ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The history of the United States of America contains many dramatic and critical periods, one of which is the civil war that outbreaks in 1860 between the free North and the South’s slaveholders. After four years of bloody conflict, slavery was abolished, but the racial confrontation did not end at this point. Thus, in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan organization was formed, which subsequently instilled terror in blacks and those who supported them. The formation of the organization is associated with the military. According to Wormster (n.d.), “the Ku Klux Klan was formed as a social club by a group of Confederate Army veterans.” Military personnel, hereditary professional soldiers, who could not do anything except military service, lost everything: dashing cavalry attacks, generous salaries, military awards, and ranks. Therefore, forced idleness, provincial boredom, and an oppressive sense of shame for the ignominiously lost war helped the Klan’s organizers invent for themselves the main enemy – the blacks. The name of the organization had weird features and mystical signs. The group adopted the name Ku Klux Klan from the Greek word “kyklos,” meaning circle (Wormser, n.d.). Thus, based on Greek mythology, the members created an entire hierarchy, using titans, hydras, furies, and other mythical characters. The terrifying and unique uniform appeared to distinguish this organization from all others: snow-white robes and high hoods in the shape of a cone, which completely covered the face, with slits for the eyes. When such a group appeared in any place, the sight was so frightening that people began to talk about the Ku Klux Klan more and more often. The activities of the Ku Klux Klan had a racist policy. Although formed as a social club, the Klan “quickly became a terrorist organization in service of the Democratic Party and white supremacy” (Wormser, n.d.). Thus, although the organization arose not as a terrorist one, but as a club, a secret society with vague goals similar to the Masonic ones, nevertheless, it began to develop precisely with racist overtones. From 1915, the racist implications of the Ku Klux Klan began to come to the fore when the organization decided to openly confront all persons with a complexion other than white. The murders were distinguished by their sophistication and cruelty. Therefore, the Klan’s impunity and atrocities were painful ordeals for the black. Such events should not be repeated in any case, and people must ma
Introduction Thinking of the research, the reader might imagine a collection of quantitative and qualitative data gathered with the help of surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and other methods. While the former are the basics of any research project, there is much more in between the data collection. The following pages of the work contain the research methodology of the thesis. The author explained in detail the choice of the research strategy, the research methods, the research approach, the methods and instruments of data collection. The research strategy A basic theoretical kind of research was applied to the project, aiming to develop knowledge about the factors defining the loyalty of sports fans. The proposed research examined the influences causing people to become avid sports fans and offered a fresh point of view on a topic of sports as a means of entertainment. Research Methods In compliance with the objectives of the thesis, the qualitative methods were used. Qualitative research involves the synthesis between the use of literature and the collection of the data with the eventual development of the conceptual framework. It ensures the detailed description and interpretation of a specific concept, providing in-depth insight into the given problem. Moreover, qualitative research is applied when dealing with people’s beliefs, feelings, and motivations. Therefore, it is especially useful for answering questions about the perspectives of the groups under study. The sports event is a kind of social activity that involves certain relationships and behavioral models that constitute the factors of fan loyalty studied in the project. Quantitative research, on the other hand, is used when there is a need for measurement, categorization, or statistical modeling, which is not the case with the project in question, as its aim is observing the behavior of a specific group of people. Accordingly, the sole method of qualitative analysis was used in the thesis. Research Approach For the interpretive, qualitative purposes of the research, the inductive approach was applied to the study. The goal was to collect and analyze data on a specific observation and provide an explanation as to what causes a person to become a loyal sports fan. Methods and instruments of data collection Collecting accurate data was an integral part of the research. For this purpose, the qualitative data collection techniques, such as the participant observations and the interviews, were used. The methods allowed the author to collect first-hand data on the wide range of behaviors and motives of the sports fans to distinguish the factors of fan loyalty. The main advantage of the participant observation was getting the insider’s perspect
Introduction It is most likely that upon being exposed to the question “If money cannot buy happiness can you ever be truly happy without money?”, one would be willing to assume that the positive answer to this question will necessarily have some moralistic/religious undertones to it. Moreover, many people would also argue that by asserting such a possibility, an individual will be triggering a psychological “defence mechanism” while trying to cope with the realisation that he or she does not have enough money to be considered truly happy – especially as compared to some Arab emirs and sheikhs, who can afford buying dozens of luxurious yachts and building palaces out of pure marble. However, it is also possible to confirm the sheer soundness of the concerned hypothetical presupposition from the scientific point of view – specifically, while evaluating it from the neurological/psychological and sociological perspectives. The following Analysis will explore the validity of this suggestion at length. Analysis Neurological/Psychological Perspective Before proceeding to answer the question, we must first outline what accounts for the main discursive implication of the fact that the representatives of the Homo Sapiens species are, in fact, nothing but hairless primates. In its turn, this means that, just as it is the case with the rest of mammals, it is specifically the limbic part of one’s brain that formulates the innermost essence of his or her existential agenda. This agenda is utterly “biological”, in the sense of presupposing that there are only three truly worthy objectives to anyone’s life – food (ensuring that there is plenty of nutrients), sex (for the purpose of “spreading the genome”), and domination (attaining a dominant status within a society). The considerations of morality/ethics have no place, whatsoever, within the context of how people go about trying to achieve the mentioned objectives – even when they make a point in indulging in the moral/religious rhetoric during the process. This explains why most people think of money as the pathway to happiness – such their tendency is predetermined by the Darwinian laws of evolution, which apply to the “hairless apes” as much as they do to other animals and plants (Dawkins 2014). The tendency’s mechanics are simple – being in the possession of any substantial sum of money increases a person’s chance to secure a dominant status within the society, which in turn will result in strengthening his/her appeal to the representatives of the opposite gender, and consequentially in making it likelier for the concerned individual to succeed i
Introduction For generations, alcohol has held an important place in the spiritual, emotional and social experience of people. For this reason, people drink as a form of relaxation, to mark important cultural events, and as a way of celebrating with friends (Heron 7). Taken in moderation, alcohol does not have any drastic effects on the drinker. Problems only arise when alcohol is consumed in excess. Each year, nearly 80,000 lives are lost in the United States due to excessive use of alcohol (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention n.p.). It is estimated that in 2006, some $ 223.5 billion was lost due to excessive consumption of alcohol. Causes of alcohol consumption There are a number of reasons why people consume alcohol. People drink alcohol as a way of reducing associations in their minds. Alcohol weakens molecules separating neurons in the brains, thereby impairing communication. Consequently, an individual finds it hard to associate ideas. Psychologists also say that we drink as a way of escaping the self. Most people say that they drink alcohol in order to drown their sorrows. Since alcohol impairs communication, people momentarily forget their troubles. Like other things in life, there are other underlying reasons that shape our drinking habits. For example, some people drink because they feel sad, angry, or lonely. Others drink as a way of bonding with their friends and loved ones (Heron 8). Therefore, our drinking habits, whether in excess or in moderation, are shaped by hidden motivations. In the case of heavy drinkers, this behavior could be due to the need to address underlying problems, such as difficulty in dealing with low self-esteem, inability to handle strong emotions, and problems with relationships. Peer pressure is yet another reason why people may start drinking alcohol (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention n.p.). For example, a teenager may start experimenting with alcohol while in college because his friends are also doing it. In this case, he feels compelled to experiment with alcohol so that he can belong with his peers. We also drink since alcohol has become culturally normalized. The media aggressively promote alcohol consumption to an extent that it has now become culturally normalized. Alcohol is also readily available in supermarkets, bars, and discount stores. In fact, children under the age of 18 years can buy alcohol without some seller requesting to see their IDs first. For these reasons, consumption of alcohol has become normal and socially acceptable. Effects of alcohol use The effects of alcohol on the drinker are dependent on a number of factors. First, it depends on the body chemistry. This means that some people can get tipsy quite easily while others need larger quantities of alcohol to get drunk. The effects of alcohol are also dependent on one’s weight, gender, and age (Masters 21). For example, women tend to get drunk by smaller quantities of alcohol com
Environment-friendly technologies develop with the growing social awareness about the issues caused by pesticides utilization in various industries. Sharma et al. (2020) claim that “these chemicals enter the ecosystem, thus hampering the sensitive environmental equilibrium through bio-accumulation” (p. 110812). Consequently, alternative strategies become in demand for protecting the plants and species from biomagnification and severe changes in natural settings (Sharma et al., 2020). Biological, semi-chemical, and physical control methods for decreasing the use of pesticides require proper encouragement to achieve sustainable improvement in the ecological situation. Indeed, the governmental programs, legislative changes, and business initiatives that promote environmental protection are the key for the novelties’ implementation. There are several ways to influence the decision-making processes of pesticides used in the industries such as farming and livestock. Firstly, the awareness about the hazardous effect on human organisms must be increased through public health programs or social events. Knowledge about the diseases their pesticides users can develop in their family members would force them to take responsibility in a more efficient way than reminding them about the consequences to occur in decades (Magarey et al., 2019). Secondly, legislators and government can produce a supportive program for those who move their business towards decreasing pesticides (Sharma et al., 2020). Indeed, special tax rates, privileges, or rewarding guarantees can encourage farmers to implement alternative control methods to eliminate the neonicotinoid insecticides utilization. Lastly, the range of eco-efficient benchmarks to evaluate the level of hazard caused by one industry or company’s use of pesticides must be developed. Magarey et al. (2019) state that “eco-efficiency is an operational basis for optimizing pest management for sustainability” (p. 3129). The presence of regulations and standards to match production can encourage the industries to seek environment-friendly ways of manufacturing.
Introduction African American participation in the creation of American music has affected every genre of music, contributing to the development of a distinctively American sound. The roots of African-American music may be found in musical genres that developed from the historical situation of slavery that defined African Americans’ lives before the Civil War. Moreover, Their music has contributed to forming the national identity, significantly impacting the lives of millions of Americans by reflecting both the struggles and achievements that black Americans have encountered in the United States. Music created by black people includes some of the most popular current music genres, including hip-hop, blues, rock and roll, funk, and jazz. The 1920s Fig. 1 – Edythe Turnham and Her Knights of Syncopation, Seattle, 1925. The popularity of African-American blues and jazz grew in the early twentieth century. New performers such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Chick Webb appeared on urban radio stations, and African-American jazz became increasingly popular. These performers encouraged young people in the 1920s to rebel against the conventional culture of earlier generations, daring fashion statements, and new radio performances. During this time of postwar equality and free sexuality, female vocalists like Bessie Smith debuted, paving the path for future female musicians. Sissle and Eubie Blake’s Shuffle Along marked the return of the black musical to Broadway in the early 1920s. The 1930s Fig. 2 – Mahalia Jackson. In the 1930s, full-fledged symphonic compositions based on black cultural themes began to appear. The “Afro-American Symphony” (1931) by William Grant Still made history as the first piece by a black composer to be performed by a symphony orchestra. Later on, a larger spectrum of Black artists, such as Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson, rose to prominence. The African American church remained the primary arena for early Gospel music in the 1930s. Minister Charles A. Tindley began to produce and distribute religious hymns written exclusively for his own services, signaling a change. Mahalia Jackson, whose blues-based vocal style established the gold standard of the genre for decades, was the first gospel artist to be a success beyond the church. The 1940s-1950s Fig. 3 – The Clovers. Rhythm and blues, which first appeared in the 1940s, was a forerunner of rock and roll. The style was acoustically connected to rock & roll, which originated in the 1950s, and was best characterized by Ruth Brown and Louis Jordan. The Cardinals, the Swallows, the Armstrong Four, and the Clovers were all pioneering R&B groups in the 1940s and 1950s. Jam sessions in Harlem clubs like Minton’s Playhouse gave birth to bebop in the 1940s and 1950s. Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke, and others were among those who jammed at Minton’s. The big-band sound was the most popular type of jazz in the 1940s. Count Basie’s Big Band, for example, established the standard for what was known as “swing.“ The 1960s Fig.
Introduction Dubai is the second largest and the most populous emirates of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Other emirates that make up the U.A.E. are Abu Dhabi, the capital, Ajman, Ras Al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Fujairah and Umm- Al Qaiwain. The United Arab Emirates is located in the Arabian Gulf, southwest Asia. Dubai is located on the banks of the Dubai Creek, covering a total area of approximately 4,200 km2. Currently, the population of Dubai stands at 1.37 million people. Oil, international trade, and tourism are the main economic stays of Dubai contributing approximately 7% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates. Main body Dubai has an arid, subtropical climate with occasional rainfall during falls and winter, with sunny and clear blue skies the most part of the year. Temperature ranges from a low of 10 degrees centigrade to a high of 41 degrees centigrade. The government of Dubai led by the current ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is committed to turn Dubai in to a tourist hub. There is a much political support in this effort. This has been demonstrated by development of infrastructure like roads network, modern harbor and airports, which has been facilitating the realization of this goal. More commercial and residential houses have been built to accommodat
Andrew Lam’s book Birds of Paradise Lost is dedicated to the topic of immigration. The author explores the issue talking from his personal experience of a Vietnamese man living in the United States. He also refers to the experience of his many compatriots who left their homeland in search of a better life in America. In his book, Andrew Lam reflects on the profound impact that immigration has on people’s lives and their relations with the country they left behind and with the new home they have found. In my view, one of the main themes that can be traced in the three stories from Birds of Paradise Lost is the motif of gain and loss, that while Vietnamese people lost their homeland, there is something precious they will obtain. The story by the same name as the book, Birds of Paradise Lost , tells the readers about the friendship of old men and the aftermath of the suicide of one member of the group. The man killed himself to protest against the regime of the Communist party in Vietnam and to draw attention to the suffering that it brought to the country and its people. After his shocking suicide, his friends grieve over their loss but at the same time, they praise his courage and his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of the greater cause. They even become inspired by his heroic act and one of them even considers following his friend‘s way: “Don’t be surprised if I follow your footsteps. We’ll show the Americans, not to mention the younger generation, what old men are capable of” (Lam 104). Another aspect of this story is the conflict between fathers and sons and the differences of the views in generations. The main character, Thang, argues with his son about the means of political struggle which Vietnamese Americans should take to help their homeland. Thang’s son, who represents the young generation, is skeptical of the father’s combative spirit and determination. The conflict of beliefs between father and son results in a big fight and the father walks off questioning his beliefs and whether he is devoted to his homeland enough to sacrifice his life: „Where should love for country end and where should common sense begin?“ (Lam 109). He later realizes that he cannot know for sure whether his death in America and his activism can help people in Vietnam. To conclude, the main character lost his friends and some of his ideals, but at the same time, he gained a different perspective on his relations with his son, with America, and with his homeland. Show and Tell is the story of Kal, a Vietnamese refugee boy who becomes the object of mockery in the new American school. The boys pick on him asking offensive questions: “I hear they eat dogs there. Have you eaten a dog?” (Lam 27), or “Did you see anybody got killed?” (Lam 27). Kal and his family fled Vietnam and now a little boy has to adjust to a new unfriendly environment. Kal finds a friend, Robert, who at first was assigned to Kal as a patron by the teacher, but later two boys develop sincere friendship and understanding. Their friendship overcomes the language barrier and the two outcasts find support in each other. Unable to speak English, Kal expresses himse
The origins of Yakuza, a Japanese criminal syndicate, can be traced in both history and mythology. The members of Yakuza believe that their ancestors were ronins , samurais that have been exiled by their feudal lords and forced to roam the land. Ronins also defended villages from warlords, for what they were honored with payment from villagers. The money they acquired went toward investing in illegal gambling and shady commerce. The meaning of the work yakuza is associated gambling and a popular cards game called oicho-kabu , in which the losing hand is called yakuza and is made up of 8 “ya” 9 “Ku”, and 3 “za”. If to compare Yakuza from any other criminal group or gang, the key difference is that they are accepted both socially and culturally; therefore, they do not have to hide from law enforcement. About the illegal activities carried out by the organization, they have kept a relatively low profile; however, the majority of Yakuza’s activities are supported by the legal frameworks. Originated in the seventeenth century, the organization has existed for so long that it embedded into the cultural context and became recognized by Japanese society. Moreover, the position Yakuza currently holds in the social and political life of Japan is not that different from the position it occupied four centuries ago. Similarly to the early times of Yakuza’s operations, nowadays the organization is associated with “the underground” circles. The majority of the gambling halls and nightclubs are owned by the members of the Yakuza who also support prostitution, the porn industry, own hotels, and restaurants, as well as finance the fight business. What is interesting to note is that the organization does not have much in common with a crime as people understand it today. Rather, Yakuza always tried to maintain good relationships with law enforcement as well as the general public to keep their reputation pristine and not hurting the business. What is also particularly important to mention is that the intentions of Yakuza are not always associated with making money illegally and becoming wealthy. The organization acknowledged its care for the poor and the elderly to the extent that it established a charity to help those in need across the entire country of Japan. The most recent examples of Yakuza’s charitable work were the relief efforts after the earthquakes Jobe and Tohoku in 1995 and 2011 respectively. Also, however paradoxical it may be, the Yakuza syndicate has proven to be effective in keeping the petty and organized crime rates in the country. This, in part, is explained by the immense fear and respect of other people for the organization, which also preaches discipline and control. Very often young men that join the Yakuza were misled in life, but the organization teaches them good behavior and preaches respect for the elderly. Of course, some of the non-legitimate activities of the organization are not examples of discipline and good behavior; however, the fact that Yakuza became an integral part of the Japanese society is what differentiates it from other criminal syndicates. The respect from th