Images of female bodies Essay Example for Free

Images of female bodies Essay Images of female bodies and female sexuality are displayed everywhere. Many images of women portrayed in the mainstream media glorify the ideal image of women and the feminine ideal. This paper discusses the way in which the media portrays the feminine ideal in mainstream media and compares the feminine ideal with the masculine ideal and the ideal image of women depicted in prior periods of history. The perfection that is idealized in the mainstream media is deliberating to women where images of beautiful women are plastered all around them and they feel that they need to aspire to a perfect celebrity image by being the perfect weight, wearing the best clothes and buying the latest make up that makes them look as beautiful as celebrities such as Scarlett Johansen. Media activist Jean Kilbourne is at the forefront of this media debate and argues that the images of women in the media means that real woman’s bodies have become invisible in the mass media. Advertising creates a mythical, mostly white world in which people are rarely ugly, overweight, poor, struggling or disabled, either physically or mentally. ’’ (Kilbourne, Beauty and the Beast). The problem of this `feminine ideal’ is that media images of beauty are unattainable for most of the women that aspire to this perfect image. The portrayal of the ideal body shape in celebrities applies a cultural pressure to be thin and achieve the ideal body shape on women who read magazines and the like. They sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth, love and sexuality, popularity and normalcy. They tell us who we are and who we should be. ’’ (Kilbourne, Beauty and the Beast) In contrast to the way that females are depicted mainstream media today it is interesting to look at ways that females were portrayed in prior periods of history. The more robust female figure was glorified in the past as seen in the art works and described in the literature of yester year. As time goes on the image of the `feminine ideal’ is becoming smaller and smaller. It is not only the female body that is imaged in the media but the masculine form as well. Masculinity is constructed in a similar way to which femininity has been constructed over the past few decades. Mainstream media representations play a role in enforcing the media representations of men and what it means to be a ‘real’ man in society. Traits that are typical of this ‘real’ man image include but are not limited to self -control, control of others, aggression and physical desirability. In conclusion, it is clear to see that the media now portrays an ideal image for both women and men to aspire to and that it is the media that idealizes and constructs this perfect and sometimes unattainable image. References Kilbourne, Jean. The Beauty and the Beast of Advertising. In Diana George John Trimbur (Eds. ) Reading Culture (pp. 178-184). New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. 1999.

Does Solar Energy Have a Future? Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

Although the sun has been in its place in the heavens for nearly 4 billion years and promises to be there for at least 5 billion more, relatively little has been learned about the glow that is this planetà ¢s "orbital governor" and life support (Ericson, 3). Mankind lives in belief that the sun is about "93 million light years from earth and about 865,000 miles in diameter," (Ericson, 4). Some would argue that the scientific discovery of facts such as these has reduced mankindà ¢s relationship with the sun to mere attempts at obtaining solar data, rather than the continuation of developing scientific discoveries into useful development practices. As mentioned above, the earth has orbited the sun for ages, fueling nearly all biological life processes. With this in mind, it seems inconceivable that this ancient provider could possibly continue to support the demanding energy needs of human development in the present age of fossil fuel combustion. With generations native to the later part of the 20th century there exists an obvious disbelief that the answer to increasing energy needs and problematic fuel shortages could be found in plain sight on any given day. What is unknown to many is that solar design is not a term used solely in reference to natural processes, but rather an investigation of passive design, engineered heaters and photovoltaic systems to serve mankindà ¢s energy needs. While widely unrecognized, people utilize it to complete many commonplace tasks, such as harnessing the wind to dry laundry, using solar covers to heat swimming pools and the planting of shade trees outdoors to produce a low temperature environment to name a few. What these everyday tasks illuminate that is not reflected by the commercial energy indus... ...Harcourt Brace and World, 1963. Butti, K. and Perlin, J. A Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology. New York: Littleton Educational Publishing, 1980. Berman, D.M. and Oà ¢Connor, J.T. Who Owns the Sun? People, Politics, and the Struggle for a Solar Economy. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing, 1996. Beattie, Donald A. History and Overview of Solar Heat Technologies. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1997. Reece, Ray. The Sun Betrayed: A Report on the Corporate Seizure of U.S. Solar Energy Development. Montreal: Black Rose Books, 1979. Flavin, C. and Lenssen, N. Beyond the Petroleum Age: Designing a Solar Economy. Worldwatch Paper 100, 1990. Ericson, Katharine. The Solar Jobs Book. Andover: Brick House Publishing, 1980. Henderson, Hazel. The Politics of the Solar Age: Alternatives to Economics. Garden City: Anchor Books, 1981.

Banana Plantations in Central America

The â€Å"banana republic† is a familiar term. What is less known is how literally the term applied during the early 20th century in many regions of Central America. The United Fruit Company, an American concern, was formed in 1899 when several banana companies merged. Since banana is a crop best grown in Central American climates, the company acquired ever greater amounts of land there. The company soon became the largest employer in Central America. Its presence and political influence there affected the lives of the native peoples in ways that remain controversial to this day.The large peasant class of Central America was the most profoundly affected. Life Before, and during, United Fruit The European domination of Central America during the 18th and 19th centuries resulted in a highly stratified social structure. The traditional social order of the Mayans and Aztecs reinforced that structure. There was a very large peasant class, some of whom came there as slaves. The aver age peasant struggled to get by, often being forced to work for whatever large foreign company had moved into their area. Many of these peasants were descendants of the powerful Indian cultures that had been there thousands of years prior.Others brought a West African influence to the region, with their unique methods of worship, dance and music. The peasants of Central America are part of a rich and dynamic culture. They are anything but unskilled. For example, they are known for their ability to make beautiful, colorful clothing. This was first noted by the conquistadores and remains a skill to this day. It was the Indians who discovered a use for the cacao, the basis of chocolate. They created a sort chocolate drink that became widely popular. It was later modified to suit European and American tastes.The diet of the peasants often consisted foods such as beans, maize, frijoles, chili and beef. Exports from Central America to the rest of the world rose sharply during the mid-1800 's. In response to the demand, farmers cultivated a variety of crops including rubber trees, cacao, sugar and fruit. The main cash crop was something else, however. According to Peter Bakewell in A History of Latin America: But most prominent by far in this line of agricultural goods was coffee, which was the leading export, c. 1913, of no fewer than seven countries. (2004) Farmers, at first, were in business alone.In most cases, however, their land was swallowed up by large corporate concerns. As these corporations became more prominent repressive, pro-corporate regimes were installed. Since the 1970’s the trend has reversed itself. Small, individual farms are becoming more and more common. A regional movement has emerged to promote self-survival through small farming. Guatemalans are using traditional stories, parables and humorous anecdotes to spread agricultural knowledge to their Mexican neighbors. They also share proud peasant virtues such as the love of farming, family and community.These virtues have been shared by peasants in Central America for hundreds of years. Still, life was difficult. Most peasants have to take second or third jobs. Farmers may do additional day labor on other farms. Some do not own land and work as a field hand wherever the work is available. Prior to the 1944 socialist revolution in Guatemalan wealth was concentrated among an elite few: †¦just 2. 2 percent of the population owned over 70 percent of the country’s land. Only 10 percent of the land was available for 90 percent of the population, most of whom were Indians. (Landmeier, 1997).This concentration of land in the hands of a powerful few made it easy for companies to come in and acquire large amounts of land. These companies often left large tracts of land uncultivated. The peasants could have used this land to grow a variety of crops; instead they were often forced to take jobs at the company, on the company’s terms. The Growth of the Corporate Plantation Cheap labor, available land and favorable climatic and political conditions drew large multi-national corporations to Central America in the late 1800’s. The lives of the small peasant farmers would be altered dramatically.The United Fruit Company became the most prominent example of a foreign company influencing a sovereign government and the lives of its citizens. The United Fruit Company began operations at a time when there was little restraint on businesses. Huge monopolies, such as Standard Oil, were allowed to develop and dominate markets. The labor movement in The United States was still in its infancy, although it had won a few concessions from business and the government. For a company such as United Fruit, which employed thousands in foreign countries, there was little oversight.The large peasant population in Central America was merely seen as â€Å"cheap labor† for the huge company. United Fruit made â€Å"quid pro quo† deals with foreig n politicians to gain land and other concessions from those governments. The company had government assistance in putting down strikes, some of which involved more than 100,000 workers. In Colombia, the army fired into a large crowd of peasant strikers, killing dozens. Accusations arose that the army was essentially under the direction of The United Fruit Company. The Good and the BadNot all of the effects of the banana plantations were negative. United Fruit built much needed infrastructure in countries such as Guatemala and Honduras. Rail lines and schools were built and postal service was improved. Jobs at United Fruit typically paid more than other jobs in the areas where they were located. In later years, employees received medical care and free education. At the same time, jobs at banana plantations were often temporary. Working conditions were difficult, if not dangerous. Field workers were exposed to potentially harmful pesticides and other chemicals.The rail lines served as another monopoly for a company like United Fruit, so they pressured governments not to build highways. The United Fruit Company gained undue influence over the lives of ordinary citizens through corrupt politicians. The most famous example arose in 1975, shortly before the company reorganized. Reports came to light that United Fruit was paying a $2. 5 million dollar bribe to the President of Honduras in exchange for tax breaks. The Honduran President was later removed by a military coup. The banana company also had influence within the American government.It encouraged the government to intervene to stop socialist movements in Central America. In 1954, the Central Intelligence Agency took covert action to undermine a Guatemalan regime they feared would align with the Soviet Union. The regime had planned to buy back the large amounts of unused land owned by United Fruit and distribute it to peasants. It is this image of unrestrained American capitalism and exploitation that has driv en a number of Central American countries toward socialist regimes. In Central America, United Fruit is now broken into many subsidiaries. Much of the banana crop is received from independent farms.For Central American peasants the legacy of United Fruit is likely to be more bad than good. They feel they have been exploited and their traditional way of life nearly destroyed. The influence of the company over regional politics meant that the lower classes had little representation in the government. That has changed somewhat, but the problem of poverty remains. Today the working classes soldier on, doing what they must to maintain their rich culture. Sources Bakewell, Peter. A History of Latin America (2nd ed. ). Oxford, U. K. : Blackwell Publishing, 2004. Chomsky, Aviva.West Indian Workers and the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica, 1870-1940. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1996. Draper, Thomas (ed. ). Democracy and Dictatorship in Latin America. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1981. Keen, Benjamin (ed. ). Latin American Civilization: history and society, 1492 to the present. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991. Landmeier, Peter. â€Å"Banana Republic: The United Fruit Company† 1997. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2006: < http://www. mayaparadise. com/ufc1e. htm >. United Fruit Historical Society. â€Å"Chronology† [web site] 2006. Retrieved 11/17/2006 < http://www. unitedfruit. org/chron. htm >.

Politics Texas Political Culture - 1097 Words

Political Culture Texas political culture is one that can be described as a combination of three main ideas: individualistic, traditionalism and moralism. Considering Texas and its overwhelming 254 counties we can see these main ideas undoubtedly. The 254 counties each have their own general set of ideas, attitudes and beliefs. The whole state of Texas is simply not just considered individualistic, traditionalism, or moralism, it is considered all three. Individualistic, traditionalism and moralism are all strong values that coexist in our society and they all affect how we as the people live our lives. A political culture shapes a region’s politics. Texas has all three political cultures all over the state, but when people outside of†¦show more content†¦They were not all named George or Jeb Bush for no reason, â€Å"if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.† Individualism is the belief of self-reliance. Texas is also known for being on its own. Which leads to its famous saying, â€Å"you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.† They are all about being the self-made man. An individualist prefers privacy, is suspicious of public institutions, and is an independent contractor. This attitude ties into our low active government. Government is sought out to be at low cost and out of the way of its voters. Texas government is very limited, and has a legislature that meets biennially. Due to our isolation, public education is under funded and is at its high in many court battles and legislative conflicts. The heart of individualism would be laissez-faire. In Britannica, laissez-faire is the policy of minimum governmental interference in the economic affairs of individuals and society. Laissez-faire is basically telling government to â€Å"leave them alone.† The whole concept is to keep minimum government interference in busine ss. Moralism is all about the community and a commonwealth. They are suspicious of private institutions and interests. An example would be social security, social welfare programs, and public education programs. A moralist is all about being equal with people, everyone needs a fair share. Austin Texas has a lot of business there. They are big or moralism because of its big community.Show MoreRelatedTexas’ Individualistic and Traditionalistic Culture: The Impact these Ideologies have had on Texas State Government and the Reasons People Support t1019 Words   |  5 PagesTexas is a unique place with a colorful history of legendary cowboys and tall tales. The state stretches over the middle section of the southern United States. Texas has experienced shifts in governmental control within the United States. French, Spanish, Mexican, and Confederacy, and all having once been in charge, not to mention the time Texas spent as an independent republic. 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