Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Essay example -- Fairy Tales Gender Socia

Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Some things about fairy tales we know to be true. They begin with "once upon a time." They end with "happily ever after." And somewhere in between the prince rescues the damsel in distress. Of course, this is not actually the case. Many fairytales omit these essential words. But few fairytales in the Western tradition indeed fail to have a beautiful, passive maiden rescued by a vibrant man, usually her superior in either social rank or in moral standing. Indeed, it is precisely the passivity of the women in fairy tales that has led so many progressive parents to wonder whether their children should be exposed to them. Can any girl ever really believe that she can grow up to be president or CEO or an astronaut after five viewings of Disney's "Snow White"? Bacchilega (1997, chapter 2) chooses "Snow White" as a nearly pure form of gender archetype in the fairytale. She is mostly looking at Western traditions and focusing even more particularly on the two best known versions of this story in the West, the Disney animated movie and the Grimm Brothers' version of the tale. However, it is important to note (as Bacchilega herself does) that the Snow White tale has hundreds of oral versions collected from Asia Minor, Africa and the Americas as well as from across Europe. These tales of course vary in the details: The stepmother (or sometimes the mother herself) attacks Snow White in a variety of different ways, and the maiden is forced to take refuge with a number of different kinds of unlikely protectors robbers, assassins, giants, and fairies as well as those adorable Disney dwarves (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 29). Each version of "Snow White," no matter how different the surface details, shares several factors in common that are central to the way gender is described and used in so many Western fairytales: The heroine has a wondrous origin, she is innocent, she is persecuted at the hands of a jealous older woman, she is apparently killed (or dies) and she is then resurrected (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 31). The most striking of these elements is female jealousy, because while it is certainly not essential to the plot, it is a ubiquitous element of these stories. Fairytales, like other commonly performed cultural texts, must be seen in some sense as methods of instruction. We tell stories to our children to entertain and amuse them, to ... ...bmissive. When the princess gets tired of dealing with all the terribly obnoxious princes that her parents keep sending to her in an effort to get her married off, she turns Prince Swashbuckle into a gigantic warty toad. "And when the other princes heard what had happened to Prince Swashbuckle, none of them wanted to marry Smartypants... and so she lived happily ever after (Cole, 1986, p. 29). And in the recent film version of "Cinderella," ("Ever After"), the orphaned girl saves herself both through physical bravery and by preaching socialist principles to the aristocracy. When the prince finally realizes that he wants to marry her and that she may be in terrible danger, he rushes off to the castle of the villain only to meet the heroine just after she has vanquished the villain herself. "What you thought I needed to be rescued?" she asks, thereby completely rewriting her gendered role. Works Cited Bacchilega, C. (1997). Postmodern Fairytales: Gender and Narrative Strategies. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Cole, B. (1986). Princess Smartypants. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. Rohrich, L. (1970). Folktales and Reality. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University. Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Essay example -- Fairy Tales Gender Socia Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Some things about fairy tales we know to be true. They begin with "once upon a time." They end with "happily ever after." And somewhere in between the prince rescues the damsel in distress. Of course, this is not actually the case. Many fairytales omit these essential words. But few fairytales in the Western tradition indeed fail to have a beautiful, passive maiden rescued by a vibrant man, usually her superior in either social rank or in moral standing. Indeed, it is precisely the passivity of the women in fairy tales that has led so many progressive parents to wonder whether their children should be exposed to them. Can any girl ever really believe that she can grow up to be president or CEO or an astronaut after five viewings of Disney's "Snow White"? Bacchilega (1997, chapter 2) chooses "Snow White" as a nearly pure form of gender archetype in the fairytale. She is mostly looking at Western traditions and focusing even more particularly on the two best known versions of this story in the West, the Disney animated movie and the Grimm Brothers' version of the tale. However, it is important to note (as Bacchilega herself does) that the Snow White tale has hundreds of oral versions collected from Asia Minor, Africa and the Americas as well as from across Europe. These tales of course vary in the details: The stepmother (or sometimes the mother herself) attacks Snow White in a variety of different ways, and the maiden is forced to take refuge with a number of different kinds of unlikely protectors robbers, assassins, giants, and fairies as well as those adorable Disney dwarves (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 29). Each version of "Snow White," no matter how different the surface details, shares several factors in common that are central to the way gender is described and used in so many Western fairytales: The heroine has a wondrous origin, she is innocent, she is persecuted at the hands of a jealous older woman, she is apparently killed (or dies) and she is then resurrected (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 31). The most striking of these elements is female jealousy, because while it is certainly not essential to the plot, it is a ubiquitous element of these stories. Fairytales, like other commonly performed cultural texts, must be seen in some sense as methods of instruction. We tell stories to our children to entertain and amuse them, to ... ...bmissive. When the princess gets tired of dealing with all the terribly obnoxious princes that her parents keep sending to her in an effort to get her married off, she turns Prince Swashbuckle into a gigantic warty toad. "And when the other princes heard what had happened to Prince Swashbuckle, none of them wanted to marry Smartypants... and so she lived happily ever after (Cole, 1986, p. 29). And in the recent film version of "Cinderella," ("Ever After"), the orphaned girl saves herself both through physical bravery and by preaching socialist principles to the aristocracy. When the prince finally realizes that he wants to marry her and that she may be in terrible danger, he rushes off to the castle of the villain only to meet the heroine just after she has vanquished the villain herself. "What you thought I needed to be rescued?" she asks, thereby completely rewriting her gendered role. Works Cited Bacchilega, C. (1997). Postmodern Fairytales: Gender and Narrative Strategies. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Cole, B. (1986). Princess Smartypants. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. Rohrich, L. (1970). Folktales and Reality. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University.

Bastille Day :: essays research papers fc

"Bastille Day, on the Fourteenth of July, is the French symbol of the end of the Monarchy and the beginning of the French Revolution" (www.hightowertrail.com). It is very much like Independence Day in the United States because it is a celebration of the beginning of a new form of government. There are several factors that led to the Revolution. King Louis XV and King Louis XVI both led extremely extravagant lives. They spent a lot of the government's money on luxuries even while the government had some financial problems. One of the government's main jobs back then was to protect their country from, and manage wars. In the Seven Years War against England, France spent large sums of money on the war effort but they still lost the war and had to give up their colonies in North America. Many French citizens regarded this loss as a major humiliation. The population was divided into three estates. The Third Estate, also known as the commoners was made up of the bourgeoisie, wage earners and the peasantry. They were the majority of the population. The Second Estate was for the nobility. The First Estate was composed of the clergy. The Upper Clergy were very wealthy and powerful and therefore they related to the First Estate. The Lower Clergy related more to the Lower Estates. "The first two states enjoyed privileges over the Third Estate. Although they were the richest, they were exempt from taxes. They were also the only members in society who could hold positions of importance such as Officers in the army" (www.members.aol.com). This caused great discontent within the Third Estate. In 18th Century the peasant population increased dramatically. This growth in population increased the demand for more land. Land was being divided into smaller and smaller sections to cope with this problem. Eventually some sections of land were not even enough for a peasant to support his own family. The wars in America left France in huge debt. To try and pay this debt the nobility increased taxes on the peasants, which further increased their resentment towards the nobility. Poor harvests in 1787 and 1788 led to a food shortage. The peasants could barely feed themselves let alone pay taxes. The peasants started to threaten violence if their situation wasn't improved. There was an increased competition from British textile manufacturers. This left many people without jobs, and a huge increase in unemployment. Bastille Day :: essays research papers fc "Bastille Day, on the Fourteenth of July, is the French symbol of the end of the Monarchy and the beginning of the French Revolution" (www.hightowertrail.com). It is very much like Independence Day in the United States because it is a celebration of the beginning of a new form of government. There are several factors that led to the Revolution. King Louis XV and King Louis XVI both led extremely extravagant lives. They spent a lot of the government's money on luxuries even while the government had some financial problems. One of the government's main jobs back then was to protect their country from, and manage wars. In the Seven Years War against England, France spent large sums of money on the war effort but they still lost the war and had to give up their colonies in North America. Many French citizens regarded this loss as a major humiliation. The population was divided into three estates. The Third Estate, also known as the commoners was made up of the bourgeoisie, wage earners and the peasantry. They were the majority of the population. The Second Estate was for the nobility. The First Estate was composed of the clergy. The Upper Clergy were very wealthy and powerful and therefore they related to the First Estate. The Lower Clergy related more to the Lower Estates. "The first two states enjoyed privileges over the Third Estate. Although they were the richest, they were exempt from taxes. They were also the only members in society who could hold positions of importance such as Officers in the army" (www.members.aol.com). This caused great discontent within the Third Estate. In 18th Century the peasant population increased dramatically. This growth in population increased the demand for more land. Land was being divided into smaller and smaller sections to cope with this problem. Eventually some sections of land were not even enough for a peasant to support his own family. The wars in America left France in huge debt. To try and pay this debt the nobility increased taxes on the peasants, which further increased their resentment towards the nobility. Poor harvests in 1787 and 1788 led to a food shortage. The peasants could barely feed themselves let alone pay taxes. The peasants started to threaten violence if their situation wasn't improved. There was an increased competition from British textile manufacturers. This left many people without jobs, and a huge increase in unemployment.

Essay --

1. Definition of Acid and Bases: 1.1 Arrhenius definition of acid and base: Arrhenius Acid: The substance or a compound which gives H+ ions in aqueous solution Arrhenius base: Base is a substance or compound that produces OH- ions in aqueous solutions. Chemists have known for some time that the H+ ion doesn’t exist in aqueous solutions as an independent species. The modernized Arrhenius definition of acid is that they are substances that produce H3O+ ions in aqueous solutions. It did not take longer for chemist to find other problems with the Arrhenius definition. In practical terms, the OH- ion is far from being the only base. 1.2 Bronsted-Lowry definition: Bronsted-Lowery definitions acid and a base, consider the net ionic equation for any Arrhenius acid-base reaction in water: H3O+ + OH- 2H2O When it reacts, the H3O+ ion gives up a proton, passing it to the OH- ion. This means that H3O+ is a Bronsted-Lowry acid in this reaction. The OH- in turn accepts the proton, making it a Bronsted-Lowry base. The advantages of the Bronsted-Lowry definitions are that they cover acids and bases other than H3O+ and OH- .Consider: HSO4- + PO43- SO4- + HPO42- During this reaction the HSO4- ion donates a proton and is therefore an acid. The reaction ion turns the HSO4- ion into the SO4- ion. The PO43- ion becomes the HPO4- ion during the same reaction. That is, the PO43- ion accepts a proton, which means that it is acting as a base. 1.2.1 Bronsted-Lowery Acid-Base Reactions: Conjugate Acids and Bases: Conjugate Acid: When a proton (not a hydrogen atom or â€Å"hydrogen† but a proton, H+) is added to a molecule or ion, its conjugate acid forms. Exampl... ...near to neutral if not that particular drug or medicine may cause irritation in body tissues. †¢ Fermentation process requires a specific pH for the best results. The pH during a fermentation process changes by itself due to fermentation process so buffer play important role in controlling this pH change. †¢ Buffers are also used in foods to maintain the acidity of the food in order to preserve the flavour and appearance of food. †¢ Dyes in textile industries play an important role in giving colour to different fabrics. Colour strength of dyes is closely associated to narrow pH range which is maintained by using different buffer systems. pH above or below this narrow range will affect the colour imparting ability of different dyes. †¢ In Leather industries narrow range of pH control of tanning and dyeing baths determine the texture and colour of the finished product.

Are You Afraid of the Dark

ARE YOU AFRAID OF DARK ? Prologue: In Berlin, Germany, Sonja Verbrugge receives an alarming instant message from her husband, Franz. He tells her to flee the house and go to the Artesemia Hotel, a hotel for women only. The message ends abruptly without explanation and the terrified Sonja heads for the Artesemia as Franz had instructed. At a street corner in mid-flight, she is pushed into the street. As if on cue, a double-parked limo leaves its space and heads right for her, knocking her to the ground. A passing ambulance stops for her and as she is strapped onto a gurney, the attendant calls Sonja by name.Before she can react, a hypodermic needle slides into her arm. In Paris, France, Mark Harris waits on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. Within two years young Kelly rises to the top of the modeling profession. In addition to her looks, she possesses an air of untouchability, which attracts men. She returns to Philadelphia to visit her mother, who thanks her for the money sh e sends every month. Her stepfather, however, makes it clear that Kelly is no longer welcome in their home. Before she leaves town, Kelly visits Mrs. Houston at the library and thanks her for changing her life.Kelly returns to Paris, where she meets a man named Mark Harris. Mark, like many men, approaches Kelly with the hopes of getting to know her. Kelly is put off by him at first, but Mark is persistent, sending her flowers and gifts and finally, a beautiful dog named Angel. Kelly and Diane sit in a coffee shop across the street from KIG. Diane tries to explain that she and Kelly have the same problem and may be able to help one another. Kelly is still reeling from Tanner's insinuations about her dead husband and a woman named Olga and does not really wish to know what Diane might have to say about her husband.When Kelly sees Diane's face on the coffee shop's television and hears her televised image describe the details of Altieri's homicide for the cameras and courtroom, her eyes widen in fear. The not guilty verdict is announced and Anthony Altieri answers the reporters' questions. He indicates that he plans to retire and â€Å"clean up a few old debts. † Kelly knocks over her†¦.. As Harry Flint waits for the women in the penthouse suite, he recalls office functions previously held there. Three times a year KIG hosts â€Å"board meetings† in the suite, which are actually orgies with eautiful prostitutes supplied by Tanner's money. Flint gets turned on thinking about the orgies and plans to take out his lust on Kelly and Diane when they arrive. Unaware she is walking into a trap, Diane exits the elevator and walks down the hall towards the penthouse. She is momentarily delayed by a bellboy who is blocking the hallway with his luggage cart. In that moment, Kelly gets off the elevator and sees Diane in the hall. They quickly realize that neither of them set up this meeting. They stare at the door to the penthouse†¦Now that Kelly and Di ane know who their husbands intended to visit in Washington, they decide to visit Senator Van Luven themselves. They call her office from a pay phone repeatedly, until the receptionist finally agrees to give the senator a message. They wait for two hours at the pay phone before it rings. Senator Van Luven is on the line, sounding irritated. Diane quickly identifies herself and explains that her husband and Mark Harris were murdered to prevent them from seeing the senator. The senator recalls seeing their names in her appointment book.Someone had called her office and cancelled the men's visit; afterward she learned they had both died. Diane has Senator Van Luven's attention now. Van Luven instructs them to take the next red-eye to New York†¦. CHARACTERS Diane Stevens Diane Stevens is a sensitive, artistic soul who has achieved both personal and professional happiness. An acclaimed artist on the New York scene, her still-young marriage to Richard Stevens provides her with a thou ghtful, caring soul mate and, she expects, a long and happy future together.Trouble first arrives in her life when she accidentally witnesses a brutal mafia murder. With her husband's encouragement, Diane bravely does the right thing and testifies against the mafia. Thus she blames herself when she receives the news of Richard's death, thinking that the mafia killed him in retribution for her testimony. A highly spiritual individual, Diane begs her departed husband's spirit for forgiveness and then immerses herself in the grieving process. Wanting nothing more than to fade away from society and lick her emotional wounds, Diane is brought†¦..SUMMARY: Are You Afraid of the Dark? is an action-filled thriller which takes the reader on a tour of the playgrounds of the rich and famous. Tanner Kingsley takes white-collar crime to new heights by using his billion-dollar think tank corporation to create a machine for himself, which can control the weather. Prima is actually the brainchi ld of Tanner's older brother, Andrew Kingsley, who heads up the Kingsley Group think tank. Andrew initially creates Prima in the hopes of addressing the environmental problem of global warming.Andrew's brother, Tanner, is not as concerned with solving the world's problems as his older brother. Instead, Tanner dreams of turning the philanthropic Kingsley Group into a supercharged think tank devoted to earning profit and power. He is a megalomaniac of the highest order, who intends to hold the world hostage once he has perfected the Prima project. First, he needs to get his brother Andrew out of the way. Tanner secretly sabotages a dangerous experiment with which Andrew is involved and Andrew's resulting exposure to toxic gases leaves him severely brain-damaged.Now Tanner is free to explore his power-hungry goals as the sole head of the think tank, which he renames Kingsley International Group, or KIG. Unfortunately for Tanner, four of the scientists under his employ at KIG manage to figure out what Prima can do, despite his best efforts to keep them in the dark. When the scientists learn that Tanner does not intend to give Prima to the government, they realize that he intends to use it for more sinister purposes. The scientists plan a rendezvous in Washington, D. C. here they intend to reveal Prima's existence and purpose to Senator Van Luven, a member of the Senate Select Committee on the Environment. Before they can meet with the senator, all four men are killed. Tanner doesn't stop there; he goes after the men's families as well, just in case the scientists talked to their loved ones about Prima. Sonja Verbrugge is killed in Berlin, Germany. Her husband had worked for KIG Berlin and was one of the four men scheduled to meet with Senator Van Luven in Washington. Lois Reynolds is attacked in Denver, Colorado, just a few miles from where her brother Gary's airplane mysteriously crashes.The other two scientists killed by Tanner are Richard Stevens and Mark Harri s. Their unsuspecting wives, Diane and Kelly, are about to become Tanner's next targets. Both women have barely recovered from the initial shock of the news of their husbands' deaths when Tanner goes after them. The unsuspecting women should make easy targets for the practiced assassins who Tanner hires. However, time after time, the assassins miss their targets. With a combination of ingenuity and luck, the women escape several death traps and together resolve to learn the secret that got their husbands killed.Diane Stevens and Kelly Harris are unlikely heroines for an action thriller. Diane is a sensitive artist and Kelly is a glamorous supermodel. The women may be inexperienced investigators, but with their beloved husbands' deaths as motivation, they quickly pick up Tanner's trail. Kelly and Diane learn about the other related deaths and escape the country to visit the scenes of the crimes. They travel to Berlin, Germany, where Sonja Verbrugge was killed and Paris, France, where Kelly's husband Mark met his untimely death.They are hampered at every turn by Tanner's thugs, Greg Holliday, Vince Carballo and the exceedingly bloodthirsty Harry Flint. Unable to learn anything in Europe, the two heroines return to the United States, where they visit the site of Gary Reynolds's plane â€Å"accident. † They discover that Gary's sister Lois is still alive after escaping a firebomb and from Lois the ladies finally learn about the existence of Prima. Intending to finish what their husbands started, the two women make an appointment with Senator Van Luven. They plan to disclose to her the details about the Prima project.Unfortunately, the women don't realize they are walking into the same trap Tanner had so effectively set for their spouses. Senator Van Luven turns out to be Tanner's co-conspirator and his girlfriend. In a showdown at the senator's home, Tanner sets his goon, Harry Flint, on the trapped women. Kelly and Diane manage to elude Flint's clutches an d the women go straight to the press with details about Prima. This forces Tanner to destroy his prized weather machine, but he has one more surprise in store for Kelly and Diane. He has secretly built a second Prima in the French Polynesian islands.Tanner and Senator Van Luven escape on Tanner's private jet, leaving Prima I set to self-destruct. They intend to hold the world hostage with the power of Prima II. Tanner makes the critical mistake of underestimating his brain-damaged brother Andrew, however. Tanner leaves Andrew behind to die in the Prima explosion. Andrew, even with his mental disability, realizes his brother has become an evil man. As his final act, Andrew sets Prima to destroy the KIG jet with Tanner and Van Luven inside. With Tanner Kingsley dead, his vast conspiracy collapses.Kelly and Diane have survived their ordeal and set about reclaiming the pieces of their lives. Point of View The point of view in Are You Afraid of the Dark? takes the form of third person na rration. This third person narrative is also omniscient, but only to a certain degree. In order to maintain the suspense, author Sidney Sheldon must withhold certain facts from his otherwise omniscient narration. However, the narrator is easily able to see inside the minds of every character, from major to minor and reveals as much of their thoughts as appropriate.In this way the reader is able to learn about Diane Stevens's and Kelly Harris's relationships to their husbands. The men die at the very outset of the novel, thus it is only through the recollections of the female protagonists that the reader is able to get a sense of the dead men's characters. Interestingly, this semi-omniscient narrative†¦.. Conspiracy A big-brother style conspiracy is at the heart of this action-suspense novel by noted author, Sidney Sheldon. Sheldon, like other conspiracy writers, plays on the natural fear all human beings have of the unknown.Conspiracies seem more frightening to many people than open hostility because it is difficult, if not impossible, to defend oneself against an unknown enemy. The most chilling parts of any conspiracy stories are the moments in which the conspiracy can actually be seen. These fleeting glimpses of a powerful enemy can be more frightening, psychologically, than confronting a powerful enemy face to face. For Kelly this moment first arrives in her hotel room. When an unseen man lies to her to gain entrance into her suite, she is terrified. Although she does not yet know the scope of the plot against her,†¦..

Position Argument In Marriage Essay

Marriage is a ceremony or an act completed through contract by which man and woman become husband and wife. It is a loving, caring relationship that provides intimacy and security to all couples. It is entered into because of ensuing political, economic and other advantages and not just of mutual affection. It is viewed legally as civil unions, a legal status and a social institution that simplifies and organizes crucial matters for the partners. Many research studies show that a good marriage is both men’s and women’s bet for living a long and healthy life especially in the area of adult health and well-being.   A leading social scientist name James Q. Wilson explains that persons of the same age who are married have happier life than those who are unmarried. Married people on general are better off and significantly enjoy higher levels of physical and mental health and enjoy greater emotional support and tend to be healthier than those who are either single, divorced or living together. (Wilson 2002) MARRIAGE AND GENDER ISSUES Dr. Robert Coombs of UCLA made a review on recent empirical studies published on how marriage affects adults’ well-being. In his review it shows that there is an intimate link between marital status and personal well-being. On aspect of alcoholism, Coombs review found that there are only fifteen percent of the chronic problems drinkers are married as compared to the fifty five percent who are either divorced or separated. On the other hand, single men are more than three times as likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver. (Coombs 1991) Married people also tend to have long and healthy life. As reported by Erasmus University in Rotterdam married people have lowest morbidity rates, while divorced people show highest morbidity rates. Dr. Coombs’ research review agrees with these findings, as he comments â€Å"virtually every study of mortality and marital status shows that the unmarried of both sexes have higher death rates, whether by accident, disease, or self-inflicted wounds†. (Coombs 1991) Dr. Benjamin Malzberg conducted a research and he concludes that married population in general has much low rates of mental disease than any of the other marital groups. Another research conducted jointly at Yale University and UCLA that supports Dr. Malzbeg findings. Consistent with other researches conducted, result of the joint research also concludes that married persons enjoy better health than the unmarried and founds that the highest rates of mental disorder are among the divorced and separated. The lowest rates are among the married and average rates among the single and widowed. (Malzberg 1996) One the best results of the research conducted of impact of marriage is that it offers general happiness. Married person has significantly higher level of happiness than persons who are not married. What about the homosexuals do they have rights to enter into marriage? Maybe yes or maybe no. Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. However, the legitimacy of marriage depends on the authoritative definition of marriage. ARGUMENTS SUPPORTING GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGE Prof. Sally Haslanger in his arguments in support to gay and lesbian marriage has point out two (2) issues to consider. The issues on equality and issues on promoting good values that leads to good life. These issues are supported by arguments of marriage as normative ideal, the potential of gay marriage for undermining traditional gender norms, and the unjust displacement of gays and lesbians. On first argument: Marriage as normative ideal. The state has an obligation to promote â€Å"valued ways of living†; that is why marriage is viewed by the state legally as civil unions, a legal status and a social institution that simplifies and organizes crucial matters for the partners. It is ideal for how sexuality, companionship, affection, personal economics and child rearing are being organized and put to order. Marriage also promotes â€Å"personal and social flourishing† in ways that are indifferent to other sexualities of the couple. Therefore, the state has an obligation to promote homosexual and heterosexual marriage. (Haslanger 2006) However, the groups of conservative and anti same-sex marriage are opposing this idea. A Conservatives objection to Haslanger first argument relates that gay and lesbian sex is not good for the individuals involved on it and it is not good for the society. Second argument: The potential of gay marriage for undermining traditional gender norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traditionally and on social norms societies are being dominated by males. It is supported by the strict separation of gender roles and the gendered division of labor. By legalizing same-sex marriage traditional gender norms and male domination are being challenge. Homosexuals have already been accepted during the 19th century that they are essentially different from heterosexuals. The concept as a kind of naturally fixed third sex. On the other hand, same-sex marriage is an effective way to fight against injustice like violence against women. (Haslanger 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The conservatives agrees that our society currently live under male domination but they believe that is was just exaggerated. Conservatives points out that distinct gender roles do not necessarily support that male are more dominant. It’s just that in society genders are separate but does not necessarily mean that they are not equal.   (Haslanger 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another objection to the second argument states that gays and lesbians are stereotypes. That they are dangerously uncontrolled, predatory, insatiable, narcissistic and self-indulgent. Therefore, gays and lesbians are considered unfit for assuming gendered familial roles, producing children and cannot sustain long-term stable relationships. (Haslanger 2006) Third argument: Reversing the unjust displacement of gays and lesbians. Arguments on these issues were structured as a response to DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). This act was understood that marriage should only be between one man and one woman and become as a family that is considered as foundation of the society.   This one man and one woman marriage are considered â€Å"fit† for establishing the foundation of society and are therefore â€Å"essential citizens†. Further, those who enters into marriage that differ from DOMA policies are therefore â€Å"unfit† and inessential citizens. With regards to gays and lesbians in relation to DOMA, gays and lesbian therefore lack the special status of   â€Å"essential citizens† and same-sex relationships are not merely a â€Å"lifestyle choice†. Approving same-sex relationship weakens the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advocates of same-sex marriage disagree to the arguments stated above they feel that they are being displace and discriminated. Gays and lesbians believe that the state should continue to treat marriage as a pre-political institution but include them as one of the society’s foundation. Moreover, the state to consider marriage as a â€Å"lifestyle† choice and grant them rights similar to heterosexual marriage. SUMMARY Legal and moral case for gay and lesbian equality should be given due account by the state for them to feel that they are given equal treatment by the state and the society as a whole.       Works Cited Coombs, Robert â€Å"Marital Status and Personal Well-Being: A Literature Review,† Family Relations 40 (1991) 97-102. Haslanger, Sally. â€Å"Moral Problems and the Good Life†. (2006) Malzberg, Benjamin. â€Å"Marital Status in Relation to the Prevalence of Mental Disease,† Psychiatric Quarterly 10 (1996): 245-261. Stanton, Glenn T. â€Å"Why Marriage Matters†. Retrieved 9 October 2007 from Wilson, James Q. â€Å"The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families† New York: Harper Collins, (2002), p. 16.

Humans are… what, in Dick’s narrative?

Phillip K. Dick's sci-fi classic delves into a futuristic world where Earth has been ravaged by radiation from the fallout of the so-called â€Å"World War Terminus†. He explores the notion of humanity's struggle for survival in this diminished environment and incorporates their interaction with the bio-synthetic andriods which serve as mere human slaves in the off-world colonies. This essay will attempt to explore how this author has raised questions into what it exactly is to be ‘human' and how the humans portrayed in this novel can be seen as ‘un-human' when compared to their android and sub-human counterparts. The setting and scene of this novel is of a dystopian world, where many of the human inhabitants go to live in Off-World colonies such as New New York, and avoid the radiation cloud that has infested Earth. The existence of outlawed androids who seek refuge on Earth, are indistinguishable from humans and can only be identified as an android by composing certain ‘tests' such as the Voight Kampff empathy test or a bone marrow examination. This gives the feeling that humans cannot tell who their enemies are when their enemies are among them, a notion that follows the paranoia of the cold war period that xisted at the time Dick wrote this novel. The radioactive fallout has caused not only the people to emigrate out of Earth, but have made the genes of some humans to deteriorate. When this decay has passes a certain level, it is detected by a mandatory testing from the state and people who do not manage to pass this test is deemed as â€Å"specials†. They are looked down upon as sub-humans and are restricted from emigrating out of Earth in fear of â€Å"poisoning† the gene pool of the new colonies. Thus, there are three distinct groups in Dick's society, being that of humans, specials and androids. The specials and the androids are seen as inferior to the humans due to their lack of â€Å"humanness†. The specials, who were once humans, have essentially lost their rights to do human things such as emigrating, voting and even starting up a family of their own, all due to the fact that their genes have been tampered by radiation. Similarly, the androids who are physically identical to humans and simulate the way humans act to a point where it is indistinguishable, are still considered non-humans due to the fact that they were created by humans only for the purposes of slavery. The protagonist Deckard, journeys through the struggle to survive and quite fittingly represents the overall human struggle to find solace in an unforgiving world of â€Å"kipple†. Equipped with his lead codpiece, which protects him from his genes to deteriorating, Deckard is employed to retire androids, which have illegally escaped to Earth. By undertaking this mission, he is essentially doing a very â€Å"human† job although it does require the slaughter of sometimes-innocent androids that pose no threat in any way. The â€Å"threat† may be of humanity's fear of androids overcoming their built-in age limit of 4 ears and become a super-race to rival humankind. Since the androids have no empathy and do not hesitate to kill humans, the humans hunt down the androids that have escaped to Earth and kill them before they themselves get killed. Thus, it can be seen that to preserve humane values like empathy, the humans have to resort to murder without remorse like the androids in order to avoid being killed by them. Initially it is clear that between the two main characters of the novel, Deckard and Isidore, which one of the two is considered more human. There is no doubt that Deckard is more human than Isidore ccording to the distinctions that are placed within the society. Deckard is the human, who has the ability to emigrate and to reproduce, works for the police department and although owns a fake animal, takes care of this fake animal nonetheless in order to evoke empathy towards â€Å"nature†. Isidore on the other hand does not have the rights that Deckard and other humans have, does not have an animal of his own whether real or fake and lives in an isolated building surrounded by kipple. To make matters worse, Isidore is not only a special but has also been branded a â€Å"chickenhead†. This may imply that, although Isidore seems culturally enriched and sophisticated due to his vocabulary and his ideologies towards himself, humans and Mercer, he lacks common sense as evident when he mistakes a real cat for an android during his work as a delivery man. However, throughout the course of the novel there is a gradual role reversal between the two individuals. It can thus be seen as a whole, that the portrayal of humans, specials and androids do not fit in with their original levels of humanity. The humans are shown as lacking the human values through the acts of Deckard. The specials, originally humans but genetically decayed and considered sub-human, still show their possession of humanity through Isidore, and sometimes convey more humanness than the humans themselves. Lastly, the androids that are non- humans that have been built by humans still display some of the characteristics that define humanity although also displaying a lack of these same characteristics at other times. The distinctions between the three categories seems to blur due to the changing perceptions of the specials and the androids, throughout the novel. One of the most important elements of humanity which is conveyed in Dick's novel is empathy. The Voight-Kampff test, which is employed by Deckard to distinguish from humans and androids, is in fact an empathy test and the importance of empathy as a human characteristic is further emphasised by the use of empathy fusion boxes reoccurring throughout the novel. This empathy box allows fusion between the artificial â€Å"God† in Wilbur Mercer and functions as a combination of recreation and religion, used to prove to the users themselves that they are able to empathize with another person. This trait is omething that androids are unable to simulate as seen in Roy Batty's failed attempts of fusion. It is rather ironic that humans rely on machines to become one with their human self, at the same time detesting androids from existing among them. As the novel develops, Deckard is shown drifting apart from his wife Iran, the only person to whom he seems to have any real relationship with. This is significant since Deckard is portrayed as the ultimate loner, an image similar to that of detective Phillip Marlowe in his noir genres. When he is speaking with his neighbour, his attitude is a mixture of a desire o get rid of him and a desire to show off. On the whole, Deckard seems somewhat lacking when it comes to emotions. At times he seems to have no emotions at all while other times he seems uncertain to know what to feel. Isidore, on the other hand, shows a longing to interact with others and rid of his empty loneliness that has plagued him ever since he was deemed as a special. When he realises that he has finally received some new neighbours, he immediately takes a cube of margarine, the most suitable thing he could think of, as a welcoming gift to his fellow tenants. Although the reluctant android Pris hinks little of this â€Å"chickenhead†, Isidore tries his best to help her and her friends as best as he can, letting Pris to move in with him so he can â€Å"take care of her†. Throughout this whole experience, Isidore empathises with the loneliness that he feels that his new friend must be suffering from, just like he himself does. He does his best to get Pris and her android friends as comfortable as possible, unlike Deckard who has little to no feelings for anyone besides himself. It can obviously be seen, the role reversal between Deckard the human and Isidore the special is taking place. Isidore is, in fact, the person in the novel who displays the largest portion of the characteristics that are considered â€Å"human†. He immediately reacts as if it is his responsibility to be a helpful and comforting host to his new neighbours and he empathizes with the androids when told that they are being pursued by a bounty hunter. Initially, Isidore believes that these androids are regular humans beings and that the bounty hunter is some cruel monster machine, but when he later realises that his new friends are the androids themselves, his feelings of friendship and empathy towards them does not hange, even with this knowledge. That is friends are androids does not alter his perception, and has no relevance to his attitude towards them; only their relationship with him is all that matters to him. This may be due to the fact that since he has being isolated for such a long time, he does not care whether his friends are â€Å"fake†, or maybe it is because he is a â€Å"chickenhead† and is too nieve to see that his friends are actually outlaws and pose a potential threat towards the society. However, the fact that he does not consider someone to be worth less or to be less human just because they happen to belong to a articular â€Å"race† shows that he has a genuine feeling of understanding of others when being discriminated against. The only time he does not seem to empathize with his new android neighbours is when Pris pulls off the legs of a real spider they have found. It can be seen that not only does she show her lack of empathy and inhumanity whilst performing this act, she also seems to enjoy seeing Isidore's anguish. Thus Isidore shows that he has strong empathy for whomever or whatever gets hurt, be it man or spider. From the actions of Deckard, whether it be that he does not use his empathy box as often as he should, is growing frustration and unemotional relationship with his wife or his act of sleeping with the android Rachel while contemplating to kill her shows his total lack of humanness for a person who is supposed to epitomise humanity in this novel. When compared to the actions of Isidore and his regular sessions with his empathy box and genuine concern and empathy towards his android neighbours when hearing that they are being hunted by a bounty hunter, he seems much more in touch with human qualities even when being classified as a special and a chickenhead. When Deckard is compared also with some of the raits that the androids show, it may be said that androids value and undertake human characteristics more than humans themselves. Roy Batty, the leader of the escaped Nexus-6 androids, has tried to achieve fusion both for himself and others so he can gain the sense of belonging and assimilating into this society. Luba Luft has an unbelievably talented singing voice and appreciates such cultural things as the opera and the arts, while being intrigued by the realist paintings in the theatre as she can see that it mirrors the sufferings of her own life. Even Deckard himself realises that this android does not deserve o die as she is a wonderful performer and is doing good rather than harm towards the society. The Rand Corporation's â€Å"daughter† Rachel is supposed to be incapable of emotions but claims to love Deckard and is prepared to do Deckard's dirty work in order for him to love her back. There does exist a contrasting factor, since she offers to kill one of her fellow Nexus-6 so it reverses the original perception that she is totally innocent of being inhumane. It is also seen that she may have merely seduced Deckard for her own ends, as instructed by her creator, Rand. Nonetheless, when compared to Deckard, who is considered human by society but is very cold and unfeeling with people such as Isidore and Rachel, who are considered sub-human and non-human respectively but display much more emotion, the roles of each class and the way they ought to act seems contradictory. On the whole, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep conveys a sense that the characteristics that define a human being can be present in both androids and supposedly, deteriorated humans. In the same way, humans that are considered â€Å"real humans† by society may be lacking these characteristics. Thus the boundary between human and non-human seems to be very vague.

Speech of oath Ceremony

Especially to those dew drops who have made their presence in the lawns of this college for the first time, I called the Dew drops yes they are because we believe that they are as pure as the purity in the drops of dew we observe on the grass early in the morning. And now is the time to impel along with that purity in them the moral values so that they will shine in heights of the sky this also is a fact that they also have entered this premises with an aim to groom their life. Which implies that they have entered the college life where from they will come out to be the future of tomorrow’s society.The author of Re imagine Mr. Tom Peters has assessed the colleges as, â€Å"I imagine a college system that recognizes learning is natural, that a love of learning is normal, and that real learning is passionate learning. A college curriculum that values questions above answer†¦.. creativity above fact regurgitation†¦. individuality above conformity.. and excellence above standardized performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ And we must reject all notice of reform` that serve up more of the same: more testing, more `standards`, more uniformity, more conformity, more bureaucracy.In context to these words of Tom Peter I assure all the parents and the students sitting in front that we all under this roof are determined to inculcate good moral values among the children who enter the premises of this college because they are supposed to be the future of tomorrow, As we are all carriers of our own stories. We have never trusted our own voices. Reforms came, but we don’t make them. They were presented by people removed from colleges, by ‘experts’ such changes bi passes college.College by college changes, however slow, could make a powerful difference. Which implies that good colleges are still possible. With these lines of ‘Deborah Meier’ I conclude my words and whole heartedly welcome the new comers here in our family Sai Pariwar. Now to start off with the official part of the welcome ceremony I request the chairman of shri Sai Baba Aadarsh mahavidyalaya, along with the secretary SSBAM, the principal of the college and the Department heads from all the faculties to come ahead for the lightening of the lamp.