650 words

Reading and writing skills for developing democratic citizens

One of the frequently-cited reasons for including social studies in the curriculum is to prepare students to become good citizens. Because America is a democratic, free society, students must learn to make good choices because their choices will affect the national community.

~4 min read

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1,947 words

Interpreting line and composition in Basquiat's early untitled paintings

One of the most famous stars of the East Village graffiti scene and Neo-Expressionist movement of the 1980s, Jean-Michel Basquiat once famously remarked of his paintings, "Every single line means something." If this is true, then this sets an unprecedented task for the interpreter, who is faced…

~10 min read

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799 words

The death penalty is ineffective as a crime deterrent and raises moral concerns

Whether capital punishment is a good idea, and whether it is a deterrent to crime, have long been debated by many. There are no easy answers to the questions surrounding capital punishment, because there are many different opinions about whether it works and whether it is morally acceptable.

~4 min read

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1,441 words

Physician-assisted suicide as a humane medical practice

The debate about Euthanasia is an ancient one but it has acquired a new relevance in recent times as advances in medical science have greatly extended human life-spans and it is now possible to sustain life for indefinite periods through artificial means.

~8 min read

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669 words

Consumer decision-making in major purchases: value over price

The modern consumer is a far more sophisticated individual than those generations that came before; this is as much a reflection of the complexity of the present day economy as it is about consumer behavior itself.

~4 min read

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1,121 words

Public health institutions in American cities, 1820-1855

However, the title itself is a bit misleading, for the contents reveal it to be more limited and specific in nature. However, as a text on the historiography of American public health it is an exemplary expansion and welcome addition to the field.

~6 min read

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1,513 words

Racial profiling in law enforcement: examining statistics and circular logic

Racial profiling within law enforcement has been one of the most hotly debated issues on both a social and political level within the past ten years.

~8 min read

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1,737 words

Critical analysis of George MacLeod's crucifixion theology

I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and Latin and in Greek;...at the kind of place where cynics talk smut…

~9 min read

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2,201 words

Conrad's critique of colonialism and imperialism in Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness offers a complex look at the effects of colonialism and imperialism in the nineteenth century, such that different scholars have alternately interpreted its message to be one of either pro- or anti- colonialism and imperialism, with either side of the…

~12 min read

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2,396 words

Canada's case for principal power status in the world

Canada deserves principal power status in the world. As a nation, Canada has proven to be a leader in all respects of human endeavor. The nation has one of the world's most robust economies both in terms of raw size and per capita strength.

~12 min read

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