Abstract This paper takes an in-depth look at the intense passion that the ancient Mayan civilization had for sporting activities. The author discusses how the ballgames of the times had many different levels of meaning, ranging from entertainment to ritual, as tributes to the gods. The paper details the rules and regulations of such ancient games as Poc-a-tok and Ollama, and how Mayans saw sports as public reenactments of warfare.
From the Paper:
"Through this ballgame one can learn a lot about Mayan culture. The never-ending love and devotion that they held for the Gods of their people is apparent in the fact that they organized these ballgames to please them. They played until they collapsed from exhaustion, in some instances, so that they could be sacrificed if they won. The Mayans were a people of respect and warfare. This is evident in the way that after each raid that they planned only with the specific alignment of the sun and the planets they always held the game at the Victor's homeland, there was no straying from the tradition. They placed value in worship of their gods and honor to those brave players who opted to die for the game and in turn for their Gods."
Abstract This paper argues that Adolf Hitler had some alternative personal reasons for why he may have caused the largest mass killing in world history. Some reasons include his personal life and sexuality. This paper examines how these impacted Hitler's rise to power and motivation.
From the paper:
"Due to Adolf Hitler's embarrassing family roots, stern, emotion filled upbringing, and his inner turmoil in dealing with his sexuality he had built up guilt, aggression, frustration, and self loathing which as result caused the holocaust. The context of this paper will discuss how his family roots were considered embarrassing, how they came to be, and how in turn it caused him to feel disgusted with himself and what he was which caused aggressive and malevolent behavior. Also it shall speak of what consists of a strict upbringing, what certain events and regular happenings occurred in this childhood, and finally what in this rigid upbringing could cause a man to have this inner anger build to lead way to cause such death and destruction. And lastly, the paper will speak of Adolf Hitler's sexuality and how his homosexuality or sexuality, which was kept hidden, as it was not proper for men to like men during his time and was gravely frowned upon, caused such guilt and pain within himself to lead to this horrifying event we call the holocaust."
Tags: adolf, hitler, holocaust, ii, war, world, personal, distress, aggression, frustration, family, sexuality
Abstract This paper looks at the popular and enduring adage declaring that America is "a melting pot" of cultures and at the idea that this country seems to believe that all of its ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse inhabitants have, throwing away all of their particularities, melted into just one cultural identity. It looks at the history of different immigrants to the United States, and examines their integration, or non-integration into society.
From the paper:
"Like national minorities (Native Americans), African Americans (not modern African immigrants to the U.S.) have been incorporated involuntarily into American society due to the fact that they are the descendants of those who entered the slave trade after either being captured from West African regions or sold into captivity by African kingdoms-in short, they did not emigrate out of free will from their birthplaces as did members of ethnic groups. However, they are somewhat like ethnic groups in the sense that they do originate from foreign lands and are not indigenous to U.S. territory as are national minorities."
This paper takes a look at what caused the Holocaust, traces the progress of discrimination and oppression through society and the legislative body, and looks at the horrible outcome of the tragedy.
1,820 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 2 sources, 2000, $ 58.95
Abstract This paper is focused on the progression of the anti-Semitic actions of the German people in the 1930's and 40?s. It looks at the roots of hatred, the legislation that was passed that discriminated against the Jews, an overview of the Holocaust, and the war crimes trials at Nuremberg.
From the paper:
"Hitler harbored a hatred for the Jews that was unparalleled anywhere in the world. Where this hatred stemmed from is unclear, but it was very evident that Hitler blamed the Jews for all the problems in Germany and in his own life, and that he was sincere in his convictions. When he became Fuhrer his view was not only pushed upon the public, it became a nightmare for all the Jews in Germany, and later, for all the Jewish populations of Europe. Hitler sought not just to eliminate their power and influence, but to wipe out the people themselves. What makes it even more ghastly is that he felt that he was doing the world a favor by these actions, and that God had selected him for this mission of purification, which he called "the Final Solution". Using his unique speaking ability, Hitler preached that the Aryan race was the master race, and the inferior Jews were holding them back, spreading lies and evil in Germany. The story of the ordeal that the Jews in Europe endured includes the beginning of discrimination, the legislation passed against them, the concentration camps, the liberation of the camps, and the war criminals trial held in Nuremberg. All of these parts play key roles in trying to understand how this could happen and how it can be prevented from ever happening again."
Tags: camps, concentration, crimes, genocide, hitler, holocaust, war, world
Abstract This is a paper about the different treatments toward blacks and Native Americans in colonial America by whites. The author looks at the differences and the similarities in the way these two populations were treated.
From the Paper "In dealing with "outsiders", White Europeans who controlled the continent held many similar views. These outsiders included the Native Americans and the African Americans. Both peoples were treated in parallel and in opposing ways by the whites in power. The most obvious way that the two groups were treated the same is that they were dealt with in a very ethnocentric way; whites assumed that they were superior to both groups. Both groups were not dealt with in the same way from the onset. Native Americans, who were living in the country long before the whites, were killed, stripped of their land, and mislead as to their future in the new white world. Africans were brought into the country, a large distinction, because whites needed them here. They were at first used as indentured servants, and it was a gradual change that shifted over to slavery. From there on came restrictive legislature, and a view of them as savages. The two groups were both treated differently by whites in terms of how they were oppressed, but the overriding theme in both cases is that the white Europeans saw both as inferior races."
Abstract This paper looks at how Gandhi used non-violence and peaceful protest as a weapon against British Imperial Rule throughout the early twentieth century. The paper looks at key events such as the Quit India protest, the two World Wars and the involvement of Irish nationalists. Gandhi's actions are considered within the global events that shaped Britian's ability to take action against Gandhi: Gandhi was not the only reason the British eventually left India!
From the Paper "Throughout the ages mankind often instinctively turns to the use of violence to defeat an enemy. Violence is part and parcel of the culture of human beings. And yet one of the greatest freedom struggles in modern history was apparently won through the specific rejection of violence, and the active use of a policy of non-violence. That struggle was between the Indian independence movement and the British colonial administration. At the head of that independence movement was Mahatma Gandhi, a simple Indian who held no office or great wealth, and yet was able to unite a whole subcontinent against the British Empire. Not only that, but he did it in such a peaceful, virtuous way that he made the British question their own morals and eventually forced them out of India. This is the general version that is recorded in history. However, this version of events generally ignores the other forces that influenced the British to withdraw from the Empire in India. Here we will critically examine the view that the use of non-violence was the main reason for the ending of British rule in India, by examining the true organizational nature of non-violent civil disobedience and other events, British and global."
Tags: independence, Mohandas, Mahatma, Hindu, passive, resistance, campaigns, defense, Raja, Viceroy, Lord, Irwin, World, War, II
Abstract Christina Garcia's "Dreaming in Cuban" follows three generations of women in a Cuban-American family, and looks at the effects of the Cuban diaspora in America. This paper examines how the novel relates to how families are divided over the revolution.
From the Paper "A patchwork of incident, memory, letters, dreams and visions provides glimpses of a Cuban family at home and in exile in the '70's and '80's, but Garcia's debut suffers from its fragmented style. From disparate times, places, and (mostly female) points-of- view, Garcia reveals the circumstances and inner lives of various members of the del Pino family."
Tags: Cuba Castro, diaspora matriarchial garcia christina female communist del pino novel literature
Abstract This paper looks at the underlying trends of each population growth factor separately, particularly the immigration factor. It includes several graphs and in-depth data of the population in the United States as a whole as well as divided into sectors. It gives an historical overview of the Hispanic immigration from its origin until the present day. Finally, it concludes that the Hispanic population will continue to grow rapidly into the largest minority group due to their immigration and birth rate.
From the Paper "Researchers in demographics have persistently foretold that the rapidly growing Hispanic population would inevitably develop into the leading minority group in the United States. Updated data released from the 2000 census reveal that this belief is fast approaching actualisation. The data indicates that America's Hispanic population grew by 58% during the 1990s, putting Hispanics practically equal with African Americans as the country's biggest minority group. Most demographers predicted that the Hispanic population would equal or exceed African Americans by 2005. But that may occur sooner than initially anticipated. (Travierso, Maria. 2001, 1) How has this approaching dominance among minorities occurred and what does this mean to the U.S. population at large?"
Tags: Hispanic, United, States, census, 2000, population, minority, demographics
Abstract This paper shows the way in which Swift uses metaphor and satire to put across his point that charged England with acting with outrageous indifference to the plight of impoverished Irish Catholics. He proposes that Irish mothers have babies and sell them to their English lords as delicacies.
From the Paper "During the time when this essay was written, Ireland was experiencing a devastating famine. Hardship and starvation were common because of famine, poor employment opportunities, and the fact that Catholics were oppressed by Protestant English acting as overlords. Swift was distressed to see the indifference those in power held toward this situation. The belief of the day was that the poor got what they deserved and could elevate themselves to a better position if they wanted to, a view that later evolved into ?social Darwinism.?"
Tags: england, ireland, famine, starvation, literature
Abstract A paper which explores important ethnic issues in Amy Tan's "The Hundred Secret Senses" - one of the most important being how the novel emphasizes the differences between East and West through its two main characters and how each has much to learn from the other.
From the Paper "The Hundred Secret Senses" is Amy Tan's third novel and received positive response from the readers because of her earlier successes namely "The Joy Luck Club" and "Kitchen God's Wife". The book as her earlier works is a beautiful blend of east and west and the writer herself coming from a Chinese family brings an element of Oriental culture and values in the Hundred Secrets Senses too. While the storyline is definitely unique in its own way, it is important to understand that it is not the plot for which Amy Tan is famous but it is her wonderful and lively characters, their amazing and rather incredible powers and their ability to bring something different to everyday American life that makes her novels interesting and gripping. The readers may not always be able to relate to those characters but they are special because they open new vistas and introduce the readers to a world they didn't know existed."
Abstract The writer gives a brief history of female genital mutilation (FGM) including the different types, the reasons behind this occurrence and why it continues today. The paper looks at FGM in Egypt and Kenya and the policies in each of these countries are outlined in detail. The author explains that in Egypt FGM began for religious reasons and despite many challenges to the validity of the Fatwa, or religious decree, continues to this day. According to the paper, the rate is smaller than in previous generations, but it still continues to pose a threat to the lives of young girls in the country. In the case of Kenya, it began as a rite of passage, which largely went unnoticed by the rest of the world until the early 1960s when Kenya wanted independence and suddenly found this practice under scrutiny by the rest of the western world. The paper also discusses the United Nations and World Agency positions on FGM in order to help understand what attempts are being made by the world community to try to stop this practise on the grounds that it is a violation of human rights.
From the Paper "Data from the Adolescence and Social Change in Egypt survey suggest significant recent change in both the prevalence and practices surrounding female circumcision. After apparently remaining constant and nearly universal for several decades, prevalence among contemporary teenage girls is predicted to be more than 10 percent less than for their mothers. Still, the level of circumcision among Egyptian girls is high. Our data do not allow us to pinpoint the onset of the decline, but they do suggest an increased momentum in the years following 1994. Without further measurement at later time points, we cannot be certain that uncircumcised girls in the ASCE sample will avoid circumcision in the future. However, analysis of girls' own attitudes toward the practice hint that increasing age brings greater independence of thought and diminished support for circumcision (Nawal, 1980)."
Abstract The writer first introduces the Amish people, explaining where they are from and what they believe in. The paper then discusses how their religious practices influence their methods of communication - language, tone of voice and modest way of speech. It examines their use of language as punishment too - "shunning" people by not speaking to them.
From the Paper "The Amish are known as a "plain" people. This is a description is often given of the modest, traditional dress of Amish men and women. It is also quite applicable to the taciturn style of communication of the Amish as well as to their more famous traditional ways of life and dress. Ostentation in speech in the Amish community is frowned upon with suspicion, even regarded as heretical when done to excess, just as much as innovations in dress and the means of producing the necessities of everyday life."
Abstract This paper discusses how multicultural students in public schools are taught. She explores teaching methods used in multicultural education. The author seeks to understand what it is like for students and teachers to learn and teach in a multicultural environment. She concludes that multicultural learning provides academic and social benefits to students. She explains the factors of race, gender and ethnicity in multicultural learning. Finally, she examines the new multicultural method of involving parent involvement in their child's schoolwork.
Table of Contents
Teaching Methods
Project Reach
The Multicultural Heroes Project
Multicultural Reading and Thinking (MCRAT)
Multicultural Literacy Program (MLP)
Opinion of these Programs
Students and Teachers in a Multicultural Environment
Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Multicultural Environment
Parent Involvement in Schoolwork
Conclusion
From the Paper "In addition to these educational benefits, it is noted that these students have higher self-esteem because they understand the value and importance of their own cultures and in doing so they can appreciate other cultures. Students also find these types of interactive curriculum fun and exciting, this encourages school attendance. In addition, students in these programs have an increased desire to socialize with children of other races when they are outside of the classroom.
Multicultural education can be very challenging for teachers because most multicultural curriculums require days of training and hours in preparation just to teach a lesson. Teachers also have to make sure that students are learning the basic curriculum of the school. However, teachers who have implemented these various programs have found that there own perceptions about different ethnic groups had changed. These changes in their own perceptions have allowed them to teach more effectively to all their students. In turn, students are more comfortable with teachers and are more apt to ask questions, which encourage learning."
Abstract This paper presents a review of racism from the time of slavery through the present. Overt racism, institutionalized racism, and legal racism are discussed and the current status of each evaluated.
From the Paper "Over the last century, the rights of minorities in American life have been given greater and greater protections after a period of imposed limitations. The Hispanic population in the Southwest and the Puerto Rican population in areas of the Northeast are also minority groups that do not share fully in the economic promise of American society and that have been discriminated against and made into a near-permanent underclass. Throughout American history, there have been minorities that have immigrated to the United States and that have encountered prejudice and discrimination once they arrived, including the Jews, the Irish, and various Asian groups. One element distinguishes between these groups on the one hand and black Americans on the other, and that element is slavery."
Abstract This paper explores the ancient history of the region and how the borders of the country of Sudan evolved. The country's current socio-political and economic sitution is analyzed. It looks at the ruling regime in Sudan and how it came to power and then examines how this regime effects the country's weak economy. The social and religious concerns are also examined from a human rights point of view.
From the Paper "Man has lived in the Sudan for at least nine million years and the valley of the Nile that wanders more than 4,000 miles from the lakes of Central Africa to the Mediterranean may be the cradle of civilization rather than the Euphrates. Almost four centuries before Christ the Ox-driven water wheel which still plays a vital role in the country's economy, was introduced to the
Sudan. At the same time came camels, brought with them by the Persians when Cambyses invaded Egypt in 525 BC. It is Africa's largest country with a wide diversity of ethnic and religious groups. Originally populated by peoples of African origin, it was gradually taken over by Arab traders from Egypt. They gave the country its name, Sudan, and brought in the - today - dominant religion, Islam. Later Sudan was part of the British Empire, administered by Egypt under the "Condominium" agreement until 1955."
Tags: africa, NIF, SPLM, islam, arab, trade, resource, agriculture, oil, UN, human, rights
