A discussion of the standard curriculum in American schools which does not address the needs of nor reflect the diversity of the vast majority of students.
Abstract This paper begins by describing to what extent America is a multicultural society and shows how this is clearly reflected in its student population. It then examines the standard American school curriculum and claims that even though America claims to be a melting pot of society, it still needs to cater for the diverse ethnicities that live within its borders. The writer shows how this diversity is not reflected in the curriculum at all.
From the Paper "What exactly does multicultural education mean? What is the scope of such a broad topic? One definition states multicultural education is: ?The education philosophy and methodology aiming to replace a dominant cultural paradigm in the classroom with a multiplicity of views reflecting the students' cultural backgrounds.? James A. Banks writes: "Rather than excluding Western civilization from the curriculum, multiculturalists want a more truthful, complex, and diverse version of the West taught in the schools. They want the curriculum to describe the way in which African, Asian, and indigenous cultures have influenced and interacted with Western civilization." In its purest form, a multicultural education should account for and accommodate all the many peoples who have made America the great nation it is today."
Abstract This paper discusses the health problems commonly encountered by the Amish population and suggests reasons why these problems prevail in their community, including lack of knowledge of treatment options, or the use of 'natural' remedies when more conventional therapies are required.
From the Paper "Problems that are commonly encountered among the Amish are obesity, birth defects as a result of hereditary diseases, and communicable diseases (Bavley 1996). In an article written by Alan Bavley, medical writer for the Kansas City Star newspaper, the Amish are characterized as a community susceptible to the said diseases because of their culture as a society. Bavley stated in his article that the Amish tend to be obese because of their ?healthy diet,? that is, the Amish are people who eat heartily, because, as they reason out, part of being healthy is "to look healthy, eat heartily, and" perform strenuous work.? In addition, the Amish are also susceptible to communicable diseases like polio and tetanus. In fact, there has been a major outbreak of polio in 1979 in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Canada (Robinson 2002). This outbreak happened because most of the Amish were unvaccinated from the said disease during that time. The polio outbreak became possible because of the closeness of the Amish as a community, and their being a collectivist society is the main reason why communicable diseases become prevalent in their society. Another health problem are hereditary diseases and birth defects caused by inbreeding (intermarriage) among the Amish. The Amish are only small in population, and their community requires its members to marry only to people who are within their community. As a result, due to their small population, and limited choice for partners (since they are a "closed" community), the Amish acquire hereditary diseases like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart defects, and congenital diseases as a result of their intermarriage (Bavley 1996)."
Abstract This paper explores the problems involved in the use of film by anthropologists as a means of portraying the social customs and experiences of a people. A discussion of fictional film versus scientific documentary is presented. Three ethnological films are examined to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of this method. The conclusion is drawn that a filmmaker must make a choice between "telling a story" and conducting true scientific research.
From the Paper "One of the first considerations for the anthropological filmmaker is who their audience will be. In general, an anthropological writer will have their work published in a professional journal or book, which is intended to be read by other professionals. With the film, however, they can be released for a general audience who is not familiar with the terms and techniques of anthropology. The presentation of the information must therefore be in a format that the lay person will understand. It must also hold their attention, therefore some consideration must be given to character development and plot, yet at the same time, this must be done without losing accuracy.
Often, films about "exotic" people are made by people with no anthropological background. In the film "Dead Birds" shot among the Dani tribe of New Guinea, its maker Robert Gardner hinges on becoming a scientific fantasy (Ruby, 1991). The film was shot in a very artistic manner, which at times tended to sway the opinion of the viewer about what the persons were doing. The filmmaker can choose to show or not show certain elements, which skew the impressions of the viewer. This same problem exists in written anthropological works. The writer can choose to include or not include certain elements, which are key to understanding the actions of the people presented, therefore the work becomes an interpretation of how the anthropologist feels about the people and not a true work of scientific documentation."
Abstract This paper discusses the history and culture of the recent immigrants to the United States from Africa and the Caribbean. It details how these immigrants are labeled as "African Americans" and lumped into the same sub-culture as the veteran African American population of the United States since the slave-trade. These two population groups are compared for their manners, cultures and social norms. A history of African immigration to America is provided.
From the Paper "The African Americans, or Black Americans as they are called, are the largest minority group in the United States, after the Hispanic Americans. This is a racial group whose ancestry is believed to be from the sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are some African Americans who claim to have their roots from the European immigrants, Native American or the Asians. In general the African American populations is usually referred to as Negroes, blacks and Afro-Americans. "
A review of the book, ?Myths That Hide The American Indian" by Oliver La Farge, and a study of the cultural contributions of Native American tribes to North America.
Abstract This paper examines the societal structures of the various Native American tribes as seen in the book, "Myths That Hide The American Indian" by Oliver La Farge. It describes the tremendous contributions of numerous Native American tribes in art, poetry, governmental structure and customs. The paper explores the European settlers" impact on the Native American people.
From the Paper "An aspect of the essay that I found very interesting was the societal structures of the various Tribes. The tribes of the Southeast Mississippi Valley region were among the most advanced tribes in North America; in particular the Natchez tribe which had an elaborate social system. The social system of this tribe was divided into two groups; the aristocracy referred to as Suns and the common people called Stinkers. Within this system the common people could wed whomever they wanted but the aristocracy could only marry outside of their social group and the offspring would become a part of the aristocracy. This social system, as elaborate as it was, did create a problem because it decreased greatly the number of Stinkers within the tribe. To combat this the Natchez tribe would capture, torture, and enslave foreigners and if they survived they would become Stinkers in doing this they were able to perpetuate this social system."
Abstract This paper examines the long and complex history of Africa with its diverse population and enormous land mass. It explores the rise and fall of many African kingdoms and the effects of European colonization on African languages, religions and cultures.
From the Paper "Africa is the second largest continent on Earth, embracing one-fifth of its land area. From north to south, the continent is divided almost equally by the Equator, but, because of the bulge formed by western Africa, the greater part of Africa's territory lies northward. The continent is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and on the south by the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans off the Cape of Good Hope. In the northeast, Africa was joined to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula until he construction of the Suez Canal. There are a number of islands associated with Africa, the largest of these lying southeast, is Madagascar."
Tags: colonization, culture, egypt, arab, nile, river, tribe, europe
Abstract This paper looks at the arrival of Europeans on North American shores with respect to the way that it affected the lifestyle of Native Americans. It focuses on the diseases introduced to North America by these Europeans. The paper begins by providing a background to the way of life of the Native Americans before the arrival of the Europeans. It then turns to the arrival of epidemics in North America, responsible for Native Americans suffering higher mortality rates than at any other time in human history. The most common diseases introduced to the "New World" at the time are discussed as are the affect these diseases had on the Native American mortality rate. The paper then turns to the way that the lifestyle of Native Americans was affected by these diseases. It speaks of the weakened ability to resist colonization and the Europeanization of Native American culture. It concludes by proposing the argument that the introduction of these epidemics was not accidental, and that they were intended to weaken the defenses of Native Americans against the colonizers.
From the Paper "In early America, when people of three continents came together, the Native Americans were dramatically affected by epidemics, suffering higher mortality rates than any other time in human history. (Geier, 1991) People from Latin America, North America and Europe merged, each carrying and introducing diseases indigenous to their own societies.
"When the Native Americans first encountered common European diseases like smallpox, measles and dysentery, millions died. In extreme cases, 90 percent of certain Indian tribes died as European epidemics swept through their villages."
Abstract This paper discusses the ethnographic and fictional novel, "The Milagro Beanfield War", outlining the specific beliefs and ceremonies involved which are specific to the corner of the world that is being written about. The paper also provides a way of understanding more broadly how it is that all folk religions function, and what role they play to the people who incorporate them into their belief systems.
From the Paper "The novel tells us the story of how the residents of the small town of Milagro for years been oppressed by Ladd Devine, the far-too-wealthy-for-his own-good owner of the Ladd Devine Sheep Company. He is a man who is removed from all of the small ceremonies and traditional folk beliefs that tie the other characters together. He is not a member of the community as defined by the community's acceptance of and practice of its own tradition of folk religion and ceremony."
From the Paper "With 25 million members, the Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own state. The Kurds have lived for thousands of years in a geographic area that is now part of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and the former Soviet Union, sharing a similar language, religion and culture with these ethnic and national groups (Omestad, Kaplan, & Lovgren, 1999). Today, the 15 million or more Kurds living in Turkey constitute about 25 percent of that country's population; more significantly, however, the Kurds in Turkey, Iran and Iraq, have constituted a source of internal tension and have been a target for genocidal hostilities. For Turkey, the presence of a substantial population of Kurds with nationalist and separatist aspirations has fostered domestic dissent and international criticism."
Examines event in terms of French anti-semitism & The Third Republic. The arrest, conviction & imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfus; efforts to clear him.
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 11 sources, 2001, $ 127.95
From the Paper "This research paper traces the course of the Dreyfus Affair in the French Third Republic between 1894 and 1906 and examines the cardinal role played by anti-Semitism in its origin and development. Captain Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935), son of a wealthy Jewish-Alsatian textile millowner, and a member of the French Army's General Staff, was convicted in 1894 and again in 1899 of treason by military courts. He was originally given a life sentence. He was stripped of his rank and officially degraded. He served nearly five years' imprisonment on Devil's Island before he was pardoned by the President of the Republic in 1899. Even though the evidence against Dreyfus was insufficient to warrant his conviction, it took his family and other defenders (Dreyfusards) 12 years before France's highest..."
From the Paper "Every year over 200,000 people visit the site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn in Montana. Long known as the Custer Battlefield National Monument, the name of the site was changed in 1991 when Congress made it the Little Bighorn National Monument and the monument to the Indians was planned. This shift in emphasis at the popular tourist attraction is the result of changes in the perception of the battle's meanings for both Native Americans and white Americans. The change represents an outward sign of the re-thinking of history that has slowly recognized how both popular myths and supposedly objective history serve hidden agendas. Feminist and ethnic groups' critiques of the way all kinds of history has been written have gradually produced wider recognition of the fact that these underlying interests need to be brought out in the open and..."
From the Paper Anasazi is one of the most important early cultures in North America and left a legacy for many of the tribes of the Southwest, including the Pueblo Indians of today. The Anasazi developed a widespread culture with roads, commerce, trade, and a number of industries.
The Anasazi culture was the social order of the people who occupied the Four Corners area of the American southwest during the area between approximately 200 B.C. and 1300 A.D. These people were designated the Anasazi by archaeologist Alfred V. Kidder in 1936, a word taken from the Navajo language. it is taken to mean "the old ones" or "the ancient ones" and is clearly not the term these people used for themselves. A more recent interpretation of the word is that it means "enemy ancestors," a reasonable point of view given the cultural aversion of the..."
From the Paper "The issue is whether a minority group can preserve its culture in a pluralistic society, and the answer depends on what degree of culture is being considered and what specific minority group is under discussion. The Native American population represents one of the most invisible of all American minority groups for most of the country, for much of the population has been relegated to reservations on land separated from the majority society to a great degree. On the reservation, the native population has been able to maintain certain traditions, but long before the current reservation system came into being, the onslaught of white society has been such that the Native American population was reduced in numbers, removed from its former lands, cut off from much of what constituted its culture, and morally and spiritually damaged as well."
From the Paper "This research paper discusses the concept of Asian American success and the degree to which it is myth or reality. Asian American immigrants and their descendants have achieved a quite remarkable degree of success in improving their material well being in the United States and otherwise becoming useful citizens; however, patterns of success and acculturation have varied across the diverse Asian American population at different times and some problems remain to be addressed."
Compares sexuality of female protagonists & of African-American & Chinese-American cultures in novel & memoir. "Sula" by Toni Morrison & "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, 1996, $ 47.95
From the Paper "This study will discuss the topic of sexuality as it is treated by Toni Morrison in her novel Sula and by Maxine Hong Kingston in her autobiographical The Woman Warrior. The study will focus on the differences in the ways the main characters learn about sexuality. It will also focus on the differences and similarities between the African-American and Chinese-American cultures in the ways they view sexuality, and especially the sexuality of females. In general, the African-American culture is more open and liberal with respect to sexuality, and the Chinese-American culture is more closed and conservative. The women in Morrison's novel are more free to express themselves sexually, while the women in Kingston's book are discouraged from such free sexual expression. At the same time, the woman who decides to live an openly sexual life will pay a price for such freedom in..."
