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This is a 7 page paper discussing perceptions of the American west and frontier. Perception of historical documentation is presented and argued regarding two aspects. Firstly, whether or not cultural perspective should be included in historical accounts such as argued by Jane Tompkins or whether or not cultural beliefs, and indeed the perspective of the Native Americans, should be ignored in regards to the documentation of history and history should just relate to the major chronological events as postulated by Frederick Jackson Turner. Secondly, contemporary historians such as Patricia Limerick and Eric Gary Anderson have changed the sequential historical paradigms used by Turneresque historians and instead used the writings of N. Scott Momaday and Leslie Silko among others to develop models of the Southwest which overlap and intersect different multicultural components found in order to provide nonsequential paradigms where time, space, frontiers, and crossings are boundless and in addition provide present and future existences which show the Euro-American “conquering” and influence on the West as only a small “blip” in regards to overall perception. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This is an 8 page paper comparing two different articles by Canadian historians on the Seven Years’ War. Two articles by Canadian historians Peter MacLeod (The University of Ottawa) and Ian Steele (The University of Western Ontario) give two different perspectives on the Seven Years’ War in United States and Canada between the years 1756-1763. MacLeod gives an in depth narrative of the influence of the Catholic Church on the Canadian Iroquois and the Amerindians along the St. Lawrence River near Montreal. Although many people are aware that a strong alliance existed between the Iroquois and the French, MacLeod explains how deeply this connection is related to their ties through Catholicism. Steele’s article is an examination along with four other critics to the recently released Fred Anderson book on the Seven Years’ War. Although the critics admit that the book has made available information about the Seven Years’ War to a larger audience than was available before, they were “shocked” to discover that Anderson only used English sources for his narrative. After reading MacLeod’s history on the Iroquois in New France, it is easy to see how Steele is justified in condemning Anderson in his obvious exclusion of more personal and French accounts of the Seven Years’ War. In combination, both sources give the reader an idea what range of material is available on the Seven Year’s War and in many ways complement each other when taken together. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This is a 12 page paper discussing the concerns of historical accuracy of the Holocaust narratives. The historical accuracy of Holocaust narratives has always been questioned but regardless of this concern, narratives continue to be collected. The collection of the narratives is considered to be important in not only documenting experiences from the past but benefiting future students in regards to appreciating their lives today and learning from the horrors of history. Holocaust narratives however are extremely subjective and personal and historians have always considered autobiographies to be only one of many sources and cannot be considered independently. One of the reasons for the questioning of their accuracy is the reliance on memory which can be influenced by many factors. These factors include trauma; the overlapping distinction between memory and imagination; the desire to present a moral image which depicts events as “black” or “white”; and the desire to present an account which will honor those from the past and educate those in the future among other influences. These desires may be totally subconscious but exist nevertheless and are powerful. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This is a 12 page paper discussing David Tracy’s understanding of hermeneutics and its application to theology. As a representative of the Chicago School of theology, David Tracy along with his colleagues has challenged the traditional approach to theology with one which is considered more “correlational”. In other words, the Scriptures along with all classic texts cannot be interpreted without taking into account their contextual influences. Correlational theology studies not only the classical theological interpretation of religious texts but also depends a great deal upon the cooperation between “other interpreters of the human condition” including anthropologists, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and literary scholars among many others (Jeanrond, 1998). This approach also reflects some of the basic concepts of nonfoundationalism as proposed by Thiel (1994) which has fundamental problems with the traditional Christian assumptions which are readily accepted in the interpretation of the Scriptures and also advocates the inclusion of contextual influences on theological study. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This is a 3 page paper discussing factors which should be included in a design for the study of teen obesity and sedentary lifestyle. A study design to examine the relationship between teen obesity and sedentary lifestyles should include a number of factors. A literature review would examine past studies of teen obesity and sedentary lifestyle or activity levels; studies on teen obesity and its causes; and studies on teen lifestyles. The theoretical framework should include a hypothesis and study outline which would take into account other factors which may also be causing teen obesity. Because of the various factors which may be involved, a large study group would be recommended and the survey distribution would be most effective through the school system which has recorded large response rates with other health related surveys in the past. In addition, investigators will have to determine the definitions to be used in the study based on commonly used references, such as BMI, and what indicators they wish to properly measure and compare for a high confidence level in their findings. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the education system and structure in the Netherlands and the educational requirements needed for accountants in the Netherlands. Estimated costs and salaries are also included. The education system in the Netherlands requires a certain level and excellence and pre-planning on behalf of the students. Students who wish to attend university have to obtain the required pre-university diplomas relevant to their vocational or professional university programs. While the tuition fees for Dutch students are approximately 1,400 Euro in addition to high living costs, financial assistance programs such as scholarships, grants and fellowships are available. Students wishing to become Registered Accountants in the Netherlands can do so in a number of different ways depending on whether or not they enter the program with or without a previous professional degree. Students with professional business degrees can take the accountancy course part-time through the NIvRA/Nijenrode University Accounting and Auditing program. Accountancy as a professional program itself takes 7 ½ years through the NIvRA/Nijenrode University route; the most common and preferred training program for accountants as it integrates theoretical and the needed practical experience required for certification in the Royal NIvRA. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This is a 3 page paper discussing the methods of manipulation of financial statements companies have used to inflate profits. Within the last several years, large multi-billion corporations such as WorldCom and Enron have collapsed due to the misrepresentation of their profits. While misstating profits and earnings, the companies encouraged further investments but in fact were defrauding their investors because investments were made in the companies based on their manipulated financial reports. Manipulation of financial statements came through a variety of accounting methods which relied upon the complex “in process” stages of the multi-mergers and acquisitions of the companies. Overall, methods used for the manipulation of profit reports included “in process” R&D charges, pooling, restructuring reserve, revenue recognition, the use of stock from dummy or affiliated corporations as collateral to secure more loans or investments, and the reporting of future earnings of acquired companies as profits. Because of the misstatement of revenues by both companies however, they are left in financial ruin along with the ruin of their investors, employees, and affiliated businesses. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is an 8 page paper comparing and contrasting the prototype and causal-based theories of category formation. In cognitive psychology, category formation is considered one of the most fundamental aspects of understanding mental representation. Within the area of category formation however, there are several theories which appear to conflict in some aspects. Two of these theories are the prototype theory of category formation and the causal theory of category formation. In the most basic sense, the prototype theory argues that individuals categorize items based on the typicality level of the objects in comparison with the “prototype” concept or image that an individual has. When new objects are encountered by an individual, a comparison of features based on prototypes takes place until that object is categorized. From a causal model theory perspective however, the categorization process also takes into account prior knowledge and theories of how the world works in addition to the causal relationships between features. Causal theorists find that the prototype theories base categorization from an independent and “probabilistic” viewpoint whereas individuals in fact use their causal knowledge in order to categorize and build relationships conceptually. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This is a 6 page paper discussing the environmental challenges and the government response in Mozambique. The civil war which erupted in Mozambique in 1975 was considered one of the main factors which led to the devastation of the environment within the country. Not only did the civil war have a direct impact on the wildlife in regards to food and revenue for the rebels but the war also led to a massive migration of farmers and communities from the agricultural hinterland to the coastal urban regions. This migration led to urban sprawl and consequently pollution and depletion of the fishing resources, coastal erosion and deforestation. In the land that was left behind, the agricultural crops were abandoned which led to increased desertification. In addition to the impact of the civil war, southern Mozambique had undergone a series of droughts and floods in the 1980s and early 1990s which further devastated the land. Fortunately, within the last seven years, the government of Mozambique with the assistance of international aid has established several initiatives which take into account the wildlife in the hinterland as well as the coastal regions, the reclamation of agricultural land through the clearing and cleaning of the irrigation systems, and spatial planning in the urban areas in which coastal erosion and deforestation is addressed in urban development among many other programs. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

This is a 9 page paper discussing Solow’s Economic Growth Model including country comparisons, formulas, stylized facts and “the golden rule”. Robert Solow’s economic growth model (1956) takes into account various important economic determinants of growth which include capital, labor, human capital, life expectancy, technology, trade and geography among other components which help to answer certain discrepancies which appear throughout the world economies today such as why some countries are rich and others poor; why some countries grow faster than others; how some countries manage to sustain economic growth; and why growth miracles and disasters can occur. Stylized facts included with Solow’s assumptions and model are those which have found that there are large variations in per capita income across economies; rates of economic growth vary a great deal across economies; growth rates are not constant over time; countries can move between being rich and poor; growth in output and trade are related among others. Solow’s growth model emphasizes all of the aspects of the importance of economic growth within a society. It also includes components of the supply and resources of a nation which can expand opportunity for a country’s production. Above all, savings are critical in that they must be high enough to replace the depreciated capital and also provide for the workers. Lower savings means lower worker productivity and lower living standards. The Solow growth model basically defines the conditions of different nations’ approach to an equilibrium level of capital stock (a steady-state). While developed nations such as the United States have reached this level of steady-state, other developing nations are still experiencing rising levels of high savings and rising capital/labor ratios. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the impact of adult entertainment businesses on communities. Several cities and regions across the United States have used the argument that adult entertainment within a community has a negative impact on that community and its residents and have used this argument to implement ordinances which take into account the negative impact. Communities in which adult entertainment businesses have been established have reported increased crime, increased public health violations, and a decrease in the property value of their homes or businesses among other negative factors. In addition, research studies have found that from a psychological and sociological standpoint individuals also experience an increased fear of crime, vulnerability and a decrease in life satisfaction and sense of control over their lives and community. From a political standpoint, officials must weigh this negative impact with the right of adult entertainment establishments to operate a business in accordance with their overall rights of freedom within the U.S. Constitution. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This is a 4 page paper discussing crime in Japan and recent government reforms in relation to decreasing the crime rate. A recent increase in the crime rate in Japan over the past decade has prompted the Japanese government to implement improvement policies in the areas of education, employment, increased penalties and monitoring of the drug trade. Education and employment reforms have included those which take into account the importance of continued education, social factors related to crime, and the maintenance and re-education of workers within the labor market. Considerations in the law enforcement disciplines have included lowering the age at which young offenders can be tried for criminal offenses, strict public fire arm restrictions and international cooperation in regards to the drug trade and market. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 4 page paper describing some of the basic differences and relationships between Buddhism, Taoism and Zen. The differences between Buddhism, Taoism and Zen are based on the level of definition allowed within each belief. Buddhism based on the life of Buddha around 500 B.C. and has defined truths, paths, precepts, and jewels in order for individuals to eventually reach Enlightenment through meditation. Buddhism has certain doctrines which take into account individuals’ treatment of others and themselves in order to proceed along the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment. Taoism, is a much more loosely based discipline which is based on writings of Lao Tzu around 600 B.C. and is considered as “The Watercourse Way” or the flowing of nature. The flow of Nature and the ultimate truth, or Tao, cannot be explained in words but does contain certain concepts related to the balance within the universe. For every yin (negative) force which exists, there too is a yang (positive) force. Zen is one step further past defined concepts. The concept of Zen is void of all preconceptions and is not dependent on doctrines, duality or even that those who practice Zen be members of Zen Buddhism as founded by the monk Bodhidharma in the 6th century A.D. Meditation is considered as essential for the basis of all three concepts of Buddhism and the path to Enlightenment; Taoism in the concept of Tao; and essentially for Zen where the practice of sitting meditation (zazen) is devoid of all other concepts and definitions. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 6 page paper discussing the historical accuracy of the film “The Patriot” and the reasons for any inaccuracies in the film. The release of director Roland Emmerich’s 2000 movie “The Patriot” starring Mel Gibson caused a considerable amount of controversy in regards to its historical accuracy, or more so inaccuracies. In reality, the story and its characters are fiction, except for General Cornwallis, but the story itself is placed within the historical timeframe of the American Revolution which provides a powerful setting for its characters and their causes and does a good job of promoting American propaganda and providing American audiences with a large extravagant and dramatic movie. There are several areas which are shown not to be historically accurate however and which for all accounts are admitted by Gibson and Emmerich as actually being “juiced up” for dramatic effect (May, 2003). Several areas of contention are those which include the brutality of the British regulars, the scope of the conflict, the degree to which America was unified during that time, the inaccurate portrayal of the slaves, and the military scenes along with many other aspects. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This is a 9 page paper outlining an example report on the continuation or replacement of questionable ads in a magazine which promote healthy lifestyles. This example report outlines possible concerns and recommendations regarding the continuation or replacement of “questionable ads” in the “Living Well” magazine. The questionable ads include those largely related with the alcohol and tobacco industries which are seen as contrary to those ideas promoted through the magazine which features articles on healthy living. The report therefore deals not only with the health concerns related with alcohol and tobacco but also the percentage of advertising revenue generated by the questionable accounts and the preferences and demographics of the reading population. The report includes an example memo to the publisher, executive summary, list of illustrations, recommendations, and conclusions as well as a list of references. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the need for trauma assessment in the treatment of trauma. The incidence of physical and mental trauma has increased in the past several decades resulting in the need for accurate assessment tools. Physical trauma is now considered a “disease” because of its high incident rates and the eventual loss of life in many patients who experience physical trauma. In a similar way, researchers studying mental trauma have also found an increase in incidence and the need for early intervention and treatment if possible to aid those experiencing trauma and post-traumatic stress (PTS). Childhood trauma which results from single violent or natural disasters or long term emotional or abusive experiences among others has been found to impair development and learning in children in addition to causing emotional and relationship problems later in life. Adult trauma is also found to be a result of single emotional or violent incidences, or delayed trauma from childhood experiences or from an accumulation of smaller traumas. Mental trauma can also result from personal loss and family conflict and break-up among other stressful events. Practitioners in the field of mental, behavioral and social science therapy have found that not only do they require trauma assessment tools which will assess the presence of trauma within their clients or patients in order to devise appropriate therapies for recovery but that a variety of tools are requirement which account for such factors as long term exposure leading to trauma, single incident experiences, cultural factors, age, gender and language factors among many others. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the differences found in Brunvand’s “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” and “The Baby Train”. Jan Brunvand’s text “The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings” (1981) introduced a generation to contemporary American urban legends, their origins, their development, and contained detailed accounts as to the depth of research in understanding the legends. Twelve years later, Brunvand released his fifth volume of urban legends entitled “The Baby Train and Other Lusty Urban Legends” (1993). The format of his presentation in this volume changed somewhat to include shorter narratives and less accompanying explanatory statements about each legend. Instead, Brunvand focused much more on the typing and cross-referencing of the legends contained and on the international contexts many have reached. The reason for this change in format was mostly due to the fact that the field and the interest in urban legends had grown a great deal since his original text and because of this Brunvand was able to contain less explanatory text in regards to the research involved and thus avoid repeating himself and offering instead his readers a chance to see the extent of the field and the extent to which the knowledge of urban legends has reached on an international basis as well as an American one. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This is a 6 page book review discussing Bernard Bailyn’s “The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution”. Bernard Bailyn’s “The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution” (1967, 1992) shows readers the importance and influence of the “pamphleteers” during the time of the American Revolution. Previous to Bailyn’s publication in 1967, most historical accounts of the Revolution included political and economical theories used to explain the change in the population toward Revolution. Bailyn’s text however shows the importance of the political writings at the time which appeared in newspapers, pamphlets, booklets, letters and published speeches in addition to the original influences of writers and philosophers in an attempt to rid the colonies of the corruption which originated through their affiliation with the Crown. While Patriots were originally a minority in the population and considered as “radicals”, in a short space of only fifteen years, their writings managed to “enlighten a population”. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This is a 5 page paper comparing the immigrant communities of South Koreans and Vietnamese within Canada. The communities of South Korean and Vietnamese immigrants are vastly different in their history, culture and reasons for coming to Canada but have nevertheless experienced some of the same influences within Western society and aspects of assimilation and integration. Since a relationship was established with South Korea in the early 1960s, South Korean immigrants have been moving to Canada and live mainly in the urban areas of Toronto and Vancouver. Several Consulate Generals for the Republic of Korea (South Korea) have been established throughout Canada providing representation and aid to South Koreans within Canada. The South Korean community in Toronto has greatly influenced the culture in that city although the youth within the population have expressed a desire to fully assimilate as Westerners. Similarly, the large Vietnamese communities in the urban cities in Canada have a good official representation with over 15 member communities with a Vietnamese Canadian Federation. This federation hopes that the Vietnamese youths balance their cultural origins within their new Canadian lifestyles and while the census has recorded trends of assimilation despite this hope, stories of Vietnamese Canadians provide accounts of how many of them have incorporated their Vietnamese culture into their Western lives. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

This is an 8 page paper reviewing Sam Walton and John Huey’s book “Sam Walton: Made in America, My Story” (1992, 1993). Sam Walton and John Huey’s book “Sam Walton: Made in America, My Story” (1992, 1993) tells the story of Sam Walton, the entrepreneur behind the successful retail chain, Wal-Mart. The book finely combines personal accounts of Walton’s life and the growth of his retail empire while at the same time providing good business advice which would be worthwhile to readers hoping to gain insight into the mind of Walton and Wal-Mart. The part of the book which focuses on Walton’s early life is interesting in that he is fairly candid with the reader and credits much of his success to having been born with natural ambition and knowing the importance of team management. Readers quickly learn how Walton relates this to his business which is based on service to the customers and sharing of ideas and profits with his business associates. Readers from all disciplines would benefit from reading this book as most have no doubt visited a Wal-Mart and could at least feel some connection to Walton and the text remains easy, interesting and enjoyable. From a professional perspective as well, it could prove to be a beneficial manual for those hoping to go into a commercial business and obtaining some of Walton’s success. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This is a 6 page paper discussing the father and son relationship between King Henry IV and Prince Harry/Hal in Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part I”. The father and son relationship between King Henry IV and Prince Harry/Hal in Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part I” is one of the central themes of the play and some would argue the most important and lasting theme of the play. King Henry and Harry’s estrangement at the beginning of the play only gives their eventual union and successful triumph together over the revolt to Henry’s throne more poignancy and impact to the historical account. Largely, critics have felt that much of the original misunderstanding of the relationship was on the behalf of the King himself who trusted appearances above action only to be disillusioned by those around him. Audiences and readers of the play are aware of the other influence in Prince Harry’s life, Falstaff, but Harry quickly establishes that he will reform his ways and return to his father and his duties. The personal aspect of the father and son relationship provides for many additional elements within a historical text and it is their personal relationship countered by other relationships within the play which gives the play its real strength and lasting impression. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 5 page comparison of Susan Brigden’s text “New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors 1485-1603” and the film “Elizabeth”. Susan Brigden’s text “New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors 1485-1603” gives a broad historical account of the Tudor era in England during its almost 120 year rule throughout the 15th to early 17th centuries. Brigden’s background knowledge on the Reformation in England at that time is effective but perhaps not properly displayed in her text as much of the religious and political detail was excluded in lieu of the inclusion of selections of poetry and prose from the era to provide the book with more depth and color. Overall, the effect was not well received by the critics who craved more historical detail. The film “Elizabeth” directed by Shekhar Kapur, on the other hand, provides a more in depth look at the political but somewhat more personal details of Elizabeth’s reign from 1558 until her death and the end of the Tudors in 1603. The images portrayed in the film show the often gritty side of the religious fervor which shook Tudor England outside of the political elite emphasized in Brigden’s book. Audiences must be aware however that artistic license may be more in effect in “Elizabeth” however than within Brigden’s historical text but taken together “New Worlds, Lost Worlds” provides a good background for the reign of Elizabeth brought to life in the film “Elizabeth”.

This is a 10 page paper comparing two newspaper articles: one which reported low consensus deviance (smoking); and one which reported high consensus deviance (murder). Two articles were found published within the last two weeks in the Toronto Star which provided a good contrast in reporting styles, intended audience, and low and high consensus deviance. One article, the low consensus deviance article on Canadian youth smoking was written by a Toronto Star reporter and provided a fairly distant, highly statistical account of a recent survey taken. The second article, the high consensus deviance article reporting a murder in California by two brothers is considered more sensational in content and was mass distributed by the Associated Press. The reason why it would be of interest in Toronto may be because of the inclusion of the television show The Sopranos as an influence on the boys’ crime. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This is a 15 page paper discussing the marketing case of the Vancouver Public Aquarium (1987). In the case presented, the Public Relation Director has to consider a request from the Educational Programs Coordinator to restrict access to the Aquarium for school groups only during the weekday winter hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In considering his alternatives, the Director has to take into account the six significant markets: schools, members, general admissions, donors, volunteers, and scientists in addition to other factors which would be affected by change such as gift store hours, customer satisfaction and improving the efficiency of the advertising budget and campaigns. The case is presented using the Harvard Methodology format: problem definition, alternative solutions, critical success factors, evaluation of the problem and conclusion. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This is an 8 page paper discussing the Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST). Since its implementation in January 1991, the Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been an excessive burden to the consumers, businesses, corporations, financial institutions and the federal government itself. The initial implementation costs because of manufacturer costs associated with new accounting systems alone for example reached an estimated $1 million per taxpayer. The continuing annual administration costs to comply are estimated at around $500,000 per taxpayer in addition to a total cost to small businesses of over $1.2 billion annually. The Tax Executives Institute was hired in 1994 to assess the system and while it admitted that the GST system was better for international business than the previous FST (the federal sales tax system it replaced but was invisible to the consumer), overall the administration of the system should be modified to have a higher threshold for registration (introduced and still at $30,000 for small businesses), a lower tax rate, but with fewer exemptions to decrease administrative costs among others. The government did not implement these recommendations so that in addition to the continued annual burden on tax payers in Canada, according to the budget released in February 2003 the government now has to reimburse several educational and municipal organizations for GST payments retroactive to the year the GST was introduced; an additional cost to the Canadian tax payer which has yet to be determined. Bibliography lists 5 sources.