Medias Effect on Body Image free essay sample

The Media How realistic is the media’s presentation of women? Women and men come in all shapes and size, yet constantly the media presents us with only one ‘image’ – a very slender and unrealistic one. Only a small percentage of women actually look that way naturally. We forget when looking at these pictures that the best lighting and photographic equipment, hours with make-up artists and wardrobe assistants have been necessary to make these women look so ‘natural’. What is the media trying to do by constantly presenting us with unrealistic images? Deliberately convince us that we are not good enough as we are. To make us believe that in order to be happy, successful and popular we must change – we must try and mirror the media image. Because for most of us our size, shape and facial features are not represented on the screen or in the magazines we begin to feel as though we are ‘not good enough’. We will write a custom essay sample on Medias Effect on Body Image or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We begin to believe that we need to change, that we should not be happy with our current appearances. What do you think is gained by having us believe that we need to change ourselves? There is BIG money to be made in the name of image creation. Large industries are flourishing because we have come to believe that we need their products and services in order to be wanted, needed, loved, happy and successful. Just think of all the cosmetics, diet books, dietary products, dieting agencies, cosmetic surgeries – the number of businesses which are thriving simply because we have been made to feel inadequate as we naturally are. How would these businesses survive if we were left to feel happy with ourselves? How does this all effect us? We are of course all affected in varying degrees. The pressure to feel dissatisfied with ourselves can lead to low self-esteem, even self-hatred. Some of us become obsessed with striving to achieve the media image. This can be time consuming, expensive and emotionally damaging and lead to physical ill-health. Far from promoting health and happiness, these media images encourage illness. Some of us feel guilty when eating or swimming in public because out bodies are ‘not good enough’. Many turn to disordered eating patterns. many have died as a result. How successful do you feel the media has been in convincing you and your friends that you need to change? Think about how differently you would feel about yourself if the slim media image was replaced with a wide variety of shapes and sizes – just like the real world? What can you do about all this? Think carefully about the points raised here. Talk them over with your friends – we are all being pressured by the media. We all want to be loved, desired, happy, feel needed and wanted – but are those things that can really be bought, copied, or manufactured? Do happiness and popularity really come from a diet sheet, a pot of face cream or from a painful cosmetic surgery procedure? Suggestions Perhaps you and your friends can agree to help each other overcome media pressure by not encouraging each others diet and food fads, advocating certain body shapes or endorsing right and wrong body shapes. Reduce the talk of losing weight and changing shape. Try not to wonder what your ideal body shape is and think more about things that make you feel healthy and comfortable in you own skin. Leant to look at different shapes and sizes in a new light for what they are – that there are many different types of beautiful.

University of Guilan Essays - British People, Consensus Reality

University of Guilan Essays - British People, Consensus Reality University of Guilan Department of English Language and Literature A Deconstructive Study of Moral/Unmoral and Male/Female Oppositions as Social Conventions in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming By: Mahsa Mokhtari January 2015 Contents Abstract Introduction 1 What Are Social Conventions? 2 Social Conventions as Rooms 3 Moral/Unmoral Opposition as a Social Convention 4 Male/Female Opposition as a Social Convention 9 Conclusion 11 Bibliography Abstract Nobel Prizewinning playwright Harold Pinter (b. 1930) is one of the most important literary figures in post war British era. Pintersque ' is the adjective that was coined to show the mysterious and baffling quality in his plays. This essay aims at reading Harold Pinter's The Homecoming (1965) in terms of challenges it creates for the social conventions and deconstructing two of those conventions which are moral/unmoral and male/female oppositions . The present study calls attention to the nature of social conventions and the ways by which they have affected our lives. Moreover, it examines moral/unmoral and male/female oppositions as two social conventions that are provided with the opportunity of being deconstructed in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming . This study traces these social conventions in the play, unmasks the privileged central term, and then subverts the center by foregrounding the borderline , that results in the dance of the both oppositional pairs in free play of non hierarchi cal and unstable meanings . Introduction From the early days of The Room (1957) and The Birthday Party (1958), the inability to place Pinter alongside his contemporaries ( followers of trends such as Kitchen Sink drama and Theater of Absurd) baffled critics. Subsequently, Pinter's works were dubbed comedies of menace,' thought to be dealing with "unspeakable terror," or an atmosphere that is "before all else, of terror " (Harman 2008). As Ronald Knowles remarks, "understanding Pinter involves understanding society as the twe ntieth century draws to a close " ( Knowles 1995: 18). Pinter's politics are premised on power-structured relationships and, in particular, how social relations involving authority and power threaten the autonomy a nd importance of the individual or in other words how these power relations and social conventions leave no place for individualism. Pinter's individuals struggle to retain their sen se of self, despite the social and political rel ations, which is doomed from the beginning although their effort is considerable and in fact they do as Samuel Becket says, " Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. The critic John Lahr describes the impact o f experiencing this play: "'The Homecoming' changed my life. Before the play, I thought words were just vessels of meaning; after it, I saw them as weapons of defence . Before, I thought theatre was about the spoken; after, I understood the eloquence of the unspoken. The position of a chair, the length of a pause, the choice of a gesture, I realised , could convey volumes" (Lahr 2007). In a sense The Homecoming is about all of these unspoken elements that give rise to the social conventions and about the individuals of this play that are unconsciously in the process of deconstructing them. They fail because their efforts lead to the development of new social conventions but their failure, and all of the other failures of this nature, function as delicate historical movements that form a process, a process that can one day lead to the downfall of the tendency of society toward conventions. The dichotomy between moral and unmoral has been and will be one of the most controversial concepts. What do we mean when we say that something is moral? A behavior is moral, when it goes in line with the purposes of the social convention that has the power at a specific time, and all other behaviors are unmoral. The power relations through morality, create the concept of self' and other' (to use Lacan's terms) in people, so that people automatically see the person with the moral behavior as self' and try to reach to this self' at any cost even at the cost of sacrificing their own individuality, and the person with the unmoral behavior as other' who should be avoided. The characters in this play (as well as other plays by Pinter) try

International Finance - currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Finance - currency - Essay Example Same method is applied for obtaining the values mentioned at other places and tables elsewhere also in this paper. FOREX experts thought that the pound would begin the year 2003 on an optimistic note but unfortunately for the pound, that year also began with a downward trend against the Euro and continued till the year end. The first quarter saw the pound value against euro drip by 5.8% from 1.539429 to 1.449098. It further continued the downward journey to 1.438329 by the end of second quarter reaching its lowest of the year at 1.397857 on May 30. The decline in the second quarter was 0 .7 % and negligible when compared to the first quarter decline. On the whole, the pound dripped by 6.56 % during the first half of the year which had seen the euro rise against the pound from 0.649591to 0.695251. The following table and the subsequent graph show the decline of the pound against the Euro as explained earlier in the first half of the year 2003. The European Central Bank (ECB) has continued with a policy of consistency in bank rates boosting up the morale of the Euro in FOREX markets. In January and February, 2003, the Governing Council of ECB decided to continue with existing rates of 3.75% and 1.75 % for marginal lending and deposit facilities respectively. The minimum bid rate on main refinancing operations also continued to be at 3.75% putting at rest all the rumours. This was followed by a report, released on February 24, 2003, that claimed that the solvency levels of EU banks also continued to be even stronger. The regulatory capital ratio for EU banking system stood at 12% as against the minimum requirement of 8% in the preceding two years of 2001 and 2002, according to this report (Press release, 24 February 2003-EU Banking sector stability, The banking sector has remained stable). While these decisions helped the Euro maintain its stability and uptrend against the pound, some unfavourable trends persisted on the home ground for the latter currency adding fuel to the fire. No doubt, the British economy had recorded maximum growth rate in the third quarter of 2002 due to buoyancy in consumer spending and rising of prices while the GDP rose by 0.94 % in comparison with the previous quarter. But the inflation rate had crossed the Bank of England's (BOE) expected target of 2.5% reaching almost 2.8% in the last quarter (Released on 1/9/03 For 4 Jan 2003 ). The BOE defended the inflation rate arguing that the tendency was temporary and had its sources in the rising prices of oil and housing. With a view to reverse the inflation trend, the BOE had reduced the interest rate to 3.75 percent from 4%. This was the lowest level borrowing rate in the country since 1955 (Released on 2/6/03 For Feb 2003) and it naturally made the public and FOREX traders lose interest on the pound leading to its continuous downtrend against the Euro. The following table shows how it went down further in the second half of the year 2003. Date / Month

Leading Strategic Change and Business Strategy Case Study

Leading Strategic Change and Business Strategy - Case Study Example (2003) suggest, strategic change can move beyond merely the formulation of strategy by a consideration of the whole process from planning through to implementation. Change management does involve "managing" and thus control, but also the realization that change is often an organic process that develops in unexpected manners. Baloqun's most important idea, one that moves beyond traditional change management, is that it should move beyond the "formulaic" and "linear" process that has previously dominated the models. Context-specific analysis is an interesting variation on the normal modeling process, as it seeks to enable the manager to see that which is specific to her company rather than that which fits into the models. The change kaleidoscope involves dissecting the possible ramifications of change, while always keeping in mind the overall strategy that is in place. The manager must develop what Baloqun refers to as "change judgment": that is, the ability to understand the critical features of a specific change context. The important element here is to recognize what is and what is not possible within change implementation. A manager involved in change management first needs to be aware of what exactly is happening at the given moment within the business, and then needs to be able to extrapolate possible outcomes based upon that awareness. The first premise of planning is having as much knowledge as possible. The type of planning which is now occurring has changed radically from that envisioned in the traditional business model. As John Byrne puts it, "gone are the abstraction, sterility, and top-down arrogance of the old model." (Byrne, 1) Now managers in the most successful corporations are part of a system in which "today's gurus of strategy urge companies to democratize the process", and they do this "by handing strategic planning over to teams of line and staff managers from different disciplines." (Byrne, 1) Often young, junior managers who are noted for their creative thinking are teamed with near-retirement, senior managers who essentially have nothing to lose and so can tell it like it is. So from the most junior to the most senior manager there is a role, both for planning within their own specific area of the business, but also for constant consideration of how that may effect longer-term and more far-reaching plans. This is the democratic and enrolling type of leadership that is increasingly seen as the most successful in the modern business environment in which change is constant. Planning is perhaps the central role of all managers, because all the other functions flow from it and must always consider their relationship to it. A business without a plan has no future, and so all the other functions will be redundant. Organization within a business is essential to planning: in one sense it is one of the tools that may be used to realize a plan. Organization is divided into two basic areas: control/co-ordination of tasks, and the management of information flow within the company. Management of tasks and deciding what information needs to be collated and to whom it should go is essential for business growth, particularly for the vital task of leadership development. Organization involves investing in "human capital, the most important asset inside of organizations today." (Carter, xi) Managers, especially at the highest level, must organize the tasks of their

Informative Paper Essay Example for Free

Informative Paper Essay Introduction I. Attention-Grabbing introduction: Staple center, Los Angeles, California. Friday November, 4th 2013 1:24PM The Championship match. After a weekend full of ups and downs, twist and turns it all comes to this. 1 week earlier, the previous Friday thousands have flown down to the heart of it all. Crowded around the event hall doors, people everywhere, spectators itching to get the best seats. Players going over in game builds, timings, and strategies just one more time until the doors finally open. 8 teams of 5 players to a team were seated into the week long tournament and now only two remain. Royal Club and SK Telecom are season veterans of League of Legends and now they sit on opposite ends on top of the world championship main stage. Ready to compete head to head for the grand prize of 1 million dollars in front of 1000s right there in Los Angeles and millions watching from all around the world. II. Topic: These millions from around the world have emitted their love for gaming into a hugely popular phenomena known as Electronic sports or better known as of E-Sports. Viewership has seen explosive growth in 2013 and is still growing with no sign of deterrence. Now with the integration of technology into our culture a new type of athlete has risen. One that doesn’t achieve victory heavily based on the bronze that is armed but with the critical thinking and reflex of the mind. An outsider might find this such a concept laughable but these pro gamers are far from any negative stereotypes you may have. III. Ethos Audience Adaptation: My name is Jonathon Allen and I have been a fan and member of the E-Sports community for nearly a decade. I have had opportunities to play professionally at the MLG North American Regionals in Columbus and New York  in 2012 which I have placed 2nd and 3rd in out of 30 teams. Over the years I have also conducting extensive research on E-Sports ranging from players and teams to the technology side of running and mending events in the industry. E-Sports can be a lot to digest for someone looking in for the first time so I’ll explain exactly what and how big E-Sports really is including the potential E-Sports has to expand and grow. Before we go any further I’d like to present this video to visually show you exactly what E-Sports is and most importantly what it feels like. Visual Aid! Body I.This is E-Sports, competition at its finest. Players competing for cash prizes ranging from thousands to millions. Top players make 6 figure incomes and are even sponsored by big corporations such as Monster, Intel, Redbull, Asus, and Kingston. Pro gamers are locked into head to head combat in games like League of Legends. A DOTA-MMO style game that’s played as a team of 5 people VS 5 people. The object of the game is strategizing on how to win by taking the enemies base while leveling up and generating gold. Most games usually last around 40 minutes. II.You may ask; why would someone watch someone else play a video game? That’s simple; the excitement from watching others play video games stands as the same excitement we get from watching other athletes perform at sports such as football. T.J. Heffer from PC gamer Magazine states â€Å"What makes any competition interesting is watching very skilled individuals struggle for victory in a setting where the outcome is uncertain and the moment to moment back and forth keeps you on your toes.† Heffer continuous â€Å"Rather or not you want to call them sports they showcase people with amazing critical thinking, planning, and decision making skills and frankly inhuman reflexes as well. The level of professional level in a game lie League of Legends is mind boggling.† Professional gamers put their heart and soul into the game. They have drive, passion, hard work and dedication just like any professional athlete you can think of. III.As I’m assuming E-Sports may be alien to many of you but in nations like South Korea games such as StarCraft have already become something of a national sport. Paul Tassi of Forbs Magazine said â€Å"Overseas, top players are treated like professional Athletes.† Though South Korea has become atoned to the notion of playing games professionally North America believe it or not is where the biggest interest for pro gaming lies. In North American E-Sports, leagues and organizations have risen and grown in the past 3 years. In of these leagues the biggest E-Sports organization is Major League Gaming or MLG. Founded in 2002 Major League Gaming features numerous tournaments in a year where various gamers fly out to major cities across the US like Columbus to compete. In MLG’s Annual Viewership Report for the 2013 season they reported 15 million unique viewers tuned into watch online during the 2013 season. As those 15 million viewers tuned in last year it’s clear that E-Sports has already landed a very stable footing into the hearts of Americans across the United States. But perhaps even more thrilling and exciting is the growth that E-Sports has already shown. Between 2010 – 2013 MLG has seen a 733% growth in viewership from 1.8 million to 15 Million. Comparing that to the NFLS record growth of 18% in the past 3 years that’s 715% more than the NFL. Let’s not down play the viewership of the NFL which has recorded a record of 28.1 Million viewers for their 2013 – 2014 season. But you start to understand thus to how much potential E-Sports has when MLG a company that’s only been around for 11 years has acquired a viewership of 15 million. Just a little above half of the NFLS record viewer count 28.1 an organization that has been around for nearly a 100 years. Conclusion With these statistics of expansion and with how overseas treats E-Sports like a national sport and with pro gamers possessing the same set of virtues that any professional athlete has along the millions around the globe that  already are a part of the community only drives E-Sports. It’s not really a question of is it, it’s really a question of when! When asked about where he sees E-Sports going and what to expect of the industry. MLG Co-Founder Sundance DiGiovanni in a position that puts him at the hell of the entire E-Sports industry told Forbs Magazine in 2012 â€Å"that in 5 years he expects E-Sports to be a globally recognized phenomena. A truly established global sport.†

Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas :: Poetry

"Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas is a poem about death. Dylan Thomas wrote this poem during the last illness of his father's life. The author creates an image of death with the use of the sons pleading words asking his father to fight against the darkness that is taking over and leading him into the afterlife. Dylan Thomas meticulously creates an image of death through the use of cunning words and by giving each word a deeper significance than its literal connotation. The author uses the image of death in every paragraph of the poem. It is one of despair and gloom. Dylan Thomas uses the words "night (1.1)" and "dark (2.1)" to describe the certain outcome of the father. Thomas declares "Rage, rage against the dying of the light (1.3)" to generate the feeling that death is unpleasant therefore forming a grim image for the reader. The author also uses numerous literal undertones throughout the poem to produce a melancholy attitude in the reader. He speaks of "wise men (2.1)", "good men (3.1)", "wild men (4.1)" and "grave men (5.1)" all coming to their death without any hope of life continuing thus encouraging the guarantee that everyone will come to their end. The literary element of tone is also present in this poem. Thomas sets the tone by conveying his anger about death by using grim words coming together to create a poem only nineteen lines long. Thomas also repeats "Rage, rage against the dying of the light (1.3)" and "Do not go gentle into that good night (1.1)" several times, communicating a dreadful tone to the reader. By using these strategically placed words and phrases, he forms a word-repeating pattern that is often found in the tone of anger.

Human History of the Grand Teton Essay

Human history of the Grand Teton region dates back at least 11,000 years, when the first nomadic hunter-gatherer Paleo-Indians would migrate into the region during warmer months in pursuit of food and supplies. In the early 19th-century, the first Caucasian explorers encountered the eastern Shoshone natives. Between 1810 and 1840, the region attracted fur trading companies that vied for control of the lucrative beaver fur trade. U.S. Government expeditions to the region commenced in the mid 19th-century as an offshoot of exploration in Yellowstone, and the first permanent white settlers in Jackson Hole arrived in the 1880s. Efforts to preserve the region as a national park commenced in the late 19th-century and in 1929, Grand Teton National Park was established, protecting the major peaks of the Teton Range. The valley of Jackson Hole remained in private ownership until the 1930s, when conservationists led by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. began purchasing land in Jackson Hole to be added to the existing national park. Against public opinion and with repeated congressional efforts to repeal the measures, much of Jackson Hole was set aside for protection as Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943. The monument was abolished in 1950 and most of the monument land was added to Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. The naming of the mountains is attributed to early 19th-century French speaking trappers—†les trois tetons† (the three teats) was later anglicized and shortened to Tetons. At 13,775 feet (4,199 m), Grand Teton abruptly rises more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above Jackson Hole, almost 850 feet (260 m) higher than Mount Owen, the second highest summit in the range. The park has numerous lakes, including 15-mile (24 km) long Jackson Lake as well as streams of varying length and the upper main stem of the Snake River. Though in a state of recession, a dozen small glaciers persist at the higher elevations near the highest peaks in the range. Some of the rocks in the park are the oldest found in any U.S. National Park and have been dated at nearly 2.7 billion years.