Abstract
This paper examines the lives of women in colonial America by studying this unique work which is written in diary form by a woman named Martha Ballard. The aim of the author of this book was to show historians that information about women in this period does exist, as they are often over-looked in history books. This paper shows how this book is a rich source of the personal and social struggles of women in this era.

From the Paper
"Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's strips away the justification that historians often call on to validate their disregard of women's lives in colonial America, which the essential documents do not exist. Perceptively creatively combing through household inventories, account book, court files, indentures, captivity recounting and men's diaries. The author shows the complex richness and truth of women role and lets the modern reader listen to women voices from their oral traditions. Ulrich is immersed in the homely information of the colonial life. She shows a genuine appreciation of colonial society imparting the multiple contradictions of its patriarchal, hierarchical and common values, its religiosity and earthiness."

Tags:colonial, america, history, author, housewife, mistress, mother, children, care, society, struggle

Abstract
The paper examines how Ballard uses symbols and the introduction of dream states throughout the story of "The Overloaded Man" to reinforce themes of isolation and dissociation that is caused by modernity, technology and war in society that can destroy human connections and sanity. The paper discusses how dissociation is this story is seen as both a powerful coping mechanism that can disract from the terror of reliving certain memories, but one that also destroys intimacy.

From the Paper
"One of the main themes in J.G Ballard's `The overloaded man' is the duality of the internal psychology of the mind and the external world of reality. Throughout the story, the reader gets the sense that the internal psychology is affected by the external world in which we live, and that the difference between the world we live in and the world in which we fantasy about can be destructive if the two are dissimilar. A second major theme throughout the story is the destructive force of technology and how technology destroys human connection resulting in isolation. Ballard uses both symbolism and the introduction of dream states in `The Overloaded..."

Tags:symbolism, theme, ballard

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses J.G. Ballard's short story "The Voices of Time". The writer focuses on the themes of surrealism and inner space that commingle in this work. The writer notes that the setting Ballard selects for "The Voices of Time" intensifies the surrealist atmosphere of the story, revealing the supernatural in the natural. In addition, the writer maintains that this setting shows how the core themes of the story of evolution and time become manifest most poignantly in the human mind. Further, the writer discusses that the surrealistic imagery throughout "The Voices of Time" is nothing but the human mind grappling with its own mortality and relative insignificance in relation to the grandeur of the universe at large.

From the Paper
"Ballard describes Powers' death with precision, blending surrealism with inner space and encapsulating the mood of the entire short story. Death and mortality are keys to understanding Powers' mind, because although he is surrounded by oddities and distortions of form and reality, Powers is fundamentally human. Acutely aware of his impending death, Powers spends his last moments engaged in a sublime meditation. Although he has witnessed some of the most grotesque abnormalities possible, although he has transformed human consciousness to the point of eradicating sleep from Kaldren's life, Powers retains a sense of wonder for the world. Seen through his eyes, the world comes alive with fantastic and surreal impact."

Tags:imagery, Powers, evolution, time

Abstract
This paper examines how the novel "Crash" by J.G. Ballard is one of the postmodernist literary works that manages to put together a wide array of notions and feelings that the postmodern society breeds, such as alienation, technological dependency (and all deriving from this), grotesque fetishes and the overall feeling of loneliness that derives that the perception that the lack of moral coordinates permits you to experiment anything. It looks at how the story analyzes a car-crash sexual fetishism that the main characters practice and which involves being aroused (as well as connected sexual acts) when real car crashes occur.

From the Paper
"With the underlying belief that everything is permitted, the modern or the postmodern individual is willing to go along with all types of experiments that are likely to help in his quest for continuous development. The sexual fetish presented here is clearly abnormal, especially since it is not a remote sexual practice, but the individual permissiveness allows for this to happen. At the same time, it almost becomes a new normality for the group, a normality which is accepted as such (or rather not discussed) by the group. This new normality accepts all things that are seen as abnormalities by the other members of society. This could be a thesis that Ballard supports throughout the novel: the relativism of normality, the incapacity of accepting a basic set of clearly valid and generally accepted moral norms. "

Tags:sexual, fetish, normality

Abstract
This paper discusses racial prejudice and discrimination against African-Americans as it is portrayed in three literary works. The paper discusses Richard Wright's "Native Son," Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin In The Sun" and Lanston Hughes' poem, "Ballard of the Landlord." The paper discusses the themes of each literary piece and the experiences of the African-American characters in them.

From the Paper
"The characters in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun experience a form of racial prejudice similar to the Thomases. Mama had always dreamed of owning her own home, one that she could leave as a legacy for her family. Throughout her entire life she has rented a worn-out apartment. When Mama and Walter had initially moved into their current apartment, they were not planning on living there for more than one year. Years later the couch is covered with doilies to hide the fading upholstery, and a table or chair has been moved to hide worn-out places in the carpet. The condition of the house is very similar to the house in "Ballad of the Landlord". When Mama mentions moving to a two-story house that has a yard Ruth says, "Well, Lord knows, we've put enough rent into this here rent trap to pay for four houses by now..." (Hansberry 44). All family members agree the house is a "rat trap" (Hansberry 45). Mama finally takes the money and fulfills her dream of buying a house. "It's just a plain little old house - but it's made good and solid - and it will be ours... it makes a difference in a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him." (Hansberry 92). Mama has never owned anything of value, and now she has something that she can proud to leave her children."

Tags:prejudice, race, characters

Abstract
This paper is a book review of J.G. Ballard's, "Empire of the Sun". It examines the theme of ambivalence in a world that is made fragile by war and constantly changing alliances. It discusses what separates this novel from the typical war or action-adventure novel.

Abstract
This paper examines two readings: Anne Fadiman's "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" and Brown et al.'s "Culture, Ethnicity and the Practice of Medicine". The paper endeavors to outline the reader's responses to them. Specifically, the paper notes how these course materials have forced the reader to reconsider the wisdom of allowing cultural biases to inform her understanding of what constitutes the proper practice of medicine.

From the Paper
"What I hope to convey over the next few pages is how these two works have made me appreciate just how much our individual notions of medicine - chiefly, what works and what does not work - are culturally determined. More than that, these two works made me understand how it is less ignorance that leads some cultures to treat illnesses in different ways as it is cultural moorings that are almost impossible for any of us to eschew. "

Tags:culture, ethnicity, medicine

From the Paper
" This study will examine Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale, The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812. Specifically, the study will consider the ways in which medicine, social convention and economics are inextricable parts of the diary, and the effect that such areas of concern have on the reader's understanding of Ballard's society and women's position in it. The study will argue that, indeed, medicine, social convention, and economics as described in the book reveal much about the control over society which men held in Ballard's era and about the interior position of women in that society.
This does not mean, however, as in the example of medicine, that women were entirely excluded, or had no power whatsoever. The book shows that while "Male physicians are easily identified in town records and, even in Martha's diary, by the title.."

Abstract
The paper provides a summary of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and focuses on one of the most contentious components of the First Amendment, the guarantee of a freedom of religion. The paper examines the Supreme Court cases of "US v. Ballard", "Minersville School District v. Gobitis" and "Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens". The paper shows how Supreme Court rulings have generally set clearer boundaries limiting the government's intervention and control of religion, though some cases have had the opposite effect.

Outline:
Full Text
Summary
Ratification
Freedom of Religion
US v. Ballard
Minersville School District v. Gobitis
Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens
The Changing Interpretation

From the Paper
"Along with the Second through Tenth Amendments (with which the first are known collectively as the Bill of Rights), the First Amendment was ratified by the various state legislatures on December 15, 1791, shortly (in relative legal terms) after the Constitutional Convention (US Constitution Online).
"One of the most contentious components of the First Amendment is the guarantee of a freedom of religion. There are actually two separate components to this freedom; the First Amendment both guarantees a freedom from the establishment of religion by the government and the freedom for individual citizens to practice whatever religion they choose in almost any way they choose. Though related, these two freedoms actually play out independently in many instances, and both have led to more than their fair share of controversy over the centuries.
"The intent behind this component of the First Amendment was to prevent any official or mandated religion from taking place. Many of the original colonists that had come to this land did so because they had been persecuted in their home countries for their religious beliefs, and these two separate guarantees were included to make sure similar situations couldn't happen here. The success of these efforts, as Supreme Court cases show, has been mixed."

Tags:government, liberty

Abstract
This paper evaluates Southcorp Limited. It discusses the difficulties experienced by Southcorp in many areas of its management, and as a result, its large financial losses. The paper examines Southcorp's business activities and looks at the reasons for Southcorp's expansion and analyzes the problems associated with expansion. The paper explains that in an attempt to improve its results, Southcorp has re-organised its management, which includes removal of one level of middle management, and the appointment of John Ballard as Chief Executive Officer. The paper shows how Mr Ballard has implemented Project Veraison, which is designed to improve Southcorp's performance by reducing costs in 50 key areas of the business. The paper includes pie charts, maps, tables and appendices.

Outline:
General information about Southcorp Limited.
Business Activities
Reasons for Expansion: Minimising Competitive Risk, Development of Global Consumer Markets, Creating Economies of Scale, Changing Government Regulations, Technology.
Methods of Expansion: Expansion, Diversification, Foreign Direct Investment.
Issues/Problems Associated with Expansion: Social/Cultural Issues, Political Issues, Legal Issues, Economic Issues.
Success/Failure of Southcorp's Expansion Program
Financial Management: Methods of Payment, Credit Risks, Hedging, Derivatives, Insurance, Obtaining Finance
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Southcorp began operations as an independent company in 1993, after it separated from its parent company, South Australian Brewing. Southcorp became Australia's largest wine producer in 2002. During the mid 1990s, Southcorp diversified its operations into industries such as electrical goods, water heating and packaging. These diverse operations were a financial disaster and costly to the business, and in the late 1990s Southcorp began do divest itself of all its non-wine related businesses. In February 2001 Southcorp announced an AU$1.5 billion merger/takeover with Rosemount Estates, "the most successful wine company in the world in terms of [the size of its] return on equity"3. However, the merger has been described as "nothing short of a disaster" after disappointing financial results. The Rosemount Estate brand name, for example, was revalued at only AU$340 million (AU$240 million down from before the merger), and, partly because of this, the company recorded an AU$922.9 million loss for the Financial Year ending June 30, 2003 (FY2003)."

Tags:business, activities, economies, of, scale, technology, foreign, investment