Born in East LA Essay

What do see when you take a look at a Latino? Do you notice what they are wearing? Or how they walk? Or maybe you just jump into a conclusion and stereotype him/her as an illegal immigrant. Throughout the years Latinos have faced many challenges because of their skin color, the way they dress, or because of the way they talk. Many films have shown Latinos as illegal immigrants to show us how the world views them, but a specific film â€Å"Born in East L. A† shows us how even though a Latino can be an American Citizen they still face many racist stereotypes. Even though a Latinos parents or grandparents have immigrated into the United States years ago and have permanent residency in the United States, they can still face push and pull factors that can motivate them to either go back to their country of origin or motivate them into staying in the United States. In this paper I will show how Born in East L. A represents Latinos as illegal immigrants through the techniques of stereotyping, immigration, and push/pull factors. Born in East L.  A shows us the story of a Chicano named Rudy (Cheech Marin) is deported after being caught in a police raid at toy factory while looking for his cousin. Because of the police raid Rudy is caught and is deported to Mexico even though he is an American citizen. Rudy tries to explain to the police that he is an American citizen but when is asked to show proof of citizenship he figures out that he does not have his wallet and is forced to stay in Mexico. Even though Rudy is an American citizen but is of Mexican descent, he is stereotyped as an illegal immigrant because of his accent and because of the way he looks. One particular scene in the movie that shows massive stereotyping about Latinos is the scene where the French woman appears walking through the city and is gazed upon all the Latino men. This is an example of stereotyping because the woman represents the sexual desire for a white woman by Latino men (Lizzberry). The woman is being tracked across the city to represent how Latinos chase the American dream and how badly they desire the need to assimilate in America (Lizzberry). Another scene from the film that depicts stereotypes is the scene in which the INS officers raid a toy factory and quickly assume that all the Mexicans working in the factory are illegal. The film shows this stereotype by labeling the INS officers â€Å"La Migra† which is Spanish for immigration officers, and all the workers begin to run out the factory trying to avoid being caught and deported. From that particular scene the audience can already assume that everyone that was working in the toy factory was an illegal immigrant because all the workers were being show cased as illegals because they began to run away from the INS officers. In America immigration has become a major problem over the years causing many states to create their own immigration laws which do not allow illegal immigrants to have jobs, own a house, or own a car without proper documentation. In Born in East L. A we are shown how Mexican immigrants continue to try to cross over the border to the United States by having them run across a hill and avoiding the border patrol agents. The role of immigrants in this movie was to portray how Latinos are being classified as illegal immigrants throughout America because of their skin color and background. Towards the finale of the film Rudy gathers a group of illegal immigrants to help him cross the border by having them all rush down the hills in large groups which end up scaring off the border patrol agents allowing Rudy and the other people to safely cross the border (Fregoso 61) Even though Latinos cross the border into America they still face many challenges that can push them back towards their home countries. One factor that pushes Latinos back in the film is how the film showcases Rudy and all his attempts to try to cross over to the United States but fails many times. By showcasing this people can see why many immigrants suffer to try to cross the border on a daily basis. Even though it is hard to cross the border into America, many immigrants still try to do so because they are being pulled in by the opportunities that await them in America. Another factor that pulls Latinos into this country is the chance to get ahead in society; many immigrants come to America for a better education and high paying jobs that they couldn’t receive back in their countries. In the film we are shown how Rudy is forced to cross over south of the border to Mexico thus showing us how hard it is to cross the border (Fregoso 67). Throughout the movie we are being showed many stereotypes that fall into the Latino category such as being called an illegal immigrant. We are also being showed how immigration can cause Latinos to be deported because of their skin color and we also see how different push/pull factors affect the Latinos. From the film we can tell that many Latinos want to come to America ecause of job opportunities that the Anglos offer because they always end up losing workers because of INS raids. Because of the raids company owners are forced to quickly hire workers who can work at low wages so they are forced to hire Latinos because they view the Latinos as illegal immigrants seeking quick employment for mostly any rate of pay. Since many job opportunities open up for the Latinos they keep crossing over the border on a daily basis to pursue the American Dream and to better their lives.

Rabindranath Tagore Essay Essays

Rabindranath Tagore Essay Essays Rabindranath Tagore Essay Paper Rabindranath Tagore Essay Paper Rabindranath Tagore ] ( 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941 ) . sobriquet Gurudev. was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region’s literature and music. Writer of Gitanjali and its â€Å"profoundly sensitive. fresh and beautiful verse† . he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. In interlingual rendition his poesy was viewed as religious and erratic ; his apparently hypnotic personality. fluxing hair. and other-worldly frock earned him a prophet-like repute in the West. His â€Å"elegant prose and charming poetry† remain mostly unknown outside Bengal. Tagore introduced new prose and poetry signifiers and the usage of conversational linguistic communication into Bengali literature. thereby liberating it from traditional theoretical accounts based on classical Sanskrit. He was extremely influential in presenting the best of Indian civilization to the West and frailty versa. and he is by and large regarded as the outstanding origi native creative person of modern India. [ 5 ] A Pirali Brahmin from Calcutta. Tagore wrote poesy as an eight-year-old. [ 10 ] At age 16. he released his first significant verse forms under the anonym Bhanusi?ha ( â€Å"Sun Lion† ) . which were seized upon by literary governments as long-lost classics. He graduated to his first short narratives and dramas- and the auspices of his birth name- by 1877. As a humanist. universalist internationalist. and blatant anti-nationalist he denounced the Raj and advocated independency from Britain. As an advocate of the Bengal Renaissance. he advanced a huge canon that comprised pictures. studies and scribbles. 100s of texts. and some two thousand vocals ; his bequest endures besides in the establishment he founded. Visva-Bharati University. Tagore modernized Bengali art by rejecting stiff classical signifiers and defying lingual stenosiss. His novels. narratives. vocals. dance-dramas. and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali ( Song Offerings ) . Gora ( Fair-Faced ) . and Ghare-Baire ( The Home and the World ) are his best-known plants. and his poetry. short narratives. and novels were acclaimed- or panned- for their lyricality. colloquialism. naturalism. and unnatural contemplation. His composings were chosen by two states as national anthems: the Republic of India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla. The composer of Sri Lanka’s national anthem: Sri Lanka Matha was a pupil of Tagore. and the vocal is inspired by Tagore’s manner.

Changan - Capital of the Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties

Changan - Capital of the Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties Changan is the name of one of the most important and immense ancient capital cities of ancient China. Known as the eastern terminal of the Silk Road, Changan is located in Shaanxi Province about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) northwest of the modern town of XiAn. Changan served as capital to the leaders of the Western Han (206 BC-220 AD), Sui (581-618 CE), and Tang (618-907 AD) dynasties. ChangAn was established as a capital in 202 BC by the first Han Emperor Gaozu (ruled 206-195), and it was destroyed during the political upheaval at the end of the Tang dynasty in 904 AD. The Tang dynasty city occupied an area seven times larger than the current modern city, which itself dates to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing(1644-1912) dynasties. Two Tang dynasty buildings still stand today―the Large and Small Wild Goose Pagodas (or palaces), built in the 8th century AD; the rest of the city is known from historical records and archaeological excavations conducted since 1956 by the Chinese Institute of Archaeology (CASS). Western Han Dynasty Capital At about AD 1, the population of ChangAn was nearly 250,000, and it was a city of international importance for its role as the eastern end of the Silk Road. The Han Dynasty city was laid out as an irregular polygon surrounded by a pounded-earth wall 12-16 meters (40-52 feet) wide at the base and more than 12 m (40 ft) high. The perimeter wall ran a total of 25.7 km (16 mi or 62 li in the measurement used by Han). The wall was pierced by 12 city gates, five of which have been excavated. Each of the gates had three gateways, each 6-8 m (20-26 ft) wide, accommodating the traffic of 3-4 adjacent carriages. A moat provided additional security, surrounding the city and measuring 8 m wide by 3 m deep (26x10 ft). There were eight main roads in Han dynasty ChangAn, each between 45-56 m (157-183 ft) wide; the longest leads from the Gate of Peace and was 5.4 km (3.4 mi) long. Each boulevard was divided into three lanes by two drainage ditches. The middle lane was 20 m (65 ft) wide and reserved exclusively for the use of the emperor. The lanes on either side averaged 12 m (40 ft) in width. Main Han Dynasty Buildings The Changle Palace compound, known as the Donggong or eastern Palace and located in the southeastern part of the city, was approximately 6 sq km (2.3 sq mi) in surface area. It served as the living quarters for the Western Han empresses. The Weiyang Palace compound or Xigong (western palace) occupied an area of 5 sq km (2 sq mi) and was located in the southwestern side of the city; it was where Han emperors held daily meetings with city officials. Its principal building was the Anterior Palace, a structure including three halls and measuring 400 m north/south and 200 m east/west (1300x650 ft). It must have towered over the city, as it was built on a foundation that was 15 m (50 ft) in height at the north end. At the north end of the Weiyang compound was the Posterior Palace and buildings that housed the imperial administration offices. The compound was surrounded by a pounded earth wall. The Gui palace compound is much larger than Weiyang but has not yet been fully excavated or at least not reported in the western literature. Administrative Buildings and Markets In a administrative facility located between the Changle and Weiyang palaces was discovered 57,000 small bones (from 5.8-7.2 cm), each of which were inscribed with the name of an article, its measurement, number, and date of manufacture; its workshop where it was created, and the names of both the artisan and the official who commissioned the object. An armory held seven storehouses, each with densely arranged weapon racks and many iron weapons. A large zone of pottery kilns that manufactured brick and tile for the palaces was located north of the armory. Two markets were identified within the northwestern corner of the Han city of ChangAn, the eastern market measuring 780x700 m (2600x2300 ft, and the western market measuring 550x420 m (1800x1400 ft). Throughout the city were foundries, mints, and pottery kilns and workshops. The pottery kilns produced funerary figures and animals, in addition to daily utensils and architectural brick and tile. In the southern suburbs of Changan were remains of ritual structures, such as the Piyong (imperial academy) and jiumiao (ancestral temples to the Nine Ancestors), both of which were established by Wang-Meng, who ruled ChangAn between 8-23 AD. The piyong was built according to Confucian architecture, a square on top of a circle; while the jiumiao was built on the contemporary but contrasting principles of Yin and Yang (female and male) and Wu Xing (5 Elements). Imperial Mausoleum Numerous tombs have been found dated to the Han Dynasty, including two imperial mausoleums, the Ba Mausoleum (Baling) of Emperor Wen (r. 179-157 BC), in an eastern suburb of the city; and the Du mausoleum (Duling) of Emperor Xuan (r. 73-49 BC) in southeastern suburbs. Duling is a typical elite Han Dynasty tomb. Within its gated, pounded earth walls are separate complexes for the burials of the emperor and empress. Each interment is centrally located within a gated rectangular surrounding wall and covered by a pyramidal pounded-earth mound. Both have a walled courtyard outside of the burial enclosure, including a retiring hall (qindian) and a side hall (biandian) where ritual activities associated with the buried person were conducted, and where the individuals royal costumes were displayed. Two burial pits contained hundreds of nude life-sized terracotta figures―they were clothed when placed there but the cloth has rotted away. The pits also included a number of pottery tiles and bricks, bronzes, gold pieces, lacquers, pottery vessels, and weapons. Also at Duling was a shared mausoleum temple with an altar, located 500 m (1600 ft) from the tombs. Satellite tombs found east of the mausoleums were built during the rulers dynasty, some of which are quite large, many of them with conical pounded earth mounds. Sui and Tang Dynasties Chang​an was called Daxing during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and it was founded in 582 AD. The city was renamed Changan by the Tang dynasty rulers and served as its capital until its destruction in 904 AD.   Daxing was designed by the Sui Emperor Wens (r. 581-604) famous architect Yuwen Kai (555-612 AD). Yuwen laid out the city with a highly formal symmetry that integrated natural scenery and lakes. The design served as a model for many other Sui and later cities. The layout was maintained through the Tang Dynasty: most of the Sui palaces were also used by Tang dynasty emperors. An enormous pounded-earth wall, 12 m (40 ft) thick at the base, enclosed an area of approximately 84 sq km (32.5 sq mi). At each of the twelve gates, a fired brick fa ¸ade led into the city. Most of the gates had three gateways, but the main Mingde Gate had five, each 5 m (16 ft) wide. The city was arranged as a set of nested districts: the guocheng (outer walls of the city describing its limits), the huangcheng or imperial district (an area of 5.2 sq km or 2 sq mi), and the gongcheng, the palace district, containing an area of 4.2 sq km (1.6 sq mi). Each district was surrounded by its own walls. Main Buildings of the Palace District The gongcheng included the Taiji Palace (or Daxing Palace during the Sui dynasty) as its central structure; an imperial garden was built to the north. Eleven great avenues or boulevards ran north to south and 14 east to west. These avenues divided the city into wards containing residences, offices, markets, and Buddhist and Daoist temples. The only two extant buildings from ancient Changan are two of those temples: the Great and Small Wild Goose Pagodas. The Temple of Heaven, located south of the city and excavated in 1999, was a circular pounded earth platform composed of four concentric stepped circular altars, stacked on top of one another to a height of between 6.75-8 m (22-26 ft) and 53 m (173 ft) in diameter. Its style was the model for the Ming and Qing Imperial Temples of Heaven in Beijing. In 1970, a hoard of 1,000 silver and gold objects, as well as jade and other precious stones called the Hejiacun Hoard was discovered at Changan. The hoard dated to 785 AD was found in an elite residence. Burials: a Sogdian in China One of the individuals involved in the Silk Road trade that was so central to the importance of ChangAn was Lord Shi, or Wirkak, a Sogdian or ethnic Iranian buried in ChangAn. Sogdiana was located in what is today Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan, and they were responsible for the central Asian oasis towns of Samarkand and Bukhara. Wirkaks tomb was discovered in 2003, and it includes elements from both Tang and Sogdian cultures. The underground square chamber was created in the Chinese style, with access provided by a ramp, an arched passageway and two doors. Inside was a stone outer sarcophagus measuring 2.5 m long x 1.5 m wide x 1.6 cm high (8.1x5x5.2 ft), lavishly decorated with painted and gilded reliefs depicting scenes of banquets, hunting, travels, caravans, and deities. On the lintel above the door are two inscriptions, naming the man as Lord Shi, a man of the nation of Shi, originally from the Western countries, who moved to Changan and was appointed sabao of Liangzhou. His name is inscribed in Sogdian as Wirkak, and it says that he died at the age of 86 in the year 579, and was married to the Lady Kang who died one month after him and was buried by his side. On the southern and eastern sides of the coffin are inscribed scenes associated with the Zoroastrian faith and in Zoroastrian fashion, the selection of the south and eastern sides to decorate corresponds to the direction the priest faces when officiating (south) and the direction of Paradise (east). Among the inscriptions is the priest-bird, which may represent the Zoroastrian deity Dahman Afrin. The scenes described the Zorastrian journey of the soul after death. Tang Sancai Pottery Tang Sancai is the general name for vividly color-glazed pottery produced during the Tang dynasty, especially between 549-846 AD. Sancai means three colors, and those colors refer typically (but not exclusively) to yellow, green and white glazes. Tang Sancai was famous for its association with the Silk Roadits style and shape were borrowed by Islamic potters at the other end of the trade network. A pottery kiln site was found at ChangAn named Liquanfang and used during the early 8th century AD. Liquanfang is one of only five known tang sancai kilns, the other four are Huangye or Gongxian Kilns in Henan Province; Xing Kiln in Hebei Province, Huangbu or Huuangbao Kiln and Xian Kiln in Shaanxi. Sources: Cui J, Rehren T, Lei Y, Cheng X, Jiang J, and Wu X. 2010. Western technical traditions of pottery making in Tang Dynasty China: chemical evidence from the Liquanfang Kiln site, Xian city. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(7):1502-1509.Grenet F, Riboud P, and Yang J. 2004. Zoroastrian scenes on a newly discovered Sogdian tomb in Xian, northern China. Studia Iranica 33:273-284.Lei Y, Feng SL, Feng XQ, and Chai ZF. 2007. A provenance study of Tang Sancai from Chinese tombs and relics by INAA. Archaeometry 49(3):483-494.Liang M. 2013. Scenes of Music-Making and Dancing in Wall Paintings of the Tang Tombs in the Xian Area. Music in Art 38(1-2):243-258.Yang X. 2001. Entry 78: Changan Capital Site at Xian, Shaanxi Province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 233-236.Yang X. 2001. Entry 79: Imperial mausoleums of the Western Han dynasty at Xian and the Xianyang Plains, Shaanxi Province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 237-242. Yang X. 2001. Entry 117: Daxing-ChangAn Capitals and Daming Palace Sites at Xian, Shaanxi province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 389-393.Yang X. 2001. Entry 122: Hoard of Gold and SIlver Objects at Hejiacum, Xian, Shaanxi province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 3412-413.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example The important part of the business strategy is to ensure that the resources and the competencies are evaluated and much more understood. The process is known as strategic audit of a business strategy (Government Commerce Office Great Britain, 2004) An example of strategy is like a situation where a business decides to start operating beyond the borders of its home country. Literature Review Phases of Strategy Execution Before embarking on the study, it is important to know what a business strategy entails and the steps of forming and implementing a business strategy. The prime steps in executing a strategy include, the formation and analysis, development, implementation and review of strategy as per the international marketing strategy book by Doole and Lowe say in their book. Basically, formation and analysis of strategy is the introduction of international operations of business in an international environment of trading. Considerations have to be considered with regards to cultura l and social environments of international marketing. Development of strategy focuses on the fact whether a business is medium or small sized. The world strategies of a business are considered and the entry to a given market alike. There is also the part of the international commodity management. While implementing a business strategy, there are functions involved with the likes of international way of contacting other businesses and basically the communication part of it. There is also the management of the international logistics and distribution. The prices are also set that suit the international market. Enabling technologies are put in place as well. Reviewing of a strategy as the last step is the reviewing of the implemented strategy to asses its performance. This involves evaluating performance and initiating adjustments meant for correcting long term direction, condition changes, new ideas and emerging opportunities. It aims at deciding on the continuity of the companyâ€⠄¢s vision, the objectives or the implementation methods of the strategy. (Doole and Lowe, 2008) This study is for the purpose of expounding on the issue of strategy and in terms of a specific case of Starbucks Company and it is going to consider the company in all fronts of a business strategy. That is, in terms of the four major steps of coming up with a business strategy; forming, developing, implementing, and reviewing of a strategy for an organization. One of the business strategies Starbucks has had in the recent past is the internationalization strategy. This strategy was done in the four steps aforementioned. These are going to be explained in the following write-out. Basically, Starbucks Company buys whole bean coffees and roasts them. It also makes offers of fine pastries, premium Tazo teas and other delicacies. It provides an entertainment environment as well for the visitors of their shops. (starbucks, 2011) Starbucks is a renown brands of those brands of coffee sold glo bally. It is now established in around 43 nations with about 15,000 franchises of coffee shops around the globe. This company was first set up in year 1971 as a small coffee retailer specialty and it was in Seattle. (Daft, Murphy and Willmott, 2010 p49) Starbucks has since 1971 had a change of direction by entering new markets such as Japan, Hawaii, Singapore, and since year

Physicians Assisted Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Physicians Assisted Suicide - Research Paper Example Therefore, it transpires that in the case of physician-assisted suicide, the elements of alleviation of pain and suffering or infeasibility of further treatment are not deemed mandatory. Though ancient Greek culture has recognized this practice on the grounds of rationality, it finally appears to have assumed a religious morality angle under the patronage of the Christian church, which ascribes a â€Å"sinful nature to suicide† (Lachman 121). In the modern day, a controversy exists on the topic because while some people argue that an individual reserves the right to end his or her life, others contend that aiding or assisting a person to commit suicide amounts to abetting murder. A. Purpose of the Paper: This paper attempts to explore the topic in detail, with specific reference to it legal, moral and social responsibility contexts and to analyze whether an extreme measure of physician assisted suicide can be accepted as a standard norm in a civilized society. In doing so, the paper will examine the practical implication of the issue both on the society as well as an individual, who seeks to end his or her life due to some reason and rationale. B. ... C. Background Information on the Topic: The claim to individual’s rights or autonomy is a tenable proposition and a patient’s right to choose between life and death, especially when he or she suffers from some incurable health condition, needs to be honored. However, religious notions and moral values imbibed in a civilized society forbid the voluntary termination of a life. Thus, the question of the validity and legality of sanctioning physician-assisted suicide as a standard practice has become a matter of high controversy. Generally, patients with terminal health conditions such as AIDS, cancer etc are the ones who request to â€Å"hasten death† and it becomes an emotional and moral dilemma for the healthcare professionals (121). Research evidence from Oregon suggests that nearly â€Å"1 of 1,000† patients â€Å"obtain and use† medication to terminate their lives while â€Å"17%† of them have considered it as a viable option (123). Thus, i t appears that despite the reservation about ending of life by terminally ill patients, on the grounds of religious beliefs and morality, many choose it as a favorable option in states that legalize physician-assisted suicide. Therefore, there is scope for an in depth analysis and exploration of various legal aspects of the issue. In addition, I also have personal experience from within my community, wherein I have seen one neighbor suffering from breast cancer. Her condition remained so painful that she kept asking her husband and children to have her life terminated through PAS. It was also difficult for her family to keep up with her, without compromising their daily commitments. Her husband was a sales executive in a big

The Soul and its Importance to Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Soul and its Importance to Theology - Essay Example We nourish our bodies' thorough proper diet and our minds through education and learning, but how do we nourish our souls As a society, we have been desensitized to the virtue of a human beings' soul. This is evident in the wide use of the term "soul-mate" and the over use of the word in the songs we hear on the radio. Most of us, rarely describe how we behave or the manner in which we live our lives, as nourishing our souls. Most of us, cannot even give a definition or description of a soul if asked. Throughout history, the definition, composition and purpose of the human soul have been heavily debated and are often referred to as the Mind/Body argument. In some theologies, it is believed that if the soul only exists in the mind and if the soul does in fact, exist in the mind then it too dies when the brain ceases to function at death. In other theologies, the soul is described as an immaterial part of our physical beings and is without physical bounds. It does not die when our physical bodies die, but transcends from our bodies at death. The objections raised in this theory point to the fact that if the soul is immaterial, that is to say that it is not composed of matter, how then, is it said to exist In his The Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas Aquinas attempted to answer this objection and other questions raised regarding the existence of the human soul. In part one of The Summa Theologica the section titled "The Treatise of Man" the objection to the composition of a soul is argued that "nothing gives what it is not; for instance what is not hot does not give heat" (Aquinas section 75 article 1 The Summa Theologica). This goes to say that if the soul is the force that moves the body, and then the soul is the body. Aquinas countered the objection to say that the soul is not the body, but an act of the body. Aquinas goes on to state that the body and soul work in conjunction to create one entity. The body, working through the material by way of its' physical senses, converts the material to the immaterial. For instance, by sight a human being attains knowledge through reading. Through hearing, a human being attains knowledge by listening. By reading words on paper and listening to words through conversation and lecture the mind converts the material to the immaterial. This cognitive soul is dependant upon sensory experiences in order to form mental images or what is referred to in ancient texts as phantasms. Therefore, Aquinas argued, the body and soul are one. This theology by Aquinas raised the next objection: If the body and soul is indeed one unit, what happens to the soul when the body dies It is often noted that Saint Thomas Aquinas found the basis for his theology through the study of Aristotle's philosophies. The division from Aristotelian for Aquinas' occurs when the Saint answers the questions as to what becomes of the soul when the physical human body no longer exists. Aquinas theorized that the soul and the body are separated at death. The continued survival of the immaterial soul after the death of the material body is based on God's will. Steeped in his belief that the body and soul exist as one unit, Aquinas states ""...it is better for the soul to be united to the body than not to be united to it, since it is

Media Representation Of Gender And Body Image

Media Representation Of Gender And Body Image It is estimated that we are exposed to over 3,000 advertisements every day. This makes advertisements a very powerful educational force in society. It can be seen that advertisements sell more than just products. They sell values, images and concepts, love and sexuality, and popularity and normalcy. They ultimately tell us who we are and what we should strive to be. Men, women, teens, boys, and girls all identify people by how they look, to body size and shape, to clothes, as well as hairstyles. Therefore, the way we view our body and image can have a large impact on the way we feel about ourselves. For the most people, especially with adolescents, body image is strongly influenced by mass media and advertising. When looking into advertising within media representation and self body image one can see how powerful of an outlet advertising can be in our current society (Advertising: Its everywhere, 2010). Advertisers emphasize body image and the importance of physical attractiveness in order to sell products. They hope to persuade society that something needs to be added or fixed, because what we have is either not enough or good enough to meet the high demands that society puts on satisfaction. Womens magazines are full of articles convincing women that if they can just lose those a little more weight, then they can have the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career. The standard of beauty that is imposed on women is difficult to achieve and maintain and therefore, the cosmetic and diet product industries are sure to profit and grow off the high beauty standard. It is no surprise that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty in todays society. Aging is looked at in the media as an issue that needs to be dealt with and ultimately stopped all together (Gerber, 2010). Adolescents are the main target for most media outlets because they are particularly vulnerable and inexperienced consumers. They are still learning their values and roles and developing their self-concepts. Most adolescents are sensitive to peer pressure and find it difficult to resist (Kilbourne, 1999, p.129). This constant exposure to negative body image advertisements may influence individuals to become self-conscious about their bodies and to obsess over their physical appearance. The beauty industry is an extremely large industry that profits off the negative self-esteem and body image of many women in todays society. Women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to  100 billion dollars a year selling temporary weight loss products (Cummings, 2005). On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls. The American research group Anorexia Nervosa Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control, such as fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2010) . The Canadian Womens Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6 years old (The Canadian Womens Health Network, 2005).   Another study conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled Appearance Culture in Nine- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, notes that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner and as a result, they have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting (Clark, 2006).  Ã‚   In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 percent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that fifty to se venty percent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight (Gibbons, 2003).Overall research indicates that ninety percent of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way (The Canadian Womens Health Network, 2005). Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight (Kilbourne, 1999, p. 47). Many of the media images of female beauty are unattainable a majority of women. The media continues to set unrealistic standards for what body size and appearance is considered normal. If you look through any magazine or turn on the television, you would see collarbones, hipbones, cheekbones and rib cages as the overall trend in Hollywood. Celebrities like Mary-Kate Olsen and Nicole Richie, both of whom have been reported to have eating disorders, can be seen in designer clothing with designer handbags and gorgeous men along with them. This is the model of success for many adolescent girls. Most of these girls look up to and admire these celebrities and are therefore taught at a young age that Barbie is how a woman is supposed to look; tall, blonde, big breasts, and extremely thin. Barbie in reality is so thin that her weight and body proportions are not only unattainable, but also unhealthy (Gerber, 2010).. Researchers have generated a computer model with Barbie-doll proportions and have found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A  real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea and eventually die from malnutrition. Jill Barad president of Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie, estimated that ninety nine percent of girls between the ages of 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll (Greenwald, 1996). Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarly underweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences (Gerber, 2010). Researchers report that womens magazines have more ads and articles promoting weight loss than mens magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of womens magazines include at least one message about how to change a womans bodily appearance through either diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery (Gerber, 2010). Television and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a womans worth. Canadian researcher, Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TV situation comedies are underweight, and only one in twenty are above average in size. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies and eighty percent of these negative comments are followed by canned audience laughter (Gerber, 2010). Billboards are one of the largest forms of advertisement. Advertisers tend to make these advertisements especially memorable so they dont go unnoticed. Sometimes, they overlook and take it too far. An example of this was a billboard advertising one of NBCs popular television shows, Friends. The billboard glamorized anorexia by picturing the three female stars of the show and beside them the phrase Cute anorexic chicks. The caption was originally meant to be looked at as a joke regarding the accusations towards the three women of having eating disorders and unhealthy exercise habits, which all of them denied. Although the billboard was removed immediately, it illustrated a spectrum of ads promoting harmful body ideals (Smith, 1999). What may really make a difference in this unhealthy trend are organizations that promote fighting back against the standards that the media presents. An organization that has helped do just that is the About-Face Organization. About-Face is a San Francisco based media literacy organization that concentrates on the effect of the mass media on the physical, mental, and emotional health of females. About-Face encourages personal activism against the thin body ideal. Since 1995 About-Face has been providing education and resources on this subject through research that indicates a relation between exposure to the idealized female in the media and the occurrence of eating disorders (About-Face, 1996). Another organization to promote positive body image is Dove. In 2004, Dove launched the very successful Campaign for Real Beauty which features real women, not models, advertising Doves products. The advertisement is composed of six women all with perfect skin, hair, and teeth. The only thing that is looked at as not perfect is their weight. The women within the Dove advertisement are supposed to portray real women instead of extremely thin models in in hopes to offset the unrealistically thin and unhealthy images associated with modeling and advertisements in an effort to widen the stereotype of beauty and boost sales in the process. The slogan real women have curves as well as the campaigns Web site, which features quotes from each of the Campaign for Real Beauty models, does a great job of capturing the overall message of real beauty (Dove, 2010) . The Campaign for Real Beauty has had a huge impact and response throughout the world. The six women in the U.S. ads are featured in national television spots, magazine advertisements, print advertisements and billboards in major urban markets in North America and similar campaign ads are being run throughout the world by Dove as well. The campaign and its influence on body image have been the topic of many newspapers and blogs, receiving mostly praise, but like any other media outlet, some criticism as well. Some question the legitimacy of real beauty messaging through commercial beauty products along with how the ads might affect women who still do not fit in with the portrayal of beauty in the Dove advertisements. Although the women are not touched up, the models in the series are still smaller than the average American woman at size 14. These women can be paid far less, but they can also break the sameness of advertising (Corbett, 2006). All of this attention is what Dove was really striving for in order to get the message across. According to a press release, Dove wants to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging todays stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves. The use of women of various ages, shapes and sizes is designed to provoke discussion and debate about todays typecast beauty images (Prior, 2004). According to a study conducted by Dove, only two percent of women describe themselves as beautiful. Sixty three percent strongly agree that society expects women to enhance their physical attractiveness. Forty five percent of women feel women who are more beautiful have greater opportunities in life. The study also looked at the degree in which mass media has played in portraying and communicating an unrealistic view of beauty. More than two thirds of women strongly agree that the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women coul d not ever achieve. Women feel they are surrounded images unrealistic beauty. The majority wish female beauty was portrayed in the media as being made up of more than just physical attractiveness. Seventy five percent went on to say that they wish the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness, including age, shape, and size (Dove, 2010). Other advertisers have also been departing from the idealistic body type. In the Just Do It campaign, Nike features muscular, disembodied thighs and butts, labeled Thunder Thighs and Big Butt. These advertisements are very important to understanding the media representation and body image of the direction that society will be heading. It is important to take action with the media and society like represented with the Dove campaign, in order to try and change the trend and get women to love being who they are, no matter what their size, and love the uniqueness of their own body (Corbett, 2006). Another media outlet that should not go unnoticed is the digital media. In todays society this plays a very important role. A great example of this is shown through Doves Evolution video. The video starts off with what appears to be a normal woman and is magically transformed into a beautiful supermodel and placed on a billboard. By using a computer, the womans face is geometrically changed and made to look perfectly proportioned. The video shows people that absolutely perfect faces and bodies are not only rare but nonexistent in many cases (Postrel, 2007). In Madrid, one of the many popular fashion capitals, thin models were banned from the runway in 2006. Spain has recently undergone a project with the aim to standardize clothing sizes through using a process in which a laser beam is used to measure real life womens bodies in order to find the most true to life measurement. This project is hoped to help fight the perception that thin equals beautiful. Milan has also jumped on the idea and also banned ultra thin models from fashion week in 2006 in hopes that models will start to become more healthy sizes (Woolls, 2008). Twenty years ago, the average model weighed eight percent less than the average woman. Todays models weigh twenty three percent less. Advertisers are convinced that thin models sell products and that thin is in. When the Australian magazine New Woman recently included a picture of a heavy-set model on its cover, there was an instant backlash of grateful readers praising the change. The advertisers were less then pleased however. They complained and the magazine soon returned to featuring bone-thin models. Advertising Age International concluded that the incident made clear the influence wielded by advertisers who remain convinced that only thin models spur the sales of beauty products (Gerber, 2010). Mainstream media representations also plays a role in reinforcing ideas about what it means to be a real man in our society. Most media sources portray male characters as rewarding for self-control and controlling of others, aggressive and violent, financially independent, and physically desirability. Although distorted body images have been known to affect women and girls, there is a growing awareness regarding the pressure for men and boys to appear more muscular. Many males are becoming more insecure about their physical appearance due to advertising and other media images that raise the standard and idealize well-built men. Advertising images have been accused of setting unrealistic ideals for males, and men and boys are beginning to risk their health to achieve the well-built media standard (Eating disorders: Body image and advertising, 2008). Another issue is the representation of ethnically diverse women in the media. A 2008 study conducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled A Changing View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Womens Magazines found that although there was an increase in the representation of women of color, overall white women were overrepresented in mainstream womens magazines from 1999 to 2004. An experiment was designed to view the effects of counter stereotypical portrayals on readers. The research showed that exposure to articles featuring counter stereotypical depictions of women of color tended to evaluate the occupational expectations of women of color among white readers but not people of color (Covert, 2008). In article on African American women and beauty ideals, it is stated that Black women are less vulnerable than white women to reacting negatively is they dont match the ideals pervading prime-time television shows and magazines, according to studies (Smith, 2004). African American women pay little attention to thin images of white women and have better body images than white women, though heavier and unhealthier. African American women have disregarded the idea of thin, pretty white woman as unattainable for themselves and as unimportant to others in the black community (Smith, 2004). It is also found in research that black women were less likely to exhibit signs of bulimia (Smith, 2004). When you think of sexy black women in the media, many would instantly think of Beyonce, Rihanna, or Tyra Banks. However, some would argue that though they are ethnically black, they are whiteified. Their hair has been dyed blonde, straightened hair, and even skin lightened. This is sending a negative message to the darker skinned African American women that they are not beautiful (How the media destroys black beauty, 2010). Some other examples of media sources lighting the skin of African American celebrities by using Photoshop and special lighting techniques is recently shown in Gabourey Sidibes Elle 25th Anniversary Cover. Though the magazine denies the accusations, this is not the first time this has been brought to everyones attention (Everett, 2010). Beyonce Knowles has also been represented several skin shades darker in her LOreal Paris magazine advertisements. Even after the company made a statement claiming this was untrue, many find this hard to believe (Guardian News Media , 2008). Other celebrities to undergo the supposed Photoshop skin lightening include OJ Simpson, Mariah Carey, and even President Obama. The message that media gives about thinness, dieting and beauty tells ordinary women that they are always in need of adjustment. The female body is looked at as an object to be perfected (Gerber, 2010). Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real womens bodies have become invisible in the mass media. This statement implies that the constant exposure of images and texts suggests the idea that the thinner a woman is, the better she is. This has a strong influence on women which then contributes to eating disorders and low self esteem issues. Kilbourne concludes that many women internalize these stereotypes and therefore judge themselves by the beauty industrys standards (Kilbourne, 2010). Some may blame society for accepting negative representation of media. However, it is going to take the media to make a change through better marketing choices and a better view of body image and self-esteem. We are bombarded with images of perfect women and men everyday, whether it is on our favorite television shows, movies, magazines and music. The majority of the women are tall, thin and beautiful and the men are muscular, tanned and seductive. People who do not fall within this media induced norm are left without models to look up to. Instead, they give in to the cosmetic and diet product industry and try to alter their bodies to what they have been told is beautiful. Adolescent girls and boys are constantly striving to acquire an unattainable physique. Across the nation, millions of teens struggle with eating disorders and borderline conditions. With the help of Organizations like the About-Face Organization and programs like the Doves Campaign for Real Beauty, body image can s oon be embraced by men and women of all ages, sizes, and skin color. Work Cited Advertising: Its Everywhere. Media Awareness Network. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. . Body Image and the Media. The Canadian Womens Health Network. 2005. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. . Clark, L. and Tiggemann, M. 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