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Cultural Generalizations, 2008.
This paper discusses the prejudice and ethnocentricity of cultural generalizations through nationality and race issues.
1,059 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 5 sources, APA, AU$ 46.95
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Abstract
The paper explores the prejudice and ethnocentricity in America that is due to the problem of cultural generalizations on race and nationality. The paper explains that these generalizations prove dangerous and prejudiced, especially within the example of race construct, causing much harm and damage to minority communities. The paper shows how the premise for generalized bias or prejudice toward various cultures is a very real phenomenon.
From the Paper
"The basis of nationality is the first premise of societal barriers that create a naturally competitive boundary that separates people from each other. The cultural differences of national depend on certain variables such as speech, religion, and lifestyles often act as catalysts for creating prejudice and ethnocentric values. For instance, the idea that if one community should practice a different sect of Christianity in Mexico; while another community over the border in America should follow another sect, these two barriers can verifiably be part of a problem of national lines of demarcation. Although both sects may be Christian culturally, they are clearly being separated by a national border that does not necessarily recognize that validity of the other, competing culture."
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"Huckleberry Finn", 2008.
An analysis of Huck's journey by the river in "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain.
2,721 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, AU$ 101.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how, in "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, the river in the story serves as a narrative thread, a recurrent setting, and a link between the beginning and end. The paper notes the fact that the river referred to is the Mississippi and demonstrates how the river becomes a singular experience for Huck. The paper describes this experience as one that takes the innocent Huck on a journey of growing awareness about the corruption of man and the contrast between the good and evil of life.
From the Paper
"Huck from the beginning is a character who follows his own mind and who values the ability to do things rather than to know the book-learning prized by society. Huck does not learn the sort of thing found in books even when the Widow Douglas sends him to school. Twain in fact uses this novel as a way of making fun of a certain genre of books, the sort of high adventures that fascinate Tom Sawyer and that are very different from the real world in which Tom and Huck live. For Twain, American experiential learning is more valuable than European formal education, and this contrast is a key element in the novel."
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"The Pursuit of Happiness", 2008.
A review of the film "The Pursuit of Happiness," directed by Gabriele Muccino.
1,465 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 60.95
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Abstract
The paper critically reviews the film "The Pursuit of Happiness," which is about an African-American man who attains success after enduring poverty and even homelessness. The paper highlights the stereotypical, negative portrayals of race in this movie and shows how the main ideological message of the film is that success equals money, which is the 'American dream' that claims to ultimately bring happiness.
From the Paper
"Pursuit of Happiness is about a lower middle-class African-American man and his family. During an economic recession the family falls on hard times, having spent on their savings in the man's sales business. He sells medical equipment and things are not going so well. His wife works double shifts, he owes taxes to the government and has a bunch of unpaid parking tickets. Their son goes to a private, probably illegal, cheap daycare. One day he sees a man coming out of a red sports car. Impressed with the car and the man he asks him what he does for a living a finds out that the man is a stockbroker. He decides then and there that he too wants to be a stockbroker."
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Racial Segregation, 2008.
An analysis of the theories behind the trends of racial segregation in Washington DC.
2,728 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 14 sources, APA, AU$ 101.95
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Abstract
This paper analyses the census data of Washington in order to reveal significant points and trends and more especially incongruities or oddities. It discusses theories regarding racial segregation and discusses the relationship between capitalism and the class aspect of racial segregation. The paper argues that current trends in Washington and similar trends in cities such as Atlanta appear to have their source in the escalating process of globalization.
Outline:
Introduction
Census Data Analysis
Overview of Segregation
Immigrants and Residential Patterns
The Impact of the Post-Industrial Economy
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The effectiveness of racial enclosure policies was demonstrated in Washington in 1947 when more than 97 percent of blacks were found in the District (Manning, 1998). Segregation escalated until the 1970s with whites moving away from the District as blacks continued to move in. This racial shift whereby by 1970 nine times the number of blacks were situated in the District as in suburban Washington is explained by urban apartheid (Manning, 1998). From this very sudden change in racial composition there developed a second sudden change in demographics between the District and the suburbs since the population of the suburbs eventually was comprised of 85 percent of former residents of the District (Manning, 1998). The same pattern was observed with the development of satellite cities far away from the center of Atlanta. The white population then left the inner city, and African Americans became the majority within it (Miller, 2002)."
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African Cultural Retention, 2008.
This paper argues that African cultures were retained in the US and that African cultures did and continue to impact the dominant U.S. culture.
1,040 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that it is inaccurate to assume that there are no discernible African cultures left in the USA and that, because of the relatively small numbers of slaves bought to such a large country, all traces of African cultures were destroyed. The author points out that enslaved Africans from the same areas tended to be geographically situated together in the U.S. so that they were able to retain aspects of their individual cultures. The paper relates that Sheila Walker takes issue with the notion that European settlers "built" the U.S. and then imported some African slaves to perform manual labor for them. The paper underscores that she believes that the slaves bought to the U.S. were not ignorant, unskilled laborers but rather slave traders deliberately sought out people with skills, which the U.S. needed to help build the country.
Table of Contents:
False Assumptions
The Arguments of Sheila Walker
From the Paper
"She also points out that Africans must have made a major contribution to American society, history and culture, given that they comprised the numerical majority for the duration of the modern history of the Americas, until 1820. For example, out of those coming to the USA in 1820, 3 out of 4 new arrivals were African, not European. With this kind of demographic weight, it follows that the contributions of African minds and cultural presence had to be an important ingredient in the very creation of the Americas. Walker also points out that Howard Dodson backs her up on this theory and that he believes that the transatlantic slave trade played a central, defining role in the making of the modern world."
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Race and Ethnicity, 2008.
This paper addresses the assumptions concerning race and ethnicity in two travelogues; "Touch the Dragon-a Thai Journal" by Karen Connolly and "The European Tribe" by Caryl Phillips.
3,473 words (approx. 13.9 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 121.95
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Abstract
This paper examines two different travelogues: Karen Connolly's "Touch the Dragon-a Thai journal" and Caryl Phillips' "The European Tribe". The paper discusses how both authors have different kinds of self-consciousness rooted in their own racial and ethnic differences vis-a-vis the societies they visit. The paper looks at how they are regarded in these societies as well as their own impressions of unfamiliar peoples and cultures.
Outline:
Introduction
Karen Connelly - Falang
Caryl Phillips - on Being a Black Briton
Connelly - Impressions of Thai Culture
Phillips - Impressions of the European Tribe
Race and Ethnicity
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper
"From the beginning of her stay in Thailand in 1986, Connolly is warned that people will call her falang in the street, till they know her name, that she will be the only 'white' person in the town to which she is traveling and thus, will be popular. (p.3) As a novelty or perhaps due to Thai familiarity with occasional Western backpackers, she can expect to be the subject of some interest. She grows used to people staring, a group of children coming to visit on her first morning in the town just to have a look. (p.7) Connolly notes as others arrive and enjoy seeing her photographs of Canada and her family that she feels "like a new acquisition in a famous zoo." (p.7) It is up to the head of the English department of the school that Connolly attends to tell her the basics of Thai custom in which Connolly appears to have taken little interest when preparing to go abroad."
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African Cultural Retention, 2008.
This paper explores the question: Are African Americans destroying African culture?
765 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 4 sources, APA, AU$ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that African culture retention is noticeable in many aspects of the American lifestyle. The author points out that the African heritage for U.S. blacks survived the vicious system of slavery, despite attempts to remove remnants of African culture from the slaves and to instill a European/white culture so that they could be more accepting of their situation. The paper relates that some distorted cultural practices such as violence, sometimes labeled as "African", are not even remotely related to any kind of link with the cultural diversity of the African continent. The author concludes that the issue of African cultural retention and the destruction of the African-American society is so intertwined that it is sometimes hard to examine them separately.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Tenets of African Culture In the United States
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The retention component has also been used to damage the influence of African culture; for example acts of violence or family structure, and or social interactions have sometimes been linked to the African culture, or the travesty of slavery, or even more so, the cultural practices in Africa concerning relationships, marriage, and relationships. Liberating African American cultural identity will show that the African influence or content of this identity, although not in a pure form, offers a significant amount of positive influences."
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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, AU$ 31.95
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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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Article Analysis: Estrogen Metabolites in a Multiracial Population, 2007.
A critical analysis of an article by Sowers, Crawford, McConnell and Randolph, entitled 'Selected Diet and Lifestyle Factors are Associated with Estrogen Metabolites in a Multiracial/Ethnic Population of Women".
955 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, APA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that there are significant problems in terms of conceptualization and methodology in the research reported by Sowers et. al. in the article 'Selected Diet and Lifestyle Factors are Associated with Estrogen Metabolites in a Multiracial/Ethnic Population of Women'. The author points out that the troubling methodological problems throughout the framework of this paper include ambiguous phrases, deceptive statistics, the overlooking of rival causes, inadequate justification of the project and the fundamental disconnect between the research questions and the results. The paper stresses that there is no justification for the authors' use of race/ethnicity as a variable in this study, particularly given that the authors pay absolutely no regard to the importance of socio-economic status as a variable. The author underscores that the harm of this research is that it implies inherently bad health to minorities, in this case, to African-American women, which risks perpetuating racist stereotypes.
From the Paper
"The authors find that African-American women have significantly lower levels of estrogen metabolites than either White or Asian women; a number that they suggest is inherent in the racial group as it is not correlated to lifestyle factors. To attain this result, the authors measure the independent variable of race/ethnicity against dependent dietary and lifestyle variables. Other variables such as age are controlled. However, one obvious variable - a particularly important one given the focus of the study - is entirely absent from the analysis: socio-economic status."
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"I'm 50/50": Case Study of a Black-Hispanic Woman, 2008.
A case study of an American-born woman of black-Hispanic descent.
1,230 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper consists of an interview with a woman who was born in Los Angeles in 1932, during the Depression to a black mother and a Mexican citizen father who had immigrated to the United States. In the paper, the interviewee speaks of her life growing up in Los Angeles and some of the challenges she faced due to her unusual parentage. She also discusses some information about her father Renaldo and how he came to America, and the experiences he had here and how he ultimately met and married her mother, Violetta. The paper also includes some discussion based upon what the interviewee learned in her studies of race and ethnicity and how one distinguishes different aspects of one's background and culture, and how this affects one's relationships with other members of the community. Finally, the paper includes a brief discussion of her siblings and her own grown children, and the decisions they themselves made in terms of selecting what they felt to be the most appropriate genetic matches for themselves, taking into account the experiences of their mother.
From the Paper
"Mrs. Diaz notes that her own reading and study has taught her that "Latin" is not a racial designation, but a language designation. While her Mexican father spoke Spanish, racially he was known as a mestizo, partly of Spanish descent and partly of Aztec descent, but, she tells us, "even he could not say in exactly what proportion," since an exact genealogy was long ago lost to memory over the generations. Like most mixed Mexicans, he did not fare as well in his country as more pure-blooded Spanish, who tended to rise to the upper castes; so, he emigrated to the United States. He worked in Arizona cotton fields, then migrated to California to work in fruit orchids; after saving some money he moved to Los Angeles to get involved in a small grocery store with a couple of partners. This would have been shortly before the Depression."
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The Documentary Film, 2008.
This paper looks at the six different modes of documentary filmmaking, with a focus on the documentaries "Out of Control: AIDS in Black America" and "Other Faces of AIDs".
2,614 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 8 sources, MLA, AU$ 97.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses the documentary film's six primary modes of filmmaking and illustrates some of these modes with reference to different documentaries. The paper then applies the data to two specific documentaries; "Out of Control: AIDS in Black America" and "Other Faces of AIDs," which address the growing AIDs crisis in the African-American community. The paper shows how in both films the expository mode takes over, creating a sense that the white reporters and filmmakers are lecturing, which undercuts the effectiveness of the message and separates the black community.
Outline:
Introduction
Six Primary Modes of Documentary Filmmaking
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The classification of documentary films into six modes was proposed and explained by Bill Nichols. As Nichols describes these six modes, he suggests that each of the six corresponded to a particular period in documentary filmmaking when that mode prevailed, though all persist and may be found in some films at any given time. The observational mode is considered by some to be the truest form, given that it involves the least direct interference or interpretation by the filmmaker. As Nichols writes, these are films that "eschew commentary and reenactment [and] observe things as they happen" (Nichols, Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary 138). This is considered by many to be the most "documentary-like" of all the documentary forms, and perhaps the best-known practitioner of this form is Frederick Wiseman."
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Toni Morrison as an Author, 2003.
A look at Toni Morrison's life, career and literary works.
1,420 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 9 sources, MLA, AU$ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper recounts Toni Morrison's acclaimed career as an author. It focuses particularly on how many of the characters, settings and themes in her narratives reflect her own background in particular and the African-American experience in general. The paper examines works such as "Beloved", "The Bluest Eye", and "Perfect Love". In conclusion, the paper claims that it is Morrison's combination of themes, her lifelike characters, and her settings that have made her a successful author.
Table of Contents:
Morrison's Background
Studying the Characters of Morrison's Books
Looking at the Settings Found in Morrison's Narratives
Themes in the Narratives Build Her Voice as an Author
From the Paper
"Reading any of Morrison's books will show how she used characters to portray the narrative she is telling. For instance, consider her short story of "Recitatif." Imagine a "white" little girl who rooms for the first time with an "African-American" little girl. Morrison does not tell which little girl is white or which one is black. She uses her characterization to emphasize her theme of racism in this story. Morrison has the ability to create characters that fit the story. "In her five subsequent novels, she established herself as one of America's leading fiction writers, a gifted, popular storyteller whose troubled characters and their struggles expose the fault lines of a society built on a racial prejudice" (Grimes). These characters touch the heart of the reader and the reader is able to see the imaginary characters as they turn page after page. Take the character of Pecola's in the novel, "The Bluest Eye," the way Morrison shows allows the readers to feel the sorrow she has (Caldwell). Or, perhaps consider the story of "Beloved." "Beloved is actually written about an African-American woman who escaped to Ohio, but when they were going to take her back as a slave she killed her child rather than let it suffer the tragedy of being a slave (Toni Morrison). Sethe believes it would be better for her baby to be dead rather than face the horrors involved in slavery. The story ends with Sethe realizing she has a future and that life can get better."
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"Life on the Color Line", 2008.
An analysis of "Life on the Color Line" by Gregory H. Williams
1,379 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 58.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at "Life on the Color Line" by Gregory H. Williams, which is an autobiographical story of a man who found himself trapped between two different racial worlds. The paper describes how Williams, a white man with one-quarter black heritage, decides to consciously attempt to embrace a black racial identity. The paper addresses the question of race construction, how certain people might live the life of one given race or another based upon different influencing factors. Finally, this analysis considers how Williams' life might have been different in sports and education had he been fully accepted as white.
From the Paper
"Growing up in suburban Virginia in the 1950s, Gregory and his brother Michael find themselves at the mercy of their troubled and abusive father, who despite having achieved a respectable amount of success as a businessman and owner of a roadside cafe, repeatedly sabotages his life and that of his family due to his alcoholism and related dysfunctional behavior. Though taken for a dark-skinned "Italian," by the time their father's businesses fail, Mike and Greg discover to their shock that their father has been deceiving them all their lives, and is in fact half-black: the product of a white Kentucky man and his black mistress. (Their mother, who was also white, obviously was in on the deception, but by the time of the move to Muncie, Indiana, she had already left.)"
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Martin Luther King's Leadership, 2008.
This paper discusses the charismatic leadership of Martin Luther King Jr.
1,097 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 48.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses Martin Luther King's belief in freedom for his people, which affected the way he gave many of his speeches and the way he lived his life. The paper shows how his charismatic personality grabbed the attention of his audience and motivated them into making changes.
From the Paper
"Most people when they hear the name, Martin Luther King Jr., they immediately remember his persuasive speech called, "I Have a Dream." Yet, what made people stop and listen to Martin Luther King Jr. a leader that both whites and African Americans would listen to? Yes, he was a civil rights activist, but others stood behind the beliefs of civil rights and did not get the attention that King did. A study of Martin Luther King Jr. will show that he was a charismatic, persuasive leader with spiritual energy that grabbed the attention of his audience and his persuasion led people to make changes."
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Racism in the United States and Europe, 2008.
An analysis of racism in the United States and Europe and the legislation that is introduced in an effort to control it.
1,506 words (approx. 6.0 pages), 5 sources, APA, AU$ 61.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the similarities and differences between cultural racism in the United States and Europe. It discusses the strength of racism in both regions and the fact that in many cases it seems to be on the rise. The paper then looks at current efforts to control racism through legislation, but suggests that this will be ineffectual when there is a base cultural support for racisim.
From the Paper
"With such vigilance and fervor against racism, one must ask why it not only persists but seems to be thriving in Europe. In the United States, First Amendment protections allow citizens to organize and talk about nearly anything they'd like, including racist ideology. Combined with tensions over immigration, fear of people of Middle Eastern descent, and a standing racism with African Americans, it is little wonder that the United States not only has a history of racism but also a strong culture of racism. In Europe, however, many believe that legal prohibitions against racism and hate speech should be enough to protect ethnic minorities from racism and create a more egalitarian society. Unfortunately, Europe's record on racism is no better than the United States' (Kudnani, 1998). Tensions over immigration, rising populism, and antagonism toward Jews and Arabs all feed into a healthy subculture of racism. The conclusion we must draw from this is that racism cannot be dealt with on a political or legal level, but must be examined on a cultural level. Racism is rooted in a desire to protect members of one's own culture from outside threats. That this desire to protect manifests as racism is an unfortunate result."
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"White Over Black", 2008.
A review of "White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550-1812" by Winthrop D. Jordan.
1,075 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 46.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at "White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550-1812" by Winthrop D. Jordan where he discusses the history of relations between whites and blacks leading to the slave era. The paper looks at how Jordan identifies the institution of slavery and the development of its own rules and customs. The paper describes how Winthrop shows how attitudes changed over time and how slavery in particular altered relations between black and white. The paper notes that Jordan provides a list of resources for those who want to examine these issues in more detail.
From the Paper
"Europeans were seeking empire when they first arrived in West Africa, originally just to trade goods with the natives. English traders wrote accounts of their journeys and described the people they saw, people very different from themselves, with skin color the most obvious difference. Different terms were used to apply to natives from different parts of Africa, meaning natives of differing blackness. The idea of color itself became part of the vocabulary. English travelers eventually came to see blacks as not only different but as savage and so as uncivilized. This fact alone became a lure for travelers who wanted to see the savages up close. In time, the English started to project attitudes they did not want to admit in themselves onto the savages they saw as so different, and blackness became a metaphor for some of the darker aspects of human nature."
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