Introduction Essays (2742 words) - Gender Studies, Feminist Theory

Introduction Western female thought through the centuries has identified the relationship between patriarchy and gender as crucial to the womens subordinate position. For two hundred years, patriarchy precluded women from having a legal or political identity and the legislation and attitudes supporting this provided the model for slavery. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries suffrage campaigners succeeded in securing some legal and political rights for women in the UK. By the middle of the 20th century, the emphasis had shifted from suffrage to social and economic equality in the public and private sphere and the womens movement that sprung up during the 1960s began to argue that women were oppressed by patriarchal structures. Equal status for women of all races, classes, sexualities and abilities - in the 21st century these feminist claims for equality are generally accepted as reasonable principles in western society; yet the contradiction between this principle of equality and the demonstrable inequalities between the sexes that still exist exposes the continuing dominance of male privilege and values throughout society (patriarchy). This essay seeks to move beyond the irrepressible evidence for gender inequality and the division of labour. Rather, it poses the question of gender inequality as it manifests itself as an effect of patriarchy drawing from a theoretical body of work which has been developed so recently that it would have been impossible to write this essay thirty years ago. Feminist Theory and Patriarchy Although patriarchy is arguably the oldest example of a forced or exploitative division of social activities and clearly existed before it was ever examined by sociologists, the features of patriarchy had been accepted as natural (biological) in substance. It was not until feminists in the 1960s began to explore the features and institutions of patriarchy, that the power of the concept to explain womens subordinate position in society was proven (Seidman, 1994). The feminist engagement with theories of patriarchy criticised pre-existing theoretical positions and their ideological use, tracing theoretical progenitors of popular views about gender, gender roles etc (Cooper, 1995; Raymond, 1980). Developing theories to explain how gender inequalities have their roots in ideologies of gender difference and a hierarchical gender order, feminist theoretical concepts of patriarchy are able to explain and challenge gender inequality and the gendered division of labour in the private and social spheres (Seidman, 1994). They have done this by challenging concepts of gender, the family and the unequal division of labour underpinned by a theory of patriarchy that has come to reveal how it operates to subordinate women and privilege men, often at womens expense. Patriarchy, Structure and Gender Inequality Walby (1990) reveals how patriarchy operates to achieve and maintain the gender inequalities essential for the subordination of women. Crucially for this essay, she shows how it can operate differently in the private and public domain but toward the same end. She identifies patriarchy as having diverse forms of and relationships between its structures in the public and private spheres, and yet still operates in a related fashion. Walbys explanation sees the household and household production as being a key site of womens subordination but acknowledges that the domestic area is not the only one that women participate in. She shows how the concept of patriarchy is useful in explaining the relationship between womens subordination in the private and public arenas by showing that they work equally to achieve this subordination as well as supporting, reflecting and maintaining patriarchy itself. Firstly, Walby points out that the structures of patriarchy differ in their form. The household has a different structure to other institutional forms, e.g., the workplace. This is an important point because if feminist theories of patriarchy are to stand they must show that patriarchy operates to the same end in both the private and public sphere, even if it uses different strategies, otherwise it could not be the main reason for the continuing inequality of women in both the private and public sphere. Walby shows that within the private structure and the public structures, patriarchy does use different strategies to maintain gender inequality and these strategies both achieve the subordination of women. The household strategy is considered to be exclusionary and the public structures strategy as segregationist. The exclusionary strategy in the private arena is based

Sample Essay For Principal Selection

Sample Essay For Principal SelectionThe question whether a sample essay for principal selection should be sent to admissions officers, teachers and parents is being raised. It is a widely held belief that it would be of no benefit to the applicant if the essay is not short enough. But how can one make a single sheet of paper seem more interesting?A good idea is to make sure that the paper contains just two or three basic ideas. Doing so will make it seem as though the essay has been written in just a few minutes. This technique will also help the student's learning process because it will reinforce his existing knowledge.If you have used concepts that are too big for you to put into words, do not be afraid to express your useful ideas in simple language. It is important that you include ideas that are age-appropriate to the children whom you are preparing to teach. This is especially true if the student is a high school student. If he is a pre-schooler, you can use the same approach, but the chances of the essay being too difficult for his age are likely to increase.The main idea of the essay should not be about your achievements in school, but rather about your achievements since the beginning of the year. Keeping this aspect in mind, write about your new skills, hobbies, sports and social activities. Try to relate all these to the subjects that you would like to teach in high school.If you are struggling to come up with content for a sample essay for principal selection, you can try writing in the third person. Although you would think that it would give an air of weakness to your essay, the writer's voice and the way in which it is delivered by the writer will help make the essay more interesting.Your writing style should reflect the type of student that you are writing for. If you are writing about a boy or a girl, try to talk in terms that are familiar to them. Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly because you don't want to take away from the interest of th e essay.Finally, you will have to make sure that your writing focuses on the composition activities that you have been conducting in the past couple of weeks. If you are writing about science projects, mention the project leader's name at the end of the statement. Then, try to recall what your group did during that time.

Abstinence Only Education and Sex Education in the U.S.

Abstinence Only Education and Sex Education in the U.S. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in April 2012 that teen birth rates in the U.S. hit a new low in 2010 and revealed which states had the highest and lowest rates, it prompted a question: Were these outcomes affected by individual states requirements for sex education (sex ed) and/or abstinence-only education? That was soon answered by the Guttmacher Institutes State Policies in Brief paper on Sex and HIV Education in May 2012. The institute has kept the numbers constantly updated since as the trend of lowered teen birth rates has continued to drop nationwide. Required Sex and/or HIV Education Sex ed is mandated in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Of that total, the following 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate both sex ed and HIV education: CaliforniaDelawareGeorgiaHawaiiIowaKentuckyMaineMarylandMinnesotaMontanaNevadaNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOhioOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeUtahVermontWest Virginia Two states mandate sex ed only: MississippiNorth Dakota HIV education is mandated in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Of that total, 12 mandate only HIV education: AlabamaConnecticutIllinoisIndianaMichiganMissouriNew HampshireNew YorkOklahomaPennsylvaniaWashingtonWisconsin Must Include Contraception When sex ed is taught, some states have specific content requirements. In addition to the District of Columbia, 18 states require that information on contraception be provided when sex education is taught: AlabamaCaliforniaColoradoDelawareHawaiiIllinoisMaineMarylandNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest Virginia One state allows local schools to include contraception with the permission of the State Department of Education: Mississippi Must Include Abstinence When sex ed is taught, 37 states require that information on abstinence is provided. Of those, 26 states require that abstinence be stressed: AlabamaArizonaArkansasDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKentuckyLouisianaMaineMichiganMississippiMissouriNew JerseyNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahWashingtonWisconsin These 11 states require only that abstinence is covered during sex education: CaliforniaColoradoHawaiiMarylandMinnesotaMontanaNew MexicoNorth DakotaVermontVirginiaWest Virginia No Mandate There are nine states with no sex education or HIV education mandate: ArizonaArkansasColoradoFloridaIdahoLouisianaMassachusettsTexasVirginia Five of the states listed above also rank among the top 12 states with the highest teenage birth rates, and four rank in the top 6 (ranking indicated in parentheses): Mississippi (1)Arkansas (3)Texas (4)Louisiana (6)Arizona (12) An earlier report issued by the Guttmacher Institute in September 2006 compiled teen pregnancy statistics state by state. Among the top 10 states with the highest rates of teen pregnancy among females age 15-19, five are states without mandated sex education or HIV education (ranking indicated in parentheses): Arizona (2)Mississippi (3)Texas (5)Florida (6)Arkansas (10) That same report ranked the top 10 states with the highest rates of live births among teenage girls age 15-19. Again, five are states that do not require sex ed to be taught in schools. If and when it is taught, these states do not require information on contraception be provided, but they do require that abstinence be stressed (ranking indicated in parentheses): Mississippi (1)Texas (2)Arizona (3)Arkansas (4)Louisiana (7) Only one state that does not mandate sex education or HIV education appears in the listing of states with the lowest teenage birth rates: Massachusetts ranked at number 2. Sources Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: Sex and HIV Education. Office of Adolescent Health, Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing

Spring Poems (Classic and Contemporary) Collection

Spring Poems (Classic and Contemporary) Collection Our anthology of poems celebrating spring begins with a selection of classics: Tu Fu,â€Å"A Spring View† (c. 750), translated by Witter Bynner Li Po,â€Å"Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day† (c. 750), translated by Arthur Waley William Shakespeare,â€Å"Spring,† song from Love’s Labors Lost (1598) Thomas Nashe,â€Å"Spring, the Sweet Spring,† from Summer’s Last Will and Testament (1600) William Shakespeare,Sonnet 98 - â€Å"From you have I been absent in the spring† (1609) John Webster,â€Å"Vanitas Vanitatum,† from The Devil’s Law Case (1623) Thomas Carew,â€Å"The Spring† (1640) Robert Herrick,â€Å"Corinna’s Going a-Maying† (1648) Matsuo Basho,â€Å"Spring Rain,† â€Å"Spring Air† and Four Haiku (c. 1680) William Blake,â€Å"To Spring† (1783) Robert Burns,â€Å"Composed in Spring† (1786) William Wordsworth,â€Å"Lines Written in Early Spring† (1798) Kobayashi Issa,â€Å"Three Spring Haiku† (1804, 1818) Samuel Taylor Coleridge,à ¢â‚¬Å"Work Without Hope† (1825) Christina Rossetti,â€Å"Spring Quiet† (1847) Walt Whitman,â€Å"These I, Singing in Spring† (1860) Emily Dickinson,â€Å"A Light exists in Spring† (#812) Emily Dickinson,â€Å"A little madness in the Spring† (#1333) A.E. Housman,â€Å"Loveliest of trees, the cherry now† (1896) Robert Frost,â€Å"A Prayer in Spring† (1915) Robert Frost,â€Å"Two Tramps in Mud Time† (1934) D.H.  Lawrence,â€Å"The Enkindled Spring† (1916) Amy Lowell,â€Å"Spring Day† (1916) Robert Louis Stevenson,â€Å"Spring Carol† (1918) Gerard Manley Hopkins,â€Å"Spring† (1918) John Clare,â€Å"Young Lambs† (1920) Carl Sandburg,â€Å"Three Spring Notations on Bipeds† (1920) e.e. cummings,â€Å"in Just-† (1920) William Carlos Williams,â€Å"March† (1921) Edna St. Vincent Millay,â€Å"Spring† (1921) A.E. Housman,â€Å"Spring Morning† (1922) To which we’ve added a selection of the new poems on spring themes we’ve received from contemporary poets around the world: Denis Dunn, â€Å" 6:13 march morning† Michael Graves, â€Å"Poem to Spring in a Time of Global Warming† Dorothea Grossman, â€Å"Spring† Ruth Hill, â€Å"Light Advancing Through Trees† and â€Å"Awe† Doug Holder, â€Å"Spring On School Street. Somerville, Mass.† Margaret James, â€Å"Sunday† and â€Å"March 18† Wayne Jarus, â€Å"The Flower Garden† Guy Kettelhack, â€Å"Dithyramb for Springtime† Christine Klocek-Lim, â€Å"First Crocus† Steve Meador, â€Å"The Morning After† Justine Nicholas, â€Å"Quinquagesima† and â€Å"Magnolia† Jack Peachum, â€Å"Virginia in Spring† and â€Å"Epiphany in Carolina† Don Rehling, â€Å"Mountains Melting† Lisa Shields, â€Å"Calling Card† and â€Å"Pinked† Larissa Shmailo, â€Å"Spring Vow† Ingrid Toth, â€Å"Spring 1946† Melissa Varnavas, â€Å"Ashley’s Garden† Bill Vartnaw, â€Å"Sprin g† Enjoy these poems of the season!

Social Cognitive Theory of gender development and functioning Essay

Social Cognitive Theory of gender development and functioning - Essay Example Though there are both positive and negative effects of classification through gender, it can be considered as the main basis in the segregation needed in different aspects of life (p. 92). Gender differentiation is another influential concept that has effects on the social functions and roles of a person. This can be attributed to the fact that the society often presents a double standard on the genders resulting to prejudice on the basis of being male or being female. The stereotypical notion, that males are stronger, more capable and have higher status, can be considered as the effect of such view. Although gender differences can evidently be based on the physical attributes, it is the socio-cultural aspect which can greatly affect the development of a person (p. 92-93). There are different theories through the course of history include the Freudian psychoanalytic theories, Kohlberg’s cognitive theory, the gender schema theory and the social and biological theories (p. 93). The study undertaken is focused on the discussion of the Social Cognitive theory which constitutes different aspects namely biological, cognitive and social. The said theory can be considered to have the important applications in the different scenarios in the society due to its recognition the complex interaction of functions that can constitute the gender development of a person. In terms of the basic point of view of the theory, it can be considered as a synergy of the concepts of personal, behavioral and environmental theories which include the different interactions between the said factors can be considered as the main strength of the Social Cognitive Theory (p. 94). It can be analyzed that from the main cause and origin of the said theory, the cognition and the analysis of the different issues and concerns within the social realm is the main

Who is winning the war on drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Who is winning the war on drugs - Essay Example United States has spent a lot of money on this war on drugs. It has cost the government billions of dollars yet this problem has not been solved. There are various ways in which problem of war on drugs affects many people in the world. The problem affects the people who use the drugs and also those whom their family members are addicted to the drugs. There are many ways that have been put in place to ensure that problem is solved. These methods will help in reducing the effects of drugs in the societies. War on drugs has been endorsed to ensure that drug abuse is eliminated but this war itself is becoming a problem in the society. The war is against the illegal drug trade that takes place in many countries. United States and other countries are supporting this campaign. This war on drugs has been there for the last 40 years but drug abuse has continued to kill many people. However, it is time to apply other techniques that can help to reduce drug abuse in the society (Roleff, 2004). Effects of drugs are experienced by many people, be it the users or those who do not use them. This is a problem that has been there in our societies for very long time. It has made it hard to win the war on drugs. This war on drugs has been made difficult due to the intensive use of the drugs in larger populations in the world. War on drugs has been experienced in many ways. The first people who experienced this war on drugs are those who are abusing drugs. These people experience the war in very hard ways. Most families have lost their treasured ones to prisons when they are got either selling or using the drugs. Many people have been jailed for many years since this war on drugs started. Most of the people who their family members have been imprisoned are against this war on drugs. Those who are got selling or doing drugs also have experienced the war on drugs in very harsh way (Inciardi, 2008). Some have been sentenced to lifetime imprisonment while

Sociologists definition of religion

Sociologists definition of religion Even tough sociologists dont have a true definition of religion, they all generally believe that it is a belief in some sort of supernatural. Sociologists such as Functionalists, Marxists Feminists believe that religion is a conservative force, meaning that it inhibits changes within society and maintains the status quo. However, where Functionalists see this as a good thing, Marxists look at it from a more negative aspect. Other sociologists like Neo-Marxists, Marx Weber, and McGuire .. believe religion to be a source of change. The functionalist Emile Durkheim (1912) believed that religion is central to the reproduction maintenance of social order in societies. He argued that the main function of religion is to socialize societies members into a value consensus, by setting shared beliefs, rituals and sacred objects apart. He did an investigation on the role of religion, in a small tribal community in Australia; The Aborigines. He found that the members of this community worshipped sacred objects; objects that are things that are set apart forbidden, which evoke feelings of awe, respect deference, holy things. These objects, called Totems, were a symbol, -usually a plant or animal-, by which the tribes distinguished themselves from one another. In worshiping these sacred objects, individuals would obtain an identity and social membership (or collective consciousness), because they shared the same beliefs, values, traditions norms, that make social life possible. Durkheim stated that in worshipping a societys symbols, its members are unconsciously worshipping their society of which they are a part. According to Durkheim, these unifying practices and beliefs bind people closely together because it forms a balanced and solid moral community, which is a means of protecting individuals from anomie, alienation and other threats. This solidarity also gives individuals the confidence continuing motivation to face up life and ask for social support from other members whenever needed. This strengthens social solidarity, or collective consciousness in society- the sense of belonging somewhere. This is why Durkheim sees religion as conservative and inhibiting social change, which is desirable because its functional and people dont want to change anything about their ways of life. Durkheim was praised a lot for the ways he had done his research because he managed to keep an objective distance of a sociologist, and therefore made it his task to understand the functions of religion, and not to pass his judgements. Also, his argument that the sacred is a symbol of group values has been recognized by many, as in history, people have rallied to flags, crucifixes and holy scriptures. However, his research might be said to be somewhat out of date, as he took his analysis from pre modern societies, and it has to be asked how relevant his theory is in todays western societies. Also, because Durkheim never visited the aboriginal society himself, his methodology was said to be flawed. Some say that he misunderstood Totemism, ad generalized about other societies based on one small Aboriginal society. Durkheims theory on religion was ground breaking and very influential, inspiring much further research. The functionalist Bronislav Malinowski (1954) agreed with Durkheim on all the points he made about the role of religion. However, he focussed on the specific areas of social life with which religion is concerned, and managed to point out that another function of religion is to provide support for societys members in situations of social stress, like birth, death, marriage, divorce etc., where religion serves to reduce anxiety tension resulting, which threaten to disrupt social life. In this sense, religion keeps society stable at times of individual and societal confusion and disorder and makes sure that people dont reject the shared norms, values and traditions due to times of hardship. An example would be after the 2004 Great Indian Ocean Tsunami, where most of the worlds religions sent support teams to the disaster area helped to rebuild the place. They wanted to rebuild schools as fast as possible in particular, to maintain the important link between society, education religion. Unlike Durkheim, Malinowski actually went and lived in the society where his work was based on, gaining primary data. This is seen as a very positive thing, because no accusations of his work being flawed could be made. Also, his idea about how religion helps in time of crisis uncertainty can be seen in todays society e.g. the funeral of Princess Diana, where people gathered together expressed their grievance. However, like Durkheim, he makes broad generalizations based on his study of just one small scaled society, which obviously does not represent life in modern western society. The functionalist sociologist Talcott Parson (1965) believed that religion was a conservative force, because its the primary source of meaning for members of society. It provides answers to eternal questions dealing with death, the evil, suffering and justice. Often these questions appear to be unjustified, and therefore they might threaten to undermine peoples faith. However, religion provides answers; e.g. for the question why do evil people prosper religion might give the answer that these evil people will get punished for their deeds in the afterlife etc. By providing these answers, religion helps to make sense of all experiences, which keeps society in order and stable, therefore inhibiting changes. So, religion promotes social stability rather than change, by relieving tension frustration that could disrupt social order. However, Marxists would strongly disagree with this idea, as they believe that by focussing on the afterlife, people passively accept exploitation. Marxism is a conflict theory. Like functionalist, they believe that religion is a conservative force, but they dont see it from a positive view. According to these sociologists, religion is an institution of domination oppression, and a means of social control, inhibiting changes in the social class inequalities in society. They argue that religion legitimizes social inequality, keeping the working classes in a state of false consciousness, not being aware of the true nature of their exploitation passively accepting their lower status. This is because, according to Marx, religion acts as the opium of the people -it works as a pacifying drug-, as it doesnt solve any problems that people may have, but only dulls the pain, as people inactively put up with their sufferings, believing its Gods will and so unchangeable, remaining in a state of false consciousness, thinking they will be rewarded in heaven. Marxists on the whole believe religion creates passive individuals, who do not attempt to change the world for the better, but simply accept spiritual alternatives. The fact that Marxists believe that man makes religion, religion does not make men sums up their ideas. In other words, if an individual is alienated exploited, he or she is likely to turn to religion and find the answers there. This is the reason why most religions originate in the oppressed classes (the working classes), as they have a need in religion, to gain a sense of renewed strength and confidence to move on with life. According to Marxists, the ruling classes are using religion as a tool to maintain ideological control, making it less likely that the members of the working class will recognize the fact that they are being exploited therefore revolt in this way, religion is seen as a conservative force. Marxist have gained theoretical support from feminists because they agree with Marxists about the fact that religion causes conflict, passing on negative norms and values to members of society, although they believe these deal with gender inequality rather than class inequality. However, a negative aspect of the Marxist view is that they ignore secularization, as the ideological power of religion has been undermined by the fact that people in society tend to be less religious today than in the past. Also, they are too deterministic in saying that religion is a conservative force for social class inequalities. Religion can be a force for social change, and it has done so in the past, improving the lives of millions of oppressed working class people. E.g. the Civil Rights Movement (USA) where South African churches played a major role in changing white supremacist society. Also, the levellers in the English Civil War wanted a communistic society, basing their ideas on Christianity the Bible. Like Marxists, Feminists believe that religion is a means of social control, oppressing women and keeping men in power. They argue that religious beliefs are merely a patriarchal ideology, restricting social change and justifying social inequality. Feminist believe that through secondary socialization, religion teaches preaches the norms values of the men, helping to legitimize the suppression of women. Much evidence is given to support their view. Feminists argue that religion is seen from a male point of view; holy texts are all written interpreted by men, reference to male characters is a lot more than women in these texts, and Gods tend to be men in almost all major world religions. This gives men the feeling of being holier and gives a justification to see women as second hand citizens therefore, as I said, legitimizes gender inequality. Also, where there is reference to female characters in holy texts, a passive and nurturing gender role is attached to them.. ADAM EVE.. Gender role ideas are also reinforced in religious texts. Men are portrayed as being strong and insuperable Women on the other hand, are portrayed to be passive, unintelligent They argue that religion is a conservative force, as it reproduces, maintains legitimizes gender inequality. However, there are also sociologists who believe religion to be a source for social change. Firstly, Neo-Marxist, However, not all Marxists agree that religion is purely the opium of the people. Neo-Marxists, who are writers that have tried to update the writings of Karl Marx to suit new developments in society, have rejected the view that religion is merely a conservative force. They believe that religion can be a force for social change, being used by the working class to bring about social change. Antonio Gramsci (1971), who wrote his ideas about religion around the 1920s, was aware of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church had shaped the minds of its followers over centuries, supporting ruling class interest, by making the poor oppressed focus on the afterlife rather than this life. However, he believed that the working class could revolt to the class inequalities, by producing their own intellectuals, who represent working class experience therefore help to shape working class consciousness. Gramsci argued that religious beliefs and practices could develop that would support guide challenges to the ruling class because the church was not directly under their control. Otto Madurdo argued that social liberation could occur, (freedom through religion) but he believed this could only happen If the oppressed masses were not to produce their own intellectuals, but if they were go to their religious leader, taking their discontent to the churches and let them decide a plan of action bringing about changes as happened in Poland, South Africa and South America. This is called the liberation theology- freedom through religion. Father Camillo Marx Weber was another sociologist who believed that religion could be a source for change Strengths of his theory were that