Pan-European revolutions of 1830 manifested in different forms in different regions. In Netherlands and France they took a romantic hue, whereas in Poland and Switzerland the impact on the political establishment was less pronounced. In the United Kingdom of Netherlands and in France, the impact of the revolution was to establish constitutional monarchies (also called commonly as ‘popular monarchies’). This meant that the older aristocratic order was dismantled and republicanism was given a new thrust. For example, prior to the revolution, the king held dominion over his country through the mandate of God. His reference as the King of France testified this fact. But after the revolution, his title was changed to King of the French, indicating how his authority is derived from the collective will of the citizens. Likewise, in Belgium, King Leopold I took to the throne under the reconfigured political arrangement. At the same time in Congress Poland the revolt against the . . . Read More
Continue ReadingTag: Switzerland
The Eleventh Hour and Sick Around the World: Studies on the U.S. Healthcare system
What did I learn from the novel and the PBS videos?
Both the novel and the documentary film has been full of relevant information for me. I learnt different things from the two different media. The novel The Eleventh Hour is a unique mélange of fact and fiction. That it presents details pertaining to the American healthcare system in the form of an engaging story made it easy for me to focus and keep track. As the drama of the story unfolded I was able to pick up facts about the healthcare system that were erstwhile unknown to me.
Sick Around the World, on the other hand, offered me a comparative perspective on several leading healthcare systems. I was astounded that countries which are less economically powerful than the United States offer a better healthcare deal to their citizens. The five countries studied by the PBS documentary crew – Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland – all have cheaper average per . . . Read More
Continue ReadingEffects of Globalization
The word ‘globalisation’ is almost interchangeable with the term ‘economic liberalization’. Standing almost at the end of the 21st century, a question may arise in our mind –whether this open economy, a direct product of globalisation, has actually been a boon to the world’s economy including the social and economic scenario. Careful thought brings out the consequences like recession, global financial crisis and other related impacts. However just like every problem has a solution this issue is also addressable. We have come too far to look back at the time of conquests and colonization. Hence globalisation cannot be abandoned for sure, but a multidimensional approach might help in dealing with the economic problems associated with globalisation. Due to the enhancement of the technology and globalisation the countries are able to increase the production basket in their economy. In addition to these the benefits that have been reaped from it are improved consumption . . . Read More
Continue ReadingSwitzerland: A brief profile
When one thinks of Switzerland, things that immediately come to mind are high-precision watches and the Alps mountain range. But beyond these obvious highlights, the country can boast of a multi-cultural and multi-lingual demography as well as offering a high standard of living for its citizens. In many ways, Switzerland is unique among Western European nations. The following passages will present the facts and factors that contributed to the development of the nation.
The decisive political moment in the history Switzerland was in 1848, when the Swiss Federation changed from a Union of States to a Confederation. But democracy and other progressive social changes were slow to come by, for even as late as 1970, women in Switzerland did not have voting franchise. In recent decades, the most significant event came in the form of the nation not joining the European Economic Area (EEA) in a 1992 referendum. From a socio-political perspective, the election in 1999 of . . . Read More
Continue ReadingJean Piaget’s Theory of Four Stage Cognitive Development
Introduction:
Jean Piaget was born in Switzerland in the year 1896. He would go on to become one of the most influential philosopher and psychologist of the twentieth century. He achieved worldwide renown for his theories of child development and for his work on genetic epistemology. This essay will confine itself to an overview of his theory of cognitive development in children, which continues to hold its cornerstone position among discoveries in the field of psychology. But, it would be simplistic to classify Piaget as a theorist and philosopher who deals in mere abstractions. Rather, . . . Read More
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