| Papers [1-16] of 21 :: [Page 1 of 2] | | Go to page : 1 2 —> | Search results on "KIN SELECTION": |
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Kin Selection, 2004.
Examines altruism in nature within the context of W.D. Hamilton's theory of "Kin Selection".
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 152.95
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Abstract
The organization and functioning of human and animal societies has long been the subject of intense investigations by natural scientists, sociologists, and geneticists. Darwin, who laid the foundation for a modern theory of evolution, suggested ?kin selection? as an explanation for the existence of sterile females, the worker caste, in social insects like ants, bees, and termites. This paper examines a later theory presented by W.D. Hamilton, who mathematically perceived his 'Theory of Kin Selection', showing it as a mechanism for the evolution of such apparently altruistic sterile castes.
From the Paper
"Like any other genetic trait, altruism will evolve only if it is passed on from generation to generation in a proportion greater than alternative alleles for non-altruism. Hamilton has described the conditions under which an allele for altruism will have higher frequency of occurrence and, therefore, evolve. He states these conditions in a formula: br ? c > 0 or b x r > c where b, stands for ?benefit?, and refers to the enhanced reproductive benefit gained by recipient of altruism; r refers to the chance that the aided individual carries the same gene for altruism; c stands for ?cost?, to the altruist in terms of the number of offspring the altruist could have had if it had not been an altruist. Hamilton?s formula leads to the concept that in a randomly mating and out breeding diploid population, an individual should sacrifice itself in order to save? two siblings, four nephews or eight cousins? since siblings share 50% of the individual?s genes, nephews 25% and cousins 12.5%."
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The Kin of Atta Are Waiting for You, 2006.
A review of the utopian novel "The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You" including synopsis of plot and biographical/critical material on the author.
4,008 words (approx. 16.0 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 164.95
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Abstract
This essay includes a thorough analysis of the plot and thematic content of the utopian novel "The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You" as well as extensive biographical information, a detailed history of the author's writing, and a critical analysis of Bryant's overall career.
From the Paper
"The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You is an utopian novel by Dorothy Bryant, published in 1971. The narrator, whose name we never learn, is an unsavory, malicious, degenerate man. A famous author of best selling books, he has myriads of female fans ready and willing to sleep with him. The book opens with a violent scene in which he murders one of these women, Connie, after casual sex. She had dared to object to his dismissive attitude toward her. Her demand to be seen as a person enraged him. Regularly plagued by nightmares, and stoned at the time, the author is unsure whether he has invented this character for one of his books, dreamed the murder, or really strangled her. In a panic, he leaves the body and runs away. Attempting to escape he drives aimlessly. Overwhelmed by conflicting voices in his head, uncertain if he is awake or dreaming, he loses control of his car on a mountain road. After the crash he could be dead, or having another nightmare, or just seriously injured. The wavering space between dream and reality haunt the entire novel."
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"The Kin of Ata Are Waiting For You" by Dorothy Bryant, 2002.
An analysis of the literary work of Bryant illustrating a world different to the world we know.
1,143 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 0 sources, AU$ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper describes a society different from ours by examining elements known to us - education, religion, economy, politics. It portrays this "other world" as almost perfect. The writer questions this utopian existence.
From the Paper
"In Ata, the education of the society is communal. There is no television or commercialized entertainment to purvey standardized messages of how an individual should live his or her life. In ?our world? education is relegated to certain individuals and institutions. As a result, education is imparted in an intellectually homogenous fashion, for better or for worse. Individuals from poorer economic circumstances usually receive a poorer education. Education for all individuals is not tailored to the specific academic needs of every child. When an individual goes home, he or she receives all of the prejudices of his or her family in totality, with little contrasting moral values, except from popular culture. In Ata, because education takes place communally, an individual?s wealth or poverty does not play into his or her learning. Also, different people can teach children different things. The parents and teachers are not solely responsible for the child. The child?s uniqueness as an individual and a learner is respected. This is also true of adults, who have much to learn from children in Ata. Learning is mutual, rather than hierarchical."
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"All Our Kin", 2004.
Summary and review of Carol Stack's book on the kinship network that exists within poor sections of African-American community.
870 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the subject of Carol Stack's book, "The Neighborhood", the focus of the book, and the purpose of Stack's research, which was to search for some kind of relationship model among black families. The paper then goes on to discuss Stack's findings regarding the kinship network she uncovered and how poverty is such a defining element of this network.
From the Paper
"The author has conducted an in-depth study of the lives of families living in these neighborhoods marked by perpetual poverty. ?Poverty? as we all know is the one thing that has been perpetually and negatively affecting the lives of this community for ages and nothing significant or concrete has been done so far to address this issue successfully. Several attempts have been made to bring the African American community out of their dismal situation but all these measures have failed to cast a lasting impact and for this reason, most black families in poor neighborhoods are still living in sub-human conditions."
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Chimpanzee Post Humanism, 2005.
An analysis of the extent to which issues raised by Erica Fudge in "Animal" assist a post humanist reading of Roger Fouts' "Next of Kin".
1,506 words (approx. 6.0 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 75.95
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Abstract
The paper uses Fouts' "Next of Kin" and Fudge's "Animal" as a window to the issues surrounding a postmodern attitude towards animals. It uses the technical vocabulary of cultural criticism to discuss animal language and communication as well as animal testing and the unique relationship between human and animal. It also raises questions about the real difference between humans and animals, and how we represent that difference.
From the Paper
"Next of Kin is a record of the experiences of Roger Fouts in his interactions with chimpanzees and, more importantly, in his participation in a chimpanzee language experiment. In Animal, Fudge discusses many cases of chimpanzee language research, with particular interest in what it tells us about humanism, and of course, by implication, posthumanism. Reading Next of Kin in the light of Animal, it is possible to follow Fudge's ideas, and extend them to make a more specific and in-depth analysis. Fudge comments that pets are 'both like us and not like us' . It is this paradox that has presented problems for how people view pets throughout history. "
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Ethnography, 2007.
A comparative study of Carol Stack's "All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community" and Steven Gregory's "Black Corona: Race and the Politics of Place in an Urban Community".
1,853 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 90.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at ethnography, a branch of anthropology describing, with a scientific description, individual cultures. The paper compares the works of Carol Stack in "All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community" and Steven Gregory in "Black Corona: Race and the Politics of Place in an Urban Community". Specifically, it looks at the different theories and methodologies applied by each author.
From the Paper
"One of the key shortfalls that can be found in the work of Gregory is that he fails to address the impact of the influx of Latinos into the area during the time of the study (Borges, p. 2). The Flats is in Jackson Harbor, a Midwestern town. Stack did not address the issue of Latinos or other ethnic groups, other than to mention that whites often treated black in the area in an unfavorable fashion. It is not expected that the issue of Latinos would be as important in the Flats as it would be in the area addressed by Gregory. For Gregory, the issue of Latinos represents a potential source of bias. Likewise, Stack's reliance on AFDS records may also represent a source of bias as well."
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Families in Modern Day Society, 2002.
A review of two books: "The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families" by Stephanie Coontz and "All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community" by Carol Stack which emphasize the position of the family in today's world
1,410 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 70.95
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Abstract
The first book "The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families" by Stephanie Coontz presents an effective summary of the history of the family and of the state of the modern family compared to the 'traditional family' - working father, housewife mother as the norm. It discusses the breakdown of family values caused by women needing to work because of economical changes in society. The second book "All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community" by Carol Stack describes in detail the family units and social support systems within the community of the African-American ghetto and compares the importance of family in the ghetto with that in other communities.
From the Paper
"Coontz looks at the family from a historical perspective and argues against the common notion that the modern family is in trouble. Instead, Coontz argues that it is the media that has made us expect things of families that may never have been achievable. By looking at the history of the modern family and relating this to modern life, Coontz shows that it is not the family that is in trouble, but that society has not been able to accept and support what the family really means. Coontz argues that society must accept the reality of the modern family, rather than place unachievable expectations on it."
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A Study of Two Cultures, 2002.
This paper introduces, compares, and contrasts the introductory chapters of Carol B. Stack?s ?All our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community,? and Peter Kwong?s ?The New Chinatown.?
630 words (approx. 2.5 pages), 0 sources, AU$ 34.95
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Abstract
The following paper pays particular attention to how the authors deal with reflexivity (self reflection), polyvocality (other voice-use quotes), confidentiality, outsider/insider dynamics (etic/emic view), and the establishment of ethnographic authority.
From the Paper
?In Kwong?s introduction, he states he lived in New York?s Chinatown for fifteen years. Here is a major difference between the two authors. Kwong is Chinese, and is writing about the problems the Chinese face in our culture, and in their own. Stack admits that she is a white outsider, writing about the African-American culture, and admits ?Members of a culture have biases that affect their perceptions of themselves and their life ways; outsiders bring biases to the cultures they study.?Kwong may bring his own prejudices to his study, but he is a member of the group, not an outsider, and the group may even open up to him more than they would an outsider. Kwong seems to have an advantage over Stack in this regard. Kwong immediately establishes his ethnographic authority, while Stack does not.?
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Ethnography of a Black Community, 2001.
Examines Carol Stack's groundbreaking 1974 book "All our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community". Book's importance & strengths.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 5 sources, AU$ 120.95
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From the Paper
"Carol Stack?s groundbreaking, radical ethnography of a black community in the middle decades of the 20th century is in some essential ways neither radical nor groundbreaking.
All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community, published in 1974 and based on fieldwork begun in the 1960s, in many ways follows the traditional requirements of any ethnography, at least as the form was practiced since its beginnings as a formal subgenre (distinct from travelogues and other related forms of writing) in the late 19th century and extending through the 1980s when a number of anthropologists such as George Marcus began to question the fundamental assumptions underlying the field of anthropology itself and the fundamentally linked practice of ethnography.
Stack?s book, like so many ethnographies before hers, seeks to .."
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"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver, 2008.
A review of the book "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver.
776 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the true meaning of family as the overriding subject in the book "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver. The paper explains that throughout the novel, 'family' is a major theme for nearly all of the characters. The paper points out that all the characters in the book did not actually have to be blood kin to be family. The paper then notes that this knowledge is an incredibly assuring thing for them to realize; even if one thinks he or she is alone in the world, with no one to care for them, they have support through their closest friends, in other words, their family.
From the Paper
"When the novel first begins, the only thing Taylor wants is to get out of the small Kentucky town in which she grew up. When she was ready and able, she hopped into her car with the hopes of finding somewhere better, and never looking back. To her misfortune, a tiny Indian baby was left in her care, unwanted by everyone else in the world (24). However, a baby was the last thing Taylor wanted as well. Both she and the baby were alone at that point, despite the fact that they were driving in the same car. This all changes when Taylor begins to take care of the child. She starts to care about her, even gives her a name, Turtle. Now, instead of having no one, they become a small family. Despite of this, the pair still seemed to be on their own."
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Death Notifications, 2008.
This paper discusses death notifications as another side of police work.
2,942 words (approx. 11.8 pages), 9 sources, APA, AU$ 132.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses suggested protocol for officers to consider when death notifications become a part of their responsibility. The phases of death notifications are identified and include what the officer should not do. The writer notes that requiring an officer to make any death notification is difficult but the problem is compounded when the deceased victim is an officer. The writer maintains that line-of-duty deaths are by far the toughest for any law enforcement to deal with. This paper briefly covers the unique circumstances officers must consider when notifying a next of kin after a line-of-duty death. Finally, suggested training techniques conclude this paper. The writer includes personal experiences in the paper.
Outline:
Abstract
From the Paper
"One late night around 11:00 am, I was radioed in my patrol unit and asked to telephone police dispatch. During this phone conversation, I was told that our agency was notified by a neighboring state agency in reference to a major vehicle accident in that state. The dispatcher was informed that the mother in the vehicle died at the scene and the father was almost certain to die at the hospital. The daughter of the occupants lived locally and the out of state officer wanted me to make the notification of such a tragic event. The only instructions given to me were to withhold the information about the father's almost certain death.
"Although this event took place over one year ago, I can remember vividly making that phone call, receiving my instructions and making a short drive to the daughter's location that seemingly took an eternity."
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The American Adoption Policy, 2005.
This paper discusses the history and philosophy of the American adoption policy.
3,165 words (approx. 12.7 pages), 10 sources, MLA, AU$ 138.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that modern adoption policy is as much a part of the general ideas about social welfare as it is about the right of a family to raise a child that is not originally its own. The author points out that, in the beginning, the heart of the process by which adoption policy developed in the U.S. did not entail questions of "marginal" groups or individuals possessing adoption rights but, rather, the attitude of society to the very idea of creating "fictive kin". The paper relates that the old concept of matching children with potential parents is no longer a question of find a child, which is nearly identical biological and social "copies" of the parents, because America has become racially and ethnically diverse and follows values which emphasize serving each individual child in the best way.
From the Paper
"Yet, as the child welfare movement began to gather strength, a new attitude developed. Increasingly, children living in certain "substandard" conditions were seen as deserving something "better." Those who did not possess the resources to care for their children, or who abused their children, or raised them in a manner inconsistent with contemporary middle-class values, might find their children being taken away from them. For the first time, the once inviolable bond between biological parent and child was being broken."
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African-American Families (AFFs), 2007.
This paper argues that, although African-American families (AFFs) face many problems, it may be more beneficial to focus more on the positive aspects of these families.
1,245 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 7 sources, APA, AU$ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that a fundamental difference between African- American and Euro-American families is that the African-American family (AFF) exists as a unit within a larger extended family, which emphasizes interdependence and communal cooperation; whereas, Euro-American families function more as an individualistic unit, isolated from other kin. The author points out that some of the inherent strengths of AFFs are deeply embedded religious and spiritual values, a willingness to absorb others into the family environment, household elasticity, internalized traditional cultural values and a strong sense of self, pride and self esteem. The paper stress that intervention programs for AFFs require more qualitative investigations of the rich diversity of the AFF way of life and more cultural competency demonstrated by therapists working with AFFs.
From the Paper
"An issue of importance in the study of AFFs is the examination of structural and cultural explanations for the lack of African American fathers in the inner city. Canton (2005) explained how structural economic forces like globalization and de-industrialization decreased the availability of high paying manufacturing jobs, which has contributed to the experience of poverty among black males. This has led to the internalization of negative, racist stereotypes among African American males, and ultimately has resulted in these men seeing marriage and fatherhood as burdens."
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Immigrant Trends in Toronto, 2002.
A look at successive waves of immigrants and community building in Toronto.
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 6 sources, AU$ 135.95
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Abstract
Thispaper is based on the thesis that family, kin and paesani networks formed the basis of all community building. The paper demonstrates how this functioned at the local and community levels.
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Medieval Families, 2002.
A compare and contrast analysis of the role of the family in Medieval England and in today's society.
1,245 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how the way the family interacted and worked as a collective unit towards a common goal has barely changed since the early signs of organized living and caring for kin. The Medieval families dealt with many different situations, but the backbone of their life still remains the same today. It examines how the basic peasant family lived and interacted, revolved around their environment and the standards of living at the time, as well as family interaction, neighborhoods and rivalries which owed to medieval culture after the dissolution of the caste system and serfs/serfdom. It concludes that the average nuclear family unit has kept the same basic principles and practices through the ages.
Times have changed with technology and several variables or factors may have changed slightly, but it is still parallel. Families have and always will be centered around a home, raising of children by parents to prepare them for the future and each generation?s effort to improve the family status one notch higher than that of their parents?.
From the Paper
"The survival of a family is largely dependent on being able to supply the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter). Although the way that these needs are supplied has changed from direct (farms, home craft) to indirect (monetary salary) sources; the concept of material environment and importance of this supply has remained the same.
?A commonplace in describing peasants is that they are bound to the ground or chained to the soil, so that is appropriate to begin a discussion of peasant families by looking at their material environment.? In the middle ages, groups of families formed villages out of their houses and fields, each village had a center of commerce and merchants, surrounded by houses and fields. Similarly today, groups of families settle around urban centers and live in surrounding suburbs."
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Clash of Civilizations in Kosovo, 2001.
This paper examines the recent conflict in Kosovo.
2,605 words (approx. 10.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 119.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Samuel P. Huntington?s clash of civilizations thesis in relation to the recent conflict in Kosovo. The paper concludes that all of the major players in the recent conflict in Kosovo performed as predicted by Huntington?s thesis. The author discusses how the primary combatants, Serbs and Kosovars represent a fault line conflict between two civilizations, and both drew in support from kin-countries and how Russia came to the defense of Serbia, although only diplomatically as the situation permitted.
From the Paper
"Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has become one of the premier institutions of the Western civilization. The recent entrance of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic into the alliance had little-to-no strategic or military importance, but symbolized the re-joining of these states with the West. NATO?s main role is changing from that of a military alliance to a club of Western market democracies. Countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Baltics seek membership to this club because they want to be recognized as a part of the West. NATO has become the dominant symbol of Western power, and thus exclusively the West carried out the air war over Kosovo."
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