Abstract This paper discusses the sensitive issue of racial profiling and the sensitive balance that the law authorities need to keep while still trying to maintain a sense of domestic security. It looks at how this problem is especially affecting the American Muslim community in the U.S.
From the Paper "Racial profiling has become a long and winded debate in our society. Its history is extensive and varied; affecting different groups during different periods of time. However, regardless of the ethnic group targeted, racial profiling has the effect of heightening tensions between law enforcement agents and the community. A profile is "a coherent set of facts"; it often includes known conditions and behavior that may indicate a particular individual might be engaged in criminal activity. This profile is completely based on statistics and data that law enforcement officials obtain."
Abstract This essay demonstrates the erratic history of indigenous land claims in Australia, from the colonial period to advancements made under legislative modernisation today. The paper begins with a quote by Mudrooroo, to show just how frustrating the situation is. The paper concludes that Indigenous Australians are finally being recognised as the original owners of this country, although much needs to be done before the struggle is over.
From the Paper "In 1788, the Indigenous people were violently deprived of their land rights. Their struggle for the return of these rights has proved a tumultuous journey through the history of Australia, often exposing fundamentally racist beliefs and laws. Recent legislation has paved the way for greater victories for Indigenous Australians, although the extent to which even these are just remains questionable."
Abstract This paper examines how popular film represents not only the feelings and beliefs of the writers and directors, but also of the socio-historical state of the times and conditions of society. It shows how religion is an inherent part of popular film, whether implicit or explicit. It uses the films "My Beautiful Laundrette", "American History X" and "Do The Right Thing" to illustrate the social anxieties of their political surroundings. It also looks at how although the three films are based in different periods of time, they share many similarities, through characters relation to Biblical figures and the storylines use of religious rituals.
From the Paper "In American History X there are many Biblical figures represented within the neo-nazi gang. Cameron Alexander, the older father figure, for the troubled youth is a God figure, as well he is the only character who uses the word of the Lord to tell these teens that the acts of violence which they are participating in, is approved by God. Cameron has his voice to the people through Derek who is a Jesus figure, he commits and act and sacrifices himself to provide hope for his disciples. His former best friend Seth, is a Judas figure, because he betrays Derek, and tells Cameron that he does not believe in him anymore, and how to find him to kill him. Stacey, Derek's girlfriend, has qualities of Mary Magdalene, in Luke's representation of her as a repentant prostitute, bathing in Jesus? feet."
Looks at the various factors that contribute to the socialization process and compares their influence on Japanese society to their influence on American society.
Abstract Many agents of socialization are factors in socialization process. The family, education, and consumerism are considered to be some of the most important contributors. This paper explores the uniqueness of these agents in two different countries, Japan and the United States. Findings indicate that vastly different perceptions of the value of individualism and collectivism have a significant impact on the socialization practices for children in Japan and the United States. American practices focus on development of individualism, and those of Japan emphasize the development of group consciousness and strong interpersonal bonds.
From the Paper "The family is the most important influence in the socialization of children and for teaching them gender roles and other behavioral norms. Japanese concepts of family diverge greatly from those in the United States (Dolan and Worden, 1994). The Japanese divorce rate, although increasing slowly was only 1.3 per 1,000 marriages in 1987, is low by American standards. Strong gender roles remain the cornerstone of Japanese family responsibilities. Family life in Japan emphasizes parent-child ties over husband-wife relations. In America, the bulk of childrearing and domestic labor is also borne by women (Smock and Noonan, 2003)."
Tags: childcare, independent, individualism, moral, attitude, developmental, cultural
Abstract This paper looks at how residential schools influenced the First Nation Peoples of Canada, their families and their culture. Information on the many types of abuse sufferred in the schools and accounts from actual students interviewed. Apology as written by the Government of Canada to Canada's First Nations people.
From the Paper "I would like to discuss a very sensitive topic about Canadian Aboriginal Residential Schools and the effect it had on both Native peoples and their culture. I am referring to the "abuse", mainly sexual. The assaults that transpired at these learning institutions (so they were called), was shockingly sorted and disturbing. I feel that the situations that occurred in which native children were sexually abused and the scars it left on the Aboriginal people and their families, is not fully understood. I want to give light to the real activities that took place in such institutions that were designed to train Aboriginals to be ?good white citizens." "
Abstract This is an African art history paper discussing the elaborately decorated costumes worn by the Yoruba tribes of Nigeria. These costumes are worn during Egungun festivals, which honor death and ancestors. The religious beliefs and traditions behind the costumes & ceremonies are discussed. Additionally, detail is given to describing these costumes, which offer a great example of an ancient, African artistic tradition still surviving today.
From the Paper "Egungun masquerader costumes are worn by the Yoruba people during Egungun festivals and hold great cultural importance. These costumes and the festival they are worn during are both fascinating and interesting to learn about. The costumes are multicolored and detailed, with an intricate pattern that a viewer can study and enjoy for long periods of time. When worn during a performance, the fabric of the costume flies out, appearing lively and vibrant. This makes the Egungun masquerade costumes both visually appealing and intriguing to learn about."
Abstract The essay discusses Nikita Mikhalkov's "Burnt by the Sun" and argues that "the sun of the revolution" of 1917 burnt everyone in some way, either ending or tragically altering their lives. Along with victimhood and persecution, the paper also addresses the motif of Stalin's omnipresence, which permeates the film.
From the Paper "On November 7th, 1917 the Bolshevik Revolution took place in Russia, displacing the provisional government and putting Vladimir Lenin at the helm of the newly formed communist state. The years that followed saw the country torn apart by a brutal civil war that left no village untouched and no family unmarked. Then came the collectivization campaign, dekulakization, purges of the military and the accumulation of the slave work force in the labor camps. Some twenty years after Red soldiers and sailors secured the Winter Palace and the Bolsheviks seized power, millions of Russians were dead, imprisoned or exiled. However everyone, without exception was in some way burnt by the sun of the Revolution. Nikita Mikhalkov's film "Burnt By The Sun" (1994) is a stirring account of one family's tragic downfall in the purges of the 1930s. Mikhalkov, one of Russia's most prolific filmmakers, illustrates that no matter what side of the repressions one ended up, he was interminably a sufferer, whether on behalf of the system or a more direct casualty of it. While the director is careful not to argue for moral equivalence between the characters, there is nonetheless an unmistakable theme of widespread persecution under the cult of Stalin that permeates every aspect of life."
Abstract This paper explores the impact that cultural diversity is having on large businesses. It contends that the success of large firms depends upon their acknowledgment of cultural diversity within their employee and consumer base. It also asserts that companies must implement human resource management strategies that take this diversity into consideration. The paper looks at some of the challenges companies face when their work force is multicultural and suggests that companies must upgrade and enhance the cross-cultural skills of company executives and managers in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Also examined are various domestic diversity models developed in order to deal with some of the problems associated with cultural diversity and the ways in which they attempt to redress past grievances, cover the weaknesses of domestic diversity differences, and help organizations avert future problems.
From the Paper "The famous 'Fortune' magazine in its issue of 1994 notes that there has been a 2500 percent increase in the total volume of international trade between the period of 1960 and 1993, with numerous business organizations expanding their business portfolios from domestic to the international arenas. (Fortune, 1993) The same magazine in its issue of 1997 also noted that world trade witnessed a tremendous growth rate that was even faster that the world gross domestic product. (Fortune, 1997). It was further noted that the majority of chief executive officers of large national organizations expected that both employment and revenue generation would comprise largely from sources outside the organization's home country, and further that the success of such organization depended upon an effective management of human resources, and keeping an competitive advantage edge over their nearest competitors through such measures as alignment of human resource management strategies and diverse cultures."
Abstract This paper discusses how one of the most serious problem in law enforcement today is the bias that the police show in their policing activities. It looks at how many wrongful convictions are due to improper techniques, coercive tactics, and poor investigation. It also examines how there is a negative stereotype of most minority groups, especially African Americans, with the police, which leads to harassment at their hands and which, in turn, fuels deep mistrust of the police in these communities. It looks at how misunderstandings or stereotypes about racial and ethnic groups can also give rise to racial profiling and how police officers must be encouraged to learn about and understand diversity issues.
From the Paper "The need for cultural diversity awareness and understanding has become a necessity due to the diverse nature of the society today. The majority of the society is taking on a new look because of the transition that the nation is going through. To confront sensitive issues, as also interact more positively with their fellow officers and the citizens they serve, the police officers will have to be prepared about civil rights, racial sensitivity and cultural diversity. When conflict situations arise, the understanding of cultural differences may help the officers to educe tension and confrontation. This training should lay emphasis on understanding of stress and gather respect for racial and cultural differences. Without this sort of training, there cannot be effective community policing."
Tags: ethnic, groups, minorities, citizens, community
This paper discusses the Irish immigration to America, which was associated with the genocide in the Potato Famine of the 1840s and the policies of the British that caused the death of nine million Irish.
Abstract This paper specifically explains the immigration of the Irish to Connecticut and New England. Much of the information was developed by the Works Progress Administration, a Depression-era organization that initiated projects to keep writers employed. The author points out that, before the American Revolution, there was Irish immigration, but much of it was in the form of indentured servants who were regarded as only marginally more worthy than slaves. The paper states that the "massing of the green" aroused the New Englanders' fear of Catholicism because many Yankees thought only Protestantism was compatible with democracy and that the "Papists" would want a theocracy or religion-friendly monarchy.
Table of Contents
Mythical Images
Poor Huddled Masses
Native Fears
From the Paper "The Irish had come, whether the early indentured servants who had little choice, the second wave of the 1820s, or the third wave of the 1840s, in search of jobs. By 1870, they dominated the labor pool in the textile mills and such trades as bookmaking. The fact that they had come penniless and in search of jobs meant that, unlike settlers who had come with some money (some of the early Scandinavians and Germans, for example), they needed to settle in urban areas to perform those jobs. By 1860, about 21 percent of Hartford?s? population was Irish. By 1870, there was a similar contingent in New Haven."
This paper discusses that Anton La Guardia, in his book, "War without End", argues convincingly that there is not likely to be a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in our lifetime.
Abstract This paper explains that the blame lies on a number of shoulders: The inability of political leaders to find peace, the international community, the very real and human desire for revenge, and the inability of religious leaders to see past their own agendas. The author points out that, in a larger historical context, La Guardia sees the Israeli-Palestinian struggle as one of the most complex and intractable struggles that the world has ever faced. The paper relates that solutions for the conflict are surprisingly slim, and the pessimism of the title is generally reflected in the book's contents.
From the Paper ""War without End" manages to be what is the most rare of all in accounts surrounding the Israeli-Palestine conflict: Fair. In his book, La Guardia is continually fair but not detached in his description of the struggle that Israeli's face in coming to terms with the destruction of national myths in the post-Zionist era. Similarly, he is equally fair and compelling in his discussion of the Palestine struggle to build a nation. He criticizes each side for their role in the conflict, but manages to do so relatively even-handedly. Thus, it could never be said that his treatment is fully objective, but La Guardia manages to bring a rare sense of fairness and equal treatment to the book."
Abstract This paper explains that the term "Mexican-American" is used for the original inhabitants of the U.S.-acquired northern territories of Mexico; whereas, "Chicano", historically a derogatory term, is used for Mexicans who immigrated in the U.S. during the period of the 1930s and 1940s. The author points out that, historically, during the early period of conflict, while the "Mexican Americans" had already been assimilated into American society, establishing their social and economic status in the society, Chicanos were mainly "outcasts" in this country. The paper concludes that, today, the Chicano-Mexican society is, and will be, a balance between the traditional and modern cultures, creating a hybrid form of culture and society that is distinctly characteristic of their Mexican and American heritage.
From the Paper "As the Mexican society is gradually assimilated into the contemporary American society, its future can be traced or patterned right after the history of African Americans in the US. The emergence of the Mexican American and Chicano movements fighting for equality and recognition of their rights in the American society is reminiscent of the civil rights movement of the African Americans during the 1960s (in fact, Mexicans are also included in this protest movement, along with black Americans). In essence, Mexican society and culture of the present and for the future is described as ?people between cultures,? where ?? "culture in the borderlands"? "human cultures"? (metropolitan typifications) are neither necessarily coherent nor always homogeneous.""
Abstract This paper looks at how, as more and more people of different races and cultures enter the United States, and how, as the ethnic composition of the country changes, immigration becomes a more intensely debated issue. It examines how some Americans favor tighter immigration restrictions and argue that immigrants take jobs away from U.S. citizens, drain social services, and resist learning English, and how others, however, point to America's historic commitment to immigration and believe that immigrants keep the nation strong, economically competitive, and culturally rich. It provides a timeline of policies from the purchase of Ellis Island in 1808 to the 1994 Proposition 167 in California, which would deny illegal aliens all public social services, public non-emergency health care based on financial needs, and public education.
From the Paper "During the later part of the twentieth century, U.S. immigration policy has addressed specific modern-day problems. In some instances, the federal government has set limits on the number of immigrants"who fall into certain classifications, such as refugee"who are allowed to reside in the country. The Refugee Act of 1980 legally defined a refugee as someone who flees a country because of persecution "on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion" (U.S. Immigration Policy 1995). The act allows the president to admit refugees in a time of emergency and also places a limit on the number of refugees allowed to enter."
Tags: aliens, ellis, island, refugees, restrictions
Abstract This paper presents a detailed discussion about the internment camps for the Japanese that were set up and implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The internment of Japanese-Americans was drastic and shocking, but it was supported by the majority of non-Japanese Americans. It was a decision that left a bruise on the psyche of the nation, however. The writer explores the history leading up to the decision and the decision itself. The paper includes photographs and a timeline of events leading up to and including the internment camps.
From the Paper "He was considered one of the top military police officers in the nation at the time. He was largely responsible for making sure there was peace and order in the military areas of the nation, which included the military camps that the Japanese were being brought to. Gullion was considered an expert in legal affairs as well when it came to the actions of the military. He had serious concerns about the legal ability to lock up civilians who had done nothing wrong. He argued that the military could not get away with interfering in civilian lives."
