Abstract This paper examines the new monetary unit in Europe, the euro. The author looks at the groundwork that led up to creating a common monetary system, the methods of circulation, the coins' designs and denominations, and the problems that may arise from the system.
From the Paper "On January 1, 2002 over 300 million European citizens saw the Euro transform from a virtual currency into reality. Twelve countries ended their use of individual currency and joined forces in creating a uniform monetary system. These twelve countries are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Britain, Sweden and Denmark choose not to switch to the Euro. The creation and implementation of the Euro was a long and tedious process that began in 1958 with the Treaty of Rome. The objective of this treaty was to create a common European market, which would benefit the regional economy by bringing these countries closer together economically."
Tags:coins, currency, money, exchange, silver, uniform, nickel, market, system
Abstract This paper discusses how "manifest destiny" was a term coined by President Polk to disguise his intentions of getting as much territory as he could. The author feels that President Polk goaded Mexico into a war that easily could have been avoided as the Americans saw that it was their right and necessity to keep expanding westward into Mexico's land and Spanish territory. This paper examines the events of the 1840s, when U.S. President James Polk wanted to purchase Mexican territories of California and New Mexico for annexing them to America. It shows that upon Mexico's refusal to sell that piece of land, the United States invaded Mexico, defeated it and forcibly occupied about half of the Mexican territory. The war, which started in 1846, ended with the defeat of Mexico and signing of a treaty at Guadeloupe Hidalgo in 1848. The paper shows how, according to the treaty, Mexico had to hand over Texas, New Mexico and California, thus being deprived of about one half of its own territory and a vast treasure of land and natural resources.
From the Paper "Looking back we see that the American greed for land did not subside with the conquest of Mexico. With the discovery of gold in and around California, Americans began to migrate [referred to as the Gold Rush in history], towards California. To speed up the migration process, the need of railroads was identified. President Franklin Pierce dispatched James Gadsden to Mexico to strike a deal for the purchase of those lands, which lay south of Gila River between the borders of the two nations. Because Mexico had still not overcome the effects of their defeat of 1848 and because the government there was in absolute need of money, it agreed to the sale of a huge triangle of land across southern Arizona and New Mexico at a total cost of $10 million. In history this deal is known as Gasden Purchase."
Tags: Guadeloupe, Hidalgo, Mexican, American, War, James, Polk
Abstract This paper will seek to understand the new development of the "Axis of evil" that has been coined by the new President Bush. By understanding the competing views on this very serious political statement, we can understand the Party platforms that are being created in the disagreement on the how to view the Middle Eastern world. By showing the definite problems with this 'axis', we can understand how power plays a large part into the domination that the United States seeks in the oil industry, and can largely be defined though this medium.
Abstract This paper details how money as a tool was born and what significance it played in people's lives throughout the times. This paper also provides a definition of the concept and how it has evolved over time. The paragraphs below explain how the concept of money has provided a foundation for today's global culture. This paper explores how this concept has become misunderstood and intangible over time. By understanding the history of money, one can take with them a better grasp of how to handle the current economic environment. With hope, maybe this understanding can lead to change within the present economy.
Introduction
Definition of Money
Early Coins Early Banking
Paper Money
American Monetary System
Intangible Money
Conclusion
From the Paper "There is a common misconception among people that money means something or has value in our culture. In today's current economic environment and age of speed of light technologies that bring people closer together than ever before, it is difficult to imagine that money does not have any real value. It really depends on one's concept or definition of money. Right now in this day and age where the system is failing so many as the cost of living grows higher and the average wage stays the same, it is easy for one to become obsessed with the notion of money being valuable. A wise man once told me that money is a tool and how you chose to use will define your character. He also expanded this idea by elaborating money as a tool can make things happen, rather those things are good or bad is entirely put to the person handling the money. With this in mind, it is easy to see how wrapped up society has become in money and how it works. Now more than ever, money seems so fluid and intangible as it can take on many forms, not just paper but bursts of light over a telecommunications wire or the magnetic strip of a debt card. It is seems now more than ever as the relationship of supply and demand of money becomes twisted, people need a better understanding of how money came to be so important."
An examination of the concepts of sociological imagination, a term coined by C. Wright Mills, and social action, explained by Max Weber as they apply to prominent women in society.
Abstract This paper discusses the concepts of sociological imagination, coined by C. Wright Mills and social action, explained by Max Weber. The paper discusses the philosophy of each approach and how it affects a person's actions in life. The paper then provides examples of prominent women in society and discusses how their beliefs and actions fit into these concepts.
Table of Contents:
The Sociological Imagination
Social Action
From the Paper "Social action plays a dominant role in the leadership and organization of social movements. Ella Baker, one of leading African American and civil rights activists of the 20th century, worked primarily as a behind-the-scenes organizer for such leaders as Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and W.E.B. DuBois. When she became field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1941, she was one of the central figures who pushed for the committee to decentralize itself and be more inclusive, during which time she traveled all over the country recruiting new members. Indeed, field action played a prominent role in the social activism of Ella Baker."
Abstract This paper discusses the two most common debates on how governments should be elected. Eastern Europe has been and continues to go through major, turbulent changes on its way to democracy. It became clear very early on that "simply" sitting down and thinking of a new way to govern was going to take a very long time. One of the earliest problems that needed to be solved, besides how to govern, was how to elect the new government. The two most common debates, then, were "President vs. Parliament" and "Proportional Representation vs. Majoritarian (or Pluralistic) Representation". This piece explores the merits and pitfalls on each side of both coins.
From the Paper "Both supporters of a presidential system and supporters of a parliamentary system agree on several elements of the governing systems. First, the more centralized the system, the quicker things get accomplished. It takes a lot more time for a verbal argument to be presented and debated in an assembly than for one man's synapses to fire in the decision making process. Behind the flagship democratic movement, Solidarity, was a single man, Lech Wal_sa, pushing decisions through. It is argued that this non-democratic form of decision making was necessary to achieve the desired result - that the end justified the means. Regardless, decisions were made quickly in response to the daily problems of mass strikes and city hall demonstrations. As for parliamentary systems, most scholars agree that strong, well-defined political parties are needed (Zielonka, 97). The world of parliamentary decision making is one of compromise and coalition. Without effective parties that reduce the number of shouting voices from hundreds to several, sessions of parliament can easily turn into personal "slugfests". Parties are just beginning to truly define themselves in Eastern Europe, emerging from the obsolete umbrellas that united them against a common enemy, and have not had the time to fully develop."
Abstract This paper looks at the death penalty. Both sides of the coin are discussed. The positive and negative effects lead the author to ask: Does the death penalty deter crime or does it have no effect other than on the executed criminal. With numerous examples.
From the Paper "Some time ago, a Texas journalist who had seen nearly two hundred people die in the electric chair over nearly thirty years declared that the death penalty is not a deterrent- the main claim for it. "The only person it deters," he believed, "is the man being executed." We should start by defining deterrence. It refers to an instance where an individual refrains from an act because he or she perceives a risk of punishment for the act and fears that punishment. Thus the deterrent effect of capital punishment is best evaluated in terms of the number of person prevented from committing a crime that would lead them to be penalized. So is there such a thing as the death penalty deterring society in general or was the Texas journalist right about the death penalty not having a deterrent effect on the general public?"
This paper traces the history of the development of the study of Sociology and examines the works of its founders , including Marx, Durkheim and Weber.
1,450 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 48.95
Abstract This paper provides a complete overview of the development of the science of sociology. It focuses on three major players - Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber and their influence on the early stages of the science. It shows how they they helped form the basis for the three general perspectives in sociology: conflict theory, functionalism, and interactionism.
From the paper:
"It was Auguste Comte (1789-1857) who coined the term ?sociology.? He believed this new science should study the question of "how is society possible"? (Bartek/Mullin14) He based his own science on the idea that society is composed of individuals in the same way as a line is composed of points. The focus must be on observations of society and the collections of those individuals. Because of Comte's work, other sociologists began to study the changes in society."
Tags: conflict, theory, functionalism, interactionism, development, history
Abstract This paper looks at this extraordinary book and attempts to understand the message the author is trying to send to modern society. It explains the new coined concept of "McDonaldization" and sees why this concept epitomizes the state of contemporary society.
From the Paper "In Mankind's attempt to unify the world under binding peace and lasting prosperity, we may homogenize ourselves to the point that we lose creativity, individuality, and certain inalienable freedoms. That's the subtle message and warning from George Ritzer, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland and author of the stunning, eye-opening book The McDonaldization of Society - An Investigation Into the Changing Character of Contemporary Social Life. The book is not designed to attack the fast-food restaurant giant or its ilk: it is designed to address a system that has been incorporated into American society and commerce that increases aspects productivity while binding certain freedoms. This system has not only spread throughout this country but is slowly infecting the world: people see this American system or model - first created by Henry Ford but honed and enhanced by Ray Kroc of McDonalds in the 1950's - as pro-active/can't lose money generating proposition. But this McDonald's Model, as Ritzer points out in his book, comes with a price tag: it simply affects various aspects of our society, its people and the laws, that - while producing some benefits (building commerce, creating jobs, improving productivity) - are harmful overall to the whole community and of who we are as Americans, or as a people."
Abstract This paper discusses the group of writers referred to as "The Lost Generation", among them Gertrude Stein, who coined the phrase. It examines the commonalities between these writers including their search for meaning, their moves to Paris, and the themes of their writings. The works of Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Elliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein are examined.
From the Paper "The name "The Lost Generation" comes from an epigraph to Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. In this epigraph, Gertrude Stein wrote ?you are all a lost generation.? This name stuck and refers to a group of writers, poets and artists who left post World War I America and relocated to Paris to live the Bohemian lifestyle (Kaiser).
The years following World War I are described as bringing "a highly vocal rebellion against established social, sexual, and aesthetic conventions and a vigorous attempt to establish new values" (Encyclopedia.com).
These writers had several things in common including that they "searched for meaning, drank excessively, had love affairs, and created some of the finest American literature to date" (Kaiser).
The Lost Generation also refers to the fact that these writers were culturally lost. Unable to find meaning they moved to Paris to try to find something greater. This is one of the common themes of their writing, with these themes being described as "spiritual alienation, self-exile, and cultural criticism" (Kaiser)."
Abstract This article tries to comprehend works of art and extract information about ancient cultures by looking at and making interpretations of the works. The writer explains that both are ancient works of art which have potential to tell much about their contemporary society.
From the Paper "The coin shows one side of a girl's face garlanded with four dolphins and Greek symbols. She has a wreath of olive leaves. Her eyes are not very intense. Her hair is prettily combed. Her ears seem to be hidden. But the ear-ring can be seen. Her nose is long. She is wearing a necklace of some beads. Her cheeks are large. Her mouth is slightly open. She does not show much feeling except, perhaps, calmness. Yet this is a forced interpretation since the face is actually quite expressionless. This very fact makes the calmness very eerie. It makes me uneasy if I look carefully. There even seems to be a small perhaps dangerous arrow on the back of her hair. She seems to be at one with nature. Perhaps that is what the dolphins signify. The dolphins look pretty cute. Her hair is so wavy. The circular arrangement of dolphins reminds me of the cycle of life. Perhaps the girl was a dolphin in her previous life or will be in her next life."
Abstract This paper compares the similarities of Pink Floyd's Dark side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz. The paper defends the idea that there was no intentional synchronization of the two pieces. This paper explores the facts and the myths that surround the cult like following of the phenomenon of synchronicity and what has been coined "The Dark Side of the Rainbow."
From the Paper "For more than 60 years people have been watching the MGM movie The Wizard of OZ, and for almost 25 years people have been listening to the album Dark Side of The Moon by the rock group Pink Floyd. It wasn?t until March of 1997 that a Disk Jockey in Boston mentioned on the air that if you sync the sounds of Dark Side of the Moon with the picture of The Wizard of Oz that there are many synchronistic occurrences. It is the intention of this paper to explore the facts and the myths that surround the cult like following of the phenomenon of synchronicity and what has been coined The Dark side of the Rainbow."
Abstract This paper reviews the character of Dr. Bledsoe in the novel "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison. The paper focuses on the term 'Bledsoing' which is coined by the narrator of the story, based on Dr. Beldsoe's beliefs and actions. The paper describes the character, Dr. Bledsoe, in order to illustrate the meaning of the term 'bledsoing'. The paper illustrates how the term is used in a negative fashion to convey the narrator's feelings.
From the Paper "The narrator of "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison uses the term "Bledsoing" to refer to a set of beliefs and actions. The term comes from Dr. Bledsoe, a character in the novel who believes that the black person should act in a way that suits the white man and achieves what appears to be a successful life by doing this. At the same time though, Dr. Bledsoe suppresses his individuality and rejects other black people. The narrator refers to this set of beliefs and actions as ?Bledsoing.? In using this term, the narrator is rejecting Dr. Bledsoe as a model of true success and beginning the process of finding his own way in life and especially, finding his individuality."
Abstract The paper provides a background to the time period in which Plato lived and shows how the events of the time influenced his thinking and actions. The paper then examines his philosophies by dividing them into three sections: the Socratic, the Platonic, and the Late philosophies. The paper also describes Plato's other contributions to the world. It describes how he tried to educate the public by establishing his own academy of learning and mentions his influence on Mathematics.
From the Paper "One item that can often be overlooked with Plato, is not only the content of his philosophies but the way he presents them. They are not written as complex papers but instead in simple dialogue form. The Macmillan Encyclopedia describes Plato's works as ?dramatic dialogues of outstanding literary merit.? The presentation of these arguments express his ideas while also being engaging and interesting to read. In the dialogue form, they read as if Plato is having a conversation with himself."
Abstract The paper begins with a thesis statement. It then moves on to look at the history of the use of abortion as a means of birth control. The work of Margaret Sanger, who opened one of the first family planning clinics, is discussed. Some present-day abortion statistics are quoted and the health risks involved in abortion are studied. The arguments both for and against abortion are explored and the Roe vs. Wade case, a landmark case that decided the outcome of abortion's legality, is referred to. The paper lists reasons why women would choose abortion and concludes by summing up the two sides of the abortion coin.
From the Paper "Women's reproductive rights have been an issue for a number of years. From Margaret Sanger, the first proponent of birth control, to Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision on abortion, and many things between and since, abortion has been a heated topic, both in the media and in the hearts and minds of people. Those who are pro-life are opponents of abortion. Those who are pro-choice are proponents of abortion. The pro-life and the pro-choice proponents cannot find anything upon which to agree. One believes the fetus is a living, viable being from the moment of conception, while the other believes that the woman has a right to choose what happens to her body. There are pros and cons to both sides of this issue. Although abortions are being performed legally, there continues to be a stigma attached to this act. In fact, the issue of abortion is just as heated today as it has ever been."
