Coca-colonization in Western Europe - Essay Example

How did people in Western Europe react to Coca-colonization after 1945? By 23 February Coca-colonization inWestern Europe Coca-colonization is a term that has been commonly used since 1949 to refer to the spread of Western cultural values and goods from America to other regions such as Western Europe. Coca-colonization led to cultural assimilation and globalization by influencing political and economic relations between America and Europe. Coca is used because, at the time, the Coca-Cola drink an American product had gained popularity in Western Europe. This move was received by a lot of propaganda campaigns that mainly targeted consumers because American culture was rapidly penetrating Europe (Schroter, 2007). Coca-colonization is characterised by cultural, political, economic and social transformations that have contributed to defining the history of Western Europe. In 1945 after the Second World War, political elites in Western Europe among them businessmen strongly resisted the influence of Americanization. This was influenced by the fact that America was a superpower. The strained relationship was due to economic, political and military tension that later developed into the Cold War. Cold War came into existence due to the threat posed by communism on capitalism. Communism could have led to the elimination of private property something that people in Western Europe were against. To fight this problem, the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed. NATO was an alliance of North America and countries in Europe that contributed to the liberation of Europe (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). The domination of affairs by the United States gave room to self-realisation and determination in Western Europe as a way of reacting towards coca-colonialism and establishing a strong existence. Europe realised that for them to move on, they had to speed up the process of social and economic recovery. One step taken by Western Europe towards this effect was signing of the United Nations (UN) Declaration by 1945. Countries that participated in this process included; Norway, Belgium, Australia, Greece and United Kingdom among other nations (Duignan and Gann, 1992). This declaration facilitated compliance to peace initiatives among member states of which United States was also a member (Duignan and Gann, 1992). Western Europe further implemented the Marshall Plan that played a key role in the reconstruction of European private investments and trade. The plan was also expected to create economic and social stability that would enable Europe to offer help to the U.S military and avoid revolution. The Marshall Plan successfully led to economic recovery and promotion of democracy (Schroter, 2007). The relationship between Western Europe and America took a better turn hence enhancing productivity. The United Kingdom and France are some of the countries that greatly benefited from this plan (Schroter, 2007). Students were also among groups of people who reacted to coca-colonization. In 1968, a student revolution took place in France. Students joined workers in a strike to protest against the dictatorship, colonization and government oppression. This strike affected the changing nature of industrialization and democracy in Western Europe based on the views of people who felt Americanization was taking over Europe. Spain and Italy for instance had deeply adopted the American model of democracy. Some people viewed this as oppression rather than democratic freedom. People further reacted to coca-colonization through formation of the European Union (EU). Given the state of tension between European countries, European steel and coal communities began uniting countries politically and economically with the aim of securing peace. Countries that started this initiative were Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands and Luxembourg (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). These countries had signed a treaty to operate the industries that were major in the place at the time such as steel and coal (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). In 1962, a common agricultural policy was adopted by most European countries (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). The policy gave member countries agricultural control especially in food production. For instance, farmers were paid fairly. This led to overproduction that in turn led to the production of surplus produce. The situation changed in the 1990s when farmers decided to concentrate on quality food production and cut down on surplus. Trade barriers such as customs duties were also abolished (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). In 1993, a treaty whose main focus was to integrate Europe was signed. Maastricht Treaty led to the birth of EU. Euro, which is a common European currency, also came into force (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). Youth was not left behind in the reaction towards coca-colonization. This process took effect through a youth culture established in 1963 by a musical band called Beatlemania. Their music contributed to a cultural revolution with great impact on fashion and lifestyle in Western Europe. The group attracted teenagers and created a sense of awareness among them. Activists and sociologists compared the force that the band had on people with the influence like that of a social movement (Charness, 2010). The group motivated young people to express their emotions through music. Supported by other economic factors at the time, The Beatles had an influence on people’s reactions to various social factors (Charness, 2010). Coca-colonization further prompted leaders in Western Europe to react by building infrastructure so as to have economic advantage over the U.S. European society was quickly transforming from agriculturalists to industrialization. There was a need for Europe to improve their infrastructural mechanisms if they had to be on the same competing platform with Americans. It is at this point that people starting investing in private property and exploring business opportunities. This led to the gradual growth of commerce with people’s perceptions beginning to change. European entrepreneurs from Western Europe began exploring outside avenues by travelling widely to places such as Boston. Sophisticated machinery to aid in business operations were developed with the help of borrowed ideas from Americans. American ideas were not only borrowed; they were also transformed to give a better outcome hence enhancing economic advantage (Nixon, 2008). Scholars reacted through their expressions in scholarly materials in the fields of literature, medicine, philosophy and psychology. By the 1950s, the lives of people in Western Europe had transformed immensely (Eichengreen, 2006). As a result of major improvements in the field of medicine and agriculture, life expectancy was lengthened due to improved nutrition. As a result, there was a substantial growth in population. This population provided ready labour for upcoming production industries (Eichengreen, 2006). Through innovation and growth of businesses, people in Europe were expected to mobilize savings, maintain wages and high-profit rates. Management and organizational knowledge that was adopted from Americans saw a rise in professionalism. Western Europeans were now in a position to institutionalize social aspects such as education and religion and integrate them with economic aspects. This move had a lot of significances especially in fostering social cohesion and governance. As years went by, Western Europe continued to develop. Due to price mechanisms, people reacted to market forces (Eichengreen, 2006). Countries utilized laws and business regulations to coordinate motives and actions of different business partners while at the same time maintaining their competitive advantage. Numerous problems were being experienced specifically due to the effect of decentralized markets. Capital needs were addressed by banks which were able to mobilize funds and other resources on a large scale. As the industrial sector became more complex, more businesses became independent whereas emphasis was put on skill development through training with the main aim of developing more proficient human capital systems and procedures. The Second World War forced countries in Western Europe to set up institutions that would counter constraints on growth. Planning mechanisms were also developed in that by the 1970s; planned economies were a characteristic of the communist systems. The number of factories to be built was decided by professionals who were familiar with the law. Licensing became an almost legal requirement to conduct business. Shift from American dependence necessitated internally generated efficiency and innovation. By the 1970, growth through innovation was the main focus. With such progress, financial systems that offered financial help such as banks started becoming less conducive due to technological uncertainty. Businesses were increasingly being captured by special interests rather than national interests (Eichengreen, 2006). Without the cold war, there would be no regional integration. Western Europe for instance benefited from security systems that were provided by the U.S hence spending less on defence. By so being, they were in a position to generate more government revenue. Without this, Western Europe’s gross domestic product (GDP) would have declined by the 21st Century. Due to globalization and regional integration, this growth was experienced in many countries all over the world. Globalization was driven by technological progress that made possible the construction of roads, railways and satellite technology. This move reduces transaction costs across nations (Eichengreen, 2006). Economic and financial stability in European markets was enhanced (Eichengreen, 2006). In addition to the 21st Century, the people of Western Europe and Americans enjoyed stable political relations. This became a factor that helped to solve many post-war problems between America and Europe. Sovereignty drove Peoples actions. Whereas the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe discouraged close relations with the West, the U.S promoted close economic ties with Western Europe. Monetary system in Europe became more flexible to the extent of accommodating subsidised exchange rates. The production of iron and steel expanded, trade was liberalized and more so, market competition was enhanced (Duignan & Gann, 1992). Most scholars agree that high social standards have been maintained in Western Europe especially the period after the Cold War due to the effects of coca-colonization. Socio-cultural factors allowed economic growth that had earlier received negative criticism in the past to gained acceptance by people in Western Europe. Today, their culture is defined by education, religious practices and science. In recent years, most concepts of American culture have found their way in Europe, unlike earlier years when American culture was viewed as a cold war strategy. For example, Americans no longer had to push their products into European markets (Berghahn, 2010). Europeans willingly embraced American products such as music without being forced with most consumers from the working class (Berghahn, 2010). In the 1990s, most countries in Western Europe that had experienced coca-colonization were stable enough to the extent that they began turning their attention to third world countries. They would offer expertise and financial resources to support projects in those countries (Eichengreen, 2006). Major focus was poverty elevation and agricultural improvement. Third world countries responded to this move by adopting various aspects of European culture and lifestyle (Eichengreen, 2006). The field of research also grew due to coca-colonization. Scholars improvised their research mechanisms. For instance, research was conducted on the impact of American culture on Western Europe. Both social and economic implications were researched on. By 1945, social factors such as music had taken a different course in Europe. Youth and teenagers were attracted to different types of music such a jazz and rock music that had been adopted from Americans (Charness, 2010). There was a need for research on social implications of such adaptations. Through the 1960s and 1970s, American culture was being received positively in Western Europe. Through the 1980s, researchers in Western Europe continued to expand their inquest towards the impact of Americanization on institutions, as well as quantitative development. American capitalism was established to be the influencing factor in most conflicts in Western Europe. Supporting statistics was generated based on qualitative findings. Other factors that came into the limelight included the effect of monopolies on European economy as well the influence of business cartels. Research findings not only benefited the European population but were also used by American scholars to develop support and criticism in their work (Eichengreen, 2006). With economic growth, industries reacted by creating monopolies in various sectors of the economy. Industries that had been monopolized managed to draw great portions of capital towards trade. Restriction of free trade during coca-colonization enabled monopolies to keep up profit rates and enjoy control by lessening competition. Following subsequent years, most monopolies were done away with due to industrial expansion and trade liberalization. Change in the flow of information was another aspect that characterised coca-colonization. Despite the fact, that major innovations had come from America, Europeans too had business ideas that they pushed to Americans. Countries in Western Europe fought hard for inventive language and behaviour to be adopted by their people. Most issues connected with information and technology that had been developed by Americans was borrowed from European systems. The same applied to financial issues. This scenario caused an interlock between American and European cultures (Schroter, 2007). People in Western European also had reactions concerning human rights issues. Despite the efforts of human rights activists to ensure human rights violations were punishable, other politicians felt the task could not be achieved. Women’s rights violations, racial and religious discrimination were the most common forms of human rights violation at the time after 1945 despite signing various conventions. By 1970s, human rights issues were of concern in all countries in Western Europe. There was a heated debate on whether Cold War had contributed to human rights violations. Through platforms such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), all social, political and economic actions were judged under various provisions of the Declaration of 1948 (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). The period between 1945 and 1970 following the end of the Second World War, legal experts fought to eliminate impunity and human rights violations at the international level. The UDHR played a key role in solving problems that had been caused by the 1930s economic crisis. The status of refugees and how they were to be treated as pertains to the 1951 convention became paramount. Alongside human rights, other fundamental freedoms such as the right of expression began gaining popularity. Towards the 1980s, most people changed their view on the belief that human rights were products of Western civilization. Other major reactions to coca-colonization came from women to the realization that they had been under-represented in political, social and economic spheres. It is only until the 1990s that few women gained the courage to participate in national issues such as politics. The Council of Europe demands participation of both men and women in decision-making (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). Such steps have allowed women to exercise their democratic rights to date. If it were not for coca-colonization, the need for women’s participation would never be realized since societies would remain in their uncivilized states (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). Another reaction is that people in Western Europe extended their control and governed influence to other parts of the world such as Africa. Much of the development that has been realized in Africa is credited to the reaction that people in Western Europe had to coca-colonization. Initially, there were so many cultural practises that were deemed appropriate without the realization that they violated human dignity. The era of colonization brought to light some of these factors. A lot of contribution was also made in the fields of academics and theology not to forget languages. English speaking and French speaking nations achieved this ability through colonization. Practices such as hunting and gathering were also done away with. People began focusing on economic activities such as subsistence farming. Within no time, African countries were also participants in exportation and importation of goods and services. This trend has continued over the years and brought about many other benefits (Duignan and Gann, 1992). All was not flawless since colonization also contributed to problems. In Africa, for instance, most people lost their land to people from Western Europe. Slavery on the other hand did not make the situation better. Africans were forced to react to oppression by waging war on Europeans in their struggle for independence. Ownership and control of resources were further left to Europeans who highly benefited from exportation. African resources including labour could be exported for use and processing in European industries. Reactions from the people of Western Europe are today general analysed particular from an economic point of view. Different factors control different societies. Some of these factors are far much beyond state control. Moreover, it is not possible to control how people react towards certain circumstances. Most often, reactions are directed by social values, norms and belief systems. On the other hand, they are driven by domination. The superiority that countries feel over domination highly determines their motivation to maintain a particular social status. The economy is what drives the world today. It is evident that reactions towards coca-colonialism have had more economic influence than political influence. Although politics plays a key role in the direction that the economy takes, economic forces such as trade run the world. It is also what has contributed to the state of international relations today. With a history having taken shape, the people of Western Europe continue to react to contemporary issues. This implies that as the world continues to change, perceptions also change (Mariager, Molin & Brathagen, 2014). Besides the government, non-governmental organizations have been formed in Western Europe together with an international organization. The growing needs of the people after coca-colonization have contributed to this. Although countries in this block remain functionally independent, systems have been integrated through national co-operation. The achievements brought about by treaties, declarations and constitutional reforms are indisputable. Unions cannot also be left out since they have had a great impact on the economy. As far as sustainability is concerned, all nations are putting in an effort by ensuring principles and policies of development are adhered to. As regarding human wellbeing, most states have made the value for life a priority in all undertakings hence improving the standards of living using whichever means. The relationship between America and Western Europe whether good or bad and reaction to social issues has contributed to the current state of globalization. The shape of modernity has been realised through factors such as the Cold War. With the influence of many different people, political culture is seen as a two-way factor between America and Europe (Gassert, 2009). Coca-colonization is seen to have greatly contributed to social harmony. As per the year 2014, society is seen to have transformed from a primitive state to a state of civilization. All spheres of life have had a remarkable change that has had positive implications for both individuals and nations especially through cultural diffusion. 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