Body Modification and Contemporary American Rites of Passage INTRODUCTION Rites of Passage The term "Rite of Passage" describes any rite or ritual which marks or induces a change in an individuals social position. These life changes include birth, puberty, initiation into social and familial groups, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, and death. In most pre-industrial societies these rituals are the keys to determining the social hierarchy of the community. In societies emphasizing technology, where life is based on individual achievement and is less dependent on communal cooperation for pros...

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• Grade Level: High School

Many in favor of manufactured drugs do not believe in the ability of plant medicine's efficacy, which is the ability to produce a desired or intended result. ... Surely the search of some remedy was something that occurred simultaneously in all the cultures, fruit of the desire of the man to heal, for magical-religious reasons or because some preparation that provided a great temporary happiness. ...

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The term capital punishment is derived from the Latin caput, meaning "head". It originally referred to death by decapitation, but now applies generally to state authorized executions. Crimes occur in every society around the world. Historically, criminals convicted of these crimes were dealt with in different ways, some of which are sentenced to death. Capital punishment has been banned in most western countries, although, countries like the United States, despite earlier attempts to eliminate capital punishment have now had an increased amount of support from several states, in the use...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Teen Violence Teen violence has not always been as prevalent in society as it is today. However, teen violence is a serious and rapidly growing problem in America. From the horrible incident that occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado, to the everyday incidents of youth violence, it is a...

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A suburbanite's nightmare. This was the Bronx. Adversity can lead to futility, or spawn creativity. As history has always shown, society's oppressed adapt, and make the best out of the worst situations. MCing, Grafitti, D-Jaying, and B-boying, were all created in the Bronx. All of these art forms wo...

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• Grade Level: High School

I believe I am on this earth because God died for my sins and created me putting me on this earth. ... As Christians we also believe that when we die we either go to heaven or hell depending on how loyal you have been to what the bible says to do and what God wants us to do. ... I believe what is worth dying for is my family and some of my closest friends. ... War seems to be constantly going on to help other countries freedom and help them improve their rights and I think it is definitely something that is worth fighting for and even dying for. 3. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Is War Necessary? There are many reasons why a country or several countries could go to war. Some of these reasons are just, however many of them are not. There are many movies made illustrating many different aspects of American wars, good and bad. The American Revolution was mainly a politica...

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They could not contend with the gluttonous British soldiers who took away their property whenever they desired to do so. ... In the Mid 1850's, it was estimated that 80% of all infants born to Irish immigrants in New York City died. ...

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A Research of the Media Coverage of the War on Drugs: Marijuana: The Facts and the Media Coverage The "war on drugs" was announced by President Nixon in 1971. The media has been there since the very beginning: covering this so called war with every means at their disposal. Some feel tha...

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• Grade Level: High School

It is with some justice, however, that Herodotus is considered the first historian, because in his work appears the conscious desire to record all the significant and noteworthy circumstances surrounding a set of events and motivating the actions of people in those events. ... Motley, and Francis Parkman were followed by such brilliant and questioning men as Henry Adams. 12 The broader interest in the philosophy of history had not died, and the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel had created a school of idealistic historians. ...

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10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America by Steven M. Gillon brings to attention the ten days that the History Channel believes to be some of the most influential days in America. Gillon purposefully avoided obvious days, such as the bombing and Pearl Harbor or the signing of the Constitution in o...

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