It was exciting to read the heading "1914 - present" because it would mean our reading would become more current. I finally saw a modern photograph, so it was a sign that the chapter would be more relatable. According to Strayer, the age of empire was over because of several international circumstances and social changes. For one, empire was an outdated political order that rejected the view that humanity was divided. Further, European forces of nationalism and democratic values backfired and contributed to colonial disintegration. Europe was weakened by the two world wars, and countries opposed colonialism, sparking anticolonial movements everywhere. Especially in the Asian and African colonies, Western-educated elites had arisen and emphasized independence, backed by public support and agreement. However, despite the common goal for independence, there were obstacles that confronted nationalist movements because there were fragile alliances, people unsure of leadership, and overall questioning.
British colonial rule promoted a growing sense of Indian identity as both parties understood their cultural differences, and British modernization united India. The Indian National Congress was a group of high caste English-educated Indians that sought to be included in the political life of British India. Mahatma Gandhi transformed India's political scene in its struggle for independence. He developed the nonviolent resistance political philosophy of satyagraha. He rose to leadership in the INC and transformed it into a mass organization through mass campaigns and his overall appeal and support. He emphasized harmony, moral transformation, rising of low caste status, and the mobilization of women. There were some conflicts and differences that divided India's nationalist movement. Not everyone agreed with Ghandi's principles, and there was a growing divide between India's Hindu and Muslim population, and this divide was intensified by the formation of an All-India Muslim League because Hinduism and Islam were two conflicting religious philosophies. As British rule in India drew to an end, many Muslims demanded, in the name of Islam, the creation of a separate Pakistan state. Colonial India became independent from British rule in 1947 as two countries, one Pakistan, and the other, mostly Hindu India.
South Africa's freedom struggle was different than India's. One reason for this is that South Africa was not under the rule of a distant colonizer, but under the local one of permanent white residents that opposed black African majority rule. Further, South Africa had already developed an industrial economy. In addition, the distinct 1948 policy of apartheid was a form of institutional racism that emphasized segregation. However, like India, educated, male elites formed the African National Congress as a form of peaceful protest. Nelson Mandela rose to leadership in the ANC, but was arrested and the ANC was banned. Still, South Africa's freedom struggle was different from India's due to growing internal and external pressure. The Soweto Rebellion was a youth uprising caused by the introduction of Afrikaans instead of English in education. South African whites decided to let out Mandela from prison and to legalize the ANC without blood. Another contrast from South African decolonization from Indian was that it did not occur along religious divides, but racial ones.
In developing countries, many sought democracy. In much of Africa and Latin America however, the establishment of democracy was unsuccessful. This is because African economic performance was poor, as well as the disappointments of ethnic conflict and class resentment, setting the stage for military intervention. Likewise, military intervention took hold in Latin America, but it was not new. Latin American social transformations included population growth, industrialization, and sharper class divides, which would be addressed through revolutions. In Chile, there was the rise of communism, but due to internal conflict, the return to democracy, and this actually occurred all over Latin America because authoritarianism was unfitting of poverty and class conflict and Western democracy was appealing and seemed universal to the social environment.
Many obstacles impeded the economic development of third-world countries. This is because the West was economically powerful. Also, when colonizers left, these places had no foundation to grow because of "low rates of literacy, few people with managerial experience, a weak private economy, and transportation systems oriented to export rather than national integration" (Strayer 1001). The role of the state and which strategy to pursue was unclear. This however, changed over time because there was a "growing dependence on the market to generate economic development" (Strayer 1002), so not as much responsibility fell on the state. In other words, there was pressure to move to capitalism, that would result in seeing the solution through the balance of state capitalism. Strategies everywhere differed and contrasted from one another and occurred at the political level. Strayer says that it is a large debate the reasons for delayed economic development in these countries, but factors include colonization, stability, geography, and politics.
In Turkey, the solution to confronting modernity would be to separate Islam from state, most carried out in the change of fashion. This secularism was emphasized by Araturk and his revolutionary program. Turkey experienced a cultural revolution in the Islamic world, but then secularism diminished after Araturk's death. In Iran, a revolution took place, led by Khomeni, because people were unhappy with the secularism of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The results were that it would be replaced with an Islamic republic because religion was priority.
Recently I read a book called A Path Appears by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryll WuDunn. In a nutshell, it is a book that shares many ways to become a philanthropist, even if you don't have a lot of time, money, or resources, by telling the stories of people who have suffered, but who have been able to come out of that suffering through the help of other good samaritans. How it relates to this chapter is that it tells the stories of actual people from Africa and India who have been involved with microloans, which is discussed on the image on page 1005 of the history textbook. The process involves lending money to the very poor so that they could pursue business. Reading about this was inspiring because people believe it works as it's not just a "handout." It is an approach that people deserve for their ambitions and passions to sell their products. In one such story in A Path Appears, an African woman was given a microloan so she could pursue her business of selling doughnuts. Sadly, her husband was an alcoholic who spent the family's money on drinks, but she stood up through ambition. She just wanted to be able to clothe, feed, and send her children to school.
British colonial rule promoted a growing sense of Indian identity as both parties understood their cultural differences, and British modernization united India. The Indian National Congress was a group of high caste English-educated Indians that sought to be included in the political life of British India. Mahatma Gandhi transformed India's political scene in its struggle for independence. He developed the nonviolent resistance political philosophy of satyagraha. He rose to leadership in the INC and transformed it into a mass organization through mass campaigns and his overall appeal and support. He emphasized harmony, moral transformation, rising of low caste status, and the mobilization of women. There were some conflicts and differences that divided India's nationalist movement. Not everyone agreed with Ghandi's principles, and there was a growing divide between India's Hindu and Muslim population, and this divide was intensified by the formation of an All-India Muslim League because Hinduism and Islam were two conflicting religious philosophies. As British rule in India drew to an end, many Muslims demanded, in the name of Islam, the creation of a separate Pakistan state. Colonial India became independent from British rule in 1947 as two countries, one Pakistan, and the other, mostly Hindu India.
South Africa's freedom struggle was different than India's. One reason for this is that South Africa was not under the rule of a distant colonizer, but under the local one of permanent white residents that opposed black African majority rule. Further, South Africa had already developed an industrial economy. In addition, the distinct 1948 policy of apartheid was a form of institutional racism that emphasized segregation. However, like India, educated, male elites formed the African National Congress as a form of peaceful protest. Nelson Mandela rose to leadership in the ANC, but was arrested and the ANC was banned. Still, South Africa's freedom struggle was different from India's due to growing internal and external pressure. The Soweto Rebellion was a youth uprising caused by the introduction of Afrikaans instead of English in education. South African whites decided to let out Mandela from prison and to legalize the ANC without blood. Another contrast from South African decolonization from Indian was that it did not occur along religious divides, but racial ones.
In developing countries, many sought democracy. In much of Africa and Latin America however, the establishment of democracy was unsuccessful. This is because African economic performance was poor, as well as the disappointments of ethnic conflict and class resentment, setting the stage for military intervention. Likewise, military intervention took hold in Latin America, but it was not new. Latin American social transformations included population growth, industrialization, and sharper class divides, which would be addressed through revolutions. In Chile, there was the rise of communism, but due to internal conflict, the return to democracy, and this actually occurred all over Latin America because authoritarianism was unfitting of poverty and class conflict and Western democracy was appealing and seemed universal to the social environment.
Many obstacles impeded the economic development of third-world countries. This is because the West was economically powerful. Also, when colonizers left, these places had no foundation to grow because of "low rates of literacy, few people with managerial experience, a weak private economy, and transportation systems oriented to export rather than national integration" (Strayer 1001). The role of the state and which strategy to pursue was unclear. This however, changed over time because there was a "growing dependence on the market to generate economic development" (Strayer 1002), so not as much responsibility fell on the state. In other words, there was pressure to move to capitalism, that would result in seeing the solution through the balance of state capitalism. Strategies everywhere differed and contrasted from one another and occurred at the political level. Strayer says that it is a large debate the reasons for delayed economic development in these countries, but factors include colonization, stability, geography, and politics.
In Turkey, the solution to confronting modernity would be to separate Islam from state, most carried out in the change of fashion. This secularism was emphasized by Araturk and his revolutionary program. Turkey experienced a cultural revolution in the Islamic world, but then secularism diminished after Araturk's death. In Iran, a revolution took place, led by Khomeni, because people were unhappy with the secularism of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The results were that it would be replaced with an Islamic republic because religion was priority.
Recently I read a book called A Path Appears by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryll WuDunn. In a nutshell, it is a book that shares many ways to become a philanthropist, even if you don't have a lot of time, money, or resources, by telling the stories of people who have suffered, but who have been able to come out of that suffering through the help of other good samaritans. How it relates to this chapter is that it tells the stories of actual people from Africa and India who have been involved with microloans, which is discussed on the image on page 1005 of the history textbook. The process involves lending money to the very poor so that they could pursue business. Reading about this was inspiring because people believe it works as it's not just a "handout." It is an approach that people deserve for their ambitions and passions to sell their products. In one such story in A Path Appears, an African woman was given a microloan so she could pursue her business of selling doughnuts. Sadly, her husband was an alcoholic who spent the family's money on drinks, but she stood up through ambition. She just wanted to be able to clothe, feed, and send her children to school.
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