ESSAYS -
LIST OF AVAILABLE ESSAYS ...
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Structural Functionalist Themes in “Black Elk Speaks”
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This is a 5 page paper discussing structural functionalism in relation to themes presented in “Black Elk Speaks”. “Black Elk Speaks” as told through John G. Neihardt portrays several social and religious aspects of the Sioux while they are faced with their own destruction by the invasion of the white men. Black Elk, a holy man, provides commentary on the structure of the individuals within his own tribe through a vision he has which includes himself, all the levels in his tribe, all the men, women, children, warriors and the spirits of their ancestors. This vision and faith in their structure allows Black Elk and his tribe hope in their negotiations with the intrusion of the white man. Structural functionalism also deals with the evolution of social and religious forces which shape social and religious roles within a community and the slow religious transition and inclusion of the Catholic Mission into the lives of the Sioux allows for Black Elk as a religious leader to promote the cohesiveness of his tribe while remaining within the restrictive new laws of the country. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: TJNBElk1.rtf

Structuralism in the Study of Media and Culture
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This is a 6 page paper discussing structuralism in the study of media and culture. Structuralism is based on the premise that “societies and sociological or cultural practices can be analyzed, along the lines of language, as signifying systems [and within] structuralism the subject is decentered, in other words the central focus on the individual in much social analysis is replaced by the focus on the structures, of which the individual is just another element”. Structuralist methods apply to various divisions within the social sciences such as the linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure, the cultural critical of Roland Barthes, the anthropology of Claude Levi-Strauss and the psychoanalysis of Jacques Lacan. Structuralism plays a large part in the presentation and perception of the media as some critics believe that viewers can look beyond media reports by perceiving the signs throughout the text while other researchers, such as Barthes in his post-structural phase, believed that language was not transparent by in fact most communication was distorted and could not be presented otherwise. Structuralism overall, tends to assume that there is a structure or a “depth model” in which researchers can find the “truth” and in so doing are able to “stand outside language using the meta-languages of linguistic, sociological or philosophical analysis. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: TJstruct1.rtf

Suicide And The Native American
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Native Americans are not culturally predisposed to suicide. They are, however, at high risk for suicide as a result of both social and physical factors. This 5 page paper explores a number of different factors that contribute to the high rate of suicide among Native Americans. Bibliography lists 9 sources.
Filename: KTindian.wps

Summary of the PBS Documentary Myths and the Moundbuilders (1980)
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The main points of this 1980 documentary featured as part of the PBS series Odyssey are summarized in a paper consisting of three pages. Two sources are listed in the bibliography.
Filename: TGpbsmyths.rtf

Symbolic Anthropology And Materialistic Anthropology: How They Relate To Idealism And Materialism
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6 pages in length. Within the fundamental framework of human culture exists a dichotomy of anthropological applications that ultimately form man's behavior and outlook. These divergent elements, as espoused by Marshall David Sahlins and Clifford Geertz, help bring to light the very essence of what it means to be part of a particular society based solely upon one's cultural understanding. Sahlins' "Stone Age Economics" and Geertz's "The Interpretation of Cultures" present extremely opposite explication of what prompts humanity to seek certain materialistic commodities, as well as act in certain ways, with Sahlins supporting the view of materialistic anthropology and Geertz, symbolic anthropology. However, even though each author has his own interpretation of how mankind is ultimately compelled into action, they both come to the same conclusion with regard to the axiomatic foundation of such motivation: cultural influence of idealism and materialism. No additional sources cited.
Filename: TLCanthr.wps

Symbolism of Color
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A 12 page paper which examines the symbolism of color. The paper examines color in different cultures and times. The cultures examined are Chinese, Navajo, and Ukrainian. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: RAclr3.rtf

Systems Theory and Lieber's More Than a Living
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This 5 page paper looks at Lieber's "More Than a Living: Fishing and the Social Order on a Polynesian Atoll " and evaluates social systems as contained in the work. Talcott Parsons' input on systems is duly noted. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: SA207MTL.rtf

Tattoos in American Culture
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This 4 page paper argues that tattoos, although they still have a negative connotation, actually have a rich history in American culture going back to the founding of the nation. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: HVAmTats.rtf

TESTING WOMEN, TESTING THE FETUS: THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF AMNIOCENTESIS IN AMERICA: RAYNA RAPP
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This 9 page paper discusses the issues offered by Rayna Rapp in her book: Testing Women, Testing the Fetus. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: MBamnio.rtf

The “Sun Stone” or Aztec Calendar -- Meanings, Iconography,Purposes:
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This 11 page report discusses the ancient civilization of the Aztecs and their remarkable “Sun Stone” or calendar. In the Aztec system there are actually two Aztec calendars that are essentially independent of one another. However, both are on the “Sun Stone.” They reflect two different aspects of time which represent the two most important aspects of Aztec life -- agriculture and spirituality. One of the calendars marks 365 days and is called the xiuhpohualli. It describes the days and rituals that are connected with the different seasons, and is generally thought of as the agricultural or solar year calendar. The other calendar consists of only 260 days. In the language of the Aztecs (Nahuatl), it is called the tonalpohualli simply meaning the “day-count.” Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: BWaztec.doc