An Analysis of Nadine Gordimers Short Stories Essays

An Analysis of Nadine Gordimers Short Stories Essays An Analysis of Nadine Gordimers Short Stories Paper An Analysis of Nadine Gordimers Short Stories Paper Essay Topic: Literature Death is something that affects everyone and is always reoccurring. Nadine Gordimer references death in her work frequently; breaking down boundaries and stereotypes. She opens her mind on paper and tells the world as it is. She talks about subjects that are taboo, and while doing this she makes us aware of its constant presence in our lives and the world around us. In her short stories, such as Loot and An Emissary, the contrast of life and death is a theme throughout each of the stories. She weaves stories about experiences that all come to an inevitable end. Life is a bunch of events that you build up for death to take it away. At the start of each story there is an unawareness of death being present. They only seem to be aware of the present, neither the past nor the future matters. The people in her stories seem to be only thinking of themselves and their actions. In An Emissary there is one setting where it is always summer or summer-like weather. This adds onto the lack of awareness of the presence of death, because winter is a symbol for death. I relate to these people because I often avoid the thought of death. When I actually stop to think about it I realize how much time I am wasting; this gives me anxiety, which in turn makes me block it out more. These stories made me realize that even the little things should not be held for granted because you could die at any moment. People have the mentality of trying to collect everything, even though death takes everything away. In the story Loot, we see that people are greedily taking what is not theirs, but their motives are meaningless in the end. Death takes hold of them and takes everything from them. Once again, I realize the consequences of greed and the habit of taking things for granted. The people in the story had an incredible urge to strive for more and if they had just cherished what they had, they would have had different consequences. This drive for possessing more inevitably brought them to their end. I noticed that in the middle of the story the characters go through realizations of their own. In the story Loot, the man who the writer was speculating found a mirror. I think this symbolism self reflection and realization. I think that character was trying to collect all these things because he was trying to lose himself. In the end, when he picked up the mirror, he found that what he was looking for is what he has been trying to avoid all this time. Its rather tragic that Nadine Gordimer decides to kill off this poor man that has just found self fulfillment. Her unconventional way of writing makes you unravel your brain and reflect upon things that you thought you knew. Nadine Gordminer put experiences in to perspective, with situations that have never occurred to you before. In the story An Emissary, there is the realization of death in the most peculiar situation. The characters notice death when they are in an intimate situation. This really contrasts the idea of death and the moods that death usually doesnt portray. Nadine bends the common definition of death and brings out a whole new meaning to it. In the finale, for both the story and the characters, everyone gets swept away along with their memories and possessions. In the story Loot, I find that Nadine was not only trying to have the ocean be the cause of the deaths but also have the ocean to be a metaphor for death. The ocean puts a black sheet over everything and wipes it from existents; exactly how death does the same thing. She also says how the ocean hides everything underneath it and I think this is also exactly what death does as well. In the story An Emissary, the end of the story becomes a circle to the beginning of the story. This, to me, represents the circle of life and how its always going to continue on the same path through different experiences. Death always is going to be there, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. These two stories really stuck to me because it made me question all my answers. It made me look at life in a different perspective. Nadine, as well, made me rethink what a short story is. I thought that short story was like a little story. However, she showed me that it is a reflection of another persons experiences. It doesnt have a good ending and unexpected things happen throughout it just like how life is. The definition I currently think of as a short story is that it is a little tidbit of life depicted on a piece of paper. A short story can teach us about things we feel and things we could have not understood before. The perspective of death has even changed for me. Now it is not necessarily a bad thing but a thing that I need to accept is going to happen. It really opened up how death can happen at any time, no matter the circumstances. Her stories made me think about what I have in life and what I should cherish. She also showed that every story has many sides and no one in the end is absolutely right. Her stories and the way her writing reflects on society today, makes the reader understand more about the world around him/her and propels him/her towards self fulfillment.

6 steps HR can take that will make employees motivated and happy

6 steps HR can take that will make employees motivated and happy Employee morale and motivation can be a tricky thing. Happy employees are usually far more productive than unhappy employees. But with a diverse range of people in your organization, how do you maximize those factors for as many people as possible? After all, people are motivated by different things. Let’s look at some best practices to get the good motivation flowing.Offer solid benefits packages.Make sure that employee compensation is at least in line with what others in your industry are offering. If people see that your rival, Company B, is offering a similar salary but has medical, dental, and vision insurance while you just have medical, you risk disgruntlement and turnover.Remember that employees are not a faceless mass.They’re individuals, so they should be treated like individuals. Make an effort to get to know the people in your company- not just the executives, or the department heads, or the people who come into your office for help on an issue. Something as simple as learning everyone’s name can help them feel more at home. This can be difficult if you work in a large, corporate environment, but the effort you put into greeting people individually will pay dividends when it comes to employee satisfaction.Getting to know your employees also helps you refine your practices in real time as you get to know people better, what their challenges and priorities are at work, what they value, etc.Remind employees that they have a stake in the company’s performance.If your company offers stock options or profit sharing, that’s a direct way to involve employees; but if even if your company doesn’t offer those things, there are ways to engage employees. Regularly sending out announcements about how the company is doing and emphasizing how employee contributions are driving success can help create a feeling of productive teamwork.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Set realistic goals.When setting employee goals, make sure they’re both meaningful (specific) and achievable (realistic). Goals that are too vague or too far outside of the realm of possibility will likely fall by the wayside. Specific, actionable goals (preferably with milestones set against them) improve motivation by offering smaller, trackable successes along the way.Reward good performance.Nothing is quite as demoralizing as doing a great job and then feeling like no one cares. Providing recognition (with tangible awards) or performance incentives can help nurture employees to reach for successful outcomes. We’re human. We like rewards- it’s the part of the brain that reveled in getting star stickers in elementary school or getting a treat for good behavior. We may not need a cookie, per se, but a token to acknowledge hard work and success is always appreciated.Make sure employees have the resources they need to do well.This may seem like a no-brainer- after all, aren’t you their resource?- but people are motivated and more productive when they feel like they have all the tools they need to do a job. Comprehensive training, educational opportunities, leadership seminars†¦these are all tools that can help employees feel better prepared to do their jobs and grow their careers at your company.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Globalization - Essay Example As a result of the hard hitting Washington Consensus [—the West’s interest-serving set of socio-economic and political prescriptions, for instance], it is quite obvious that the world’s poor have surrendered a huge chunk of their sovereignty to the powerful global forces, which apparently, are at constantly at work circumscribing their spheres of action (Dreher 1092). The resurgence of Adam Smith’s laissez faire economics is today more of a reality than it was then; seldom since the nineteenth century’s heydays of free trade has this theory galvanized such certainty; certainty that has also been far removed from the realities on the ground. Quite frankly, all [scholars] are entitled to personal opinions, for globalization is but a multifaceted concept that encapsulates changing fortunes [both for the rich and the poor], but with a convincing conviction that deregulated markets and the accompanying elements creates super-humans who earn their lifesty les even by the most despicable moves that includes but not limited to taking the world’s poor six feet under. ... nd than going global is but a better way of encouraging higher standards; that apart from the increased overall quality of goods and services due to the increased competition, the development of information technologies has enabled crucial knowledge enhancing exchanges between nations, the poorest included. More importantly, it has availed the hitherto unavailable access to foreign capital in addition to advanced technology and subsequent export markets, thus breaking the jinx of the old, domestic monopoly production approaches riddled with wasteful inefficiencies (Osland 137-138). Martens and Raza notes that globalization has added a great deal of impetus to the world’s economic growth, without which the population of the worlds’ poor would be much greater, and in even much deplorable circumstances without the advances that has secured a stream of food supply for the world poor that know less of family planning even at their states of affairs (281). It is, however, unf ortunate that while globalization is credited for the significant improvements above across the globe, the global nature tendencies of the same forces have destroyed lives in equal measure, perhaps even worse than the benefits. A carefully designed process whose control is a tightly knit affair in the hands of the transnational corporations (TNCs) suspended by the governments of wealthy industrialized nations, the interests of the world’s poor seems to have been relegated to the periphery. With capitalist mindsets driving the disproportionate allocation of resources globally, capital movement, exchange, revenue, structural adjustment and interest seem to be the trending terms, yet sinking the disadvantaged by taking away even the very little in their custody. Indeed, it is; for never in history has

Smart backpack Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smart backpack - Essay Example l phones and tablets as it provides them with a USB cable which they can freely and easily use to charge the gadgets while moving around whatever situations or places they are in at any time. The bag is perpetually designed to safely hold the gadgets since it has a limited capacity and thereby there are close to zero chances of moving parts. Moreover, the bag is very durable and has a potential of lasting four times than other ordinary back bags, hence giving individuals value and service for the money they use in the purchase. The smart back bag will be efficient for most of its users as they will have the first experience of using a fully modified back bag of the century. The bag will act as a source of power for mobile and tablet gadgets as it will have a battery that is installed in it to collect, preserve and produce power or electricity when needed. The bag will be able to function effectively during sunny days and average when there is no sun or partial sunlight. However, functioning will be less or none at all in winter conditions. The solar cell will be used in the smart black bag to absorb the suns energy and later convert it to power that can be used by different sorts of machines. Therefore the solar cell and solar technology will be used in the production and the invention of the new smart back bag. The bag will be fitted with concentrated solar power systems which will work to absorb and direct the suns energy and generate it into heat before passing it over to be stored in the battery of the smart back bag. Secondly, the solar systems in the smart back bag will also be fitted with transpired solar collectors and solar water heating systems which will function to produce heat to be used as power for recharging cell phones and tablets. The cell phones and tablets will be either charged directly by the solar systems installed in the bag or via the battery which has been charged by the solar energy, anyway is still effective. This will reduce the

Welcome Address Essay Example for Free

Welcome Address Essay A warm and pleasant evening to all those who are present here. If there are no stars,there won’t be any beauty in the sky. If there is no difference of opinions there won’t be any creative and innovative ideas. Similarly if there is no Annual Function in our school, there won’t be any chance for our young and dynamic children to uphold the pride of the institute, to catalogue the challenges we face, the endeavors we made andthe success we achieved and to show what we were, what we are and what we will be. Here am I hence, much privileged to stand before you, to extend profound wishes andgreetings from the bottom of my heart, to bring the warmth of our affection, throughthe stream of love, to welcome each and every one of you.It is time for yet another day of the year to exhibit the talents of all our children, to bring to your kind notice their academic excellence, and the medals they bagged intheir outstanding performance in spots, and the grades they achieved in extracurricular activities, and in everything they speak and perform today as the cultural feastunfolds.We are extremely happy to have you with us today, to share in our joy and delightfulmoments of the day, and to be part of what we are. Wishing you all once again ahappy and memorable stay, I remain.Thank you. INTRODUCING THE CHIEF GUEST I am profuse elated to take an opportunity to introduce our chief guest of the day Rev.Dr. N. Ravichandran, the director of the IIM Indore. He is graduated from IIMMadras in 1980 with specialization in Applied Probability. He joined IIM Ahemdabadas faculty in Production and Quantitative Method Area in 1980.His teaching and research interest include Applied Probability, Business ProcessReengineering, Competitive Strategy, IT for Competitive Advantage, Logistics andSupply Chain Management, Operation Strategy, Quantitative Methods inManagement, Simulation and Stochastic Modeling.He had held several short term visiting positions in many European Universities. Hehas edited and co-authored 6 books, presented 80 research papers in national andinternational conference, 70 research publications in peer reviewed journals andauthored 40 management cases. He has designed 8 new  executive courses at IIMAhemdabad and introduced 7 electives in the PGA program of IIM Ahemdabad.Several companies in India and in abroad as well have sought his expertise, to evolve,tailor made executive programme, in the areas of general management, business process reengineering, information technology as a source of advantage, competitivestrategy, supply chain management, logistics, operation management and strategicsourcing.Since Nov. 2008, he is the director of the IIM Indore

Societal and Individual Interdependency in Salingers Catcher in the Rye :: essays research papers

In a perfect world, everyone would be happy with the way they are and everyone would accept the differences of others. Unfortunately, the world we live in is not perfect and not everyone accepts who they are . Is there a reason why people cannot be content with their lives or with the differences of other people? The answer is yes, and the reason for the discontent is society. With society telling the masses what is, and is not acceptable, it is no wonder that people seem â€Å"lost†, and are desperately searching out their place in the sun. This search for identity seems to be the case in JD Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Through settings in the novel and symbolism, Salinger illustrates that while the main character, Holden Caulfield, needs the support of the environment around him, the environment also needs Holden as a person. Holden Caulfield is out of place in any environment in which he is placed. At Pencey, his school, Holden gets excluded from the act ivities of his classmates. At the very beginning of the novel, Holden becomes expelled because his grades are not up to Pencey’s standards and also because he does not feel like he belongs there. Holden separates himself from his classmates for the most part by not becoming involved in the school. Although Holden is the equipment manager of the fencing team, he distances himself from his companions by losing the equipment, showing that he does not fit in, and he really does not want to. As he reflects back on his final day at Pencey he says: â€Å" They kicked me out. ...I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself at all. They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself...but I didn’t do it† (Salinger 4). The school is throwing Holden out because he is not what they want to represent to potential students. They want to show examples of fine, upstanding young men, instead of giving off the image of the failing, confused young man. Salinger uses Pe ncey as a mock society of some sorts. Holden does not fit in at Pencey, and he most definitely does not fit in as seen in the later settings of the novel. A second example of Holden’s isolation from his classmates can also be seen when he stands alone on the top of the hill during the â€Å"big game†.

Review of a few good men Essay

A few good men starring Jack Nicholson Tom Cruise and Demi Moore is about ethic in the marines. Many characters in the movie are faced with moral dillemas Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholsons characters are faced with moral dillemas. The movie is about two marines who are accused of murdering there fellow officer, during the incestigation it is discovered that there is a practice called â€Å"code red† this is a unethical and unofficial disciplinary measure by the marine squad when a member goes against the unit. The offender is gagged, beaten, and then they are killed by their fellow officers. The accused put the blame on someone they said was higher up from them. They carried out the â€Å"code red† order because the officer was not living up to the duties and agenda of the marines, and they were following the command of a higher ranking officer than they were. It is later discovered that Colnel Jessup played by Jack Nicholson was the one who gave the order to kill private Santiago. This crime is not only ethically wrong in the marine corps but it is also illegal by law. Lance Corporal Harold dawson and Private Louden Downey, played by Wolfgang Bodison and James Marshall were just following orders when they assulted Private Santiago late at night by stuffing a rag in his mouth and basically suffocating him creating respirtory complications. Santiago had decided that millitary life was not what he wanted and he ended up paying the price for that decision. False discharge papers were created in an attempt to hide the actual code red plan. There are two ethical issues here, of course one is the murder performed byDawson and Downey, the other is the code red order of Jessup and the subsequent cover up. Kaffe is a young trial lawyer who has a lot to prove. His father was a famous lawyer, so in order to be like him Kaffe needs to win all the time , losing is not an option. One of his tactics is to request a plea bargain on many of his cases. Kaffee is acquired to defend Dawson and Downey, however Kaffee knows that the two marines have done something unethical. Kaffee, in fact, despises Dawson and Downey so much that he says they do not deserve the uniforms that they wear. Kaffee has adilemma; his personal feelings concerning people who abuse others who aren’t able to defend themselves get in the way. In short Kaffe does not want to defend these marines.His normal course of action would have been to request a plea bargain. However JoanneGalloway played by Demi Moore, his co-council and superior officer convinces him not to go that route. Kaffe  starts work hard on the case. As time goes on he discovers that Dawson and Downey are really not to blame at all. The problem rests squarely with Jessup. When this discovery is made Kaffe holds colonel Jessup culpable. This puts Kaffe’s name and career at great risk. over time it became very important for Kaffee to vindicate the marines and to bring down Jessup. This in his mind was proper justice and also something true,noble, and outside of himself. He even came to accept that fulfilling his fathers footsteps did not matter. Most civilians would label Jessup’s actions as cruel and cold hearted and vicious. They would view thesituation from a Teleological framework, which means they would be thinking about theconsequences of Jessup’s actions. However, civilians are not marines and therefore do not understand the point of the situation. The point is to adherence to military rules. In fact proper ethical behavior in the case of a marine comes form following therules. This is an example of a deontological framework, or a framework that judges the ethics of an action based on adherence to rules. This is Jessup believes to be the world he lives in, a world, iof rules, not consequences.The turning point in all of this occurred when Santiago died. Jessup lost his mind at this point. He lied to Kaffee by telling him that Santiago was to leave the base. He also said that his chiefs of staff had orders not to abuse Santiago. Because of Kaffee andGalloway’s persistance, Jessup went to prison for his actions.I am not a military person, but have many family and friends that are in the millitary and know how some of the operations and rules work..However, this kind of situation is not possible amongst civilians. Military people have to defend our country’s freedoms and sometimes they have to fight for the freedoms of other countries. In order to do this they have to abide by a particular set of rules so that they are fair in helping other countries have their safety and freedoms as well. I really do not believe that the ethical dilemmas posed by the movie could have been solved any other way. Dawson and Downey may have rejected Jessup’s orders to do a code red on Santiago. They mayhave been fired for this, but in any event the order would have gone to other Marines more willing to carry it out and help their career. It really does not matter because Santiago would experience thecode red no matter what. Fate is what it is and  cannot be changed and in this case it was his time. Kaffee wanted a plea bargain, however due to Galloway’s influence he chose to focus his intellect on the case. I believe that this was a wise decision. It resulted in saving the marines from time in prison and sending Jessup to jail. .Code red orders have probably been given countless times in the past, the reason being that they work. People have a preconcieved notion of what lawyers do, and how they think and act. That they are only out to make a profit. This is a millitary court though they have to uphold to a different set of standards when it comes to the law. There is the law that we know and the law of the millitary. I also think that people watch movies about legalities and justice to try a nd get a better understanding of our world. There are a few different types of millitary branches out there that rule different areas like the navy is usually under water, the army is on land, and the airforce rules the skies. With all these how do we govern laws to fit all categories of the millitary. How do we ensure that they equally enforce these laws and protect all of their enlisters. I read an article about women being assulted by their fellow officers and they hardley ever see and type of punishment or trial for what they did. How is there any ethics there. What lesson is learned, that since they are in the milli tary they can get away with thing. To me I think that millitary should fall under the same circuit of justice as all others. I think that the movie all in all was very good. The actors that portrayed the characters were very believeable, as well as the story line. I think something like that could and maybe even already did happen. You hear a lot now about our soldiers falling victim to friendly fire over seas and it makes you wonder why that really happened. It is a sad reality though. I also like a lot of the actors in the movie like Kevin Bacon, Kieffer Sutherland as well as Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore. I think that with the upcoming holliday it was only fitting to do a movie about the millitary. Many of my family members either have served or still serve in the millitary and I was in the ROTC program in highschool so to me this is a subject that  I am passionate about. Not just on hollidays but everyday I come across a veteran I make sure to thank them. Because wha happened in the movie does not depict the military as a whole and these men and women truly are the superheroes of today.

Expressions of the self through the body Essay

Within the framework of the 21st Century, western society is increasingly exposed to images and ideologies of the embodiment of ‘success’ and ‘happiness’. The media is rife with these conceptualisations and affects us all on varying levels of influence and intensity. The very basis of the study of the social sciences (that various spheres of the expression of societal values are interconnected and incomplete apart) is the foundation for the claim that ideologies associated with the modern capitalist value system strongly and wholly affect the understanding and expression of our identity through the management and aesthetics of our bodies. To understand the origin of this claim, and to further explain the phenomenon it identifies, several steps need to be taken. Firstly, the values of the modern capitalist framework have to be identified and adequately compared to the contemporary understanding of the body and of sexuality. Secondly, expressions of the body and sexuality will be explored, to adequately assess the influence these values have through visual media. Finally response to these values and images will be considered, in order to critically analyse the true degree of agency that has been successfully exercised within this complex association of cause and effect. As established throughout the second section of this course, the complex and influential structure of capitalism lies in the celebration of the individual, and not of the society. (Loy 1997). Characteristics inherent in capitalism are the importance of the individual; the necessity for competition among these individuals to justify the importance of the individual; and the desire to embody wealth, success and happiness through financial means. Also pivotal to the success of capitalism is the illusion of freedom of choice and agency within society for the individual to construct a unique identity (Loy 1997, Cox 1999). What is perhaps most important in terms of the relationship between capitalism and the expression of identity and sexuality through the body is the concept of commodity aesthetics, the beautification of any object to increase it’s desirability to the consumer. (Sarup, 1997) The relationship between these values and the understanding and expression of our bodies can be explained in terms of the research done by Rohlinger (2002), whereby a complex study into the representations of men in advertisements was conducted to assess the ‘objectification’ of men that he identified as prominent. While the implications of this study are more in-depth than the conclusions discussed here, the results belie, in part, the beautification of men in the media to create desire for not only the image, but also the product associated with the image. The biggest category of depiction of men he identified was the so-called ‘erotic male’, whereby a male, of often indeterminable sexual preference, was portrayed sexually, thereby appealing to both straight and gay men, thus following the dual advertising method (Rohlinger, 2002). It would thus appear as if men have been ‘beautified’ in order to increase desire for the product associated with the model. While it may seem to be a leap in logic to equate the ‘erotic’ male with the ‘beautified’ male, the reasoning behind this premise lies in the conceptualisation of beauty in modern society. While it can be argued that advertising affects these values, and that the values in turn affects the advertising, I would suggest that the attractiveness of a male or female lies wholly in terms of sexual appeal, and thus by an erotic portrayal, the beautification process – however atypical – occurs. If the example of Rohlinger’s research is further employed and employed as it was intended, it becomes clear that through advertising techniques, the capitalist framework has blatantly influenced media portrayals of the body and sexuality, and thus has direct influence on our own expression of sexuality and identity through our bodies. Within the work of Susan Benson (1997), the degree of identity expression through the body is discussed. The capitalist influence has (seemingly) autonomously decided what bodily images determine varying aspects of an identity. (Benson, 1997) In order to appear healthy and in control, a well-toned and slim body is essential. Bodies that do not conform to these characteristics thus display an out of control and unhealthy person, negatively reflecting on his or her identity. In terms of the influence of structure and agency and the way in which symbols are given value to construct an identity (Jenkins, 1996), the outward display of an identity and any agency in play, is manifested in the aesthetics of the body through the use of symbols that appeal to the senses of those who would validate the identity. These symbols can be clothing, fragrances, language and body language. It is for this reason that the media – ironically, a manifested construct of the very society it attempts to influence and control within a capitalist framework – seeks to associate a type of identity with various commodities to be marketed, increasing not only the desirability of the product, but of the identity as well. If the claim that gender and sexuality have long been two of the few certainties in one’s identity (Segal 1997), then evidence to suggest increasing blurring of the line of distinction between what expresses the embodiment of being a man or a woman, would indicate a critical turning point in social history, emphasising a shift towards the androgynous and sexual ambiguity. Rohlinger’s research further identified the depiction of men in advertisements as having an ‘unknown’ sexual orientation (2002) thus fulfilling appeal to both a heterosexual and homosexual male community, yet in very different ways. This type of depiction allows for the viewer of the advertisement to identify with a particular interpretation of the male model – further developing the idea that the agency it appears we are exercising is indeed limited within the structures we find ourselves in. This eroticising effect on the male image – and similarly on the female image – in the media is thus adopted by those who find the identity and image desirable (which returns us to the circle of desirability between the product and the identity associated with the product) and is then outwardly displayed through the appearance of the body. This adoption of a particular identity extends to the sexuality that may or may not be displayed within the advertisement as well, causing the blurring of distinction between male and female sexuality. The portrayals of men and women have become increasingly similar in society (Benson 1997) and thus too have the expressions of masculinity and femininity, weakening previous concepts of gender roles (Hearn 1999). The by-products of these influential depictions of men’s and women’s identities in contemporary society range from liberal movements gaining acceptability within a sexual context, to the increase in eating disorders, body building, and the supplement industry in an attempt to achieve a ‘healthy’ body, thereby conforming to the acceptable and desirable identity of contemporary society. The increase in support for the gay and lesbian right’s movements, as well as the continued evolution of the feminist movement, are all examples of responses to the effects of capitalism on society through the media. As in the previous section, the manifestations of various identities increasingly depict an androgynous sexuality, appealing to hetero- and homosexual members of society. (In part due to the increasing wealth of the homosexual consumer) With this subconscious validation of homosexuality in the media, it appears it has become increasingly socially acceptable to either be homosexual, or support the movement and to adopt its value system. (Rohlinger 2002; Hearn 1999; Benson 1997) This type of liberal movement, while an apparent display of agency in the determination of an identity, appears to be yet another type of conformity to the current desirable identity. Thus the response – albeit in later years – is not one based in agency, but in passive acceptance of a contemporary trend. Similar criticism can be levelled at the development of the feminist movement in current culture. While the view of Rohlinger (2002) may be considered somewhat sensationalist and one-sided, her idea that even feminism and women’s liberation has been commodified and a purchasable identity to the movement ascribed, is one that contains some validity. So far reaching is the grasp of capitalism, that it is able to commodify that which inadvertently opposes the values of capitalism, by advocating freedom of expression and a resistance to the values of the patriarchal society in existence today (Bhasin, 1993). An example of this trend would be a television advertiseme nt for a popular drink with the tag ‘Girls Night. No Boys Allowed’. This blatant commodification of the independent and liberal woman as an identity, critically wounds the credibility of the movement it seeks to ascribe itself to. The increased phenomenon of female and male eating disorders prevalent among teenagers (certainly the most influential target group in modern society) further illustrates the growing trend in conformity to the desirable body image in at attempt to embody a certain identity. At the other end of the scale (so far removed, it has perhaps come full circle) is the bodybuilding trend: whereby men and women seek to become the pinnacle of strength, power and fitness. This trend identifies not only the blur in distinction between masculinity and femininity (â€Å"active/passive† – Segal, 1997) as women attempt to embody a previously masculine identity, but also seeks to display, perhaps, a resistance (Castells, 1997) to the threat of androgyny and supposed equality of men and women in society, as men attempt to over-emphasise their physical – ergo societal – strength and dominance. In perhaps the most obvious sign of a symbiotic relationship within these two forces, the dietary and health supplement industry is booming, as it convinces millions each year that the healthy body – therefore identity – is contained within a capsule or a milkshake. In this brief and general exploration into the relationship between the capitalist society and the expression of identity through the body image, it appears clear that the values of capitalism have directly affected the expression of identity and sexuality in modern society. So influential is the media that social actors feel compelled to conform and duplicate these images in order to maintain a sense of acceptance within society. It is also evident that very little real resistance has developed to this trend, and that even those who do not physically manifest their response to this trend, appear to have adopted the ideology in more subtle ways – tellingly, purchasing products associated with the identity they subconsciously want to adopt. Thus the construction of our identity and sexuality is clearly outwardly displayed through the expression of our body, and the media of capitalism is singularly successful by directing it’s influence on our continuing desire to expres s our identity through outward appearances and symbols.

According to our textbook, Educational Psychology by John Santrock, Autism

According to our textbook, Educational Psychology by John Santrock, Autism According to our textbook, Educational Psychology by John Santrock, Autism is an often-severe developmental disorder with an onset in infancy that includes deficiencies in social relationships, abnormalities in communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. To start to understand this disorder I had to break down the definition provided by our text book into simpler terms. In the paragraphs to follow I will break down the text book definition of autism, as well as, provide examples of noticeable behavior of an Autistic child. I will also discuss the difficult challenges a teacher may face when teaching a child with this disorder. This paper will equally address how to help the parents of a recently discovered Autistic child gain an understanding of the disorder. I will also address my concerns and goals when I am presented with an Autistic child in my life.There are a several parts to the Autism definition provided by the textbook.English: A little a utistic girl.I found myself having to scratch deeper into the surface of the definition to get a better grasp of what Autism is. Autism can be a severely handicapping disorder for some children. Some Autistic individuals are wheel chair bound and have very poor, if any communication skills. While others are able to function in the world that surrounds them even getting great jobs, as long as, employers are open minded and embrace diversity. For those that are able to function in society it is with a lot of hard work and determination. Many Autistic individuals overcome sensory problems, auditory problems, or tactile problems to name a few obstacles of this disorder. It is hard to image how handicapping it is for individuals that have sensory problems. You can observe sensory problems by watching the way children react or do not react to their...

6 Words and Phrases to Banish from Your Vocabulary

6 Words and Phrases to Banish from Your Vocabulary It was my mother who first outlawed certain words from my vocabulary. The ones I remember are â€Å"but,† â€Å"have to† and â€Å"should.† Later in life, I took some courses that added â€Å"try† and â€Å"can’t† to the list (Yoda would approve). Most recently, â€Å"just† joined the ranks of words to avoid. I may have been in the minority ten years ago as someone with hyper-awareness of how certain small words affect our messaging. But more recently, I’ve encountered more people who pay attention to the implications that subtle turns of phrase have on our meaning. Let’s take a look at the impact of each of these words- and at alternative ways to express ourselves. 1. But (Say â€Å"and† or â€Å"while† instead!) If you start paying attention to how often you use the word â€Å"but,† you might be surprised. Often the word is completely unnecessary and what you really mean is â€Å"and†! For instance, one of my writers wrote the following: I wanted to make sure that the client’s profile was succinct but clearly revealed his differentiating qualities. I notice that people frequently default to â€Å"but† in situations like this, where they want to say something was â€Å"short but sweet† or something along those lines. Why say â€Å"but†? Who says that being short implies â€Å"not sweet†? Who says that a profile’s being â€Å"succinct† implies that it doesn’t reveal a client’s differentiating qualities? Instead, how about this: I wanted to make sure that the client’s profile was succinct while clearly revealing his differentiating qualities. In this second sentence, the challenge of creating a profile that includes the client’s differentiating qualities is laid out in a positive light and does not imply a succinct profile could not reveal those qualities. It’s a subtle difference, and a significant one. I was pleased to discover that a Stanford University professor, Bernard Roth, has taken up the cause to substitute â€Å"but† with â€Å"and.† See A Stanford professor says eliminating 2 phrases from you vocabulary can make you more successful. As he explains, When you use the word but, you create a conflict (and sometimes a reason) for yourself that does not really exist. †¦ whereas when you use the word and, your brain gets to consider how it can deal with both parts of the sentence.† Take the following sentence: I want to go to the movies, but I have to study. vs this one: I want to go to the movies, and I have studying to do. Changing â€Å"but† to â€Å"and† trains the brain to come up with win-win solutions, rather than creating a state of victimhood. 2. Have to (Say â€Å"going to† or â€Å"want to† instead) The movie vs. studying example above highlights another phrase that does not serve us: â€Å"Have to.† Professor Roth suggests substituting â€Å"want to.† I like substituting â€Å"going to.† Let’s take a look at the sentence above again, with the word â€Å"and† substituted for â€Å"but†: I want to go to the movies, and I have to study. (This still sounds fairly catastrophic.) What about these options: I want to go to the movies, and nevertheless I am going to study. (Suddenly this person has choice in the matter!) It would probably be pushing it to say â€Å"I want to go to the movies, and I want to study.† That might not be completely honest. But it’s a sentiment to try on. 3. Try (There is no â€Å"try†) There’s a difference between trying something as an experiment (see my above suggestion to try something on or try something out) and saying you’ll try to do something when what you really mean is you don’t think you’ll succeed. Trying is lying. Trying is not doing. I can try all I want to write a blog article every Sunday. That doesn’t get me to writing a blog article every week. It gets me going out with friends on Sunday nights while Im busy â€Å"trying†- and while my blog remains blank. We use the â€Å"try† word when we want to weasel out of things, whether they are commitments to ourselves or others. Saying you’ll â€Å"try† is pretending to say â€Å"yes† when you mean â€Å"probably not.† Stop it. Instead, choose the actions you are willing to take. Say â€Å"I will do x, y and z.† Or say you aren’t going to do it. There is no â€Å"try.† 4. Should (Don’t â€Å"should† on yourself or on others) â€Å"Should† is a close relative to â€Å"have to.† It’s a moral judgment that often leads to a whole lot of trying. Do you think you â€Å"should† go to the doctor? â€Å"Should† go to the gym? â€Å"Should† apologize to someone you love? Or do you think someone in your life â€Å"should† do something and are you telling them so? How’s that working for you? Take this example: You should stop eating so much sugar, honey. You’ll make yourself sick! vs. I want you to eat less sugar, honey. I’m so scared you’ll get sick. (The â€Å"you† in this sentence could be yourself or someone else.) To me, the second version is much more vulnerable and scary to say. It’s less judgmental. If I’m saying it to myself, it’s actually sweet and caring. And although it could produce defensiveness, it’s less likely to do so than the version that takes a moral high ground and tries to control someone’s behavior. Some of us â€Å"should† on ourselves even more than we â€Å"should† on others. Take a look at how you’re putting yourself down with that sentiment, and how you use â€Å"should† to let yourself off the hook instead of committing to something. 5. Can’t (I think I can!) This one is basic. â€Å"Can’t† is a disempowering word that leads to a lot of inaction. Instead of â€Å"can’t,† be curious about how you can. Look for other options than the one or two you are considering. Get coaching. Read The Little Engine That Could for inspiration. Get creative! As a friend and I often say to each other, the only 100% reliable way to reach a goal is not to stop until you accomplish it! And if you choose a different goal along the way, that’s okay too. 6. Just (I called to say â€Å"I love you.†) The word â€Å"just† diminishes what we say after it. Calling to say â€Å"I love you† is a big deal right? Why make it smaller, as the famous song does, with â€Å"just†? I was unaware until about a year ago of how much I qualify my sentences with the word â€Å"just.† Common usages could be â€Å"I just wanted you to know that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I just feel like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I just thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  If you start paying attention, you might be surprised at the frequency of the word â€Å"just† in your vocabulary. See what happens if you delete it. Your communications might become more truthful and riskier. You might start to claim your feelings, opinions and choices in a new way. Did you learn something from this article about your language? Did you try eliminating any of the recommended words? Are there more words that you recommend banishing from our vocabularies? Please share!

Regulation of Fast Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Regulation of Fast Food - Research Paper Example The author of the paper states that the preparation of fast food also may involve using high amounts of oil and unhealthy ingredients, which thus raise the question as to whether the consumption of fast food, should be under regulation or control of the government. Moreover, many ingredients used in the preparation of fast food are hardly worth being used in human food since they are extremely unhealthy and unfit. Research (Reynolds, pp 40-55) carried out has shown that by the year 2050, one in every three Americans will be suffering from diabetes due to high consumption of fast food (Reynolds, pp 43-58). Many efforts and plans have previously been under action in order to control the consumption of such meals. Some diseases included in the never-ending list of diseases caused by extensive intake of fast food include cholesterol, cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. Additionally, it causes people to become overweight which in turn increases health insurance costs. Considering the si tuation mentioned above, it is thus quite important that the government take some action to provide a healthy lifestyle for its people and nation. This is because, as the head of the state or country, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that it guides the people following it, on the straight path and leads them towards what is correct (Allen & Albala, pp. 88-97). This is because it is the job of the government to step in and control matters when the public fails to do so. Of course, it is impossible to completely ban fast food restaurants or the consumption of fast food either, but surely the consumption of such meals can be controlled or monitored. This can be done by limiting the number of fast food restaurants operating in the country and issuing cards to every citizen having the ability to consume fast food. Thus, every time the person consumes fast food a check mark can be put and thus, their intake of such foods can easily be under regulation. Children at scho ol are seen mostly surviving on fast food, and parents are not able to do much about it since they themselves are so busy with work and other responsibilities. Parents themselves consume excessive amounts of fast food and their children just follow them in doing so (Allen & Albala, pp. 105-132). Now, if the government will not take control of the situation then who will take it is the question. On the contrary, there are many people who do not agree with my stance and believe that the government should stay out of their business and let them lead their own lives and raise their children their own method. They believe that there should be freedom to eat what one wants and that no one can be stopped from doing wrong things since they all live in a free country and have certain right s that should not be taken away from them. Most people want to be free to choose what they eat and do with their life and believe it is surely not the business for the government to keep a track of what th ey are eating and in what quantity (Allen & Albala, pp. 100-122). These people believe that issues that are more important need attention from the government at this time, as compared with focusing on people’s consumption of fast food.