ALTERITY AND REVERSIBILITY IN MERLEAU-PONTY; A DISCOURSE ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND MINORITY RIGHTS
ABSTRACT
Cultural diversity is increasingly becoming an inevitable feature of most modern states. This is because trade, tourism, international dialogue amongst scholars, scientists and artists and the movement of skilled labour as well as migration have ensured that few countries do not contain within them significant numbers of peoples from other cultures. A likely consequence of this diversity is clash of cultural interests, especially between minority and majority cultural groups, in response to which proponents of multiculturalism argue for minority rights and recognition for cultural minorities. But multiculturalism tends to over emphasize the “cultural self” at the expense of the “cultural other” culminating in cultural separatism.
This thesis takes up, however, the argument that a healthy perception and understanding of ‘the other’ in our relationship with fellow human b eings is more fundamental to tackling the challenges of cultural diversity than multiculturalism. The aim of this work, therefore, is to employ Merleau-Ponty’s reversibility thesis (in which one’s world opens upon the other and vice-versa when people come in contact with one another) as an alternative model with which to better understand the ontological nature of the self’s relation to the other as the basis for intercultural reversal of perspectives for social harmony. Methodologically, the qualitative research design is used for this study.
Data for the study are collected from books, journals articles, biographies, and interviews. Data from these sources are analyzed by the use of historical-hermeneutics and philosophical exposition/analysis. Historical-hermeneutics is employed to survey and understand previous conceptions of alterity and the self’s relation to alterity in the history of philosophy/thought. Philosophical exposition is used to highlight the relational ontology of the self to alterity in Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of reversibility and also highlight the increasing reality of cultural diversity and minority rights claims. Philosophical/textual analysis is used to analyse Merlau-Ponty’s ontology of alterity and reversibility in order to apply it to the challenges of cultural diversity and multiculturalism, with social development in view.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
In our experiences, others seem so close; yet in our thinking, they remain remote…
-William Ralph Shroeder1
The experience of others becomes an issue of concern and interest for basically two reasons- cultural and intellectual. From the cultural perspective (which is of primary concern in this work), we are confronted with some facts. Personal relationships are troubled: divorces are increasing; families are breaking apart; cultural groups clash over conflicting interests and friendships exit under great strains. We oscillate between a desperate effort to commit ourselves completely and an insistence on remaining islands unto ourselves. Even for those who try hardest and care, most interpersonal relationships seem only to touch the surface; at best, they leave one unharmed; more often, they deliberate and disorient.2
Although interpersonal life promises a full-course meal, for many, it provides only a series of appetizers.
A related fact is the lowered expectations people have for relationships as a result of which Careers take precedence; relationships are sacrificed. Injunctions to be individual, authentic and concerned only about oneself are hawked from street corners by self-help proselytizers. One becomes convinced that one must continually oppose others if one is to remain oneself. One trusts very few; from the rest, one hopes for indifference rather than resistance. As our hopes diminish, our efforts to create radiant relationships are abandoned, and a cycle of entropy ensues.3
Intellectual issues are the second motivation, the question of which lie at the foundation of social sciences and ethics. One’s conception of the nature of others determines what can be observed and known about them and what procedures of inquiry can be most productive.
One’s position on the nature of interpersonal relations determines what social entities should be investigated. In addition, the importance people give to ethics and politics depends on the adequacy with which they grasp the reality of others and the clarity with which they understand their relationship with others. If one does not or cannot experience the presence and personhood of others, then ethical and political thought becomes merely academic. Therefore, if ethics is to discover realizable ideals and to seriously address the contemporary interpersonal situations, an incisive phenomenology of interpersonal experience will be indispensible….
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
The review of relevant literature is the main topic of this chapter. A literature review covers theoretical and methodological contributions to a certain issue in addition to the state of knowledge at the time of writing. It provides information about the state of the art in relation to the subject you are writing about. It examines the body of work on the chosen subject. The literature evaluation in this study comprises the …
Procedure for Downloading the PDF (Docx) Material
Alterity and Reversibility in Merleau-Ponty; A Discourse on Cultural Diversity and Minority Rights can be downloaded by requesting the full set of materials at the project or seminar cost. The document will be sent via Microsoft Word (MS-Word) format via WhatsApp (e-mail) following payment confirmation.
| Seminar Material Cost ₦3,000 | Project Material Cost ₦5,000 |
Request Complete Material
 | Click here to request the Complete Material via WhatsApp including;
|
Disclaimer for Complete Material Utilization
The displayed research work titled "Alterity and Reversibility in Merleau-Ponty; A Discourse on Cultural Diversity and Minority Rights" is stated as a research guideline towards accomplishing your assigned project / seminar research work. All the research materials on this website are ONLY for research purposes and should be used as a guideline in developing your research work. For no reason should you copy word for word as projectlist.com.ng will not be liable for any who copied the material. By ordering the complete research guideline, it signifies that you've accepted our terms of service.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can this topic “Factors Responsible for Self Medication Among the Indigenes of Ekosodin” be used for Environmental Science Project?
Yes it can be utilized for research — This study is aimed at finding out the factors responsible for self-medication among the indigenes of Ekosodin community in Benin City. The review of related literature was done using known works in the area of self-medication and self care. A 20-item questionnaire was administered to find out the various factors influencing their choice to practice self-medication. The data obtained was analysed using frequency and percentages. The findings of the study showed that lack of accessibility to health services and facilities, poor implementation and enforcement of drug laws and policies and unavailability and ineffective dissemination of drug information to members of the community were the major factors responsible for the practice of self medication among members of the community. …
Can the material for “The Positive Impact of Rubber Production on the Economic Development” be used as a guide for Agricultural Engineering (AE) Project?
Yes it can be used — This research study was undertaken with a view to assessing the veracity of rubber production in Ughelli Local Government Area, Edo State. Several factors were identified as causes of this trend; such as lack of capital, use of old plantations, unavailability of land, price of latex etc. a questionnaires approach was used to obtain data from the farmers in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. This was subjected to analysis based on stipulated hypothesis drawn from the questionnaires. The result of this analysis showed that lack of capital was not responsible for low production of rubber in Ughelli Local Government Area. Also, market prices of rubber products had no effect on low rubber production. However, government policies were …
Can the material for “Market Research as a Panacea for Business Survival” be used as a guide for Business Administration and Management (BAM) Project?
Yes it can be used — This research work is carried out to determine the necessity of market research for business survival. The researcher highlighted some objectives to ascertain the frequency organization conduct market research, to find out the most appropriate and effective method in acquiring information during market research, to ascertain the impact of market research result for effective management decision. To achieve the above objectives, the researcher used the survey design to obtained empirical information from the field by administering questionnaire to 45 Staff of marketing Department of Nasco food Nigeria Limited, Jos South Local Government of Plateau State. Two hypotheses were formulated; the analysis was done using simple percentage and chi-square to give a clear understanding in order to arrive at an explicit …
Can the material for “Evaluation of Constraints of Co-Operative Development in the Rural Areas” be used as a guide for Human Resource Management (HRM) Project?
Yes it can be used — This research work evaluate the element that hinder co-operative development in the rural areas of Enugu State, with special reference to Udi Local Government Area. The main objectives of the study were: to identify the problems that hinder co-operatives as an instrument for rural development. To find out certain loophole of using co-operative in development, to find out how government policies can help in co-operative development and to makes useful recommendations on how to effectively utilize co-operative in rural development based on the study findings. In order to discover more details ten (10) research questions here asked, and this formed the basis for design of a comprehensive questionnaire administered to the target respondents. Also the review of related literature was …
Can the material for “Problem of Personal Income Tax Collection in Anambra State” be used as a guide for Banking and Finance (BF) Project?
Yes it can be used — This study examined the factors militating against tax collection in Anambra state that lead to the fall of revenue in the state. This study also highlights the problems encountered by the staff of Board of internal Revenue − ie the organ entrusted by the government for collection of various taxes in the state. The sampling technique used for the research were simple data collection and analysis to locate the trend or behaviour of the trend or behavious of the data. Also employed were statistical tools for testing the hypothesis and chi square. In employing the chi-square techniques, the hypothesis to be tested will be stated as a null hypothesis and an alternative hypothesis. The instrument to research for the information oral interviews …
Can the material for “Studies on Diversity of Frogs and Toads Species” be used as a guide for Agricultural Economics and Extension Project?
Yes it can be used — The study is aimed at examining the Diversity of Frogs and Toads Species. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out to identify the number of individual species frogs and toads found in the study area, examine the species of toads found on along the study area, identify the form and Function of Frogs and Toads, and examine the Features and Classification of Frog Species. Frog and toad belonging to the order Anura, which, because of their wide distribution, are known by most people around the world. The name frog is commonly applied to those forms with long legs and smooth mucus-covered skins, while toad is used for a variety of robust short-legged forms, especially those with …
Can the material for “The Impact of Production Planning and Control on a Manufacturing Process” be used as a guide for Business Administration and Management (BAM) Project?
Yes it can be used — The research work is to determine the Impact of Production Planning and Control in a manufacturing process. The Nigeria Bottling company Aba plant has been chosen as questionnaire and personal interview were use for collection of data. Research Question were made and two hypotheses were formulated to determine whether poor scheduling has any effect on the productivity of a manufacturing firm and also to know if there are rules for job processing in a manufacturing firm. Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant. The major findings of the study were that firm reviews their production plan and budget on quarterly basis so as to take into consideration the major season of the year. The analysis …
Can the material for “The Effect of Performance Appraisal on Employees’ Productivity in the Public Sector” be used as a guide for Public Administration (PA) Project?
Yes it can be used — This study is delved into the effect of performance appraisal on employees’ productivity in the public sector using The Nigerian Custom Service as a case study. Performance appraisal helps to ensure that organizational members possess the knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs effectively, take on new responsibilities, and adapt to changing conditions. It is also believed those performance appraisals identifies the weakness of employees and sport the areas which development efforts are needed in the organization. This study is carried out with duly valued questionnaires which were used as instrument to collect primary data from 120 respondents for statistical analysis. The result of data were analyzed with simple percentage, bar chart and frequency distribution while the stated hypotheses …
Can this topic “Assessing the Role of Staffing on the Performance of Micro Finance Organizations” be used for Finance Project?
Yes it can be utilized for research — The research title ‘Assessing the role of staffing on the organizational performance in micro finance organizations’ was carried out in Awing central Cooperative Credit Union Limited Bamenda, North West region Cameroon. This thesis was carried out based on the observation that in most micro finance organizations in Cameroon, the technique of staffing used is the concur method; where examinations are written and successful candidates are selected for training which in most cases is a furtherance of class room work guided towards professionalism which is not a proper staffing procedure. This study is arranged into five different structures; introduction, review of related literature, presentation and analysis of data and recommendations. Research questions were issued and some found responses in the literature reviewed. …
Can the material for “Environmental Factors That Influences Students Academic Performance in Selected Secondary School” be used as a guide for Education Project?
Yes it can be used — This research work is based on the environmental factors that influences students academic performance in selected secondary school in Esan west local government area of Edo state. Four research question were raised to test the respondents opinion using the person product moment correlation coefficient (r) formulate to analysis the data obtained from the field. The findings show that there is a significant relationship between infrastructural facilities and academic performance of students. There is a significant relationship between qualified teachers and academic performance of students, qualified teachers and academic performance of students, qualified teachers are the hub of any good educational system whether primary, secondary or tertiary institutions and parents marital status was also found out to have significant relationship to academic …