Abstract This paper examines the influence and importance of the Ramayana of Valmiki in Indian society. Initially, its origins and content are outlined. The emphasis is on its continuing influence, particularly as it relates to current events and Hindu/Muslim tensions in India.
Abstract This paper looks at Hispanic culture and how it has helped shape and mold American culture. The great extent to which Latin American dance, music, and food have become an intrinsic part of the overall American culture is cited as an example of this influence. The paper concludes by suggesting that American culture truly is a blend of cultures from all over the world.
From the Paper "America has often been referred to as the great melting pot, a smorgasbord of people with various racial, cultural and ethnic identities and traditions. Tied to this view is the idea that the culture of the American people should be defined as a cornucopia of different cultures melded into one to form a new, hybrid culture. Many different cultures have influenced the overall culture within the United States particularly that of the Latin American people with whom I associate."
Tags: melting, pot, ethnic, cultural, identities, traditions, united, states
Abstract The chilling title of Phillip Gourevitch's book, "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families" (1998), is a reference to a group letter from members of the Tutsi clergy to an Adventist church leader, Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, pleading for his protection from the Hutu majority in Rwanda. Gourevitch's book concerns the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994 in which the Hutu majority systematically massacred the minority Tutsi population. As a result of this effort at ethnic cleansing, an estimated 800,000 Tutsi were killed over the course of a 100-day period from April to July 1994. In fact, during the height of the massacre, Gourevitch reports that members of the Tutsi tribe were being massacred three times as fast as the Jews had been during the Nazi Holocaust. To better understand the events that contributed to this horrific slaughter in modern times, this paper provides a critical review of Gourevitch's book, including a discussion of how the religious, national, racial, and ethnic groupings in Rwanda were used as tools for the genocide. A discussion of how European colonialism, Rwandan politics, and the role of different aid organizations also contributed to the genocide is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "In this book, Gourevitch paints a grim picture about the events that led to the 1994 genocide in which hundreds of thousands of Tutsis were massacred to the point where the Hutus almost succeeded in completely eliminating the Tutsi segment of the Rwandan population, as well as countless members of the Hutus themselves who opposed the slaughter in the first place. The systematic and institutionalized method by which this slaughter took place was not unique to Rwanda, of course, but Gourevitch suggests that a combination of a cultural acceptance of violence, the nefarious roles played by NGOs, Rwandan governmental agencies and the nation's churches, all contributed to the genocide that took place during those terrible months of 1994."
Abstract This paper presents a timeline of events and conceptual analysis of the events leading up to the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus in Rwanda in 1994. The paper examines causes of, as well as events which occurred during the genocide. It also looks at the reaction of the international community and what can be done in the future to prevent such a tragedy happening again.
From the Paper "Many of the early requests and pleas for help were denied. There
was a peacekeeping force in Rwanda called the United Nations
Assistance Mission for Rwanda, but when Force Commander General
Dallaire became aware of the genocide and asked for soldiers and
logistical support, the UN Security Council refused and voted to
reduce UNAMIR down to 260 men. The international community did not
believe that they had any place or any reason to help in Rwanda.
Senator Robert Dole stated, "I don't think we have any national
interest here. I hope we don't get involved there." This was the
thought process of many government officials at this point."
Abstract This paper summarizes the scope of Title VII and its applications to the workplace. The paper includes details pertaining to the history and evolution of Title VII, the impact of Title VII in the workplace, who is covered and not covered under Title VII and its amendments. The paper then goes on to discuss policies that companies should have in place to avoid Title VII violations.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Title VII
The History and Evolution of Title VII
The Impact of Title VII in the Workplace
Title VII Coverage
Avoiding Title VII Violations
Conclusion
From the Paper "Understanding the rights of employers and employees is critical to the success of any organization. Employers have a responsibility to ensure equality for people of all races, religions, genders, ages, and disabilities and should not tolerate discrimination of any form. This paper provides a summation for provisions associated with Title VII. The history and evolution of Title VII will be detailed along with workplace application, who is and who is not covered under Title VII and policies that companies should enact to avoid Title VII violations."
From the Paper "Munoz begins his study using the historical contributions of the Mexican Youth Conference and the group MAM. These organizations based their philosophy of advancement and upward mobility on the need for education above the secondary level. With an advanced education, these youths would become aware of and confront the much broader issues of their people within the U.S. as a whole. All of the actions of these movements, were grounded within the context of the American myth of democracy and the virtues of capitalism'. MAM was seen by outsiders as well as those within its membership, as a democracy in action, founded upon the greater values of the dominant society. I believe that Munoz sees this as an ambiguous philosophy, one that while helpful in the advancement of the. Mexican American youth, does not benefit the population as a whole. In fact, this course of action could be seen as detrimental because it fostered the belief that the youth were hindered by the lack of inspiration and encouragement to move towards a better education. "
Abstract This paper looks at the stories of "Beowulf" as a parallel to the values and attitudes within Medieval society, namely, the penultimate values of martial prowess, heroic action, courage, material goods, religious devotion, and most of all, loyalty.
From the Paper "Medieval society was a violent one, necessitated by the constant warring between kingdoms. The nobility, created originally to defend those unable to defend themselves from the raiding tribes following the downfall of the Roman empire, prided themselves on their combat prowess and valued this above all else. We can find a parallel to the attitudes of Beowulf in the heroic age of Greece and the Homeric epics of the Iliad and the Odyssey in their emphasis on combat as proof of a man's worth and the preoccupation with violence in violent times. The Medieval period is one such era, characterized by the warfare and the heroes of the era, such as Beowulf. Beowulf would be the archetype, ideal warrior, especially in the exceptionally warlike Danish regions. These heroic tales give us a great deal of insight into the aspirations and ideas of those nobles and warriors, who would be the most likely readers of such tales."
Abstract This paper discusses the concepts and tenets of the Islam religion. The author gives a detailed analysis of the faith, prayers, holidays, holy sites and fundamental beliefs of the Islamic people.
From the Paper "Islam is a religion based upon the surrender to God who is One. The name of the religion, Islam, in Arabic, means submission and peace. The message of Islam concerns God, who in Arabic is called Allah, and it addresses itself to humanity's nature. It concerns men and women as they were created by God?not as fallen beings. Islam considers itself to be not an innovation but a reassertion of the universal truth of all revelation, which is God's oneness."
Abstract This paper discusses treatment of Native Americans? rights to their sacred sites under US Constitutional law. Three law journal articles are reviewed and utilized to form a thesis promoting the concept of communal religious rights. Historical background is provided also.
From the Paper "The first clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America states: ?Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.?[1] However, throughout U.S. history, the federal government has deliberately restricted and prohibited the religious practices of North America's indigenous Native Americans. Rather than confront this severe blight on the country's human rights record, the various branches of the Euro-cultured U.S. government gloss over past transgressions of First Amendment rights, even as they attempt to justify new violations of Native Americans? religious rights."
Abstract This is a research and critical review of China's one child population policy. It delves into the nature of the policy, the reasons for its implementation, the benefits and draw backs of the policy and whether it has been successful or not. The author looks at the problems with the policy with special reference to the way it effects society and proposes alternatives and solutions to the policy.
From the Paper "The Chinese population policy is approaching its silver anniversary and the contentious nature of the strategy remains. Without question the one child per family policy has changed China's demographic landscape, but many individuals still question the success and ethical nature of the implementation. These strategies have also caused new problems that the country must address. Numerous people wonder if the positive decline of population growth can offset the negative effects of the policy."
Abstract The Kurds have had a long history of ethnic conflict in the middle East. This paper explores their history with a focus on attempts by other nations to self-assimilate them into different cultures. The paper also provides possible solutions to the struggles.
From the Paper "Situated at the junction between the modern West and the traditionally Islamic Middle East, lies Turkey: a country in great transition, but also dire internal conflict. Turkey, unlike other predominately Islamic countries in Asia, is on its way to establishing a legitimate democracy, a strong economy comparable to those of the West, and possibly becoming a member of the European Union. But Turkey's internal conflict stands to jeopardize everything they?ve worked for. Like the majority of states in the world, Turkey is multinational. Yet, the leaders of the country have perpetually refuted this fact. They have denied the existence of any distinct ethnic group not falling under the classification of ?Turks.? Turkey is home to an entirely different subculture of peoples called the Kurds. The Kurds consider themselves Turks, but also maintain their own ethnic identity separate from the rest of Turkey. They have their own culture, language, and history. The Kurds in Turkey have struggled for almost a century to retain their individuality, while the country of Turkey has struggled to maintain an image of freedom, democracy, and domestic stability in eyes of the Western World."
Abstract This paper is written mostly from a subjective viewpoint regarding racism in the United States. The author describes his/her brush with racism, and talks a bit about some of the history of and groups behind organized racist activity. Conclusions are drawn about some of this activity by the author.
From the Paper "Racism has been a problem for hundreds of years. Has it gotten any better from what it used to be? A little, but it still plays a major problem in our society. I come from a small town, which is mostly white, so it's hard to still believe that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is still up and going strong. My eyes were blinded by this stereotype I held. They are not just affecting people in the south, they have moved all over the states. Will it ever end, who's to say? My question I had before investigating this topic is: Does the KKK still have an affect on us this day in age? And if so, how far have they spread away from the South?"
Abstract Argumentative paper on whether the U.S. should be dropping food into the country of Afghanistan while at the same time bombing the country. The author argues that because the United States government is at war with the Taliban, there should be no good will gestures of dropping food over Afghanistan.
From the Paper "On September 11 an unforgettable tragedy happened to the United States of America. A group of terrorist, whose alleged leader is hiding in Afghanistan, crashed two airplanes into the World Trade Centers, and one into the Pentagon. The United States is now in the process of retaliating against the Taliban by bombing the government, yet at the same time the U.S. is also dropping food for the people of Afghanistan."
Tags: aid, bombing, government, poverty, starvation, states, strikes, taliban, tragedy, united, war
Abstract This paper presents an in depth examination of the death penalty and the racial influences on the matter. The author argues that the death penalty is administered in a racially disproportionate manner and provides proof of this accusation. Included is a brief overview of other debates around the topic such as moral grounding and fairness.
From the Paper "It is hard to understand how anyone could not view the death penalty as morally problematic, although clearly many Americans do not view the practice as morally objectionable or there would not be so many advocates of the practice. One of the most problematic of all aspects of the death penalty as it is imposed in the United States is that is administered in a racially disproportionate manner. "
