Representation of Masculinity in Billy Elliot Essay Example

Representation of Masculinity in Billy Elliot Paper Jacky is doing his best as a lone parent, but is pre-occupied with the ongoing strike, so Billy is left tending to himself and his Grandma (Jean Haywood). At all times Jacky rules his house with a stern hand and has the same prejudices towards ballet as every other typical man in the country. So, when he finds out that Billy has been skipping his Boxing lessons and going to Ballet instead he is furious. Jacky reasons that Ballet is for poofs and that boys should be doing boys stuff like football and wrestling. One critic wrote that the movie is a catalyst for shifting attitudes and prejudices in the western world where male dancers are considered effeminate or queer. Ballet is a threat and blow to ones masculinity in peoples minds. Billy Elliot breaks through that prejudice and claims ballet to be an art that transcends gender. Jacky is under immense pressure, he can no longer support his family and his masculinity is compromised and he cannot fulfil the role of breadwinner. This is further emphasised when he breaks down in tears in the scene on Christmas day, which shows Jacky, Billy and His Grandmother in the picture. We will write a custom essay sample on Representation of Masculinity in Billy Elliot specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Representation of Masculinity in Billy Elliot specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Representation of Masculinity in Billy Elliot specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The mantelpiece is centre screen and this highlights the family feel, it is lightly decorated with tinsel this indicates there financial dire straits. On the whole, the audience gets the impression that Billys father has been overwhelmed by life in general. Jacky has had to cope with the loss of his wife and deal with the burden of the financial consequences as a result of the strike. Times are so bad that in order to stay warm, Jacky is forced to chop up his wifes piano for firewood. On the night of Christmas, Billy and his friend Michael sneak into the Gym. Billys friend Michael is close to adolescence and is becoming aware of his sexuality, this is implied by his secret pastime of wearing his sisters clothes and his mild attraction to Billy. Billy Elliot plays on the stereotype of homosexual men being very feminine; this is further accentuated by his need to wear a tutu in the Gym. It seems that his main purpose in the film is to establish Billys heterosexuality. In the centre of the boxing ring, a confined area usually reserved for two combatants to do battle becomes an arena for ballet. Billy begins to dance and show what he is really capable of by dancing to the music in freestyle. Whilst Billy is dancing he is stopped for a brief moment by his father Jacky whose face expresses a deep disapproval. However, in defiance, Billy carries on dancing is further fuelled by his frustration at his father for his tyrannical attitudes towards ballet. The camera is always on Billy who is cast in the spotlight whilst the background is faded away in black. This scene shows Billy to be the true star and protagonist. Jacky is emotionally moved after witnessing Billys performance and runs away with a silent pride and incentive to support his son and his new found love. In the context of the film, there is a great hatred towards the scabs. The mineworkers, who have decided not to strike and carry on working down in the mines, are regarded as the lowest of the low. So, it is one of the key moments of the film when Jack decides to go back down the pits in order to fund Billys ticket to London. Just as he is about to sign on, his son Tony (Jamie Draven) and his own sense of disgrace stop Jacky from committing this unforgivable act of duplicity. Billys brother, who is older by some number of years, also works in the mines. The first impression that the viewer gets of Tony is that of a stereotypical big brother, who would give his younger sibling a slap round the head just for listening to his record collection. However, there is a lot more to Tony then just the big brother slant. Tony, who like his father, is on strike against the closure of the mines. He is young and hot headed, and prepared to go to the extremes in order to achieve his purposes. This is evident when he tries to arm himself against the riot police who are an imposing and faceless opposition, were deployed to stifle the protests made by the striking workers. Tony who is somewhat of a working class rebel, he has been hardened from working in the mines and can be very aggressive, this is evident in the scene where Tony and his father meet a non-striking mineworker in the supermarket. An action totally justified by the cause of the striking miners. Tony, like his father, has found himself in a position where he has had to cope with the possibility of losing his entire future. He is emotionally unequipped with the ability to express himself properly so he does so by using the strike and picket lines as a medium to release his locked away emotions. Tony shares the same attitudes towards ballet that everyone else in the community has and he is deeply displeased to find that his younger brother has taken it up as his main pastime. I think that Tony sees this as just another problem, and this affects the relationship between he and Billy. Only when Billy gains acceptance and support from his family does Tony finally rebuild his bond with Billy. After Billy gains support from his family, it seems that the entire community is feels the repercussions and all of their anti-artistic, anti-intellectual not to mention anti-gay prejudices disappear with Billys elation. However unrealistic this seems, I feel it is a dramatic device to emphasise the acceptance and the broadening horizons of the Billys family. Some of the characterisations tend to be overly simple and stereotypical. For example, Billy friend Michael who is coming to terms with his homosexuality leans far to much towards the old stereotype of gay men wearing womens clothes and being a right sissy. Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry has woven into the cloth that is his debut piece a recurring Swan Lake theme. In one scene, where Billy is visiting Mrs Wilkinsons house he is upstairs with her daughter Debbie. The walls of her room are adorned with wallpaper that is covered with swans. Later Billy and Debbies talk is followed with a pillow fight, which results in several of the pillows ripping and feathers filling the room like some sort of mystical snow storm. The Middlesborough transporter bridge is featured symbolising the industrial might of the North, which is falling into rapid decline, this is juxtaposed with the musical score of Tchaikovsky written for Swan Lake. All of these references give the audience ammunition to make the connection with the old allegory of the ugly duckling that turned into the beautiful swan. The director also added various other images that denote the situation that mining communities were faced with. For example, Daldry pictures a large billboard advertising a state-of-the-art washing machine. The mise-en-scene shows a very satisfied handsome young man on the advert. The caption on the board reads, Your every faithful washday slave. In the poor and gritty community of Billys town, a luxury of a washing machine is almost unheard of and the idea of a man doing it is even more rare. The advert is not at all representational of the people in Billys town. The price of the machine alone is enough to make it an unattainable item, but also the new man pictured within it is pure fantasy to the people of Everington. When Billy and his family find out the good news that he has gotten into the Royal School of Ballet, Jacky rushes down to the local Workingmans club, only to find that the Union had finally given up. Jacky and Tony later follow this scene in their overalls and safety gear going back down into the pits via an elevator. This is perhaps symbolic of their situation, no secure job and literally going down the lift toward social depression and financial hardship. In the context of the film, the plight of the miners strike is just a background detail that aids the narrative. However, it is worth reading into as it gives the audience a means to understand their situation. In 1979 the Thatcher government was elected into power. This was on the basis of an anti-collectivist program of economic reform and social discipline that was to bring devastation to the north of England over the whole of the 1980s. In England, the North became seen as an enemy within, a phrase actually used to describe the NUM (National Union of Mineworkers). Billy Elliot has a very one sided point-of-view of the miners strike of 1984-1985. Thatcherism had an adverse effect on the north of England, the policy by which the free market approach to politics and economics rewarded the individual over the wider community, basically increasing the gap in between the rich and the poor. However, if Thatcher had given in to the Unions, England might not be in the state of prosperity that it currently is. The economic rebirth that England now enjoys is owed to Thatchers long-term strategy and ruthlessness she showed in carrying out her job. This waning industrial background that Billy Elliot is set against could be compared with that of The Full Monty. In The Full Monty, an example of postmodern bricolege combing Ealing humour with social realism is a story about male unemployment in a depressed industrial city. The men in the film are struggling to come to terms there ever-changing masculinity or for some it seems lack of it. The two main characters are Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and Dave (Mark Addy). In the film, after finding out about the Chippendales are performing in the Mens working bar Gaz is greeted with a poster depicting several muscular semi-naked men covered in oil. Obviously threatened by this show of physical masculinity he immediately attacks the most important aspect of any mans manhood, his penis. Gaz makes a comment on what sort of women would attend such a spectacle only to find that his best mates wife is in the club watching the strippers. Gaz immediately remarks that Dave should put his foot down a forbid his wife from going to such a thing, he adds I saw you hovering and I let it go, implying that Daves masculinity is undermined by carrying out conventional house-wife pursuits. The Full Monty in terms of masculinity addresses a slightly different aspect in comparison to Billy Elliot. Both of the films share a specific style of communities; the stories of each revolve around communities and proceedings that are of direct consequence of the socio-economic realities of the places they are set. The communities represented have both experienced redundancy on a large scale as a result of Thatcherite reform. In The Full Monty the characters are striving to re-establish their own masculinity, this is achieved by being able to overcome the bigotries from within the community and to fulfil the role of the provider. An intrinsic principle of manhood and masculinity in the film is to have your dignity and respect of your family and peers. Billy Elliot on the other hand, copes with a very different part of the masculine make-up. It deals with establishing your own identity and treading your own path through life. Billy Elliot is structured around the motif of escape; this involves rejecting the aggressive attributes of masculinity as portrayed by Tony, and replacing it with the desire to escape the constrictions of what is seen as violent, masculine culture of the working class. It is Billys escape into dance which he describes as a feeling of fire, of electricity in the body, everything else is forgotten that allows him to define his masculinity in a way that you would hardly ever find in a male dominant community such as Everington. This masculinity seems more manly than ever at the end of the film, in which Jacky and Tony go to the opening night of Billys rendition of Swan Lake. The audience watches in anticipation as the entire screen is taken up by a huge and muscular back of a ballet dancer, the areas that surround the adult Billy (played by professional ballet dancer Adam Cooper) are mainly dark, stressing the importance of his role. Then finally as the opening of the performance has just begun, Billy makes a climatic leap into the air. This is juxtaposed with his fathers tears of pride. The end of the film ultimately underlines that masculinity has many forms and features, and is thus defined by the persons attributes and actions rather then the environment they inhabit.

Informal Essay about Friendship

Informal Essay about Friendship Informal Essay about Friendship Friendship can be defined as a personal relationship between two or more individuals, grounded in feelings of concern for one another and includes intimacy to a certain degree. Given that human beings are generally considered social, friendship is an important part of every individual’s life. Most people dedicate a portion of their day to interacting with friends, whether face-to-face or by phone or on the computer. Given the vital role that friendship plays in the lives of almost all human beings, it is prudent to friendship from different perspectives, including the nature of friendship. How does one know what true friendship is? Friendship is demonstrated through mutual care, acts of intimacy, and activities that individuals share with those whom they consider friends. Friendship is always valued and justified by examining both its individual importance and social worth. Individual value of friendship is gauged from the perspective of an individual who considers the amount of resources, time, energy that he or she is willing to invest in the relationship. The value an individual places on a friendship can also be measured from the perception of whether the friendship makes one’s life feel better or worse. Whether an individual appreciates the friendship of another, though, is sometimes tied up with how that person feels about himself. If one does not value himself, that person is less likely to value someone else or the friendship offered by someone else. People often form friendships based on what they have to offer each other. Sometimes they share a mutual problem or concern. Through collaborating with each other to solve the problem, they often form a mutual bond. Social factors can also significantly help an individual to determine the value of a friendship. For instance, if one’s friendship influences one to promote the general good and consideration for others, then that friendship can be considered to be of value. Moreover, morality issues can play a significant role in helping one to determine if a relationship is of significant value. Fighting a common cause can result in friendships forming. Finally, no one really knows who is true friends are except in times of trouble. Those who run away when needed cannot be considered true friends. On the other hand, individuals discover during difficult times new friends, individuals that perhaps they knew but did not previously value. Some informal essay writing tips: Since this is an informal essay which is written mostly for entertainment purposes, a few of the rules that guide essay writing can be skipped. These include a comprehensive introductory paragraph which ends with a comprehensive thesis statement. This essay began with a brief definition of friendship before delving into the various aspects of friendship. By examining the issue of friendship from different perspectives, this essay is designed to help its readers to understand the concept of friendship on a deeper level than perhaps they previously considered it. If you need a superior-quality custom informal essay about Friendship contact our essay writing service provided by professional paper writers.

Our impact on the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Our impact on the environment - Essay Example ties includes the element of pollution, which is currently a major global threat that has been increasing in a dramatic rate due to the increase of industrialization and other human activities that involve use of energy. This essay is going to focus on the impacts of human activities on the environment, analyze how different sources of energy affect the environment as well recommend usage of the most sustainable and friendly sources of energy. Carried out studies have proven that one of the major factors contributing to the high levels of pollution to the environment is the type of sources of energy that human beings use in fueling their industrial activities (Jaccard 63). Most of these sources of energies used in almost all countries are nonrenewable and highly unsustainable, a factor that have made them a chief threat to the environment (Jaccard 65). However, some sources are known to have more adverse effects to the environment than others with oil, coal and natural gas being the main sources that environmentalists blame much for the high level of pollution in the modern world. Statistics show that oil is the most common source of energy with oil being used to fuel over 80% of all the activities undertaken on daily basis such as in factories, cooking and for transport. However, combustion of oil leads to emission of greenhouse gases that have detrimental effects to the environment (Curley 95). The main constituents of products released after burning oil, natural gas and coal are carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that have significantly contributed to global warming or climate change. In addition, combusted fossil fuels lead to formation of other harmful gases which ends up forming acids such as carbonic acids and sulfuric acid. Carbon dioxide and suphurous gaseous produces once fossils are combusted combine with moisture or rain in the atmosphere to form acidic rainfall. Acidic rains are a major threat to plant and fish health once they get on to the ground.

UK Industrial Restrictions on Labour Relations Essay

UK Industrial Restrictions on Labour Relations - Essay Example Industrial Relations and the UK lawsContrary to common practice, the UK has demonstrated significant laxity in promoting exclusive protection of human rights as stipulated in the European Convention on Human Rights. Specifically, the laws governing the entire United Kingdom are all statutory provisions with no written constitution. In addition, the UK government and the bicameral legislative system believe that all actions of the multitude must be controlled to ensure peace and vigilant administration (Geyer, Mackintosh and Lehmann 2005, p.137). For that reason, the legislature has since passed resolutions and Acts of Parliament that are essentially retrogressive to the freedom from forced labour or slavery in general. Ideally, the UK laws are strict in nature and most of them empower the government and employers to take necessary course of action against potential or actual breach of employment contract. While the law provides for industrial intervention, it is cumbered with several restrictions that render the practice a perpetual impossibility.On the other hand, Trade Unions in the UK are prohibited from supporting acts that might construe an inducement to breach employment contract or performance of such duties as appertain to the agreement between individuals and their employers (Gladstone and Wheeler 1992, p.35). Besides, the UK perceives strikes as an expressed act of breaking employment agreement while such actions ought to mean a suspended contract rather than breach.

The Pleasure of Eating by Wendell Berry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Pleasure of Eating by Wendell Berry - Essay Example Urban dwellers mostly rely on fast food and processed food because they find it easier and faster. So what is the importance of food and do people eat with pleasure? People are supposed to rediscover the pleasure of eating as the author claims. Then how is this possible? The question, of finding pleasure in what you eat, is what Berry answers in his book. Berry illustrates the pleasure of eating by empowering consumers to be involved in agriculture and the food they eat. Being an active participant in deciding the kind of food to eat and how it is production takes place makes the consumer more knowledgeable. Knowledge, as we know equals power and freedom of choice as passive consumers do not enjoy the freedom of choosing between healthy foods and unhealthy foods. Eating healthy makes one feel energetic, and end up appreciating food. Berry’s purpose in his book, Pleasure of Eating is to make the audience find pleasure in eating healthy meals. Most city people are passive participants when it comes to deciding the food they eat. Berry tries to stop this by offering solutions to the consumer on the choice of food they consume. He asks, â€Å" How do you get out of this problem?†, is an illustration to the audience to finding the solution to the unhealthy eating problem. The target audience of the author is the passive, uncritical and dependent person who does not care about food production. Food production has been industrialized, and a few individuals get in contact with the product directly. The patron of the food production thought that it was helping the consumer by making their work easier. The food production industries have tried so hard to convince consumers that processed food is what they need because it is easier that way. The industries will grow and prepare your food for you and even beg you to eat it. The industries only do this because they are benefiting from it.

New Fitness Trends And Crazes Physical Education Essay

New Fitness Trends And Crazes Physical Education Essay The fitness industry is constantly diversifying with new fitness trends and crazes. The most recent trend is Zumba. Zumba is being marketed as a new exciting way to stay active and healthy. It boasts of its fun aspect and its ability to bring people together to get fit and have fun at the same time. Founder, Alberto Perez a Miami based dancer once forgot his traditional music to a fitness class he was leading and instead used some Latin music tapes. He delivered the session letting the music lead and guide him like in a club. The participants loved it and so Zumba was born. Now, more than 3 million DVDs have been sold in over 30 countries. In a recent poll, Zumba ranked 9th for international fitness trends in the year 2012 (Thompson, 2012). Zumba currently has well over 9,000 instructors worldwide and on October 15, 2007 Zumba was showcased on the Today Show. In October 2008, worldwide Virgin Active sport centres started proposing Zumba classes in their programs (Zumba Fitness, 2012). Today, Virgin Active in Norwich offers an exclusive range of fitness classes including; body pump, body combat and step classes. Zumba features in their aerobic classes, and is fast growing in popularity says the Norwich Virgin Active Fitness Manager in an interview (see appendices). However despite the ever-growing popularity and widespread of Zumba, there is still very little documented research highlighting the potential fitness and health benefits of the dancing phenomenon. The author, a volunteer at Virgin Active agreed with fitness managers that determining the average exercise intensity and energy expenditure during a Zumba class could provide valuable information about the classes Virgin has to offer and a unique selling point. This project set out to determine the average exercise intensity and energy expenditure during a Zumba fitness class at Virgin Active. Literature review Melissa Napier conducted a case study, investigating if and how, Zumba fitness has impacted womens participation in Doon Valley Leisure Centre. The objectives were to source out the reasons and factors that were impacting female participation levels within physical activity. The research found that for a fitness centre in Dalmellington, the majority of Zumba participants were aged between 40-59 years. However these results were obtained from both Zumba and Aqua Zumba participants which supports evidence in the secondary research that Aqua fitness is popular and recommended to the elderly population. Zumba participants said they attend classes because they think Zumba is an enjoyable exercise and allows them to socialize whilst increasing their fitness. Section 2 of the questionnaire asked the Zumba participants what they think makes Zumba different and more appealing than other forms of exercise, 44% answered Fun. Other activities that the Zumba participants said they enjoy include: Aqua Zumba and swimming. For the non Zumba participants they said they preferred gym, swim and fitness classes other than Zumba. This is not surprising as 80% of non Zumba participants are members and all these services are accessible to them as they are included in the membe rship prices. Evidence in Secondary research shows that interest in sport declines with age however the investigators primary research shows that 53% of Zumba/Aqua Zumba participants are 40-59 years old with only 7% aged 16-24 years old. Although Zumba may not appeal to all, it is 16-24yrs with latent demand for more physical activity options according to the Active People Survey carried out by the Womens Sport and Fitness Foundation. The only other literature which examined the exercise intensity of Zumba was conducted at Adelphi University (Otto et al., 2011). It reported caloric expenditure during Zumba to be between 6.6 and 7.4 Kcal ·min-1 depending on the particular dance style being performed. However there appears to be a wide range in the intensity of Zumba and other group fitness classes, depending upon the choreography and enthusiasm of the instructor. The enthusiasm of the instructor, as well as the experience of being in a group setting, often spills over to the participants, who then work harder. This cannot be captured when following video-taped workouts and the growing popularity of Zumba warrants additional research into this growing fitness trend. Methodology Twelve healthy female volunteers (20  ± 1.5 years, 1.57  ± 0.08 m, 61.9  ± 22.6 kg) were selected from the Virgin Active fitness club in Norwich. All participants were regular exercisers and were relatively experienced at participating in Zumba fitness classes. Prior to participating in the research project, all subjects were asked to complete a PAR-Q and provide written informed consent. Participants completed a health history questionnaire to check for any contra-indications which would prevent them from participating, and were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time, even after giving their written consent. The data produced from the study was kept confidential and the participants were able to access their particular data if requested. Prior to the Zumba class, each participant had to perform an incremental, maximal treadmill test in the Norwich City College sports laboratory. This test measured the participants heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO2). Test procedures can be found in appendices. From this test, an individual linear regression equation was developed for each subject to predict VO2 from HR. This equation was subsequently used to predict VO2 (ml ·kg-1 ·min-1) during the Zumba session for that subject. Measurements of steady state oxygen uptake by the participants were used as an indirect method to measure energy expenditure (calorimetry). Energy expenditure was calculated from the predicted VO2 data assuming a constant of 5 Kcal ·L-1 of O2 consumed. Similar studies had demonstrated that the HR-VO2 relationship during treadmill exercise accurately reflected the HR-VO2 relationship during Zumba. After treadmill testing, subjects were given a Zumba DVD and told to practice the routine at least three times prior to the class. Following the treadmill test, all participants took part in a Zumba session. The Zumba class was delivered by a fully qualified zumba instructor in a sports hall at Virgin Active. During the class, all participants wore a heart rate monitor which recorded all the data throughout the session. After the session, the data was inserted into the individuals HR-VO2 regression equation to estimate the VO2 and energy expenditure of the participant during the class. Sampling Participants were recruited from Virgin Active. Participants were found using a simple snowball sampling technique because of the social networks that existed between class members. Zumba enthusiasts were asked to recommend other appropriate people for the project. Data collection The research design relied heavily on numerical data, therefore the research project adopted a quantitative approach. Numerical data included heart rates, vO2 max data and Kcal data. The project used regression analysis to identify the relationship between exercise intensity and calorie expenditure. Data were analysed using the statistical package IBM SPSS, PC program, version 7.5 Data Analysis Physiological responses to the Zumba session can be found in Table 1. The average HR was 154  ± 14 bpm, which corresponded to 79  ± 7.0% of HRmax. The average estimated VO2 was 66  ± 10.5% of VO2 max. The average estimated energy expenditure of participating in a Zumba session was 9.5  ± 2.69 Kcal ·min-1, which corresponded to an average of 369  ± 108 Kcal per class. To improve cardiovascular fitness, ACSM recommends that apparently healthy adults should exercise between 64-94% of HRmax and 40-85% of VO2max (ACSM,  2010). In order to control body weight, it is recommended individuals expend an average of 1500 or more kcal per week, which is 300 kcal per exercise session when exercising five times a week (ACSM,2010). Based upon the above recommendations, the Zumba class met ACSM guidelines for both parameters. Exercise intensity averaged 79% of HRmax and 66% of VO2max, respectively, and every subject fell within the recommended guidelines. Conclusions and recommendations Zumba is likely best suited for those who are already comfortable with fitness routines and with dance, as it could offer a pleasant change and participants would already know that they could keep up with dance fitness routine. However Zumba is also suitable for participants of all age and fitness levels. The intensity of the workout is relatively subjective so this means the participants can make the workout however hard or easy they would like depending on their enthusiasm and inhibitions. ACSM recommends that individuals should burn atleast 300 Kcals per workout in order to promote weight loss and maintain a healthy body composition (ACSM, 2010). This study concluded that participating in a Zumba dance class used an average of 369 Kcal for an average length class. It should be pointed out that average class length in the current study was approximately 39 minutes in length. Longer classes would obviously result in greater energy expenditure. Thus, regular participation in Zumba sh ould positively affect body composition. Future studies may want to focus on the physiological benefits following an 8-12 week Zumba training period. 1475 WORDS

Gender Stereotypes in Culture Essay -- Gender Issues

1. Describe our cultural gender stereotypes, objectification, and media portrayals of women and how these lead to violence against women. Gender is the psychological characteristics and social categories that are created by human culture. Doing gender is the concept that humans express their gender when they interact with one another; it is done every day without thinking about it. Messages about how a male or female is supposed to act come from countless places. According to Helen M. Eigenberg in Woman Battering in the United States, â€Å"Gender construction starts with assignment to a sex category on the basis of what the genitalia look like at birth. Then babies are dressed or adorned in a way that displays the category because parents don’t want to be constantly asked whether their baby is a girl or a boy† (2001, p. 32). Schools, parents, and friends influence a person. Treatment of one gender differs from those in another. Gender roles also change. Another major factor that influences millions of impressionable females and males is television. Not only does the television teach each sex how to act, it also shows how one sex should expect the other sex to act. In the current television broadcasting, stereotypical behavior goes from programming for the exceptionally young to adult audiences. In this broadcasting range, females are portrayed as motherly, passive and innocent, sex objects, or they are overlooked completely or seen as unimportant entities. In the United States, as well as throughout the majority of the world, people are bombarded with commercials, ads, and articles on a daily basis. The information is used to appeal to the masses. Society perpetuates violence against women through the use of the medi... ...d forcing villagers to carry their food, ammunition, and gear into the jungle. Women cannot even walk to the market without being grabbed by the throat and raped. Domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, rape, and so on all intersect with one another. Many forms of violence are used in combination with one another to establish power and control over the victim. In addition, gender stereotypes, objectification, media portrayal of women, and victim blaming increase and cause the use of violence against women. Works Cited Eigenberg, H. (2001). Women battering in the united states. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc. Herbert, B. (2009, August 7). Women at risk. The New York Times , p. A19-A20. Russell, D. (1993). Pornography causes violence. Against pornography: the evidence of harm (p. 149-151). Berkeley, CA: Russell Publications.

Existentialism and Contractarianism Essay

1) Read chapters One through three of your textbook 2)Compare and contrast the Existentialism and Contractarianism framework Compare: Both existentialism and contractarianism frameworks are two of the three deontological frameworks outlined in chapter one. Deontological frameworks focus on the duty or obligation in determining whether the actions are right or wrong. Contrast: Existentialism focuses on individual behavior while contractarianism focuses on society as a whole. Existentialism highlights that the only person who can determine right and wrong is based on the free will of the person making the decisions. As a result, duty is connected with actions meaning each individual determines the value of his/her actions. Contractarianism, or social contract theory, highlights that individuals agree to social contracts to be members within society. As a member of society, each individual agrees to certain social norms. As a result, the values and norms developed by society must be fair to everyone who is a member of society. 3)Compare and contrast Teleological, Deontological, and Mixed Frameworks Compare: Teleological, Deontological, and Mixed frameworks are each foundational philosophies towards ethical conduct. Contrast: Teleological frameworks focus on the results of the conduct of the individual and the ramifications, positive and negative, resulting from the actions and conduct of individuals. Deontological frameworks focus on duty or obligation in determining whether the actions are right or wrong. Mixed frameworks combine theories from both teleological and deontological frameworks. Mixed framework theory supports that through the seven guiding principles listed below, individuals develop a level of intuition that becomes incorporated in their decision-making processes. The seven guiding principles pull from both the teleological and deontological frameworks. The seven guiding principles include: Fidelity- based on deontological theory and states that an individual needs to keep explicit and implicit promises. Reparation- based on deontological theory and states that an individual must act on repairing the consequences for previous wrongful acts. Gratitude- based on deontological theory and states that an individual must be able to show gratitude for the kindness that others have given to him/her. Justice- based on deontological theory and states that an individual should try to see that any goods are fairly distributed. Beneficence- Based on teleological theory and states that an individual should focus on trying to improve the lives of others. Self-improvement- pulls from both deontological and teleological theories and states that an individual should improve oneself by focusing on virtue and intelligence. Noninjury- based on teleological theory and states that an individual should not cause any harm to others. 4)Compare and contract the guiding principles of the Global Business Standards Codex and the Mixed Framework principles. Compare: Both the Mixed Framework and Global Business Standards Codex principles are standards that attempt to promote fairness and to interpret and evaluate ethical behavior.   Contrast: The Mixed framework principles focus on individuals, but the Global Business Standards Codex principles focus on companies around the world. The mixed framework principles were defined in the question above, but here are brief definitions for each of the Global Business Standards Codex: Fiduciary Principle- Each officer and director of a company has the legal obligation to act in the best interest of the stakeholders and other employees within the firm. Property Principle- based on the belief that every employee should respect property as well as the rights of the owners of property. Reliability Principle- based on the belief that it is the employee’s responsibility to honor the commitments he or she makes to the firm. Transparency Principle- based on the belief that every employee should conduct business in a truthful and open manner. It is expected that employees will not make decisions based on a personal matter. Dignity Principle- based on the belief that each employee needs to respect the dignity of all individuals Fairness Principle- based on the belief that stakeholders who have a vested interest in the firm should be treated fairly. Citizenship Principle- based on the belief that every employee should act as a responsible citizen in the community. Responsiveness Principle- based on the belief that employees have a responsibility to respond to requests for information about the operations from the various stakeholders. 5)What are the four types of unintentional unethical behavior? Implicit Prejudice- occurs based on unconscious beliefs. Common examples include biases based on ethnic and gender differences. In-Group Favoritism- occurs when a decision maker forms a bias toward individuals in the same â€Å"group† as the decision maker. An Example would be if a boss favors employees who share the same political party association. Actual or Potential Conflicts of Interest- occurs when there are personal benefits for making a decision that are not available to others. Claiming Credit for Others’ Actions- occurs when the decision makers believe that they are above average in their job duties, responsibilities, and general intellect, which results in above average performance. An example would be when an individual group member feels that he/she contributed more than he/she actually did to the group’s overall performance. 6)Briefly compare and contrast moral, immoral, and amoral managers. Immoral manager- one who not only does not care how his/her decisions impact the stakeholders, but the actions are actively counter to what is the right and ethical thing to do. They focus on only their own goals and the goals of the company and consider law requirements as constraints or barriers that are ignored when their corporate actions are implemented. Amoral manager- one who would be considered ethically neutral. An amoral manager does not focus proactively on ethical issues nor does he/she try to purposely go against the social and legal norms that are expected of the firm by society. The danger with an amoral manager is that because ethical considerations are not contemplated in the decision-making process, the manager may unintentionally commit unethical acts and not realize the impact the decision had on various stakeholders. Moral managers- one who understands the importance and relevance of considering ethical issues when they are making decisions. These managers not only meet the minimal legal standards, but also are proactive in presenting ethical leadership to the firm’s employees and other stakeholders. 7)Define Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate responsibility is the obligation that companies have to develop and implement courses of action that aid in social issues that impact society. This term is used by corporations to signify several topics including legal responsibility, fiduciary duty, legitimacy, and charitable donations. 8)Define the concept of stakeholder as it applies to business ethics Stakeholders are defined as any group that has a vested interest in the operations of the firm. Traditional stakeholders for a firm include employees, suppliers, stockholders, customers, the government, local communities, and society as a whole. Stakeholders have a vested interest in the firm; therefore, they are greatly impacted by the ethical behavior of the firm, including economical, legal, and environmental concerns. 9)Read case #7 on pages 265-283 of the textbook and answer questions 1, 2, and 3 on page 283 What are â€Å"cookie jar† reserves? Explain Enron’s use of this concept. Cookie jar reserves are funds set aside by a firm to be used to adjust the financial performance in any given point of time. The purpose of the reserve is that it allows the firm to increase its financial performance by transferring the reserves into the current period financial statements to help control the financial performance of the firm. Enron is the perfect example of using these reserves because of two very favorable factors. The first is that Enron dealt in long term energy contracts that are difficult to calculate a true market value. As a result, Enron had the opportunity to create all the years of the contract within a one-year window allowing them to manipulate the financial statements. This manipulation would only work if you have a co-operative external auditor. David Duncan of Arthur Anders en was very accommodating to Enron in this manner and accepted this type of aggressive accounting. Identify as many stakeholders as you can in this case. For each, explain how they were affected by the events surrounding the demise of Enron. Employees- the employees were devastated by the demise of Enron. Not only did they lose their jobs, but also for a vast majority of the employees all of their retirement funds were in Enron stock. They were not allowed to sell the stock during the quick fall so they ended up with virtually nothing in their retirement accounts at the end of Enron. Stockholders- The stockholders also were severely impacted by the demise of Enron. The free fall of the Enron stock until it was worthless than $1 ensured that the stockholder endured heavy losses in their Enron investment. Government- After a sluggish start, the SEC became very involved in the operations of Enron. A number of top-level executives were tried by the justice department as well as millions of dollars recovered in restitution to help pay for the losses endured by the employees and the stockholders. Suppliers- The suppliers also were left with little recourse once Enron went bankrupt. All the top priority secured creditors would get the first chance to recover their money from Enron. Unless the supplier was a secured creditor, they may have received very little from Enron once it declared bankruptcy. Local Community- The Houston community was severely impacted by the demise of Enron. Not only was Houston a home for a number of Enron employees, but also the image of the city was negatively impacted by the demise of Enron. It also did not help that the professional baseball park was called Enron Field (it is now named after fruit juice producer, Minute Maid). Summarize the main points of this case in one succinct paragraph. The case is about greed in the highest order. The company from its origin quickly focused on increasing market capitalization at any cost. Employees were selected based on how well they could play the game. The winners were rewarded handsomely and the losers were fired. The corporate culture was one in which it was Enron against the world and Enron kept on winning. However, like a Trojan horse, the true Enron was hollow inside. Once the house of cards collapsed, it was left to the stockholders and the employees to pick up the pieces. Update on Case (not part of the assignment)- In 2007, Credit Suisse paid $61.5 million, UBS agreed to pay $115 million and Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $25 million to settle litigation pertaining to their role in the Enron fraud. In January 2008, former lead auditor at Arthur Andersen, David Duncan, agreed to settled allegations filed by the SEC that he had violated securities law by signing audit reports that were false and misleading. No fine was issued but Duncan was barred from appearing before the SEC as an accountant. In March 2008, Citigroup settled litigation claims against it for it actions during the Enron scandal for $1.66 billion.

Free Essays on Appearance Versus Reality

Appearance Versus Reality Throughout life people are constantly faced with issues of appearance versus reality. Hypocrites seem to be everywhere, saying one thing but thinking another. Remember the people that you thought were geeks but turned out to be pretty cool once you got to know them, or that snobby upperclassman who you bumped into at the library who turned out to be a lot more interesting than you expected. It seems that our lives are filled and complicated by this conflict between appearance and reality. In the two plays, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare takes our everyday battles of appearance versus reality and makes them into a comical demonstration of our own human nature. In Much Ado About Nothing, the entire play revolves around the difference between actual and appeared realities due to characters overhearing other’s conversations. The entire play consists of incidents of characters eavesdropping and reporting false messages to others; the story beings to follow a line of falsities appearing to be real. It is interesting to be aware of the title of the play as Much Ado About Nothing, and also that the meaning of the word â€Å"nothing† as having multiple meanings. Firstly, in Elizabethan common dialect, the word â€Å"nothing† was pronounced the same as â€Å"noting† which means observing, overhearing, and perceiving; recall that many of the key events in the play occur when characters are â€Å"noting† others. J.N. Smith of Gradesaver writes â€Å"That there is a special effort made by the characters to mask their true emotions in order to protect themselves. Beatrice and Benedick are merely projected manifestat ions of this† (Gradesaver). It seems that because of â€Å"noting† many things seemed to be different from how they really were in reality. Hero appeared to be unchaste, Don John appeared to be a friend, Claudio appears to love Hero yet he abandons her so easily, Beatrice and ... Free Essays on Appearance Versus Reality Free Essays on Appearance Versus Reality Appearance Versus Reality Throughout life people are constantly faced with issues of appearance versus reality. Hypocrites seem to be everywhere, saying one thing but thinking another. Remember the people that you thought were geeks but turned out to be pretty cool once you got to know them, or that snobby upperclassman who you bumped into at the library who turned out to be a lot more interesting than you expected. It seems that our lives are filled and complicated by this conflict between appearance and reality. In the two plays, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare takes our everyday battles of appearance versus reality and makes them into a comical demonstration of our own human nature. In Much Ado About Nothing, the entire play revolves around the difference between actual and appeared realities due to characters overhearing other’s conversations. The entire play consists of incidents of characters eavesdropping and reporting false messages to others; the story beings to follow a line of falsities appearing to be real. It is interesting to be aware of the title of the play as Much Ado About Nothing, and also that the meaning of the word â€Å"nothing† as having multiple meanings. Firstly, in Elizabethan common dialect, the word â€Å"nothing† was pronounced the same as â€Å"noting† which means observing, overhearing, and perceiving; recall that many of the key events in the play occur when characters are â€Å"noting† others. J.N. Smith of Gradesaver writes â€Å"That there is a special effort made by the characters to mask their true emotions in order to protect themselves. Beatrice and Benedick are merely projected manifestat ions of this† (Gradesaver). It seems that because of â€Å"noting† many things seemed to be different from how they really were in reality. Hero appeared to be unchaste, Don John appeared to be a friend, Claudio appears to love Hero yet he abandons her so easily, Beatrice and ...

Definition and Examples of Ethnic Dialects

Definition and Examples of Ethnic Dialects An ethnic dialect is the distinct form of a language spoken by members of a particular ethnic group. Also called socioethnic dialect. Ronald Wardhaugh and Janet Fuller point out that ethnic dialects are not simply foreign accents of the majority language, as many of their speakers may well be monolingual speakers of the majority language. . . . Ethnic dialects are ingroup ways of speaking the majority language (An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 2015). In the United States, the two most widely studied ethnic dialects are  African-American Vernacular English (AAVE)  and Chicano English  (also known as Hispanic Vernacular English).   Commentary People who live in one place talk differently from people in another place due largely to the settlement patterns of that areathe linguistic characteristics of the people who settled there are the primary influence on that dialect, and the speech of most people in that area shares similar dialect features. However, . . . African American English is spoken primarily by Americans of African descent; its unique characteristics were due initially to settlement patterns as well but now persist due to the social isolation of African Americans and the historical discrimination against them. African American English is therefore more accurately defined as an ethnic dialect than as a regional one. (Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Linguistics for Everyone: An Introduction. Wadsworth, 2010) Ethnic Dialects in the U.S. The desegregation of ethnic communities is an ongoing process in American society that continually brings speakers of different groups into closer contact. However, the result of contact is not always the erosion of ethnic dialect boundaries. Ethnolinguistic distinctiveness can be remarkably persistent, even in face of sustained, daily inter-ethnic contact. Ethnic dialect varieties are a product of cultural and individual identity as well as a matter of simple contact. One of the dialect lessons of the twentieth century is that speakers of ethnic varieties like Ebonics not only have maintained but have even enhanced their linguistic distinctiveness over the past half century. (Walt Wolfram, American Voices: How Dialects Differ From Coast to Coast. Blackwell, 2006) Although no other ethnic dialect has been studied to the extent that AAVE has, we know that there are other ethnic groups in the United States with distinctive linguistic characteristics: Jews, Italians, Germans, Latinos, Vietnamese, Native Americans, and Arabs are some examples. In these cases the distinctive characteristics of English are traceable to another language, such as Jewish English oy vay from Yiddish or the southeastern Pennsylvania Dutch (actually German) Make the window shut. In some cases, the immigrant populations are too new to determine what lasting effects the first language will have on English. And, of course, we must always keep in mind that language differences never fall into discrete compartments even though it may seem that way when we try to describe them. Rather, such factors as region, social class, and ethnic identity will interact in complicated ways. (Anita K. Berry, Linguistic Perspectives on Language and Education. Greenwood, 2002)

What historically (historical facts) inspired Patrick Henry to write Essay

What historically (historical facts) inspired Patrick Henry to write the speech Give me liberty or give me death - Essay Example One of the reasons for popularity the speech and the folk hero status of its speaker emerges from his firebrand persona – he was not so much an intellectual as he was an impassioned leader of men. For example, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson – prominent founding fathers – were both prolific writers. A compilation of their work brings up a tally of close to hundred volumes. While Washington and Jefferson were also known for their engaging public addresses, it was their writing prowess that would remain as lasting legacy. Patrick Henry, on the other hand, was not part of the pre-independence political establishment in America. He was one among the masses. The popular appeal of the person and his words is attributable to this heritage of Patrick Henry. It is in this context that poet Lord Byron referred to Henry as ‘the forest-born Demosthenes’ (Eddlem, 1990). Henry Stephens Randall, a clergyman, was present during Patrick Henry’s speech. He gives a first-hand account of the atmosphere during the speech. His account is consistent with the widely held view of Patrick Henry being a firebrand orator and an inspirational public speaker. According to Randall, "Henry rose with an unearthly fire burning in his eye. He commenced somewhat calmly, but the smothered excitement began more and more to play upon his features and thrill in the tones of his voice.

Essentials of Sports Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Essentials of Sports Law - Essay Example While at a pre-draft meeting, bob sugar signs a written contract with Frank Cushman and SMI. This automatically means Maguire no longer represents frank Cushman who is then drafted overall the next day. Element2: matt Cushman makes a contract by word of mouth accepting Maguire as his sons (Frank Cushman) agent. This makes both frank and bob aware of Maguire’s contract with franks father but is still the contract is not legal. Element 3: bob sugar makes a written contract with Frank Cushman and signs with SMI just like Maguire’s previous clients who bob talked to have them drop Maguire and sign with SMI. This contract is legally binding but with prior knowledge of Maguire’s unbinding contract with franks, dad makes it intentional interference of contract by bob. In this case, Maguire case will prevail in court for intentional interference in the contract but not for breach of contract. This is because first of all, Frank Cushman did not make any legally binding contract with Maguire directly, his dad did. However, even franks dad contract with Maguire does not hold since there was no written and signed the contract of bobs contract with Frank. Conversely, the box will be charged with intentional interference of contract because he knew that Maguire had kept frank as his agent. Tyson Walker, an NFL player for the Ravens is arrested by the police and charged with solicitation for sex. He was also previously charged with criminal assault after hotels camera caught him shoving Teresa, a woman he just met at a Las Vegas hotel while he was out gambling with his friend and teammate Eric Adams. Tyson shoved Teresa out of his room after she demanded $5000 dollars for his sexual acts which he refuses to pay and the police are involved. The issue here is supposed the NFL and Ravens decide to punish Mr. Tyson by suspending him in two games and six games respectively, is there a breach of contract and does the collective bargaining agreement of NFLPA breached (Wong, 400)?