Essay Examples on France Essay Example

Essay Examples on France Paper 1st Essay Sample on France The intellectual climate in France in the middle of the twentieth century was dominated by the philosophy of structuralism. Structuralism has been applied to a diverse range of fields, from anthropology to philosophy to mathematics. Structuralism claims that meaning doesn’t rest in the individual units of a given system (e.g. words in a linguistic system) but in the relationships between these units. We come to understand the world not by understanding the individual things that make it up, but by understanding the relationships between these things.Structuralist thought influenced Foucault’s early career. He developed an approach to intellectual history that he called the â€Å"archaeology of knowledge.† This approach dismissed the importance of individual thinkers or motives, emphasizing instead the inescapable mind-sets that characterize different ages.In his later career, during which he wrote The History of Sexuality, Foucault complemented this archaeological approach with a genealogical approach that he borrowed from Nietzsche. Nietzsche argues that the concepts we use are rarely fixed, but that they evolve to suit the changing needs of different ages. Nietzsche shows how our concepts of â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† have changed over time. In The History of Sexuality, Foucault makes the same argument about our concept of â€Å"sexuality.† By arguing that our concepts and self-image are fluid and contingent on quirks of history, Foucault adopts a position that has been termed â€Å"post-structuralist.†To a large extent, The History of Sexuality at tempts to refute what Foucault calls the â€Å"repressive hypothesis†: the claim that sex has been consistently repressed, and that we can only achieve political liberation by means of sexual liberation.The History of Sexuality is also considered a foundational text for the relatively new field of queer theory. Queer theory studies the intersection between politics, gender, and sexuality. 2nd Essay Sample on France We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on France specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on France specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on France specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Social landscape France has Rupee’s second-highest birth rate, and has shown an upward trend since the sass. France’s birth rate of around two children per woman in 2010 makes it one of only two European countries that could maintain their current population based on present trends. The problem of an aging population is becoming more apparent. Additional government expenditure between now and 2050 due to increased pensions, healthcare, and dependency care related to the aging population is predicted to be more than 4% of GAP. Technological landscape France has a favorable innovation climate, which is reflected in the large number of patents received. In 2010, the total number of patents received from the US Patent and Trademark Office (SPOT) reached 124,723, which indicates the country’s strong support for innovation and R. The government’s interventionist attitude, as seen in the case of Internet advertising, and the ongoing withdrawal of business-friendly schemes like the Young Innovative Company (YOGIC) concept will affect Industrial growth, and could reduce investments In the country. Legal landscape Foreign investments increased by 22% In 2010, with 782 projects leading to nearly 32,000 Jobs, an increase of 6% compared to 2009. Many of these projects were related to the renewable energy sector. In 2010, foreign companies based In France created two million Jobs. Many of the government’s tax and labor reforms have been met with cynicism and public protests. The government Is planning to Increase weekly working hours to 39 from the current 35 and abolish the wealth tax Limp ¶t De solidarity © sure la fortune. However, these moves are bound to face public outrage and demonstration.