Brazil as a Part of the International Society

Brazil as a Part of the International Society Since the beginning of the century, the supposed European decline and the ascend of emergent countries, such as Brazil, have been widely discussed. However, it appears as if the country has found itself stagnated in the status of â€Å"emergent† for most of the past fifteen years, not progressing or being able to achieve a â€Å"higher† status in the international sphere. But this has been (to a certain extend) an everlasting historical struggle. It was during the 19th century, when Brazil first started to negotiated its access and recognition as a member of an international society of European and global expansion. It sought to establish itself as an independent country in a system deeply marked by asymmetry of power, status, and ranking, developing in the process, instruments to access the world of diplomacy[1]. This essay aims at briefly analyzing how Brazil came to be part of the European –and later global international society. For the authors of the English School, such as Hedley Bull and Adam Watson, the transformation from system to international society was a historical process. According to them, the ancient world had several systems of states but these have eventually evolved into a European international society and, finally, into our universal international society of the present[2]. The most diverse regions of the planet were incorporated into the mold of European society, extending this configuration to the whole world following the Second World War and decolonization[3]. For the classical authors of the English School, Brazil adhered, as part of the process of independence of European colonies, as a kind of Neo-Europe -an admission free of greater obstacles[4]. There were confrontations not only in political, economic, or military terms, but above all in terms of civilizations and cultural patterns. The core of this clashes was the standard of civilization by which different civilizations identif ied and regulated their international relations. The practices that became accepted as civilized were those coming from European countries and soon became demanded by the international system centered in Europe, being used to distinguish those who belong to a particular society from those who do not. Membership was conditioned to a degree of homogenization, requiring non-European states to make social and political reforms and to accept the rules and principles of international society[5]. In the mid 19th century, Brazil and other non-European entities began to demand or be required to join a European core international society. This was an important period of the British imperial turn, in which the planet had been scrutinized, occupied and Europes relations with the world had been redefined based on European interests[6]. At the time, it was not easy to classify Brazil as barbarian or savage, but the domestic government and political elites worked hard to gain recognition of civilization and thus belong to the â€Å"civilized† group. Eventually, this was only to a certain extent successful, since even if a state was to be recognized as independent and legitimate, celebrating treaties and establishing diplomatic relations did not mean, however, necessarily to be seen as a full member of international society[7]. Brazil was a former member of the Portuguese Overseas Empire officially independent in 1822 in the form of a constitutional monarchy. To â€Å"allowâ⠂¬ , even if recognized as legitimate and sovereign state, extraterritorial rights to Western powers, was seen as an important indicator of inferiority and subordination status and that the sovereignty of the country was only partial [8] [9]. Brazil officially only maintained it for a certain period, until 1844, as an inheritance of the Portuguese Overseas Empire. Thus, although it was formally recognized as independent and sovereign, it was not a full member of European core international society, because it lacked the so-called standard of civilization. It is interesting to notice that the option for the title empire[10] can be perceived as a statement of affiliation greater to the Old than to the New World[11]. In 1889, when the Republic was introduced, Brazil underwent a new phase of â€Å"renovation†, distancing itself to a certain degree from Europe and turning to the Americas[12]. In short, during the 19th century, Brazil was a newly independent political community in search of recognition. Another huge impediment to Brazil’s annexation to the international society was the fact that it continued and even came to increase during mid 19th century its dealing with slavery, an institution which played an important domestic role at a time when it no longer had a place in the international society. In other words, it did not meet the â€Å"standards of civilization† required. In relation to that, a historical event worth mentioning is The Paraguayan War (1864-1870). The war helped the Brazilian Empire to reach its peak of political and military influence, becoming the Great Power of South America, besides also helping to bring about the end of slavery in Brazil[13]. However, it also caused a ruinous increase of public debt, which took decades to pay off, severely limiting the countrys growth. The war debt, alongside a long-lasting social crisis after the conflict, are regarded as crucial factors for the fall of Empire and proclamation of the First Brazilian Republic[14].Th de facto suppression of slave trade, came with the Eusà ©bio de Queiroz Law (July 12, 1850)[15]. For the British, Brazil finally fulfilled its previously signed treaties and followed the common principles of humanity and the fundamental precepts of the Christian religion[16]. The process of Brazilian independence dragged on in successive stages between the arrival of the Portuguese crown in Rio de Janeiro in 1808, the formal British and Portuguese recognition between 1825 and 1827, until Dom Pedro Is return to Europe in 1831[17]. The period coincided with the process whereby the Congress of Vienna came to accept new members, nominally the new states of settlement of the American continent. European recognition was formalized through treaties and the establishment of diplomatic relations[18]. It is interesting to consider that due to the fact that Brazil inherited great experience in diplomatic matters from the Portuguese, this expertise made all the difference in the formation of borders, in the management of rivalry with Spanish American neighbors and in obtaining European recognition[19]. The recognition of Brazilian independence, was first made by the African kingdoms of Benin and Lagos and the United States, then by Portugal and Great Britain and othe r European states, with the recognition of the old metropolis, Portugal, and the main power of then, Britain, certainly being most important cases[20]. During the second half of the 19th century, despite the economic and political weaknesses that it still had, Brazil began to a certain point to participate in the international economic order that was established, being present at conferences, adhering to multilateral agreements and to the first technical and economic treaties that established cooperation among States[21]. The Brazilian participation in the Second Hague Convention (1907), which was responsible for dealing with formal issues of war and the creation of a permanent arbitration court, was important for bringing the public a discourse that called for equality between States in relation to international society[22]. It is significant, therefore, the understanding of Brazil as an average power of then. Its participation in World War I, on the British side, more symbolic than effective, finally granted the country a pass which enabled it to participate in the negotiations of the Paris Conference, and, finally, a ticket as a representative in the congress of the League of Nations. This can be considered to have been the definitive internationalization of Brazilian politics then[23]. The Brazilian participation in the universal exhibitions of the second half of the 19th century can also be seen as an effort to be perceived as an equal partner of the international society of that time[24]. Another interesting contemplation, is how the other nations considered the nation’s sovereign and how this was a strong indicative of the international positioning of Brazil then. D. Pedro II was the monarch of the young sister nation, a Christian, and though he was a native of Brazil, he descended from the most important European lineages. The fact that he did not look like a king, wearing ordinary clothes, wearing a straw hat and preferring to give up benefits from his position, rather than disappoint, attracted the American public interested in this monarch of the New world[25]. Brazil, which in the beginning of the 20th century started to take part in international events, increased its participation to the point of hosting the III Pan American Conference in 1906, in the then capital city of Rio de Janeiro[26]. With the destruction of the European international society after WWI and with the restructuration of the system in the interwar period, Brazil was finally able to found itself a place of (more) equality among the members of the new and global international society formed after WWII, with diplomacy and international law proving to be fundamental instruments for a militarily weak state. It is questionable however, to what degree the country is (even nowadays) fully equal to its European and American counterparts in the global international society. To conclude, it its necessary to remark that even though there was a continuous pursuit of adherence to European diplomatic rituals, practices and symbols since its independence, this process parallel lead to the creation of asymmetrical relations with the center of European international society which still exist. For example, Brazilians still commonly refer to Europe and the U.S. as the â€Å"first world†, praising and considering superior everything that comes from the Old Continent and the American leader. The embedded feeling of inferiority, rooted in the past experiences and relations with the European international society have not yet completely disappeared. But the question is, will they ever disappear in the current international order or is the birth of a new one needed? References: [1] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, Fundaà §Ãƒ £o Getulio Vargas, Centro de Pesquisa e Documentaà §Ãƒ £o de Histà ³ria Contemporà ¢nea do Brasil (CPDOC), August 2012, Rio de Janeiro, p. 20. [2] BULL, H.; A Sociedade AnaÃŒ rquica†, Imprensa Oficial do Estado, Editora UnB; SaÃŒÆ'o Paulo, BrasiÃŒ lia, 2002, p. 15. WATSON, A.; â€Å"A evolucÃŒ §aÃŒÆ'o da sociedade internacional†, Editora UnB, BrasiÃŒ lia, 2004, p. 37. [3] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 34. [4] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 38. [5] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, pp. 39 and 40. [6] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 40. [7] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 43 [8] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 47 [9] DORATIOTO, F.; â€Å"Maldita Guerra: Nova Histà ³ria da Guerra do Paraguai†, Companhia das Letras, 2nd edition revised by the author, 2002, pp. 47-52. [10] DORATIOTO, F.; â€Å"Maldita Guerra: Nova Histà ³ria da Guerra do Paraguai†, pp. 47-52. [11] BETHELL, L.; â€Å"The Abolition of the Brazilian Slave Trade: Britain, Brazil and the slave trade question, 1807-1869†, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1970, p. 341. [12] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 54. [13] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, pp. 55 and 56. [14] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, pp. 74 and 75. [15] CARDIM, C. H.; â€Å"A Raiz das Coisas. Rui Barbosa: O Brasil no Mundo†, CivilizacÃŒ §aÃŒÆ'o Brasileira, Rio de Janeiro, 2007, p. 52. [16] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 78. [17] GOLDFELD SOCHACZEWSKI, M.; â€Å"O Brasil, o Impà ©rio Otomano e a Sociedade International: Contrastes e Conexà µes (1850-1919)†, p. 85.

How (knowledge workers) influences HRM in organizations today Assignment

How (knowledge workers) influences HRM in organizations today - Assignment Example Knowledge workers have been identified with speeding up and influencing the creation and transfer of knowledge leading to the good performance of the organizations. These individuals extensively employ their intellectual abilities and skills; have high degrees of creativity as well as problem solving capabilities as a result of their strong experience and wide knowledge base. As such they are very important organizational assets given that organizations rely heavily on strong knowledge and skills to gain a competitive edge. Knowledge workers contribute to the organizations’ innovation; the information product and service innovation. Those businesses with competent knowledge workers posses a competitive edge in terms of ability to manage knowledge and management has to do everything to improve and retain these knowledge workers (Rasoli, Mooghali, Mousavi and Rashidi, 2013). Knowledge workers present the human resource management in today’s organizations with a number of dilemmas. Organizations have to consider their employability and retention, focus on their development and ensure their personal identification with the business. Their demand is high in the particular industry because of their wealth of knowledge valuable to organizational success. Human resource teams can deal with dilemmas presented by knowledge workers through specific strategic HR practices. These include continued development and training of these workers as well as remunerating at rates commensurate with the responsibilities assigned to the workers. Human resource professionals can also manage these workers effectively by recognizing, rewarding and compensating for their extensive application of knowledge to organizational success. In conclusion therefore knowledge workers are influencing human resource management in today’s organizations in very significant manner. Knowledge, talent, experience and skills

Ask week 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ask week 3 - Essay Example What are some of the ways through which one can identify and define the research question? It is apparent that when carrying out a research on the establishment of an efficient Shared Financial Services solution for your organisation may have some biases in the project. As a research, what are some of the ways through which such biases can be avoided? Being an employee in your organisation and being aware of your shared financial services can not be enough to have all the information regarding shared financial services. What are some of the ways through which additional information about shared financial services can be obtained? The process of identifying the appropriate research question is one that requires some skills. What are some of the traits that a researcher has to have in order to successfully identify the appropriate research question? As an insider carrying out an action research in your organisation, and above all being in senior management, it is apparent that your participants- who in this case are your junior officers would find it difficult to participate in the research. What are some of the things are you supposed to consider as a researcher, in order to ensure there is no bias or intimidation of your juniors during the study? As a researcher and being a woman, it is possible that your research may be instigated by social issues that have dominated Kenyans for a long time. In a way, men, and especially in higher offices may see this as an incitement to women. How do you ensure that your study is scientific and free from bias? Before kicking off your research, you might have some hypothetical focus of your research. However, your data should be used to comprehensively elucidate your hypothesis. It is also evident that not all hypotheses are valid (Greenwood and Levin 2007). In this regard, in what ways can you ensure that your hypothesis