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Article Analysis: Bias and Reliability, 2008.
An analysis of the article "Change in Work Values and Norms among Dutch Young Adults. Ageing or societal trends?" by Mandy E.G. Van der Velde, Jan A. Feij and Hetty Van Emmerik.
1,332 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 1 source, APA, AU$ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews the research methods of a 1998 article appearing in the International Journal of Behavioral Development that explores whether or not work values and norms among young adult Dutch people have changed over time because of societal trends or because of aging/maturation. The paper examines, in addition to the methodology employed, the issues of bias and reliability as they emerge in the work. The paper also looks at the conclusions of the article and whether or not these findings are compromised in any way. In the final analysis, this writer finds that the article carefully controls for all variables, uses a large sample size and contains a strong understanding of previous literature and its relevance to the work at hand. The writer shows, however, how the article is compromised by the fact that traces of bias are found.
From the Paper
"Research in the fields of psychology and sociology has become increasingly complex in recent decades as advances in multivariate analysis and the development of new conceptual tools have both emerged. Because of this, the standards to which professional publications are held have risen dramatically. Happily, a 1998 release by Mandy E.G. Van der Velde, Jan A. Feij and Hetty van Emerik measures up to the new requirements and offers an interesting look at the question of whether or not work values and norms among young adult Dutch people have changed over time because of societal trends or because of aging/maturation."
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Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing", 2008.
An analysis of the theme of silence in Margaret Atwood's "Surfacing".
1,214 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the symbolic aspects of Margaret Atwood's, "Surfacing" and argues that silence is something that pervades the entire novel and keeps people from saying what needs to be said. The paper also examines how the narrator's strange relationship with Joe reveals her inability to communicate and how she views him with silent disdain, never deigning to sit down with him to see if there is a way for that sentiment to be turned into something more positive.
From the Paper
"The symbolism of the novel's setting is unmistakable. The story begins with the narrator returning to the remote northern Quebec hinterland to seek her father, who is missing and with whom the narrator is estranged. The opening line, "I can't believe I'm on this road again," (Atwood, 3) gains in significance when the full nature of the narrator's relationship with her dad is revealed. Quite simply, she had thought the tie between them had been severed permanently - only now she is returning once more to seek out the man she had, for all intents and purposes, left behind years earlier. "
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Plato's "Symposium", 2008.
An analysis of the nature of Eros in Plato's "Symposium".
1,813 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 73.95
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Abstract
Plato's "Symposium" is an account of an Athenian drinking party, attended by some of the leading cultural figures of classical Athens, in which the core of the discussion of those in attendance revolves around the nature of Eros or love. This paper explores this discussion, with particular reference to the speech of Socrates on the nature of Eros. The thesis is argued that Socrates' explication of the nature of Eros is reinforced by Alcibiades' speech, which illustrates how Socrates' philosophical position in this regard translates into his real life practices in regards to love and its pursuit.
From the Paper
"Of course, not all of the participants in the discussion agree about the nature of Love, or even follow the same theme. This being said, the speech of Pausanias is particularly interesting for how he discusses contemporary Athenian legal and moral perspectives on homosexual love and, in particular, on the love of older men for young boys. Pausanias' speech is significant as it reveals that there was not a "blanket" acceptance of all homosexual relationships in Athenian society, and that there is only one way in which such a relationship would not be reprehensible: in which the relationship is oriented towards a pursuit of goodness. "
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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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Popular vs. Scholarly Scientific Writing, 2007.
This paper compares popular and scholarly scientific writing by using articles on the possibility of atavisms or evolutionary throwbacks.
1,210 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the examination of a popular press article and another article from a scholarly journal reveals some fundamental differences in the ways in which the authors and the publications pursue the specific question of atavisms and the general matter of science. The author points out that, whereas the scholarly articles are cautious, highly specific and backed by applied research, the popular press discussion of atavisms is written with more attention to capturing and retaining the interest of the reader. The paper states that popular articles tend to do a better job of contextualizing the scientific data being presented and the implications of the research being conducted. The author concludes that both of these types of science writing have their place although each would benefit from incorporating techniques from the other.
From the Paper
"To counter this historical attitude, Le Page (2007) presents a series of recent studies and findings on the subject that indicate that evolutionary atavisms can take place, if only rarely and under certain circumstances. The examples used are always specific and detailed, and the author attempts to provide a human context for research with direct quotes from researchers and reactions from the public and scientific community. Once Le Page sets up this division, the conflict of the article between accepted biological wisdom and new, contrary evidence, he can start to present possible solutions."
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Materialism and Superficiality, 2008.
This paper examines American materialism and superficiality in "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil" by Fay Weldon.
943 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper shows how in the two novels, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil" by Fay Weldon, the main characters are obsessed with material financial gain, as well as preserving an image of prosperity that is ultimately superficially masking their emotional pain and insecurity. The paper discusses how Americans tend toward superficiality and materialism in their social behaviors.
From the Paper
"The rise of Jay Gatsby's fortunes relied on illegal bootlegging to acquire his house, and the other materialistic pleasures that he has gained in his activities. The central focus of the novel, however, does not merely focus on his wealth, but focuses on his dream of having Daisy Buchanan as a love object. All of the accumulated wealth revolves around this particular women, as she represents Gatsby's obsession with her as a symbol of the American Dream--the desire to acquire and sustain material wealth. The interesting aspect of the novel is that Gatsby feels that he must provide wealth and security to Daisy if he is to be able to 'have' her, as a material possession. In this manner, she is at once a possession and a love interest, but Fitzgerald does indeed make sure to reveal that he does truly love her on a deeper level."
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"The Faerie Queene", 2008.
An analysis of the philosophical and religious observations of Edmund Spenser in his first four books of "The Faerie Queene."
3,295 words (approx. 13.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 118.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the first four books of Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene." It shows how the books offer insight into the author's philosophical and religious observations of the society of his day, in ways that are sometimes comic. It discusses how his work became a substantial contribution to his time's Protestant propaganda and was a saga of human society, politics and even political science.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Very Protestant Allegory
Ireland as Faerie Land?
A Magical Queen
Human Nature
An Allegory without End
Concluding Discussion
From the Paper
"Spenser received a fine humanist education according to the standards of his day, en route to what is now Pembroke College, Cambridge, in 1569. He belonged to a generation raised on stories of the excesses during the short reign of 'Bloody Mary' (1553-1558) in the whole scale persecution of Protestants, as part of her effort to reverse Henry VIII's break from the Church of Rome. As Spenser completed his bachelor's degree in 1573 and a master's degree in 1576, Ireland had become a religious battleground, a charged colonial environment in which Spenser would spend most of his career. Throughout the first four books of The Faerie Queene one finds a great deal of Protestant imagery in terms of kinds of individual virtue, the forces of temptation and human weaknesses to which the greatest of persons can succumb, Book I devoted to the virtue of Holiness, Book II to Temperance, Book III to the virtue of chastity, and IV to friendship. The next book gives way to a long discussion of justice and what is not justice, and the merits of when it is seen to be effected. Spenser carried on to more political themes in the unitary contributions of the Tudors and, of course, the attainments of Queen Elizabeth I who is referred to in Book I as Lucifera, then as Gloriana and in Books III and IV as Belphoebe, too."
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"Surfacing", 2008.
An analysis of Margaret Atwood's use of narrative structure to help her perfect her portrayal of the character's state of mind in her novel, "Surfacing."
1,066 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the narrative structure within Margaret Atwood's novel, "Surfacing." The paper shows how Atwood uses the narrative structure to help her perfect her extremely successful portrayal of the character's state of mind through this process. The paper provides examples from the text, which along with its analysis of the character, show the importance of this narrative style in achieving the author's complex objectives.
From the Paper
"Thus we see that Atwood uses the novel's narrative structure to trace the narrator's descent into madness, as well as her tentative groping towards re-surfacing from madness. The change from first person present tense to first person past tense, and back again, is an important part of this narrative structure, as shown above. Moreover, the three-part division of the novel enables Atwood to fit the intricate and intense emotional changes of the narrator into the tight time-frame of ten days. All in all, the narrative structure contributes in an important way to make possible the successful realization of this very complex novel."
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Freud's Psychology of Ordinary Life, 2008.
This paper examines Sigmund Freud's 1901 book, "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life".
954 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper analyzes Freud's well-known book, "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life", which consists almost exclusively of a series of anecdotes taken from the real lives of a variety of people. The paper discusses Freud's overall theme of the significance of inner mental states, the subconscious, as possessing a deterministic quality over outer manifestations of behavior. The paper points out that Freud's analysis is neither subject to close scientific investigation nor is it logically unimpeachable, but concludes that Freud's pioneering efforts, though flawed, opened the door for further study.
From the Paper
"Freud's 1901 book, The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, is one of the more well-known works of his, perhaps partly due to the fact that unlike many of his studies of psychology, it focuses exclusively on the life of the ordinary individual rather than the neurotic patient. As such, it was likely from the beginning to find wider acceptance among a readership that, then as now, tends to feel a stigma attached to the felt need that one is "abnormal" or in need of psychotherapy. It thus presents itself as an accessible introduction to Freud's thought."
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"William Marshal: The Flower of Chivalry", 2008.
An analysis of chivalry and the treatment of women in Georges Duby's "William Marshal: The Flower of Chivalry."
954 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the 1984 text by Georges Duby entitled, "William Marshal: The Flower of Chivalry." In so doing, the paper reviews two significant themes which emerge time and again in the text: the concept of chivalry (as it pertains to the notions of fealty, honor and loyalty) and the theme of how women (and children) are treated as subordinates.
From the Paper
"As well, the honor of William Marshal manifests itself in how braves extraordinary dangers in combat to prove his righteousness as a knight while still a young man. When accused of infidelity to his king and of adulterous conduct, "He says he is ready to confront the three most valorous champions that can be found, one after the next. If he fails to vanquish all three, he is more than willing that the suspicious husband put him to death by hanging" (Duby, 52). His fealty to his lord is complete (at least in his eyes) and he will not tolerate aspersions cast upon his honor and character. Ultimately, a reified society wherein duty is demanded and obligations honored is preserved and this reification would remain a substantial part of western culture, informing its martial and aristocratic values, for generations to come."
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"The Minister's Black Veil", 2008.
An analysis of the failings of the minister in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short parable, "The Minister's Black Veil."
858 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews Nathaniel Hawthorne's short parable entitled, "The Minister's Black Veil." It argues that the minister in the story is miserably failing his church congregation and that he is making his own monomaniacal obsession with some inner self-affliction take precedence over what should be concerns about the spiritual welfare of his followers. The paper analyzes the plot and text of the story to support its assertions.
From the Paper
"To close, this paper has argued that Father Hooper has not in any way satisfied his obligations or duties to his parishioners. For one thing, he has engendered mistrust, uncertainty and fear, and made his own monomaniacal obsession with whatever ails him supersede any concerns he should have for those who look to him for spiritual guidance and support. He has failed his flock, as it were, and the end result of all this is for the image of the church, the faith of the community, and the intimate bond between minister and church assembly to all be compromised."
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Decriminalization of Marijuana, 2008.
This paper argues for the decriminalization of marijuana in the United States.
1,017 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper maintains that marijuana laws are costly and ineffective and its decriminalization will allow for a more judicious allocation of funds. The paper argues that decriminalization will undermine the black market and will not precipitate the increased consumption of the narcotic by young people. The paper concludes that the positives of decriminalization certainly outweigh the negatives.
From the Paper
"To begin with, the marijuana laws in America are costly to enforce and inefficacious. For instance, a July 2005 report revealed that federal spending devoted to enforcing criminal sanctions against marijuana use runs to around $4 billion each year - and yet fails to make any perceptible impact upon the country's perception of, or use of, marijuana. What makes the matter more problematic is the fact that the federal government spends more on enforcing marijuana prohibition than it does on policy formulation or on treatment programs (Hemp Information, para.1). Suffice it to say, any laws which are costly and which have little impact upon a perceived problem should be dramatically altered in their scope and application - or struck down entirely."
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"Men Want Something Else", 2008.
An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of David Buss' arguments in his chapter "Men Want Something Else," within "The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating."
1,516 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 61.95
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Abstract
This paper critiques the chapter, "Men Want Something Else," within "The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating" by David M. Buss, in which he writes about the criteria men apply when choosing a mate. The paper shows how Buss brings together the two areas of research, the evolutionary psychology of human mating strategies and conflict between the sexes. The paper also looks at the strengths and the weaknesses of Buss' arguments.
From the Paper
"Thus, when Buss (1994) can find evidence of all men liking similar things, then that is biology. When he cannot, then that is social - but it is linked to biology in a way that men are unconscious of. But whichever way you cut it, it is all about having as many babies as possible. Men in western cultures like slim women because slim women have higher status, which in turn gives higher status to the man who has her on his arm, and which in turn enables him to better protect his children, thus better passing on his genes. This is simplistic, and ignores many realities of our society. For example, take the stereotypical "deadbeat dad." What biological impetrative is he following when he runs off with his secretary, leaving his children living in poverty? How has his gene pool made it through the centuries?"
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"The Oresteia of Aeschylus", 2007.
This paper discuses the themes of objective and subjective justice in Aeschylus' "The Oresteia of Aeschylus" (Oresteia).
1,915 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 76.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the trilogy of the great classic dramas by Aeschylus, which comprise the "Oresteia", embodies the competing concepts of justice as administered by a stable and unified state versus justice as administered at an individual or family level that arise out of revenge. The author points out that these dramas show the intense and often brutal conflict that existed between these two very different views of law. The paper relates that, in the end, the dramas succeed not as much in depicting an existing social reality but rather in idealistically propagandizing in favor of the importance of an objective administration of justice. The author examines each of the three Aeschylus plays in order to keep an essentially linear presentation in respect to its dramatic unfoldment and resolution.
Table of Contents
"Agamemnon"
"Choephori"
"Eumenides"
From the Paper
"The core problem of subjective justice, or the rule of personal vengeance, is of course its unending cyclical nature ("Act for act, wound for wound!" cries Clytemnestra in the Agamemnon, l. 1555.) Crimes are punished, but the punishment itself becomes the seed of a future crime which itself requires further vengeance, with no obvious end. This has long been recognized as a universal situation with regard to this sort of justice, and the tragedies of the Greeks, most notably the trilogy herein examined, make it their theme to address this ancient cycle."
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"The Emergence of the Global Mind", 2008.
A critique of Dr. James Canton's "When The Network Wakes Up: The Emergence of the Global Mind" using the works of James Mander and Neil Postman.
1,660 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 66.95
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Abstract
This paper examines "When The Network Wakes Up: The Emergence of the Global Mind" by Dr. James Canton which offers an optimistic, utopian view of the future for humans and computer technology. The paper presents a justification of his argument and then critiques the work using aphorisms by James Mander and Neil Postman. The paper includes Canton's source article at the end.
Table of Contents:
Summary of Strong Example of Utopian Writing
Justification/Qualification
Critique Using Required Mander Aphorism
Critique Using Chosen Mander Aphorism
Critique Using Required Postman Aphorism
Critique Using Chosen Postman Aphorism
Significance of Assessment
From the Paper
"Postman's fifth idea, that "media tend to become mythic" is demonstrated by Canton's missive. Canton reveres technology so much that he elevates it to a God-like status. This is a dangerous assumption, as it allows for the ruling of technology over man and society. The very point of society, some may argue, is that it is human in nature - not computerized! One must remember that "technology is as a stranger intruder, to remember that technology is not part of God's plan but a product of human creativity and hubris, and that its capacity for good or evil rests entirely on human awareness of what it does for us and to us" (Postman). Canton ironically even chooses his words in an unconscious manner demonstrating his God-like reverence of the Global Mind, amusingly referring to it as "he or she". He speaks too of "the next generation of intelligent life forms" which will be immature if they are "based on the current evolution of humanity." Canton makes technology of the future so grossly God-like that he assumes it will be building our successors!"
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Miguel Leon-Portilla's "Broken Spears", 2007.
This paper reviews Miguel Leon-Portilla's "The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico", which presents a history of Mexico.
980 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Leon-Portilla's book "The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico" is an excellent illustration of how the naivete of one culture and the rapacity of another usually collide to produce wide-spread tragedy. The author points out that the writer's objectives were to give a voice to the forgotten victims of the conquest of Mexico, which history had denied them, and to present the surviving Aztec accounts of this conquest as being great works of literature, which rival anything found in the western tradition. The paper relates that the significance of Cholula was to undermine the civilizational confidence of all Aztecs who heard about it, to constitute massive loss of native life, to re-affirm the efficacy and might of the Spaniards and to reinforce among the Aztecs the desirability of aligning themselves with the Spaniards rather than joining with their Mexican brethren in opposition to the new arrivals.
From the Paper
"The massacre at Cholula had many negative effects upon the Aztec peoples - leaving aside the obvious loss of life. Most notably, the massacre revealed the penchant of the Aztec peoples of Mexico to conspire against one another by feeding Cortes and his minions half-truths or outright fabrications about a bitter rival; this sort of rumor-mongering on the part of the people of Tlaxcaltecas, suffice it to say, stirred Cortes to march on Cholula, killing all present there. Moreover, the brutal defeat of the Cholultecas was compounded by the fact that their idol Quetzalcoatl had not served them in any way during the battle."
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