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Ethnic Stereotypes in the Movie "Smokin' Aces", 2008.
This paper examines the movie "Smokin' Aces" and discusses the ethnic stereotypical images portrayed.
1,377 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 9 sources, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This essay analyzes the use of stereotypes to portray different ethnic groups in the film "Smokin' Aces". The paper relates that the media is able to shape and influence our own perceptions of other people and cultures. The paper further relates that what we can see on the TV and movies produces a very powerful message, as we perceive the media as real even when we see a work of fiction. Additionally, the paper notes that the media is filled with stereotypes and stereotypical images. The essay then concentrates on three ethnic groups present in "Smokin' Aces", Italians, white Americans and African-Americans, and shows that they are portrayed through stereotypical images. The Italians are represented as mafia bosses, white men are good guys, while African American characters are criminals and sidekicks. The writer concludes that the construction of characters sends strong messages of racial ideology despite all the efforts put towards eliminating the racism.
From the Paper
"One of the first characters introduced in the move is an Italian Primo Sparazza. Sparazza is a mafia boss, a stereotypical role for an Italian in media. He is wanted by FBI and is known to be behind many crimes but, as usual, cannot be connected directly to any of them. As such he is untouchable, powerful person behind the mafia steel curtain. We do not know much about him, but some ideas that fit in the overall male Italian- mobster stereotypic character can be inferred from the plot. Thus, it is possible that Sparazza was an Italian immigrant since the FBI agents are tracing his illegal activities to 1950s. He made crime his career climbing up to a level of one of the American mafia bosses. As such, he is a typical non-American who presents a danger to American society and way of life."
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Caribbean Culture and Cultural Imperialism, 2007.
A discussion on whether the Caribbean society is too receptive and diverse for its own good.
1,633 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the Caribbean culture and at how its dynamic polyglot, diverse nature - and its ability, and even willingness, to accommodate different cultures and ethno-social traditions - has actually made it vulnerable on a number of profound levels. It explains that the Caribbean nations have shown a marked inability to throw off the cultural, linguistic and educational encrustations of the European nations which took over the region generations ago and which re-shaped their new fiefdoms in ways that effectively did away with pre-European values, codes, religions and dialects. The paper also looks at how many Caribbean young people attend English or French schools and prepare themselves for entry into a "global village" that is controlled by the very ethno-racial groups which turned their own lands "upside-down" in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. In essence, the paper shows that by looking at the fragmented nature of the Caribbean world and by looking at the impress of foreign language upon its peoples and formal structures, a region is revealed that has lost much of its ability to marshal its forces against external imperialistic forces. The writer believes that the Caribbean must start doing a better job of privileging its indigenous traditions and dialects or it will finally, ineradicably, lose them forever.
From the Paper
"Many observers are of the view that the Caribbean is a melting pot; that it is a place wherein European and non-European types "creolize" and thereby shed their different historical-national identities in favor of one that is "West Indian" in nature. This argument, however, has been vigorously challenged by others who assert that the Caribbean is really a collection of different regions which have their own unique, distinctive features. Simply put, while there may be regional similarities vis-a-vis food, music, dance, dress and a host of other elements, there are many more (or at least as many more) differences as there are similarities (Allahar, p.1-2). Simply put, Allahar appears to be to arguing two things: firstly, West Indian/Caribbean is diverse; secondly, despite this diversity, the region has certain societal features that distinguish it from other regions and which bind together its disparate elements."
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Caribbean Cultural Diversity, 2007.
A discussion of the diverse Caribbean society and the impact of globalization.
1,214 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 5 sources, APA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
This paper examines creolization, globalization, and cultural imperialism in Caribbean society. It explains that each country in the Caribbean has such diversity in its ethnic, religious, social, and national practices that it can be considered as a separate country and that people in the Caribbean cannot even agree on what it would mean to be patriotic. The paper notes that the basic problem is that, instead of thinking of culture, one has to consider the Caribbean in terms of numerous subcultures and that this means that there is no possibility for a united and integrated community, and no way that the Caribbean can relate as a whole to the global community. The paper also highlights the fact that whereas colonialism imposed division on the Caribbean, the exact opposite problem is imminent at the present time because of globalization. In conclusion, the paper shows that the Caribbean is made up of numerous subcultures that are actually small cultures which are relatively isolated from one another, and while there are similarities between those subcultures they are marked by too many differences to ever be brought together in unity. Whereas the process of creolization is effective for mixing the subcultures into a general form, globalization has the potential to completely destroy those subcultures.
From the Paper
"Caribbean intellectuals are quite aware of the forces of globalization and of the need to situate their communities on the world scale. According to Gyssels (2001, p. 1), these intellectuals "have been working out ideals of trans-nationalism and multiculturalism, and have studied the dialectic connection between the colonies and the ex-colonies". Other attempt are being made in the Caribbean to protect, promote and preserve the elements of the cultural heritage such as the Carnival in Trinidad (Scher, 2002). Critical reflection on creolization is basic to the quest for identity because authentic cultures are in danger of being lost through the process of globalization and in great part because of the technological superiority of Western countries."
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Literature Review and Analysis: Culture and Development, 2008.
A review of literature regarding childhood development in diverse cultural contexts.
2,370 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 10 sources, APA, £ 43.95
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the influences of cultural variations on childhood development, by looking closer at the research that already exists on the topic. It holds that existing literature does not pay enough attention to the impact of culture, especially regarding the parent-child relationship, on developmental psychology. While the role of parenting has been long recognized as an important component in development, this recognition has existed mostly devoid of cultural context. The paper argues that culture does have an influence on development, and will consequently have an influence on any planned intervention strategy. The paper concludes that what is critically needed is further research into the subject to demonstrate statistically viable methods for conducting important therapies and interventions in different cultural settings that are backed by legitimate theory and research.
Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review and Analysis
Current Limitations of Family Therapy Theory
Importance of Cultural Context
Emerging Picture of Culture's Effects
Conclusion
From the Paper
"On a theoretical level, developmental psychologists and theorists have been plagued by the same impulses that beset researchers in most disciplines: the desire to devise a single, all-encompassing theory. What dedicated researcher doesn't dream of a single theory that can provide all of the answers for all of the questions that have been (and will be) asked? This impulse has led to the creation of many theories, such as attachment theory, that strive toward a grand theory of development. But attachment theory has been exaggerated in its usefulness to explain actual instances of childhood development. Lamb (2005) concludes that development is much too complex, owing largely to the complicating effects of culture, to be easily reduced to a single theoretical approach. Contrary to the tenets of attachment theory, empirical data has consistently shown that there is more to development than just the parent-child relationship (though, admittedly, this is an important component)."
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Globalization and the Middle East: Iran, 2007.
A discussion of the Iranian response to globalization.
1,745 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 33.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that modern-day Iran is behaving in response to long-held grievances with western powers (like the United States and Great Britain) and because the globalization and integrated world that the West champions (most conspicuously the United States) is perceived as a direct threat to Iran's status as a theocracy, and a direct threat to the austere, non-consumerist tenets of traditional Islam. The paper explains that globalization threatens the very fabric of present Iranian society and the country's leaders therefore want to combat it and those they feel embody values inimical to their own interests. The paper also looks at what it is that has prompted the Middle Eastern land's angry denunciations of Israel, its stubborn adherence to a nuclear development program that is condemned by many in the western world, and its frequently negative characterizations of the United States. The paper concludes that one of the most compelling reasons for Iran's 'odd' actions is that globalization brings with it many threats to Iran and to its leadership; it is also a reminder, surely, of the western imperialism which impressed itself upon Iran in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
From the Paper
"To begin with, Iran is a nation that is comparatively insular and one which is dominated by a religion that frowns upon the "decadent," consumption-driven and even hedonistic lifestyle of the west. It is also, if its sometimes hysterical rhetoric and habitual defensiveness about what it is doing and why it is doing it are any indication, a nation that is deeply insecure - or, at the very least, its leaders are very insecure. More than that, Iran is a nation which has long bristled at the projection of western power via globalization and changing technologies and this has pushed it to the forefront of Middle Eastern nations committed to turning back that projection anyway they can."
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Filipino Community Analysis of Union County, New Jersey, 2008.
This paper presents a community analysis of the Filipino community in Union County, New Jersey.
3,370 words (approx. 13.5 pages), 8 sources, APA, £ 57.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the Filipino community of Union County, New Jersey, through a windshield survey, an analysis of the local resources and a look at the bio-statistics for the community. The paper discusses interviews with four community residents and identifies the themes of expensive health care and health insurance, economic disparity, education and safety and recreation. The paper explores the assets held by the Filipino community and the problems that have been identified in this study. The paper provides a list of issues that require attention, along with diagnoses for these issues and their stated outcomes.
Outline:
Introduction
Windshield Survey
Community Resources
Bio-statistics
Community Identified Health Needs
Identification of Problems and Assets
From the Paper
"Immigration to Union County by local Filipinos was gradual; Union County was not a purposeful destination but enough Filipino residents took up permanent homes that it evolved into a resident community outside of Manhattan. There are no current trends that influence population settlement or growth of the Filipino community beyond those that initially prompted its creation, but the resident population continues to increase slowly through birth rates and immigration (Omi & Winant, 1994)."
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Gender, Education and Income, 2008.
This paper examines the effect of educational attainment on the gender wage gap in Canada.
1,307 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 26.95
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Abstract
The paper presents research that shows how there is a definite gender, education and income disparity in Canada that is deteriorating. The paper points out that these inequalities are more persistent in rural Canada and among non-white women and immigrants.
From the Paper
"Even though the educational disparity between women and men has almost disappeared, there is still an income gap between the two, with women earning up to 50 to 84 percent as much as men. The research for this paper confirms this finding. When the research looks at non-white women, women who are immigrants, and women who reside in more rural areas, particularly Alberta, the education/income distances grow wider."
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Adolescents and Healthy Food, 2007.
A review of the article "Factors of Fruit and Vegetable Intake by Race, Gender and Age Among Young Adolescents" by M.L. Granner, R.G. Sergant, K.S. Calderon, J.R. Hussey, A.E. Evans, and K.W. Watkins.
1,060 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 22.95
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Abstract
This paper critically analyzes the article "Factors of Fruit and Vegetable Intake by Race, Gender and Age Among Young Adolescents" by Granner et. al. The paper explains that although a number of methodological aspects prove problematic, the paper is also confounded by equally serious conceptual errors. The paper looks at the apparent total absence of research hypotheses and notes that the absence of testimonial regarding the benefits of eating healthily also leaves a question mark over whether poor diet is a concern for researchers, or even a problem willing to be explored. The writer believes that the discussion section seems fairly brief for a research topic apparently so broad in scope, but notes that the one notable finding of the Granner et. al. experiment - a high correlation between self-efficacy and snack choice - may be explored in further detail in the future.
From the Paper
"The research measures, moreover, provide something of a quandary. The complicated and numerous variables lead to a much more intricate and confusing methodological tapestry than would seem necessary. Measures such as race, age, and gender, and their impact on the food attitudes of adolescents are certainly necessary. However, measures such as "normative beliefs", "outcome expectations" and "modeling" seem a little excessive. Instead, the experimenters conduct something of a dual study of both these dependent variables impacting age, ethnicity and gender, and these former measures again acting as independent variables to fruit and vegetable consumption. If the point of the present research is indeed to examine a relationship between adolescence and poor dietary habits, the variables should be similarly simple."
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Nutrition, Exercise and Ethnicity, 2008.
A critical analysis of the article; "Patterns and Correlates of Physical Activity and Nutrition Behaviors in Adolescents" by A. Sanchez, G.J. Norman, J.F. Sallis, K.J. Calfas, J. Cella and K. Patrick.
796 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 16.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the article "Patterns and Correlates of Physical Activity and Nutrition Behaviors in Adolescents", which demonstrates the ethnic differences in how adolescents exercise and get nutrition. The paper looks at the structure and methodology of the study and concludes that the study represents a high level of research quality.
From the Paper
"A 2007 study published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine, entitled "Patterns and Correlates of Physical Activity and Nutrition Behaviors in Adolescents" demonstrates that there are marked differences along ethnic lines in how adolescents exercise and get nutrition (Sanchez, Norman, Sallis, Calfas, Cella and Patrick, 2007). The study's purpose, as stated, was to determine the "prevalence, clustering, and correlates of multiple adolescent health behaviors" to assist in informing the "design of health promotion interventions" (124). The study examined a significant sample of adolescents, 878 children aged 11 through 15 years, and looked at their specific daily food intake, level and type of activity, and non-athletic activities such as watching television or playing video games. The article concluded that minority status was the second highest determiner of lower healthy food intake and lower exercise rates in adolescents - the most significant determiner was a low education."
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Article Analysis: Estrogen Metabolites in a Multiracial Population, 2007.
A critical analysis of an article by Sowers, Crawford, McConnell and Randolph, entitled 'Selected Diet and Lifestyle Factors are Associated with Estrogen Metabolites in a Multiracial/Ethnic Population of Women".
955 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 19.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that there are significant problems in terms of conceptualization and methodology in the research reported by Sowers et. al. in the article 'Selected Diet and Lifestyle Factors are Associated with Estrogen Metabolites in a Multiracial/Ethnic Population of Women'. The author points out that the troubling methodological problems throughout the framework of this paper include ambiguous phrases, deceptive statistics, the overlooking of rival causes, inadequate justification of the project and the fundamental disconnect between the research questions and the results. The paper stresses that there is no justification for the authors' use of race/ethnicity as a variable in this study, particularly given that the authors pay absolutely no regard to the importance of socio-economic status as a variable. The author underscores that the harm of this research is that it implies inherently bad health to minorities, in this case, to African-American women, which risks perpetuating racist stereotypes.
From the Paper
"The authors find that African-American women have significantly lower levels of estrogen metabolites than either White or Asian women; a number that they suggest is inherent in the racial group as it is not correlated to lifestyle factors. To attain this result, the authors measure the independent variable of race/ethnicity against dependent dietary and lifestyle variables. Other variables such as age are controlled. However, one obvious variable - a particularly important one given the focus of the study - is entirely absent from the analysis: socio-economic status."
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Rae Yang's "The Spider Eaters - a Memoir", 2008.
A critical review of Rae Yang's book "The Spider Eaters - a Memoir".
1,050 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 21.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at Rae Yang's "The Spider Eaters - a Memoir", a book addressing the Cultural Revolution from the perspective of a person who was caught up in a frightening time in the early People's Republic of China (PRC).The paper considers the book a disturbing reflection on the youth of the Red Guard and the vicious sort of fascism created by Chairman Mao. It concludes that the book is well written and informative.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Maoism and Youth
Divisions
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Yang writes in a way that is immediate and also indicating that her days in the Red Guard were far away, a dream somehow, and as much of the volume moves back and forth between the present and the past and with anecdotes to do with her childhood and family adding to a surreal and very personal explanation of a frightening time and different people's reactions to it. A chapter "A Strange Gift from the Pig Farm" refers to her habit of waking at 3 a.m. that remained after she was placed in the Manchurian countryside just as millions of other young people to finish high school were sent for menial labour away from the cities. She had had to waken at 3 a.m. to perform part of her assigned work and the habit remained, years later. (pp. 1-2) So much forgetting a disturbing time, or the person she had become, as 3 a.m. waking in America showed that some things could not be washed away. The inability to reconcile what Maoism preached, what happened, and came into view as very wrong with the CCP movement produced despair later and a wish to die which took time to overcome. Rae Yang embarked on graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts. She graduated from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1981 and in the U.S., completed her M.A. in 1985 and her Ph.D. in 1991, obtaining a post at Dickinson College where she specializes in pre-modern and modern Chinese literature."
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"I'm 50/50": Case Study of a Black-Hispanic Woman, 2008.
A case study of an American-born woman of black-Hispanic descent.
1,230 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
This paper consists of an interview with a woman who was born in Los Angeles in 1932, during the Depression to a black mother and a Mexican citizen father who had immigrated to the United States. In the paper, the interviewee speaks of her life growing up in Los Angeles and some of the challenges she faced due to her unusual parentage. She also discusses some information about her father Renaldo and how he came to America, and the experiences he had here and how he ultimately met and married her mother, Violetta. The paper also includes some discussion based upon what the interviewee learned in her studies of race and ethnicity and how one distinguishes different aspects of one's background and culture, and how this affects one's relationships with other members of the community. Finally, the paper includes a brief discussion of her siblings and her own grown children, and the decisions they themselves made in terms of selecting what they felt to be the most appropriate genetic matches for themselves, taking into account the experiences of their mother.
From the Paper
"Mrs. Diaz notes that her own reading and study has taught her that "Latin" is not a racial designation, but a language designation. While her Mexican father spoke Spanish, racially he was known as a mestizo, partly of Spanish descent and partly of Aztec descent, but, she tells us, "even he could not say in exactly what proportion," since an exact genealogy was long ago lost to memory over the generations. Like most mixed Mexicans, he did not fare as well in his country as more pure-blooded Spanish, who tended to rise to the upper castes; so, he emigrated to the United States. He worked in Arizona cotton fields, then migrated to California to work in fruit orchids; after saving some money he moved to Los Angeles to get involved in a small grocery store with a couple of partners. This would have been shortly before the Depression."
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The Chumash: Seafarers of Southern California, 2007.
A study of the Chumash, a seafaring Native American tribe of Southern California and their possible connection with ancient Polynesian seafarers.
1,760 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 10 sources, APA, £ 33.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the Native American tribe of Southern California, the Chumash, one of the few New World peoples who regularly navigated the ocean. The paper points out that they built plank canoes, unlike most other North American native tribes whose canoes were of an unsophisticated hollowed-out tree trunk design. Only Polynesian seafarers from the distant South Pacific were thought to use similar plank boats to explore and colonize the various islands of the Pacific over a thousand or more years ago. The paper draws a possible connection between the two peoples according to both linguistic and archaeological evidence. From a purely linguistic standpoint, the Chumash word for plank canoe, "tomolo", may be derived from the Polynesian word "tumu-raa'au", referring to the wooden plank boats used by Polynesian explorers. The paper concludes that these findings regarding the Chumash wood plank canoe may open the door to seeing Native American culture in a whole new light, and even call into question old orthodoxies about migration patterns.
From the Paper
"Due to the vast size of the area that eventually became known as California, there were at one time or another dozens of small Native American tribes who inhabited the region, differing widely in language, culture and lifestyle, due to the great variety of environmental conditions they found themselves in (desert, mountain, seacoast, etc.) The Chumash are a Native American tribe who historically made their home along the southern coastal regions of California, stretching roughly from the vicinity of what is now Santa Barbara in the north down to Ventura in the south, but (to a lesser degree) even extending as far south as what is now Malibu ("Chumash.") They also lived on the three largest of the Channel Islands: Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel. The Channel Islands, located about 20 miles off the coast near present day Santa Barbara, are the largest offshore islands on the West Coast of North America ("Channel Islands.") This offshore presence was unique to the Chumash among California Indian tribes and will have a central place in the subsequent examination of their seafaring abilities and possible trans-Pacific origins."
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"The Banana Boys" Book Review, 2008.
A review of Terry Woo's book, "The Banana Boys", as a reflection of the Chinese-Canadian experience.
760 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 16.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Terry Woo's "The Banana Boys", a fiction book about Chinese born Canadian youths. The derogatory term, 'banana boy', refers to the fact that they are 'yellow' (that is, Chinese) on the outside, but 'white' (that is, Canadian) inside. The paper discusses how each of the boys has a distinct way of dealing with his identity of a 'banana boy', implying that there is no single Asian-Canadian experience. Finally, the paper adds that the book is relevant not only to the Chinese community in Canada but to the larger Canadian community as well, made up, to a large extent, of immigrants and their children.
From the Paper
"This book is of great relevance both to the Chinese-Canadian and to all other Canadians too. It is a unique work of literature that tells a story of the Chinese Canadians in present time, and their attempts to carve a unique identity for themselves, each of the boys in his own way. They may have tried hard to fit in with the "Chinese" identity or the "Canadian" identity, but there will never be a distinct group for them to fit in completely and fully belong. The "Chinese" and the "Canadians" do not quite claim them as their own, so they search for their own unique identity in pop culture. Many Asian Canadians who have been born in this country or who group up here may find that the 'banana boys' resemble them in many ways, and that the experiences of the 'banana boys' with racism, culture, work, etc. are also their own experiences. Furthermore, other Canadians who are also coming from different cultures may find that the book appeals to them too. The children of immigrants are often faced with identity questions much like the characters of "Banana Boys", and the silent cultural clash is something many experience."
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