1,988 words

Abortion and the legacy of Roe v. Wade

One of the most contentious socio-political issues in the United States today, is that of abortion.

~10 min read

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1,826 words

The Terry Schiavo case and medical ethics debates

Terry Schiavo brought to light the deep divisions in American society regarding medical ethics. As Terry Schiavo rested in a persistent vegetative state (PVS), her family fought over what her future -- and theirs -- should look like.

~10 min read

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847 words

Can democracy be implanted through military intervention in Iraq?

Will "Implanting democracy by the sword" carry the seeds of its own failure? This is an important and topical question, especially given the foreign policy that the U.S. has adopted in the recent past.

~5 min read

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3,631 words

Victoria de Grazia's analysis of American cultural influence in twentieth-century Europe

The author of the book is Victoria de Grazia. She is currently a professor at Columbia University, teaching history, which is the same area in which she obtained a Phd.

~19 min read

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1,047 words

Cultural bias in standardized testing and minority student discrimination

Cultural bias is interpreting and judging phenomena in terms particular to one's own culture. Let's see how that applies to bias in testing.

~6 min read

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454 words

Rhetorical purpose and style in Edwards, Henry, and Emerson

rhetorical purpose in the works of Edwards (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God), Henry (Speech to the Virginia Convention), and Emerson (Nature).

~3 min read

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1,442 words

Claude C.H. Williamson's critique of Hamlet's critical interpretation

William Shakespeare's Hamlet has long been lauded as one of the greatest -- if not the greatest -- work of literature in English or perhaps any other language. As such, it has also produced some of the most criticism, covering an incredibly wide range of views and opinions.

~8 min read

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2,364 words

Hunter S. Thompson's literary portrayal of Richard Nixon

The notion of journalism as a means to simply reporting information is a myth. Today especially, when access to information is the pathway to knowledge, the ability to withhold it represents a great and dangerous power. For nearly forty years, Hunter S.

~12 min read

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1,477 words

Comparing theoretical frameworks for state economic development policies

In the United States, current economic crises have left many states, governments, and individuals worried about unemployment, retirement, and bankruptcy. While this is a federal program, it translates to the states. In many ways and for many reasons, states try to develop their economies.

~8 min read

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1,459 words

Marvin Harris on pork taboos in Judaism and Islam

Harris, Marvin. "Pig lovers and pig haters." From Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches. New York, 1974, pp.35-57. The pig has been one of the defining symbols of human food culture. Some religions and populations reject the consumption of pork while others embrace pig consumption.

~8 min read

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