The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

The Beauty Myth, first published in 1991, is an excellent book by Naomi Wolf that looks at the concept of outer appearance as a demand as well as a standard of passing judgment upon women in the developed world. Subtitled How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women, the book is carefully thought out and supported by extensive investigations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 2002, the book was published again to include a new introductory note by the same author. The Book provides explanations on the role of the beauty myth in the spheres of employment, traditions, religious affiliation, and in sex and sexual relations. Wolf also examines the hostile behaviors that exist between women and men and between women themselves, which comes in the way of eating disorders and cosmetic surgery. Wolf categorically asserts that to concede to the beauty myth pr oblem can assist in advancing it with more devastating results instead of alleviating the situation. In the last chapter, Wolf plainly states practical suggestions on how to get rid of the societal machinery that insists on upholding standards of physical beauty among women. She argues that beauty myth exists to induce the society to regard women’s look above everything they may have. The Beauty Myth looks at the scope to which attractiveness has influenced females search for equality and how the same scenario occurs in our own lives as well as in the larger society. The concern that Wolf raises about the issue is personal, since it is applicable to any female, and it is backed by historical data and the necessary statistics to illustrate her views. In this publication, the author’s thesis statement draws a relationship that exists between female liberation and female physical appearance. She writes: â€Å"The more legal and material hindrances women have broken throu gh, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us. During the past decade, women breached the power structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetic surgery became the fastest-growing medical specialty. Recent research consistently shows that inside the majority of the attractive, successful working women, there is a dark vein of self-hatred, physical obsessions, terror of aging, and dread of lost control (Wolf, 2002, p.10)† The author’s main point of argument is drawn from the fact that there exists no historical or biological validation for what she terms as the beauty myth. Wolf posits that the beauty myth came into the public limelight soon after the emergence of the second wave of feminism. In view of the fact that women were subsequently unlimited to their responsibilities of being wives and mothers, another input was required to maintain them in their positions in the society.Advertising Lo oking for report on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The myth postulates that beauty â€Å"objectively and universally exists† and is a vital ingredient that women must posses to win men to their side. Although grounded on the notion that beautiful women have high fertility rates and are therefore more advantageous to the world, this false claim influences most things from power relations to fitness standards thus depriving women the capability of appreciating their own womanliness. The falsehood puts good looks, sexuality, aptitude, and power to be at loggerheads, complicating the possibility of females acquiring all these attributes at the same time. To be more precise, if a woman has a predetermined standard of attractiveness, she is usually categorized to own these attributes. No recognition is based on the inner â€Å"beauty† that a woman may posses as the emphasis is laid on perfecting the outward appearance. This excellent book shades more light on the emerging cultural issues encountered by women in this century. The book tells women’s magazines off for not making enough efforts to lessen the force of the myth, in spite of the fact that they are one of the important fundamental tools for transforming the role of women in the society. Naomi Wolf records her dissatisfaction with these publications as most of their advertisements have models, who present themselves as the perfect women. This practice only serves to propel the fallacy of the myth instead of assisting the vulnerable females who are trying to run from it. The message that these publications carry are influential because they stand for the female mass culture. The magazines have acted as a vehicle of spreading the feminist ideas at an increased rate in modern times. Since the publications are common among women from all lifestyles, they are capable of setting the standards of physical beauty faster than an y other means of communication. The claim that Wolf puts forward is true, because it is in the course of interacting with these visual media that women discover what the â€Å"correct† physical attributes they have to posses even if they have to injure themselves to get it. Women find out that they have to resemble the images they see in the magazines even if they adore their men. The author states plainly that females get the shaft due to the beauty standards, that women are their bodies and that they are initially perceived as women, then secondly as human beings. Wolf even goes ahead to equate the moisturizers with wrinkle-preventing ingredients to â€Å"holy oils.†Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this point, she gets so much into the myth such that she asserts that the quest for physical attractiveness is a religious conviction in its own right. Women ought to become conscious of the fact that with or without the beauty products, they would remain to be women who need to feel better about themselves. Women are not to take precedence at how Hollywood or Cosmopolitan has a very different view of their femininity; they are to believe that their own delight in beauty will ultimately triumph. The worst part of this notion of enhanced beauty is that it makes females to go up against one another. It opposes the objective of the feminist movement as it makes women to disregard the importance of others. The society must allow women to be human beings first and women must have the faith that what can be of benefit to one of them is able to benefit all of them. A distinct separation has to be made to distinguish between sexuality, femininity, aptitude, good looks, and power from one another and assessed according to their own terms. Currently, the beauty myth is still being enforced in our society, and may persist if the women do not combine efforts to alleviate its force. We are anticipating for a time when every woman would value her own beauty and simultaneously acknowledge other women’s beauty. That is the concern raised by Naomi Wolf, in The Beauty of Myth, and it is a concern that should trouble every one of us. Reference List Wolf, N. (2002). The Beauty Myth. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. This report on The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf was written and submitted by user Marcelo E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Fluorescent Light Science Experiment

Fluorescent Light Science Experiment Learn how to make a fluorescent light glow without plugging it in! These science experiments show how to generate static electricity, which illuminates the phosphor coating, making the bulb light up. Fluorescent Light Experiment Materials fluorescent bulb (tubes work best. Its okay if the light is burnt out.)Any of the following:Saran wrap (plastic wrap)plastic report folderpiece of woolinflated balloondry newspaperanimal fur or fake fur Procedure The fluorescent light needs to be perfectly dry, so you may wish to clean the bulb with a dry paper towel before starting. You will get brighter light in dry weather than in high humidity.All you need to do is rub the fluorescent bulb with the plastic, fabric, fur, or balloon. Do not apply pressure. You need friction to make the project work; you dont need to press the material into the bulb. Dont expect the light to be as bright as it would be plugged into an outlet. It helps to turn off the lights to see the effect.Repeat the experiment with other items on the list. Try other materials found around the home, classroom, or lab. Which works the best? Which materials dont work? How It Works Rubbing the glass tube generates static electricity. Although there is less static electricity than the amount of electricity supplied by wall current, it is enough to energize the atoms inside the tube, changing them from a ground state to an excited state. The excited atoms release photons when they return to the ground state. This is fluorescence. Usually, these photons are in the ultraviolet range, so fluorescent bulbs have an interior coating that absorbs the UV light and releases energy in the visible light spectrum. Safety Fluorescent bulbs are easily broken, producing sharp shards of glass and releasing toxic mercury vapor into the air. Avoid applying a lot of pressure to the bulb. Accidents happen, so if you snap a bulb or drop one, put on a pair of disposable plastic gloves, carefully use damp paper towels to collect all the pieces and dust, and place the gloves and broken glass in a sealable plastic bag. Some places have special collection sites for broken fluorescent tubes, so see if one is available/required before putting the bulb in the trash. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling a broken fluorescent tube.

APA Fundamentals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

APA Fundamentals - Essay Example Write the Abstract in short and concise sentences that tell the story of the paper. The Abstract should be written after the entire paper has been completed. The Abstract should be located after the title page, but before the introduction of the paper. Do not write the Abstract in first-person; write the Abstract in third-person. Input and center the title of the paper at the top of the page. An introduction and thesis statement header is not used and should not be included. The first sentence of the introduction should grab the attention of the audience of readers. It should be an original, broad statement, quote, or paraphrase. Narrow down the broad topic to a specific argument that is worthy of research and writing. Research papers should be written in a narrative format. Write the paper in third-person; refrain from writing papers in first- and second-person. Provide background, definitions, or other details about the topic that will help the audience of readers understand the topic more effectively and writer’s logical flow of the paper. The introduction paragraph should lead into a specific or main topic, known as the thesis statement. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph. The type of thesis statement used in this paper is the expository thesis statement . In this case, the expository thesis statement is one comprehensive sentence that displays three main argumentative points that the writer thinks are critically important for the readers to know. The writer needs to conduct research about these specific opinions and support them with objective and accurate data. Here is an example of an expository thesis statement: In order to write a great research paper, writers must understand word processing software, APA 6th Edition formatting, and how to structure content. Without a thesis statement, there can be no body of the paper or conclusion. The body of the

White-Collar & Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

White-Collar & Organized Crime - Essay Example However, white collar crime has evolved since the late 1930’s. White collar crime no longer needs to be in an occupational setting. Technological advancements have provided a new gateway for crimes to be committed. Historically white collar crime was associated with organized crime. Many people associate the mafia with white collar crimes. Through the use of the mafia members demonstrated power over others to achieve their economic advancements. This was further emphasized through government corruption. During the 1920’s it was not uncommon for mafia family members to bribe officials. Moreover, many individuals feared mafia family members and would not testify against them if they had witnessed a crime (Cornell University, n.d.). During this era determining the identity was easier of the victim was easier as technology was not readily available. Current white collar crimes often do not know their victims as many crimes take place online. However, these crimes do not necessarily need to occur online for the criminal to not know his victim. For example, the Enron Scandal caused significant harm to the stock market and all employees and share-holders within this company. The Enron executives could not have identified every possible person they harmed when committing their crimes. Although the Enron scandal happened approximately nine years ago many other businesses have committed similar acts. However, these acts may not be as extreme as the Enron scandal. According to the United States Department of Justice (2006), â€Å"In 2005, among 7,818 businesses 67% exhibited one cyber crime.† Moreover calculating the exact number of cyber crimes is often hard to determine. In the research by the United States Department of Justice most businesses did not report the cyber crimes to authorities. 2. White collar crime attempts to accomplish many of the same characteristics as organized crime. Although organized crime has declined the number of white collar

A Sense of Environmental Consideration Research Paper

A Sense of Environmental Consideration - Research Paper Example Ecological deterioration results from several sources. However, these sources can fall under two categories namely natural and anthropogenic causes. Anthropogenic causes of environmental degradation include industrial activities, mining, agriculture and developmental infrastructure. The success of all these activities revolves around the modification of the environment in several ways. The constructions of industries require space. As such, vegetations are cleared to create space for such constructions. This renders the soil void of vegetation, thus, exposes it to threats of soil erosion (Nemeth, 2012). This leads to environmental degradation through loss of soil fertility, thus reducing the agricultural potentials. This culminates to food crises. The loss of vegetation through environmental degradation is critical n causing the issues of global warming. This follows that there will be little or no vegetation to absorb the temperature as well as the light from the sun. In addition, t he loss of vegetation means little incidences of surface albedo (Nemeth, 2012). Therefore, the surface reflectivity of the sun’s rays will be hampered. This means that more heat will be absorbed by the surface of the soil and will be released gradually to the atmosphere. This causes global warming. The increased temperatures in the atmosphere may affect the ozone layer, causing its depletion. This may be responsible for changing the weather patterns thereby affecting several activities on the global perspective. Environmental degradation may also follow the activities of several industries.

Attitudes Towards Accents: The Scouse Accent

Attitudes Towards Accents: The Scouse Accent Introduction An accent is an oral expression, a precise pronunciation within a particular language. Accents can often be confused with dialects which are varieties of language that differ in vocabulary and syntax. Commonly, people do not believe that they themselves possess one, however it is impossible for anybody to speak without using an accent. Accent variation is an important part of sociolinguistics because people often attach significance to different accents. This study concerns attitudes towards accent variation; the accent at the centre of this study is the non-standard accent of English, Liverpool English, commonly referred to as Scouse. Liverpool English is one of the most recognisable accents in the country, and arguably, the world. The Scouse accent is infamous for its harsh, nasal tones and despite some similarities; it is distinctly different to the accents of the surrounding areas. A famous linguist, Fritz Spiel, once described the accent as ‘one-third Irish, one-third welsh, and one-third catarrh The accent is widely known for its negative stereotypes and the reason for this study is to investigate the hypothesis that Students at the University of Wales, Bangor have a positive attitude towards the Liverpool accent. Accent variation is often most noticeable within the vowels used in pronunciation, however with the scouse accent, both the vowels and the continents are affected by the accent. The accent of an individual can often reveal information such as where they come from. However accents can also invite stereotypical judgements of social class, wealth and levels of education. The Liverpodlian accent has been heavily influenced by the Irish accent, for example Liverpudlians tend to pronounce the letter ‘H and ‘Haitch. The huge success of The Beatles in the 1960s, a band who were all originally from Liverpool, helped to publicise the city of Liverpool in a positive way and encouraging the accent to be perceived as friendly. And a more recent positive change saw Liverpool become Britains favourite location for call centres (Ward, 2000). Despite these positive changes, which succeeded in generating a more positive public image for the city, a significant stigmatic view of the accent still appears to remain in modern society and this study will outline whether these stereotypical viewpoints are held by the students of the University of Wales, Bangor. Theoretical background In 1975 a study was conducted by Giles and Powesland using a method called the matched-guise technique. This technique involved playing a recording of a speaker imitating different accents and then asking participants to rate the speaker on different categories such as attractiveness or social status. The study found that standard accents such as RP were more likely to be associated with a person who is a prestigious and articulate speaker. However, accents associated with urban areas were considered unattractive and thought to be spoken by low-status speakers. Rural accents were regarded as being aesthetically pleasing but inferior to RP in terms of social status. This particular study was repeated by an undergraduate student Sarah Wood (Stockwell 2002) who replicated the study but made some adjustments such as only using native speakers of the accents in her recordings and used all female students in their 20s in order to control gender and age to improve the analysis. Her study c oncluded that southern accents attracted the highest ratings in most categories and the northern accents came out worst, with the urban accents being the most stigmatized. These studies highlight the stigma attached to particular accents and may be an important factor in the attitudes of the students of Bangor, towards the Liverpudlian accent. The Liverpool English accent has been regarded in society as being ill educated and low prestige. This stereotypical view could well be influenced by the medias representation of Liverpudlians, who are often portrayed in a negative or criminal way. In 2004, the BBC conducted an online poll to determine attitudes towards the accents and languages in the British Isles. The poll, of which there were 5000 participants, concluded that Asian, Liverpool and Birmingham accents were â€Å"unpleasant to listen to and lacking in social status† (BBC, 2004). In addition to this, participants were asked to rank celebrities by how pleasant their accents are. The Liverpudlian accents of celebrities Cilla Black and Paul o Grady were received negatively by participants. Another survey of 1000 participants, conducted by Bury Technologies, also concluded that the accent is unpopular, as Liverpool came out at the bottom of the poll of British accents. One third of Liverpudlians who took part in t he nationwide survey admitted to changing or calming down their accent whilst being interviewed for a job in order to benefit their career. Methodology To collect the relevant data, an online survey was conducted, in which participants were asked two questions. In the first question, participants were asked to state which words came to their minds when thinking of the Liverpudlian accent. Secondly participants were asked whether they thought there should be an increase in the amount of Liverpudlian accents within the media, and their reasons for this. The Questionnaire was sent to Students at Bangor University only to complete. A recording of a Liverpudlian speaker was obtained for the study. The person in question was asked to talk for a short period of time about any subject in order for us to provide the participants with a firm understanding of the accent in question. The Individual being recorded held many of the typical scouse accent traits. To ensure that the data was easily comparable, a multiple choice questionnaire was produced for the study. The questionnaire consisted of ten questions concerning personal characteristics and social status, such as ‘polite or impolite of which the students had to tick the statement that they were in most agreement with. The Participants, all students from Bangor University, were each played the recording and asked to complete a multiple choice questionnaire designed to obtain the students personal opinions and expectations of this person based entirely upon their Liverpudlian accent. Results Of the ten respondents to the online survey, the most commonly used words used to describe Liverpudlians were negative words such as ‘chav, ‘criminal ‘thief. However positive words such as ‘friendly were also used more than once. In response to an increase in Liverpudlian speakers in the media, the majority of the participants were in favour of the increase, either due to their being a lack of them in the media currently or because they particularly enjoy the sound of the accent. Two of the respondents remained neutral; however one stated that despite being neutral they find the accent to be ‘one of the ugliest in the country. The final 3 respondents were against the idea, all claiming that the accent was difficult to understand. The recording of the accent received a great deal of negative responses such as ‘generally unpleasant sounding, ‘common, ‘irritating, loud and ‘rough, harsh sounding. On the contrary some participants responded positively, describing the accent as ‘friendly and ‘a nice sound The answers to the questionnaire support the common stereotype of ‘scousers, with the majority of respondents assuming that the Liverpudlian would be untrustworthy, impolite, unfriendly, not wealthy, not educated past GCSE level, not in full-time employment and not have a high IQ level. On the slightly more positive side the majority of respondents assumed the Liverpudlian would not have criminal record, be average looking, and passive. Discussion The study was limited to one particular social community. Only students at the University of Wales, Bangor were asked to participate and therefore the results are not statistically significant. The study only involved 30 participants and is not reflective of a large enough scale for the data to be considered representative on behalf of all of the students at the University. A substantial flaw in the methodology of this survey is that the person on the recording was not reading from a particular script or text. His chosen dialogue may have influenced the opinions of the participants and their results may not have been an accurate reflection of their view of the accent itself, but rather of this particular personality. A more beneficial approach to the study would have been to have the speaker to read a text that was specifically written to contain accent variants of the Liverpudlian accent as this would have provided an accurate representation of the accent being discussed. Within the recording the speaker expresses certain opinions and makes personal comments, this kind of speech could have easily affected the opinion of the students, particularly regarding questions of politeness and friendliness. The individual also made a comment when discussing his accent that ‘no UK residents tend to like it. This information could have influenced a previously unbiased participant who took part in the survey as it shows the accent in a negative light and implies that having a dislike towards the accent is a common response. To have had the speaker read from a given text would have neutralised any alteration in his speech that may have occurred due to the subject or unscripted nature of the recording. Also the study may have benefitted from having a speaker with a broader accent, as although it was clearly a Liverpool accent; it wasnt particularly strong which could be misleading by not presenting the students with a typical, strong Liverpudlian accent. The background of the students could have influenced their level of loyalty towards Liverpool and the accent. The students chosen for the survey should have been restricted to those without a particular devotion towards to city, such as it being their hometown or birthplace. Having impartial participants would have resulted in a more accurate and honest representation of the students point of view as oppose to the student giving a positive view based on blind faithfulness rather than the accent. Conclusion This questionnaire assessed the students levels of expectations regarding the personality and social attributes of a person with a Liverpudlian accent. The following graph interprets the gathered data in terms of the students expectations of the speaker after hearing the recording. An overall view of the data suggests that the students involved in the study, on average had negative opinions regarding an individual with a scouse accent, particularly in terms of honesty and social class. This study was performed using only a small sample of students from one university, which is not a good basis for investigating this hypothesis. The study would have to be repeated and carried out on a much bigger scale for the information to be representative of all the students at the University of Wales, Bangor.

Boxing: Down For The Count :: essays research papers fc

Boxing: Down for the Count The tenth edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines boxing as "the art of attack and defense with the fists practiced as a sport." I could be mistaken, but there is a certain emphasis placed on the idea that boxing is practiced as a sport. It is rather ambiguous. Is boxing a sport to begin with? Is boxing something else that is just practiced as a sport? Is it, can it, or should it be practiced as something else rather than as a sport? Maybe I am just making too big a deal out of a simple definition here. Nevertheless, this simple definition of boxing gives rise to one question we should all take some time to answer: should boxing be practiced as a sport? Examination of medical findings and statistics and re-examination of our views and goals as a modern society will lead us to the one inevitable conclusion: considering boxing as a respectable sport just flies in the face of decency and civilization and therefore, it should be banned. Somehow, boxers and supporters have deluded themselves into thinking that boxing, when properly conducted, is safe. The classic justification goes something like this: "[b]oxers are not two brawling brutes seeking to maim or kill each other. [t]hey are two closely matched athletes seeking, through the use of such skills an footwork, timing, accuracy, punching, and feinting, to determine who is the better man in the ring" (Farley 26). Unfortunately, dead boxers tell a different story. A study on dangerous contact sports conducted by Patrick Malone of the Knight Ridder News Service in 1980 revealed that from 1970 to 1978 in America, there was an average of 21 deaths per year among 5,500 boxers, or 3.8 deaths per 1,000 participants, compared to college football's 0.3 deaths per 1,000 and high school football's 0.1 deaths per 1,000 (Sammons 247). Another more recent study conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia revealed that 361 deaths have occurred in the ring worldwide since 1945 (NHMRC 22). Deaths and serious injury suffered in boxing contests reveal only a small percentage of the potential for danger. Unfortunately, the damaging effects of the "sport" are cumulative and difficult to diagnose, sometimes resulting in death, serious illness, or blindness long after the boxer is out of the public limelight. However, convincing evidence has mounted over the years to the effect that chronic encephalopathy (a disease of the brain marked by personality changes, intellectual impairment, slurred speech, and motor deficits), Parkinson's syndrome (a nervous disorder marked by tremors, drooling, muscle weakness, and