Abstract The paper states that in Iceland, traditionally, farm labour and fishing were the primary sources of income for many citizens. These types of labor took place in the countryside and in small fishing villages, hence drawing a specific people to live there. Whilst city dwellers tended to have more qualified jobs, the poorer families lived off of the land. The paper notes that this led to a certain stereotype of the countryside 'peasants'. The paper further comments that Icelandic literature often discusses both town and country citizens, comparing the differences in lifestyle between the two, and how each is represented. The paper analyses several Icelandic novels featuring the Icelandic people living in farmhouses compared to those living in the towns. The paper then assesses whether one group of people is seen as inferior to the other, and the differences between them, and how each group is viewed by the other, or by those outside of Iceland.
From the Paper " Those in the countryside were forced to lead more serious lives, and had far too many day-to-day worries concerning their survival to engage in frivolous conversations that had no real purpose or meaning to them. We can tell this immediately from how serious all of Bjartur's children are. Whilst in the cities, Bjartur describes young women as "brazen-faced young sluts...fit for nothing but parading the streets and living on their parents like parasites" , his children, with their country upbringing, are expected to work sixteen hour days."
Abstract The Icelandic sagas "The Saga of Grettir the Strong" (written in the fourteenth century by an unknown author) and "Egil's Saga" (written in the early thirteenth century by Snorri Sturlson), tell us much about the life in Scandinavia at the time and about the culture that produced these works. The paper shows that in this regard, they are similar to other epics and sagas which convey information about the life of the past, from the Homeric epics through Virgil, "Beowulf", "El Cid" and many others. It shows that the plots might emphasize heroic actions and great battles, but at a more basic level, the sagas tell us how the people lived , how they related to the world, and what they thought about the world in which they lived. This paper analyzes both works, including characters. It discusses the societies in both sagas and compares them with one another.
From the Paper "The characters in the Icelandic saga Egil's Saga live in a brutish world where they have to fight almost contantly to live and protect themselves and their kin. The rules of conscience such as we know them today do not apply to characters such as Egil, who commits his first murder when he is six years old and who is noted and honored for the ruthlessness with which he conducts his affairs. The values of the Vikings have to do with a sense of honor, with the maintenance of order within a kingdom if not between kingdoms, with the continuation of a hierarchy, and with the all-embracing need to further the interests of society in terms of security and the economy. These values applied in an environment of violence, plunder, and the destruction of enemies, and these values can be seen as reflective of the world which formed them."
Abstract This paper presents the history and geography of Iceland's formation from a geological perspective and contains various sources and a glossary.
Abstract Iceland has a long history of politics going back to the pre-Christian age. This paper covers the country's political history and looks at the development of political parties. The paper also covers major industries and environmental issues.
From the Paper "Iceland has no military forces. It has no neighbors to fight. Iceland does belong to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) for defensive capabilities. NATO was and is a federation of country's to contain the spread of communism (Soviet Union). In return for this defense, the Icelandic Government lets NATO have a naval base in Keflavik, Iceland. Having no military, Iceland can use all its resources for social and welfare programs. An interesting note to Iceland not having a military is that the Althing declared Iceland a "nuclear free zone" in 1985."
Abstract This paper examines some of the most spectacular destinations on Earth. It begins with Mount Hekla, one of Iceland's most famous volcanoes and then moves on to Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming, home to many geysers. In particular, it looks at Grand geyser one of the largest on Earth. It concludes with the Great Barrier Reef, home to a vast array of marine life and examines how it is a complete ecosystem unto itself.
Outline
Mount Hekla
Last Eruption
Predictions for Future Eruptions
Interesting Facts and Stories
Grand Geyser
The Formation of a Geyser
The Future of Grand Geyser
The Great Barrier Reef
Formation
Predictions of Future Activity
Marine Life and Tourism
From the Paper "Grand geyser is one of the many geysers that can be found at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The most famous geyser located at Yellowstone is Old Faithful, but Grand geyser should not be overlooked. Grand geyser is one of the largest geysers on Earth and has an interval of eight to twelve hours with a height of 150-180 feet and a duration of 10-12 minutes. Grand geyser, like most geysers, is formed from a hot spring with an underground chamber. The future of Grand geyser is really unknown, but it is expected to remain active for many years to come. Yellowstone National Park is a major tourist attraction in Wyoming, thus it draws a large crowd to view the magnificent beauty of Grand geyser. Like most things, there is a danger to the geyser in the form of water contamination."
Abstract The paper shows how Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to broker peace with the U.S. and it discusses his desire to see if not the complete destruction of nuclear weapons then at least a reduction in them, and a closer relationship with the U.S. that enabled a closer working partnership. Of importance, according to the author, are Gorbachev's summits held with Reagan in Reykjavik, Iceland, Moscow and in Washington D.C. The author discusses Gorbachev's incredible popularity in the west. The paper also briefly touches on the theory that a hard line U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union was the factor in bringing about a change in the Soviet's attitude.
From the Paper "This theory that the U.S. forced the Soviets into reforms is a plausible, and convincing argument. However, it does not answer why that this policy had never worked before. Certainly after WW11 the Soviet Union was in a much weaker position to the U.S. both economically and militarily. The Truman administration took a hard line against the Soviets, yet they had not wavered, even though the U.S. at that time was the only nation with nuclear weapons. This theory also fails to take into account the role played by Gorbachev, nor give him the credit he deserves."
Tags: foreign, policy, relations, Brzezenski, Afghanistan, Starwars, SDI, Russia
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the food history of Scandinavia. The scope and limit of this research is determined by both cultural history and specific geography. Geographically speaking, Scandinavia is considered to comprise the peninsula where sit Norway and Sweden. However, cultural referents assign Scandinavian status to Denmark, Iceland, and Finland as well (Funk & Wagnalls). Where the food history of the region is concerned, the relatively limited but all-inclusive topographical area is appropriate to consider, for there are numerous overlaps and convergence of food history in the designated countries.
The practical, climate- and topography-driven inaccessibility of Scandinavia appears to have driven the shape that food production and consumption have taken in the region over.."
Examines the rise to power of this female President of Iceland (1980-1996). Discusses politics, personality, foreign relations, her views on women and her effectiveness.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 11 sources, 1999, $ 63.95
From the Paper "This research will examine Vigdis Finnbogadottir, president of Iceland from 1980 to 1996, and the political life in Iceland, from the women's point of view. The research will set forth the context in which political life in modern Iceland has been so strongly connected to Finnbogadottir's work and women's issues and then discuss the significance of Iceland's politics in the context of larger geopolitical interests.
The election in 1980 of Vigdis Finnbogadottir as president of Iceland was noteworthy in a number of ways. Both at the time and subsequently, it was noted that Finnbogadottir was the first woman ever democratically elected president of a country. It would have been appropriate to note as well that women had been elected heads of state before 1980, in particular Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Britain (a constitutional monarchy) and Prime..."
From the Paper "This study will examine the role which the perspective of universal fatalism plays in the ethic of human interaction in Njal's Saga, the Icelandic epic prose narrative from the late 13th century by an unknown author and translated by Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Palsson. The study will consider the impact of universal fatalism on not only feud and retribution but also friendship, family, and the rule of law---all important features of this ethic.
Essentially, the argument of the study will be that the perspective of universal fatalism of the culture portrayed in the saga forces the characters to adhere to a strict code of chivalric and heroic behavior on earth because they do not have the promise or consolation of any sort of external afterlife. The unspoken assumption of the author is that human beings must find ..."
This paper explains that global warming and cooling of the earth's atmosphere have shaped the destiny of mankind since the beginning of time; however, today's climatic fluctuations may be man-made.
Abstract This paper relates that historians and archaeologists can trace numerous events to smaller climatic fluctuations, such as Europe's "Little Ice Age," which happened in the early Middle Ages bringing strange weather that caused famines, uprisings and withdrawal of northern Icelandic and Greenland colonies. The author points out that some people believe that the major threat to humanity is not diseases, crazed terrorist or the earth being bombarded by asteroids but rather world population growth. Environmental experts are concerned over how many people the earth's atmosphere can support. The paper stresses that a scientific consensus says the most direct result of the many gas emissions is a "global warming" of 1.5 to 4.5 degrees over the next millennium, and that is in addition to a more than evident temperature increase of half a degree.
From the Paper "The Maldives, a chain of 1,180 islands in the Indian Ocean now sits three feet above the ocean's surface. In his Los Angeles Times article, "Maldives Faces Global Warming Goliath," writer Dexter Filkins says that "the entire nation could vanish, Atlantis-like, into the sea." Last winter, these island states crusaded for marked reductions in global greenhouse gases. While the US has proposed that industrialized nations began to reduce emissions in 2008 (at 1990 levels), the 35 nations Alliance of Small Island States insists on a 20 % cutback by 2005. While the exact danger (and its arrival) is unknown, island countries are anxious about a five-year study by the International Panel of Climate Change that predicts that by 2100, sea levels could rise from 6 inches to 3 feet. If such a dire forecast comes true, the ocean will swallow most of the Maldives. The country's main economic activity, tourism, would be devastated."
Abstract This paper examines how there are many resemblances between the works of Tolkien and that of ancient works of literature. It looks at how "The Lord of the Rings" saga shares its origins of heroic myth in the classic literature that Tolkien admired, studied and taught. It discusses how the "Beowulf" saga is probably the most recognized today of those studied by Tolkien. Iceland's Poetic Edda and Old Norse Mythology are also reviewed.
From the Paper "Tolkien himself acknowledged The Kalevala as an influence for some of his ideas. The Kalevala is an epic poem, which Elias Lonnrot in the 19th century said that he had compiled from Finnish folk sources. It is commonly called The Finnish National Epic and is one of the most significant works of Finnish-language literature. The Kalevala is a Finnish epic put together in the 19th century from traditional stories and myths that had been handed down through families. It tells of a hero, Vainamoinin, and his adventures. Magic and magical beings, good and evil, and treasure to be sought (the Sampo) that would provide for all men, are recorded in this great epic poem. "
Abstract The paper discusses voter turnout, which is important for the proper functioning of any legitimate democracy, defined as a government "of and by the people". There are many contributing factors to the level of voter participation, but this paper is concerned primarily with public institutions that have a profound effect on the willingness of voters to participate. The paper shows that electoral institutions are the most important characteristics that contribute to the size of the voting public. This paper demonstrates the relationship between electoral systems and voter turnout by examining various democracies around the world and choosing two that have a significant difference in the chosen independent variable. Four graphs are included with the paper.
Outline:
Electoral System
Civic Culture
Socio-Economic Standing
Population Size
Mandatory Voting
Registration Restrictions
Canada and Iceland Conclusion
From the Paper "Anyone familiar with scientific methodology knows that correlation is not the same as causation. Guy Peters explained this very well, "Finding significant statistical correlations... is rarely a problem for social researchers. What is more of a problem is determining whether those correlations are empirically and theoretically meaningful; that is, can we say confidently that X causes Y, or whether they are the product of other, unmeasured, variables...". There are theoretical explanations for the link between electoral system and voter turnout".
Tags: average, turnout, highest, quintile, registered, populations, violating, law
