Abstract This paper will discuss the novel "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jane Auel and explore the gender issues that arise through the relationships that exist between the characters in the story. By analyzing these points in the tale, we can see how the story takes on many levels in the spectrum of communications that are portrayed between the main characters. Also, an explanation of how Ayla adapts after being exiled from her tribe will be discussed to further illuminate the objectives of the author.
Abstract This paper analyzes the historical context and significance of Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart", which chronicles the impact of colonialism on the Igbo clan of Nigeria. It discusses how a foreign and alien culture destroys the values and customs of a conquered people.
Abstract This paper looks at how in Chapter 7 of Darrell William Davis' "Picturing Japaneseness: Monumental Style, National Identity, Japanese Film", Davis analyzes the film "The Abe Clan" (1938) in terms of its complex portrayal of ritual suicide.
From the Paper "The film can be read to show how historical appropriation can be used as a tool of propaganda of the state. The film is not primarily interesting for its accuracy in its depiction of feudal Japan. Rather, the potency of the film for viewers of the 1930s was its ability to move the audience believe in a myth, what Davis calls a canonized view of feudal Japanese ethics. The surface reading of the film is a romanticized, simplistic and beautiful vision that celebrates the virtues of the hierarchical family system and the worship of a daimyo that functions as a stand-in for the Japanese figure of the Emperor, for whom ordinary Japanese soldiers and civilians would later, in wartime propaganda, be encouraged to die for. "
Abstract This paper discusses how the initial experiment to 'Westernize' the African country of Somalia was successful, as Britain and Italy did not change the pastoral, clan system of social and political order. It examines how the Cold War introduced both democracy and socialism to Somalia and how the Somali experiment in post-Cold War government was cluttered with millions of dollars of aid from outside sources. It looks at how when the sources of aid disappeared with the end of the Cold War, Somalia was left with a dictator without bargaining power and a clan system strong enough to overthrow him. It evaluates how with the overthrow of the Somali dictatorship and no central government, years of famine and no means to support the infrastructure of the company, Somalia fell into civil war.
From the Paper "Throughout the 1980's Barre declared war on the all clans in Northeast Somalia, specifically the Isaaq clan. After Barre lost the Ogaden War he knew popular opinion saw him as a weak leader. In order maintain power he turned his back on his socialist experiment and turned into a ruthless dictator. People were maimed, killed, tortured and many fled to Ethiopia. U.S. foreign policy under the Reagan administration was to preserve peace. Most of the emphasis on African foreign policy was in South Africa and fighting Apartheid. According to U.S. foreign policy makers, Somalia's best hope for peace under a centralized government was under the leadership of Barre."
Tags: africa, mogadishu, shermaake, somaliland, third, usmaan, world
Abstract This paper discusses the rise of the Klu Klux Klan and how it has influenced the establishment of other hate groups in the United States. It also analyzes the reason why these groups find support from certain sectors in the community. The paper gives a review of historical moments when the Klan was powerful and when it was not, and analyzes the reason for this.
From the paper:
"The Ku Klux Klan adopted its name from the Greek word, ?kuklos,? meaning circle, and the English word, ?clan,? meaning tribe. The Klan's main philosophy was superiority but often, the group used violence and terrorist activity to exercise their sense of superiority over blacks. The Klan strongly opposed any rights that were gained by blacks flowing the Civil War, and harassed blacks that attempted to vote in elections or exercise any other rights."
From the Paper The Ku Klux Klan adopted its name from the Greek word, ?kuklos,? meaning circle, and the English word, ?clan,? meaning tribe. The Klan's main philosophy was superiority but often, the group used violence and terrorist activity to exercise their sense of superiority over blacks. The Klan strongly opposed any rights that were gained by blacks flowing the Civil War, and harassed blacks that attempted to vote in elections or exercise any other rights.
Abstract This paper examines culture, society, and gender roles in Chinua Achebe's novel about survival of native clans in pre-colonial societies along the Niger River in "Things Fall Apart". The author discusses how Igbo tribal members dealt with gender restrictions.
From the Paper "Achebe's use of the motif "agbala" in Things Fall Apart showed the importance of clear and distinct gender roles to the survival of the Igbo. In spite of Okonkwo's profound fear of being seen as weak or womanly, most men in the male dominated society still accorded respect toward women. The roles were re-enforced among the Igbo through conscious identification with one's own gender, by the religious structure and the social mores. The language, specifically the terms and phrases they used which were reflected in the narration, effectively integrated gender, religion and social mores to help the Igbo survive as a people."
Abstract An analysis of the importance of color and setting in the story and how this impacts the entire work. Each color is examined for its significance and symbolism - red house, brown dress, colorless Virgin Mary etc. Each of these articles reflect an important motif in the story. The overall setting of the story, in the 1920's southern America make these colors even more significant - with racism abundant.
From the Paper "There are some stories which would not be themselves were they to have a different setting or another color scheme. What would the Fall of the House of Usher be, should we ask, if there were no house? Or A Rose for Emily without her decrepit mansion? In others, the setting and background matter so little that they might safely be disposed of, and transferred to another time and place altogether. Romeo and Juliet, for example, has safely survived being set in every time and place imaginable, and the story survives intact. The setting in Toni Morrison's 1920 is not so loud and forward with itself as are such atmospheric classics as the former, but neither is it set in such a disembodied place as the latter. While the setting at first seems shy to reveal itself, declared only in tiny snatches of color and briefly glanced over descriptions, it nonetheless controls the story in both a real and a metaphorical fashion. For this is a tale of places, and of going places, and of being changed by them. It is also a story of the times. Finally, and transcendently, it is a story about color: color as a racial issue, as an environmental fact, as a metaphorical vein of expression, and as a created of place."
Abstract Rationality in the pursuit of goals is ensured on the one hand by rewarding departments that stick closer to the organizational goal with a larger budget, and by punishing departments that do not, with a smaller budget. Secondly, rationality is achieved by controlling the people working in the organization either by measuring their output (output control) by supervising them (process control) or by selecting, employing or training people in such a way that they believe in the mission and the overall objectives of the organization (clan control). Thirdly, reward systems are put in place, which remunerate people for helping to achieve the organizational goals. Examples of these are executive bonuses and stock options. It is widely believed, that through these measures it is possible to align the human resources of the organization with the organization's goals and thus ensure a rational pursuit of the goals that have been set. Thus an organization that has the appropriate systems in place is assumed to be characterized by the rational pursuit of organizational goals.
From the Paper "The view that organisations are characterised by the rational pursuit of some specific goal, is very prominent in organisation theory and in management literature. Pioneered by Frederick Taylor in his Scientific Management theory, it assumes that there is one best way to achieve a specific goal. A large amount of management literature supports this approach by suggesting procedures by which this "one best way" can be found. "
Abstract A paper which investigates many British/European myths and folk heroes including Beowulf, the Arthurian Legend and its key players, Celtic Mythology (in particular the clan of the Tuatha De Danann and its patron mythological gods), and Robin Hood.
From the Paper "Marius Barbeau once marveled that ?"whenever a lullaby is sung to a child; whenever a ditty, a riddle, a tongue-twister, or a counting-out rime is used in the nursery or at school, folklore in its purest form is being employed" (qtd. in Leach 2:398). Barbeau's observation that even the simplest idiosyncrasies of life are based upon ancient rituals of folklore is a truly intriguing thought. The concept of folklore, in general terms, consists of the beliefs, customs, superstitions, proverbs, riddles, songs, myths, legends, tales, magic, witchcraft, and all other practices of the common people in a civilized society (Leach 2:399). Folklore is particularly rich in the regions of Great Britain, an area whose legends have molded some of the most recognizable folk heroes in history. The mythology in the British Isles has been passed to modern cultures primarily through the writings of the Welsh where it was recorded in the tenth century ("British Mythology"). This growing collection of legendary British fact and fiction has culminated into a culture whose history is alive with intriguing tales of renowned folk heroes. Many folk heroes of Britain truly remain as interesting and influential today as when they first emerged into history."
From the Paper "This paper analyzes and compares The Epic of Son-Jara: A West African Tradition and The Mande Blacksmiths: Knowledge. Power, and Art in West Africa, two books that take quite different approaches to examining two of the groups of clan families that specialize in the Mande community in West Africa. The Epic of Son-Jara records a meticulous translation of the oral tradition of storytelling crucial to the community's recording and preservation of its history. The translation is drawn from a performance by a jeli or griot, a professional bard trained to tell the epic story of the legendary figure who founded the civilization more than 750 years ago. The Mande Blacksmiths is a more conventional examination of another of the four hereditary clan families within Mande society, the numuw, professional blacksmith/sculptors who also hold a distinct place in Mande..."
Abstract Squash is a game that developed as a tournament sport in this century and which has achieved considerable popularity in much of the world. That popularity is much greater in certain regions of the world, notably those that are British or that were under British rule earlier in this century.
From the Paper "Introduction
Squash is a game that developed as a tournament sport in this century and which has achieved considerable popularity in much of the world. That popularity is much greater in certain regions of the world, notably those that are British or that were under British rule earlier in this century. The game has been dominated form the first by several major players and by a number of players from one family, the Khans of Pakistan. Hashim Khan was a major player in the 1950s and helped contribute to the growth of the game and especially to its great popularity in his native Pakistan. Jahangir Khan took his place in the family pantheon beginning in the 1980s, and he has been followed by another in the family, Jansher. Hashim Khan changed the nature of the game of Squash as it had ben played to that time in the..."
Abstract This paper summarizes the major events, characters and themes throughout this classic novel, "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua which chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a prominent tribesman in the Ibo clan who lives in the Umuofia village of Nigeria. The paper shows that since this book was first published in 1958, in the midst of the struggles of many African nations for independence, it has been extremely influential on definitions of fashion, status and material culture.
From the Paper "Through the eyes of this proud, aggressive man we get a detailed view of what life was like in Umuofia, and watch his greatest fears manifest themselves as the culture, beliefs, and traditions of his people are destroyed with the coming of the white man. The story is written to show that these traditions were just as legitimate as those of their European conquerors and reveals how barbaric and hypocritical the Europeans were in trying to destroy them. The novel is divided into three parts; the first describes Okonkwo's background, his fear of failure, his family's lifestyle and responsibilities within the tribe. The second describes his exile from Umuofia, and the last describes his return home to find his tribe divided by the whites? arrival."
A comparative analysis of the marriage patterns among the Yanomamo of South America, the San people of the Kalahari, the Sherpas of Nepal and the residents of the sidewalks of New York City.
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the marriage patterns and ceremonies among four very different societies ? the Yanomamo of South America, the San people of the Kalahari, the Sherpas of Nepal and the residents of the sidewalks of New York City. It examines the traditions of each society in turn from how the strictures prohibit marriage among parallel cousins because Yanomami descent is traced patrilineally to polygamy amongst the Sherpas. It show how in an age where globalization is suspect, the similarity in rules governing who to marry, the role of women in the rituals of dating and marriage and the "ownership" of women by their husband's family all show how few concepts in the world remain as truly global as patriarchy.
From the Paper "Like the Yanomamos, the Sherpas of Nepal have exogamic restrictions governing marriage. Ethnographer Sherry Ortner identifies 18 distinct clans among the Sherpas. Clan identity is inherited from the father and there are strict rules against marrying within the same clan. Unlike the small communal society of the Yanomamo, the Sherpas are divided into different castes. Traditional marriages arranged by parents are still the norm. However, Sherpa life moved away from agriculture as "most Himalayan expeditions throughout the twentieth century have relied on people called Sherpas for general portering, skilled high-altitude portering, and all-around expedition support" (Ortner). The consent of marriage partners became more important and there are also increasing instances of Sherpas marrying Nepalis from outside the Sherpa community."
Abstract This research paper compares and analyzes the cultural and institutional change among the Powhatans and the Southeastern Nation Indians during the 19th century. In this paper, the pre-colonial cultural and institutional structures are explored to determine their potential change. Then a brief description of the changes of the two groups of Indians is examined and compared.
From the Paper "The Powhatans were a farming people who lived a stable lifestyle, governed by an orderly government. Women were responsible for the cultivation of the fields, while the men hunted and fished (Rountree 5). They prided themselves on their possessions by wearing deer hides that were decorated with different ornaments (Rountree 7). External clothing and decorations were also used to delineate the social hierarchy on special occasions. The different rulers were also expected to be addressed with specific special behavior (Rountree 9)."
Abstract This essay - discussing the life and art of Kano Tanyu (1602-1674) - will argue that Tanyu represents a classic example of the function of patronage in the production of art. In 17th century Japan the styles and subjects of art differed depending upon the class who were to be the designated audience for the art. The Kano family had tied its fortunes to the ruling Tokugawa clan from an early date; Tanyu's artist father having moved to Edo at the order of the shogun.
