| Papers [15-28] of 2069 :: [Page 2 of 148] | | Go to page : <— 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 —> | |
|
|
The Father, 2008.
A review of Bharati Mukherjee's story about generational and cultural clash between a father and daughter, entitled "The Father".
914 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 22.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses Bharati Mukiherjee's story, "The Father" and how it portrays a culture clash between two related Indians, a father and daughter. The paper relates that both characters in the story have two very different ethical standards about procreation and the meaning of fatherhood and that the cultural clash between the father and daughter exists on several levels - generational, gender-based, ethical, and personal.
From the Paper
"Babli's father comes from a culture that is a patriarchal culture in terms of its explicitly stated values, for, as Mr. Bhowmick sees it, male authority and wisdom should rule the household. Now the father's daughter will raise her child in a household with no male presence. Of course, this sense of patriarchal dominance is fictional to some degree. Mr. Bhowmick came to the U.S. from Ranchi because his wife, a professional in her own right insisted upon this move. But he still believes the pretence of male dominance should be protected in principle. In fact, because he feels forced to stay in the U.S. due to his wife, seeing his daughter flagrantly deny her need for a man even to father a child, makes him feel more powerless in the face of women in America. According to anthropologist Lalervo Oberg, culture shock arises when suddenly one's sense of certainty is destroyed when one enters a foreign environment. A person undergoing culture shock experiences it as a series of "upsets--breaks in reality because people behave differently" in a new culture and because the shocked individual finds him or herself in unfamiliar circumstances."
| |
|
Intercultural Communication, 2008.
This paper discusses the interaction between people from different cultures.
3,300 words (approx. 13.2 pages), 9 sources, APA, £ 65.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at the topic of intercultural communication and discusses that this is an academic field of study that aims to look at how people from different cultures interact with each other. The writer notes that culture can simply be considered as the basic values, attitudes and behaviors of a certain group of people most of the time. The writer maintains that as there is a significant influence of the different cultures on human interaction, it is no longer affordable for the ordinary American to remain ignorant of these cultural diversities. Therefore the motivation to learn more about global cultures was never greater than it is today. The writer concludes that for this very purpose many universities in America and elsewhere are today offering inter cultural communication programs whose objective is to enable people, groups, and organizations to function effectively across borders and cultures, to respect other cultures, and to be more sensitive to the values and attitudes that they hold dear, and at the same time, to be better able to communicate with each other.
From the Paper
"There are various examples of cultural filters in the corporate environment and beyond. Attitudes to the labor market form an important cultural filter. Some cultures prefer lower pyramids of management, where the employees are prepared to take more responsibility for their own work, and management is considered to be a facilitating, rather than imposing presence. In other cultures, relatively higher pyramids of management are acceptable, thus resulting in the employee giving less importance to self-responsibility. Taking the example of employee training, it would be essential for the trainer to be aware of the cultural leanings of the groups in question in order for the training to achieve its objectives. The trainer can elicit reactions such as unwillingness or disinterest if his training methods assume a personal responsibility towards the learning process, whereas the employee is used to being "managed". This confrontation can be avoided through better cultural understanding."
| |
|
The Raramuri's Observance of Holy Week, 2008.
An examination of the Raramuri's observance of semana santa, otherwise known as Holy Week.
854 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 21.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the Raramuri, who are the second largest group of indigenous people living in Mexico today. The paper specifically analyzes their unique blending of indigenous and Mexican/Spanish rituals, most notably exhibited during semana santa, otherwise known as Holy Week. The paper suggests that preserving the Holy Week ritual provides an expression of the community's uniqueness and ability to survive in a world that the community has long rejected.
From the Paper
"The Easter Holy Week celebration today has become a great draw for tourists, and provided much-needed income for the Raramuri. The outsiders "marvel" as the Raramuri wear their traditional, colored clothing and play drums and flutes ("Tarahumara," 2007, Mexico Online). However, not all encroachments by modernity have produced such positive results. As more and more Raramuri have been driven to look for work in the cities, the centrality of drink in their culture, removed from its native context has meant that many have sought solace getting drunk "on a couple of beers or a bottle of tequila" rather than make tesguino and "share it with everyone" (Burnett, 2007). This further illustrates how preserving the Holy Week ritual provides an expression of the community's uniqueness and ability to survive in a world that the community has long rejected, and also how presence of beer in religious rituals provides an important sense of release of emotions in a contained format, that is lost outside of the confines of the ritual space and time of the Easter week celebration."
| |
|
The Hopi, 2008.
Examines the agriculture of the Hopi.
810 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 5 sources, APA, £ 19.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper explains that, as a collective endeavor, agriculture required that the Hopi work together under the guidance of ancestral wisdom. The author describes that the cultivation of corn and other crops was no small feat in the desert especially during summer months when rainfall was scarce. The paper concludes that, with life so intimately connected with land, the sacred aspects of agriculture permeated the everyday Hopi life.
From the Paper
"Rains and moisture are integral to the survival of the corn and of the clan. Thus, Hopi venerated clouds as ancestral spirits and created kachinas (O'mau kachinato) honor them. Cloud figures pepper Hopi iconography and the Hopi distinguished between different types of clouds to distinguish those that deliver the blessing of rain from those that simply flank the sky. Cloud kachinas essentially "wear" the clouds on their headdress, and cloud imagery also decorates their sash and garment."
| |
|
Ancient Greeks and the Twenty-First Century, 2008.
An analysis of the importance of study into the Ancient Greeks, according to Thomas Cahill's work, "Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter."
801 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 19.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses why the study of the Ancient Greeks matter to the citizens of the West in the twenty-first century. Specifically, the paper analyzes Thomas Cahill's work, "Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter" and describes the arguments that Cahill presents as to why we should study the Ancient Greeks. The paper also touches on the negative effects of the Greek legacy as well as the positive.
From the Paper
"Greece was an undeniably patriarchal society, and women were excluded from political enfranchisement. In understanding the Greek assumptions regarding the warrior-citizen ideal, Cahill believes we may better unburden ourselves of our own obsession with violence as a benchmark of a society's greatness. The presence of both Zeus and Demeter is there: "If Demeter takes us back to an agricultural way of life that imagined Earth and its manifestations as aspects of maternal nurturing, the strident gods of Olympus, challenging and overthrowing one another, males always primed for battle and sexual conquest, females seizing control only by wheedling indirection, are projections of a warrior culture that set victory in armed combat above all other goals--or at least seemed to, for there are always, deep within any society, dreams that run in another, even in a contrary, direction from its articulated purposes" (Cahill 5). We cannot undo the negative effects of the Greek legacy if we do not strive to understand the complexities of Greek civilization, its obsessions and its gifts."
| |
|
The Moche, 2008.
Looks extensively at the ancient civilization of the Moche, from northern Peru, which existed between 200 BC and AD 700.
4,765 words (approx. 19.1 pages), 20 sources, APA, £ 85.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper explains that archaeologists have traced the human occupation by the Moche of the valleys of the Peruvian coastal plain from the end of the Pleistocene through the development of settled village farming communities and the subsequent rise and fall of civilizations, which took place prior to the arrival of Europeans in the sixteenth century. The author points out that the ability to have control over some forms of production of valued goods and services gave the Moche social status and control. The paper describes the economic, social, family, religious, political and artistic components of the society of the ancient Moche.
From the Paper
"Throughout the centuries, the Moche sociopolitical structure developed into an increasingly complex form. In its first years, it was most likely a multifaceted chiefdom organization. This structure was maintained through a sophisticated ritual system run by a prestigious group of priests who, as time continued, based their power on administrators and warriors supporting rulers that controlled vast territories. Moche social organization most likely reached the level of a theocratic state in its peak."
| |
|
Sexual Relations in Different Cultural Groups, 2008.
This paper looks at the societal regulation of sexual relations in different social groups.
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 6 sources, APA, £ 24.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that throughout the world there are different cultural norms, or otherwise stated, there are different activities that are either accepted or shunned within different cultural groups. The writer points out that this is especially true of sexual relations within a culture. Different marriage systems exist within different sectors of society and within different cultures throughout the world. The writer researches and relates the different methods used in various societies in order to regulate sexual relations among members of that cultural group. This paper includes color diagrams.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Basic Regulations of 'Exogamy' and 'Endogamy' in Cultures/Societies
Yanomamo Culture
Sexual Relations among Young People in Developing Countries
Kinship & Anthropology
Summary & Conclusion
From the Paper
"All societies have rules related to certain incest taboos, or rules of 'exogamy'. This states a specific range or category of relatives that may not be considered for marriage or sexual partners by those within the society. Rules of 'endogamy' within a culture or society relates to marriage restriction not only among kin who are closely related but also rules that specifically channel individuals towards marriage within certain groups. The following diagram illustrates three specific ranges of relationships which are those of ..."
| |
|
The Amish, 2008.
An analysis of the culture of the Amish that is at odds with American culture and values.
1,617 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 36.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the culture and values of the Amish. It specifically focuses on their culture of community and the ways in which it is at odds with much of American life and values. The paper discusses the beliefs and religion of the Amish, their view of education and their desire for separatism from 'the English' or non-Amish. The paper concludes that the Amish have become beloved by the society they spurn.
From the Paper
"Separate, yet dwelling in the world in a practical fashion, is the hallmark of the Amish community. "As well as being modest, their clothing also separates them from the world," that is from others (Inge, 2007). The Amish do not serve in the military; because their sect is pacifist. However, they do not involve themselves in political causes like the anti-war movement, except when public matters affect the Amish community. They do not swear oaths because that would involve the community in the values of the world ("Beliefs of the Amish," 1996, Religious Tolerance.org. 1996). "They believe that the taking of photographs where someone is recognizable is forbidden by the Biblical prohibition against making any 'graven image'" ("The Amish and the plain people"1995, Pennsylvania Dutch Country). They speak their own dialect, the Pennsylvanian Dutch dialect when amongst themselves. They do not pay taxes, as they do not collect Social Security or other welfare benefits, as the Amish community takes care of its 'own.'"
| |
|
Diversity in American Cities, 2008.
An analysis of the diversity within American society and examples of times when this diversity has not been homogeneous.
1,255 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 29.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the factors that shaped the cultural, economic, and political landscape of the United States during the nineteenth century. It specifically discusses the amalgamation and blending of cultures within American society and describes examples of when the diverse mixture of races, ethnicities, cultures and languages in America has not been particularly homogeneous.
From the Paper
"To some extent, this blindness or indifference concerning the current trends of inequality can be attributed to the past two centuries of American history. Specifically, many people within the United States tend to look back at our most tangible achievements in the name of equality--emancipation and the civil rights movement--and make the erroneous conclusion that America is the land of opportunity, instead of the more reasonable belief that America can become the land of opportunity. In other words, the understanding of the American dream as a reality rather than a goal is the major ideological blinding factor in modern American society. Undeniably, the past two centuries have brought this nation closer to its philosophical dreams, but they remain just that--dreams. They may never be reached, but we should never cease in out pursuit of them."
| |
|
Decolonization of the British Empire in Africa, 2008.
An analysis of the ways in which former British African colonies influenced one another, with a focus on Kenya and Zimbabwe.
2,537 words (approx. 10.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 53.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper examines the extent to which the former British African colonies influenced one another, independent of British leadership. It describes the reasons why the colonies influenced each other, focusing specifically on two of the former African colonies under the British Empire - Kenya and Zimbabwe. The paper describes the background of the colonization and the self-determination of the two colonies.
Table of Contents:
Background
Self-Determination
From the Paper
"In summary, the influences that the Black African organizations had on one another during the process of decolonization ranged from persuasive, in joining together in the call for unity and Black leadership in the African nations; coercion during the years process of decolonization as the individual self-interest and groups vying for power became more subversive and coercive in nature in a struggle for power; and, finally, at least for Kenya and Rhodesia, a period of acculturation, during which the pending Black leadership assumed the identity and institutions and roles of the as yet in tact British empire. The new regimes resorted again to coercion in order to deal with the remnants of the colonialism, and to fend off competing Black forces challenging existing authorities for political power."
| |
|
Reggae Music, 2008.
This paper discusses the history of reggae music and looks at how this type of music has developed and changed from its original form.
1,600 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 36.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that in 1968, a new form of music, blended from a religious movement, Rastafarian, and numerous musical influences such as rhythm and blues, rock steady, African, and ska, emerged in Jamaica and spread quickly throughout the world. The writer then explains that this music, known as reggae, defined a nation of people for decades and helped develop various musical movements worldwide. This paper discusses the history of reggae and the major artists of the art form. Further, the writer discusses how the art has changed, both in its original nation as well as how the music has been altered for American audiences. This paper includes copied sources.
From the Paper
"Reggae music, born of a combination of R&B, blues, jazz, and traditional African music, and combined with a religious tradition, was unique to Jamaica at a time when the country was looking for her identity. The combination of political messages, religious connotation, and raw sound was ideal for the changing society of the time. However, to be pushed to international stardom, the music was altered and rerecorded by milder, less powerful white British artists who helped internationalize the genre. The end result, however, was that it would take many years for true reggae to reach international audiences, complete with the ideology and messages the music was intended to portray. While the British musicians helped popularize the culture, it would take Bob Marley and many others decades to bring the true message of reggae music to international light."
| |
|
Cross-Cultural Comparison, 2008.
A comparison of the effects of the modern world on Mexicans living in Ciudad Juarez and the Indians who live in Ecuador.
1,645 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 37.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper presents a cross-cultural comparison between the Mexicans living in Ciudad Juarez and the Indians who live in Ecuador. It describes how both of these groups of people have been affected by the modern world in terms of industrialization and globalization. It also discusses the effects that this modern world has had on the culture and behavior of the people in these areas.
Table of Contents:
Mexican Border Culture
Ecuadorian Indians' Culture
From the Paper
"Meanwhile, in the Jivaro Indians' culture, far from being murdered and disrespected, the woman is greatly prized and protected, partly because of the plants she helps grow. To give an idea of how important some plants are to the lives and beliefs of the Jivaro people, the author of the book, The Jivaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls, Michael J. Harner, an anthropologist and an ethnographer, explains on page 70 that the "Nunui" (a spirit, or fairy), provides supernatural help for the woman of the family, which it vital to the success of important plants."
"The Nunui's help in the garden is important for the natives, not just in the process of growing food items like sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, squash, red peppers, onions, pineapple, banana, and other edibles. The Nunui also helps in the growing of medicinal plants and hallucinogenic plants (drugs) such as Banisteriopsis species, and Datura Arborea."
| |
|
Planned Parenting in the Philippines, 2008.
This study provides an applied anthropological analysis of family planning in the Philippines while assessing the role gender inequities play in family planning preferences.
3,712 words (approx. 14.8 pages), 16 sources, APA, £ 71.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
In this article, the writer of the paper explores planned parenting in the Philippines as it relates to gender equality rights and cultural preferences, using an anthropological perspective and analysis. The paper begins by outlining the evolution of family planning perceptions in the Philippines through recent history and defines how previous perceptions have influenced male and female responsibilities regarding planned parenting. The paper explores this subject using an applied anthropology approach, investigating human behavior and the applications it has to contemporary issues, in this case planned parenting. This approach offers a view of human behavior in the Philippines grounded in cultural exploration and actions resulting from such cultural investigation.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Background to Study
Evolution of Family Planning Perceptions in the Philippines
Overview 1990s and Beyond
Perceptions of Male-Female Responsibilities
Analysis and Conclusions
From the Paper
"The results of the study suggest that historically family planning in the Philippines has been widely ignored despite increasing interest among women to limit the number of children they have.
"While recent initiatives have encouraged more emphasis on modern contraceptive use and methods of pregnancy prevention, recent decentralization of political policy has lead to little motivation for women to seek family planning alternatives and often resorting to abortion as a method of pregnancy prevention. Women seem to be the primary decision-makers when it comes to family planning, although in many cases husbands seem to object based on prenatal beliefs or concerns about the costs associated with family planning. This study also shows that healthcare providers consist largely of women in the Philippines with the exception of doctors, and most of these women often encourage women to engage in safe family planning practice. "
| |
|
TV Violence, 2008.
This paper discusses the effects of TV violence on its viewers.
3,184 words (approx. 12.7 pages), 13 sources, MLA, £ 64.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that both the critical and non-critical debate about the effect of television upon its viewers seems to have begun somewhere probably in the first week or so of the sets being introduced to the public. The consequence of the appearance of television itself was immediate and profound both sociologically and psychologically, as well as economically for some industries. The writer points out that the influence of this medium on our culture as a whole is enormous, for both good and bad results. TV violence has become an extreme issue for the conservative to derogate and for the liberals to defend. The writer discusses what is the reality of the effect of TV violence on us today and especially the more impressionable children that view it. In particular, the paper discusses the current state of the debate and attempts to separate fact from fiction, both on screen and off.
From the Paper
"This same study also inferred that if children, with the help of their parents, take more control over their leisure activities that they may be able to take more control of themselves and their behaviors overall. There is another benefit in that when parents show they are concerned and take an active role in their child's wellbeing, this has the effect of children who see adults caring about them and not just using TV as the built in babysitter. Jones feels that cutting overall consumption is really the key and violence is only a small sub issue over which very little evidence is clear on direct connections. And what is clear is often not very convincing."
|
|
|
