My Family History Essay -- essays research papers

My Family History Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. The house, the car, and the average clothing may look better when one sees the sacrifices their family has made. They will see that their family has worked very hard just so their family can experience the better things in life. A persons roots and origin is one of the most important things to explore. It alone can bring you closer to self-discovery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two sides to a person’s family and one side of my family has been traced all the way back to slavery. My father’s side of the family originally came from a Georgia plantation. Although my father is Afro-American, his great-great-grandfather was a general who owned slaves. From Georgia my father moved to New Jersey. After settling in New Jersey, my father enlisted in the military and began his life as a military man. My mother’s side of the family is all from Puerto Rico. My grandparents moved my mother and her sister to America when they were very young. They moved to Macedonia, Illinois. When my mother got older she too enlisted in the military as a nurse. My mother met my father while they were both serving in the military in Germany. After they both finished their time in the military, my mother mov...

Objectification of Women Through Advertisements Essay

The images of advertisements reflect the social and cultural aspects of a society. These images define the values and establish attitudes of the people in a society towards the imagery projected in the advertisements. One of the highly used imagery in the advertisement across almost all the cultures is that of women. By using this imagery in the advertisements, one of the critical attitudes established among the audience is that of women are objects. There are advertisements where women are used as a subjective image but mostly women are displayed as a commodity or an object. Objectification relates to the imagery of an entity which is a person but is seen or displayed as an object. Women have been used as objects to be desired by advertisers for years now to increase the sales of the products and this strategy has worked wonders for producers; for example magazines like Playboy and Hustler would not sell at all if it is not for the sexual display of women. It is argued that since the women who take part in such advertisements give their consent towards the kind of image the advertisements project. However, objectification of women is not just the concern of the models involved in the advertisement but the whole population that views that advertisement because it affects the value system and culture of the masses. For example, the Excessive use of blonde women in the advertisements during 70s and 80s projected to the masses that blonde women are more attractive and desirable to men. However, when surveyed, 70% of women thought that blonde women are more desirable to men and only 35% men actually expressed their preference for blonde women. This way advertisement has used women as objects to establish false beliefs of beauty, independence, and power. Sigmund Freud, one of the greatest psychiatrists, also developed a theory which could be well related to the objectification of women in advertisements as a source of desire. His theory of the â€Å"unconscious mind† states that it constitutes of the largest part of a person’s mind and contains desires and memories which are not readily available to the conscious mind of a person. However, there exist different stimuli which may, if exposed to a person, bring these unconscious desires and memories to the conscious mind. Therefore it could be argued that since â€Å"sex† is seen as the most basic element of our social needs, it is often suppressed in our unconscious mind and the objectification of women in advertisements bring these desires to our conscious mind. In the light of the theory of â€Å"unconscious mind†, it could be proposed that the exposure of women in most of the advertisements today only acts as a stimulus to invoke the hidden desires of the audience till it becomes a need. And once it becomes a need people look for ways to satisfy this physical need disregarding the subjective elements involved in the process. The idea of women empowerment had taken a great flight since post WWII with the help of the media. When most men were fighting during the WWII, women had to take up the roles of men back at home. After the war ended and the men returned, women had to go back and adapt to their roles as housewives and mothers. This was the time when the media hit them and promoted the message of women empowerment with the use of women in their advertisements. The magazines communicated to the women that they had the potential and capability to build careers, acquire achievements and shift their role from that of housekeepers. From that time onwards, media has played a massive role in promoting the concept of power and empowerment for women by displaying women more often in their advertisements and with slogans like â€Å"Just do it†, â€Å"the idea of willpower†, and â€Å"take control†. The use of women in advertisements has not only made women powerful in the eyes of the male population but also given a boast to the self esteem of women and has made them more authoritative than ever before. More so, the use of women’s body in advertisements and movies has established the perception in the minds of the population that women may use their bodies to get things done and achieve success. Through advertisements using women, the society has also created a wrong perception that beauty is a prerequisite to the independence and success of women and also that it is through the beauty and consumption of certain products that women can excel in their careers and lives. The highly explicit use of women in the advertisements has also led to rivalry between different brands of a product. The rivals try to get the most popular celebrities and models for their advertisement and expose them more than their rival to gain more attraction from the target market and therefore increase the sales. It is seen these days that many companies hire brand ambassadors for the sole purpose of attracting the market and make people associate the product with the sexual desire created by the presence of the brand ambassadors; no doubt it increases the consumption. For example, the famous perfume Chanel has hired various top celebrities as there spokes-model like Nicole Kidman and Keira Knightley. In fact the perfume was initially brought to fame by Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s. The display of zero-size models with slender frames and nicely tuned body parts has led to an increased dissatisfaction of â€Å"body image† among the women. The dissatisfaction is measured by difference between a person’s â€Å"body image†, which is a person’s perception of his/her body, and the ideal body type displayed in the form of models in advertisements. Although, this dissatisfaction has always existed amongst the women, it has grown rapidly since last 25 years. This is because the media has increased its standard of what is a â€Å"normal† body size. For most of the women this ideal body size portrayed by the media is the gateway to happiness. It is through these advertisements in the media that women have established in their minds that they need to achieve that ideal body size, shape and weight in order to find a good spouse, a great career, and be acceptable to family, friends and public. The models with perfectly shaped bodies are depicted as glamorous, rich and powerful in the advertisements and therefore a perfect body is seen as the passport to happiness. However, women do not know that only 5 % of all the women have the potential and body-type to achieve the ideals displayed by the models in the advertisements. Conclusion Today, the objectification of women has reached great heights; almost every other advertisement is using this concept to promote a product. What needs to be realized is this behavior has not only degraded the status of women but has also hurt the moral values of the global society. It has also given false hopes to millions of people and has distorted the image or reality for many. And the consequences are also very apparent in the form of the kind of treatment women get from men and the number of women suffering from anorexia for example. All the aspects discussed on the objectification of women call for strong system which could align the activities of the advertisers to more ethically sound principles. References: 1. Onyejekwe, C. J. (2005). Advertising and Exploitation of Female Sexuality. Retrieved from http://www. quietmountainessays. org/Onyejekwe. html 2. Body Image. (2009). Body Image. Retrieved from http://www. snac. ucla. edu/pages/Body_Image/Body_Image. htm 3. Media Advertising. (2010). Women in the Media. Retrieved from http://www. 123helpme. com/view. asp? id=18401 4. Lukes, S. A. (n. d). The Gender Ads Project. Retrieved from http://www. ltcconline. net/lukas/gender/pages/power. htm 5. Gladen, N. R. (2008). Media Objectification of Women. Retrieved from http://medialiteracy. suite101. com/article. cfm/media_objectification_of_women 6. Boeree,C. G. (2009). Personality Theories. Retrieved From http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/freud. html

Brazils Development Essay - 1192 Words

Brazil is the most populated country in South America and the fifth most populated in the world. The young make up more than half of the population, 62 per cent of which are 29 years old (Brazil.org.uk). For 2010 the population growth is has declined from 2.9 in 1960 to 1.166 in 2010. This decline can be attributed to the population adapting to the urban economic trends. Brazil’s economy has shown many changes in trends over the past years in various economic areas. Reports from the World Bank (2010) state that the country is one of the world’s largest net exporter of food; particularly beef, sugar, chicken and orange juice. Brazil’s agriculture and food products account for approximately 35% of their overall exports. These agricultural†¦show more content†¦The country has seen a great migration pattern from the rural to the urban cities and from the south east to north eastern cities. As a result, the North-east is said to have the poorest areas while on the other hand, part of the South-east has the wealthiest. Deforestation has been an issue in the country’s economy. However, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research has shown that there has been a significant decrease in the deforestation in the Amazon since 1998. The organization states that this decline is partially attributed to businesses refusal to support products like soy and beef from regions that have been deforested. Brazil’s Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.669 with a rank of 73. The World Bank’s county director for Brazil states that: â€Å"between 2003 and 2009, poverty (PPP $2 per day) has fallen from 22 percent of the population to 7 percent.† The income levels of the poor have shown significant increase, much more than that of the rich. The poor’s income has risen seven times higher than the rich and three times the national average. This decrease in poverty shows progressions in the country’s economy and implies that the governmental strategies are working effectively in this case. Overall economic simulation and various governmental programs including Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) are among the contributing factors to theShow MoreRelatedEssay Brazils Development Without Long Term Damage to the Amazon827 Words   |  4 PagesBrazils Development Without Long Term Damage to the Amazon Introduction As part of this essay I will be discussing the issues involved with Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and how they as a country can use the rainforests resources for their development, without impairing the ability to use those resources in the future. In other words it is saying that Brazil should not cause long term damage to the rainforest when extracting resources. This is called sustainable developmentRead MoreAnalysis Of Bolsa Familia Springs From A Long Tradition Of Welfare And Development1471 Words   |  6 PagesBolsa Familia springs from a long tradition of welfare and development strategies in Latin America. Economic and social development are of central concern to governments and development agencies worldwide due to their direct link to equality. This can be explained through the well-defined link between income levels and health, education and nutritional outcomes, emphasizing the importance of addressing inequality in order to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Thus, reducing inequalityRead MoreThe Theory Of Human Development Essay1627 Words   |  7 PagesHuman ‘development’ does not exist in stasis – it is constantly in flux. The outcomes of human development are intrinsically linked to overarching power structures, and include psychological dimensions including social recognition. Thus, ‘development’ is dynamic and highly contextualised – it is governed by socio-economic class, domestic politics, geographical location, and the wider institutional context. Working within a particular framework requires acknowledging that concepts of human developmentRead MoreProgression vs Conservation-From the View Point of Third World Countries3064 Words   |  13 Pagesparties are willing to put in an effort. For sure this process is not going to be of immediate effect in the midst of this rampant industrial development and economic progression among third world countries in the 21st century. (â€Å"The Economy Vs. Environment Debate,† n.d.) There seemingly appears to be conflict between the act of progressing in terms of development and conservation. Our world has been rapidly changing over the past decade. This is due to the fact that the Industrial Revolution took placeRead MoreIndia s Growth Of Domestic Market954 Words   |  4 Pagesheavy industry, and overvalued exchange rate that facilitate the capital goods importations. This was based on the reasoning of lack of industries producing investment goods, which could detain high rates of investment and growth. In contrast with Brazil’s situation, the lack of competition in India created powerful coalitions between labor and business interests. Organized local businesses demanded autonomy to operate within the protected Indian market, but they refused risk exposure to foreign marketsRead MoreOne Of The Reasons By Brazil’S Economy Is An Important1349 Words   |  6 Pages One of the reasons by Brazil’s economy is an important player in the world today is its size. They are the world’s fifth largest country by size and the ninth largest by nominal GDP. Other comparisons include the fact that they represent the largest economy in Latin America and second largest in the Americas. Because imports and exports are a significant component of Brazil’s GDP, at 27%, trade represents a key factor in Brazil’s economy (Brazil Economy: Facts, Population, GDP, Inflation, BusinessRead MoreThe Global Divide Essay1465 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is globalization? It can be simply defined as worldwide integration and development, but if asked to be defined by the world’s citizens it’s simply referred to as conflict. As you continue to read further, you will see how globalization and the north- south global divide play a key role in our nation’s economy. From the wars on European soil and increasing poverty in Africa, to th e booming technological abilities in Japan, this one word will be an understatement to all things to come. I’ll explainRead MoreA Short Summary : Qualitative Change1154 Words   |  5 PagesA Qualitative Change, or Old Wine in a New Bottle? South–South Development Cooperation Between Brazil and Mozambique through ProSAVANA 1. Introduction At a time when Western geopolitical supremacy is on the wane and the axis of global power tilts irreversibly away from age-old hegemons, significant changes are brewing across the international development scene (Gore 2013). This climate surfaced in the wake of the agricultural push of the 21st century in the aftermath of the world food price andRead MoreForeign Aid From The United States918 Words   |  4 Pagesmajor foreign aid provider in recent years. This fact places this emerging country in a unique and interesting position as both a donor and recipient as of 2010 records reveal and Brazil’s donor status is on the increase since this new â€Å"middle-of-the-road† development status for this intriguing country emerged. Brazil’s modern history includes 300 plus years of colonization by Portugal form 1500 to 1800, to the establishment of its independent status in 1822. (2) Today, Brazil in its associationRead MoreMarisela Giesbrecht 101021889 Extractive Reserves1131 Words   |  5 Pagesof natural assets for both regional and economic growth. As the frontier advances, however, the amazon is being threatened by the destruction of the forest. The ‘extractive reserve’ model attempts to combine forest preservation with a workable development effort (DeStefano Raymond, 1992, p. 5). It aims to achieve this through a strategy of joint management between local communities and government institutions. It is hoped that over time these extractive reserves will build economic strength and