always exist. Our memories and sometimes even our personality can be carried by and kept alive through our families depending on how strong the ties are. Maybe not the person’s entire memories are kept but at least a fragment. For instance a lot of writers wrote about their real life experience so we get a glimpse of their life and through their writings the memories continue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand Swinburne discuss the relationship between the brain and the soul. He feels that once the brain dies that soul does as well. He came up with an analogy witch does a good job of summing up how he feels â€Å"the soul is like a light bulb and the brain is like an electric light socket.

Key aspects of legislation Essay

Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice relating to own role and responsibilities. (7.1.1) The BTEC PTLLS award is necessary before a person can teach at a Further Education institution such as Aylesbury College. To support this qualification Lifelong Learning UK has published a new set of overarching professional standards 1 that any teachers in this sector will need to adhere to. This describes in generic terms, the skills knowledge and attributes for those that perform roles in this sector. It is disconcerting to hear that the qualification will soon be replaced following the Lingfield review. Other areas of legislation, that is important in the teaching context is the Health and Safety at Work act 1974, which states how all employers and employees need to take responsibility for their own safety needs. Key legislation that also needs to be considered for the learning environment is the Data Protection Act 1998. The collection and analysis of personal data is intrinsic to any learning institution and this act defines UK law on the processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK and in practice it provides a way for individuals to control information about themselves. It is not just in the IT area but for all systems and paperwork when dealing with personal data, within the IT area it is especially important to consider when teaching the design of systems security and access procedures. Another area relevant to teaching IT are the Display Screen Regulations 1992/2002 which is an amendment to the Health and Safety act, this requires all employers who require their employees to use display screens to ensure that the seating position and lighting is properly adjusted and that the employee can take regular breaks from the screen. Other blanket legislation that applies in the workplace but not specifically to a learning institution are: * Race Relations Act 2000. * Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 (DDA). * Equality Act 2010. This brought together the numerous array of Acts and Regulations, which formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain. This was, primarily, the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in  employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. Regulations more specific to the teaching environment are the following: * Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. The act required education providers to make reasonable provisions to ensure people with disabilities or special needs were provided with the same opportunities as those who were not disabled. * Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. A key point here is that only about 10% of any published document can be copied and circulated for educational purposes before copyright is infringed. * IfL Code of Practice for Teachers (2008). This is a straightforward code of practice for teachers to gives boundaries on their professional integrity, behaviour etc. * Safer practice, safer learning (2007) – responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults in the learning and skills sector – published by NIACE and DES. Analyse own responsibilities for promoting equality and valuing diversity. (7.1.2) In the class discussion on this topic, we discussed that equality is not treating everyone the same, it is rather treating everyone as unique to enable them as far as possible to have equal opportunities to learn, this is what myself as a teacher will have to work to achieve. Promoting equality should remove discrimination in all of the areas covered by the Equality act. Bullying, harassment and victimization are also considered as equality and diversity issues. Diversity aims to recognise, respect and value people’s differences, and their ability to contribute. A teacher should aim to help them reach their full potential by promoting an inclusive culture for all students (and staff). Equality and diversity is becoming more important in all aspects of our lives and work for a number of reasons. Where I was previously working, the employees were recruited globally and could be posted anywhere, they were selected because they showed potential. Inclusivity and diversity was heavily promoted as it was recognised that having a diverse workforce enhanced the company commercially. People with different backgrounds bring different approaches to solving problems or commercial negotiations which is reflected in the company’s performance. In a college, recognising, embracing and valuing difference will lead to improvements for everyone, including: * A more vibrant staff and student  population; * A better working and studying environment; * Attracting and retaining the very best staff and students; As a teacher I can promote equality and diversity by: * Treating all learners fairly. * Creating an inclusive culture for all learners. * Ensuring equal access to opportunities to enable learners to fully participate in the learning process. * Enabling the learners to develop to their full potential. * Equipping learners with the skills to challenge inequality and discrimination in their work/study environment * Making certain that any learning materials do not discriminate against any individuals or groups * Ensuring sure policies, procedures and processes don’t discriminate It was discussed in class that equality can be promoted in different ways, such as discussing privately with a student if they have problems with dyslexia, which could be helped by the simple use of different coloured backgrounds to the powerpoints or handouts. A teacher must be aware of continually promoting inclusivity in all the course material and class discussions, some actions that can be positive are for instance, prior to the class, check the names, ages and any other details of the learners and if possible try to find photos or material that will hopefully be more relevant to their background. Although this shouldn’t be done to such an extreme to alienate others, it’s a fine balance. Also it is good to make sure that different types of learners are covered in the lesson plan by differentiating for learning styles. This also helps to keep the lesson interesting as one form of lesson delivery could get fairly dull. One key point would be to be careful of my language, jokes about stereotypes and casual comments could easily cause alienation. It is also necessary to have a plan on how to deal with inappropriate remarks and behaviour by the learners. Within a college there will also be other internal organisations available to meet the potential needs of learners such as : * Student services / welfare / financial aid / student support * Careers services / advice and guidance * Learning mentors / teaching assistants * Learning difficulties and disabilities assessment and support * International office for overseas learners * Chaplaincy or medical services including sexual and mental health Tutors will be the main point of contact for anything for a learner so it is important to understand how to get in touch with the various people working in the roles for my organisation. Evaluate your own responsibilities in lifelong learning (7.1.3) In class we discussed the role and responsibilities of a tutor in lifelong learning, a number of key roles were identified, such as a tutor needs to be knowledgeable about the subject, but not necessarily an expert, they need to be confident and communicate their points well, they need to be well organised with planned lessons and good timekeeping. The tutor must set an example with their behaviour, and direct the learners, but in further education, as opposed to compulsory education, you will not be acting as a leader and counsellor, rather a facilitator. Of key importance is establishing a contract with the learners at the start of the course, so that they understand the boundaries that are set and what my expectations of them are. In the FE sector this is more important with young adults (16-18 years) than in adult education. Bearing in mind that all learners will be slightly different and work at different levels and may have different needs, it is important for me as a tutor to understand this and if necessary give additional help and guidance as required. Without regurgitating the full list of responsibilities, some key ones to additionally pick out are: * Keeping up to date with developments in the core subject as well as keeping up to date with any new teaching guidelines or changes to the curriculum. * Encouraging the learners to progress and develop their careers by giving constructive feedback. * Continually reflect on my teaching performance and evaluate each session taught and change if necessary. Review own role and responsibilities in identifying and meeting the needs of learners. (7.1.4) A key responsibility would be to get to know the learners in the class as individuals, and to understand their different abilities and learning styles. The techniques already used in the first lesson would be a  very good start, such as the learning styles questionnaire (although interpretation of the results is very subjective.), the basic skills testing, and the group introductions. The group introductions and the personal interview prior to starting the course was a way of understanding the motivation of the learners, and why they are undertaking the training. With this knowledge the tutor can aim to ensure that the lesson delivery is varied to suit the different needs of the learners and give personal help if necessary. These activities are part of the ‘Identifying Needs’ stage of the Teaching and Leaning Cycle and are documented by Gravells 2, although she has the roles and responsibilities a little confused. As the course progresses, the tutors understanding of the needs of the individual learners will become clearer as they get to know them, changes and adjustments can be made to the lesson delivery. This is an application of Kolb’s Reflective Cycle, to put it simply – Planning, Doing, Reviewing, Learning and back to planning. References 1 Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) New overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector. 2 Gravells, A., (2011) Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector Websites www.excellencegateway.org www.ptllsresource.co.uk http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/equalityanddiversity/

Terrorism And The Constitution Act - 1748 Words

Terrorism and the Constitution is organized in four parts. The first provides an historical account of federal investigations of First Amendment activities, focusing on the FBI’s investigative activities prior to 9/11. The authors make a persuasive case that the FBI’s investigative power has frequently been used to harass those involved in controversial political activities, and to disrupt controversial social movements, even where no evidence of illegal activity has been noted. To do this, the authors begin the book with five stories, examples of â€Å"the recurring nature of the government’s misguided response to ideological threats.† The stories begin in the years of the Cold War and end in an account of law enforcement since 2001. In Part Three, Cole and Dempsey focus on the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1996, a forerunner to the Patriot Act that helped to establish the legal framework for today’s domestic war on terror. The act allows the State Department to designate Foreign Terrorist Organizations in a process that is highly politicized and lacking sufficient objective criteria. It also makes it possible for government prosecutors to bring cases against individuals without proof that they have engaged in terrorism, aided or abetted terrorists, or planned to commit terrorism. Under the 1996 act, the government may freeze the assets of designated terrorist groups and use secret witnesses against those suspected of having links to terrorists. Because many of the 9/11 terroristsShow MoreRelatedPresident Bush Implements A Wave Of Legislation Help Protect The Citizens Of The United States1511 Words   |  7 Pageslegislation to help protect the citizens of the United States. An important piece of law that was passed was an act called the Patriot Act. This Act’s is supposed to help the government find terrorists and ensuring that another attack like the September 11th attacks doesn’t happen again. 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