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Literature Review Regarding Contemporary China, 2008.
A review of the literature regarding reform and thought in contemporary China.
2,964 words (approx. 11.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 87.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes three articles that relate to issues in contemporary China. It specifically examines "Rebuilding the Party's Normative Authority: China's Socialist Spiritual Civilization Campaign. Problems of Post-Communism" by Feng Chen, "Dilemmas of Thought Work in Fin de Siecle China" by D. C. Lynch and "Economic Reform and Ideological Decay: the Decline of Ideology, in Riding the Tiger - the Politics of Economic Reform in Post-Mao China" by Gordon White.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Reform and Ideology
Lynch on 'Thought Work'
Gordon White and Riding the Tiger
Feng Chen
Conclusion
From the Paper
"When studied after Lynch's paper and White's early 1990s summary, Feng Chen's work seem on target. He shows the Party's intellectuals and ideologists inventing work for themselves according to 'human interest' topics such as crime, removing unwholesome influences, bringing on patriotic education for the young - and these do point to some sort of socialist function. Ironically, the CCP is to run the Chinese state whose shifts to capitalism bring social problems and work towards correcting the social problems created. Feng Chen's discussion is effective in the irony of the CCP being unable to make a "normative order" according to socialism when nearly all else it pursues is so geared to capitalism. (41) An alert reader too will see that none of this matters because the Chinese show in different ways that, first and foremost, they want the benefits of capitalism. It seems like the CCP can have its moralizing intellectual and ideological "role" if it wants, because the Chinese want to be employed and have buying power. Also, they see the clear failings of capitalism as pursued by an archaic Party in millions of visibly poor people and the migrant worker population that is mentioned by others as a strong defect of the present system. If a reader follows the Chinese press, he or she can begin to think like an everyday Chinese who does not expect accuracy from the state media, does expect to be given some message of what it means to be a Chinese citizen, how China will be "great" of course, and as Feng Chen added, some instruction to do as the Party suggests. (33)"
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Diocletian's Palace and the City of Split, 2008.
An overview of the history and architecture of Emperor Diocletian's palace and the City of Split.
3,310 words (approx. 13.2 pages), 24 sources, MLA, $ 94.95
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Abstract
This paper relates that the Emperor Diocletian rose through the orders by virtue of military skill, brilliance, and flexible scruples and how in preparation for his retirement, Diocletian had built a huge structure on the Dalmatian coast, a few miles from Salona. It also looks at how what began as a villa eventually became a a permanent settlement as the city of Split developed.
From the Paper
"While there will probably never be definitive evidence of when the inhabitation which became Split took place, it is unlikely that the palace was ever entirely derelict. It was simply to fine a resource to pass up, and while it may have been many decades before there was any substantial permanent settlement here, it seems highly doubtful that the palace was ever truly deserted. (Wilkes, 88) While the precise nature of the inhabitation at Split during the early years remains questionable, the city always seems to have been regarded as autonomous, and by the time Constantine Porphyrogenitus chronicled it, it was essentially independent and remained so until the Venetians gained control in the fifteenth century. (Plommer, 256) "
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The Civil War: Its Impact on Today's American Society, 2008.
A discussion of the impact of the Civil War on American society.
979 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 3 sources, APA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the Civil War still has a lingering effect on today's American society. The paper explains that this terrible conflict has impacted American politics, culture, economics and social values in many ways, but the political effects of the Union victory over the rebelling Confederacy have been perhaps the most important, for had the South won the Civil War, the existence of two rival countries at the center of the North American continent would have greatly altered future political, economic, cultural, and social developments. The paper looks at how, because of the Civil War, the federal government and federal bureaucracy became much more powerful, and the American president's war powers were significantly expanded. The paper then points out that progress against racial prejudice and discrimination began to be made, but nearly a century passed before racial segregation was ended and racial equality was accepted by most of the American people. The paper also discusses how the Civil War led to loyalty to America instead of loyalty to one's state, great industrial expansion, the creation of a national media, growing world trade, the development of active and powerful labor unions, and the establishment of an economic foundation that made the United States a global economic superpower within a hundred years. In conclusion, the paper shows that in terms of cultural changes, the Civil War led to a growing cultural sophistication across the United States in the form of increased public interest in literature, poetry, the theater, and art.
From the Paper
"Fite (1983) notes that in terms of domestic politics, the expansion of federal authority required to win the Civil War created a huge and powerful central government in Washington D.C. and established a lasting precedent of centralized federal government power. Before the war broke out in 1861, the federal government was relatively weak, and the states retained significant political power. But during the war years, the Lincoln administration and the United States Congress were compelled to expand their powers in order to save the Union, and these powers resulted in an enlarged federal bureaucracy which, once established, was reluctant to give up the broad range of powers it had acquired during the war."
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Religion and the Media in Nigeria, 2008.
An analysis of the reasons for and effects of the intersection between religion and the media in Nigeria.
1,183 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the intersection of religion and the media in Nigeria. It shows how the effect of the fundamentalism and conservatism in religion can be felt in nearly all forms of the media in Nigeria, but primarily in television and newspapers, which account for the majority of the media productions in the nation. The paper discusses the reasons for and effects of this intersection between religion and the media.
From the Paper
"In short, the Nigerian media faces significant pressure and limitations on independence from religious and political groups, including fundamentalist Muslims. Islamic influences, particularly in the broadcast media and the print media, have resulted in religiously inspired television programming, sensationalized newspaper articles, and fatwas calling for the death of "offensive" journalists. In any sufficiently modern nation, the freedom of the press from just this kind of influence and control should be sacrosanct. It is a basic freedom that permits religious and political intolerance from erupting into major conflicts and violence. Unfortunately, in Nigeria the independence of the media is severely limited and the influence of religious groups, including fundamentalist Muslims, has affected the kind of media that is produced and the public's reaction to it."
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The Senatorial Aristocracy in Rome in Late Antiquity, 2008.
A discussion of the preservation of Roman identity and the fall of the Roman Empire.
1,919 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 61.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the efforts undertaken by the senatorial aristocracy in Rome to preserve its identity between 350 and 395. The paper explains that these efforts were subverted by the political and religious opposition of the East Roman emperors and the Church. The paper looks at how the issue to preserve the Roman Senate's identity was fundamentally a means to restore the Senate to play a political role in the new Empire. The paper then points out that the political reality, however, and the anti-pagan religious fundamentalism made it quite clear that there was no such accommodation for the Roman West.
From the Paper
"When Diocletian split the Roman Empire, he sealed the fate of the Roman West as effectively as the barbarians in 476. Yet, as Rome in late antiquity "was for the most part a city without an imperial presence" , there is a particular poignancy to "the sacred Senate" and the Rome of that era. "The city's Senators were, for many authors, an embodiment of all that was venerable about Rome" . Ammanius says that once the interminable civil wars of the third century (235-284) had ended, "the white hair of the senators and their authority are revered and the name of the Roman people is respected and honored" . "The Eternal City" retained its symbolic resonance as the center of civilization even in defeat. "Odovacar...a German, ruled in Italy as "rex" ([and] "maintained the Roman administrative system" ."
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Hiroshima, 2008.
An analysis of the reasons and justification for the bombing of Hiroshima through a review of Howard Zinn's "Hiroshima: Breaking the Silence" and Samuel J. Walker's "History, Collective Memory, and the Bomb".
1,371 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the American use of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and how the fifty-plus years since the nuclear attack have allowed for clearer thinking regarding the reasoning behind the dropping of "the bomb." The paper examines two articles, written in 1995 and 1996, in order to better identify the reasons for and justifications of the United States' use of the first atomic weapons on the civilians living in this Japanese city. The articles are "Hiroshima: Breaking the Silence," by WWII veteran and renowned Boston professor Howard Zinn and "History, Collective Memory, and the Bomb," by J. Samuel Walker.
From the Paper
"But the need to one-up Russia diplomatically was not the only Cold War victory gained with the bombing of Hiroshima. Both the United States and Russia had long been studying and developing the new form of energy and weaponry promised by nuclear power. With the defeat of Germany, who had also been exploring such things, the United States and Russia were in a race to both create and practice nuclear capabilities against prospective enemeies. The United States knew that by showing that they had the bomb and were not afraid to use it, at the same time exhibiting the sheer destruction and terror that it caused, they would win a decisive battle in the Cold War. "
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Renaissance Christianity, Natural Disasters and Witchcraft, 2008.
A look at how Christians throughout Europe responded to natural disasters and the ways in which they contributed to certain widespread notions of eschatology.
1,965 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that Christians, during the late medieval period and the proto-modern period before the advent of the Enlightenment, responded to disasters by seeking out scapegoats and attributing them to something they had done to incur the wrath of God. The paper points out that the determination to find scapegoats for pestilence or crop failure invariably led to the witch hunts that extended over a period encompassing roughly seven centuries, from about the thirteenth century until well into the nineteenth century. To better understand this phenomenon, the paper examines the eschatological assumptions of the age. The paper concludes that Christian eschatology had the effect, for many centuries, of convincing large numbers of Europeans that the return of the Almighty was near and that righteous Christians would fortify their souls by rooting out those who were heretical, unfaithful, and responsible for unnatural natural disasters.
From the Paper
"Between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, it is estimated that one million people in Europe were executed for witchcraft. Additionally, those witchcraft trials which have survived the passage of time appear to have frequently been conducted by ecclesiastical (Christian) courts. In the earliest trials, the institution of the Church took the lead role; by the end of the aforementioned period, it appears as though the Church was rarely, if ever, involved. In any case, whatever the amount of blame one wishes to affix to the European Christian Church, it would be inaccurate to suggest that only religious factors - however important - determined the actions of Europeans when confronted with a meteorological crisis they could not understand."
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Harry S. Truman, 2008.
An examination of the achievements of Harry S. Truman as President of the United States, focusing on the challenges that he had to overcome in this role.
1,621 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Harry S. Truman's life, as well as his history as a politician. The paper provides a background to his life, but focuses on his achievements as President of the United States. It also discusses Truman's first notable act as President, which was also his most notorious - the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. In addition, the paper describes Truman's other achievements and focuses on the challenges that he had to overcome as president.
From the Paper
"Arthur Schlesinger Sr., the Harvard historian, was noted for (among other accomplishments) his polling of other historians and scholars in order to arrive at a list of "rankings" or ratings of the greatest Presidents in United States history; he conducted such polls in 1948 and again in 1962. His son, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., has followed in the footsteps of his father by conducting an updated poll in 1996. While some critics have noted that the great variance in presidential ranking polls may suggest that they are more subjective than objective (cf. Dean), Schlesinger's placement of Truman at number seven on his list of greatest Presidents may well be a testimony to the difficulties that Truman had to overcome during his two terms in office, and his strong personal intention to do what was necessary to get the country back on a peacetime footing in the face of a brewing Cold War (Schlesinger 179.) Given the subjective nature of such polls, there is no guarantee that Truman will remain in this position in future polls, as history has a way of being reinterpreted and placed into new contexts as new information comes to the surface with the passing of years; as a result, new and fuller perspectives may be expected to arise."
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The Jugurthine War, 2008.
A discussion of the Jugurthine war between the Romans and the Numidian Kingdom.
1,971 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the Jugurthine war fought between the Romans and the Numidian Kingdom, which was ruled by Jugurtha. The paper explains that the Jugurthine war took place in Numidia, which is located near the western coast of Africa where modern-day Algeria is. The paper also explains that Numidia was a kingdom made-up of mostly semi-nomadic Berber tribes that are closely related to the Moors and present-day Moroccans. The paper points out that this war inadvertently exposed the rampant corruption that occurred towards the end of the Roman Republic. The paper concludes that this war served to foreshadow Rome's change from a republic to an empire, and that these leaders squabbled for many years until Julius Caesar took control of Rome as its first emperor in 49 BC.
From the Paper
"Numidia became united during the 2nd Punic War when Masinissa, the chief of the Massyli tribe, united it. They originally were allied with Carthage but ended it when the Romans offered land and money incentives in exchange for the loyalty of the Numidians. Masinissa accepted and the spent the next 50 years ruling over the people that lived on that land. He brought peace to the people and tried to convert them to farmers.
"His death in 148 BC marked the height of the Numidian Kingdoms. Around the same time as his death, the Romans invaded Carthage and essentially destroyed it during the Third Punic War. This left Numidia the largest empire in Northern Africa."
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Taixu and Modern Chinese Zen Buddhism, 2008.
An analysis of the efforts of Buddhist activist monk, Taixu, to improve Buddhism and life in China.
1,622 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the life and influence of the Buddhist activist monk, Taixu. It describes how he was profoundly affected by China's experience of World War I and the suffering of ordinary Chinese and what he did to improve the situation. In particular, the paper discusses how Taixu improved Buddhism, in order to improve the life of ordinary people in China.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Improving Buddhism, Improving China
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper
"What was observed as a New Buddhist Movement in China after the Communist Revolution of 1949 was still remarked upon by observers and associated with Taixu after his death. (See Callahan 1952) Taixu had hoped for a Buddhism that was national, transnational, public and populist, as needed well educated and otherwise prepared monks and outlets suiting lay people who wanted to create an improved society. Taixu could not imagine what lay in store for the Chinese in the decades after his death. In 1950, his disciplines saw his writings published, and then all things of the kind were steadily discouraged. In 1989, there was renewed interest in Taixu and his followers, in a rather glorified rendition of Taixu, despite his failure to ever gain leadership of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The regime backed several volumes of his works that were reprinted in various languages, as though the People's Republic of China had never opposed its spiritual authorities, the competing network in the Buddhist establishment."
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Catholic Church Music and Gregorian Chant, 2008.
A look at the development of the Gregorian chant and the important role it plays in church music.
1,390 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 11 sources, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper provides a historical background to the Gregorian chant, an important musical style that came to represent all holy occasions by putting poetry to music, and charts its development through the years. The paper then discusses and describes four hymns that are still used today: Stabat Mater Dolorosa or "Our Lady of Sorrows", Pange Lingua Gloriosi or "Sing, My Tongue, the Saviour's Glory", Victimae Paschali Laudes or "May you praise the Paschal Victim", and Veni Creator Spiritus or "Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest".
From the Paper
"By the Sixth Century, when Gregory was a Monk, there were already many, many chants in use. He gathered and collected these. In those days monks often wrote their own hymns or adapted earlier versions they had heard in other monasteries. The result is that there was already many different kinds chant. For example in the 4th Century Mozarabic chant developed in Spain. We get Ambrosian chant for St. Ambrose in Milan and Gallican chant from "Gallic" France. There are even chants from Ethiopia in Africa. Over time many different styles of chants developed and found their way into daily mass and special services for festivals or holidays. (Hope, 2007) Sometimes this style was also used for non-church music as well. (Music-for-Church-Choirs.com)
"Gregorian chant is also known as "plainchant" from the French "plein chant" which means "full singing." (Music-for-Church-Choirs.com) By the time of Gregory different chants had been connected with or written for most all special events. We don't know the names of most of the early chant composers, but we do know that many intended for specific Sundays or feast days were composed between the 5th and 8th Centuries. (Ex. Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertorio and Communio). Many of those commonly heard in mass today like the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo or Sanctus were composed later, between the 9th and 12th Centuries. (Hope, 2007)"
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Guilds in the Middle Ages, 2008.
This paper discusses the guilds that were in existence in Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century England.
1,339 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper identifies some of the various occupational guilds that formed a part of Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century English world. The paper shows how occupational guilds were a pervasive part of fourteenth century English life and a significant, if not all-encompassing, part of the lives of their members.
From the Paper
"In Chaucer's The Prologue to "The Canterbury Tales," the reader is introduced to a haberdasher, a carpenter, carpet-maker, weaver and to a dyer. These were presumably all very important trades during Chaucer's time, but they were also only a few of the occupations that had guilds during the period. For instance, merchant guilds were quite common in Chaucer's England. By all accounts, these guilds were predominantly organizations comprised of merchants involved in long-distance commerce as well as in local wholesale trade. As well, Gary Richardson of the University of California at Irvine reports that there is at least the suggestion that many of these merchants were also businessmen engaged in the retail selling of commodity goods in their home cities as well as in the distant, exotic locales wherein they were permitted the right to set up shop. Interestingly, it appears as though the merchant guilds of pre-modern England were mostly devoted to trade. However, the most powerful among them could actually establish colonies in foreign cities and even become inextricably involved in local politics - at least in their home towns (Richardson, para.5)."
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September 11, 2001: Why Is America a Target?, 2008.
An analysis of the relationship between the Arab/Israeli conflict in the Middle East and terrorism in America.
2,019 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 6 sources, APA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper questions why America was attacked on 9/11 and, in order to understand why America will continue to be a target of terrorism, the paper examines the broader issue of Israeli/Arab enmity in the Middle East. More specifically, the paper discusses the violence between Israelis and Muslims that has triggered the Arab/Israeli wars and how this affects the United States and their relationship to terrorism both on their shores and abroad.
From the Paper
"Neo-conservatives like Rumsfeld (2002) have argued that ultimately, the ideology of mindless hatred that motivates Muslims to blow up innocent people on buses and trains and fly airliners into buildings full of innocent people in the name of "justice" must be repeatedly denounced by every Western government and must be relentlessly discredited through whatever methods necessary. They believe that people who take part in or support such atrocities, or contend that they are legitimate and that their perpetrators are heroic defenders of Islam do not deserve to have their "grievances" addressed by the civilized world."
"American neo-conservatives insist that the military occupation of Iraq must continue indefinitely and that Iran and Syria must be attacked for being state sponsors of terrorism, but this approach has had nightmare consequences. The occupation of Iraq is a fiasco, the Middle East has become dangerously destabilized, and there has been an alarming increase in terrorism worldwide."
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Capital Punishment in South Carolina, 2008.
An analysis of the capital punishment laws in South Carolina compared to other states and a discussion over their future.
1,678 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the history of the capital punishment statute in South Carolina from 1912. It discusses the debate over the laws and the current situation. The paper also compares the capital punishment laws between the different states and how they have been applied. In addition, the paper examines the arguments against the death penalty and suggests that the death penalty will slowly deteriorate into nothing.
From the Paper
"Basically, there are some people who believe that the death penalty should continue especially if they were victims or relatives of the victims. If the death penalty happens in one or two states only and people see that the murder rate declines when trials are set in those places, the boundaries would definitely change. In other words, if a murder happened in Columbia, South Carolina and the trial was set in Texas since the death penalty exist and all evidence pointed that way and was convicted, sentence to die, and executed; other states may join in to decrease murder rates."
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Korean History: A Comparison of Accounts, 2008.
This paper evaluates competing written accounts of the status of women in a specific period of Korean history.
2,209 words (approx. 8.8 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 68.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at the perspective of four different authors on the era dating from approximately 892 until around 1592 on the Korean Peninsula, in order to highlight how biased historical explanation actually is. The paper examines a text published by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Seoul, Roger Tennant's book "A History of Korea," Martina Deuchler's "The Confucian Transformation of Korea: A Study of Society and Ideology" and Han Hee-sook's journal article "Women's Life during the Choson Dynasty". The paper concludes that Martina Deuchler's book offers the richest analysis and most persuasive historical account of the changing status of Korean women.
Outline:
Introduction
Broadly Comparing Historical Accounts
Complex Accounts of Korean women: Deuchler and Han
Chinyeong
Kyongguk Taejon
Conclusion
From the Paper
"However this project demands a much closer focus in order to be effective as an exercise in historical comparison. Therefore, we will look specifically at the issue of how and why the status of women changed in Korea from Silla times through to early Choson. This examination will not be a simple narrative of the social shifts that impacted the lives of Korean women during this time period. Rather, we will identify different explanations of why that change occurred, and consider different statements about which changes were the most important. It will become clear that various authors bring their own ideological agenda to the telling of history, and that the act of omission constitutes a major tool in shaping the events of the past."
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Art Activism and WWII's Korean Comfort Girls, 2008.
An analysis of how artistic activism is attempting to draw more supporters to the comfort women's cause.
2,042 words (approx. 8.2 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the ways that artistic activism portrays Korean girls who were sent to serve military brothels of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) throughout occupied Asia, during World War II. It discusses how, together with international law, litigation and documentation, artistic activism has attempted to draw more supporters to the comfort women's cause.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Artistic Activism
Exhibits in North America
Concluding Discussion
From the Paper
"Far work continues to be promised in the future, as more women and other artists take up the cause of the comfort women, making use of their testimony collected in several countries and what are said to be numerous surviving photographs taken shortly after the end of the War or at different times in the surviving comfort women's futures. For viewers not at all interested in imperial Japan's atrocities in Asia or the comfort women in particular, each work discussed in this paper, nonetheless, succeeds in a kind of informal reminder that what we see in the exterior or a person, or in perceptible emotions, can tell very little indeed as to a person's precise life experience. Of the third or so of comfort women to survive their existences of being military prostitutes, each had an horrendous story of devaluation, violence and injuries of all kinds."
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Organized Crime in Boston, 2008.
An analysis of the history and development of organized crime and the mafia in Boston.
1,995 words (approx. 8.0 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the history of organized crime in Boston. It particularly focuses on the connection between immigration and social connection to the mafia. It discusses the reasons why organized crime in the United States began and how it has developed over time. It shows how the mafia as its own cultural group provided a form of social acceptance for many individuals.
From the Paper
"According to Lehr and O'Neill (2000) organized crime in Boston is quite active in modern society. The basis of the organized crime families has existed for decades, which causes continued generations of these families to maintain the family "business" (Lehr & O'Neill, 2000, p. 271). Lehr and O'Neill (2000) point out that although federal and state authorities have made numerous attempts at ending the operation of organized crime in Boston, the ability of the mafia families to recruit immigrants and the downtrodden in society into their organization will continue to support the functions of these groups (p. 271). This belief is significant because despite social attempts to prevent organized crime from existing, it is apparent that as long as there are definite separations in class because of ethnicity and culture, organized crime will continue to flourish."
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Empress Cixi's Long and Peculiar Reign in Late Qing China, 2008.
A study of the reign of Chinese Empress Cixi in the late Qing dynasty.
4,125 words (approx. 16.5 pages), 18 sources, MLA, $ 110.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at the life and rule of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908). The paper asserts that, like her contemporary, Queen Victoria of England, she was able to wield power and insisted on doing so. But unlike Queen Victoria, the paper points out that she had risen from a concubine of the lowest rank at the Beijing court and is popularly remembered as a ruthless woman. The paper concludes that Cixi's rigid and backward views let the Western powers take advantage, quite easily, of China's low development and that she was a human disaster for China and for the Chinese.
Outline:
Introduction
Ordinary Origins
The End of Emperor Xianfeng
A Narcissist at Court
An Empress of Early Warlords
Rumours and Observations
A Revised Empress
Last Remarks
From the Paper
"In 1861, Xianfeng died and as the mother of his heir, Tongzhi, Cixi was given the title of Empress. Several other regents were appointed to run the Chinese empire and before long there was intrigue. Two of the other regents were accused of crime against the state and were permitted to commit suicide to avoid execution. A third regent was beheaded and his property went to Cixi as a virtual civil war raged in five provinces where millions died in the fighting or of starvation, large parts of the interior laid waste and several cities destroyed. Rather than responding to the crisis, the empress continued to meet with the previous emperor's uncle, Prince Kung (q.v), an experienced courtier in order to learn the arts of politics."
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Islamic Architecture, 2008.
An analysis of the ways in which Islamic architecture has influenced the architectural styles of other religions.
2,936 words (approx. 11.7 pages), 12 sources, MLA, $ 86.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the origins of the distinctly Islamic architectural style. The paper begins by discussing Islamic history and then goes on to discuss how Islamic architecture has set a standard for religious architecture that has influenced other religious groups and contributed to various architectural styles evident to this day. Additionally, the paper also discusses how Islamic architecture has more recently been influenced by the West, not for religious architecture, but for office buildings and residential units.
From the Paper
"In the Islamic tradition, the idea of the dome was developed with religious connotations. The first centralized Ottoman mosque was created at Diyarbakir in 1521 with four semi-domes and not mere vaults. The four corner areas are surmounted by four small cupolas, while the central dome is supported on four piers. This is the logical conclusion to the mosques of earlier times. The squareness of the mosque at human level represents earthliness, and the domes represent the heavens, much as the square and the circle do in Chinese architecture. The two-centered arch forms a spiritual limbo in the design. The interior is spacious and well-lit, another reference to the heavens (Goodwin 178)."
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