Abstract The paper reviews the documentary, "Tough Guise" by J. Katz on the crisis of America's notion of masculinity. The paper discusses Katz's point that television and movie audience members are not passive recipients to the text and visuals, but instead incorporate what they see and hear into their own lives and social situations in many different ways. It shows how the effects of media and television manifest themselves in a multitude of anti-social behaviors, including the rise of hegemonic masculinity and violence in young and teenage boys.
From the Paper "As an agent of socialization in today's society, movies play a very large role in sculpting the thoughts, opinions, and actions of children and young adults. Most movies portray men as strong, dominant, intimidating, independent, respected and in control. By doing this, we as a society are reinforcing in boys that violence is conceived to be a normal part of being men and is admired."
Abstract The paper describes the chemical process of the brain whereby memory is affected by stress. It discusses several experiments which were carried out to determine whether stress effects the brains of men and women differently. The paper explains that the results showed that the effect was purely chemical and not psychological and therefore it did not differentiate between the sexes.
From the Paper "It is important to note that stress is not age-restrictive. Young children are as susceptible to stress as adults. Some of the things that have been known to cause stress in young children are changing schools, problems with peers, injuries or severe illness, recent move to a new home, loss of anything valuable to the child, parents' divorce, separation or marital conflict, inadequate physical resources-food, clothing, shelter, etc., recent death of a loved one-parent, grandparent, sibling, friend, constant fatigue brought about by inadequate rest, sleep or recreation, regular conflict between your child and another family member, close friend or school teacher."
Abstract Susan Brownmiller and Susan Jacoby are two essayists with opposing views on pornography. Each argue the case of pornography in relation to the First Amendment that guarantees freedom of speech. This paper presents and describes each case in turn followed by an analysis of the effectiveness and persuasiveness of each argument.
From the Paper "Brownmiller also describes pornography as promoting rape against women, promoting violence against women and promoting the image of the female as a sexual object existing only for the pleasure of men. Brownmiller argues that pornography does not portray sexual activities as being associated with love, but instead only associated with the sexual act as an act to satisfy a man's needs. The end result is that women are seen as being sexual creatures to serve men, instead of the act of sex being seen as an act of love between two individuals."
Abstract The paper begins with a synopsis of the state of general education in the country, and then turns to the social beliefs and the traditional roles between women and men that are responsible for this disparity. It explores primary, senior and higher education.
From the Paper "Papua New Guinea is located in the South Pacific. The island is rich in resources and has been called "an island of gold awash in a sea of oil" (Schaper). The natural resources haven't been exploited because of the expense associated with building a modern infrastructure along with the area's naturally rough terrain. So, with all of its natural wealth, the island has failed to develop economically. Around 37 percent of the population are living in poverty (Papua New Guinea). Due to gender disparities in education, only half of the nation is educated with an opportunity to obtain high-paying jobs."
Abstract This paper explores the current position of the gay and lesbian population in American society. The writer attempts to explore the culture and understand how spaces and territories are established. The writer also discusses the differences in social lives of gays and lesbians.
From the Paper "America's gay and lesbian populations have come a long way in recent decades. They are far less apt to remain in the closet than in days gone by and they are much more open about their lifestyle than they had been in the past. The gay and lesbian community worked hard to carve out niches in urban society including hang outs, social functions and other rights of passage that are an automatic given for the straights of the nation.
?The late 1980s and early 1990s saw a growing sensitization on the part of mainstream society to the issues of gay and lesbian liberation(Voigt, 1999). Though the questions of gays in the military and gay marriage remain controversial, a number of gay issues been resolved, even on the civic level."
Tags: liberation, closet, homosexual, marriage, AIDS
Abstract This paper sheds light on some important issues related to employment of HIV infected people. With dramatic increase in HIV patients worldwide, several problems have surfaced regarding the rights of this group in society and in the workplace. Corporations are still uncertain how an HIV infected employee should be covered by medical insurance when pre-existing conditions can be a huge burden on a company's financial resources. Discrimination based on valid concerns and social prejudice has made life difficult for the infected members of the American workforce. The paper shows how sufferers are not treated fairly in the workplace and how certain professions have imposed restrictions on the entry of infected people.
From the Paper "HIV/AIDS virus is an extremely dangerous and mysterious predator, that has infected some 22.6 million people around the world, and the number is continuously rising as no cure is in sight and no breakthrough in this field has yet been achieved. The disease that was discovered in 1981 posed a major threat to the human population when, within the first five years of its discovery, AIDS had attacked 24,000 Americans and it was believed that within a short period of time this disease would reach an epidemical stage. That period has expired and we are encountering a situation, which two decades ago was simply impossible to even imagine."
Tags: cost, employment, patient, restrictions, rights
Abstract The writer of this paper describes the techniques used by the film maker to illustrate common issues evident in cutthroat corporate America. The writer explains how Levinson combines cynicism with optimism to realistically portray the conflicts in corporate circles.
From the Paper "Cutthroat corporate America comes alive in Barry Levinsons's film Disclosure starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. The title of the film conveys several meanings: the most carnal is the disclosure of Meredith Johnson's (Moore?s) body. Her seduction falls short of perfect, however, and soon the truth is revealed, thanks to a coincidental phone message. Disclosure also refers to the uncovering of the sordid truth in Digicom's cost-cutting plans for their new CD ROM drive, Arcamax. To assure a lucrative merger, Garvin (played by Donald Sutherland) and his team subvert production plans of the new drives, thereby humiliating the head of production lines, Tom Sanders (Douglas). ?Give a man $100 million and you create a frustrated billionaire,? warns Stephanie Kaplan, who turns out to be a true friend to Sanders. Disclosure elucidates the genuine corporate conflict between profit and integrity and also illustrates the continued tension between sexuality and power in the workplace. Levinson and his cast use body language, dialogue, and cinematographic pacing to draw out and resolve the film's conflicts."
Abstract Mrs. Doubtfire is a movie about a man who dresses as a woman and passes as a nanny so that he can be closer to his children following an ugly divorce. By examining the first scene, this paper explores the social values being portrayed in the movie. These include the well-being of children, continuity in the character's children's lives and self-sacrifice.
From the Paper "The remarkable fact about the movie, ?Mrs. Doubtfire,? is that there are no villains. Although the story centers on a divorce, an unemployed father, Daniel, torn from his three children, and his ex-wife, Miranda, being romanced by a handsome and successful old flame, Stu, no one is to blame, no one is the bad guy. The better qualities of each character shine through the trauma and dysfunction that this family finds itself. Thus, by concentrating on the positive aspects of the relationships, the film teaches that love is the one thing that makes a family, no matter the distance, lifestyle, or circumstance."
Abstract MacKinnon petitioned the High Court claiming that pornography was a violation of Civil Rights, and she won the case. This paper looks at the arguments she presented and how her re-definition of pornography has social ramifications. It looks at other work she has done in the field of legislation against sexual harassment.
From the Paper "Beginning in the mid 1970s, MacKinnon pioneered the legal claim for sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. Beginning in 1983, with Andrea Dworkin, she conceived and wrote ordinances recognizing pornography as a violation of civil rights. The U.S. Supreme Court accepted her theory of sexual harassment in 1986. The Supreme Court of Canada adopted, in part, approaches that she created with the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) to equality (1989), pornography (1992), and hate speech (1991). (Website)"
Abstract This is an introduction to the topic that sexuality in advertisement causes sexual desirability of a person. The null hypothesis is that this experiment using sexual advertisement will not produce desirability. The paper shows how sexuality is a problem in the United States and examines whether the advertisements that portray sexuality may lead to sexual violence crimes. The writer asks that if this is true, then is it ethical to use "sexual" advertisements?
From the Paper "Does sexuality cause desire for sex? What is the difference between looking at sexual advertisements and regular advertisements without sexuality? Is there a difference? The class will show 15 sexual advertisements and 15 non-sexual advertisements. Will there be a difference? Many believe that the media has played a role in the increase of young people having sex early and with more partners. Is this true? Movies, television, music, and magazines are filled with sexual messages to the young person. Even at an early childhood age, children want to dress sexually. Teens rate the media as a second source of information about sex. Schools are the first source in giving information about sex. Does "sexual" advertisement lead to sexual crimes and aggression? Is it ethical to use sexually appealing advertisements if it can lead to violence in the home or other crimes? Does research show that advertisements bring the desire for sexuality? "
Abstract This paper examines the relationship ? often predictable, but sometimes surprising ? between body image and sexual satisfaction, examining in particular how so many people end up with a poor body image and little sexual satisfaction because they do not meet cultural standards for beauty. However, another focus of this research is how some people who are not good matches for culturally mandated standards of beauty or sexual attractiveness nevertheless find a high degree of sexual satisfaction.
From the Paper "We might think that sexuality is a perfectly natural aspect of human life. After all, we could hardly have survived as a species if sex were not something that we could engage in without too much analysis. But therein lies the rub, for sexual satisfaction ? or sexuality ? and sex are not the same thing anymore than sex and gender are. While for the purposes of this paper we may define sex as various forms of intimate contact (including intercourse) between two people (usually of opposite sexes) in which the biological shape of people's bodies is the most important determining factor, sexual satisfaction is in many ways a cultural construct. Sexual satisfaction includes both the physical sensations of sex and everything we think about them ? from whom we believe should have sex with whom to the morality of abortion to whom we find sexually attractive. The issues of human sexuality ? as opposed to the biological mechanics of sex ? is a vastly complex topic, too broad for a single paper. Thus this research concentrates on a single corner of this topic, the intersection of body image and sexual satisfaction."
Abstract This analysis examines how Charles Derber explains the different types of formal interactions between both males and females. The writer uses real life examples to reinforce Derbers main points. It discusses deals with topics such as social class and social status, and examines how high school students in particular are extremely concerned about these labels.
From the Paper "According to the Encarta dictionary "attention" is defined as a notice or interest. Charles Derber discusses the different ways certain people gain interest from others in his book ?The Pursuit of Attention.? Along with the ways individuals gain attention he breaks it down into different social classes, gender, and different situations that we someday my encounter in our own lives. In the first chapter he gives us actual examples to help us grasp the concept of "Shift Response" and ?Support Response.? Using these two types of responses we create different unique styles to respond to each other's questions and comments. These responses also allow you to act professional and not rude when talking to people you have never met before."
Tags: class, social, sociology, status, formal, label, high, school
A study of philosopher Michel Foucault's "Discipline and Punish" and Sandre Lee Bartky's "Femininity and Domination" and their views on power struggle.
Abstract This paper looks at two different views of society as seen by Michel Foucault in "Discipline and Punish" and Sandra Lee Bartky in her book "Femininity and Domination". The paper investigates how each observes a power struggle in our society. Foucault argues that it is through our society's power structure that our current society has evolved alongside the prison, whereas Bartky argues that the current power structure of society creates a male dominated society.
From the Paper "The town fought the plague by implementing strict discipline on the whole society. It was one of the first times the disciplinary society emerged as a power structure. With the three steps to docility, methods through which discipline spread, and panopticism our society, as Foucault argues, has turned into a prison society."
Abstract In recent years there has been a growing realization that AIDS is spreading rapidly among women. This paper discusses the fact that women with AIDS tend to become sicker, faster, and die sooner with AIDS due to numerous social and economic factors, including ; limited access to health care, poverty and economic dependence, and the fact that women tend to be the primary caretakers of the sick and dying even when they themselves are in need of care.
From the Paper "In recent years there has been a growing realization that AIDS is spreading rapidly among women, and rates of infection in women may eventually mirror those in the global epidemic. In contrast to 1985, ?when women represented only 7% of all AIDS cases, today approximately one quarter of AIDS cases occur in women of all ages, cultures and sexual orientations.?1 Women are at a greater risk for becoming infected due to the fact that the rate of male-to-female transmission of HIV is 12 times more likely than female-to-male transmission.2 Differences in male and female anatomy are thought to result not only in greater susceptibility of women to AIDS, but also greater difficulty in diagnosing the infection and a higher likelihood of complications from the disease. Many women often have limited access to information and services, and some may increase their risks greatly by selling sex in order to survive. Other factors, including cultural beliefs and roles, social status, and behavioral practices, may hinder many women from seeking treatment which allows the disease to progress much quicker. The most significant contributing factors, however, are; limited access to health care, poverty and economic dependence, and the fact that women tend to be the primary caretakers of the sick and dying even when they themselves are in need of care."
Tags: disease, health, care, economy, care, giver, poverty, medication
Abstract This paper provides a broad description and understanding of the historical, biological, cognitive, social and moral issues related to the media's influence on feminine self-image, and how the media affects body image and self-perception, particularly in young females. The paper provides an understanding of the balance between theoretical perspectives and their practical implications and applications, with a particular focus being placed on "Social Judgment Theory".
From the Paper ""What did I need a mirror for, I was fat"? Every time I hear the "spokesmodel" from the Slim Fast commercial say that line, I can't help but wonder what kind of messages modern media is sending to women. It is as if the ad is saying that if you don?t look like a size three model, then there is no way you could possibly take pride in your appearance, so a mirror would be of no use. This is not only insulting but also frightening. Women are already conditioned to feel insecure about their bodies and media images such as this only serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes."
Tags: anorexia, commericals, girls, teenage, television, women
