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The Role of Entertainment in Ancient Rome, 2008.
A discussion of the important function of entertainment in the political and everyday life of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire.
1,878 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the social and political significance of the entertainment in the life of ancient Rome. The paper explains that even though many forms of entertainment existed, special emphasis was given to the spectacles and public events rather than private events, like parties. The paper then looks at the function of these spectacles and their role in the politics and government of Ancient Rome. The paper discusses how, as Rome expanded both territorially and in influence, the status of the spectacles transformed - the expansion resulted in significant social and economic changes. The paper points out that entertainment in ancient Rome had a function that significantly differs from its function today - it was an opportunity for public gathering during which the people could speak freely and express their concerns. In conclusion, the paper shows that as Rome went from the republic to the empire, the spectacles remained important events and they gave the opportunity to the masses to see their ruler and express their opinion on state matters freely.
From the Paper
"The Romans were an agricultural society and their religion can be described as polytheistic paganism. The early religious rituals were aimed at pleasing the gods who, as Romans believed, controlled everything necessary for a successful harvest like crop growth and weather. The rituals were not limited only to the agriculture. They also extended to celebrations of military victories, celebrations of various household deities, etc. As Shelton notes "these days were the days of sacrifice and ritual, but also of holiday merriment, as Easter or Christmas are for us today" (329). In other words, these holidays were a great opportunity to skip a day of hard work, relax, socialize, be grateful for what you have and, through the rituals, do the best to have more next season. As such these holidays did not have any deeper political and social position in the Roman society.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Agenda, 2008.
An analysis of the successes and failures of the first and second "new deal" agendas of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1,423 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "new deal" agenda. It describes the causal factors for the agenda of the first "new deal" and the areas to which the deal was supposed to bring relief. The paper then looks at the second new deal and its aims. Finally, the paper discusses the successes and failures of President Roosevelt's "new deal" agendas.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Causal Factors of the New Deal
The First New Deal
The First One Hundred Days
Relief for Unemployment
Recovery
Reform
The Second New Deal
Expanded Labor Reform
The Social Security Act
Successes and Failures of the New Deal
From the Paper
"One aspect of long-term economic reform that had to be made is related to the issue of deflation in the American currency. Roosevelt created the National Industry Recovery Act, which demanded that worker wages would incrementally increase along with prices. This reform helped to give rights to workers to build unions under the law, which gave them a greater ability to demand better wages. Also, the Nation Recovery Administration (NRA) was yet another alphabet organization that regulated pricing and wages in many different labor sectors, helping to create more stability and balance. This would eventually create the minimum wage standards that would increase with the inflation of money values, as well as the pricing used by big business and their products."
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How Does Evolution Really Work?, 2008.
An analysis of the theory behind evolution and natural selection, according to Charles Darwin.
878 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the concepts behind Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. It describes the four processes of evolution according to Darwin, while specifically focusing on hummingbirds from Ecuador as a great example of a species in which the gene pool has prepared for long-term survival. The paper also briefly mentions the arguments against Darwin.
Outline:
Summary
Discussion
From the Paper
"Although Darwin's theories are accepted by the majority of the scientific community, there are still those that put it in doubt in spite of the evidence that has arisen from the study of fossils and genetic material. As he himself had anticipated in The Origin of Species, "That many and grave objections may be advanced against the theory of descent with modification through natural selection, I do not deny" (Darwin ch. 14, para. 2, line 1). In his time, Darwin's theories caused outrage since they challenged the traditional views of Church and society. Natural selection was contrary to both the notion of human domination and the concept of divine intervention. The same fear persists until this day. In some societies, the concept of evolution as conceived by Darwin is still in conflict with religious beliefs. For many, the main obstacle is the fact that natural selection is just a theory and no scientific proof as such is available ("Evolutionary Science"). Just as with gravitation we see the effects and not gravitation itself, with natural selection we see its effects but research still needs to be performed to fully explain its mechanisms."
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Revolution in Europe, 2008.
An analysis of social and political revolution in Europe in the nineteenth century, based on D. Mason's book "Revolutionary Europe 1789-1989-Liberty, Equality, Solidarity."
3,169 words (approx. 12.7 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 91.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the development of a number of social and political movements based around certain ideas about human behavior and society and the relationship between the two, during the nineteenth century in Europe. The paper focuses its analysis on the genesis, development and progress of these movements in the nineteenth century and how they are described by D. Mason in his book "Revolutionary Europe 1789-1989-Liberty, Equality, Solidarity."
From the Paper
"Wollstonecraft was dedicated to the primacy of reason, and it was her belief in reason that permitted her to conceive a world in which women might be seen by the world in a new way, a way that undid the violence of social norms requiring a simple, seemingly serene appearance in women, whose lives were thus molded to fit the dictates of masculine power in society. She also had a freed sensibility that brought her closer to an understanding of the true self. Wollstonecraft's language has a deliberate biblical undertone that is all part of her attempt to restore to women the human right of self-respect. Women resort to artifice in order to place the world, though such assumed feelings are awkward when compared to real feelings. She pleads for women to be seen as they really are. Her view is directly opposite that of Rousseau, though she begins with the same question, noting first that "either nature has made a great difference between man and man, or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial" (Wollstonecraft, 1975, p. 7)."
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The Malthusian Trap and Early-Modern Europe, 2008.
This paper argues that the economic crisis experienced during the early-modern period of European history was not caused by a Malthusian trap.
2,070 words (approx. 8.3 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 65.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that historians argue that the economic crises experienced during the early-modern period across most of Europe and the subsequent population growth, which led to an inability for many of these individual markets to support their respective populations, was a type of Malthusian trap. The author points out that the Malthusian trap is the principle, based on Malthus' theory of population and economics, which observes that man is inclined to propagate beyond his means to support the population. The paper relates that the application of this principle to early modern Europe is often a misguided attempt to redirect the historical research to a socio-historic perspective rather than a purely economic perspective. The author concludes that, while certain markets in Europe might indeed have become over-populated with respect to their ability to provide basic levels of sustenance for their populations, other countries, such as England, did not suffer such a population growth and, furthermore, managed to maintain relatively stable economic growth in spite of Europe's overall economic decline during this period. The paper includes an annotated bibliography.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Malthus on Population Growth
Technological Impact
Conclusion
From the Paper
"In an artificial economy established in an economic lab such set ratios can be accurately predictive. However, in the natural environment, there are many external factors that would affect change on his model, and did affect change. Prices are a key oversight in his theory. While the basic premise that population growth may outstrip the growth in food productivity was true based on the circumstances within which he operated, he didn't account for the economics of food productivity to drive an increase in production worldwide that offset any local market conditions and shortages in supply."
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The French and Chinese Revolutions, 2008.
A comparison of the French Revolution of 1789 and the Chinese Revolution of 1911 and their political instability.
1,531 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the fragility of new revolutionary governments. It compares and contrasts two revolutions in order to explain its points. It looks at the French Revolution of 1789 and the Chinese Revolution of 1911. The paper discusses each revolution and shows why the new government in each case was a fragile and unstable political environment.
From the Paper
"From outside China, Sun and other revolutionaries attempted to form a new revolutionary party. Sun, having noted that Shikai had out manoeuvred the revolutionaries at every turn, decided to consolidate the various factions into one larger group that could respond better to the President's actions. Sun was to be in total control of this confederation of rebel organizations. Thus even the revolutionaries of China had reverted to an authoritarian model, one that many of the smaller revolutionary sects considered completely wrong. It was during this time of tenuous and dispirited rebel planning to topple Shakai that World War I erupted, and parts of China were occupied by Japan, completely disrupting the revolutionary process and leaving Shakai more or less completely unopposed."
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The Decolonization of India, 2008.
This paper argues that internal factors played as large a role as any other in the decolonization of India.
2,520 words (approx. 10.1 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 76.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the most notable internal factors influencing the decolonization of India is the gradual handing-over of more and more power to Indian political elites in the Legislative Councils of India in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. The author points out how collective memory, while well-concealed during the apogee of British might in the last-half of the nineteenth century, also fueled underground resistance to British rule. The paper explores how the rise of nationalist associations and a series of reforms by the British - the 1861 Indian Councils Act, the 1892 Act and most significantly the sweeping Morley-Minto reforms of 1909 in response to the foolishness of former Viceroy George Curzon - led to India being slowly introduced to responsible government and to the parliamentary traditions, which would sustain it when it became wholly independent after the Second World War.
From the Paper
"It is axiomatic that empires cost a lot of money; it is also axiomatic that empires eventually must respond to the demands and concerns of the repressed - at least somewhat - or destructive rebellion, the disruption of trade and commodity production, and a general rise in hostilities will result. For the British, the 1857 Uprising and the subsequent 1861 Councils Act were only the first steps towards recognizing that the cultural imperialism of the past was no longer going to suffice as the twentieth century drew nigh. To wit, in 1892 a revised Indian Councils Act was passed that permitted "local comment" and criticism for legislation passed by the provincial legislative councils."
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Jelaluddin Rumi and Sufism, 2008.
This paper discuses Jelaluddin Rumi, one of the most well-known of Persian poets, who is largely credited with infusing Sufism with its highly intimate relationship with aesthetic traditions.
2,850 words (approx. 11.4 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 84.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that classically trained Jelaluddin Rumi, who was born in 1207 in the region that is now part of Afghanistan, lived most of his life in Turkey and the surrounding area. The author points out that Rumi created the Mevlevi Order of Dervishes or commonly called the Whirling Dervishes of Sufism. The paper relates that the Whirling Dervishes are most recognized for their unique dance movements, oblique body posturing, acute mental focus and their musical facility, which is said to combine to bring them closer in union to God. The author states that Rumi's poetry is regarded as the cultural epicenter of all thought, literature, dance and music in the world of Islamic aesthetics. The paper reports that the traditional approach to studying the impact of Rumi's poetry on Sufi music has been to examine the text from a critical theoretic perspective.
From the Paper
"The natural academic tendency, regardless of academic specialty, is to examine the concepts contained within the lines of verse; to question 'what is the tree of wisdom' and to ask what or how one identifies one's internal "fairy." These are important metaphysical questions that can and should be asked of the text through critical analysis. However, therein rests the academic pitfall that most researchers and even casual observers typically get trapped in: the interpretation of the text which is made even more complex in translation."
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Darfur Crisis, 2008.
This paper looks at the causes and complications of the Darfur crisis.
1,213 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
In this article the writer discusses that the Darfur crisis as it exists today is the result of a convergence of domestic political and cultural causes, within the context of regional political and environmental circumstances, all of which are being looked upon with good-intentioned neglect by the international community. This essay explores the Darfur crisis with a focus on discerning the root causes of the crisis from its more immediate direct causes. The thesis is argued, while its direct causes seem to lie in a botched counter-insurgency program launched by the Sudanese government which coincided with drought and regional environmental issues, its root causes lie in the structuring of the Sudanese state in the wake of colonialism. As is seen, the inability of the Sudanese government to address the complex needs of diverse groups within its state lies ultimately at the root of the Darfur crisis, with implications both for the Sudan and other post-colonial states.
From the Paper
"Prunier's observation is valuable in two respects: first, he cites the fact that the Sudan has been internationally recognized for another long-running civil conflict in its recent history, and secondly that the causes of the Darfur crisis are not immediately clear or easy to understand. The reference to the Sudan's history of internal civil conflict is particularly significant, as it suggests that there are systemic problems in the Sudanese state that extend beyond the confines of the Darfur crisis. It may be argued that these problems are the "root" causes of the Darfur crisis.
"The Sudan as it exists today is largely a legacy of the colonial era, when the British empire governed vast swathes of Africa. However, a defining characteristic of the Sudan from its colonial period has been the combination of enormous territory and diverse ethnic populations, with an overcentralized state."
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A Change in Liberal Democracy, 2008.
A discussion of the shift in the ideology of liberal democracy.
2,142 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 67.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the existence of the Cold War had many effects on liberal democratic states and also affected to a degree the way in which democracy was, and continues to be, understood in these states. The paper explains that this includes the United States, which in some ways has come to see democracy as a given that more and more people have been willing to give up aspects of a democratic state in the face of a threat, as has been seen in the acquiescence of the people to a variety of intrusions on their democratic rights since 9-11. The paper also discusses how the success of democracy in the Cold War should have solidified that political ideology as to be preferred, but its very success seems to have opened it to new threats from within. In conclusion, the paper shows that more and more, liberal democracies are defining themselves in terms of collective security over individual preference, and this signals a profound shift in thought that only makes the future more uncertain.
From the Paper
"Schlesinger says that America in the past has stood as an example of a federal, multi-ethnic society that worked, but he seems to believe that this is no longer the case. The U.S. has worked because it has been able to offer answers to the question of what reasons are there for different ethnic groups to see themselves as part of the same nation. Schlesinger now sees an eruption of ethnicity in America, which may have many good consequences, but which he also believes has many bad consequences."
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Politics and Transformation of Asia-Pacific, 2008.
A discussion on the causes of the Korean War and how it led to the transformation of the Asia-Pacific region.
2,205 words (approx. 8.8 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 68.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that the most significant conflict in recent times over a major ideal was the Korean War. It suggests that the ideology of communism versus democracy was responsible for the rise of the developmental state and the economic Asian "miracle," which led to the conflict of the East Asian financial debacle of 1997-1998.
From the Paper
"Consistent with the Japanese model, in South Korea, the industrialization that spurred such "breakneck economic growth" (Sang-Hun 2005) in one generation from 1960-1994 "was driven by government initiatives rather than market forces [as a] planed economy" (Hasung 2006). In South Korea large financial conglomerates, family-owned and operated chaebols, backed by the government were key players in this drive to lift Korea from poverty to power by developing Korean industries where capital markets were not yet established and competition in domestic markets was low. CFOs like Daewoo's Kim Woo Choong was committed to building a Korean industrial empire and mandated by President Park Chung to do so. The incessant amassing of wealth, popularly patriotic, was the general consensus invigorating that generation and sustaining the chaebols system."
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Caribbean Culture and Cultural Imperialism, 2007.
A discussion on whether the Caribbean society is too receptive and diverse for its own good.
1,633 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the Caribbean culture and at how its dynamic polyglot, diverse nature - and its ability, and even willingness, to accommodate different cultures and ethno-social traditions - has actually made it vulnerable on a number of profound levels. It explains that the Caribbean nations have shown a marked inability to throw off the cultural, linguistic and educational encrustations of the European nations which took over the region generations ago and which re-shaped their new fiefdoms in ways that effectively did away with pre-European values, codes, religions and dialects. The paper also looks at how many Caribbean young people attend English or French schools and prepare themselves for entry into a "global village" that is controlled by the very ethno-racial groups which turned their own lands "upside-down" in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. In essence, the paper shows that by looking at the fragmented nature of the Caribbean world and by looking at the impress of foreign language upon its peoples and formal structures, a region is revealed that has lost much of its ability to marshal its forces against external imperialistic forces. The writer believes that the Caribbean must start doing a better job of privileging its indigenous traditions and dialects or it will finally, ineradicably, lose them forever.
From the Paper
"Many observers are of the view that the Caribbean is a melting pot; that it is a place wherein European and non-European types "creolize" and thereby shed their different historical-national identities in favor of one that is "West Indian" in nature. This argument, however, has been vigorously challenged by others who assert that the Caribbean is really a collection of different regions which have their own unique, distinctive features. Simply put, while there may be regional similarities vis-a-vis food, music, dance, dress and a host of other elements, there are many more (or at least as many more) differences as there are similarities (Allahar, p.1-2). Simply put, Allahar appears to be to arguing two things: firstly, West Indian/Caribbean is diverse; secondly, despite this diversity, the region has certain societal features that distinguish it from other regions and which bind together its disparate elements."
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