Four Theoretical Approaches to Metaphysics Essay

There are four theoretical approaches to the metaphysics and they include Dualism and the theory that what exists on can do so on two levels the physical or the mental. The next approach is Materialism which theorizes that everything exists on a physical level. Then there is the Idealism approach which states that everything that exists is mental or spiritual. Finally, there is Alternative Views which theorizes that what exists in neither mental nor spiritual but believed that what exists is both, which means that what exists is neutral. In the Materialism theory of metaphysics it is said that everything is made of some kind of structure that are now called atoms. These atoms are governed entirely by physical laws and are thought to make up everything that we know and see. There were and are still many men in the scientific community that feel this way, but the most pronounced one was named Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes implied â€Å"clearly that all things are made of material particles and that all change reduces to motion. † (cite) His theory states that everything is matter in motion to include an individual’s thought process. Hobbes goes into detail about how this process works and called it perception or sense. His way of describing it is the fact that things have different properties and that the properties do not really exist. The properties of an object are based on what we perceive them to be. We perceive a rose to be beautiful, smell nice, and have red pedals. Those properties according to Hobbes are all based on perception and the rose does not actually have any of these traits. â€Å"The things that really are in the world outside us are those motions by which these seemings are caused. † (cite) Hobbes describes perception as motion from the outside effects the motion of the inside of a person. The motion on the outside affected the motion on the inside and leaves a lasting effect after the motion is complete or dispersed then the motion that remains behind on the inside is left as a memory. The motion that is still on the inside is a perception and in turn is the root cause for thinking, imagination, and memory. As humans we describe this reaction by assigning words to these perceptions and Hobbes labeled that as reasoning. The way that people reason is nothing sort of â€Å"adding and subtracting of the consequences of general names. † (cite) The easiest way that this can be explained would be to refer it to a computer. The hard drive is considered as the movement on the inside and the keyboard and mouse as the outside. The hard drive is made up of a disk and magnet and works by taking the disc and spinning is around at a rapid pace. Next the magnet is moved around to encode the data to the hard drive. This whole process is done through movement and if stationary there is nothing that can be done to retrieve or store information. First to store or retrieve information an external source of movement needs to happen. Movement from the outside was represented as a keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse which is movement from the outside affects the hard drive which is the movement from the inside and vice versa. Now that movement has been represented the reasoning of information needs to be considered. Now we understand what movement effect movement means we can now address the fact of reasoning and perception. All of the information that the computer takes in needs to go somewhere and needs to be retrieved again. The computer makes sense of all the data by assigning numbers to all of the data so that it can be retrieved again. This aspect would be considered our perception which is reasoning which as Hobbes stated before is our thinking, memory, and imagination. Now some people would argue that Hobbes theory does not take into accounts decision making and other voluntary actions, but he does go into detail about how that process works. Hobbes addresses the finer points of the decision process by stating that every decision or movement starts of as an â€Å"endeavor† which was caused by perception. He then breaks it down even into two groups consisting of desire and aversion. When the endeavor is toward something then it is considered a desire and when it is away it is considered an aversion. We associate desire and aversion with words like love and hate or good and bad. So according to Hobbes the basic principle of our decision making is like a magnet. Let’s look at the magnet that is in the computer and affects the hard drive. Sometimes data can be corrupted and the information will not take to the hard drive. The process of corrupt data being entered from the outside can be considered as an aversion. Now any information that the system lets in can be considers as desire. If that did not make sense then lets look at a magnet in general. A magnet has a positive and a negative side. Anything that is attracted to the positive side can be considered a desire and anything that is repelled by the negative side can be considered an aversion. In the recent years there has been some advancements in technology that allows us to uncover the mysteries of the universe. Scientists have found matter that is smaller than atoms and they are calling them subatomic particles. It has been discovered that these particles make up every aspect of the universe and are comprised of some type of energy that is connected with everything else. After this discovery a lot of scientists are rattled about their theory and if Materialism is really the right type of metaphysical theory to go with. However, this does not completely rule this theory out it just seems like that needs to some changes or tweaks to the way that we think about Materialism.

Like a Winding Sheet

Ann Petry’s â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet â€Å"defines a pivoting time line in history even though it is a fictional short story. This story took place in 1946 in the time when all the men would be at war and the women would be in factories making all the weapons and equipments that they would need. The women were the focal point in that era because they ensured that the men overseas were well equipped to be at war. The story was set in the summer of ’46 and had numerous place settings in which the conflict took place.The main characters of the story are Mr. Johnson and his wife Mae. Mr. Johnson’s love and fondness for his wife was a true testimony in this story. It also brought about the mere fact of racism and a man’s own conscience and mind playing tricks on him. LIKE A WINDING SHEET Like a Winding Sheet, written by Ann Petry in 1945, is a story that begins with a black man's tough day at work, but takes a twisted turn. Johnson comes home after a hard d ay planning to kick his feet up and enjoy a relaxing evening at home with his wife, Mae.The bad sense of humour Mae possesses begins to send Johnson over the edge and suddenly, something in him snaps. Johnson brutally beats his wife, quite possibly killing her. This story is very shocking, exposing to us a reality of our society, racism. In this essay I will try to show you that racism, specially in the United-States, can be a source for an imprisonment feeling for individuals, in this case, the bl In Ann Petry’s 1945 short story â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet,†. Johnson is a black male struggling with racism and societal pressures. Johnson faces many challenges.As one reads, one cannot help but feel his anger, frustration and tenseness. Petry tells it in the following way, â€Å"The knowledge that he had struck her seeped through him slowly and he was appalled but he couldn’t drag his hands away from her face. † Petry goes on further to tell us, â€Å"He ha d lost all control over his hands. † This rage Johnson is experiencing is described as a â€Å"winding sheet†. Johnson’s everyday routine causes anger and frustration to build up inside him. Get up, go to work and come home; get up, go to work and come home. †¦ are reserved to white people.She sends him an indirect message saying to him that because he is black he does not have the right to enjoy a coffee. This is a prejudice to his liberty and to human equality in general. Again, he cannot do anything about these problems. That day was like any other for John. He was oppressed and disrespected all day and had to take it all in without a word. This pressure might not have shown many effect in the story but the simple fact that John tightens up his knuckles at each of these stressing events shows us that all the anger he feels is kept inside him. Like a Winding Sheet Ann Petry’s â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet â€Å"defines a pivoting time line in history even though it is a fictional short story. This story took place in 1946 in the time when all the men would be at war and the women would be in factories making all the weapons and equipments that they would need. The women were the focal point in that era because they ensured that the men overseas were well equipped to be at war. The story was set in the summer of ’46 and had numerous place settings in which the conflict took place.The main characters of the story are Mr. Johnson and his wife Mae. Mr. Johnson’s love and fondness for his wife was a true testimony in this story. It also brought about the mere fact of racism and a man’s own conscience and mind playing tricks on him. LIKE A WINDING SHEET Like a Winding Sheet, written by Ann Petry in 1945, is a story that begins with a black man's tough day at work, but takes a twisted turn. Johnson comes home after a hard d ay planning to kick his feet up and enjoy a relaxing evening at home with his wife, Mae.The bad sense of humour Mae possesses begins to send Johnson over the edge and suddenly, something in him snaps. Johnson brutally beats his wife, quite possibly killing her. This story is very shocking, exposing to us a reality of our society, racism. In this essay I will try to show you that racism, specially in the United-States, can be a source for an imprisonment feeling for individuals, in this case, the bl In Ann Petry’s 1945 short story â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet,†. Johnson is a black male struggling with racism and societal pressures. Johnson faces many challenges.As one reads, one cannot help but feel his anger, frustration and tenseness. Petry tells it in the following way, â€Å"The knowledge that he had struck her seeped through him slowly and he was appalled but he couldn’t drag his hands away from her face. † Petry goes on further to tell us, â€Å"He ha d lost all control over his hands. † This rage Johnson is experiencing is described as a â€Å"winding sheet†. Johnson’s everyday routine causes anger and frustration to build up inside him. Get up, go to work and come home; get up, go to work and come home. †¦ are reserved to white people.She sends him an indirect message saying to him that because he is black he does not have the right to enjoy a coffee. This is a prejudice to his liberty and to human equality in general. Again, he cannot do anything about these problems. That day was like any other for John. He was oppressed and disrespected all day and had to take it all in without a word. This pressure might not have shown many effect in the story but the simple fact that John tightens up his knuckles at each of these stressing events shows us that all the anger he feels is kept inside him.

Pink Flamingo Essay (Jennifer Price)

Jennifer Price used her own style of rhetoric exceptionally well to demonstrate her own individual perspective on the United States. In her essay, â€Å"The Plastic Pink Flamingo: A Natural History†, Price compares such a minuscule object as a flamingo, with the vast widespread culture of the American society; clearly depicting how American culture was highly based off of the desire to be bold and in vogue with the rest of society. The flamingo lawn ornament created a spark to epidemic of materialistic viewpoints based off of bright, flashy, pink colors. The new pink trend that was engulfing the nation was influencing every aspect of the daily life. From cars to washing machines, and from famous people to famous places, the flamingo and especially the color pink alone were shaping the new American culture. Ironically, such an outbreak of vibrant and flamboyant colors that were now sweeping the nation, came about after the Depression; such a melancholy period of national devastation. Price’s essay has adeptly portrayed her standing on how American culture can be strongly influenced by materialistic and trending ideas, just by introducing the influence of a subjective object like the pink flamingo. The result of the influence of the plastic pink flamingo phenomenon, struck the American society with such a major impact that the culture as a whole began to shit from a dismal, dreary decade; to a bright, and jubilant era, that was overwhelming influenced by the color pink. One of the first major influences of the pink flamingo was in 1946, by a gangster Benjamin â€Å"Bugsy† Siegel’s hotel, in the middle of a vacant desert, that was conjured by an array of flamboyant colors and named The Flamingo Hotel. The popularity of the pink flamingo continued to grow with the adoption of the name â€Å"flamingo† by restaurants and lounges in order to create the allusion of such an elegant appeal that the famous Vegas hotel holds. The hotel, however, was not only the major influence towards it’s striking popularity; due to the fact that the flamingo was pink, gave people the ideology that since pink was such an intensely bold color option, that being bold was the new trending style. Anything and everything that was manufactured during this new bold based era, could be bought in a new shade of pink. Everyday objects from cars, to washing machines, to counters, could be purchased in pink, and to think that this popularity was built off of a small plastic lawn ornament. The prominent and distinguished singer, Elvis Presley, also marked the new era y purchasing a bright pink Cadillac, for creating that grandiose appeal. The quickly established popularity of the small lawn ornament was created by northern parts of the country wanting to establish the southern appeal of warm, bright colors in their lawn. The flamingo, being known for its extravagance and its bright colors, nonetheless, gave off a high-class a ppeal of grandiosity and magnificence that all people craved in American society. The aforementioned details, further portray Price’s perception on how materialistic the American culture has become, and how society can be influenced by such frivolous, and superficial objects. Price’s use of irony throughout her essay, also had a key role in further emphasizing her view on the American culture. Stating that the extinction of the flamingo was at the fault of the people who now prosper from its very existence in the first place, is extremely ironic. Such an example shows how the American society focuses on individual needs; and being egocentric was not seen as a deplorable action. Also, in a different section of the essay, Price makes a comparison of how the moods of decades can be influenced by new trends and ideas, by mentioning the Depression that country had faced in the previously passed years. The irony of such a comparison was that not to long before the brightly colored phenomenon, America faced a period of time that was dull and full of devastating affects, known as the Great Depression. Price states that the â€Å"[colors] were just right for a generation, raised in the Depression†, meaning that after such a morose era, the new generation would now face an epidemic of boldness and congeniality that would arise from the pink flamingo influence that was entrapping the nation. Mentioning such references to such a dull time period, adherently describes the prominence of such a drastic change in styles and concepts. Price’s vivid use of irony throughout her essay further displayed her individual opinion on how much the American culture was influenced by the vibrant color and flamboyancy of the pink plastic flamingo, and how such a trivial object can create such a grand illusion, and become so popular just by the appeal it displays. Overall, Price clearly portrays how the materialistic ideology of the American society is influenced by phenomenon and trending styles, which will furthermore alter the era in which a generation is living in, and introduce new fashions that would permanently alter the lifestyles of the American culture. By Price’s avid use of diction and syntax throughout her essay, she was able to create a vivid idea on her view of the American culture. Such frivolous and minuscule objects influenced the culture, as a whole, just because by adapting and adopting the new flamboyant colors into their everyday lifestyle, the individual would feel as if they were in vogue, just because it was the cool thing to do.

Survey letter Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey letter - Research Paper Example In order to express my heartfelt gratitude, I hereby enclose a gift certificate of MacDonald’s. Please enjoy with my complements. Attached, you will find a brief questionnaire concerning your business, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please return the survey no later than (August 15, 2014) so that i can complete my project on time. 3. What are the average net profits of Central Coast Wines in dollars or percent of sales after computing the overhead costs such as rent, administration, and inventory? (Use more than†¦.or less than†¦.in answering). Are these profits for one owner, or do they split between two or more partners? 7. Which brand is your best selling wine, and in what average quantities does it sell, per day, per week, and per year? What level of competition does this brand stand against other competitors’ products in the market – competitive advantage? 10. What chain of distribution does the company use in getting its products to the right market? Does the distribution channel have many intermediaries? Do these intermediaries affect the utility of the product, such as in price, place, and time

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research proposal - Essay Example Results of the multiple regression shall identify the predictors of effectiveness for both groups, and facilitate the compliance to the EMS pediatric care system. Following the quantitative analysis, selected respondents from both groups shall be interviewed to validate the results. The goal of the present research is to determine the predictors of effectiveness for both patients and healthcare professionals as regards pediatric emergency care at Hospital X. The two groups, having differing perspectives and needs, may have distinct factors that influence their effectiveness valuations. Pediatric emergency care has received increasing attention in recent years; the need has been exacerbated by lack of available primary care; the growing number of children who are suffer ring from chronic illness and who are dependent on technology; and other constraints such as manpower, resources and physical facilities. This study may help Hospital X better respond to these pediatric emergency care demands; to optimize the positive change that may be yielded from the study, both patients’ and healthcare professionals will be tapped for effectiveness evaluations. Since the roles of both parties are critical to the provision of emergency pediatric care, it is worthwhile to examine the factors which they perceive influences their delivery of emergency pediatric care. The Institute of Medicine Emergency Medical Services for Children Summary (1993) approximates that annually, there are about 30 million children and adolescents who are in need of emergency care. The gravity of the issue is realized in the fact that injury alone results in mortality in children between the ages of 1-19 than all other causes. Moreover, there are 21,000 deaths accounted for by illness and other disorders (Institute of Medicine Emergency Medical Services for Children Summary, 1993). The alarming realities

Argument Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Argument Analysis - Essay Example Botstein however claims that it is not the length of school days that affects the performance of the children rather; it is how the time in school is spent. He presented some statistics to point out his argument. The thesis of the article is that the solution to the improvement of the academic performance of the school children in the US is not the lengthening of the time spent in school but rather, an analysis of how the time in school is spent. Botstein’s article is targeted to every American citizen, particularly to the politicians who are moving for the extension of the number of school days. He also aims to target the parents of the school children to explain to them that it is not the number of school days that really matters. He is addressing the parents to probably put some pressure on the politicians to extensively study their proposal before making it into a law. Botstein is trying to convince his readers to believe his argument through the use of the logical appeal to prove his point. He supports his argument by comparing the number of school days in the other countries that outperforms the US’ school children. Botstein indicated that some countries have longer school days, others have less school days while others have the same school days as in the US but it was not what really mattered. What are essential are the instruction hours that are dedicated in key areas such as mathematics, science, history and literature. He mentioned that American high school students spend only 41 per cent of their time in school studying these subject areas unlike the Japanese and the French (Botstein 1). Botstein used analogy to prove his point. Another issue which Botstein identified as the reason for the poorer performance of the US school children compared with other countries is the issue on who is doing the teaching. To prove his point he presented the results of the 1996 survey of the Education

Nobody Gets Married Anymore, Mister by Gerry Garibaldi Article

Nobody Gets Married Anymore, Mister by Gerry Garibaldi - Article Example The author predicts in the article that although money, reforms, and the gleaming porcelain hold great importance for the schools they can hardly make a good impact on the minds of the children. The reason is that urban teachers and students are facing such problems, which are associated with the mindset of children, which cannot be changed due to reforms. â€Å"Urban teachers face an intractable problem, one that we cannot spend or even teach our way out of teen pregnancy†. In the remaining part of the article, the author describes her experience of dealing with her pregnant students. The author mainly emphasizes her encounter with a girl named Nicole who is likely to become a teenage mother. Along with Nicole, who has been the focus of the author in the whole article, the author also highlights her experience with another student, jasmine, who gave birth to a child nearly six months ago. In the end, the author tells us about Data Wall, which is a strategy for the teachers to produce data about the progress of the students. My own belief about the issue of teenage pregnancies is somewhat conservative. I believe that teenage pregnancies result in creating many social and health problems. The government of the U.S.A provides considerable benefits to the unwed teenage mothers, which is one of the main factors behind the increase in the rate of teenage pregnancies. Jansson states, â€Å"Refusing or severely limiting public benefits to teenage mothers, will reduce out-of-wedlock birthrates†. Some girls do not get pregnant intentionally. Such girls forget using pills or other contraceptive methods during sex, so their chances of getting a pregnant increase. Such pregnancies also give rise to illegal abortions, which is another ethical issue.

Ethics in Business & Socity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics in Business & Socity - Essay Example Unfortunately, analysis has indicated that individuals, as well as organisations and even states have begun to overlook the importance and most important, application of ethics in their different processes and procedures, and most importantly, this initiative is observable on global level that has resulted in huge amount of debates regarding role of ethics in different components of the societies. This paper is part of the same debate that will identify one of the ethical dilemmas in business, and will include efforts to discuss a non-religious ethical theory while endeavoring to understand such dilemma in light of the identified ethical theory. Likewise every field, business world practice its own range of ethics, and such rules of ethics facilitate individuals to make decisions during different situations and challenges. It is an observation that usually factors of self-profit, cultural discrimination, selfishness, etc exist when it comes to ethical dilemmas, and thus, it is very important that business organisations should make efforts to resolve ethical dilemmas before they transform into conflicts, and subsequently, global issues. In this regard, a huge number of organisations have been creating their own set of ethical standards to enable individuals in effective decision-making; however, unfortunately, ethical conflicts continue to exist and ethical guidelines have now become a part of company records rather than a notion of practical implementation. In particular, experts believe that â€Å"business ethics is a set of principles and ideologies that offer understanding and methodology to earn fair income in the busi ness organisations† (Crane, pp. 23-28, 2007). Although a number of philosophers (Furrow, pp. 20-41, 2005) have argued over the fact of encouraging morality and fairness in the business field, however, as the societies developed, the humans on public level began to accept their consciousness about the importance of morality

Jeff Bezos Makes Another Push for Amazon Fashion. Will It Work Essay

Jeff Bezos Makes Another Push for Amazon Fashion. Will It Work - Essay Example Integral to this effort is Amazon Fashion, a section of main website that sells well-known brands the â€Å"contemporary† category. These are labels that do not carry the astronomical price tags of luxury fashion houses like Chanel and Prada. In 2013 the site also launched its first TV campaign looking forward to persuade shoppers that it can be relied on as a source of swanky merchandise. Moreover, this month, it hired Vogue editor Caroline Palmer to head up editorial duties at the site. Amazon also pushed websites shopbop and Zappos toward a higher-end aesthetic in order to attain its fervent desire for more affluent clothing customers. And for the very first time in New York, a menswear version of Fashion Week will come this summer. Bulbs will flash as photographers hustle to document best looks from the spectacle’s dapper attendees; most creative garments will be showcased on radiant catwalks. All this will be sponsored by Amazon; this announcement was made by the council of Fashion Designers of America earlier this month. Observers say that it is difficult to insert couture items under the Amaxon anner, which they claim to have long thrived on offering a practical, easy way to buy just about everything. Fashion is about experience, it is often impractical, dominated by unpredictable trends and personal teste. However, Amazon is known for being massive vending machine whose brand has only been about convenience and price, but instead they should be concerned with what is missing in the field of fashion, what can be improved upon so as to make their products a trend that everyone looks upon. They are forgeting that all that is done is to meet the customers’ needs, rather than their ambitious move in order to be a two-hundred-billion-dollar company by learning how to sell clothes and food products. If the brands are luxury, aesthetically appealing to the eyes and

Social Policy and Its Changes due to Economic and Historical Factors Assignment

Social Policy and Its Changes due to Economic and Historical Factors - Assignment Example The overall requirements for the older people may change considering the fact that they have higher human needs. Since the social policy has more to do with how the policies and procedures are designed to improve the life of the individuals and how their needs are fulfilled therefore older people occupy a relatively special position in the overall process of social policymaking. However, despite such significance, social policy and provision for the old people have kept on changing due to different factors. Two of the most important factors are the historical factors and the economic factors which relatively reshaped the way social policy has been designed over the period of time. As discussed above, the social policy refers to the guidelines, principles, procedures as well as legislation required to be made to make living as conducive. This also, therefore, requires that the rules and regulations should be prepared in such a manner which can foster and encourage such conducive living for the citizens of the country. This, therefore, has to be related to how the government responds to the different challenges and make policy and provision to ensure as to how the overall welfare of the persons can be improved. Governments including of UK and Ireland every year budget and spend money on the social policy spending which requires the government to actually spend the money on the welfare of the citizens in a relatively different manner. It is important to understand that the given the political and economic conditions of a country, the overall spending for the purpose of social policy keep on changing and there are countries which even spend one-third of their total GDP on the social policy spending. Such emphasis on the spending for the social policy purposes, therefore, gives it one of the most important policy parts of the overall policy of the government.  

LANGUAGE, POWER & IDENTITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

LANGUAGE, POWER & IDENTITY - Essay Example However, countries having English as their first language, owe to protect and preserve it from foreign influences, displaying minor differences at large. Since the dominancy of English with the British World dominance in the 19th Century, the English Language not only progressed but became the language of International Business, Diplomacy and Science. Being the official Language of United Nations and International Olympics Committee, English seems to be the common medium of communication between countries, owing to its effectiveness as a global language. It is estimated to be spoken by 750 million people around the world as their first language. However, the public debate about the English Language’s notion of standards has come into view since the 1980’s. The concern had resulted in the devising of a National Curriculum for English. But the drive for national individuality and integrity has failed to achieve the target as arthrography of every language is dependent on its context, pronunciation and structure. Standard English is notoriously hard to define. The concept and notion of Standard English lacks reference and base. Standard English is associated with authority, discipline and traditional, moral and social order (THOMAS & WAREING, 1999).   It is a form of a dialect, with no local base of reference as to where it is from. Historically, English emerged from the combination of Celtic Language of the Britain inhabitants, which was mixed with the language of the emigrating Angles, Saxons and the Jutes. Hence, it is often taken as the different combinations of the linguistic features. In correct or more conceptual sense, it is taken as a written per formative. Orthography, grammar and vocabulary are chiefly what matter, or they in fact can be the definition of Standard English as different countries where English is chiefly used like U.S, U.K, New Zealand,

Snow Flower Essay Example for Free

Snow Flower Essay Lily’s world would be nothing without love and pain. There are many different interpretations of love between each character. Some do not express what true love is while others do not experience love at all, just obedience between to married strangers. Love is a reoccurring theme in this novel of these two Chinese laotongs. Lily Wu learns very early that the love she shares with her mother is entirely cocooned in the pain. In fact, the Chinese word for mother means pain. The foot binding that a mother was obligated to do in the era, was a terribly painful ritual in which the daughters feet completely break into a â€Å"C† shape, with the toes curves to the heel. Making her walk on her injured feet is the only way to get them to break, and the mother must enforce this, even if it leads to thrashing. Lily consistently feels unloved because her mother does not display enough of affection towards her. By the age of 7, Lily does not fully understand why her mother puts her through the excruciating pain of foot binding. This process is what will make the daughter valuable and marriageable. The pain of marriage love, to Lily, involves rupture and is the picture of subservience. A new wife is expected to not only serve her new husband, but to serve his entire household, particularly his mother, doing the hardest work. She is also a tool to bear and raise children. The relationship between Lily and her husband is extremely parallel than the one shared among Snow Flower and her spouse. Lily’s husband cares for her well-being and that she is taken care of. He never once threatened her or laid a hand on her. They have a true, enchanting marriage for their culture. She would go past her limits for her children and husband. When the sickness epidemic flourished in her village, Lily was the only one to leave the room ,which is risking her to get contaminated and possibly lead to her death. She sacrificed herself to care for her dying mother-in-law and to keep her children free of disease. Lily is the definition of a strong and caring mother. Laotongs are two girls that have a secretive bond that lasts for lifetimes. Snow Flower and Lily consider themselves birds with the same beating heart. They are inseparable with the nu shu that they script in their fan. Writing their thoughts and describing how they long to be together. These laotongs constantly learns from one another. Lily educates Snow Flower on the daily chores of a young lady of a lower class, which will assist Snow Flower as her marriage develops. They want to be each others’ happiness when there is none occurring in their life at the time. Even through the lies and the pain Lily will always love Snow Flower, even after her death. Snow Flower and her husband have a mismatched marriage. Her husband is a butcher, which brings bad fortune into the next life. He sees Snow Flower no more than an object that he and his mother controls. When they were deserted during the winter months in the mountain, he only kept Lily alive because they assumed there would be a reward; because he knew of her wealth being betrothed into the Lu family. He even had bed time with her whenever he wanted while his family and Lily were present. They do not share true love in comparison with Lily and her husband. Not all endings become happy ones. Love and loss is a commonality throughout this story. Many of the people that Lily and Snow Flower have come to love are now deceased. One thing that will never fade is the laotong relationship that Lily and Snow Flower grew into that will develop into their next life; forever friends.

Fairy Tales Are The Favourite Bedtime Stories Cultural Studies Essay

Fairy Tales Are The Favourite Bedtime Stories Cultural Studies Essay Fairy tales are the favourite bedtime stories for young children; one of the reasons is because they can teach morals. Fairy tales have been around for centuries; even before they emerged as a literary genre of their own. Children the world over have been exposed to different fairy tales and folklore. Fairy tales have also been known to be essential in a childs development, because of its suitability to teach young children moral values while helping children distinguish between deeds that are good and deeds that are evil, such as vengeance. Fairy tales accomplish this by casting protagonists as ordinary children with whom young audiences can easily identify (Cashdan, 2000); in other words, children are able to relate with the protagonists of fairy tales and as they are just like any other children, except for their titles (Cashdan, 2000). Fairy tales have also been described by Bettleheim (1962) as key means by which culture is assimilated by children. Bettelheim (1976) suggests that our unconscious desires are expressed through fairy tales and fairy tales symbolize deep hidden meanings within our beings. For children, he asserts that fairy tales are a wonderful experience because the child feels understood and appreciated deep down in his feelings, hopes, and anxieties, without theses all having to be dragged up and investigated in the harsh light of a rationality that is still beyond him (Bettelheim, 1976). Christians (2009) summarizes this as fairy tales are more naturally suited for children because children can fill a deep psychological need with stories. Fairy tales have also received increasing research as a literary genre because of its influence on children who have been exposed to fairy tales from a young age. Fairy tales, particularly Western European fairy tales have secured a unique place in literature written in English because they have entered our cultural shorthand via the popularity of English translations of the works of Perrault and the Brothers Grimm as well as Disney movies (Schanoes, 2007); making fairy tales a fairly an integral part of childhood. It is also because of the popularity of Western European fairy tales that Christians (2009) derives that fairy tales can now be defined on their own while receiving considerable scholarly attention due to its widespread influence. On the other hand, feminist writers have cited fairy tales as an effective means of submitting women to the values of a patriarchal society, particularly through depicting the fairy tale heroines as beautiful and passive. Fairy tales as a literary genre have also been used in Western cultures to safeguard the values and conventions of its patriarchal societies (Comtois, 1995). These values and conventions embedded in fairy tales, Comtois noted, were consistent with the values that were enforced during the times the tales were written. Fox (1997) notes how the feminine beauty can be seen as a normative means of social control whereby social control is accomplished through the internalization of values and norms that serve to restrict womens lives. Doll (2000) also states that good girls become idealized, perfected objects, pedestaled for the males gaze, further enforcing that women are shaped into characters that are appealing to males. Many feminist writers such as Freedman (1986), Fox (1977), Dellinger and Williams (1997), Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz (2003), and Stone (1985) have noted how fairy tales, particularly princess-themed fairy tales, often employ the portrayal of feminine beauty as a means of control over women by men and the patriarchal societies in which we live in. Beauty is a key element in the lives of many women who spend time, resources and effort in the pursuit of the ideal beauty, most often depicted in numerous media. Women relentless strive to pursue the feminine beauty ideal, which is viewed largely as an oppressive, patriarchal practice that objectifies, devalues, and subordinates women (Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz, 2003). Despite this, many women continue to strive for beauty, believing that it plays a major social role in their lives. Backman and Adams (1991) and Suitor and Reavis (1995) assert that beauty is one of the main ways self-esteem and social status are gained by young women and adolescent girls. Women not only want to be beautiful for self-gratification, but also for social purposes, particularly the approval and appraisal by men, whereby according to Freedman (1989), women are aware that beauty comes heavily with men and they therefore work hard to achieve it. The frequent portrayal of women merely as pretty things to look at often create stereotypes that women are exactly that-beautiful dolls who are meant to be seen, and never heard; and all those who do not adhere to such femininity are incompetent and lacking. Dellinger and Williams (1997) found in their study Makeup at work: Negotiating appearance rules in the workplace that women who wear makeup in the workplace are seen as healthier and more competent while those who do not are seen in a negative light. Women who achieve a high degree of attractiveness are psychologically and socially rewarded (Dellinger and Williams, 1997; Hatfield and Sprecher, 1986). This patriarchal society where women are meant to pursue the ideal feminine beauty is mirrored very heavily in fairy tales, especially princess-themed fairy tales, where beauty is often the only power granted to the heroine (Christians, 2009). Jorgensen (2012) declares that beauty is not only linked with success of the heroines in fairy tales but also with character. Fairy tale princesses like Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty all rely on using their beauty to entice a prince to liberate them from their burdens; depicting the man as the only key to women to free themselves from problems and to upgrade their social status. The way most classic fairy tales depict women is capable of exposing young children to womens role stereotyping. According to Comtois (1995), feminist writers such as Lieberman (1972), Bottigheimer (1987), Stone (1985), and Tartar (1987) have contended that folklore has at least resulted in the perpetuation of stereotypes in society. These feminist writers also assert that traditional fairy tales have not only served as a mirror of society but have been intentionally used to promote societal values which often depict gender roles in narrow, predetermined ways (Comtois, 1995). Feminist scholars often consider females in fairy tales to be too passive, pretty, and domestic (if protagonists), or alternately too wicked, ugly, and vicious (if antagonists) (Jorgensen, 2012); and these passive, pretty fairy tale heroines receive rewards when they adhere to said roles (Gauntlett, 2002). 1.1 Statement of the Problem While research on fairy tales is not new (with studies of fairy tales dating back as far as the 19th century and early 20th century), its research is not widespread, though gaining momentum because of the popularity of Western European fairy tales. Research on feminism and gender stereotyping in fairy tales have dated back as early as the 1960s with Bettelheims Use of Enchantments (1962) and Heuschers (1963) A Psychiatric Study of Fairy Tales: Their Origin, Meaning, and Usefulness for example. Much of feminist fairy tale researches focus primarily on the sexual stereotyping of women in fairy tales, as carried out by feminist writers such as Bottigheimer (1987), Stone (1985), Comtois (1995), and Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz (2005). Some research also focuses on the negative impact of fairy tales as found in Stones 1985 study The misuse of enchantment: Controversies on the significance of fairy tales. According to Stone (1985) stereotypes are engraved in the perceptions of young women from early childhood and it is possible that as these young girls progress into young adults, the gender stereotypes created in their childhood will still persist and perhaps result in negative effects regarding their perceptions of gender roles and even confidence and self-image. This study aims to discover the impacts of fairy tales on young adult males who have been exposed to fairy tales, particularly princess-themed fairy tales, to determine what kind of gender stereotypes have been conceptualized and their perceptions towards gender roles depicted in fairy tales. This study also aims to determine whether feminism has had an impact on altering the stereotypes created by fairy tales. Moreover, much of the feminist researches focus more on womens responses and opinions towards fairy tales and these researches are mostly theoretical in nature. Previously, there have been two researches conducted on the impact of fairy tales on people: Kay F. Stones 1985 study which involved a sample consisting of women, children, and men; and Rita Comtois 1995 study which featured a sample of women only. According to Comtois (1995), despite a number of feminist writers who have studied the potential impact of sexual stereotyping in fairy tales (Bottigheimer, 1987; Stone, 1985; Tatar, 1987), the majority of their opinions are speculative, based on conclusions drawn from and implications of a fairy tales exposure on its audience. This study will be similar to Rita J. Comtois 1995 qualitative study of the perceived impact of fairy tales on a group of women. This study will also be similar to K. F. Stones 1985 study on the impact of fairy tales, which she conducted in a series of interviews, with a sample of forty-four people, whereby 6 of her respondents were boys. While Comtois research explored the psychological impact fairy tales have had on a female audience which has reached adulthood, this study will instead use a male audience as the sample. With the use males as the respondents, this study, which adopts a feminist approach, it will be possible to collect data on the opinions of males on the topic without resorting to speculative theories. The results of this study whereby a bigger male sample is used, as opposed to the 1985 study carried out by Stone (with only a small sample of 6 males), it will also be possible to gain more insight into what males think without resorting to conjectures. Purpose of this study This study aims: To determine the effects of exposure of fairy tales from an early age on young male adults regarding the way they perceive stereotypical gender roles. To establish whether the gender stereotypes in young male adults have slowly changed over time or are carried well into adulthood due to these effects of exposure to princess-themed fairy tales. To determine how feminist views have altered and changed the way young adult males view the stereotypical female characters depicted in fairy tales and women in real life. Research questions At the end of this study, the researcher hopes to answer the following research questions: What are the effects of exposure of fairy tales on young adult males regarding their perspectives of stereotypical gender roles? How have the effects of exposure to princess-themed fairy tales on young adult males from their youths persisted over time? How have feminist views changed the perception of gender stereotypes formed in young male adults regarding female characters depicted in fairy tales as well as woman in real life? 1.4 Significance of the Study The results from this study will help to increase the knowledge and awareness on the impact of fairy tales on the development of stereotypes of women in young adult males who have been exposed to fairy tales at a young age. From the study, it will also expand the knowledge base on what kind of gender stereotypes are formed and whether they are identical to the stereotypical characteristics of women (particularly princesses) that have been depicted in fairy tales. It will also help to shed some light on whether these stereotypes have degraded over time in the mindset of young adults, whether they have applied these stereotypes onto women in real life, and whether the onset of feminism has in turned further altered these stereotypes. If the gender stereotypes formed through the exposure of fairy tales from an early age still persist throughout the lives of the respondents well into their young adult years, then it will show that fairy tales do have a lasting impact on young adult males. The results of study will provide more insight into how much fairy tales have affected young adult males and what kind of stereotypes have formed as a result of fairy tale exposure. Apart from that, based on the results from this study, it will shed some light on whether young adult male still hold stereotypes towards feminine beauty and women (whereby women who make an effort to enhance their appearance are more valued than those who do not) as suggested by Dellinger and Williams (1997) as well Hatfield and Sprecher (1984). Instead of drawing conclusions from theoretical analysis and assumptions of what kind of impact fairy tales have on men, the data collected from this study will provide will help to clarify what sort of stereotypes that males really have towards women as a result of exposure to fairy tales. 1.5 Scope of Study and Methodology The independent variable of this study is the princess-themed fairy tales. The dependent variable would be the responses provided from the respondents towards the princess-themed fairy tales text. The hypothesis of this study is that fairy tales do have some impact on the formation of gender stereotypes in men. In this study, the respondents will be male Faculty of Arts and Social Science students studying in UTAR. A total of 50 respondents will be chosen through two sampling methods to participate in this study where respondents will be required to answer an online questionnaire based on their cognitive knowledge of fairy tales. The first will be the purposive sampling method which is a form of non-probability sampling technique by which the researcher chooses the sample based on who they think would be appropriate for the study. The second method used will be snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling technique where the participants that have already been selected will be asked to recommend new respondents from their friends and acquaintances. In this study, purposive sampling will be used because the selection of respondents will not be random as only male respondents will be chosen; and the snowball sampling method is used to gain access to a larger sample of young adult males. 1.6 Limitations of the study This study will be conducted among Faculty of Arts and Social Science students in UTAR, which would mean that the scope of respondents is limited as the findings cannot be generalized to all students. In this study, there will be no equal distribution of race, so it would not be possible to examine the different responses among races and cultures. Moreover, this study will only focus on princess-themed fairy tales, namely Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. Therefore, the finding cannot be generalized with other non-princess-themed fairy tales. Furthermore, the use of an online questionnaire, despite its advantages, will not guarantee absolute control over the respondents. Additionally the use of snowball sampling might result in wrong anchoring, whereby there is a lack of definite knowledge on whether the respondents are from the intended target group. Time constraint is also a limitation in this study. With a set time limit allocated, it was not possible to gather more thorough data for more conclusive findings. 1.7 Operational Terms 1.7.1 Fairy Tale A fairy tale, according to Anderson (2000) can be defined as short, imaginative, traditional tales with a high moral and magical content. Heuscher (1963) defines the fairy tale as a narration which is not based on historic persons or events, as opposed to an epic or saga. 1.7.2 Gender Stereotypes Gender stereotypes  are simple generalizations about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and groups. Gender stereotypes are widely held beliefs about the characteristics and behaviour of not only women and men but also transgendered people (Manstead and Hewstone; 1995) which suggest how men and women should and should not behave. These stereotypes can be positive or negative, but are rarely accurate. 1.7.3 Feminism Feminism is the championing of equal rights for men and women. It is defined as the belief in the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes (Rowe-Finkbeiner, 2004) such as the right to vote; pursue a career and to have equal social status. 1.7.4 Feminine beauty ideal Femininity is a set of womanly qualities, behaviours, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz (2003) define the feminine beauty ideal as the socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one womans most important assets, and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain. 1.8 Organization of the Thesis This study consists of a total of five chapters, which are Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings Analysis, and Discussion Conclusion. The Introduction, which is the first chapter, addresses the background of study, statement of problem, purpose of study, research questions, significance of study, scope and limitations of study, the definition of key terms and the organization of the thesis. The second chapter, Literature Review, will outline the definitions of fairy tales, feminine beauty ideal, gender stereotypes, as well as men and their negative reaction towards feminism. Additionally this chapter will also explore some of the previous feminist critiques on fairy tales, the feminine beauty ideal, and gender stereotypes; investigating the relationship between fairy tales and feminism through past research, and briefly address the present study. The third chapter, Methodology will explain the research design, sampling, instruments used for data gathering, the pilot study, procedures, and the data analysis. The fourth and fifth chapter will present the findings and discuss its significance in relation to the study as well as provide recommendations for further research and conclusions respectively. CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction This chapter will highlight more on the definitions of fairy tales, feminine beauty ideal, gender stereotypes, as well as men and their negative reaction towards feminism. Additionally this chapter will also explore some of the previous feminist critiques on fairy tales, the feminine beauty ideal, and gender stereotypes; investigating the relationship between fairy tales and feminism through past research. 2.1 Fairy tales In order to find out about the impact of fairy tales on young adult males, it is first crucial to understand the meaning of fairy tales as well as their purpose in society, and the relationship between feminist criticism, fairy tales, and society-which first begins with the question: What is a fairy tale? 2.1.1 What is a fairy tale? A fairy tale is a very powerful literary piece that undoubtedly resonates throughout the entire world as everyone has been exposed to fairy tales at one point in their lives, most notably during their childhood. Rohrich (1986) describes fairy tales as one of the deepest and most enduring childhood impressions. If one were to be asked to define a fairy tale, no doubt it would be described as a story with magical elements where a hero does a good deed while rescuing a princess in between, thus saving the day. According to Anderson (2000), fairy tales can be defined as short, imaginative, traditional tales with a high moral and magical content. Heuscher (1963) defines the fairy tale as a narration which is not based on historic persons or events, in contrast to an epic or saga. Jack Zipes (2012) has described the fairy tale as both an elaborate and simple narrative. Various fairy tale scholars consider fairy tales to be highly structured fictional stories wherein youth protagonists attain riches, marriage, and social justice by means of cleverness, beauty, endurance, and magic (Christians, 2009). However, even with all the definitions provided on fairy tales, it has been noted that fairy tales cannot easily be defined. Rachael Burkholder (2011) explains that even within the genre itself, there are minor discrepancies in definitions, causing overlap within the definitions and such variations within the genre make clear definitions difficult. Author J.R.R. Tolkien has also confessed to being a fairy tale lover though he uses the term fairy-stories instead. Tolkien himself has found difficulty in defining fairy tales or fairy-stories in his study On Faerie Stories: You will turn to the Oxford English Dictionary in vain. It contains no reference to the combination fairy-story, and is unhelpful on the subject of fairies generally. In the Supplement, fairy-tale is recorded since the year 1750, and its leading sense is said to be (a) a tale about fairies, or generally a fairy legend; with developed senses, (b) an unreal or incredible story, and (c) a falsehood. (Tolkien, The Tolkien Reader, 1966). 2.1.2 The purpose of a fairy tale It is also important to understand the purpose of the fairy tale. The goal of the fairy tale is to describe the marvellous and mysterious; that is, happenings which transcend everyday reality and as such are impossible to study by any scientific method (Comtois, 1995). Cashdan (2000) states that fairy tales are more than suspense-filled adventures that excite the imagination, more than mere entertainment; Cashdan stresses that while the initial attraction of fairy tales may be for entertainment and enjoyment purposes, its lasting value lies in its power to help children deal with the internal conflicts they face in the course of growing up The fairy tale genre has roots deeply embedded in the traditions of oral tales, myths and legends (Christians, 2009) and many scholars classify fairy tales with folklore narratives-which are the various genres such as legends, fairy tales, myths, epics, ballads, folktales and so on (Christians, 2009). The emergence of the fairy tale as a literary genre has been fairly recent; the fairy tale has evolved through many cultural changes, making it one of the more diversified genres (Christrians, 2009). While many people of today often classify fairy tales as childrens literature, these stories were in fact intended for adults instead. However, the tales have been adapted and revised for children because they are a suitable medium for teaching morals (Christians, 2009) because children find it easy to identify with the protagonists in fairy tales, whom they regard as ordinary and therefore similar to themselves (Cashdan, 2000). It is because of this that fairy tales, particularly fairy tales by the Grimm brothers in the nineteenth century were originally used as primers for relatively affluent European children and served to impart moral lessons to them (Zipes, 1988a as cited in Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz, 2003). Bettelheim (1976) has also noted how fairy tales manage to connect with children on a deep psychological level, as opposed to adults, where he argues that for adults, the fairy tale motifs are something one is better off understanding rationally so one can rid oneself of them. As Zipes (2002) states, Most fairy tales are an imaginative depiction of healthy human development and help children understand the motives behind their rebellion against parents and the fear of growing up. Today, fairy tales especially those that have survived the test of time are one of the most widely read genres in the world. They are actively read by children across the globe and its readership transcends the borders of social class and racial groups (Zipes, 1997) while continuing to contain symbolic imagery that legitimates existing race, class, and gender systems (Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz, 2003). 2.1.3Fairy tale as a mirror of society It is generally recognized by fairy tale scholars such as Jack Zipes (1988), Kay Stone (1985) and Maria Tatar (1987) that fairy tales have been known to reflect the culture and values of the society of their time. As fairy tales are one of the most influential forms of literature, one of the more important purposes of fairy tales was to teach children good moral values as well as the norms of society. Bettelheim (1976) suggests that fairy tales symbolize deep hidden meanings and desires within our unconscious mind, therefore it is much easier for children to identity with fairy tales as children can fill a deep psychological need with stories (Christians, 2009). Folklorists thus utilize fairy tales to transmit the cultures and traditions acceptable in society to young children. According to Glassie (1999), folklorists learn to emphasize transmission and to think of traditions as things, items, as song texts and quilt patterns passed from generation to generation. Considering the impact of fairy tales on young children, it is not surprising that fairy tales have been made into a medium used to imprint desired gender roles before being transmitted to the young. Therefore it should also not be unforeseen that childrens literature contains messages, both implicit and explicit, about dominant power structures in society, particularly about gender roles (Clark, Lennon, and Morris, 1993; Crabb and Bielawski, 1994; Kortenhause and Demarest, 1993; Weitzman et al., 1972; as cited in Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz, 2003). With the rise of technology in the 18th century due to the development of the printing press, the publishing power and distribution were in the hands of the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie (Comtois, 1995) who had originally considered fairy tales to be lacking in morals for their failure to promote hallowed virtues such as order, discipline, and modesty which were needed to cultivate and thereby ensure newly rising capitalist interests and which were consistent with the Christian ethic (Comtois, 1995). In order to keep with the socio-political era in 19th century Germany, many tales were sanitized and adapted by the Grimm brothers. Zipes (1988a, 1988b) had noted that apart from teaching young children appropriate values and attitudes of the time, fairy tales were also intended to teach young girls and women how to become responsible, domesticated and attractive to a marriage partner during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Bottigheimer (1986) also found that tales reinforced womens silence, a cultural preference at the time-a trait noticeable in fairy tale heroines who often stay silent and only speak in response to a question posed by a male character. 2.1.4 Feminism, Fairy tales and Patriarchal Society One of the main concerns of feminist scholars is the way traditional fairy tales are used by patriarchal societies to promote narrow, predetermined views on gender roles whereby women are portrayed in a shallow light. Feminist writers like Lieberman (1972), Bottigheimer (1986), Stone (1985), and Tatar (1987) maintain that fairy tales have resulted in the formation of gender stereotypes. Women are expected to behave like fairy tale heroines and thus be seen and not heard-they are expected to be pretty, passive, domesticated and silent. It is a common opinion among feminist writers that fairy tales are indeed a tool used by men in patriarchal societies to impart what they think is considered as proper behaviour for women, setting the blueprint for what they see as proper gender roles in society. Therefore, fairy tales are used to shape and mould women to conform to the patriarchal values and norms; or simply as a form of control on womens behaviour. Taking a closer look at the use of fairy tales to promote norms and values that are viewed as acceptable in a patriarchal society, Tatar (1987) uncovered some interesting details about fairy tales, prior to and after the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In her 1987 work The hard facts of the Grimms Fairy tales, Tatar notes that prior to the 18th century, male and female Cinderellas were found in equal frequencies in European folklores. The male counterparts of the present-day female fairy tale heroines were not limited to Cinderella alone-documentations of male Snow Whites were also found in Turkish folklores as well as a Russian male Sleeping Beauty (Tatar, 1987). From this knowledge, it is rather interesting to ponder on the reason for the sudden drastic change in the role of the rescuer and the rescued. When early European folktales have clearly placed women in the roles that, in todays patriarchal society, would conventionally be bestowed on males, Tatar (1987) prompts us to think twice about male hero patterns when we come across a collection of tales depicting heroines who carry out tasks normally put to male heroes alone or who denounce fathers too weak to protect them from evil stepmothers. 2.1.5 Female heroines and patriarchal society Consistent with the values of the era, the Grimmss tales made it clear that domestic talents were a heroines ideal (Comtois, 1995). However, Tatar (1987) questions the motives of the Grimm brothers, who were responsible for collecting, rewriting and adapting the folklores for the German audience to ensure that the folklores to fit in with the morals, values and norms in 19th century Germany. Women, who were once revered as brave and worthy, were suddenly reduced to the role of damsels in distress; morphing into what Kohlbenschlag (1988) refers to as the formula female. The formula female, according to Kohlbenschlag, has two personas-the desirable object, and the woman who is geared to live for another person (Comtois, 1995); she is a woman who will sacrifice her own needs in order to achieve these two personas. Atkins (2004) states that fairy tale heroines like Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are schooled through their gender constructions, must participate in patriarchal society because their happiness depends on conformity to [its] rule (Zipes, 1983). Atkins further asserts that these fairy tale heroines are left with no choice as they have no right to challenge their roles as idealized women. There are fairy tale females who do not fit into the passive, obedient category and as these female characters fail to conform (Zipes, 1983), they are typecast as wicked women. These are the wicked female antagonists that we see in fairy tales-mothers, step-mothers, stepsiblings, and evil witches. These women are punished at the end of the tales for their contravention (Mueller, 1986) against the good-girl heroines (Atkins, 2004), usually during, immediately after or before the wedding of the heroine princess. This, according to Atkins (2004) makes it clear to readers of fairy tales that the choice is simple-conform to the norms of patriarchal society or suffer the consequences. Atkins (2004) further states that conformity is the key to the kingdom where women must submit themselves to the patriarchal rule, because they are compelled to do so (Rowe, 1979; Atkins 2004). According to Rowe (1979), fairy tales perpetuate the patriarchal status quo by making female subordination seem a romantically desirable, indeed and inescapable fate. 2.2 Gender Stereotypes Gender stereotypes are also an important key term in this study as the main objective of this research is to explore the effect of fairy tales on the formation of gender stereotype

Examining The Cultural Reason Behind Tattooing And Piercings Media Essay

Examining The Cultural Reason Behind Tattooing And Piercings Media Essay Why is it that more and more people are tattooing and/or piercing themselves? Is there a cultural reason behind this reality? Each time that we walk we see someone with a tattoo and or a piercing(s). The reality is that tattoos and/or piercing(s) have become increasingly popular not just in the United States but all over the world. I admit that I have a tattoo and three piercings. I also admit that I decided to get a tattoo as soon as I turned eighteen like most teenagers do. People have so many reasons as to why they have a tattoo or as to why they want to get a tattoo in the near future. Most of the time we receive images and messages through the media about tattoos and piercings and therefore they may influence us. Some people believe that tattoos are a form of expression and art while others think of tattoos as attractive or taboo. Through the media, adolescents see over 5,000 attractiveness messages per year. This means that most adolescents are being pressure by the media to lo ok unique and different by tattooing/piercing themselves. Not just the media influences a society into tattoos and/or piercing but the culture that they live in. Cultural influences play a huge role on how people act, dress, speak, and even on the way they think. Tattoos and piercing have created their own culture in which people have adapted and continued Despite the fact that some people consider tattoos and/or piercing taboo, people will still continue to tattoo and pierce themselves because it is a cultural practice done for centuries and therefore it will continue for centuries. Tattooing and piercing are two of the oldest practices in the world. They have ancient roots that start as early as 15,000 years ago. According to Jane Caplan, Physical evidence for the practice survives from the late fourth millennium BC in Europe and from about 2000BC in Egypt, and tattooing can be found virtually all parts of the world at the same time (1). Tattoos in many cultures like in the Maroni culture have used tattoos for centuries and considered it as sacred art. The Maroni culture like so many cultures all the world have many purposes as to why they decide to mark themselves forever. Many cultures believed that a tattoo was powerful enough to cure anyone from any illness. Some people also believed that tattooing themselves would help them express their personal and religious believes. Body piercing has been dated as early as 1500 B.C.E. Body piercings like tattoos is consider as a way to express ones one individuality. Similar to tattoos, a person can decided to get pier ce everywhere in the body. There is no rule as to where you can get a tattoo and/or body piercing or how big or small it can be. Tattoos and body piercing have been spread out all around the world and even to the most remote places and cultures. In the essay The Decorated Body by Frances Borel, Borel states, Human nakedness, according to the social custom, is unacceptable, unbearable, and dangerous. From the moment of birth, society takes charge, managing, dressing, forming, and deforming the child-sometimes even with a certain degree of violence. Aside from the most elementary caretaking concerns-the very diversity of which shows how subjective the motivation isan unfathomably deep and universal tendency pushes families, clans, and tribes to rapidly modify a persons physical appearance. (40) There is no rule as to where you can get a tattoo and/or body piercing or how big or small it can be. If we take a closer approach specifically to the culture of tattoos in the United States, we can see how culture has played a huge role in the popularity of tattoos and body piercings. Pretty can be defined in various way and it is defined differently in many cultures. In India, having a ring in your neck is considered beautiful. In China, having small feet done by a process of shrinking feet called foot binding is considered beautiful. In the United States, tattoos to some people are considered beautiful. Tattoos became to be known in the early 1700s. A man named Captain Cook went on a trip to the South Pacific Islands and found fascinating the fact that most people were marked with some distinctive designs. He later brought a young girl with him to the United States and Americans were astounded. Tattoos were at first had made because there was not a specific tool for making tattoos. A man named Martin Hilderbrandt became the first professional tattoo artist in the United States. Hilderbrandt like many tattoo artist had no tool for making efficient and faster tattoos. It was not until 1891 that the first electric needled was used. A man named Samuel OReilly create d and patented the first electric needled. He opened the first tattoo shop in New York City. After the first shop opened in New York City, many Americans decided to become tattoo artists themselves and even opened their own tattoo shops. The number of tattoo artists and shops increased rapidly in the United States. Some Americans believed that if they tattooed their entire body, they would express their individuality. Men and women decided to exhibit themselves and some went on traveling shows or went to work on the circus. Some couples would tattoo their whole body and display themselves on public. I personally would not decide to cover my entire body in tattoos and/or body piercings. Beside the fact that tattoos and body piercings are expensive, they are also painful. I decided to get a shooting star tattoo because beside the fact that I love stars I wanted to get a design that was unique. One of my close friends designed by tattoo and therefore it made my tattoo original and unique. I did not know why I decided to get a tattoo. However since tattoos and body piercings were so new in America, many did not accept them. While many Americans were fascinated with tattoos and body piercing, others viewed them a taboo. Some people did not have any taste with tattoos and/or body piercings. Tattoos become so popular in so little time that it was hard for people to accept them. Tattoos were not considered art or a way of individualism. Tattoos were not considered as a way of expression. Many believed that it was morally wrong to tattoo and/or body pierce the entire body. However tattoos and body piercings never went out of style and continued to be popular not just in the United States but all over the world. After World War Two (WWII), many Americans decided to get a tattoo(s) to show their courage and bravery in the war. Tattoos and body piercings become a style and a fashion. Tattoos and body piercings became a trend and it is still a trend even to this day. They are both widely accepted like they were in many different culture all around the world. Different forms of tattoo art have been practiced by many different cultures of the world, over the centuries.Tattooing is one of the oldest practices in the United States. Tattoos have become part of our everyday life and we cannot stop it. Andres Martin, author of the essay On Teenagers and Tattoos states, Tattoos and piercing have become a part of our everyday landscape (24). Tattoos and body piercings in America are everyday things. Tattoos are not very easily removed and at the same time the procedure is very expensive and painful. But do people decide to get tattoos and/or piercings? According to Jane Caplan, Tattooing is one of many forms of irreversible body alteration, including scarification, cicatrization, piercing and branding, and it is the probable the oldest and most widespread of these (1). Work Cited Borel, France. The Decorated Body. Aims of Argument Text and Reader. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2010. 40-42. Print. Caplan, Jane. Written on the Body: the Tattoo in European and American History. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP, 2000. Print. Martin, Andres. On Teenagers and Tattoos. Aims of Argument Text and Reader. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2010. 24-28. Print. Rubin, Arnold. Marks of Civilization: Artistic Transformations of the Human Body. Los Angeles, Calif.: Museum of Cultural History, University of California, 1988. Print.

Following A Dream Toward Freedom :: essays research papers

Following A Dream Toward Freedom Freedom was and still is the dream of every American. Freedom is defined as the liberty of choice or action, self-determination of rational beings, the right to enjoy privileges of membership or citizenship, and independence. The natural rights of all men have been stated as "life, liberty, and the puruit of happiness." In order for freedom to exist, people must take on the responsibility to pursue and maintain their dream. The dream of freedom requires people to take responsibility to govern themselves in a way in which freedom can succeed without chaos. Civilizations have used governmental law and social rules to regulate their citizens. People must maintain a direct hold on their government and society through their laws and social structure, allowing for each individual within their citizenship to keep their own identity while participating in the civilization as a whole. When people take on the responsibility of their citizenship and follow the laws and rules founded for them, freedom is allowed to work for everyone. "In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms," stated Franklin Roosevelt in his 1941 President's Annual Address to Congress. "The first is freedom of speech and expression-everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way-everywhere in the world. The third is freedom want-which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants- everywhere in the world. The forth is freedom from fear-which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a through fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggrestion against any neighbor-anywhere in the world," stated President Roosevelt. The first Americans followed their dream toward freedom by coming to America and founding the colonies which have evoled into the cities and towns present to this day. The officers and soldiers of our great country followed their dream toward freedom by fighting and sacrificing their lives for the

The Young Offenders Act :: Free Essay Writer

The Young Offenders Act This essay was written to show the advantages and disadvantages of the Young Offenders Act over the previous Juvenile Delinquents Act. Also it should give a theoretical underezding of the current Canadian Juvenile-Justice system, the act and it's implications and the effects of the young offenders needs and mental health on the outcome of the trials. In the interest of society the young offenders act was brought forth on april second 1984. This act was created to ensure the rights and the needs of a young person. Alan W. Leshied says "On one hand the justice and legal objectives of the act are being effectively realized while on the other hand the needs and treatment aspects of it leave much to be desired." The research of the Young offenders act is still ongoing but Leshied says that it is becoming clear that the custody positions have been in dispute since the act came into effect. The old Juvenile delinquency act states in section 38 "The care and custody and discipline of a juvenile delinquent shall approximate as nearly as maybe that which should be given by his parents, and... as far as practability every juvenile delinquent shall be treated, not as a criminal, but as a misguided and misdirected child . . . needing aid, encouragement, help and assiezce."(Page 72) If a youth is close to the adult age of 18 years they could be transfered to the adult justice system. This means that they would be given the same sentences as an adult including and up to life in prison. Many people have tried to correct this problem that they see as a weakness. Yet, so far their attempts have failed. Another weakness they find, is that the courts are expensive and unsatisfactory methods of dealing with crime that is not very serious. Before the fabrication of legal aid most young offenders were not able to obtain legal services. "Subsection 11 (4) provides that, were a young person wishes to obtain counsel but is not able to do so, the youth-court judge shall refer the young person to the provincial legal-aid, or assiezce program. If no such program is available or the young person is unable to obtain counsel through an available program, the youth court judge may, and on the request of the young person shall direct the young person to be represented by counsel.

American Well Case Writeup

American Well, a pioneer in online healthcare is at the crucial stage where the business opportunities look propitious at the same time it could make the company lose its perspective. It has the first-mover advantage with strong core competency. But still, some of the questions concerning the future of the company do needs to be addressed. Some of the main questions that American Well faces are 1. Introducing the product to new customer segments 2. Capturing the international market 3. Pushing the products beyond health care industry.American well is currently serving the connectivity between patients and physicians. The new product â€Å"Team Edition† will serve the connectivity between primary care physicians (PCPs) and the specialist. They are also considering the prospect of online health care to Hospitals, Retail clinics and Pharmacies. The adverse effect is it could be too soon for American Well to launch a new undertaking, given their core services has not yet been adop ted widely. Furthermore, this requires new hiring and additional funding. Stepping back has its own drawback of failing to capture the opportunity when there was demand.Meeting real-time excess demand with real-time excess capacity is a whole new world to be explored not only in health care but in many other industries. Also, the need for online health care has a great demand oversees too and American Well can explore its business in these new countries and can become a world leader in delivering virtual healthcare services in a many-to-many platform. Even though it is true that American Well has all the ideas and advantages – the main disadvantage is the lack of infrastructure and the awareness of an internet-based health service.There is still a lot of opportunities and work needed to be done with its present venture and stepping big foot too soon cannot be as beneficial for the company as it sounds. The â€Å"Team Edition† is an innovative product and the American W ell should concentrate on its existing customer base i. e. the payers. They should probably do extensive market research on all these new opportunities. A research team could be formed including members from American Well and personnel from top insurance companies to explore the scope of extending its services to hospitals and pharmacies.They should wait for the â€Å"spending freezes† to be over and need to analyze on how the new health reforms will affect the existing organization. Another conceivable strategy could be a hybrid of Direct-To-Customer model and Business-To-Business model. American Well can establish a DTC model where they would directly sign up patients and doctors to a nationwide system along with their existing B2B model. This will cover more customer base. The short term goal

North Renaissance 1400

Patronage in northern Europe is different from the one in Italy. In the early renaissance, main patron in Italy is the Medici family. This big merchant family benefits a lot from the fast development of Italian economy. They spent a large number of funds on art region, promoting the renaissance to expand. However, in the Northern Europe, English and France still fought each other in the Hundred-Year war. Two competing Popes still resided in Rome and Avigon. These conflicts influenced the economic system of Northern Europe so patrons were unable to provide funds as much as the Medici did.Dukes of Burgundy were major patrons of that age. Patrons provided financial supports for artists to create while their requirements also influenced and limited the styles and contents. The art works had prominent features for private use. For instance, Some Dukes preferred furnishings and tapestries so the forms of art were influenced. Small altarpieces became popular as well. Because of the interest s of the patrons, the styles and contents of art work were limited. Oil painting became popular because it could facilitate the exactitude in rendering details.With oil medium, artists created richer color than previously had been ossible, giving their paintings an intense tonality, the illusion of glowing light and enamel-like surfaces. Robert Campin was one of the earliest masters of oil painting. His most famous work is Merode altarpiece, a private commission for household prayer. Oil painting allowed the artist to paint every detail subtly. Jan van Eyck was also an artist who paid much attention on details. He used color to depict the soft texture of hair, the luster of pearls and the flashing of gems.In Italy renaissance, artists focused more on the scientific methods combining color using while artists in Northern Europe tended to depict the appearance. Donor portraits, which meant portraits of the individuals who donated the works, were another form of art pieces in that era. In Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece, two of the exterior panels depict the donors, Jodocus Wd and his wife. Jan van Eyck was the first Netherlandish painter to achieve international fame. He was the count painter of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.In Italy Renaissance, artists preferred the classical culture and revealed the Greeks and Romes. The sculpture David by Donatello was a good example of their interest. However, in Northern Europe, artists worked more on the religion and bible. For example, Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece was about the bible. Dirk Bouts was a later Flemish painter. In his â€Å"Last supper†, he did not focus on the biblical narrative itself, but presented Christ in the role of a priest instead.This painting employed single vanishing-point perspective and included four servants in Flemish attire. Hugo van der Goes's â€Å"Portinari Altarpiece† was a rare instance of the awarding of a major commission in Florence to a Flemish painter. Hugo van der Goes was good at the depicting of details and the human character as well. Influenced by the Gothic style, Northern European paintings were more realistic while Italian paintings were more naturalistic. Matthais Grunewald was German Renaissance painter.His works focused on religion, but they also had specific meanings for viewers. In his work â€Å"Isenheim Altarpiece†, Grunewald presented his altarpiece's iconography to be particularly meaningful for viewers at Isenheim hospital. The painting depicted Bosch was the most famous Netherlandish painter. Bosch was the most imaginative and enigmatic painter of his era. Scholars cannot find a universal interpretation of his work â€Å"Garden of Earthly Delights†. This was similar to Leonardo's â€Å"Mona Lisa†. They were both mysterious.But the content should be more similar to Raphael, who did more on humanism. Albrecth Durer was a dominant artist in Holy Roman Empire. His style was more similar to Leonardo. Lik e Leonardo, Durer also did much research on perspectives and the ideal in human proportions. In short, Northern Europe Renaissance occurred after the Italy Renaissance, but it developed its own styles rather than imitate Italian style simply. Due to the regional differences, various styles and cultures made the Renaissance era rich and colorful.

Careers in Psychology Essay

Career Options After Pursuing a Degree in Psychology Choosing a major or a degree field to go into after graduating from high school is one of the more difficult things that recently graduated young adults have to go through. Many different aspects of a future career field are evaluated to help the individual in choosing the best career path for them. These evaluations include required education, salary, future places of employment and most importantly, what an employee in this specific area of employment will be doing. Choosing to earn a degree in Psychology offers many different possibilities for future areas of employment that can fit almost any type of person. In addition to the diversity of the field, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted an increase in psychology job opportunities over the next decade due to increased demands for these services in education, law, hospitals, and private companies along with many more options (BLS, 2010). With so many different areas of society requiring these services pursuing a degree in psychology opens up many career paths outside the commonly stereotyped job description of psychologists. Even though many people assume that clinical psychology or other types of therapy are the only options with this degree, an individual in this study can go into fields such as neuropsychology, developmental psychology, and educational psychology. A neuropsychologist is one who has received a doctoral degree, typically a PhD, from an accredited American Psychological Association university along with completing the one year internship required for the degree, and a two year training period within a neuropsychology practice (Moberg,2006). The job description includes, studying the relations among brain structure and behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and sensory and perceptual functions along with the diagnosing and treatment of disorders related to the central nervous system. Most neuropsychologists organize and conduct academic  research relating to the aforementioned topics, along with assisting and witnessing testimony in court cases that involve judgment to the psychological conditions of the people involved. Outside of the court system, neuropsychologists usually work in laboratories, along side medical professionals at hospitals, or privately making starting salaries between $60,089 and $91,476 annually. After some years of experience an accredited neuropsychologist can make anywhere up to $300,000 a year, but the average yearly salary as of 2010 was approximately $127,460 (BLS, 2010). On top of earning a relatively large wage neuropsychologists report to having overall high job satisfaction, with less than twenty percent of them considering changing jobs or leaving the psychology field for a different one all together (Moberg, 2006). Being strongly interested in the functioning of the central nervous system and wanting to go into an area of research would make neuropsychology a top choice for anyone interested in pursuing a doctoral psychology degree. For a person who is more interested in a field dealing with people as a whole and not just the internal functioning of them, developmental psychology could be a possible career option. A developmental psychologist is someone who studies human growth and development that occurs throughout the entire lifespan. This includes biological development, but also focuses on cognitive, social, intellectual, personality, and emotional growth. Although the specific tasks of the psychologists vary based on the area they specialize in, most of them perform research and evaluations in the area of their study, such as studying a particular age range (Beilock, 2012). For example one could study how moral reasoning develops in children, or how people influence the personalities of others. Many developmental psychologists work in educational settings at colleges or universities where they conduct research as well as teach courses. Others could possibly be employed at teen rehabilitation centers, psychi atric clinics, government agencies, etc. The education required to become a developmental psychologist is a master or doctoral degree (PhD) with those holding the doctoral degree more in demand and having the greater range for employment options. The earned income of a developmental psychologist is also highly varied due to area of employment and subtopic of study. Those employed in offices of other  health practitioners earn around $68,400 annually while those employed at Individual and family services earn $57,440 a year (BLS, 2010). A career in developmental psychology allows for diversity among studies and the ability to change topics while still staying in your general field. Another non clinical or therapy related career in the area of psychology is education psychology. Going in this direction involves conducting research on how people learn, and/or designing methods and materials to enhance learning and intellectual, social, and emotional development. This area includes a number of other regions of psychology including developmental, cognitive, and behavioral. Based on the title of this career it is highly possible that an educational psychologist would be working in elementary and secondary schools, along with colleges and universities. Another possible place of employment is with government agencies specializing in education. As an educational psychologist a person could work on curriculum development, incorporationg technology into education, or the studying of gifted learners or those with learning disabilities (Doovis, 2013) The salary earned by educational psychologists was not absolutely defined, however it would have some variation pertaining t o where one was employed. A ccording the Bureau of Labor Statistics general psychologists could earn anywhere between $66,810 and $89,900 depending on who was employed where and experience of each individual (BLS, 2010). Educational psychology would be a good career for individuals interested in the betterment of educational system to produce more productive adults for society, as well as a good place for people who enjoy working with kids through young adults. Psychology degrees contain such a wide area of options for employment that almost anyone could find a job they enjoy with this major. Many of these areas also contain sub level areas for example, a person could possibly be a developmental psychologist working with elderly people on how they learn and obtain information and the connections their brain makes while doing this. Overall, whichever area of psychology one may choose to go into after receiving their psychology degree will provide many benefits to our society whether its improved schools, understanding of mental disorders, understanding of development, or even counseling. The career options are endless. References Beilock, C. L. (2012). Areas of Development in Developmental Psychology. Topics in Cognitive Science, 4, 731-739. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost Dozois, D. J. A.1. (2013). Psychological Treatments: Putting Evidence Into Practice and Practice Into Evidence. Canadian Psychology, 54, 1-11. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost Moberg, P.J (2006). The TCN/AACN 2005 â€Å"Salary Survey†: Professional Practices, Beliefs, and Incomes of U.S. Neuropsychologists. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 20, 325-364. Retrieved from Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). Occupational Outlook Handbook (2009-2010 ed.). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Designs Essay

The experimental research design is one of the most reliable quantitative designs available. Basically, it requires that the researcher conduct an actual experiment in order to prove the research hypothesis. Similar yet fundamentally different from the experimental design is the quasi-experimental design. his paper discusses the procedure in conducting an experimental design research and differentiates it from a quasi-experimental research design. Examples of each are given to facilitate further comparison and contrast. The first step in conducting an experimental research design is to identify the independent and dependent variables. According to Random House’s dictionary of statistical terminologies, â€Å"the dependent variable is the event studied and expected to change when the independent variable is changed. † (Random House, 2001, p. 534). In Butler and Lijinsky (2005) which is an example of experimental research, the independent variable was the type of rat while the dependent variable was the toxicity level. This meant that the research seeks to verify whether different types of rats would have different acute toxicity levels. After the identification of the independent and dependent variables, the next step is to randomly select a sample for the experiment. To randomly select a sample means to make sure that all of the members of the population have an equal chance of being selected (Corder &Foreman, 2009). For example, when seeking to study a school population as is the case in of Stevens & Slavin (1995), random sampling is conducted by placing all of the possible respondents in a list and selecting from that list randomly. In this way, each student has an equal opportunity to be selected for the study. Lastly, once the experiment is conducted, a secure atmosphere is generated wherein the effect of other factors are minimized (Mertens, 1998). Going back to Butler and Lijinsky (1995), the experiment was conducted in a secure atmosphere where the only variables were the type of rat and the toxins induced to them. All other factors such as the food they were given, the space of their cages and so on were kept the same for the different types of rat. In a quasi-experimental approach, an experiment is also conducted and dependent and independent variables are also selected. Measures to keep all other variables constant are also taken. However, the defining difference between the tow is that quasi-experimental designs do not conduct random sampling (Mertens, 1998). For example, the quasi-experimental research conducted by Dutton (1986) simply a sample from those that were available. This is not random sampling and therefore the design cannot be considered as experimental but it does fit the quasi-experimental description. In conclusion, it is clear that while experimental and quasi-experimental research designs are similar, they do have an essential difference. References Butler, A, and Lijinsky, W. (2005). â€Å"Acute toxicity of aflatoxin G1 to the rat† Journal of Pathology, 102 (4), 209-212. Corder, G. , Foreman, G. (2009). Nonparametric Statistics for Non-Statisticians: A Step-by-Step Approach. Wiley. Dutton, D. (1986). â€Å"The Outcome of Court-Mandated Treatment for Wife Assault: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation. † Violence and Victims, 1(3) 163-175 Mertens, D. (1998). Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative & qualitative. Sage. Random House. (2001). Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. Random House, Inc. Stevens, R. , and Slavin, R. (1995). Effects of a Cooperative Learning Approach in Reading and Writing on Academically Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Students. The University of Chicago Press.

McDonald’s in British

The UK is the largest European market for fast-food, probably because the market is more developed than in other European countries. McDonald's first British unit opened in Woolwich, London, in 1974. Its growth from the first restaurant was dramatic. At the end of 1999, it had over 1,000 outlets in the UK, of which 302 were run by franchisees. McDonald's employed over 48,000 people; a further 16,500 worked in its franchises. The total sales from both its company owned restaurants and its franchised outlets reached  £400 million and it catered for 2.5 million people a day. By the end of the twentieth century, McDonald's logo was no longer confined to the high streets but extended to leisure centres and retail parks as well as airports and cross-Channel ferries. McDonald's has gone beyond this by opening its own motorway service station called McDonald's Services which it opened on the M5 in Devon in 1999. In February 2001 McDonald's bought a 33 per cent stake in Prà ªt à   Manger. McDonald's dominates the chained fast-food sector both in terms of company and brand terms, taking a share, by value, of 52 per cent n 1999. Together McDonald's and Burger King had 73 per cent of the market in 1999. In a busy world where one does not even have time to change out of his work clothes to spend â€Å"quality† time with his or her daughter, McDonald's is there to help. The food is necessary to have the fun and companionship, but what the food consists of is irrelevant. Love (1995) points out that as McDonald's started to expand in the late 1960s it realized that to cultivate a national mass market, it needed to develop a media campaign that focused on the family rather than the product and price. When McDonald's returned to their complete American menu, altered their buildings to be more similar to their American architecture, and modified their ad campaigns to â€Å"food, folks, and fun,† – the myths of hard work and leisure, Americana and American culture and consensus – did their work. In Britain the McDonald's ads proclaimed,   â€Å"The United Tastes of America.† In the UK, adverts were aimed in the middle of the biggest market, the family segment. If children wanted to have fun at McDonald's, their parents would take them, and they would be McDonald's customers for life. From my perspective, the McDonald's success is based upon its ability to tell a story, a story that does not make sense from a logical perspective but rather from an aesthetic one. The story has coherence and fidelity and helps one solve his or her problem through the purchase and possession of commodities. McDonald's is successful not through the components of a rational system that includes efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, but through its advertising campaign that hails each of us to come in and buy its product of â€Å"food, folks, and fun,† to come in and fulfil our American dream. Although most Americans would not consider McDonald's to make the â€Å"best† hamburger in their home towns, McDonald's is hugely successful on an international basis. One does not go to McDonald's expecting the best hamburger in town. One goes to McDonald's expecting the image. McDonald's success is due to their creation of a narrative that is not necessarily true but rather provides us with a sense of personal identity, a sense of community life, a basis for conduct, and explanations of that which cannot be known. Labour shortages encourage fast-food employers to alter their work systems in ways that minimize the demand for labour through reorganization or technological change. Subway Sandwiches supplies franchisees with pre-portioned sandwich ingredients from centralized food preparation plants; McDonald's has experimented with robotic french fry makers, automated touch-screen ordering machines, and automatic electronic payment systems for cashless drive-through service. McDonald's also expects its new â€Å"Made for You† food preparation system to reduce employee turnover and provide some labour savings. Before the imposition of the minimum wage McDonald's employees worked in the regions under 18 started on  £3.25 per hour and those over 18 started on  £3.50 per hour. In the UK McDonald's has three separate pay ‘scales' for inner London, outer London and the provinces and it has both under-18 and over-18 starting rates. In fact McDonald's increased its UK pay rates again by a flat rate of 10 pence on 28 March 1999 to bring the over-18 starting rate to  £3.60 outside London. Something like 70 per cent of McDonald's UK employees are under 21, and approximately 30 per cent are under 18. In October 1999 McDonald's was the last of the leading fast-food chains to remove the youth rate for under 18s. In 2000 McDonald's increased its minimum rate outside London to  £3.75, once again probably in response to the small increase in the minimum wage for that year of  £3.70. Figures from IDS (2001) suggest that McDonald's does not pay the lowest wages in the sector: it actually appears somewhere in the middle compared with other companies. However, its dominance in the market place undoubtedly has a constraining effect on wages amongst its competitors. The evidence at the McLibel trial also confirms this. Vidal (1997:312) states that the judge commented that: â€Å"the British McDonald's operation pays low wages and it depresses wages for other workers in the industry.† Of course McDonald's has been increasingly involved in the acquisition of other companies in recent years. In the UK the purchase of the Aroma coffee chain and more recently Prà ªt à   Manger may signal a new corporate strategy. In any case the relatively small number of restaurants in Europe compared with that in the US suggests that the European market is likely to experience a lot more expansion in future, although McDonald's is already the market leader in the UK. The UK McDonald's is, as in many other countries, expanding rapidly and becoming an increasingly important feature of modern employment. Although the majority of outlets in the sector are independent operations, it is the chain operations often owned by large multinationals which are the most profitable and which are driving growth. It is a highly competitive industry and labour costs are a large percentage of the overall costs of the business. It is hardly surprising therefore that there is likely to be a continual and persistent downward pressure on wages and conditions in this sector. Bibliography IDS. 2001, â€Å"The national minimum wage in pubs and restaurants†, Incomes Data Services, March: 1-8. Love J. F. 1995, McDonald’s: Behind the arches. New York: Bantam. Vidal, J. 1997, McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial, London: Macmillan.