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The Enduring Popularity of Ernest Shackleton, 2008.
An examination of why interest in Ernest Shackleton increased dramatically in about 1995, focusing on the 2001 film "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition."
1,361 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 16 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the enduring popularity of Ernest Shackleton who was involved in a legendary Antarctic expedition. It particularly focuses on why interest in Ernest Shackleton increased dramatically in about 1995 and lasted until 2003. It discusses the expedition and looks at the film "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition," that The Burke Museum of Natural History at the University of Washington showed in 2001.
From the Paper
"With the release of the new information, there followed a wide range of materials dealing with Shackleton. These included two biographies suitable for elementary students (Marcovitz; reviewed by Ching; Calvert, reviewed by McLoughlin), and two others suitable for middle school students (Plimpton, reviewed by Cohen; reviewed by Jones; Johnson, reviewed by Engberg, and reviewed by Gawron). At the same time, there has been a remarkable general revival of interest in all things from these expeditions. Captain Scott's snow goggles were recently sold at auction for more than L20,000, and a biscuit recovered from that expedition went for a remarkable L4,000 (Smith 50)."
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Challenges Facing Democracy in the United States, 2008.
An argument claiming that President Bush has created a number of challenges to democracy in the United States today.
1,570 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the three greatest challenges facing democracy in the United States today - the tyranny of the majority and the violation of civil liberties; an undemocratic constitution and an undemocratic electoral system; and an overwhelming executive power. The paper argues that President Bush's relentless abuses of power have led to this situation in the politics of the country.
From the Paper
"The ultimate and foundational cause of all three problems being analyzed is the ignorance and apathy of tens of millions of Americans regarding politics and government. This ignorance and apathy has been exploited by the current occupant of the White House and his party in order to govern as fascists behind a facade of token lip service to Constitutional government and the rule of law. The Impeachment process would compel the complicit corporate media to report upon and acknowledge this harsh reality, which in turn would stir Americans from their lethargy and generate long-term electorate distrust of Republicans."
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Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China, 2008.
This paper discusses the role of government policy in attracting
foreign direct investment (FDI) in China.
2,860 words (approx. 11.4 pages), 21 sources, APA, $ 84.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, with the advent of its reformist policies in the late 1970s, China opened what is potentially one of the world's large markets to foreign direct investment (FDI). The author points out that, initially, the government tried to draw that investment into areas that were familiar to emigres resulting in a spectacular influx of FDI. The paper reports that, in subsequent years, the government has attempted to redirect FDI to other areas, with much less success. The author points out that FDI is allocated through the decentralized, largely market-oriented mechanism, which supports the view that the Chinese central government has only a limited capacity to compel private groups and local governments to adhere to policies it believes are in the national interest The paper concludes that China has received a huge amount of FDI, which will have profound impacts on that country in the coming decades.
Table of Contents:
The Reform Period and Foreign Direct Investment
The Goals of Reform
China and FDI: The Initial Success
The Inability to Control Special Interests
The Lack of Social Embeddedness
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Indeed, the change was sufficiently sudden that in several instances, the ideological rationale for the change was not formulated until after markets were opened to foreign investment. The rationale for the new policy was reflected in several areas. In terms of economic development, the Chinese conceded that despite major gains, their economic condition was not improving at a rate comparable to that of other comparably situated countries. The new policies were advanced as allowing China to secure needed new sources of capital, advanced technology, advanced management skills."
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China: The Individual vs. Society, 2008.
This paper discusses the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976 in relation to Chinese society that always favoured the state or the society over the individual.
3,894 words (approx. 15.6 pages), 11 sources, MLA, $ 106.95
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Abstract
The paper illustrates how the Cultural Revolution showed continuity with the Chinese past, in that individuals were certainly expendable to the state in achieving group aims. The paper explains how Communist Chinese society would liquidate an educated, low middle class that posed no direct threat to the state or the position of Mao, but were convenient scapegoats for what Mao set out to achieve. Thus, the paper highlights how the individual did not matter at all; only the overall group objective.
Outline:
Introduction
The Unity of the People
Removing the Individual
Having the Answers
Mao as 'God'
Glorifying the Worker
The Cultural Revolution Generation
The Legacy of the Cultural Revolution
Concluding Discussion
From the Paper
"Chinese civilization has had repeated trouble in accommodating groups that are separate or somehow challenge centralized authority whose most recent form has been the government of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When Emily Honig described the Subei before and after the 1949 Revolution she referred to a very visible instance of Chinese inequality. (1992) Honig wrote that "the dominance of Subei people in unskilled, low-paying jobs may obscure the equally important aspect of the work experience of Subei people in Shanghai - many never entered the formal labour market at all, or worked outside it." (281)"
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Hadrian's Wall, 2008.
An overview of the history of Hadrian's Wall.
2,431 words (approx. 9.7 pages), 14 sources, MLA, $ 74.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how Hadrian's Wall was one of several defensive structures put in place in Britain during the reign of the Emporer Hadrain to try to control the attacks of the wild northern tribes. It also looks at how the Wall stands as one of the great monuments to imperial Rome and how it is as much a monument to the limitations of the empire as its success.
From the Paper
"Julius Caesar made two attempts to penetrate the island. Caligula failed in his invasion, and then Claudius succeeded in subduing the southern portion of the island in 43 C.E. (Dio Cassius, bk. 60, 19-23; Black, 419-24) After the initial invasion, it was apparently assumed that the entire island would be conquered, and over the next several years, repeated thrusts were made to expand the Roman holding. Conquest, however, proved much more difficult than was initially expected. In 60 C.E., Boudicca led a savage revolt which should the strength of the underlying resistance. In 77-84 C.E., the Roman governor Agricola attempted to subdue Scotland, and in 84, at the battle known at Mans Graupius, the Romans defeated the wild northern tribes, but at such cost that they had to abandon their campaign (Drummond & Nelson, 135; Martin, 29). "
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Fascism in Interwar Austria, 2008.
An analysis of the relationship between Italy and Germany, and Austria during the period between World War I and World War II.
704 words (approx. 2.8 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 25.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses fascism. The paper looks at fascism's nature and its relationship to conservatives in interwar Austria. It specifically looks at the period between World War I and World War II. The paper focuses on Italian and German power at the time and the grim choice that Austria found itself faced with - of succumbing to Italian or to German rule.
From the Paper
"In Austria, a strong fascist party rose, although it could not get control of the government. Austria was unique in Europe in lacking a strong nationalistic element. It had been stripped of its empire in the Great War. (Woolf 4) The resulting nation, a shadow of its former self, was politically divided between socialist Vienna and the surrounding provinces which were traditionally conservative and terrified in their antisocialism. (Carsten 223) The fascists formed the Heimwehr (local defense force) as a vehicle to address these fears in the Stryia province. Drawing on a strong feeling of localism against any internationalism, the Heimwehr formed working alliances with the leading mining corporation, under which all workers had to have a membership card, which the Heimwehr would issue only to those who renounced socialist unions. Further, the Heimwehr used thugs to break up strikes, to the delight of the authoritarian conservative provincial governments. (Woolf 7)"
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The Russian Revolution of 1917, 2008.
A comparative book review of John Reed's 'Ten Days That Shook the World', Edward Carr's 'The Bolshevik Revolution, 1917-1923,' and Robert Service's 'Lenin: A Biography'.
2,339 words (approx. 9.4 pages), 3 sources, APA, $ 71.95
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Abstract
This comparative book review compares and contrasts three books about the Russian Revolution of 1917: John Reed's 'Ten Days That Shook the World', Edward Carr's 'The Bolshevik Revolution, 1917-1923,' and Robert Service's 'Lenin: A Biography'. The writer notes that these books have been selected for comparative review because they provide a broad range of perspectives on the revolution. The writer points out that all three authors agree that successful revolutions require leaders of charisma who can personify the ideology, revolutionary sentiments, and political aspirations of the citizenry. They agree as well that in the critical autumn of 1917, Lenin possessed these qualities in abundance. The writer concludes that despite their different perspectives, all three authors agree that through his leadership, Lenin forced his political enemies and rivals to react to what he was doing instead of vice versa, and in turbulent and unpredictable revolutions, that is a decisive advantage.
From the Paper
"But because Lenin recognized that political, economic, and social conditions in Russia had not developed enough to attempt a proletarian revolution, he focused his efforts on developing a class consciousness in the Russian proletariat. Lenin and Russian Marxists understood that once this proletarian consciousness was developed, the proletariat would understand the need to destroy bourgeois culture elements such as religion, private ownership of property, the corrupt legal system, and the capitalist economic system. Consequently, they knew that many political, economic, and social changes would need to be made in the aftermath of a successful proletarian revolution, and that this would require ruthless determination because strong resistance would be inevitable."
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The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), 2008.
This paper looks at the war between Athens and Sparta in 431-404 BC, known as the Peloponnesian War.
1,462 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses the the work of Thucydides in writing the history of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), a struggle between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies. The paper looks at the various stages of the war and their results. The paper also examines the type of society in Sparta and Athens and their different cultures.
From the Paper
"Thucydides lived c.460 c.400 BC and was an Athenian. He is considered by many to be the greatest of the ancient Greek historians, and his work had a profound influence on the development of historical writing. Although he was a relative of the great soldier and statesman Cimon, Thucydides was also an admirer of Cimon's political opponent, Pericles. He served as a general in 424 but was banished from Athens in that same year for his failure to protect Amphipolis from the Spartans. He returned from exile after the war ended in 404. Thucydides began writing his History of the Peloponnesian War in 431 when the great war broke out. In some ways, he was as much a journalist as a historian."
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Peasant Life and the Bubonic Plague, 2008.
An analysis of peasant life during the bubonic plague in a Medieval village.
1,095 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
In this paper a medieval village has been evaluated for class stratification, health policy, and the nature of the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages. The paper explains that by representing a fictional citizen of this town, one can begin to understand the lack of medical science and policy initiatives that eventually led to a wide spread epidemic in medieval society. The paper then analyzes the various aspects of the bubonic plague within this study of life in a medieval town during the year 1349. The paper also explores how, by being unaware of the nature of the disease and its symptoms, medieval communities were annihilated by a lack of quarantine policies that would have prevented more infections.
From the Paper
"The issue of class hierarchy in our town makes virtual servants or "vassals" to our Lord or landowner on the hill. We make sure to farm the local area to provide food for our Lord, and he--in return--makes sure that we are protected with his various knights from other landowners. Also, the Church is prominent in our town, and we have the local clergy on a neighboring hill--making sure that prayers are being said to remove the plague from our village. However, although a peasant--like myself--might view the Roman Catholic Church as an institution that would help the poor and suffering, the clergy have monastic retreats in the countryside, in which, they do nothing to help solve our medical dilemma."
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The Reforms of Abdullah Cevdet and Malkum Khan, 2008.
Examines the approaches of two reformers, Abdullah Cevdet in the Ottoman Empire and Malkum Khan in the Persian Empire, to the problem of modernization and the need to retain the integrity of the Islamic religion.
1,760 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 56.95
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Abstract
This paper explores the similarity in the conditions that prevailed in both the Ottoman and Persian empires at the end of the nineteenth century and the challenges posed to those empires by their involvement with and exposure to European commerce, science and ideas. The author argues that both Cevdet and Khan took similar rhetorical approaches in arriving at a conceptualization of reform that was both modern and democratic yet rooted in the Islamic tradition. The paper stresses that Cevdet and Khan were situated within intellectual and religious trajectories of the time, which were seeking alternatives to the prevailing interpretations of Islam through Baha'ism and Pan-Islamism.
From the Paper
"Having spent a lot of time in Switzerland, Cevdet was acquainted with European ideas of the time, such as French and German scientific materialism, social Darwinism and positivism. He saw the decline of the Ottoman Empire as the product of it not being European, and felt that it was the responsibility of the intellectuals to change this condition. For Cevdet, the Islamic religion in its traditional incarnation, was an obstacle to the changes required to contemporize Ottoman society and politics and he therefore felt that it was necessary to modify the Islamic religion."
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The Family in the People's Republic of China, 2008.
An analysis of the changes that occurred to the family unit with from the Communist Revolution in 1949 through much of the 20th century.
1,589 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 8 sources, APA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the changes that occurred to the traditional Chinese extended family with the Communist Revolution of 1949 that produced the People's Republic of China (PRC). It suggests that the sense of ongoing reliance on the family in the PRC offers to millions of citizens fewer social benefits or overall security than what they were used to in the past. It specifically discusses the changes induced through much of the 20th century in World War II, the Revolution and forced collectivization, political coercion, the Cultural Revolution and the death of Mao.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Family Size and Structure
Personal Orientations
Predictions
Concluding Notes
From the Paper
"Understanding change in the Chinese family in the Reform Era involves examining changes induced through much of the preceding 20th century in adjustments to World War II, the Revolution, and forced collectivization, political coercion, the Cultural Revolution and the death of Mao. Reform's shift towards capitalist development has evoked tremendous institutional changes in a PRC where much else remains the same, as in the urban-rural divide mentioned earlier that is said to be accentuated by rapid economic growth now afoot. Between the lines one sees a very large sector quite harshly affected and for whom the family will be the needed mooring in an unpredictable economic environment. One also sees that the family may change but does not dissolve, adapting to present circumstances that are legal and cultural as much as economic towards an altered Chinese family that remains just as important than before and certainly more than the individualism associated with capitalist development, elsewhere."
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Karl Marx and His Challenge of Liberalism, 2008.
An examination of Karl Marx's challenge to liberalism in "The Communist Manifesto."
1,831 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Karl Marx challenged liberalism in works such as "The Communist Manifesto", in which he condemned capitalism and predicted that the exploited working classes of capitalistic societies would become alienated and overthrow the system of capitalism. The paper explains that Marx was convinced that once liberalism was discredited and capitalism was overthrown, there would be a brief period of rule by the dictatorship of the proletariat and then the classless society of communism would emerge. The paper also discusses how Marx believed that working class Germans should be the chief focus of his revolutionary efforts because the political consciousness of the proletariat in Germany was more developed than in any other country in Europe. The paper then examines liberalism and its impact on society, in order to fully analyze Marx's challenges to liberalism.
From the Paper
"Marx believed that many political, economic, and social changes would be necessary in the aftermath of a proletarian revolution, for in his view, the only way the proletariat could free itself from exploitation was to abolish capitalism. In achieving this goal, the proletariat would have to destroy every remnant of bourgeois liberal culture because this culture perpetuated their misery. Family, religion, the worship of personalities, morality, and the legal system would all have to be abolished. According to Marx, the result of this abolishment would be "an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the development of all.""
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