Body Image and Self-Awareness among Young Women Coursework

Body Image and Self-Awareness among Young Women - Coursework Example I plan to do this through using several somatic modalities, which include breath, movement, posture, and guided imagery. The motivation to participate in these workshops is to participate in a fashion show. Project MY WAY provides women with an opportunity to use all the resources they gained through being educated on somatic modalities. The participants will work towards a healthy self-image through education about nutrition, yoga, authentic movement, breath work, and being able to be apart of a creative vision. Finding out more about their strengths through their creations will provide them with proof of their potential. Doesn't everybody have an issue with his or her body Why is it that people are more likely to criticize their bodies versus compliment Why is our society so obsessed with the body yet at the same time so disconnected Although these questions may be perceived by many as rhetoric or absolutely abstract, they are as vital and up to date as one may think. The existing scholarly research from a range of disciplines convincingly demonstrates the issues raised in each of the queries directly relate to the most precious and essential asset of human being - health. Therefore, the recent explosion of public and scholarly attention toward the problems of self-esteem, body-image, and prevention and treatment of eating disorders is absolutely logical and unsurprising. The upward trend in eating disorders among teenagers, adolescents and adults in the US and other countries across the globe forced the researchers reconsider many traditional notions associated with etiology and treatment of disordered eating. Thus, statistics shows that during the 1970s - 1990s " the majority of individuals with eating disorders have been young, female, white, and from middle to upper-class families in Western countries and Japan. Girls with anorexia have traditionally been academically successful, first or second-born children and often work as dancers or athletes" (Halmi, 1997: 507). The traditional assumption that that indigence is the source of numerous eating disorders in girls from comfortably situated middle-class families seems poorly unjustified. Instead, the concepts of self-esteem and body-image emerged as the predominant factors associated with eating disorders in the related research. Self-esteem refers to an individual's mental perception of their personal qualities; it is one of the most frequently mentioned concepts in the psychological literature (James, 1890, cited in Rodewalt & Tragakis, 2003). The contention that low self-esteem is a distinct characteristic pertaining to eating disorders, including anorexia, has been confirmed by many credible studies. Schupak-Neuberg (1993), Rosen and Button (1993) employ various strategies and questionnaires to show that low self-esteem occurs very commonly in patients with eating disorders. Silverstone (1992) believes the evidence for this relationship is sufficient to consider low self-esteem a necessary prerequisite for disordered eating. The core features of low self-esteem - insecurity, excessive concern over weight, negative mood, feelings of inadequacy, negative

How Austen creates her novel Pride and Prejudice Essay Example for Free

How Austen creates her novel Pride and Prejudice Essay Jane Austen was extremely modest about her genius, describing her work to her work to her nephew Edward as  That little but (two inches wide) of ivory in which I work with so fine a brush as produces little effect after much labour. Although the world of her novel Pride and Prejudice is confined to a small section of society comprising of country-gentry and lesser aristocracy of England in the opening of the 19th century, the novel itself shows page by page how interesting life could be, how fascinating lifes twists and turns are, how significant the trivialities are to those concerned. The range of Austens novel is limited by her own circumstances, her own sex, and her position in the society. But the little world she writes about, she knows inside out. She fills her little world so artfully that when we are in it we do not long for anything else and we feel its fullness as well. She practiced what she preached. There are four families in a country village is the very thing to work on. She sticks to what she knows and is refusing to include in her novel what does not properly belong to village life; she is an artist. Austen has an acute interest in personalities, her field is the human heart. Therefore, although she writes in the years of war between England and France while Napoleon was changing the map of Europe, in her novel we find not mention of Britain at war. In Pride and Prejudice soldiers like Wickham, come to Meryton to provide, in a sense, amusement for the girls. Austen thus does not impose anything harsh or unnecessary on her novel; this alludes to the artistic unity of her creation. She consciously limits herself and does not write anything beyond her experience. It may well be mentioned here that in A Room Ones Own Virginia Woolf pays a rich tribute to Austen by mentioning that novels like War and Peace could never be written by any female novelist, but certainly no Tolstoy could ever write the novels of Jane Austen. Austen deliberately and wisely limits herself to a few families and a limited number of characters in Pride and Prejudice. Her characters live in comfort in country houses; their lives consist of holding balls, attending parties, visiting each others house and thus amusing themselves. In that society even a small event is given a higher importance. Thereby a ball at the Bingleys or at the Lucases is eagerly anticipated and minutely analyzed. Austen chooses her characters from very ordinary life. Her characters range from the proud aristocrat Darcy to the dull-witted Mrs. Bennet, from the good-natured Jane to the hypocritical Miss Bingley. The men-folks in her novel do not in fact do nay work whereas the young girls are always in pursuit of good husbands. The girls have somehow managed to turn themselves into husband hunting butterflies. Distant Pembrly, Netherfield and Rosings are the upper limit, whereas Sir W Lucas and Lady Catherine Debourgh are highest in rank, the still higher estates and greater aristocracy are not mentioned in the novel, since they little effect Meryton and Derbyshire. The way Austen treats her characters is satiric. Her views of life are therefore always satiric; the passionate and tragic aspects of human life are somehow discarded. Only such characters are chosen that could be satirically treated. This satiric vision of life is a limitation on Austens part. Critics sometimes mention that Austen Banished nine-tenth of life, and gave us people who never work, or fight or die, or starve or go crazy. In the view of that above-mentioned statement we find that people in Pride and Prejudice engage themselves in doing nothing. Mr. Darcy apparently seems to have some work to do when he is at Pemberly, the work he does there is obviously connected with his estate. Mr. Gardiner revels in fishing only. Mr. Bennet, as we are told, takes one of his farms but only emerges from his library when he needs to settle some family affairs. Mr. Hursts motto of life is High living and little thinking. Reading has a place in family entertainment and since all the novels are heard at family gatherings, the writers take care to fill up pages fit for family consumption. In fact, Austens knowledge of mens ways limited, but she knew how to use  her limitation. In Pride and Prejudice men come and go, and sit and chat when in front of the ladies; Austen does not pursue them into their personal world. We may see Fitz William Darcy and Bingley set off in a carriage but what they discuss is never reported if no woman is present. Despite Austens failure to present the many facets of mens life, she is successful in providing an illuminating insight into some of the most significant characters like that of Darcy and Bingley. For instance, Darcys transmigration from a proud and snob person to a compassionate and reliable one is shown with perfect dexterity. In this novel Austen does want to compete with students of political economics, or social problems. The life and its complications that she depicts are just as what she experienced as a woman. Quite naturally her themes in this novel center the complex role of money and love in marriage. In doing so she even consciously avoids any discussion on philosophical or social issues. A simple plot concerning a few number of people is woven in this novel. That Austen has no wish to exceed the limitation of her own is quite evident when we find that urban life is excluded from the novel only because she had not much experience of it. It is mentioned casually during Janes visit to London. We have also observed that no black-hearted villain ever makes an appearance in Austens pages. The greatest villainy that ever occurs in Pride and Prejudice is the occasional elopement of Lydia with Wickham. Wickham indeed lacks all those negative traits of character which could have made him a person of shade like that of Alec in Hardys Tess of the Durbervilles. Therefore, Wickhams possibility to be the only villain in Pride and Prejudice ends there. Still it is no shallowness or lack of insight on Austens part, which leads her to restrict the exploration of human nature to the apparent social level. Austen gives us in her novel an artistic unity in which nothing is forced, nothing is excessive. A simple plot proceeds bit by bit to the only conclusion possible. Her characters act and speak in a very familiar way as we can imagine. The characters are so true to nature and so well-balanced against constructing types that as they talk along the story we begin to  think that it would not matter if there were no plot. The central figures whose union we desire grow upon us as their mistakes and recoveries reveal the fineness of their spirit. Therefore, in Austens world there is a welcome for the sensitive reader who will accept it as it is and will not cry out for, in the words of one critic The moon of passionate embraces or the lightning of sword.

It Pays to Be Bilingual :: Argumentative Essay

It Pays to Be Bilingual Hoy en dà ­a es casi necesario ser bilingue si se desea tener à ©xito. Desde California a Washington, de Pensilvania a Florida, uno puede oà ­r muchas personas hablando espaà ±ol. Los Latinos como una gran parte de la sociedad ya no es una cosa del pasado, pero una realidad. Los Hispano Parlantes no se centralizan solamente en las ciudades mà ¡s grandes de Estados Unidos, sino en los pueblos pequeà ±os tambià ©n. Con una mirada de la poblacià ³n total en los Estados Unidos, unos trabajos tà ­picos y el estudio afuera, se puede ver que ser bilingue, especialmente con inglà ©s y espaà ±ol es un recurso con mucho valor. Spanish can be heard clear across the United States because Latin Americans are no longer living only in large cities, but in small towns as well. If you can read and understand this, you are at a great advantage in today’s job market. If you can’t, pay close attention to the reasons you should consider learning Spanish, and allow me to translate my thesis statement for you. By observing the population at large in the United States, some of the typical jobs and study abroad, one can see that being bilingual, especially with English and Spanish is a very marketable resource. By observing the population at large in the United States, one can see that "Caucasian" is not the only ethnic background being represented. In fact, "the United States is the fourth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world" (Olivares). In the past twenty years there has been an increase in the number of Spanish speakers needed in the US. "In 2000, 32.8 million Latinos resided in the United States, representing 12.0 percent of the total U.S. population" (Therrien et al.). As the Hispanic population grows we need to do our part by learning the second language of the US. By taking a look at journals and newspapers, one can see that Spanish is slowly and surely working its way in as a part of the culture. Companies are trying to foster an interest in Spanish among the native English speakers and to communicate to those Spanish-speakers who can’t understand English. The companies are evaluating the language situation of the population at large to decide how to go about speaki ng to everyone. For instance, the most recent ""Got Milk" advertisement features Marc Anthony, a Latin singer and artist. He has gained popularity not only in the Latin Market, but popularity here as well, after having released one of his discs in English.

Banana Na Na Na

Banana Wars 1. Who is the winner and in the loser the banana wars? The winner/s: The clear winner in the banana wars are the Transnational Companies (Dole and Chiquita) because they can now sell there product with lower tariff and the same time their product price became more competitive in the market. Another winner in this banana wars are the politicians who are being supported financially by Dole, who has known for giving generous some of support to both the Republican and Democratic parties.And lastly, the CEOs because of their efforts to persuade US help them to complain for the unjust trade of banana in the EU. The loser/s: The loser in the banana wars local producers of bananas in EU. The cost of marketing their banana will increase because of the bananas that were imported and with lower price coming from the US. Another loser of the banana wars are the small business who can not cope in the banana market because of competition. 2. Is the US response silly? Yes, how come that the US will start a banana war simply because the transnational companies who operated in EU is losing in the market.Although it is their right to protest on the tariff and quotas uplifted EU to transnational companies, the EU is simply protecting its local banana industry and its producers. Since EU can produce banana keeping out or limiting imported banana can help them to maintain a healthy local banana industry. 3. What potential threats to WTO are illustrated by the banana wars? The threats to WTO are the country’s that would try to oppose its ruling like the United States. And the politicians who is saying that their country is not oblige to comply with WTO rules, and again one classic example is the US.

Chocolat Essay

‘Chocolat’ a film directed by Lasse Hallstrom, centres around a small village by which on the surface may seem peaceful and in ‘tranquillity’ but beyond the surface lay many individuals and larger groups of people, families, face issues of isolation, acceptance and tolerance within the community. These major themes are portrayed through animated actors whom Hallstrom accentuates these ideas through filmic techniques. Isolation a major issue in this film and Hallstrom has conveyed this idea constantly throughout the film. The introduction of the film has shot the village from bird’s eye view and these continuous overhead shots express the isolation and disconnection the village has from the rest of the country. The scenery of mountains and large landscapes of forestry and the long river depict a peacefulness and tranquillity and also at the same time creating a sense of vastness and distance this village has from the busy civilisation of France. Vianne and her daughter Anouk are travellers and foreign to the village, were foreshadowed to be isolated individuals before they even stepped into the village. The voice over narrated, † there was once a quiet little village where people believed in tranquillity† and the slam of the church doors were magnified and the effect of the silence that came afterwards with long shots of the front of the church established the ‘tranquillity† and also the force of law and order in this village- everyone had attended church, no one was outside with other plans to do. The traditional hymn of the church was contrasted against the ethereal music and the wind sounds that weaved through the preacher’s speech. This wind signified a change. The voice over explained, † villagers held to their traditions until a sly wind blew in from the north† and a point of view shot from the wind’s perspective pushing the church doors open interrupting the silence and the preach further stresses the disturbance and changes that will occur to the village. The costuming of Vianne and Anouk represents the difference to the village as they arrived with their bright red hoods contrasting the bland, white background. As Vianne and Anouk prepare the opening of their shop, they are avoided by many of the villagers due to the negative comments spread by the Comte de The repetition of the lines, â€Å"I heard she was a†¦ † with several shots of different people one after the other emphasises the disconnection they have with Vianne. Vianne not attending church created further reason for the villagers to isolate themselves from her. Although Vianne is isolated from the community there are individuals within the community whom are isolated as well. Armand, a seventy-year old lady with diabetes, opened up to Vianne about her isolation and disassociation with her family, especially her grandson- Luke, due to conflicting personalities and views between her daughter, Caroline, and herself. The tension is evident between the mother and daughter when Luke is caught spending time with Armande. Close up shots of Armande’s and Caroline’s facial expressions demonstrated the hostility they held for each other. A full shot of both women with a wide space between them showed that not only they were physically distant but their relationship with each other is flawed. Luke, grandson of Armand, is also isolated not only from his grandmother but from his peers as well due to Caroline’s protectiveness. As Luke looks from inside through his window to where the children are playing in the snow, sounds of the children’s laughter and screams are muffled as if to put the audience in Luke’s shoes, feeling lonely, caged and having lack of fun and freedom. Josephine is also an important character who experience isolation. Josephine was insecure and living in fear under the same roof of her abusive husband. She was isolated in terms of unable to confide to a friend and she found her release instead by stealing small items. A close up shot of Josephine in church stealing a mirror from someone’s purse, and a faint smile formed on her face from the thrill of getting away with something was her release. When Josephine finally confined to Vianne about the lack of power and inequality in the relationship with her husband, we have a medium shot of her, sucessfully capturing her body language, fidgety fingers and her facial expressions displaying the enormous stress and pressure she is experience. In this film, a lack of tolerance is immense in the community of this village, Comte de Renou is intolerance at its depleting level yet the irony of him being † a patient man†, and â€Å"If I were the first Comte de Renou I would have had you out of this village as quick as you came†. Due to the Comte’s influence the villagers have avoided the chocolate cafe and is further emphasised by a shot from the inside window display of the shop with the people peering inside with curious but wary glances but never coming close to entering the shop. The tolerance that the Comte the Renou has in the act of fasting due to religious reasons. The zoom in and focusing of the enticing food that lay on his desk only to be blocked by a photo frame. A close up on his facial expression fighting the need to discipline his body after taking a deep sniff in a jam jar shows his immense ability of tolerance and control within himself. The relationship between Armande and Caroline are the perfect example of intolerance of each other. Long shots and full shots always view these women with much distance between themselves. Josephine is an individual who had endured and tolerated much under the roof of her abusive husband. When Josephine had confided to Vianne of the impossible deeds and chores she had to follow it also expressed the lack of power Josephine had over herself- much like what most women had experience in marriages at that time, â€Å"You must think I’m stupid†¦ but men do run the world† she explained. In the middle of the night Josephine pounded on Vianne’s door and a full shot of Josephine with her suitcase conveyed the rebelliousness and a decision Josephine made on her own will and the intolerance of living in fear. Although the villagers have tried to disassociate themselves from the chocolate cafe, they began to fall in love with Vianne’s chocolate and charm and have begun to tolerate their associations with her. These confused villagers have all frequented to the confessional about their sins, Hallstrom shot their confessions from behind the confession screen with a continuous fade in and fade out of each person’s confession about the temptation and satisfaction that received from tasting her chocolates, emphasising the effect Vianne has had to these villagers. Immediate action to rid off the gypsies when they settled on the river’s edge strongly expressed the prejudice the Comte de Renou and majority of the villagers had towards the gypsies. Labelling them as ‘river-rats’ and ‘drifters’ did not win the council over on approval to ostracise the gypsies because they were not on their ‘property’ by law. Due to the unsuccessful action, Comte de Renou had initiated flyers of â€Å"boycotting immorality† as the alienation and exclusion of the gypsies will bound to be successful. Shots of the fliers repeatedly being stuck on, nailed in, glued signified the participation of all villagers, except Vianne, and the lack of tolerance they hold to the outsiders. The acceptance of Vianne was a slow progress but the ice-breaker between herself and the community was by hosting Armande’s seventieth birthday party. Slow motion and extreme close-ups on the guests faces showed the great appreciation and enjoyment of the food and the respect and acceptance of Vianne. The announcement of dessert being held on Roux’s boat had the guests in silence and in hesitation but they had accepted and long shots of the scene of the people dancing to lively music with laughter on the boat demonstrated there was no longer a barrier between the gypsies and villagers. Josephine had embarked on a transformation. She is dressed in bright clothing; emphasising change, she no longer speaks in a hurried and timid tone, and smiles and laughs often. Josephine had stood up for herself instead of fleeing from a situation as seen in the scene where Georges is hit over on the head by a pan by her. Josephine had come to an acceptance of herself and has become a happier and better woman. Due to Luke’s disobedience Caroline has opened her eyes. A long shot of her mother and son having fun and over the long distance between them at Armande’s party again shows their distant relationship with the other, but a close-up on the look the women shared was a mesmerising conundrum. Caroline has come to realisation and acceptance that caging her son did not made him a happy child, and the next scene that involved Caroline was of her fixing a bicycle for Luke. The Comte de Renou had come to terms of acceptance of his broken marriage and Vianne. The Comte lost all sense of control and smashed Vianne’s window display in rage, but he gave into himself when an extreme close up on his lip and tongue licking a small speck of chocolate emphasised the humanity in the Comte. The morning the Comte woke up a high angle shot of him looking up to Vianne conveyed the extreme vulnerability and the reversed roles in this situation. The Comte gives Vianne a genuine smile at the Easter celebration, but the voice over narrates, â€Å"he took another seven months to ask Caroline out†. Vianne herself had accepted that belonging to a community is what satisfies her. The act of Vianne refusing the north wind and finally the action of her opening the window and throwing her mother’s ashes into the air symbolised the release of Vianne, the freedom her mother as the ashes are recorded flying into the wide open sky. Vianne has truly accepted that she is happiest when she belongs to a community.