Somewhere in the world, each day, a new McDonald's fast-food restaurant opens up. The total number of McDonald's today far surpasses the total number of all fast-food restaurants in the U.S. in 1945. McDonald's has gone from a single hamburger stand in San Bernadino, California to an international web of thousands of outlets. Factors less obvious to Americans than relatively low cost, fast service, and good taste have no doubt contributed to its success. Americans devotion to this fast-food chain rests in part to uniformities associated with its outlets: food, architecture, environment, and utterances. Their method of advertising even plays up its ritual-like features. To a certain extent, in consuming the products and propaganda of McDonald?s, Americans are not just eating but experiencing something comparable to participation in a religious ritual.
Abstract This essay applies the thoughts of critical theorists such as Barthes and Eagleton to the concept of music and it's cultural roots and present day entity.
This essay seeks to shed light on the difficulties of women in a different country by focusing on the specialized obstacles and hurdles faced by the women of India.
2,656 words (approx. 10.6 pages), 9 sources, 2001, $ 79.95
From the Paper "Culture in India has a peculiar association with the religious traditions of India. The dominant and archaic "faith", Hinduism, acts upon the national culture, which in turn influences the various religions, including Hinduism itself. The Bactrian Greeks, the Moghuls, and the English have all come and gone, but none have been able to fundamentally alter the relationship and influence Hinduism has on Indian culture. The values and beliefs of ancient Hindus have existed in the subcontinent since the beginning of prehistory and have tempered all religions that have been borne in or transported to India. We find almost perfect equality of women in Buddhist philosophy....Why is there such hypocrisy within these religions? Why do they advocate one thing and exercise another? "
A look at the Mayan myths, symbols, and rituals that offer a definition for the nature of the known and unknown world, the origin of humanity, and the purpose of human life on earth.
2,780 words (approx. 11.1 pages), 6 sources, 1999, $ 82.95
From the Paper "The world of myth, symbolism, and ritual is a world of metaphor that explains the human story. It is a story of the relationship between the known aspects of the natural world and the unknown dimensions of that same natural world. The known aspects of the natural world are the ones that humans have immediate contact with. These known aspects encompass the sense-related and material realities of the surrounding environment. Included in this known world is the landscape, the vegetation, the animals, and the human inhabitants of the region. The unknown aspects of the natural world are the ones that lie within the scope of the human senses but do not originate in the immediate and material world. ...."
A look at Mesoamerican art's realistic system of human proportions, which can be used to reveal the cultures that existed side-by-side, as well as those that followed after.
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 5 sources, 1998, $ 73.95
From the Paper "Most civilizations of ancient Mesoamerica were located either in the highlands or lowlands, although the Maya inhabited both. The earliest civilization, that of the Olmecs, rose along the rivers of the tropical Gulf Coast. Most Maya development also took place in the lowlands, under tropical conditions ranging from rainforest to scrub jungle in Yucatan, Chiapas, Guatemala, and Belize. The ancient cities of Tula and Teotihuacan, as well as Tenochtitlan, Motecuhzomals city, were located at high altitudes, and the center of highland life was the Valley of Mexico. Modern Mexico City is built on top of the Aztec capital, and so the Valley of Mexico still dominates Mesoamerica as it did in antiquity. "
A discussion of how art in the Olmec world can be used to reconstruct a picture of their way of life, which took place during the Formative period of Mesoamerica.
2,030 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 6 sources, 2000, $ 64.95
From the Paper "Art along with other activities, such as oral tradition, divination, ritual performance, and city planning reveals a culture's worldview, myths, and ideals of human behavior. These factors make an informed view of Olmec art style quite important especially because their art and architecture are the only surviving artifacts that can give clues to their culture. By analyzing the Olmec-style art it becomes possible to reconstruct a picture of their way of life, which took place during the Formative period of Mesoamerica."
Abstract This paper discusses the cultural aspects of doing business in Japan. The paper looks at the Japanese economy and why Japan is important, then discusses the Japanese business cultural framework and how it differs to the US society and values. The paper looks at aspects of Japanese society such as homogeneity and etiquettes, collectivism and interdependence in order to show their implications on the business world and work out how to bridge the gaps.
From the Paper "Understanding Japanese business practices and the Japanese market has become a necessity for the American executive. Knowing how Japanese business people think and what factors influence decision-making is essential for conducting business with Japanese firms. The business person working to gain a foothold in Japan faces two major problems with regard to Japanese business customs: how to go about making an initial approach to a Japanese company and how to maintain and develop a business relationship once it has been established. In essence, business success in Japan hinges on the businessperson's comprehension and appreciation of Japanese customs and values. Although business people from different cultures are becoming increasingly knowledgeable of and familiar with each other's customs and business practices, the application of such knowledge is often superficial. In many cases, the very familiarity of a custom or mannerism merely serves to mask the underlying deep-seated differences."
Abstract This paper looks at women's role in Japan's modern era development. Their presence and influence is shown by looking outside the events of conventional historical record. The powerful political influence of ruling class women in ancient Japanese society is looked at. The Edo period is seen as the era that forced women to be subordinate and the influence of the West the factor which began to open Japanese women to participation in social spheres once more.
From the Paper "Studies of Japan's modern era development emphasize its industry, bureaucracy and military, focusing on the political, merchant and capitalist elite and ignoring those upon whom the major costs of development was imposed, particularly women. Japan's modernization came at a social cost borne by the poor, the disadvantaged and women (Hane, 1982). Although their contribution has typically been marginalized, women contributed significantly to the development process in many ways.
Japanese women had an essential role in the domestic sphere and in the economy, but their influence and contributions did not move them toward sexual and legal equality, as was the case for women in the west. This was primarily due to the social and legal conservative imperatives relegating women to the lowest status of every class strata; however, their presence and influence may be seen by taking a larger, and peripheral, view outside the events of conventional historical record."
Tags: Japanese, subordinate, submissive, society, meiji, edo, buddhist
Abstract This paper looks at the findings from the site Olduvai Gorge. Despite the many years since the first discoveries, Olduvai remains an extremely important archaeological site. Debate over the significance of the Olduvai artifacts continues and new information may be revealed as new archaeological analysis techniques come into use.
From the Paper "Olduvai Gorge has been described as the most important Palaeolithic site in Africa (Bray, 1970). Excavations of Olduvai, by Drs. Mary and Louis Leakey after 1931 [although conducted by Hans Reck prior to this (Ecco Homo, 1986)] unearthed a treasure of hominid fossils and stone tools (Potts, 1988). Oduvai has influenced views on evolution and shaped our ideas about the origins of human hunting and gathering (as well as cultural learning) behaviours. (Potts, 1988). Discoveries at Olduvai also include faunal remains, living floors and what is probably the oldest known human structure (Leakey, 1971)."
Abstract This paper examines the culture of the Hopi people with a focus on their history the problems the Hopi now face regarding acculturation into American culture.
From the Paper "The Hopis were first contacted by foreigners when Spanish conquistadors discovered their villages in 1540. In 1629, Spanish missionaries began to settle on Hopi land and tried in vain to convert the Indians to the Catholic faith. In protest, the Hopis joined with neighboring tribes facing the same persecution in the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680, causing the destruction of several Spanish missions throughout the southwest. When the Spanish returned to conquer the Rio Grande pueblos nine years later they did not venture as far west as Hopi territory. The Hopis lived virtually unbothered for more than a century until they became part of the United States at the end of the Mexican War in 1848. As Americans began to settle the southwest, the question of land rights arose. In 1882 President Chester A. Arthur established a 3,863-square-mile reservation for the Hopis (Hieb 1994). Now under U.S. government control, a culture that had remained practically unchanged for centuries began to feel the strong influence of an encroaching and far bigger society called America. "
Abstract This paper takes a look at why religion should be concerned with healing. The author examines this topic by underlying the roles that religion plays in society, emphasizing the important role in providing safety and universal truth to people.
From the Paper "All religions serve a number of important psychological and social functions: they reduce anxiety by explaining the unknown and provide comfort in the belief that supernatural help is available in times of crisis. Religion, therefore, serves to relate suffering to universal truths and provide a safety valve for the manifestation of fears and paradoxical events."
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of divorce and examines the research methodologies used in order to provide accurate divorce rates. The author also discusses about related social and cultural matters.
From the Paper "While the decision to divorce one's marital partner seems as if it were an entirely personal one. But (as Emile Durkheim has shown us so conclusively as regards suicide) personal decisions are also social and cultural ones. Divorce rates have risen and fallen (but mostly risen) since the 18th century colonial era in America. Any investigation of such changes in the rate of divorce must be fundamentally grounded in the methods of historical research as well as social science research. How best to understand the reasons that divorce rates have fluctuated since the 18th century requires a close reading of a variety of historical and cultural texts that -- taken together -- will ground the personal reasons that obtain in each specific case of divorce with the larger social and cultural context of marriage and divorce. "
This paper discusses the concept of adult development explaining the role of work in adult development. It will focus on why people work and one's views on work or leisure.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 3 sources, 2001, $ 31.95
Abstract This paper discusses the concept of adult development explaining the role of work in adult development. It will focus on why people work and one's views on work or leisure.
From the paper:
Before the start of the industrial revolution in the late nineteenth century, people of all ages inhabited the same social world. Children of all ages were educated together. Children and teenagers worked alongside adults on farms and in factories. Several generations often started one household. Neither children nor old people were set apart from the rest of society on the grounds that they were too young or too old to participate. By the middle of the twentieth century, age consciousness had emerged and people in developed cultures had become accustomed to thinking of life as a progression of distinct ages. Medical students had established pediatrics, the treatment of children and geriatrics, and the treatment of old people. Birthday celebrations had become a commercial enterprise.
Abstract This paper looks at the world of the Toltecs, focusing on how they were shaped and how they helped to shape a larger Meso-American cultural grouping that shared a number of salient cultural features. The author also makes particular mention of Toltecs impact on the Aztecs.
From the paper:
"The rise of the Toltec civilization did however mark a distinct turn in some sense because after the rise of the organized Toltec empire the peoples and rulers of this region of Mexico would be more deeply and more consistently marked by a militaristic orientation than those people (culturally related as they were) that preceded them, as Bernal argues".
Abstract Using historical evidence of cannibalism existence, this paper identifies different forms and practices, and explains the motives for such behaviors.
From the Paper "For millions of years, the majority of humans and their ancestors around the world have eaten meat, derived from a countless number of animals. However, the majority of these people have avoided one particular kind of meat: human flesh. For a human to knowingly eat the flesh of his own kind has been taboo to the most extreme definition of the term. Even the thought of it provokes a deep-rooted, enculturated repulsiveness that is so powerful it has actually prevented modern humans from eating remains of dead people for the sole purpose of survival (Barker, Hulme, and Iversen 1998:37). In other words, they would rather die than eat the meat of another person. The general practice of eating human flesh, anthropophagy, commonly referred to as cannibalism, has always been a subject full of controversy and debate. Hundreds of scientific studies have been published on the subject, but few have focused on the anthropological reasons for its supposed occurrence. In order to understand the true nature of cannibalism, it is necessary to examine it from a number of different perspectives. First, the historical evidence indicating that it took place must be carefully analyzed and interpreted. Second, the different forms of cannibalism must be identified and defined, and examples of their historical presence must be cited. Lastly, the motives of each type need to be explained, detailing the various tendencies of cannibalistic peoples and their practices. Only then will the appropriate significance of cannibalism and its existence become clear."
