A look at the history of the Middle Eastern/Christian people including origins, religion, foreign interventions, architecture, literature, revolutionary efforts, heroes and myths.
4,050 words (approx. 16.2 pages), 18 sources, 1993, $ 135.95
From the Paper "Armenian culture has endured for many centuries despite the fact that Armenia has often been under the domination of foreign rulers. The nation is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and it is surrounded by such powerful nations as Turkey, Iran, and Russia. Armenia sits on a rocky, mountainous plateau, and there are many mineral resources to be found in the area. Powerful nations have frequently tried to control Armenia because of its resources and also because its mountainous terrain provides a good defensive position. In this regard, it has been said that "the strategic geographic position of the Plateau has contributed to the turbulence that characterizes its history" (Hovannisian, 1967, p. 2). Despite this turbulent history, strong religious, linguistic, and social ties have kept Armenian culture alive into the present day."
An examination of the theories on the development of civilization in the context of increasing complexity of life, technology, urban pressures, progress and aggression.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 7 sources, 1993, $ 87.95
From the Paper "In the eighteenth century, several social philosophers, notably John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, considered the issue of the social contract and the way in which people shifted from a primitive state of nature to a society. These philosophers believed that this was a voluntary act undertaken to protect certain interests, and they also believed that there had to be compelling interests involved to entice people to make this sort of commitment and to give up the absolute freedom they enjoyed in nature. Today, we have become accustomed to living in a social setting and to making the necessary adjustments to the social contract. We have developed laws and public institutions to see to it that our rights and the rights of others are protected. However, society has become much more complex. What started out as a series of small villages has grown into a..."
From the Paper " The Kiowa language is only one of many Native American languages in danger of disappearing simply because the young are not learning this aspect of their culture in any great numbers. This makes the language only one of the many language in the world that is in danger of becoming extinct either because of a reduction in the population, a stronger linguistic influence that is overpowering the old language, the failure of the young to learn the language, or some other force that makes the language less vital in a given culture. As a language like English grows in importance and in the number of speakers using it, a language such as that of the Kiowa slowly disappears unless an effort is made to record and preserve it, as scholars are doing with as many languages as they can.
The Kiowa are a southern plains people who originated in the.."
From the Paper "Women occupy a low status in the hierarchy of Eskimo society, and this can be seen in a variety of different Eskimo tribes. There are a number of reasons why this situation has developed, and the social and economic life of the community has dictated the place of women to a great extent, as have the realities of Eskimo life and the nature of the family group. In some ways, though, the low status of women is more a western perception than an Eskimo one, and the record indicates some exaggeration of certain situations by western observers. The Aleuts and the Polar Inuits can serve as examples to show the position of women in each social group and the reasons for this.
Many characteristics are shared among most of the Eskimo groups. Eskimos live in small, isolated villages, usually in groups of only 10 to 50 people, though the exception could be as..."
From the Paper "No other people in history made of time so great a fetish as the Maya (Coggins, 1979; von Hagen, 1961). Without doubt, time - and man's perception of it - has played an important role in the development of civilizations throughout the world (Thompson, 1966). The pre-Columbian Mayan civilization was no exception to the general rule. Instead, it raised the science of time-keeping via the calendar to a level of accomplishment that was as accurate as the sophisticated, verified calculations of today. The question immediately raised, of course, is: Why? Why such a preoccupation with time? With record-keeping? With such single-minded attention to accuracy that the Mayans devised not one but three calendar systems? The answer, not surprisingly for a civilization that never progressed technologically into the post-Stone Age, lies in agriculture."
From the Paper "Conformity within a society means that there are certain norms, laws, and traditions that people are expected to follow or they will face some form of social or physical castigation. Independence within a society means a deviation from accepted norms or modes of behavior. Since most contemporary societies are comprised of a diverse ethnic and racial population, there is usually room for some independent thought or action--if only because of the plurality of customs practiced. Of course, some customs, such as a society's laws, necessarily mandate conformity. In a society such as Japan's, which does not have a diverse population--being mainly comprised of Japanese--conformity to a particular set of customs, norms, and traditions have been more marked, and deviation from these modes of behavior has begun to surface only in the last several decades. This..."
This paper analyzes the use of the theory of functionalism in two 1940 and 1977 ethnographies of tribal peoples : "The Nuer" by E.E. Evans-Pritchardand "Blood Is Their Argument" by Mervyn Meggitt.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 3 sources, 1994, $ 39.95
From the Paper "This study will analyze the use of the theory of functionalism in two ethnographies, The Nuer, by E.E. Evans-Pritchard, and Blood Is Their Argument, by Mervyn Meggitt. The book by Evans-Pritchard represents an early version of functionalist theory (1940) and the work by Meggitt represents a later version (1977). The study will compare the two works in terms of the authors' use of the theory of functionalism, explicit and implicit, and how they applied the theory to the people and societies they were studying.
Functionalism began as a critique of earlier history-based theories. It argued that it was possible to understand a culture without focusing on the history of the culture as a central concern. Functionalism focuses on the "functions" that the interrelated parts of the culture perform. To understand why a ... "
This paper examines the practice of suttee (sati), the burning of Indian widows upon the deaths of their husbands in context of Hindu culture and religion: Origins and evolution, justification as control of women by men, feminist views, outlawing in 1829
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 23 sources, 1994, $ 127.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the practice of suttee (sati), or the burning of Indian widows upon the deaths of their husbands. The plan of the research will be to set forth the cultural and religious context in which suttee was practiced in India from ancient times, and then to discuss when and how it was outlawed in the 1800s in India, under British rule. In this connection, the reasons for outlawing suttee will be discussed, as well as issues dealing with the pros and cons of the issues.
The practice of suttee cannot be understood without reference to Hinduism, and the whole of Indian history, culture, and art must be understood with reference to the religious hegemony of the country. The importance of the fact that Hinduism is above all religious rather than aesthetic or sociocultural in character cannot be overestimated, although the ... "
Franz Fanon defines racism in terms of cultural relativity. His thesis is that racism is the result of one culture breaking apart and assimilating another. Fanon says people of conquered cultures will never be able to fit the stronger accepted mold.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, 1995, $ 39.95
From the Paper "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURE AND RACISM
Introduction
Frantz Fanon does not define racism in the ordinary terms that many Americans used to. Within Western culture, especially within the last fifty years, racism is often described as scapegoating, or blaming those of another ethnicity or culture for social problems. Or even assigning certain genetic traits to those in these cultures, traits that could belong to anyone at anytime. Fanon discusses racism in terms of "cultural relativity," stating that racism is the eventual result of one culture, and its institutions breaking apart and assimilating another culture (Fanon, 1967, p. 367). Fanon wanted to point out what he saw as the effects of larger cultures and their ..."
From the Paper "History, Culture, and Tradition in England
Background
In thinking about England, or Great Britain, what is striking is the long history that it possesses in relationship to most of the other countries of the world. Although it has fought many wars to retain its sovereignty, it has existed as a separate entity for hundreds of years. That entity, however, has undergone many changes in character, along with changes in the influence of various tribes and peoples.
The English Character
As Briggs (1983) noted in the preface to his work, although there are many references to an English character, or way of ..."
From the Paper "The Emergence of Modern Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)
The genus, Homo, originated in Africa. The species, Homo habilis and Homo erectus were characterized by a bipedal gait and an increased brain size. Eventually, members of the genus left Africa to colonize a widespread territory. During the Middle Pleistocene, a more advanced Homo species emerged to succeed H. erectus. Homo sapiens had an even larger brain. This enabled it to further expand the territories originally colonized by H. erectus. Over many thousands of years, different varieties of Homo sapiens evolved. One of the first was the Neanderthal. In addition, a form similar to modern humans, Homo sapiens sapiens also appeared. Approximately, 30,000 years ago, the Neanderthal disappeared. Furthermore, this period marked numerous H. sapiens ..."
Abstract Advertizing is a major marketing tool for organizations to sell their products and services. The paper argues that in conservative societies however, it is virtually impossible to convey message in an attractive way. This paper discusses the Saudi society and the approaches to advertizing as compared to the United States. It discusses advertizing mediums such as television commerical and the internet and shows how messages put across to the consumer differ between the two countries, based on cultural demands.
From the Paper "Extensive efforts are made to keep the society segregated so that no mingling or socializing for the two is possible. As a result, educational institutes are segregated and the workplace does not employ women much. There are strict laws regarding women covering themselves, traveling with a male relative and driving. Moreover, media, along with the Internet, is heavily censored for any trace of irreligious content. However counteracting this heavy religious influence is the compulsory economic development that Saudi Arabia cannot avoid or stop."
Abstract This paper discusses the ritual of bloodletting which was prevelant in the Mayan civilization, an ancient native American culture that dates back to AD 300 to 900. It examines how each major event in the lives of the Mayan people was sanctified by their self-mutilation. Bloodletting was used to commemorate temples being dedicated, crops being planted, babies being born and marriages being consecrated. It shows how through its beginning, its peak, and its ruin, bloodletting was something done in reverence for their gods and done out of respect for their religious beliefs and how it was not a savage, destructive ritual, but a meaningful one.
From the Paper "Maya communities exist today, and they still believe their lives and destinies are tied directly into their family, kin, community and to the supernatural world of their gods (Sharer 128-130). Each important step in their lives is still marked by elaborate and sacred rituals, as they were in ancient times (Sharer 129). While the nuclear family is still the heart of their foundation ? that is the man, his wife, and their children ? Mayan families have always included the more extended version of family. Their social groupings are based on their lineage ? depending on what male has been born into what family. While government has changed now, in the past, political offices were passed from father to son, brother to brother, and so forth."
Abstract This paper summarizes lives of the Jivaro (Shuar) tribe which was once revered for their fierceness and head-shrinking rituals. The paper states that the Jivaro tribe is being forced from their lands and further into the jungle by white civilization. The author feels that the Jivaro tribe is in a more positive position because they have an incredible knowledge of the anti-cancerous plants that grow in the rain forests.
Table of Contents
The Jivaro
The Region and Language
A Patrilineal Society
Life in One House
Survival
Craftsmanship
Head Hunters
Religious System
Marriage, Birth and Death
Saving Their Culture
The Jivaro Today
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Jivaro's, who prefer to be called Shuar Indians, are caught between the cultures of the past and the encroaching modern civilization. Some of the problems they are dealing with on a daily basis include deciding whether ?a new, paved road to the outside world" will help the tribe or destroy them. The tribe feels roads would enable them to take their cattle of market and buy needed supplies but are concerned because the roads bring white men who destroy the jungle."
Abstract The paper begins with a climatic classification of South Africa and, more specifically, of the township near Johannesburg known as Soweto. It then looks at how the climate of the area has an enormous impact on the people of Soweto economically, agriculturally, and physiologically. The paper shows that the economic impact of long hot summers and mild winters is the inability to produce good crops, thus tying the people to the surrounding mines in order to make a living. The paper also examines how living in a certain geographic location can alter a person's pigmentation and facial features.
From the Paper "Body style too is related to the climate of an area. Warmer dryer climates are associated with broader noses, where the nostrils are circular in shape. It is hypothesized that this facial feature, a feature common among the black people of South Africa, is tied to the climate. These types of noses have the least amount of surface area and would warm and moisten the air less than another type of nose would. This is an advantage in hot dry climates, like Soweto has, where the inhabitants face the challenges of draught and heat (Baker, 1974)."
Tags: Seasonal, Affective, Disorder, SAD, Mediterranean, pigmentation, facial
