Analysis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Analysis paper - Essay Example The whole objective was to encourage a mass consumption drive so that the national economy could sustain and boost a high production drive. The suitable federal programs like Employment Act of 1446 and G.I. Bill of Rights allowed the returning veterans to buy new homes and the consumer goods required to furnish them. This also aided the nation’s Cold War claims that the US was a more equality driven nation in which everybody had the access to a better quality of life. The nation cherished the newfound democratization of consumption that was boosted by the democratization of credit and employment opportunities. However, this new consumer haven based on capitalist democracy and free choice did tend to support many old entrenched gender and class biases. It conveniently sidelined the working class women who had come out in large numbers during the War to aid and strengthen the war efforts. Now that there services were no more required, the system once again intended to give in to the patriarchal notions of American family which upheld the male domination. It again intended to make women dependent on the male choices and decision making capacity. This bias was systematically supported by the gendering of consumption, credit and opportunities for employment. The post World War system also promised to enhance the status of the working class. However, it intended to do so by increasing the purchasing power and consumption capacity of the working class. It no way desired to extend a say and role to the working class in the larger decision making process. Steps were taken to suppress the working c lass say by ensuing measures like the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 that discouraged labor organization and unionization. The post War scenario in a way upheld and encouraged the deep seated social biases and prejudices by supporting the privileged

Anthropologists in the military Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthropologists in the military - Term Paper Example For far too long, the Pentagon and other military institutions have put too much focus on overwhelming firepower. Tanks, planes, and artillery are incredibly important resources which any military must bring to bear in a conflict. This is called hard power. But there are other aspects to the exercise of power that modern militaries must consider. It is extremely important to remember that hard power is most effective when used, hand in glove, with soft power. Soft power doesn't involve violence or coercion. It involves being smart about obtaining and using information. Having anthropologists in the military is a great use of soft power. The goal of having military anthropologists is an important one, the army says. The army talks about the Human Terrain of every conflict. It is vital to have specialists on the ground who can help assist soldiers in understanding the social context all around them. In many cases, this has to do with power: Who is it the soldiers should talk to? How sh ould they treat that person? What are the cultural norms? As one Army paper succinctly puts it: â€Å"The environment in which we operate is complex and demands that we employ every weapon in our arsenal, both kinetic and non-kinetic. To fully utilize all approaches, we must understand the local culture and history. Learn about the tribes, formal and informal leaders, governmental and religious structures, and local security forces. We must understand how the society functions so we can enable Iraqis to build a stable, self-reliant nation† (Human Terrain). Applied anthropology can be useful to many different fields, but it is an unspecific term. When anthropology is applied in contemporary warfare settings it is called military anthropology. Involving anthropologists in these kinds of scenarios can be controversial. Groups such as the American Anthropological Association have said that anthropologists engaged in this kind of work are violating ethical standards in that their subjects may be hurt (AAA). That is one way of looking at it. Another way is to suggest that using anthropologists actually saves lives, as it makes the military work more efficiently and can avoid the deaths of innocence. No one can doubt that being embedded with American military unit in Iraq is not only dangerous but ethically controversial. However, anthropologists are on the ground and able to work in real life setting, in situations with real consequences. For some, that surely must be better than writing a research paper about some long-dead tribe. Patriotic anthropologists have an opportunity to improve the safety and security of not only their own country, but civilians in whichever country that they are engaged in. It might not be for everyone, but it should not be ruled inappropriate for everyone. There will always be critics of these kinds of operations, but the key is to maintain a flexible position. All aspects of civilian expertise should be incorporated into military operations, if they provide an edge. As Anne Mulrine explains in an article on the subject: Some anthropologists, while remaining critical of the program, are beginning to argue that perhaps the Pentagon has a point, to an extent. "I think we need to break out of the 1960s mold that many of us are in," says Shweder. He notes that such a move is "a long way" from supporting the notion of anthropologists on the Pentagon payroll, but he adds that perhaps it is