Living in a Barbie World :: social issues

Living in a Barbie World She took the world by storm with her luxurious blond hair, blue eyes, and long legs. Soon, little girls all over the world were emulating and praising this eleven-and-a-half-inch-tall plastic doll (Napier). Throughout the decades, she has become an icon to little girls, so much that some are wondering whether the stereotypical ideals for women exemplified by Barbie have affected females in regards to body image. When Barbie first appeared, she bore her trademark black and white swimsuit and swirling ponytail. Over the years as fashion and teenage lifestyle trends have shifted, so has Barbie. She has evolved from having bendable legs, a twisting waist, long hair, and sophisticated look in the 1960s to the athletically inclined Barbie with bendable wrists, elbows, and ankles in the 1970s. In the 1980s, a new friendlier, open-mouthed smiling, and bright-eyed Barbie emerged on the scene (Riddick). Her wardrobe took on a bit of pizzazz in the 1990s when she started sporting clothes created by famous fashion designers such as Calvin Klein and Vera Wang (Fashion). Not only has this doll transformed into an internationally known fashion savvy doll, she has left psychologists and parents wondering if she may be at fault for many female body image problems because of her overly slender stature. It is incredibly amazing that anyone could consider the body measurements of 5'6", 110 pounds, and 39-18-33 attainable or at all a realistic womanly figure (Napier). These are Barbie's measurements in proportion to the size of a real woman and also the spark that started the fire of controversy concerning gender stereotyping in the nation. The accusations by feminists and doctors alike are that Mattel, the manufacturer of the doll, has projected harmful body images onto our female youth by subtly placing these stereotypes into the media and into little girls hands. The psychologists insist that the young girls notice the body shapes of the doll and translate them into what a female should physically look like thus creating a problem down the road such as low self-esteem or an eating disorder (Langley). Although the Barbie manufacturer's prime intention for the doll was to inspire self-esteem, glamour, and friendship, society's stereotypes have caused her much media strife. There has been so much controversy that in 1998 she underwent plastic surgery to reduce her breast size, liposuction her hips, and inject the fat into her waist.

What are the differences between the Indian religion and Catholicism? :: social issues

What are the differences between the Indian religion and Catholicism? When the settlers first came to America they were meet by the Indians. Once the settlers were able to make it on there own, they no longer needed Indian help. Then they began to try to change the ways of the Indian. One of the aspects that the settlers spent much time on trying to change of the Indians was there religion. One of the main religions that the Indians were forced to try to convert to was that of Cathoilism. Many attempts were made to change the Indians ways and convert them, but to understand why they were trying to convert them one should know the differences between the religions of that of the Indians and of the Catholics. One of the biggest differences is that of individual interpretation by that of the Indians. Compared to the structured ways of the Catholics. There is first the two different types of ceremonies that go on in the two religions. In Catholicism you have the weekly event of going to mass. Every Sunday a practicing Catholic is supposed to go to mass. Next to repent for ones sins you may go to penance or also known as reconciliation. Those are the main ceremonies that you have for Catholicism. In the Indian religion you have the Sweats. When Professor Anderson came to class to speak of the Crow Indians, he spoke of the different sweats that he had been invited to take part in. It seemed very interesting that he, a white man, was able to take part in a ritual that has been around for hundreds of years in the Indian religion. When he talked about them he spoke of the welcomes that he received from the Indians. He said that every sweat was different, none being the same. Everyone asks for a different thing, hence is the individual interpretation. In Catholicism you have the same ceremonies year in and year out. Next there is the major difference in scriptures that are read. In Catholicism there is one book, I am sure that we all have heard of it, the Bible. In Catholicism it is made up of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is made up of scriptures before the coming of Jesus. The New Testament is made up of scriptures written up after the coming of Jesus.

Red Scare Created McCarthyism

Fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear is a chain reaction in the brain that causes stressful stimulus, causing the release of chemicals. This is what makes your heart race, fast heavy breathing, and energized or tense muscles. Fear can be the chain reaction through your own body and through your peers. In the 1950’s, after World War Two, there was the nationwide fear called the Red Scare. The ‘Red Scare’ is a period of time where there was strong anti ­communism in the United States. Senator Joseph McCarthy became the public face of that movement. His intentions fueled fear of Communist subversion to the nation. The â€Å"Red Scare† caused America to be in fear of communism, motivating Senator Joseph McCarthy to take advantage of his power. Harry S. Truman was the president during McCarthyism. On March 21, 1947 Truman signed United States Executive Order 9835, sometimes known as the â€Å"Loyalty Order† . This order was developed to establish loyalty for the United States, and root out communist sentiment in the federal government. Truman aimed the opinion of communism on the public. Executive Order 9835 also was the main motivation for the creation of the Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations. This became known as McCarthyism. The Loyalty Order was part of the introduction to the rise of Joseph McCarthy.

Chapter summaries for Better by Atule Gawande Essay

Mr. Gawande starts his literature on washing hands. He introduces two friends a microbiologist and an infectious disease specialist. Both work hard and diligently against the spread of diseases just like Semmelweis who is mentioned in the chapter. Something I learned, that not many realize, is that each year two million people acquire an infection while they are in the hospital. Mainly because the clinicians only wash their hands one-third to one-half as many times as they should. Semmelweis, mentioned earlier, concluded in 1847 that doctors themselves were to blame for childbed fever, which was the leading cause of maternal death in childbirth. The best solutions are apparently the sanitizing gels that have only recently caught on in the U.S. Then there was an initiative to make the sanitizing easier for all. The engineer Perreiah came up with solutions that gave the staff more time which was revolutionary in itself but the format worked only under his supervision. After he left it all went down the drain, so, Lloyd a surgeon who had helped Perreiah decided to do more research and was excited when he encountered the positive deviance idea, the idea of building on people’s capabilities instead of trying to change them. The idea worked and even got funding for ten more hospitals across the country. At the end of the chapter Dr.Gawande ponders upon the idea of how many he has infected because of his lack of cleansing. Chapter 2: The Mop-Up This chapter starts off with the difficulty of diligence. Yet there are some who have managed to deliver that expectation on an incredible scale. The task of distributing polio vaccines to millions of people, many in rural areas, was evidently a long and complicated task. The WHO had a team of only hundreds and had to teach the necessary vaccination procedures to the volunteers and local representatives, people who went door to door in all of these areas. Their target for the introduction of the vaccine was 90%.It was definitely complicated to try to keep the supplies in a constant outpour when there were only so many. For example, the vaccines needed to stay on ice to be effective. Something that seemed counterproductive and bothersome was the lack of information in some places. For example, some villagers didn’t even know the vaccines were coming that day so they had been missed and others blinded by their ignorance didn’t want to vaccine their children. One such case led to a woman who refused the vaccines for her child but later went on to regret it when her own daughter’s legs lay limply aside. Gawande traveled with a Pankaj who made rounds checking on the progress of the volunteers and making corrections as necessary. The diligence in reporting gave the WHO the necessary information to learn from that mop-up. The commitment to accumulating meaningful data and the commitment to studying and learning from that data is just as important as the actual process of vaccination itself. Chapter 3: Casualties of War Casualties of War, covers the efforts of battlefield surgeons in Iraq and Afghanistan to save as many wounded in the wars as possible. A Forward Surgical Team (FST) can set up all their equipment in the combat zones in less than 60 minutes. The travel time of a seriously wounded soldier from the frontlines back to the US averages 4 days; in Vietnam, it occurred in an average of 45 days, which as any doctor knows every second is crucial. The focus of the FSTs is â€Å"damage control, not definitive repair.† The wounded are then sent on to a temporary treatment facility immediately; if their injuries are serious they are then sent back to the US within a few days. The goal is for each level of treatment to give the patient the best chance for survival and then trust the next step in the chain to do its part to carry on the treatment. Gawande relates the incredible story of one individual with blast injuries who was opened up at the FST, received life-saving surgery and had arteries tied off, then he was cleaned out, packed with ice, and sent on an air evacuation; still left open from surgery with a note taped to him explaining what was done to the nearest combat hospital and a new surgical team. By analyzing the patterns of injuries and treatment, other basic life-saving measures were implemented. For example, soldiers coming into treatment were found to be without their Kevlar. When asked why? They would complain about the weight, the heat, and the discomfort. Orders were issued that Kevlar was to be taken seriously and the injuries became less frequent. Gawande’s point is that reporting is vital to diligence just as it was for the WHO supervisor fighting malaria; these doctors recorded the details and results of each case. They understand, as Gawande writes, that â€Å"vigilance over the details of their own performance offered the only chance to do better. Chapter 4: Naked The chapter is titled â€Å"Naked† and concerns the exam room etiquette that doctors and patients expect from one another and often uncomfortably tiptoe around. There is an allusion to a movie that has the female patient separated by a dark blanket like screen from the doctor. The doctor’s son who is about six years old is the communicator. Even though they are clearly audible to each other they wait until the boy speaks to them. This is the matter of decency. According to this literature some doctors feel uncomfortable with the whole process. There is really no established ground as to how to go about it. The author relates anecdotally that some patients and doctors find that having a â€Å"chaperone† present makes things worse. For example, when asking a female nurse to come in when a male doctor is examining a female patient makes the patient more nervous than before. The patient perhaps did not sense a cause for concern and is then put on the defensive. Most of all it’s about trust. The author relates occasions in which he felt aversion for the gowns but when the matters seemed to get to awkward or difficult he resulted to the exposing gowns. One out of every two hundred physicians is disciplined for sexual misconduct. Interns of both sexes on an average have had at least one incident of patient-initiated sexual behavior. So it is not uncommon for the situation to be more than just tricky. The chaperone helps both sides, the patient and the doctor, if any situation were to arise. Chapter 5: What Doctors Owe What Doctors Owe, the fifth chapter of Better continues the discussion of doing right and focuses on malpractice lawsuits. The main focus of this chapter is a doctor-turned-malpractice lawyer; he stands out because most doctors hate malpractice suits. Even the lawyer says he hated them as a doctor. He said he was sued three times and two were nuisance suits with no basis, but the third was a case in which he made a medical error which led to the harm of his patient. He appeared to feel legitimately bad about it. He argued that the system allows those who are harmed to come forward and receive some compensation which makes them better able to deal with their injury. Former Dr.Lang took up a case against Dr.Kenneth Reed for the Barbara Stanley trial. Reed had diagnosed melanoma on Barbara and insisted an extensive surgery was needed and she refused it because it seemed disfiguring to her. He got a ‘second opinion’ and the tests for melanoma came back negative. Two years later the growth reappeared. She died but not before telling Lang she wanted to sue Reed. Doctors strive to care for patients as best as possible, but of course there are instances where they make honest mistakes or are plain negligent, and that has to be addressed because it is the patient who pays. The downside of malpractice, as Gawande argues it, is that it is an essentially adversarial system which pits patients against doctors against insurance. He argues that it brings out the worst in all parties involved. Chapter 6: Piecework Piecework, is on doctors’ pay and its inevitable connection to the health insurance industry. According to this chapter every hospital has a Master Chart of prices for every imaginable health care procedure. Everything from a checkup to a surgery is listed with the price which is later charged to a patient, which inevitably is forwarded to an insurer. This raises an interesting question because it also sets limits on what doctors can make. If you are paying doctors via the Master Chart, then the more diagnosis they perform, the more they are getting paid. Either that or they can charge above the standard rate. One such doctor mentioned in this chapter did just that. He was considered an expert in a certain field and charged nearly ten times the standard rate. He also mandated payments in full by patients, none of this pay-through-insurance mess. He did great business and was paid more than most doctors while doing less work. Another potential solution was attempted by a doctor-run health care cooperative in Vermont. Several doctors with different specializations grouped together and charged patients a flat rate, while they took flat salaries. They were therefore able to manage the efficiency of their medical care. Their network grew, and eventually they added doctors of other specializations. Eventually the co-op became one of Vermont’s biggest insurers, ironic because they were trying to get away from the big insurance methods. Sure enough, size brought problems. The head and founder of the network left after a certain point, somewhat disappointed with the outcome. He cautions at the end of the article that at some point soon, the apparently untenable insurance and reimbursement system will need to be changed for the benefit of do ctors and patients. Chapter 7: The Doctors of the Death Chamber The Doctors of the Death Chamber. This sections starts off with the death of Michael Morales by lethal injection. Under the typical protocol the anesthesiologist administers the sodium thiopental which is expected to halt breathing within a minute of the administration. Then the paralytic agent is introduced, followed by a fatal dose of potassium chloride. Then later, the judge found that at least eight patients had not stopped breathing when the technicians gave the paralytic agent. The California Medical Association, the AMA, and the ASA immediately opposed such participation in a prisoner’s death as a clear violation of the medical ethic codes. The author was intrigued by how the Doctors and Nurses sorted between acting skillfully, acting lawfully, and acting ethically in such situations. Ever since the Gregg v. Georgia matter only two prisoners were executed by firing squad, three by hanging, and eleven by gas chamber. Pages 132 and 133 had details about the extent of each form of punishment. Some like the famous George Wallace were unlucky and had to endure physical pain for an extended amount of time. Many doctors, even though forbidden from participating, still take part in the execution. Some will help or just pronounce the prisoner dead, either way they can’t help feeling they are doing something wrong as reported by some of the interviewed doctors. They can’t help but feel they themselves are the executioners. Chapter 8: On Fighting This chapter is based on the â€Å"fight† so to say some patients have to deal with. The story of a high school history teacher is an example of someone who was willing to risk the complications of life just to be able to live it. He had a reappearing cancer in his left kidney. Through many setbacks he was last seen in a long-term care facility. Despite the great advancements in his health he seemed to be in worse shape physically than before and then he was confronted with the realization that he might not be able to walk ever again. Not only are they, the patients like Thomas, fighting but so are the doctors in charge. Another story about a young twelve year-old Callie had a similar reappearing tumor that came back just as big as before despite all the treatment. Although her family kept fighting, eventually her parents thought it was too cruel to keep Callie living such a difficult life. Many cases have been found that just by the doctors’ fight for a patient’s survival the odds get better for the patient. Many premature babies thought dead were brought back to life and were even able to live as a normal a life as possible. The topic of this chapter was: Never Stop Fighting, because even when the odds are against your favor there is always that one person we wished the doctors never stopped fighting for. Chapter 9: The Score The Score starts off with Rourke’s experiences as a doctor delivering babies. Then the moment comes when she herself has to give birth. She knew the process and wanted the procedure to go as smoothly as possible. The thing she was most afraid of was losing control of what was done to her. The chapter delves deeply into the process of giving birth. For example, the dilation of the cervix, etc. Needless to say it is a complicated process which in consequence led to many child and young women’s deaths earlier on in history. The most problematic is the exiting of the child’s head. There have been many methods that can be effective if used correctly, but deadly in other situations for liberating the child. The concept of the forceps when it first appeared had been kept secret for more than a century. The device was developed by Peter Chamblin. The score relates to the Apgar score that was created to ‘measure’ the child’s chance of survival rate. Th is helped some cases that looked frugal before that, look hopeful. Chapter 10: The Bell Curve This chapter deals with the outliers overall. Dr. Gawande relates a story about a child named Annie. Annie was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. It is a recessive disorder therefore, despite ten million people carrying the gene; about a thousand American children are diagnosed with it per year. Her parents took her to Cincinnati Children’s and despite the hospitals effort they were negligent to say that they were not among the country’s top centers for children with cystic fibrosis. It used to be assumed that differences between doctors and facilities were insignificant. When plotting a graph of the results for each hospital it was expected to see a shark’s fin but instead what was seen was a bell curve. LeRoy Mathews was at the top of that bell curve. As other hospitals adapted to Mathew’s ideas his facility just kept improving at a tremendous rate. In 2001 CF tried a new approach with its patients. They were open. They were willing to speak about how other facilities were doing versus theirs. Berwick a former pediatrician was giving grants to hospitals that were willing to try his idea. Not a single family left the program. CF improved greatly after that. Warwick was another positive deviant. He was aggressive, and inventive. He came up with a cough to be able to get the more accumulated mucus out. The chapter sums up with the overall constant fight against settling for the average. Chapter 11: For Performance For Performance. This chapter sums the book up and is its own piece. It starts off with an introduction of a fellow doctor of his who has CF. Then we are led to a see how a certain Dr.Motewar in the Nanded hospital deals with the mass of people needing attention and care. The man was of ordinary appearance yet he saw at least 36 patients in three hours, most had serious complications. What was astounding to the author were the many skills developed by these doctors. He had lower expectations so to say. There was a man who died from a treatable lung collapse because of the lack of instruments. It is very common for patients to have to go out and buy their own medical instruments and medications for the procedures to be held. Dr.Motewar and his colleagues had developed a better procedure for ulcer removal despite the conditions and lack of equipment they have. Many techniques that seem almost crude and basic were actually life saving. The doctors from which the author observed in the chapter had their own methods which would not have ‘flown’ in the United States. This chapter’s topic was about the never-ending search for a better performance in any situation you have.

Argument of fact, the death penalty, is it more expensive than life in Essay

Argument of fact, the death penalty, is it more expensive than life in prison - Essay Example However, spending five million dollars from the pocket of the tax payer’s pocket for punishing a single criminal seems to be too much. Many Americans believe that even a small percentage of money spent for the execution of Bundy was enough for meeting the full expenses of keeping Bundy in jail for his entire life span. Taking the life of a criminal or giving capital punishment to a criminal is an easy act- just put the criminal in an electric chair for a while. However the lengthy criminal procedures till that period is the most expensive part of a capital punishment. Life is the most precious thing in this world and nobody, even the court, has the right to take it without adequate reasons. Under no circumstances, an innocent should be punished which is the core principle of criminal justice system. Under such circumstances double checking or triple checking is necessary before giving capital punishments to a criminal. The criminal can appeal against his punishment many times citing many reasons. All such appeals will result in the repetition of the court procedures many times. All these activities are highly expensive because of the expert services required for these procedures from professionals like, advocates, juries, investigating officers, forensic experts, witnesses etc. In this paper, I argue that death penalty is far more expensive compared to other means of punishments with the help of facts and figures. When initially looking at the costs involved in the actual execution of an inmate, the cost appears to be relatively cheap. In the state of Florida, an execution costs less than $1,000 dollars. So, why capital punishment cases are costing millions more than life in prison? The answer is simple; the actual execution of an inmate is quick and simple whereas the capital punishment system is far more complex. â€Å"The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial proces s for capital cases† (The High Cost of Death Penalty). The very structure of capital cases is one reason why the cost greatly exceeds those of noncapital cases. In 1976 the U.S. Supreme Court approved the principles which, in its opinion, would make the death penalty constitutional. (The Supreme Court) specified that (1) the sentencing in such cases must be done in trials that are separate from the trials which determine guilt or innocence; ( 2) the sentencing hearing must examine both mitigating and aggravating factors, including pertinent features of the defendant's life and character as well as the conditions of the crime; and ( 3) each death sentence must be followed by an automatic right of appeal to the highest state court. Due to these U.S. Supreme Court mandates, capital cases will spend years, even decades in the courts and in appeals, all the while passing the bill on to the tax payers. If these sentences were commuted to life in prison without the possibility of par ole, these mandated additional trials and appeals would be eliminated, thus greatly lowering the burden to taxpayers. Before the finalizing of capital punishment, the criminal went through a series of expensive trial procedures to reconfirm the punishment. It includes complex and expensive appeal process, evidence gathering, investigations etc. Moreover, mandatory review of all the death sentences by the state supreme court is necessary. If the criminal

Discussion--Political and Legal Environment Essay

Discussion--Political and Legal Environment - Essay Example A strong legal framework is necessary to protect the intellectual property of businesses. In places such as China companies are subject to theft of intellectual property due to piracy and counterfeit products. The political environment of a country is as important as the economic environment. It is hard for companies to negotiate incentives and governmental help in places were the governments do not have good relations with corporations. â€Å"The political environment is a key component of the business environment that dictates greatly on the success of your home business† (Bluntpolitics). The regulations of governments can impose barriers that increase the cost of doing business in a country. In the United States the tough environmental regulations are forcing companies in certain industries to leave the country in search for locations with more relax environmental regulations. Labor laws also influence the profitability of a company. Countries with low minimum wages are att ractive for companies that have labor intensive operations. The moral conduct of a country affects the operations of a corporation. In many parts of the world bribing a governmental official is part of doing business. I am completely opposed to bribing others. Bribes are an unethical event that should always be avoided at all costs. Whenever a company gives a bribe to another person or governmental official they will enter into an unpleasant arrangement that could backfire because the person that bribes them might continue to pressure the company for more money. The sub-Saharan African region is the place with the greatest incidence of bribery worldwide (Google). Companies must also protect their intellectual property whenever they are going business outside the United States. It takes a lot of money in research and development to create new products. In the pharmaceutical industry companies spend an average of $359 million to develop a new drug (Ca-biomed). I fully support

All the presidents men. Movie review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

All the presidents men. Movie review - Assignment Example â€Å"All the president’s men film† is an accurately directed journalism film concerning the process used by the investigative reporters as the viewers may have any right to expect. This process finally overpowers the whole narrative. The viewer’s especially the aspiring journalists aimless in a pool of denials, evasions, false leads and a lot of coincidences due to lack of integrity in the whole of the investigative team report. These thousands of falsehood statements resulted into the Watergate attack and the resignation of Nixon (All the president’s men). The â€Å"all president’s men movie† is thus a more detailed film about journalism field rather than basing its facts on the results. This is not to say the movie is not a good one in the accomplishment of what it sets to deliver in as far as the field of journalism is concerned. This film provides a well-structured and observant study the working journalists. The outstanding features of the â€Å"all president’s men film† is portrayed in the characters such as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. These two individuals are lucky after they had replaced Walter Burns and Hildy Johnson. This replacement succeeds in the suggestion of the mixture of self-doubt, courage, suspicion and excitement that heated the Washington Post headlines when two young prolific reporters who are Bob and Carl finally concluded their investigative report on the presidency. In deed, this was the peak of courage in the journalism field portrayed by this movie other than the revolving theme of conflict in it. The newspaper movies such as this one are usually used to drama up the exhilaration and ignore both the waiting feeling and boredom. This movie is all about the boredom and the cumbersome digging feelings in the waiting for the outcome in the final episode of the film. The thematic setting of this movie depends on what the viewer’s already know about the looming Watergate saga to provide a given quantity of excitement. Given the factual statements that William Goldman’s screenplay is almost in dialogue form, the journalists are able to follow this script more attentively and learn of the roots of conflict in the journalism field. Almost wholly, the â€Å"all president’s men movie† contain a sequences of scenes showing people either talking or completely silent with one another. Many of the upcoming journalists for Allan J. Pakula envy this aspect of journalism; the director of this movie has done a commendable job in the keeping of the pace stiff. The tensions