Can Social Media Help Saving the Environment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2102 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/04/10 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Social Media Essay Did you like this example? Online petitions, forums for debating issues and the usage of social media for recruiting peo-ple for protests are some examples how political organisations, non-governmental organisa-tions or social movements are using new digital technology to engage citizens and influence political processes (Rohlinger, Bunnage Klein, 2012). Traditionally, civil society activism has been framed on the idea and ideal of collective action, lead and coordinated by these professional organizations by pressuring politics or companies to make structural change (Bennett and Segerberg, 2012). However, in the last decades there was a shift especially among younger generations on so-cial and political orientations towards an era of personalization (Bennett, 2012). The struc-tural fragmentation and individualization in most societies result in engagement with politics as an expression of personal hopes, lifestyles, and grievances. (Bennett and Seger-berg, 2012, p. 743). The self-organizing networks are called connective action, where peo-ple act around their personalized politics (Bennett and Segerberg, 2012). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Can Social Media Help Saving the Environment?" essay for you Create order The emerge of social media and personalized communication technologies give ordinary cit-izens the opportunity to express themselves easily and cost-effectively on the Internet and thus reach a considerable amount of other people. Sustainable development is a particularly trendy topic. On Instagram, for example, there are various hashtags about sustainable topics. This gives an idea about the number of individuals, who post online about sustainable devel-opment related issues and their personal view on solutions. The keyword sustainable has ca. 3,3 million hashtags, sustainable fashion has ca. 2 million hashtags, and sustainable living has ca.1 million hashtags (date: 09.08.2018). Also, related topics show a great number of interest. Again, on Instagram, the leading hashtag is vegan with ca. 64 million tagged posts, minimalism with ca. 11,5 million hashtags or zero waste with 1,3 million hashtags (date: 09.08.2018) However, these individuals seem not to belong to a political party, nor are they employees of an NGO or traditional environmental activists. They rather share their lifestyle and tips for a better and more sustainable life and world. They do that either as a hobby or, those with high numbers of followers, can also earn money through cooperation with companies or their own products and services (Helmke, Scherberich Uebel, 2016). Moreover, the individuals who produce this content rarely seem to have any political intention, in the classical way, like being a member of a party, protest publicly or stay on track with the political arena (Xenos, Vromen, Loader, 2014). Bennett (2012) tries to answer in his framework, if these personalized forms of connective action have the power to achieve the same results as traditionally collective action. He claims that personalized politics can shape the political agenda, but that there are too many problems and too little power for structural change. But, he also emphasises, that in compari-son the results of traditional collective action or social movements neither brought and bring the needed fundamental change. Yet, not much research has been conducted so far on the above described group of people, the social media content creators, who individually post about sustainable development, with a focus on individual behaviour change and personal lifestyle. This thesis will especially have a look on German social media content creators. Problem statement The attitude of people towards issues concerning sustainable development differ. How peo-ple think and act about the topic depends also on their information seeking patterns and me-dia use (Metag, Fchslin, Schfer, 2017). Bacchi (2009) developed an analysis approach, to look beyond this issue, which is called how is the problem represented to be. It affirms that every content that is published implicates a certain problem representation, which needs to be acted upon. The term sustainability has become an internationally central model in business, politics and science. A common understanding is, that its the search for a just model for civil society and economy that lives up to the responsibility towards all people living today and in the future (Brundtland, 1989). Therefore, values such as justice and responsibility for the future provide a fundamental orientation (Grunwald Kopfmller, 2012). As already mentioned, the complicated issue is that concretisations of action do not simply result from a logical derivation but are formed through interpretations and priorities. For this reason, models for sustainable development are generally the subject of controversial discus-sion in science, but also in public and in politics (Grunwald Kopfller, 2012). Bennett (2012) contents, for example, that personalized politics tends to focus on consumer politics. Which means, they are not demanding the needed rules of slowing consumption down. In-stead only changing it into being a bit eco-friendlier and fairer for workers. Bennett (2012) sees the reason in this that the life of voluntary simplicity is not easily made attractive to cit-izens. Possibly also the social media content creators, who seek to reach a lot of people and want to please their needs, could therefore spread a rather destructive message for sustaina-ble development instead. Accordingly, it is important to identify how the social media content creators conceptualize sustainable development and what their the underlying problematization is. To identify this the already mentioned analysis approach of Bacchi (2009) will be used to discuss parts of the collected data, when it is suitable. An overview on the current concepts and discussions around sustainable development will be provided in the thesis. One related assumption is, that a considerable amount of content creators in social media spread information about sustainable development without having proper knowledge or edu-cation. They tend to advertise for products and companies that are actually harmful for sus-tainable development and see green marketing only as a business strategy (Hartmann, 2009). There needs to be awareness of the intentions, beliefs and perceived power of content crea-tors. Especially because they often start talking about these topics with the intention of hav-ing a positive impact. Moreover, the younger generation seems to care and be willing to act on politically and soci-etal important topics but are missing the awareness that individual behaviour and personal lifestyle alone have no power for change, when they arent used collectively to seek for structural change (Hartmann, 2009). Furthermore, structural policy changes are very slowly implemented, even when addressed, so there needs to be a cooperation of the public, private and civil sector (Bennett, 20012). Identifying the perceived role and power of the social me-dia content in this interplay will give a better understanding about the limits and opportuni-ties of their efforts. Additionally, most research is analysing the United States and the perception there (Metag, Fchslin, Sch? ¤fer, 2017). This thesis will give an insight on the point of view of the Ger-man scene. Research question and objectives This thesis therefore wants to answer the main research questions: How do German Social media content creators engage in connective action and what is the impact on bringing sustainable development forward? To guide the research process and help answering the main research questions the following sub-questions will be used: Sub questions: How do German social media content creators conceptualize sustainable develop-ment? How do German social media content creators see the role of the state and the econ-omy in bringing sustainable development forward? How do German social media content creators see and label themselves? How do German social media content creators think about the possibilities and limits of their form of action? Objectives: Identify the perceived power of new forms of social activism and how people engage in it and see/label themselves Provide qualitative empirical data for the framework of Bennett(2012) about connec-tive action, to show how German social media content creators perceive the impact of their form of action Characterize how this influences political engagement of civil society as a whole and whether this new phase strengthens or weakens the power of the public Literature Review The assumption in this thesis is based on the idea that collective action slowly has become replaced by more individualized forms of activism, named personalized politics (Bennett, 2012). Social media reinforced the change in the political identity and the participation pat-terns of citizens. The main existing research has been focusing on NGOs, political groups or communities, the role of celebrities as influencers or green marketing strategies for compa-nies, but not about individuals who post as laypeople or (semi-)professionals. As already mentioned Bennett (2012) provides a theoretical basis that will used for this re-search with his framework on personalized politics. It helps to understand large scale collec-tive action via social media. Social fragmentation and the decline of group loyalties have given rise to an era of person-alized politics in which individually expressive personal action frames displace collective action frames in many protest causes (Bennet, 2012, p. 20). This new form of engagement is often coordinated through digital media technologies. He compares this personalized politics with the group based identity politics that was arising since the 1960s. The group based identity politics were formed on the one hand on common identities, like for example immigrants, native people, women or minorities. On the other hand, there were cause issues like environmental conservation, antinuclear or specific rights. These movements still exists, but there are nowadays more heterogeneous mobilizations in which diverse causes such as economic justice (fair trade, inequality, and development), environmental protection, and war and peace are directed at moving targets from local to national and transnational and from government to business. (Bennett, 2012, p. 21) The traditional collective action/ social movements had power for change because of push-ing their demands and therefore bring them into public discussion and the political field (Bennett Lagos, 2017). The research field of consumer activism shows that there can be great success by a creative protest strategies and information delivery to journalist to raise public awareness and pressure companies to address social responsibility issues (Bennett Lagos, 2017). Beyond consumer activism, connective action in the case of Occupy Wall Street, los indig-nados in Spain or the Arab Spring proved that its possible to shape the political agenda (Bennett 2012). The role of journalist seems to be a crucial part, as they can report on issues and increase public discussion, because activists write about it online and can be used as source, instead of only relying on the statements of politicians and companies (Bennett 2012). Bennet and Segerberg (2012) say, that connective action has replaced collective action be-cause of the growth of digital media. An its especially the way young people engage in poli-tics. At this point also, the discussion about what can be seen as a political act needs to be mentioned. Some researchers argue that online activity can no longer be dismissed as click-tivism or slacktivism (George Leidner, 2018; Halupka 2015; Rotman et al, 2011). They explain this by the fact that many people are acting in this way, are doing it together and that sometimes the issues are being moved into the classical political arena. This can again be seen for example by movements like the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street or the los in-dignados, which were using digital media beyond communication only (Bennet Segerberg, 2012). As mainly the younger generation uses digital media to express themselves, the research field about young peoples political engagement and how citizenship changed because of digital media, gives important insights. The question is not only how people get involved in politics through digital media, but also how political engagement itself needs to be rede-fined. (Harris, Wyn Younes 2010; Rheingans and Hollands 201; Xenos, Vromen, Load-er, 2014). To reconsider political engagement and citizenship in a digital age, Vromen, Xenos and Co (2015) use for example the citizen norms concept. These norms are understood as attitudes and values related to how democracy works and how citizens relate to the political world. Manning (2013) found for instance, that the participants in his study were more committed to things that came up spontaneously rather than following a systematic approach that had to do with specific ideologies or principles. There is consistent evidence that the traditional form of citizenship, the dutiful citizen, is rather rejected (Bang, 2005; Bennet, Wells Free-lon,2010; Xenos, Vromen Loader, 2014; Halupka 2014). The dutiful citizen stands out through voting, party membership and newspaper reading. What is lived by the younger generation is personalized politics, as Bennett (2012) describes it. It is more about self-actualization through digital networking or consumer activism. Harris and Wyn (2009) agree that young people tend to act in so-called micro-territories, which they encounter every day and where they can act more individually and personally. Moreover Bennett, Freelon Wells (2010) claim that young people tend to work horizontally with their peers. Therefore, friends online and offline are more of an information source and support than hierarchical authorities. In summary, it can be said that the political commitment of the young generation has changed from more collectivist to more individualized and from a long-term organizational commitment to spontaneous issue-based action. The remaining gap in all of these studies is though, to look at German individuals, who post online about societal issues, like sustainable development. And moreover, how they see and label themselves and perceive the impact of their action.

Meaning and End of Religion Essay - 934 Words

Justin Luvshis September 17, 2011 Intro to Phil of Religion Professor Skorobogatov-Gray Banner ID: 800494043 The Meaning and End Of Religion Wilfred Cantwell Smith In the article, The Meaning and End of Religion, by Wilfred Cantwell Smith writes about his idea of the concept of religion explaining it to be a universally valid category as it is theorized but is truly a European creation. Throughout the article Smith conveys his ideas of religion. In his piece, there are several interesting ideas and most important thoughts that he tries to communicate to the reader. In response, the reader can respond to some of the important questions posited by Smith. In his best known and most controversial†¦show more content†¦There are several important ideas and most interesting thoughts that are poised by Smith that communicated to me directly. Some of the most important ideas that Smith depicted were a result of events that he experienced. He was able to observe traits from others who believed they â€Å"knew† a religion and he was actually able to explain to them the difference in sentences and phrases that one was able to understand a nd comprehend. It is important for one to not only study a religion and practice it but for one to be devoted to the religion. Religion is a part of life, and to live you must have religion in your life. In his article he continuously states that he is not defining the religion although he may not realize that he actually is. He is defining the religion as a concept in which an outside reader is able to understand. â€Å"The man of religious faith lives in this world. He is subject to its pressures, limited within its imperfections, particularized within one or another of its always-varying Luvshis, 3 contexts of time and place, and he is observable. At the same time and because of his faith or through it, he is or claims to be in touch with another world transcending this. The duality of this position some would say is the greatness and some the very meaning of human life: the heart of itsShow MoreRelatedAnalyzing Smith ´s The Meaning and End of Religion2136 Words   |  9 PagesIn his seminal work, The Meaning and End of Religion, Wilfred Cantwell Smith proposes using two separate concepts for religious studies. Believing that the conventional approach of studying â€Å"a religion† or â€Å"the religions† is inadequate and misleading, Smith states, â€Å"If religion or a religion is anything at all, it is not only in fact but in theory something in which actual living, historical persons are involved† (1838). Therefore, he offers his theories of examining â€Å"faith† and â€Å"cumulative tradition†Read More Wallace Stevens and Emile D urkheim Essay example1468 Words   |  6 Pagessocial-philosophical thought. Emile Durkheims theories on religion closely parallel those of Stevens. Both men believe that there is no supreme greater being, or God, that gives things order and meaning. But both men also believe that humans need to read order and meaning into the world to understand it, even if the meaning humans imply is false because there is no God. Since this aspect of both mens ideas is so similar, Durkheims outline of ideas on religion can form a model by which Stevens poem can beRead More`` Homo Religiosus `` By Karen Armstrong1416 Words   |  6 Pagesaccepted by the society around them. In â€Å"Homo religiosus† Karen Armstrong brings out the materialized definition of an â€Å"individual† through concepts such as religion, activities like yoga, the artistic features of caves, and most importantly the image of Brahma. The detailed notions placed on each concept yields the reassuring meaning tha t religion symbolically is a safe harbor, in which individuals can feel comforted and relieved. 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Religion is a main concept in all cultures. The major contrast here is Hinduism versus Christianity. Readers can get a glimpse of both completely separate worlds with similar ideas. In the Gospels, Christianity is the focus and Jesus isRead MoreThe Interpretation Of Cultures By Clifford Geertz1713 Words   |  7 Pagesdefinition of religion, which has been subjected to much admiration and scrutiny. In this essay, I will be discussing some of Geertz’s terminology, cockfighting’s relationship with religion, Asad’s enlightening critique, and webs of significance. For starters, I will say that I actually read another one of Geertz’s pieces, Islam Observed, a year ago, and while I liked some of his ideas, I interpreted his tone and word choices at times as a tad bit condescending. I found â€Å"Religion as a CulturalRead MoreA Comparison Of Faith And The Future Of Religion1539 Words   |  7 PagesAfter studying faith and religion in texts written by scholars with varying backgrounds, it is easy to see faith is something which is widely disputed. Comparison of Sigmund Freud’s The Future of an Illusion and Paul Tillich’s Dynamics of Faith, fully displays the discrepancies in points of view on the function of faith, as well as the necessity of faith, in society; while the comparison of Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and Karl Marx’s â€Å"on the Future of Religion,† demonstrate both similaritiesRead MoreA Worldview Is A Theory With Space For Many Perspectives1097 Words   |  5 Pag esinfluences one s perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing. One s worldview is also referred to as one s philosophy, philosophy of life, mindset, outlook on life, formula for life, ideology, faith, or even religion† (Funk, 2011). This essay briefly discusses the numerous possible meanings of the term spirituality, and this writer’s concept of pluralism, scientism, and postmodernism and also addresses the given seven basic worldview questions. Spirituality is a broad theory with space for manyRead MoreEssay On Grendel984 Words   |  4 Pagesdepicts the monstrous Grendel, previously portrayed as the vicious villain in ‘Beowulf, journeying through his life, attempting to achieve some kind of self-realization. Spending much of his time observing humans, Grendel develops a great disdain for religion. Gardener reinforces Grendel’s with anti-religious quotes from poets and philosophers, like William Blake and Francis Nietzsche. As his spiritual void increases, Gardener slips into an existential despair, fueled by the talk of the Shaper, who’sRead MoreHinduism And Buddhism And Hinduism1276 Words   |  6 Pagesbeliefs and religions, Buddhism and Hinduism make of about 20% of them (The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050). Hinduism and Buddhism are the most influential and popular in the eastern hemisphere, mostly in and around the Asian continent. These two religions have sim ilar ideologies. So much so that many say that Buddhism is an appendage of Hinduism. Such religions have different religious structures, which allow broader interpretations to which religion to believe

America Should Abandon Its Competition Based Education System

While education in America has stagnated, Finnish students are demonstrating impressive academic growth. This surprising trend leads experts to question how the tiny country could out perform the wealthiest nation of all. When observing the United States’ school system, however, the permeation of competitive ideology becomes evident. Ironically, America should abandon its competition-based education system if American students are to compete with Finnish students whose country employs an innovative approach to education. The United States’ school system is based on competition, and competition promotes disparity. Because some schools have more resources to compete, public schools differ in their abilities to adequately educate students.†¦show more content†¦This educational gap becomes obvious when standardized testing is performed. Standardized tests are issued vigorously in the United States, for test results are used to compare students, teachers, and school s (â€Å"Standardized Test† par. 1). These isolated measurements of student ability are picked apart by government officials to praise some schools and to chastise others. Scores are also used to designate which teachers receive merit pay; only teachers with the best scores are awarded the extra stipend. Many problems arise from this form of salary distribution. Merit pay is unfair for those who teach struggling students whose scores will not qualify their teachers (Ramirez par. 22). The chance to earn extra money causes conflict and distracts from the goal to educate (par. 30). Teachers are only human, and money is an excellent motivator. In this case, however, money motivates teachers to work against one another to earn higher wages. A system based on competition, disparity, and comparisons cannot properly educate the majority, which should be the goal in a large, diverse country such as the United States. In contrast to America’s competitive system, Finlandâ€℠¢s school system is structured on equity and cooperation. While American schools compete among themselves, Finland’s public schools are assured to be equal in their abilities to educate. Following a series of trials that included war, oppression,

Why Liberal Arts Education Matter - 1351 Words

Why Liberal Arts Education Matter? There is a phenomenon that the number of liberal arts college is declining, which means we are losing liberal arts education. Recently, more and more students focus on scores and getting a degree instead of improving themselves comprehensiveness. Many students think the college degree is more important than knowledge and skills, that’s why they ignore the study of liberal arts. Like Tony Woodcock (2015) said: â€Å"the Liberal Arts are considered an irrelevance†. However, liberal arts plays vital roles in our life, and students who didn’t accept liberal arts education may have trouble in their future development. Under the circumstances, there are questions should be considered: Is it really true†¦show more content†¦The existence of liberal arts education makes a significant contribution to the whole society. According to the â€Å"Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters†(2012), liberal arts colleges’ purp oses are to â€Å"mold students into well-rounded, well-informed global citizens with a wide skill set†. People need to be resilient in order to â€Å"invent creative solutions† and liberal arts education can help them about that. Liberal arts education help young people build exploring spirit and learn invaluable skills to make life interesting and worthwhile. The gifts liberal arts education offer students include abilities, skills, confidence, attitude, spirits and so on, which can contribute to their whole life. The development of society depends on a new generation who accepted liberal arts education. Therefore, a liberal arts education plays an important role in society, so government and people should place considerable value on it. What Abilities that Students can Get From Liberal Arts Education? A liberal arts education not only teach students general knowledge but also provide people with an invaluable set of abilities, such as leadership. Leadership includes the ability to think for yourself, the skill to communicate effectively, the capacity for lifelong learning, which is related closely to liberal arts education. Patrick Awuah (2007) states that â€Å"I wish there was a liberal arts college in every African country, I think it would make

The Debate Between Creation And Evolution - 2145 Words

The debate between creation and evolution has been around for a long time. For much of it, it has presented a choice between the two. Some claim that you either believe in God or evolution, not both. Others, that you have to choose young earth creationism simply because theistic evolution is not a viable option. Still more present young earth creationism as a naive understanding of both the Bible and science. However, since each position has evidence in support of it and against it, it is in no way true that any of them present us with an undeniable position of definite accuracy. Furthermore, the idea that there is only a choice between creation and evolution is false. Indeed, there are more positions than even creationism and theistic†¦show more content†¦It is for this reason that the debate is also not between science and Christianity. Each advocate for each position is attempting to reconcile the apparent differences between science and Christianity. It is simply the cas e that they each take a different approach and give different amounts of authority to science and a literal interpretation of Genesis. The first position is that of young earth creationism. Additionally, this is what most people mean when referring to â€Å"creationism.† This is primarily due to the fact that the creationists visible in the public eye during the creation-evolution debate were most likely to hold young earth creationist views. Additionally, the terms â€Å"recent earth† or â€Å"recent creation† have been used to refer to this same position. These terms clearly define their position as one in which the creation of the world occurred somewhat recently, that is, the world is young. However, it obviously doesn t provide us with much information beyond that. To begin with, how young is the world? In order to help answer this and other questions concerning young earth creationism, biologist and philosopher of science Paul Nelson and philosopher John Mark Reynolds, both fellows of the Center for Science and Culture under the Discovery Institute, present with their viewpointShow MoreRel atedEvolution Is A Highly Argumentative Topic, Today s Society1021 Words   |  5 PagesPayne 1 Jared Payne English 11 Mrs. Brown 5 December 2014 Pro-evolution: Why? Creation versus evolution is a highly argumentative topic, especially in today’s society. A recent debate, between Bill Nye â€Å"The Science Guy† and Ken Ham, has sparked even more controversy over this particular topic. A poll administered by Gallup shows that forty-six percent of Americans believe God created humans as they are now ten-thousand years ago, and that the only reliable dating system is the Word of God (LovanRead MoreEssay on Creation vs. Evolution1348 Words   |  6 PagesCreation vs. Evolution Ever since the publication of Charles Darwins The Origin of Species was published there has been an ongoing debate between science and religion. Scientists have formulated many theories as to the origins of man and to the creation of the earth, whereas religious groups have one main creation theory, based on the Genesis story of The Bible. These theories, however, are not the cause of the debate because the different theories are simply myths meantRead MoreThe Effects Of Clinical Depression On An Individual s Dreaming1485 Words   |  6 PagesFreud and Jung. Hall devised this theory through standardized dream content scoring inventories. He used this method to demonstrate that the most frequently occurring images or ideas were not peculiar events but rather routine social interactions between the dreamer and their most regular acquaintances. The psychological factors that affect one’s dreaming would be any type of mental disorder such as depression, anxiety, multiple personality disorder, etc. These disorders change the individual’sRead MoreCreationism Isnt Science but Belongs in Schools Essay849 Words   |  4 Pagesevolved from bacteria. It has become a recent debate in schools which one of these and countless other theories should and should not be taught. The debate has centered itself between creationists, those that believe in a mythological theory, and Secular humanists, those who believe in a theory known as evolution. It has become questioned whether creationism should be taught in schools along side the evolution theory. In an essay discussing this Niles Eldredge arguesRead MoreEssay about Creation Science1400 Words   |  6 Pagestheory of evolution do not conflict with belief in a Creator. However, fundamentalist Christians such as Ronald Reagan and Jerry Falwell, have co-opted the term creationism and it is now difficult to refer to creationism without being understood as referring to fundamentalist Christians who (a) take the stories in Genesis as accurate accounts of the origin of the universe and life on Earth, and (b) believe that Genesis is incompatible with the Big Bang theory and the theory of evolution. Thus, itRead MoreThe Origin Of Life And Evolution1744 Words   |  7 PagesGallup Institute in 2004 showed that an approximate of 42% of Americans believe that humanity was created by God, 18% believe in an evolution directed by God, and only 26% of them support Darwin’s theory. In Great Britain, a survey performed by BBC to a 2000 people sample found that 52% said to believe in non Darwinian explications for the origin of life and evolution. In a more recent survey done in 34 countries by Science magazine, which included the United States of America, Japan and 32 EuropeanRead MoreEssay on Creationism vs. Evolution: How did it really happen?1163 Words   |  5 PagesCreationism vs. Evolution: How did it really happen? Ever since 1859 and the publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin1, his first publication of his observations, much debate has come about concerning the issue of how life on earth came to be. Both the Creationists and Evolutionists believe in the Big Bang theory of creation of life; however, the mechanism for the development of new life provides the conflict. Evolutionists believe the cause of life on earth to be accidentalRead MoreConflicts Between Science and Religion1662 Words   |  7 PagesIn science, evolution is one of the basic templates for understanding the biology of an organism or ecological unit. Essentially, it is the change in inherited traits of a population through a process called natural selection in which only the strongest traits are appropriately adapted to the environment in question. Those traits from parents who are healthier and live longer are then passed down to future generations where the traits are amplified if the organism thrives. Evo lution, then, is theRead MoreThe Louisiana Science Education Act Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States, evolution and creationism remain a controversial issue as far as which method should stay in science classes across the globe. How was the earth created? How were humans created? These are questions that arise in most science classes. Many students require an explanation of why people exist. There are those who would oppose evolution, and there are those who oppose creationism. Is there a significant difference between these methods? Several states have passed regulations thatRead More Creationism vs. Evolution Essays1663 Words   |  7 PagesCreationism vs. Evolution This paper will focus on the huge controversy between Creationism and Evolution. I will provide two opposing viewpoints on this subject. First, the discussion will focus on the question of why many people believe that God created the universe and all living things. On the other end of the spectrum, scientific information will be presented that substantiates the evidence against the existence of God. This creationism counter-argument known as evolution has its roots

The Importance of Beauty free essay sample

The first thing most people notice about someone is how physically attractive they are; yet we are told every day that looks do not matter. Our world is filled with hypocrisy when talking about the notion of beauty. Many quotes and inspirational messages line our halls and are often the background of choice on teenage girl’s cellphones. We are taught that â€Å"Beauty is only skin deep† from a young age, but if this really is the truth why do girls starve themselves to be skinny or bleach the life out of their hair? Countless cultures and people around the world covet physical beauty. Take a peek at any magazine and there are articles and pictures of how a girl â€Å"should look† to feel attractive. This phenomenon has been around for centuries. The late 1500’s were a completely male dominated society and in this time a woman’s looks were pretty much all she had to offer. William Shakespeare wrote a sonnet titled â€Å"My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun† and in this story the speaker shows the reader that outer beauty is not the most important feature in a significant other. The speaker opens the poem with the assertion â€Å"My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;† (line 1). Right off the bat he is expressing negative attributes about his mistress, or so we think. Does anyone really want to look into a person’s eyes and be blinded by them? Looking into the sun is dangerous so no wonder he would rather look into hers. Following this remark, the speaker states that, â€Å"Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, when then her breasts are dun;† (lines 2-3). Back in Shakespeare’s time all women coveted red lips and a fair complexion. They even went as far to use products containing mercury, an element that is extremely harmful to their bodies. The features mentioned above were required in order to be considered attractive in that time. The speaker is admitting that his mistress has neither the red lips nor the fair complexion that are seen as prevailing features at that time. As the speaker advances in his description of the mistress, He continues the story with â€Å"if hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks;† (lines 4-6) She doesn’t show signs of having well kept hair as those who are held in higher esteem. Staying clean was not an easy task back in those days due to the lack of clean water and soaps. Her cheeks had no blush to them either. In a society that is obsessed with youth and beauty, rosy cheeks are a must and the mistress seems to be missing them. Returning to the point of there being a scarcity in soap, the speaker progresses with the phrase â€Å"And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks† (lines 7-8). Of course oral hygiene was hard to maintain with in those days but the speaker seems to just keep talking down on his supposed mistress. As the poem continues he talks about her voice and it’s less than pleasing sound. â€Å"I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound† (lines9-10). Here the reader can interpret he is saying that her words are more important to him than the sound of her voice. The speaker wants to hear what she has to say and the sound is unimportant. It’s her mind that he values more. The speaker is aware there are sweeter sounds like music but he would rather listen to her speak. In another seemingly negative description of his mistress depicting her walk, the speaker expresses, â€Å"I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground† (lines 11-12) Here the speaker is giving a depiction about the gait to his mistress’ walk. A goddess is supposedly able to float as they walk, and according to the speaker, the mistress certainly does not do that. . These lines in the poem depict a kind of satire in comparison to other love poems and stories. A message that can be read here is that the mistress is a more realistic object of his affection than the exaggerated descriptions of other writers. The mistress of course doesn’t float, but he still compares her to a mythological goddess in a negative way as a resemblance to other works. Finally, the ending of the poem is where all the negativity and insults are reconciled. The speaker says â€Å"And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare,† (lines 13-14) to make up for everything the speaker has to say about his mistress. His love for her is rare considering her lack of physically attractive attributes and he can’t even believe it himself. The speaker can’t find the words to justify himself for his love. To him, no woman can ever compare to his mistress. Her flaws are what make her unique and separate her from the bunch. He sees through her appearances and loves her just the way she is. When we look back at the poem with the speaker’s outlook in the last lines, we see the piece in a whole new light. The speaker’s feelings support that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and show how the social stigma has no impact on his love for her. Girls today have to realize they can offer an extremely large amount of things aside from their looks. Women and men are considered equals today and should bring more to the table. The mind and soul is a powerful combination and is vastly more important than physical appearance.

Analysis Harold and Kumar free essay sample

This is what really sets â€Å"Harold and Kumar† apart not just from â€Å"Stoner films† or the entire Comedy genre, but from every film ever made. Casting two â€Å"minorities† in the leading roles. The opening scene involves two â€Å"higher ups†, who we assume are Harold’s bosses, at an accounting firm who are trying to get out of doing their work for a night out. They pass the work on to our unsuspecting Harold, who reluctantly accepts the new task load because his job was threatened. This opening scene sets up Harold’s personal problems that at the end of the ovie, he over comes. This scene cuts between multiple shots of Harold’s bosses standing over Harold, and Harold looking up at them. They loom over Harold, looking down on him as a workhorse that they can pass their work loads to. Harold sits in his chair looking up at his two bosses, bewildered and somewhat frightened to stand up for himself. His two bosses are dressed in black suits which communicates to the audience that they are not only dominant but authoritative and for lack of a better term, evil. They are the first protagonists we see in the film. As they blast out of the office parking lot in their convertible, they justify their actions by saying that â€Å"those Asian guys love crunching numbers†. We quickly get the response to this with a cut of Harold standing in the office looking out the window the speeding convertible, angrily saying â€Å"Fuck†. From this we cut to a scene of Kumar being interviewed for acceptance into a medical school program at an undisclosed prestigious university. Kumar blatantly doesn’t care about the interview, or as we discover later, becoming a doctor like his father wants him to be. Kumar sits in the interview dressed in a disheveled suit and slouches in his chair. From these two scenes we are introduced into the typical roles that normally see in Hollywood movies. The quiet Asian being pushed around and the Indian guy trying to become a doctor. Each time though we see the problems that the characters have with both of these situations, this is the side that we don’t normally see in films. Harold hates his job because he feels like he isn’t respected, it is also learned later in the film that he basically fell into his job because that’s just how it went. Until the end of the film when Harold begins to take charge and stand up for himself, the audience has no problem believing that Harold just went with the motions and became an accountant. Kumar on the other hand is basically Harold’s polar opposite, yin and yang type situation, and resists falling into his â€Å"natural† role in society of becoming a doctor even though he is obviously very skilled in the field, by living off his fathers money (who is a doctor) and spending most of his days smoking pot. Throughout the movie there are scenes where a character is presented with a problem that in some way relates to a stereotype about their ethnicity. The movie deals with this in a joking manner, but the best part is that the character encounters it in a positive manner. Take for instance the character of Kumar, after visiting his father working in the hospital he steals an access card to steal medical marijuana, in the process of locating the marijuana, the duo find scrubs to disguise themselves in and in a mix up are confused as surgeons who are to operate on a gun shot victim. Kumar’s â€Å"natural† ability in health and medicine allows him to successfully operate on the victim and save his life. This ends up being the turning point in the film for Kumar where he decides to stop resisting his father and the typical role society expects of Indians, and become a doctor. For Harold, his turning point occurs at the end of the film when he stands up for himself at his destination, white castle. His two bosses show up at the White Castles from their night out with a pair of women, their attire has changed slightly, one has shed his black coat and the other is completely disheveled in his suit. Harold stands now, face to face with both of his bosses with a visibly angry face. He confronts his bosses and lets them know that he won’t take their bullying any longer. The two men look scared and are speechless since they were caught in a lie and that Harold has literally stood up to them, a contrast from the first scene of the film. About halfway through the film there is a scene where Neil Patrick Harris has stolen the car and leave Harold and Kumar stranded. The two are attempting to walk across the street at a completely vacant intersection. Kumar urges Harold to just walk across and disregard the street sign because there is no one around. As Harold takes his first step to cross, he is stopped by a police officer. The officer harasses the two of them and in a sign of blatant racism, he mocks Kumar and Harold’s ethnicities by asking if they have strange names. He asks Kumar if his name has â€Å"like five O’s or two U’s†. At this scene Kumar stands up for himself by belittling the officer and telling him he was loser in high school and is still one now. Although the officer has a much bulkier body type than Harold and Kumar, Kumar still stands face to face with the officer, representing his courage to go against someone he knows could take him to jail. I have seen â€Å"Harold and Kumar go to White Castle† MANY times before this paper and usually only watched it as it was presented, I laughed at the funny parts and would promptly move on to something else. Until this paper I had never thought to consider the representations the film portrayed of Harold and Kumar. I had never even noticed that the two leading roles were â€Å"minority† ethnicities. The way the film acknowledges the stereotypes that come bundled with the two characters and destroys them whilst making a completely mockery of them is quite fascinating. One of the more interesting facts is that the film was written by two Jewish men, and directed by a Caucasian man. They obviously didn’t want to make a comedy like any other with a white lead, they casted two very different men together and made an incredibly successful film. The film has spawned two sequels and each did very well in the box office. I would personally love to see a film cast more â€Å"minority† ethnicities in the lead roles, not just comedies but every film genre. I think that day is not too far ahead. Rangwala, Shama. Issue 5: Film Reviews.   Scope. Http://www. scope. nottingham. ac. uk/. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. lt;http://www. scope. nottingham. ac. uk/filmreview. php? issue=5gt;.