The Universality of Human Rights free essay sample

A discussion on international implementation of human rights. This paper discusses the idea of international human rights laws and its implementation by various nations. The author argues that implementation of such laws depend on nations voluntary consent. To argue that human rights are universal is, inevitably, to find oneself met by the counterargument that culture is supreme, that any attempt to make all peoples in the world follow a single set of behavioral standards is to force them to adopt Western, colonialist, patronizing standards. Cultural exceptionists, to use Franks (2001) phrase defend the right of each state to set norms for itself. The urge to stand upon indigenous rights and local custom is understandable, especially in a time of globalization, in which corporations seem to have become more powerful than governments.

man and woman essays

man and woman essays The differences between boys and girls are the result from the combination between nature and nurture. These two elements not only build up someones behavior but also have different kind of influences. Both elements cannot be separated because it played in different times and different situation. Since we cannot change or control our heredity, but we can change our environment, we still have a chance to helping our children in order to ensure that children get the best change to develop their individual talents. Many people learn and asking whether the differences between boys and girls came from, one side they said the differences was dominated by nature or our heredity, and one side said that those differences came from our environment, and the other side said that those came from both of side, nature and nurture. I prefer agree with the last opinion, because its true that someones behavior came from those two elements. Many sources try to explain these things; some of them are Tim Hacklers essays Biology Influences Sex Roles, Society Determines Sex Roles by Janet Saltzman Chafetz, The Other Difference Between Boys and Girls bye Richard M. Restak, and the last one is Letty Cottin Pogrebins passage Growing Up Free: Raising Your Child in The 80s. Those essay writers has own different way of view to discussing Nature vs. Nurture problems and the differences between boys and girls. Heredity is a derived character that came from our nature. It is the basic of all character of humans. Humans all born different, they came up with different types of sexes; both male and female are born in certain set of instructions build into their genes. These complex genes are resulting many different kind of behavior between male and females, especially in most early stages of life. For example, female infant are more oriented toward people, on the other hand ...

Assignment. Production Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

. Production Methods - Assignment Example Shaping occurs through stitching darts, which are essentially dimples that intermittently signal lower quality. Pressing darts are another type of dart used for panels, which ensure the precision of spacing and grain significance (Assembly and Finishing 54). c. Piece - During production, garments are made essentially by putting together pieces in a particular order. These pieces are major parts of subassemblies completed by joining parts during the panel phase. Examples of pieces in garment production are the front and back of an individual garment (Assembly and Finishing 55). Joining these two pieces to make the final clothing. The final clothing is the product. d. Product - This is the finished garment. A product is the ultimate outcome of the garment production process. A summary of this process is the addition of these four Ps in a sequence or equation, i.e. parts + panels=pieces and pieces + pieces=products (Assembly and Finishing 56). The four Ps are mostly vital to the sizing and fit of the product, meaning faults during any phase can affect the finished garment. 2. The system of assembly that I think works best in today’s world is PBS since it itemizes production steps into a set of separate activities. Many garment production houses today need separate machines carrying out separate functions, at different times. With the PBS, every sewing machinist has to be skilled in the appropriate strategy to a particular task (OECD 44). Garment manufacturers today seek to make the most of the output of both dedicated machinery and individual operators, which is a merit that PBS users indeed enjoy. Even though many garment assembly units use the PBS, combining them with the Modular Production System (MPS) and Unit Production System (UPS) is proving successful and cost saving. PBS users often have to deal with obstacles caused by absenteeism or varying outputs amongst operators and workers. MPS and UPS users often do not have to come

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Business Law - Essay Example However, under the intention to contract, neither of the parties had the intention to contract because Bob only offered a gift to Ted as a form of gratitude for helping him. Therefore, since there was no intention to contract, then it implies that there was no existing contract between Bob and Ted. The element of consideration also indicates that there had been no existing contract between the two parties (Burton, 2009). Under the element of consideration, a gift is different from a contract. A gift is a cost-free and voluntary conveyance of property from one individual to another (Stone, 2008). Therefore, it does not serve as fulfillment of a promise. Therefore, Ted cannot sue Bob for failure of paying him the $100 since there was no existing contract between them. Question Two (a) Betty’s contract is indeed valid since there was an offer to contract, made by Betty, which the owner of the local sporting goods store accepted. The element of consideration also exists in the con tracts since; Betty gave out her collection of dolls for the bat, ball and glove. Both parties also intended to contract because; they both expressed willingness to reach into an agreement, which they both fulfilled. However, in the case of capacity to contract, Betty had no capacity to contract since, under the law, she is an infant. ... Therefore, Betty can indeed get out of the contract since; the law does not view her baseball items as necessities. Question Two (b) In the case where Betty had contracted to exchange her doll collection for shoes and clothes, she will not be able to get out of the contract since; she will now be bound by the contract. The law defines necessities as all goods that infants require, and are suitable to the infant’s conditions at the time of sale and delivery (Feinberg, 2005). Therefore, shoes and clothes are necessities because, Betty had worn out clothes and; therefore; she needed the clothes. Consequently, in this case, the contract binds the infant (Betty) and thus she will not be able to get out. Question 3 (a) An intended beneficiary is an individual who is a third party to the contract apart from the other two basic parties to the contract. The individual benefits from the contract when one party (the promisee) gets into an agreement with another party (the promisor) to pr ovide services to the promisor while the third party (intended beneficiary) receives the benefits (Feinberg, 2005). Therefore, the promisee must intend to benefit the third party. Ethel is indeed an intended beneficiary of the contract because she is benefitting from services that Dan is receiving from Jen. Although she is not part of the contract between Dan and Jen, she benefits through Jens intention. Question 3 (b) The contract between Dan and Jen must indeed be in writing in order to ensure certainty of transactions and future security. According to the element of formalities, the requirement of writing prevents fraud by either of the parties (O'Sullivan & Hilliard, 2006). A party to a contract may perpetuate fraud by insisting that there is no

Starting a Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Starting a Business - Assignment Example Since the biotechnology firm will be involved in the manufacturing and selling of cancer drugs, it will also be subject to the regulation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI falls under the National Institutes of Health (an agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services). It is tasked with the responsibility of coordinating the national cancer program, conducting and supporting research activities on cancer and dissemination of information regarding causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the disease (Lusk, 2009). The web design business amongst will be regulated by the Federal Trade Commission amongst other agencies. This commission is responsible for enforcing federal consumer protection laws. It does this through carrying out investigations on consumer complaints against the companies in question and taking the necessary actions where appropriate (Lusk, 2009). There are several laws that will govern the setting up and running of the three kinds of business. For the pizza delivery business and the biotechnology firm, the laws that will govern the running of their activities (such as the Public Health Service Act) will mostly be aimed at protecting the consumers of the products of these businesses from purchasing and consuming harmful products that might be detrimental to their health such as contaminated food or poisonous drugs that instead of curing ailments, they only makes them worse. For the case of the web design business, the law that deals with this type of business is the Intellectual Property Law. This branch of law deals with the creation of intellectual property trademarks, patents and copyright (Burrow, 2003). There are several legal steps that one will have to encounter before setting up each of the three businesses mentioned. The first step will be to determine the

Role of affect and emotions in prejudice

Role of affect and emotions in prejudice Prejudice is an intriguing topic in social psychology. Most studies focus on its cognitive and social representations and rarely do people notice the significance of affect in prejudice. In this essay, the focus of interest is on affect and emotions as a theoretical base in understanding prejudice. The role of emotions in intergroup processes and prejudice is explored, coupled with the discussion on the antecedents, nature, and consequences of intergroup emotions, which is illustrated by the specificity of intergroup emotions and its resulting behavioral tendencies. The relationship between intergroup emotion and intergroup forgiveness also shed light on devising strategies to reduce prejudice. Prejudice is a preconceived judgment towards a group and its members (Myers, 2010). This evaluation can be either positive or negative. In the intergroup context, prejudice is a group-based attitude elicited by intergroup interaction (Smith, 1993). According to ABCs of attitudes, Myers states that attitude is composed by affect (feelings), behavior tendency (inclination to act) and cognition (beliefs). Affect plays an important role in prejudice (attitude). To differentiate prejudice, discrimination and stereotype in simple terms, prejudice is an attitude, discrimination is a behavior, and stereotype is a belief towards a group and its individual members. They intertwine with one another. Prejudice and stereotype are neutral in comparison to discrimination which often refers to negative behavior attributed to prejudicial attitudes. To study intergroup processes, emotion is narrowed down to intergroup emotion while groups are divided into ingroups and outrgoups. Intergroup emotion is an emotion in the intergroup context. It includes emotions felt towards ones own group and emotions felt towards the outgroup. The role of emotions in intergroup processes lies in emotions provoking peoples reactions and responses to outgroups, which in turn affects intergroup relations. The antecedents of intergroup emotions are (1) group membership, (2) intergroup interactions and (3) appraisals. Firstly, group membership can be explained by self-categorization theory, self-discrepancy theory and social identity theory. According to the self-categorization theory (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher Wetherell, 1987), people define themselves in personal terms and in terms of group memberships in the social context. When people identify themselves as group members, this ingroup membership becomes part of the self; this extended social self (group) makes group membership and intergroup interactions evoke emotional responses (Mackie Smith, 2002). According to the self-discrepancy theory, people often match their actual self with their ideal self and ought self. The greater the discrepancy between the matches, the greater the psychological discomfort. This is an emotion felt towards ones self and group. Mackie and Smith think that negative emotions are aroused when people p erceive the attributes of their ingroup do not correspond to those they wish or believe their ingroup ought to possess. Mackie and Smith give examples of dejection-related emotions including dissatisfaction, disappointment, sadness and hopelessness while agitation-related emotions include apprehension, nervousness, tension, threatenedness and uneasiness. Social identity theory (Brown, 2000) proposes ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation. In other words, ingroup love may extend to outgroup hatred. Ingroup identification can give rise to hostile reactions to outgroups in forms of prejudice and discrimination. This illustrates an emotion one felt towards the outgroup. Social Identity Theory is an example of ingroup bias resulting from ones purpose to enhance self-esteem by increasing the positivity of ingroups and the negativity of outgroups. Another manifestation of intergroup bias is realistic conflict theory, an ingroup bias which stems from hostility in response to a competiti ve and threatening outgroup (Shah, Brazy Higgins, 2002). The regulatory and affective needs are fulfilled through ingroup bias. Secondly, intergroup interaction is antecedent to intergroup emotions. The nature of specific interactions between groups acts as a source of differentiated affective reactions (Mackie Smith, 2002). For example, interactions that produce positive affect can promote the liking of further interaction with outgroup members. This shows the nature of interaction between groups as a determinant of emotions. This is further explored in the following discussion on intergroup relations. Thirdly, appraisals are also antecedent to intergroup emotions. Devos, Silver, Mackie and Smith (2002) describe the appraisal theories of emotion as a situation or an event can bring about emotions when the individual concerns, goals and motives are favored or harmed. Appraisals are a configuration of cognitions or beliefs, which triggers emotions. Ingroup emotions are triggered by group-based appraisals. For instance, if the social identity or integrity of the ingroup is threatened by the outgroup, the ingroup members may experience fear and anxiety. Appraisals cause emotions, which in turn correspond to its specific action tendencies. The nature of intergroup emotions lies in intergroup relations. Intergroup relations can be exemplified by integrated threat theory and image theory. Integrated threat theory reflects the role of threat in intergroup relations. Stephan and Renfro (2002) focus on four types of threat-realistic threats, symbolic threats, intergroup anxiety and negative stereotyping. Realistic threats are threats to the group welfare including threats to the ingroup wellbeing. Stephan and Renfro (2002) propose that the concept of realistic threats comes from realistic group conflict theory, which argues that competition for limited resources giving rise to outgroup prejudice so realistic threats can have a broader denotation meaning any threat to the group welfare, not just competition for limited resources. Symbolic threat is an intangible threat to the ingroup values and beliefs. According to Dovidio and Gaertner (1996), intergroup anxiety includes discomfort, apprehension, fear and disgust owing to t he expectation of negative results in intergroup interactions. Stephan and Renfro (2002) believe that there are negative psychological outcomes (embarrassment), negative behavioral outcomes (exploitation or physical harm) and negative evaluations by the both ingroup and outgroup members. Negative stereotypes are simplifications and guidelines for social interactions leading people think the outgroup behaves detrimentally to the ingroup. In the integrated theory, the above four threats are considered to cause outgroup prejudice, which includes negative affect associated with outgroups arousing negative emotions like dislike, disapproval and hatred towards the outgroup. Stephan and Renfro (2002) believe that the antecedents of threats stem from strong identification with the ingroup, frequent negative contact with outgroup members, disparities in the status of the two groups and ignorance of the outgroup. On the flip side, the image theory describes intergroup emotions on the basis of relationship patterns and outgroup images. Relationship pattern are described in terms of goal compatibility, status equality and power equality. Thus, an outgroup image is formed corresponding to the relationship pattern, thereby arousing specific intergroup emotions and behavioral orientation. There are two symmetric images where the two groups involved perceive the intergroup relations in the same way. Brewer and Alexander (2002) describe enemy image as an intense competition between two groups similar in power and status with incompatible goals. This intergroup relationship produces a feeling of threat. This arouses an affect of anger and prompts a behavioral tendency to eradicate the threat by containment or attack. Ally image is characterized with goal compatibility, equal status and power between groups (Brewer Alexander, 2002). This produces an image of nonthreatening with positive attributes. Hence, emotions like admiration and trust are generated and it facilitates the behavioral inclination of intergroup cooperation. Apart from the aforesaid, there are asymmetric relationships having mutually incompatible intergroup goal interdependence and differing in power and status. Barbarian image arises when the relationship has incompatible goals with the ingroup having lower status but higher power. The outgroup is then seen as evil and destructive. Affects like fear and intimidation are likely to be experienced by the ingroup so its behavioral orientation tends to adopt a defensive protection. When the ingroup is weaker and lower in status, sentiments like jealousy and resentment towards the outgroup are elicited. Behavioral orientation like resistance or rebellion is expected. This associates with the imperialist image. Expressing and decoding emotions also play a part in intergroup relations. Emotional interactions between people involve feeling, expressing and perceiving (Leyens, Demoulin, Desert, Vaes Philipot, 2002). If one of the above goes wrong, intergroup relations is likely to be jeopardized and prejudice will arise. Inadequate expressions and decoding of emotions may harm the intergroup interaction, leading to reciprocal misunderstandings at the level of feeling, expressing and perceiving. Such misunderstanding makes ingroup members fear, prevent or reject subsequent encounters with outgroup members. Hence, a vicious cycle is formed and it reinforces existing prejudice and discrimination. Based on the above discussion on the antecedents and nature of intergroup emotions, people experience emotions on behalf of their own group as they see themselves as a group member and others as fellow group members. These emotions make people manifest specific behavioral tendencies like collective action, effort in improvement of the intergroup relations and so on. Prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination are also consequences of intergroup emotions. Specific emotions also correspond to different patterns of behavioral tendencies. Action tendency refers to the impulses or inclinations toward a particular action. In the intergroup context, group-based appraisals of the situation or event often trigger specific intergroup emotions, which in turn trigger particular action tendencies and promote certain behaviors. According to Devos, Silver, Mackie and Smith (2002), fear and anxiety prompt ingroup members to keep away from the outgroup while anger generates a motivation to attack or ag gress the outgroup; disgust and contempt trigger avoidance and separation while resentment and frustration spark off resistance and actions against the outgroup. These behavioral tendencies result from intergroup emotions. The specificity of intergroup emotions and behavioral tendencies can be explained by Intergroup Emotions Theory (IET). IET is grounded on self-categorization-the mental representations of self and group. When group membership is rooted in the self-concept, individuals care about situations and events concerning the group. This demonstates the emotional significance in intergroup situations. According to Devos, Silver, Mackie and Smith (2002), ingroup members often develop fear towards a threatening and powerful outgroup; group conflicts generate anger; frustration shows up when the goals and actions of ingroup are blocked by outgroup. An outgroup violating moral standards breeds disgust. Resentment results on seeing outgroup enjoying underserved benefits. Specific inclinations of behavior t follow suit. Anger and frustration cause resistance and aggression. Fear can prompt ingroup protection and escape from the disadvantaged situation. Disgust and contempt deter interactions with an outgroup. Mackie and Smith (2002) believe that there is a limitation for predicting corresponding behaviors. The prediction can only be an action tendency rather than a concrete behavior because actual behaviors are constrained by situational factors and social norms. Action tendencies are deduced from affects and emotions so they can only represent an impulse or intention of actions. Mackie and Smith gave an example stating the constraint of situation factors concerning the presence of an outgroup or the means for the ingroup to act accordingly. Further example of social norms is that an ingroup having an inclination to attack and aggress the outgroup cannot display their aggression and act out due to social sanctions. Mackie and Smith suggest that an action tendency can be fulfilled by different concrete behaviors. For example, aggression can be elicited in terms of verbal aggression or physical aggression, which can prompt many other alternative concrete behaviors. On the other hand, the correlation between intergroup emotions and intergroup forgiveness is worthy-of-note. Noor, Brown and Prentice (2008) define intergroup forgiveness as a process which involves making a decision to learn new aspects about one-self and ones group-ones emotions, thoughts, and capability to inflict harm on others. This reflection on intergroup emotions and intergroup relations does not mean to devalue the severity and consequences of misdeeds, but to reverse the negativity of affect between the groups. Intergroup emotions play an important role in the willingness to engage in forgiveness. Emotions like pity, guilt and sympathy can melt peoples heart of stone and motivate them to forgive. Experiencing empathy (compassion and sympathy) for an individual outgroup member can produce more positive attitudes towards the outgroup as a whole, thereby enabling forgiveness. Nevertheless, the willingness to forgive is difficult to achieve at the group level. Noor, Brown and P rentice (2008) illustrate that some group members may be willing to forgive the outgroup but they might withhold or withdraw their forgiveness in fear of shaking their ingroup loyalty. The above correlation between intergroup emotions and intergroup forgiveness sheds light on devising strategies to reduce prejudice. Intergroup forgiveness can be seen as a crucial step towards reconciliation. Intergroup reconciliation is much more than conflict resolution and the cessation of conflict. Intergroup forgiveness can motivate the ingroup to view the world from the outgroups perspective and standpoint with the intention to clarify misunderstandings, address mutual concerns and eliminate prejudice. The role of contact in reducing prejudice lies in promoting positive affects and intergroup friendship. Mackie and Smith (2002) discover that the number of acquaintances has an effect on prejudice, which is significantly mediated by prejudice. Their research analysis discovers that acquaintances reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions, both of which reduced prejudice. Mackie and Smith discover that the closeness of the relationship can significantly reduce prejudice when participants are aware of different group membership. Oskamp (2000) proposes the motivational approach of reducing feelings of threat from an outgroup, demonstrating that the outcomes of ingroups and outgroups are interdependent, and accentuating that each individual is accountable for intergroup events. This strategy corresponds to the Integrated Threat Theory and tackles some of the antecedents of threat like disparities in the status of the two groups. An antecedent of threat like frequent negative contact with outgroup members can be tackled by promoting favorable and rewarding intergroup contact to reduce prejudice. Another antecedent of threat like ignorance of the outgroup can be compensated by eliminating misunderstandings. This involves the appropriate expression and decoding of emotions between groups. Due to the illusion of transparency, most people have an impression that their expression of emotions is especially transparent for outgroups, but they are in fact less accurately perceived. This communication gap hinders favora ble intergroup contact and reinforces existing prejudice. Hence, ingroup members may need to pay extra efforts to show their emotions to outgroupers to prevent prejudice. Myers (2010) suggests we can use guilt to motivate ourselves to break the prejudice habit. It is applicable in terms of collective guilt which urges collective action serving to change existing intergroup relations, correct past injustices and reduce ongoing inequality. As unequal status breeds prejudice, seeking cooperative and equal-status relationships can help reduce prejudice (Myers, 2010). The antecedent of threat-strong identification with the ingroup leads to ingroup bias (intergroup bias). This bias can be reduced by fostering a sense of belonging with outgroup members to satisfy peoples affective needs. This corresponds to our understanding of the social identity theory that explains ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation. This sense of belonging arouses positive emotions of love, support and liking, in order to reduce negative prejudice. To wrap up, the role of affect and emotions in prejudice cannot be underestimated. It is significant to grasp an understanding of correlations and causal relationships among affect, emotions, intergroup processes, intergroup emotions, behavioral tendencies, intergroup forgiveness and prejudice. With these understandings, affective aspect of prejudice can eventually be tackled and reduced. (2500 words)

Philosophy Statement :: Educational Teaching Teachers Essays

Philosophy Statement Education is one of the most important jobs I believe one can do because children learn what they need to succeed in life, along with responsibility, people skills, and leadership. I cannot imagine a job I would be more passionate doing other than teaching, especially since I love children. I want my classroom to be very exuberant and lively. I want to have paintings on the walls, along with educational and motivational posters. My bulletin board will be changed monthly. It will have a place to display students work, and a place to recognize students when they have their birthday. My bulletin board will be very colorful and fun. I will seat my students in either alphabetical order or in a boy-girl arrangement. Students cannot choose their own desks at such young ages because they will sit by their friends and talk all the time. I want to use desks rather than tables because I believe students need their own personal space to work and learn. Any projects that my students do I will display around the room before they can take them home. I want them to be proud of their work and have everyone in the class see how everyone does things differently. Projects that they do might be art or science projects. I would like them to have an art center, and a hands-on science center to do these projects in. I also want them to have a reading center that they can go to and read a book in peace. While I will have library books for them to choose from, I also want to have encyclopedias. Last but not least I would like to have a technology center. I want to have at least 2 computers, with Internet access, that my students can use for a certain amount of time each day. I believe that with all the advances in technology it is important that students learn how to use a computer, and the Internet. My classroom will be run in an authoritarian manner. I will demand respect from my students, and in return I will give them respect.

World War 2

Briana Rogers Mr. Carter Freshman Seminar H8 October 3, 2012 First Benedict Home Game Where I’m from we don’t have a football team or a marching band, which means there’s really no excitement for getting ready for the first game. The sports my high school was always prepared for was lacrosse and basketball. Knowing that I was finally coming to a school with a football team made me even more excited to in college.Though, I had heard the rumors about the team never winning games it didn’t bring me down because I knew for sure that no matter what I was going to enjoy every moment of the game. Walking to the stadium with friends put me into that mood knowing that the night was going to be very eventful, whether we were to win or lose the game. Personally I was just ready to hear the band, cheer my team on, and have a blast.I wanted to support BC to the point I had the school colors and had my face painted. After so many years of always going with someone to th eir football and not my own school, this was finally the time for me to live it up. I stayed until half time to hear the band. I can honestly say that for it to be my first college football game I enjoyed myself with the group of people I was and would do it again, plus with our football team to win the game

A Feminist Analysis of Shakespeares Hamlet

A Feminist Analysis of Shakespeares Hamlet According to feminist scholars, the canonical texts of Western literature represent the voices of those who have been given the power to speak in Western culture. The authors of the Western canon are predominately white men, and many critics consider their voices to be domineering, exclusionary, and biased in favor of a male point of view. This complaint has led to much debate between critics and defenders of the canon. To explore some of these issues, we will examine Shakespeares Hamlet, one of the most famous and widely read works of the Western canon. The Western Canon and Its Critics One of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the canon is Harold Bloom, author of the bestseller The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. In this book, Bloom lists the works that he believes constitute the canon (from Homer to the present) and argues for their safeguarding. He also spells out who, in his view, the canons critics and enemies are. Bloom groups these opponents, including feminist scholars who wish to revise the canon, into one School of Resentment. His contention is that these critics are striving, for their own peculiar reasons, to invade the world of academia and replace the traditional, largely canonical programs of the past with a new curriculumin Blooms words, a politicized curriculum. Blooms defense of the Western canon rests on its aesthetic value. The focus of his complaint is that,  among the professions of literary teachers, critics, analysts, reviewers and authors too, there has been an increasingly noticeable  flight from the aesthetic brought on by an unfortunate attempt to assuage displaced guilt. In other words, Bloom believes that the academic feminists, Marxists, Afrocentrists, and other critics of the canon are motivated by a political desire to correct the sins of the past by replacing the literary works from those eras. In turn, these critics of the canon argue that Bloom and his sympathizers are racists and sexists, that they are excluding the under-represented, and that they oppose...adventure and new interpretations. Feminism in Hamlet For Bloom, the greatest of the canonical authors is Shakespeare, and one of the works Bloom most celebrates in The Western Canon is Hamlet. This play, of course, has been celebrated by all kinds of critics through the ages. The feminist complaintthat the Western canon, in the words of Brenda Cantar, is generally not from the point of view of a woman and that womens voices are virtually ignoredis supported by the evidence of Hamlet. This play, which supposedly fathoms the human psyche, does not reveal much at all about the two major female characters. They act either as a theatrical balance to the male characters or as a sounding board for their fine speeches and actions. Bloom gives fuel to the feminist claim of sexism when he observes that Queen Gertrude,  recently the recipient of several Feminist defenses, requires no apologies. She is evidently a woman of exuberant sexuality, who inspired  luxurious  passion first in  King Hamlet  and later in King Claudius.  If this is the best that Bloom can offer in suggesting the substance of Gertrudes character, it would serve us well to examine further some of the complaints of the feminists regarding the female voice in Shakespeare. Cantar points out that  both the male and female psyches are a construction of cultural forces, such as class differences, racial and national differences, historical differences. What more influential cultural force could there have been in Shakespeares time than that of patriarchy? The  patriarchal society  of the Western world had powerfully negative implications for the freedom of women to express themselves, and in turn, the psyche of the woman was almost entirely subsumed (artistically, socially, linguistically, and legally) by the cultural psyche of the man. Sadly, the male regard for the female was inextricably connected to the female body. Since men were assumed to be dominant over women, the female body was considered the mans property, and its sexual objectification was an open topic of conversation. Many of Shakespeares plays make this very clear, including Hamlet. The sexual innuendo in Hamlets dialogue with Ophelia would have been transparent to a Renaissance audience, and apparently acceptable. Referring to a double meaning of nothing, Hamlet says to her: Thats a fair thought to lie between maids legs. It is a tawdry joke for a noble prince to share with a young woman of the court; however, Hamlet is not shy to share it, and Ophelia seems not at all offended to hear it. But then, the author is a male writing in a male-dominated culture, and the dialogue represents his point of view, not necessarily that of a cultured woman, who might feel differently about such humor. Gertrude and Ophelia To Polonius, the chief counselor to the king, the greatest threat to the social order is cuckoldry or the unfaithfulness of a woman to her husband. For this reason, critic Jacqueline Rose writes that Gertrude is the symbolic scapegoat of the play. Susanne Wofford interprets Rose to mean that Gertrudes betrayal of her husband is the cause of Hamlets anxiety. Marjorie Garber points to an abundance of phallocentric imagery and language in the play, revealing Hamlets subconscious focus on his mothers apparent infidelity. All of these feminist interpretations, of course, are drawn from the male dialogue, for the text gives us no direct information about Gertrudes actual thoughts or feelings on these matters. In a sense, the queen is denied a voice in her own defense or representation. Likewise, the object Ophelia (the object of Hamlets desire) is also denied a voice. In the view of author Elaine Showalter, she is  portrayed in the play as an insignificant minor character created mainly as an instrument to better represent Hamlet.  Deprived of thought, sexuality, language, Ophelias story becomes the Story of Othe zero, the empty circle or mystery of feminine difference, the cipher of female sexuality to be deciphered by feminist interpretation. This depiction is reminiscent of many of the women in Shakespearean drama and comedy. Perhaps it begs for the efforts of interpretation that, by Showalters account, so many have tried to make of Ophelias character. An eloquent and scholarly interpretation of many of Shakespeares women would surely be welcome. A Possible Resolution Showalters insight about the representation of men and women in Hamlet, though it may be viewed as a complaint, is actually something of a resolution between the critics and defenders of the canon. What she has  done, through a close reading of a character that is now famous, is focus the attention of both groups on a piece of common ground. Showalters analysis is part of a concerted effort, in Cantars words, to  alter cultural perceptions of gender, those represented in the canon of great literary works. Surely a scholar like Bloom recognizes that there is a need...to  study the institutional practices and social arrangements that have both invented and sustained the literary canon. He could concede this without giving an inch in his defense of aestheticismthat is, literary quality. The most prominent feminist critics (including Showalter and Garber) already recognize the canons aesthetic greatness, regardless of the male dominance of the past. Meanwhile, one may suggest for the future that the New Feminist movement continue searching out worthy female writers and promoting their works on aesthetic grounds, adding them to the Western canon as they deserve. There is surely an extreme imbalance between the male and female voices represented in the Western canon. The sorry gender discrepancies in Hamlet are an unfortunate example of this. This imbalance must be remedied by women writers themselves, for they can most accurately represent their own views. But, to adapt two quotes by ​Margaret Atwood, the proper path in accomplishing this is for women to become better [writers] in order to add social validity to their views; and female critics have to be willing to give writing by men the same kind of serious attention they themselves want from men for womens writing. In the end, this is the finest way to restore the balance and allow all of us to truly appreciate the literary voices of humankind. Sources Atwood, Margaret.  Second Words: Selected Critical Prose. House of Anansi Press. Toronto. 1982.Bloom, Harold. An Elegy for the Canon.  Book of Readings, 264-273. English 251B. Distance Education.  University of Waterloo. 2002.Bloom, Harold.  The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. Riverhead Books. The Berkley Publishing Group. New York. 1994.Cantar, Brenda. Lecture 21. English 251B. University of Waterloo, 2002.Kolodny, Annette. Dancing Through the Minefield.  Book of Readings, 347-370. English 251B. Distance Education. University of Waterloo, 2002.Shakespeare, William.  Hamlet. Bedford/St. Martins Edition. Susanne L. Wofford. Editor. Boston/New York: Bedford Books. 1994.Showalter, Elaine.  Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. Macmillan, 1994.Wofford, Susanne.  William Shakespeare, Hamlet. Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1994.

Free Essays on Guns and Kids

Children younger than nine years old have been caught with guns in schools. In today’s society it is not unusual to pick up the newspaper and read a headline of a school shooting, or turn on the television and see the footage of body bags being carried out of a school. Gun related violence and our nations children has become a wide spread epidemic. Every 100 hours, more youth die on the streets than were killed in the Persian Gulf. This epidemic saturates not only the gang-ridden environment in America’s cities, but the supposedly more peaceful suburban world as well. In recent history youth disputes that were once settled with bloody noses and black eyes now end in gunshots. Kids are killing each other over a bump on the shoulder, a misinterpreted glance, romantic complications or flashy clothes. Much of the blame is directed toward the feet of media violence, Rambos killing at will. Some people believe that it is a reflection of how today’s children are being raised. Many inner-youths yield a â€Å"what the hell† attitude due to poverty and hopelessness. Family breakdowns seem to further fuel this epidemic. Statistics from a Baltimore public school student survey revealed that fifty-nine percent of males who come from a one-parent or no-parent home have carried handguns. The main reason this outbreak has become so widespread is the availability of guns. Some officials believe that tougher gun laws, such as the Brady bill, are going to solve the problem, but what many do not seem to realize is that kids aren’t getting guns legally. They are stealing them or in many cases buying them on the black market. The number of illegal guns in circulation has turned record numbers of everyday encounters into deadly ones. Headlines change daily, but still chillingly report the same thing. In Washington D.C. a fifteen year old is shot by his best friend. In New Haven, Connecticut, a fourteen year ol... Free Essays on Guns and Kids Free Essays on Guns and Kids Children younger than nine years old have been caught with guns in schools. In today’s society it is not unusual to pick up the newspaper and read a headline of a school shooting, or turn on the television and see the footage of body bags being carried out of a school. Gun related violence and our nations children has become a wide spread epidemic. Every 100 hours, more youth die on the streets than were killed in the Persian Gulf. This epidemic saturates not only the gang-ridden environment in America’s cities, but the supposedly more peaceful suburban world as well. In recent history youth disputes that were once settled with bloody noses and black eyes now end in gunshots. Kids are killing each other over a bump on the shoulder, a misinterpreted glance, romantic complications or flashy clothes. Much of the blame is directed toward the feet of media violence, Rambos killing at will. Some people believe that it is a reflection of how today’s children are being raised. Many inner-youths yield a â€Å"what the hell† attitude due to poverty and hopelessness. Family breakdowns seem to further fuel this epidemic. Statistics from a Baltimore public school student survey revealed that fifty-nine percent of males who come from a one-parent or no-parent home have carried handguns. The main reason this outbreak has become so widespread is the availability of guns. Some officials believe that tougher gun laws, such as the Brady bill, are going to solve the problem, but what many do not seem to realize is that kids aren’t getting guns legally. They are stealing them or in many cases buying them on the black market. The number of illegal guns in circulation has turned record numbers of everyday encounters into deadly ones. Headlines change daily, but still chillingly report the same thing. In Washington D.C. a fifteen year old is shot by his best friend. In New Haven, Connecticut, a fourteen year ol...

Distinction between Heath and Illness in Context with the Medical Assignment

Distinction between Heath and Illness in Context with the Medical Anthropology - Assignment Example Finding the differences between the two notions seems to be useful in medical anthropological context since diseases are mainly concerned with the biomedical curing, while illness involves both biomedical curing as well as psychological treatment. The psychological factor encompasses the perception of the patient’s emotions, which forms the basic concept in the field of Anthropology. Thus, for example the disease which includes measles can be cured by biomedical medicines, whereas illness which may include both mental and physical disorders need to be treated accordingly. In this context, an explanatory model reveals how individuals sense their illness and the related experiences of it. The explanatory model are usually used to explain â€Å"how people view their illness in terms of how it happens, what causes it, how it affects them, and what will make them feel better† (â€Å"Explanatory Model† ). Thus one of the advantages of the explanatory model would be, it can assist in the integration of clinical, epidemiological and other social science related aspects of diseases and illnesses, thereby enhancing the depth of the scientific understanding of any diseases and illness. ... four major steps: 1) With the effective background of the cultural myth, and under the culture specific symbols, both the experiences of the healed and the healers becomes generalized. 2) The patient’s problem is described by the healer in the form of a myth. 3) Patient’s emotions are attached to the transactional symbols from the general myth 4) Finally, the healer manipulates those transactional symbols skillfully and help the patient transact his/her emotions. (Waldram). Variations in the structure of this symbolic healing happens when the treatment has to be fastened and due to certain culturally specific symbols. The basic crux of all these symbolic healing methods is, the healing process involves â€Å"an ontological shift for the patient into a particularized mythic world.† (Dow 61). A symbolic healing can be considered a success and even possible when that particularized mythic world is present for both the healer as well as the patient, and importantly, when the patient fully agrees to the power of the healer to judge and de?ne the patient’s relationship to it. When this healing is compared with biomedical curing, the difference is the focus on mind in the case of healing, while the focus is on the physical body in later case. In general the psychosocial factors become one of the neglected areas in biomedical curing. Thus the biomedical curing can be considered as a historic shift from the ways the doctors carried out their practice. That is, in the case of symbolic healing the patient’s emotions are centered, while in biomedical curing the body rather than the mind is targeted. Brief description of Medicalization, pregnancy and Demedicalization with suitable examples Medicalization can be defined as a process in which many key non-medical aspects of

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Case Study Example ligence Grid (Natgrid) aims to monitor the activities of private citizens1, a move which presses on the boundaries of a citizen’s fundamental liberties. It’s an echo of Big Brother in the guise of public interest; the concept is noble, but there’s so much opportunity for abuse that it cancels all intended benefits. The Natgrid will surely speed up the functions of the bureaucracy with a centralized intelligence system, but it’ll also make data accessible to a lot of unscrupulous personalities and agencies. Although a data protection law already exists (The Information Technology Act), it only goes so far as to cover an individual’s activity. The individual is set apart from the act. The UPA has to set specific ground rules to ensure both aspects coexist but remain separate. The freedom to information shouldn’t be absolute; there has to be a limit to how much the government can access. The law should protect the individual first and foremost. Everything else follows accordingly. 2. â€Å"Convenient and personal are the flip-side to private and anonymous† according to Greenfield. Indeed, convenience comes at a steep price nowadays, and the technological juggernauts of the Information Age admit it. P3P is an essential component of the Web-browsing experience; it allows users to navigate the byways of the Internet without leaving crumbs for the hounds to sniff and follow. This provides a perfect analogy to the online cookies implanted in your browser’s cache; they’re there to monitor online activities, but the exact coverage of this policy is never fully described. As a measure of courtesy, some sites do live up to their word by restricting their own access to user data. The opportunities exposed by a database of unlimited information is too tempting to resist, though, especially when everything of value is now stored in a remote corner or crevice on the web. The competition for technological supremacy between Google, Microsoft, and everyone else is