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Revisionist Western Films, 2002.
This paper reviews the treatment of the American Indian, or Native American, in revisionist Western films: Kevin Costner's ?Dances with Wolves? (1990) and Michael Apted?s ?Thunderheart? (1992).
1,090 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses revisionist Westerns Kevin Costner's ?Dances with Wolves? (1990), a film sensitivity to cultural differences and to the importance of Native American culture and Thunderheart (Michael Apted, 1992), which enters a more modern Indian community. The author points out that Costner still made major errors in depicting the history and culture of the Lakota Sioux tribe portrayed in the film. The paper continues that ?Thunderheart? tried hard to elevate the Native American but a stereotype emerged in this film that the Native American is in some way a mystic more in touch with supernatural and spiritual forces than the non-Native population would be.
From the Paper
"The film did more than revive old stereotypes in new forms, though, and it fails in terms of its accuracy on a number of counts. One problem faced was to recreate the language of the Lakota dialect spoken by the Sioux tribes in the 1860s. The film producers hired Doris Leader Charge, a 60-year-old teacher at South Dakota's Sinte Gleska College and one of only a few thousand Sioux still fluent in Lakota. Leader Charge translated the script and served as a dialogue coach during production. She also played a small part in the film. However, as Seals points out, the men in the film generally speak Lakota in the feminine form, a result of having the script translated by a woman who did not make allowances for the differences. Seals states that a number of Indian leaders were angry about this error and found it maddening in a film that claimed to be authentic. Seals does note, though, that the film managed authenticity in other ways, such as the way the ruling elders' council was handled. The film was correct in its use of the Pipe, which is the sacred Canupa of White Buffalo Calf Maiden, who founded the buffalo culture nineteen generations ago. The Pipe Keeper and others asked that the film not depict the smoking of the pipe, but it does so just the same."
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Imposing Western Human Rights on Non-Western Cultures, 2002.
Addresses the question which asks if the imposition of Western human rights values on non-Western traditions constitute a form of imperialism?
4,650 words (approx. 18.6 pages), 14 sources, $ 169.95
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Abstract
The objective of this paper is to further explore the concept of human rights. A particular focus will be placed on the question of whether or not the imposition of western human rights values on non-western traditions constitutes a form of imperialism. At the root of the issue, it seems is the issue of what should weigh more, human rights or state sovereignty. In the end, of course, there is no definitive answer to this question. What it can, and will, do, however, is look at the dynamics of human rights in the international arena and comment on whether western rhetoric on human rights is in the sphere of imperialism, or neo-imperialism.
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Western Film Genre, 2008.
An analysis of Andre Bazin's "The Western: Or the American Film Par Excellence" in which he analyzes the western filmmaking genre.
777 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the evolution and success of the western genre of filmmaking. It discusses Andre Bazin's "The Western: Or the American Film Par Excellence" in which he analyzes this genre. It describes Bazin's arguments, as well as his comparison of the western to the courtly romances of the medieval era in their focus on the chaste woman and his comparison of them to the Russian revolutionary genre.
From the Paper
"To Bazin, the only other modern epic cinema was the Russian revolutionary genre, which had some parallels to the western: both showed a new society undergoing its tumultuous birth pangs, imposing a new order and morality upon a vast canvas of human activity during a fleeting historical moment. Bazin concludes that, like the mythologized history of the Russian revolution, the story of the American west would have been relegated to much lesser international prominence were it not for the power of the moving image to universalize human experience."
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Western Influences on Islamic Women, 2005.
Position paper arguing that western influences on Islamic women have a negative impact.
2,027 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 16 sources, MLA, $ 64.95
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Abstract
The author of this paper asserts that western society has a very biased opinion against the Islamic peoples and culture. It argues that contrary to what most westerners think, western influence on women in Islamic societies does not help develop their rights and freedoms, but hinders their development instead.
From the Paper
"September 11th and the war on Iraq have managed to demonize and stereotype Islam in the popular Western mind even more than its foreign nature had independently achieved. In addition to the furor over Islam spawning terrorism, renewed attention has been pointed at the supposed oppression and abuse of women in Islamic cultures, to the degree that these human rights abuses have been cited as one of the justifications for Bush's war on Iraq. However, there remains among thinking people, particularly those with cultural, religious, or ethnic ties to both Islamic and Western cultures, as to whether or not Islam has a negative impact on women's rights in the modern and historical Middle East. Because the false dichotomy between "good" Western ideals and "bad" Islamic ideals has been propagated for so long, it might surprise a Western reader to learn that many people, including many women, do not feel that Islam is abusive to women, and may even feel that it is Western ideals that threaten the well-being and freedom of women. When one attempts to answer the questions regarding the positive and negative impact which the West has had on the lives and status and rights of Islamic women, one is immediately confronted with the difficulty of determining what one will define as positive and what as negative."
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Western Influences in the Middle East, 2008.
An argument that western influences on ethnic minorities have produced more harm than good.
1,977 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
The paper focuses on the book "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi that recounts the chaos and bloodshed that resulted from the western world's "westernization" of Iran. The paper also refers to "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order", by Samuel P. Huntington and then discusses the horrific number of Iraqis who have been killed since Bush launched the invasion. The paper concludes that this is clearly part of the negative impact of "westernization".
From the Paper
"What was life really like for Marjane Satrapi as she was growing up? A brief look at the history of her times is appropriate here, as the discussion of western influences into the Middle East is reviewed. Many Americans remember that the U.S.-backed Shah was pushed out of Iran in 1979, and the Ayatollah Khomeini took over the government, which set off the Islamic revolution that Marjane Satrapi writes about. She was swept up in it and many of the injustices that she witnessed and her family endured resulted from the Islamic backlash (led by Khomeini's regime) following the demise of the Shah. In fact, the fall of the Shah also set off a hostage crisis; pro-Khomeini militants in Teheran held U.S. embassy staff members for 444 days."
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Western Missionaries in China, 2007.
This paper discusses the influence of Western missionaries on Chinese culture and ideals.
2,154 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 67.95
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Abstract
This essay considers the distinctive functions of Western missionaries in nineteenth century China and why they became the carriers and promoters of capitalistic, Western Cultures. Through the examination of China's history, including the Opium war and the Boxer Rebellion, the paper determines the influence of Western missionaries upon Chinese culture and how this affected China and her people. The paper shows how these missionaries were seeking to implement change through Western ideals and values that were and still are meaningless to the majority of the Chinese people.
Outline:
Introduction
A Global View of China's History With The West
Missionary Zeal and the Boxer Rebellion
Why Western Missionaries Became the Carrier of Chinese
From the Paper
"Portuguese merchants and Catholic missionaries, who arrived in China during the late sixteenth century, were the first important cultural meetings between China and Europe. And it was through such missionaries, and their converts, that Christianity was introduced into mainland China throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. However, due to the fear of Catholic influence among the Chinese imperial rulers, Christianity was banned in China from 1724-1860. Throughout this period, therefore, missionary efforts were concentrated on other Southeast Asian countries, as the missionaries waited for China to reopen its boarders to foreigners (High Beam Encyclopaedia, Online Article, 2007)."
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Reform in Western Canada, 2007.
This paper compares and contrasts Western Canada's way of life with that of Eastern Canada.
3,682 words (approx. 14.7 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 102.95
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Abstract
The paper describes the Western Canadian worldview and lifestyle and how they differ from Eastern Canada. More liberal in many senses of the word, the paper portrays how Western Canada developed into a bastion of radical thought, inspired in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by Marxism, populism and the British labor movement. The paper explains how the Reform movement in Western Canada was sparked and fed by a series of interrelated political, economic, social, geographic, historical and existential concerns. The paper explains that what initially distinguished the Western from the Eastern mentality continues to loosely divide the nation: a sense of alienation from national politics and culture.
From the Paper
"Geographical distance prevented the maintenance of social ties between regions even if goods and services could be readily transported and traded on the rail network. Citizens in Western provinces felt cut off continually from Ottawa; their concerns did not reflect those of urban industrialists back East nor those of the already established mining and agricultural communities in central and eastern Canada. The bread basket invited exploitation by big business, as did the fruitful mines of Western Canada."
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Three Great Events in Western Civilization, 2004.
This paper discusses three major world events that have shaped the history of western civilization: the Renaissance, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution.
3,410 words (approx. 13.6 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 96.95
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Abstract
This paper selected the Renaissance as one of the three major world events that have shaped the history of Western civilization because Western art reached its pinnacle through the patronage of Cosimo de Medici, who single-handedly influenced all the future artistic styles and movements in Europe. The author related that the second event, the American Revolution, made it possible for the American colonies to separate from Great Britain and create the first truly independent democratic system since the ancient Greeks. The paper explains that the third event, the French Revolution, was a period in European history marked by the overthrow of a major monarchy, which led to a free France and thus inspired other revolutions by those who were downtrodden and restricted by tyrants and dictators.
From the Paper
"Faced with vast new responsibilities following the costly French and Indian War, the British government sought to restrict white settlers to the Atlantic side of the Appalachians in part as a way to bring order to the confused state of affairs with the Indians. This proclamation decreed a line of demarcation along the crest of the Appalachians, for all of the lands to the west were to be preserved for the Native Indians. With this, all land claims west of the Appalachians were annulled and no new claims, settlements or even travel was allowed without royal permission. As a result, the hopes of many Americans who wished to expand settlements westward were dashed and thus brought about the beginnings of the American Revolution."
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'Western' Music, 2002.
How the 'western' applies to music.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 5 sources, $ 62.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the meaning of the term 'Western' as it applies to music. The word 'Western' has meaning only in terms of the West (European and American countries, for instance). The word 'Western' in terms of cowboys does not apply to Western classical music, which regardless of its performers now, has originated in Europe.
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Western Military Strength, 2007.
An analysis of "Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power" by Victor Davis Hanson.
2,521 words (approx. 10.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 76.95
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Abstract
The paper describes "Carnage and Culture" as a conservative view of Western military history that asserts that Western military might is superior to and cannot be defeated by non-Westerners. The paper examines Hanson's reasons why certain fundamentals of Western society and culture make this the case. The paper discusses how Hanson believes that the war in Iraq is not only winnable, but that victory is a certainty. The paper contends that, on the contrary, current events are teaching us that in many ways the war on Iraq has already been lost.
From the Paper
"Hanson, author of The Western Way of War (1989) and The Other Greeks (1995), has chosen nine battles fought by the West against various non-Western enemies that prove, as Hanson claims, why Western cultures have been able to field armies and navies capable of routing numerically superior enemies all across history. Seven of these battles were victories for the West. Of the other two, one is the ruinous Roman defeat at Cannae in 216 B.C, and the other an offensive in the late stages of the Vietnam War in 1968 - a strategic victory overseas that became a political defeat at home in the United States. Each of these battles is lovingly recreated - and some critics claim re-imagined in favor of the author's speculations - as Hanson spells out his thesis; that the Western war machine is superior, and that it is the personal politics of the individual that make it so."
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Cambodian Western Style Housing, 2007.
This paper analyzes the problems of developing western style housing in Cambodia, especially the urban areas of Phnom Penh.
4,050 words (approx. 16.2 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 109.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the Cambodian government has begun to make vast improvements to westernize its housing system in terms of design and in distribution of land. The author points out that, while urbanization plays a vital role in free market trade and democratic governments, the lack of purchasing power, financial strength and the legal loopholes required to obtain a new home in Phnom Penh are problems for the general Cambodian population. The paper stresses that Cambodians, who were colonized by the French in the late 19th and early 20th century, are accustomed to the centralized living styles of French flats, which provide more communal areas; whereas, the American investors are insisting on implementing western style condominiums, which differ in the sense that the facilities provide more privacy and space.
Table of Contents:
Historical Background
The Need for Land and Growth
Culture and Foreign Investment
History of Housing in Phnom Penh
Cambodian Fiscal System
The Development of French Style Flats and Western Condominiums
Legal Requirements for Construction of Housing
The Cost of Living in the New Phnom Penh
Analysis: French Style Flats versus Western Style Condominiums
Conclusion
From the Paper
"It is evident that Cambodia has a distinct disadvantage compared to the rest of the Asian countries. Primarily, the remnants of war has left a poverty stricken country with the responsibility of re-shaping its entire government, providing education and health care to needy families and finding adequate professional workers to maintain a new democratic system of public administration. However, there are many advantages to starting over for Cambodia, as the United Nations and the United States have taken a great interest in the rebuilding efforts. With a new, open economy and sufficient developmental programs, Cambodia stands at a crossroads for change."
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African Labor and Western Expansion, 2008.
This paper analyzes the African contributions to the Western world, within the framework of Sheila Walker's thesis, "Are You Hip, or Are You Jive: Re (Writing)/Righting the Pan-American Discourse".
718 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 3 sources, APA, $ 25.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at Sheila Walker's thesis that the modern Western world was built by African slave labor. The paper discusses how economic growth based on cotton or sugar cane was due to the slave labor and that led to the economic expansion of the western world. The paper highlights Walker's belief that this contribution should be acknowledged by Western society.
Outline:
Introduction
Sheila Walker's Thesis: A Critical Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Walker's thesis is based on the fact that, through the contributions of Africans who had a significant presence due to slavery, the Western world was built by African slave labor. Hence there should be mention of this 'contribution', with specific reference to the fact that the Western World was built by the Africans presence in the region. Economic growth based on cotton, or sugar cane, was due to the slave labor; that led to the economic expansion of the western world, hence Africans are at the crux of Western development and civilization."
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Western and Oriental Gynecology, 2007.
This paper discuses Western versus Oriental approaches to gynecology using a case study of fibroid tumors.
1,580 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 12 sources, APA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, around the world, historically gynecology practices and perspectives on medical care often vary with societal cultures and religious beliefs and practices. The author points out that the Western approach to medicine is evidence-based, which most individuals think has a scientific basis for the diagnostic and treatment techniques that range from observation to invasive techniques. The paper relates that Oriental medicine, with its cultural roots in Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, stresses therapeutic interventions, which are relatively non-invasive and includes recommendations on diet, exercise and medication that the patient performs themselves and practitioner administered therapies that incorporate for example cupping, the burning of herbs, acupuncture or medicinal herbs brewed as a tea.
Table of Contents:
Gynecology Defined
Western Medicine
Oriental Medicine
Case Study
Western Intervention
Oriental Intervention
From the Paper
"A more contemporary approach to Oriental medicine states that fibroid tumors are usually associated with a "sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in animal fats and refined foods (white flour and sugar) cause[ing] a buildup of toxins." As such, a diet limiting these types of foods and a blend of Chinese herbs to reduce the tumor and increase blood circulation to aide in detoxifying the patient are utilized. Once fibroid tumors are suspected, or are diagnosed through traditional Western medical methods and the patient subsequently seeks treatment from a physician specializing in Oriental medicine. "the treatment is usually invasive. For fibroid tumors, heated herbal abdominal wraps are used to increase lymph node drainage while magnetic therapy can be used to stop the tumor growth and associated inflammation (Woods, 2000). Additionally, acupuncture treatments, ranging from several times a week to monthly are usually indicated (Wood, 2000).
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Western Films, 2002.
The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the two Western films, "Shane," made in 1953 and directed by George Stevens, and "Unforgiven," made in 1992 and directed by Clint Eastwood.
1,295 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the two films and discusses their significance in the genre of Western films. Today, the classic Western is a film out of style, but these two films live on as classics, generally because they deviate from the traditional Western model. They portray the characters three dimensionally, and the violence as real and devastating. The underlying theme and message is that violence is unnecessary and useless, and it can ruin the lives of those who use it.
From the Paper
""Shane" does not rely on elaborate sets and costuming to get its message across to viewers. One reviewer called the sets "spartan" and the language of the film "laconic." The characters of this film make it the classic it has become. From the opening scene, when Shane rides down into a valley with a massive chain of mountains behind him, the viewer understands his character is larger than life, and it is right that he came down from the "mountaintops" to save the struggling family in the valley."
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Orientalism in Western Art and Music, 2002.
This paper discusses the use of orientalism, the influence of the culture of the Middle and Far East, on Western art and music.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper stresses that, even though Western artists are looking for new ideas when they seek Oriental input, they can only interrupt the Orient through their own Western culture. The author explains that French painter Eugene Delacroix' ?Death of Sardanapalus? and Austrian artist Leopold Carl Muller?s ?The Market in Cairo? are examples of orientalism in Western art. The author states that the Beatles, seeking the teachings of India?s gurus, brought orientalism into modern pop culture.
From the Paper
"The Western World that Delacroix knew lay on the brink of the Victorian age. Painted in 1827, the Death of Sardanapalus speaks to a people already grown accustomed to the strictures of middle-class morality. As older and wilder days ended, North Americans and Europeans were already entering into a new era of strong religious devotion, clean living, and sexual repression. The wanton abandoning of oneself to pleasure like Sardanapalus seemed to be something that was still possible only within the hidden corridors of the seraglio, a place where leering, bearded despots sought freely to satisfy their carnal lusts. The fact that Sardanapalus?s world is about to be consumed in fire is but a fitting moral judgment. Though he can gape at the writhing, sensuous forms of the King?s doomed attendants, the European or North American man can only dream of what he cannot have ? the pleasures of the flesh are condemned hellfire."
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