Abstract The papers contained here are: "A National Memorial Commemorating the Dead", "Euthanasia", "The Role of Humor in Death", "Day of the Dead", "Acculturation and the Sociology of Death and Dying", and "Organ Donation".
Abstract Throughout the world, nations have used their history to help form a national identity. History has been manipulated by presenters and politicians to promote perceived societal ideals, to orientate political ideologies, and to build a power base. The paper examines how this ability is clearly seen in Japan and the Yasukuni Shrine. The paper shows that the shrine, founded in 1869, is the resting place of roughly 2.5 million Japanese who gave their lives in the service of their country dating from the Meiji Restoration period.
From the Paper "Since the end of the Pacific War, Japan has been rife with debate over the position of government with respect to the shrine. In 1979, the two sides became more divided with the enshrinement of fourteen class A war criminals at Yasukuni. Yet much of the controversy lies in the rhetoric used by the Japanese government and in the shrine. Far from admitting to the crimes of its kami and appeasing the progressives, the Yasukuni website claims that "there were also 1,068 'Martyrs of Showa' who were cruelly and unjustly tried as war criminals by a sham-like tribunal of the Allied forces (United States, England, the Netherlands, China and others)."
Abstract In this article, the writer examines how far practices associated with funerals and commemoration changed in early modern England. The writer notes that by comparing practices surrounding death, both before and after the Reformation, the essay points to the need to differentiate between religious attitudes, on the one hand, and social and political necessity, on the other, as a way of arriving at a more precise and mutually-inclusive understanding of what constitutes change.
From the Paper "By implication, much of the reason why preparation for death, the Final Moments, and funeral arrangements proved so arduous as well extravagant was because all these were geared toward helping the dying and the deceased attain salvation. More specifically, the Catholic practice of preparing for death involved the profession of faith and the confession of sins; it saw the dying receive absolution and, if physically able, take part in the Holy Eucharist; it involved priests anointing eyes, ears, nose, lips, hands and feet with the sacraments which were accompanied by psalms and collects and the sprinkling of holy water; and it also bore witness to the dying express devotion to the crucifix. All of these were designed to prepare the dying for the trials and tribulations of a stint in purgatory where the fate of the deceased hung tantalizingly in the balance. Even after death, the dead were, in many ways, still very much "alive". By leaving behind wills, which provided endowments to family, church and poor, testators could oblige the living to intercede for them. For without the prayers of the living the deceased would not be able to withstand the rigours of purgatory."
Abstract In this article, the writes examines "Monuments to the Lost Cause--Women, Arts and the Landscapes of Southern Memory" which consists of a series of fourteen scholarly essays regarding commemorative Civil War monuments. The writer discusses the authors' interest in historians giving a multifaceted perspective to the monuments, including a history of their creation, why women so often lead the charge for commemoration and the African-American response to the statues. The writer concludes that the book persuasively suggests that through collective associations such as The Daughters of the Confederacy, women found a voice in the public discourse, albeit one that was socially acceptable because it was in the name of a dead cause.
From the Paper "Of course, one of the reasons for the devotion of artistic critiques to Northern sculptures is that many of the most important sculptors were working primarily in the North following the war, because the North was the winning side and had the greater financial resources. However, Simpson and Mills note that the South still has abundant public commemorative sculptures despite this. The authors suggest that perhaps, as a chronicle of the losing side, these sculptures not only pose features of interest, but perhaps even of greater interest, as they help the gazer understand the appeal of the Confederate cause amongst many Southern whites today. Diversity and speculation are thus the themes of the book, rather than drawing a singular conclusion."
Abstract This paper examines architecture with all its elements and styles. It examines how some structures are strictly utilitarian whilst other structures are designed to commemorate historic or mythological persons or events, and/or inspire feelings of awe, pride, sadness, or even anger. The writer focuses monumental structures and responses they evoke.
From the paper:
?These structures are monumental. According to "A Dictionary of Architecture", a monumental is ?a building intended as a monument or looking like one; or a building that is formal, impressive, very large, and permanent, probably intended to overawe.? This monumentality, seen so clearly in the architecture of ancient Rome, is also a vital element of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.?
Abstract This paper discusses the speech made by Frederick Douglass regarding black Americans and the fourth of July. The writer examines the arguments presented by Douglass as to why black Americans should not celebrate the 4th of July.
From the Paper "When Douglass proclaimed that the Fourth of July is not a commemoration of independence for the slaves, but a commemoration of American slavery's injustices and inequality, he supported this argument by saying that the American nation's ?high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us.? He also questions his audience if "the great principles of political freedom" embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?? Douglass poses these statements to his audience because the American nations are the ones who tolerated American slavery, a contrast to what the principles of their Constitution holds."
Tags: slavery, constitution, independence, black, white
Abstract This paper discusses the ritual of bloodletting which was prevelant in the Mayan civilization, an ancient native American culture that dates back to AD 300 to 900. It examines how each major event in the lives of the Mayan people was sanctified by their self-mutilation. Bloodletting was used to commemorate temples being dedicated, crops being planted, babies being born and marriages being consecrated. It shows how through its beginning, its peak, and its ruin, bloodletting was something done in reverence for their gods and done out of respect for their religious beliefs and how it was not a savage, destructive ritual, but a meaningful one.
From the Paper "Maya communities exist today, and they still believe their lives and destinies are tied directly into their family, kin, community and to the supernatural world of their gods (Sharer 128-130). Each important step in their lives is still marked by elaborate and sacred rituals, as they were in ancient times (Sharer 129). While the nuclear family is still the heart of their foundation ? that is the man, his wife, and their children ? Mayan families have always included the more extended version of family. Their social groupings are based on their lineage ? depending on what male has been born into what family. While government has changed now, in the past, political offices were passed from father to son, brother to brother, and so forth."
Abstract May 17, 1994, marks the fortieth anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, which was argued and won by Thurgood Marshall, whose passion and presence emboldened the Little Rock struggle. The paper examines Melba Patillo Beals commemoration of the milestone decision in her first-person account of the violent confrontation that helped shape the civil rights movement. In "Warriors Don't Cry" by Melba Patillo Beals, Beals' depiction of racism in Little Rock, Arkansas, reveals that she was not only a student during the Civil Rights Movement but also had to be a warrior who fought against segregation in the South. By examining Beals' memoirs, the paper shows how her real life experiences, particularly her experiences with desegregation, closely approximate the idea of a warrior.
From the Paper "In the beginning, the element of the warrior in Beals is directly related to the desegregation of her high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. In the book, there were two things that saved Beal when she walked in Little Rock High. One was the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, which "brought the promise of integration to Little Rock, Arkansas"(55). Yet, the ruling only paved the way for integration, the real battle was hard-won for the nine black teenagers chosen to be the front line in the desegregation of Central High School in 1957. These teenagers had to fight a battle that was both civil and governmental, fighting against a rampaging mob and the heavily armed Arkansas National Guard, dispatched by Governor Orval Faubus to subvert federal law and bar them from entering the school. The second thing that saved her was when President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded, "by sending in soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division, the elite "Screaming Eagles,"(177) which transformed Melba Patillo Beals and her eight friends into reluctant warriors on the battlefield of civil rights."
Tags: Arkansas, National, Guard, racism, Central, High
Abstract This paper reflects on the moral and ethical implications of the genocide against the Jews. The unfortunate experience of many European nations in the hands and oppression of the Nazis is incomprehensible if brought in a discussion of morality issues. Nonetheless, this paper states that the strength and spirit of the oppressed and prisoners of the Nazi tyranny is something that we should commemorate despite the terrible crimes they have witnessed.
From the Paper "The history of anti-semitism in the period of Holocaust was implicated by Hitler's hatred on the Jewish communities. His extreme abhorrence on Jewish people was demonstrated before the outbreak of World War II by saying that he would still annihilate every Jew if there will be another war (McFee, Gordon. Are the Jews Central to the Holocaust?). Accounts as to when and how did Hitler acquire such hostility against the Jews are still unknown to history. Assumptions say that his anti-semitism was caused by his previous experiences with Jewish people. Or, others believe that he was influenced by anti-semitics such as Chamberlain and Eckart (McFee, Gordon. Are the Jews Central to the Holocaust?)."
Abstract This research paper focuses on the May Fourth Movement in China. The movement was a revolution in itself-of an intellectual nature. It was against imperialism, and encouraged intellectualism resulting in democracy and the great utilization of brilliant minds in China today. The movement is still commemorated, and was recently even imitated.
Abstract Questions whether celebration of Columbus Day should be changed to a different kind of commemoration as a means of making historical amends to Native Americans. Contends Columbus Day has lost its significance.
From the Paper "The question of how to commemorate the European-American encounter that began in 1492 is controversial because it goes to the heart of the very nature of the country. Is the United States founded on the idealistic desire of Europeans to flee oppression ..."
Abstract This paper explains that the most intimidating feature of the Holocaust was that people were mute to extremities of human pain, eking out their survival under the most discouraging conditions. Heroism is at the core of the Holocaust, an irredeemable section of it. The author points out that Israel, with the largest number of survivors, has had a large role in saving the reminiscences of the people of the Holocaust. The paper relates that, in Israel, the 27th of Nissan, which comes after Passover, is Yom Hashoah, the Israeli national day of mourning and commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust and other martyrs.
From the Paper "For these survivors, marriages were seen to be a tough experience, and the task of raising children was even tougher. One among the most recurrent argument in favor of the survivors is that they wanted to become parents so as to ascertain themselves with a proper relationship. The most prevalent aspect of child survivors is the fight with their memories, whether there is abundance or a dearth of it. Nowadays for the child survivor, an even more confusing dilemma is the intervening parts of memory - most are emotionally virulent and sorrowful but make no clear sense. They seem to recur more and more in course of time and are set off by umpteen subconscious or unconscious memories."
Abstract The Statue of Liberty is one of the United States' most beloved and recognized symbols. Designed to commemorate the American Declaration of Independence, the statue has a unique and interesting history. This short paper describes the statue's historical significance and outlines the statue's architectural style, construction, and materials.
From the Paper "During the building stages, a lack of funding impacted the creation of the sculpture. In France, a lottery, and public fees were used to help raise funds for the statue. Art exhibitions, theatrical events, prize fights, and auctions raised funds for the statue within the United States. American Joseph Pulitzer also used the editorial pages of his newspaper to solicit funding among the American middle class (Statue of Liberty.org)."
Abstract Collective war remembrance and forgetting are both important factors in shaping national identity. The paper explores how the collective remembrance of war adds coherence and strength to pre-existing national identities in four important ways.
From the Paper "The cohesion may include an element of exclusivity. In earlier years, the Jewish diaspora was sometimes accused of commemorating the Holocaust in such a way as to exclude commemoration of non-Jews such as the Roma and Sinti. Conversely, Romani Holocaust commemoration emphasizes the uniqueness of the Romani and Sinti genocide with its frequent mention of the uniquely high percentage of those populations killed."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that civil war monuments historically have depicted the plight and struggle of white confederate male soldiers and generals pitted against white union male soldiers and generals. The writer looks at the most remarkable monuments that commemorate the contributions of two underrepresented but vital populations supporting the Civil War efforts... black soldiers and women. The writer explains that black soldiers and women fought just as diligently for the cause of the union as did white soldiers, however, historically their efforts have largely been under represented in modern civil war art. The writer discusses the monuments of the Spirit of Freedom and the Peace Monument at the Capitol in Ohio that help depict the burden and carnage that under represented populations faced during the Civil War era.
Outline:
Introduction
Women in the Civil War
African American's in the Civil War
Conclusions
From the Paper "Like women, black soldiers have also failed to receive the recognition white males have for their contributions and sacrifices to the civil war. This changed only recently when that nation's first memorial was erected commemorating black soldiers who fought in the Civil War for the Union. The monument, entitled the "Spirit of Freedom" honors the more than 200,000 black soldiers who fought in the Union. It features several black soldiers armed for battle "on land and at sea" . These soldiers like women often fought without recognition behind the scenes. Unlike white soldiers, African Americans often had to fight for their own freedom as well as for the preservation of the union, thus more so than traditional soldiers they should be recognized for their dedication and service. Civil War historians suggest that roughly 10& of union soldiers included African Americans, of which more than 1/3 died serving their cause. While white soldiers were freely commemorated, black union soldiers received relatively little recognition even after the war."
