This paper examines the lack of female historians, as well as women's accomplishments and contributions documented throughout history, in a primarily male dominated field.
Abstract This paper ponders the argument that the secondary characteristics of a historian has more impact on his or her writing, than gender alone. The writer contends that these secondary characteristics, such as race, socio-economic status, religious and political affiliations are what determine a writer's personal beliefs and biases. This paper explores the contributions of Sarah Bolton, one of America's leading feminist historians, who brought women in history to the forefront. Bolton's writings of history openly advocated the role of women in history and the change in social norms. The writer of this paper contends and explains that historians generally have agendas and that their writings are used to further these agendas. The writer also asserts that if history is written only by men, it is logical to assume that women's contributions to historical events will be lacking. The same holds true for history written by only one particular race.
From the Paper "Take, for example, the different perspectives that could be taken by two writers, both women, about women being granted access to higher education in the 20th Century. The first woman writer is a member of the middle-class, and she and her husband both have to work in order to keep their family in the middle class. That historian may begin her history with women getting equal access to higher education, which led to more women entering the workforce in higher-paying jobs. In addition, that historian could accurately show that, traditionally, as women have entered an occupation, it has become devalued by society, and the members of the occupation have then suffered a relative decline in pay. As a result, the historian could conclude that women's access to higher education has led to a society of families that cannot maintain a middle-class lifestyle without two incomes."
Abstract The paper examines Thompson's work and writing, including those for which he was criticized. Thompson spent many years studying the Mayan hieroglyphic writing system. The paper studies Thompson's work in respect to its value as an educational tool on the Mayan history, religion and culture.
From the Paper " J. Eric Thompson helped to shape the existing vision of the ancient Maya. In his book, "Maya History and Religion," Thompson pulled together and combined all the different elements from the researchers that had come before him. He studied the contemporary Maya, their folklore, religion, languages, and lifestyle. To this modern study, Thompson added the information he gleaned from the records of the colonial period, the archeological artifacts that had been previously uncovered, and the artifacts of sites he personally excavated. With this combined information he was able to extend and further clarify the Maya culture. Thompson then took this contemporary view and transposed it back in time to create a picture of the Classic and Post-Classic Maya civilization..."
Tags: ancient, hieroglyphic, popol, thompson, mayan, religion, history
Abstract Writers such as Bernal Diaz, John Locke, Karl Marx/ Friedrich Engels, and Jules Verne wrote about some of the most important themes in world history such as colonialism, absolutism and industrial capitalism. This paper examines how their particular historical context (the 16th century, 17th century, and 19th century) influenced their ideas and how the historical context has changed over time. While doing so, the writers focuses largely on a single work of each of the above-mentioned writers, i.e., "The Conquest of New Spain" by Bernal Diaz; "The Second Treatise of Government" by John Locke; "The Communist Manifesto" by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels; and "Around the World in Eighty Days" by Jules Verne.
From the Paper "Bernal Diaz del Castillo was a Spanish conquistador, chronicler and historian who sailed to the Americas and fought many battles under different Spanish adventurers including Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico. As a reward for his services Diaz was made the governor of a Guatemalan town where he took up residence until he died. In order to repudiate an over glorified account of Cortes? conquests written by his secretary Gomara (who had not even been to America), Diaz wrote The True History of the Conquest of New Spain when he was an old man of almost eighty. Although lacking a sophisticated literary style, the work is recognized as an important eyewitness account of the Spanish conquests in the Americas, and the subjugation of the native people by the Spanish colonists."
Abstract This paper reviews one of Marquez's many short stories, "No One Writes to the Colonel". The paper, using examples from the text, reviews the main themes, characters and statements in the story. The author also puts allusions and hints from the story into historical context.
From the Paper "Throughout the story, we see the colonel steadfastly sticking with a routine. He goes to check his mail every Friday and takes the rooster for trials at a local pit. The rooster is cheered like an icon or idol would be and everyone expects him to win the big upcoming fight. Colonel believes that in the absence of his pension which he knows he will receive one day, there best chance of survival lies with the rooster winning the fight. His wife however remains skeptical and shouts "and meanwhile what do we eat?" (181). to this, the colonel calmly replies "Shit" (181). "
Abstract The paper discusses the conception of 'new history" or 'history from below' and states that it has its foundations in a wide range of connected disciplines and contemporary theoretical trajectories and stances. The paper comments that the foundation of 'history from below' lies in the questioning of the hegemony of old and more elitist views of history and the context of historical reality The paper concludes that the writing of 'history from below' provides a much-needed and important part of historical research and discourse in contemporary scholarship.
Outline:
Introduction and Overview
British Multiculturalism
Conclusion
From the Paper " In conclusion it should be noted that the "new history" and the stance that takes its point of departure from 'below" in Britain owes much to the earlier Marxist historians. These historians are in fact seen as the "progenitors" of contemporary "history from below." (Kaye 182) Given this legacy in the British context it is not surprising that much of the historical research has been focused on the marginalized and disenfranchised cultures and sections of the population.
"For example there has been a great deal of research on the Asian and Pakistan immigration to the country. After the Second World War there was a large scale immigration of Muslims from various counties including North Africa to Britain. The central reason for this was the need in Britain for cheap industrial labor and they "...turned towards their former colonies in South Asia and North Africa to fill labour shortages... (What perspectives for Islam and Muslims in Europe?) Research into this area has produced numerous studies dealing with the prejudice and the alienation that these immigrants experienced. This type of research clearly shows the link and the connection between 'history from below' and multiculturalism and also suggests that these two concepts are inextricably intertwinwed in this new approach to history. While there are many detractors and critics of this new historical approach, there are also many who see 'new history' as advancing the aims of the discipline."
Abstract This paper examines the idea of justification for the notion that military history may in fact be a genre of the discipline of history in its own right. The author finds that there is certainly a lexicon of expressions, terminology and acronyms unique to its study and writing. He sees that military history is unique on many levels, and there are some curious aspects and juxtapositions within the genre that seem to defy the rules of historical scholarship that are applied elsewhere within the history discipline. It is a genre that seems to cross historiographical boundaries and be bound only to its own set of rules and regulations.
From the Paper "There is also some level of expected knowledge in much of it, for instance a given familiarity of the grand naval strategy ideas of Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett in works of naval history. Overall it also seems expected that one will have read and digested Von Clausewitz (and to have had curiosity to reach back further and read Jomini) as a prelude to any military history written after the 1850s. There certainly seems to be some higher levels of "given" knowledge than in other sub-disciplines of history. There is also perhaps another perception - that much of what is written as military history is simply categorising under accepted and rigid categories of the genre. A perception that analysis only goes as deep as the last great analysis of a particular topic. Yet that may also be true of many other forms of writing history, genres of history and, indeed other disciplines as well. It is perhaps because military activities are some of the most meticulously documented events that are at the same time bound up in human contradiction that makes this so."
Tags: civil, gurkhas, history, marxist, postmodernism, war, whig
Abstract Statues and monuments to great leaders of the past are paid for and maintained by states at a great cost because they are often necessary to justify the legitimacy of the state. In this context, as this essay will argue, our understanding of the past is shaped by the writing of history as "national" history.
Abstract A book review of Barges' "An Introduction to English Literature" designed to educate the reader about the rich history of English Literature. Further, the book itself is written by renown author Jorge Luis Barges. His analysis concerning English Literature is focused in: The Anglo Saxon Period; The Fourteenth Century; The Seventeenth Century; The Eighteenth Century; Nineteenth Century Prose; Nineteenth Century Poetry and the end of the Nineteenth Century. Such topics are useful when presenting the reader with a thorough understanding of the history of English literature and writers.
From the Paper "The author's preface begins with a general introduction on how essential English Literature is to our society as a whole. Borges also offers the reader a glimpse, of how he strategically compiled essential information concerning the history of English Literature, and writers in sixty-eight pages of text. Evidently, English Literature imparts a wealth of critical information. Further, Borges goes on to explain the significance of English literature: Of all the vernacular literatures which developed during the Middle Ages on the fringe of literature in Lain, that of England is one of the oldest. To put it another way, there are few other texts that can be attributed to the end of the seventh or the beginning of the eight centuries of our era."
An analysis of the history of printing during the Tang Dynasty and the Sung Dynasty in Ancient China and its relationship to Buddhism and Confucianism.
Abstract This paper shows the important role that Buddhism and Confucianism played in the development of printing. It then shows the important role that printing played in the development and history of these two religions. The paper particularly discusses the history of printing from the time of the Tang Dynasty and the Sung Dynasty in Ancient China.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Very Beginning of Printing - Tang Dynasty (618-906)
Reasons why Printing was Invented - Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty
The Diamond Sutra
Buddhist and Confucian Books Printed in the Sung Dynasty
Importance of Printing to Buddhism and Confucianism
Commercial Uses for Printing
Conclusion
From the Paper "As has been shown above, the Ancient Chinese were the first to develop printing, during the Tang Dynasty and the Sung Dynasty. The main reason they did this was because printing was needed to produce and distribute more religious texts. In particular, Buddhist texts were the reason why early printing was developed. Printing then made possible the production of the first complete Buddhist canon. So, it must have been very important in spreading and developing Buddhism in China. Although printing was soon used for commercial applications, it continued to be important for religious literature. During the Sung Dynasty, it was used to produce Confucian books. Thanks to the invention of printing, a fair amount of early religious works still exist today."
Abstract The paper discusses the importance of quality writing in the business world. The discussion encompasses the hidden costs of bad writing, the ways in which businesses use effective writing everyday and some of the lessons that can be learned by studying literature and composition. In short, quality writing is crucial to success in business. The paper explains that courses in writing offer the means of mastering the skill.
From the Paper "No one in the business world needs to write, right? After all, business is about making money, not crafting pretty strings of words of clever turns of phrases. Who cares about that kind of thing? What could literary writing possibly have to do with up-and-coming business leaders? As it turns out, there's quite a bit that the business world can learn from literature and writing classes. And not just to sound smart, but to improve the bottom line. A recent survey by the College Board found that one-third of the employees of the world's top 120 firms lack adequate writing skills. The result? Those firms cumulatively spend more than $3 billion annually on remedial writing training for their employees ("Good Writing" 22). Three billion dollars."
This paper details methods used in teaching expository writing, and then gives an overview of multiple intelligence theory. Uses buzzwords like empower and geared to specific intelligences.
Abstract This paper explores the different methods of teaching expository writing at a secondary school level. The topics covered are: Different theories of teaching expository writing; different methods used to teach expository writing; the use of multiple intelligence theory as a framework for diverse teaching of writing; and the application of multiple intelligence theory in the classroom.
From the Paper "Information literacy in the form of classes on information management and retrieval precede any actual writing in composition classes at some schools (Farmer & Mech, 1992). Behaviorist approaches, such as the one advocated by Kanellas, Carifio, and Dagostino (1998), require the teacher to break the tasks involved in expository writing into small teaching units that will ultimately lead to an acceptable paper. Chomsky (1985) sees poor writing as evidence of an inability of the student to develop his own knowledge, as do teachers of writing from middle school to college."
Abstract One of the major foci of Octavio Paz's writings is the nature of being a Mexican or a mestizo. This paper shows how he attempts to persuade other Mexicans through his writings to be proud rather than ashamed of their 'in-betweeness'. The paper explains the writing form of Magical Realism and shows how it has been championed by a number of Latin American writers as a way to express political views. Paz uses highly symbolic and inventive language to make people look at the world in novel ways. Because he approaches the problem of Mexican identity through the use of magical realism, his writing is less threatening to many who are trying to negotiate their own sense of self.
From the Paper "Octavio Paz is one of the writers and thinkers most responsible for helping Mexicans come to an understanding of their own place in the world, and the relationship between "Mexicanness" and mestizo-ness. Through his writings he has helped both Mexicans and everyone else come to understand that the mixed heritage of the people of Mexico is not something that should be attempted to be overcome but is rather something that should be celebrated."
This paper analyzes three fictional works that have particular elements of similar writing. The three works are "How to Become a Writer" by Lorrie Moore, "Joy of Cooking" by Elaine Magarrell and "Will and Grace" by Kari Lizer.
Abstract The writer of this paper focuses on the common themes present in all three works of writing, which are comprised of the feminist perspective, the characters it creates and the resulting conflict. This paper analyzes the main female characters in all three novels, in which each possesses a distinct character that creates the mood for each piece. The writer also discusses the ensuing conflict among the characters. This paper delves into the practice of female authors who write female characters that often have a different perspective than their male counterparts. The writer contends and describes why these three works are decidedly female, decidedly different and all written with a noticeable attitude. The writer of this paper discusses the many layers that are needed to create fiction when writing and how those layers differ from story to poem to play and back again. This paper details the uniqueness of each character in all three works and the manner in which they deal with conflict. This paper also focuses on each of the authors' unique style of writing.
From the Paper "This is also a very common bond between all the characters. They are all such strong and unique personalities that they create conflict around them. They are not afraid to speak their minds and open up their hearts, and so, they are sometimes strident and sometimes controversial. They live their lives with passion, doing the things they love, and they sometimes irritate and clash with those around them. This young writer is not fulfilling her mother's dreams, she is fulfilling her own, and so, she has a long-term conflict with her mother. Even though the story never actually says so, it is clear the writer will have a conflict with her mother throughout her life, and so will the girl who wants to serve up her brother's heart on a plate."
Abstract This paper describes the grant-writing process in detail for newcomers to grant-writing. The paper gives sources on the web where grant-writing information and granting agency information can be found and cites the ten important elements for successful grant writing.
From the Paper "There are many reasons why a school teacher may find it necessary in the course of his her career to write a grant: the need for new technology hardware, software networking, staff development programs, enrichment of school programs, replacing worn out or out-dated school equipment supplies for art or drama classes or funding for mounting special events, sports days, open house, school plays etc. All these things take money, which is usually in short supply. There is an art to grant writing and there are tricks to it just..."
Abstract This paper concentrates on legal writing. The paper includes examples of good and bad writing and attempts to clarify what constitutes good and bad writing.
From the Paper "The most common complaint with regard to legal writing is that the language is complex, ambiguous and wordy. Those who do not have experience with legal writing often find the wording cryptic and attribute the writing style to lawyers trying to hide important information. The biggest hurdle to interpreting legal language is the complexity of both the law and the language necessary to convey legal matters."
Tags: good writing, grammar, punctuation, syntax, errors, short sentences, legal writing, clarity
