Cultural Artifacts and How They Affect Women and Men’s Body Image - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1137 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? A culture can be described as a certain way of thinking, judging, feeling and acting over a period of time becoming part and parcel of a people or a society. A certain culture can be classified as a family one, organizational culture, traditional culture, popular culture and many others (Narayan 177). For instance, since the 1980s, blue-chip companies and mega corporations have entrenched a certain code of conduct or performance amongst their circles. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Cultural Artifacts and How They Affect Women and Men’s Body Image" essay for you Create order Management consultants and theorists have popularized and described such institutions with their distinct languages, dress code, appearances, norms, and laws. These cultures or norms shape and govern the individuals working there and those aspiring to end in the same careers (Shields 19). In the same way, the popular culture has entrenched its own kind of norms, laws, beliefs, traditions amongst others which dictate anyone indulging in it to toe a certain line. In this light, this paper will be seeking to unearth certain cultural artifacts in the popular culture that are dictating the growth or advancement of both women and men’s body image. The popular culture entails current events and trends in the society, such as technology, nutrition, entertainment, media, lifestyles, etc. The artifacts, in particular, to be discussed in this paper includes will include a patriarchy society and its effects on how women view beauty. The other artifact will be the media and its current glo rification of masculinity which tends to affect how men nowadays think of their images too. The two artifacts have caused widespread and long-term norms and behaviors regarding the physical looks of both men and women in our contemporary society. The paper will go ahead and indulge scientific materials and expert resources previously touching on these artifacts, and then draw a conclusion or a summary of the discussion presented henceforth. The female body has for long been a center of attention and a cultural artifact since the time immemorial. Since the dawn of civilization, many symbols, sculptures and certain beliefs using the female body have sprung up. For instance, the sign of fertility during the early ages was a woman figure or sign. Today still, the female body still draws such admiration and a talking point. This is mainly because of how patriarchy has lingered up to date, and the society has almost given up on trying to reduce or eradicate the male dominion over the human race. Our societies and governments are still heavily infested with mean and arrogant males who have successfully been able to exclude a huge percentage of women from positive contribution to the wellbeing of our society or progressive leadership (Shields 37). The practice is commonest in the developing and middle-income economies where women have been relegated to housewife duties, reproduction and upbringing of children. That means that m en have crafted rules and policies, traditions and customs that give them an edge over women in almost all aspects of life. And in the context of this paper, the paper will pay greater emphasis on the effects of a male dominated society on how women view their bodies and beauty in general. As earlier noted, the male leadership has swiftly set up a perception of what a beautiful woman looks like or what she has to have to be considered pretty or appealing. The western world pop culture has and continues to glorify very slim and lean women as beautiful and the opposite to be ugly (Helman 152). This tradition is witnessed by more and more women and girls desperately striving to lose weight to look like certain celebrities. The brainwashing of the female species on their body weights and figures has been orchestrated by the popular media such as talk shows, fashion magazines, fancy entertainment joints hiring anorexic ladies as waiters or entertainers amongst others (Narayan 234). Over a period of time, the girl child starts seeing slim as the sexy and attractive and thus get into a situation of self-hate and low esteem amongst peers. Researchers from the Harvard University showed that girls as young as nine years in America experience self-esteem issue on their weight, owing to what they see around or hear from the media, bullying in school against the ladies with a considerable body weight is common amongst the teens (Helman 112). The experts recorded scenarios of girls that young starting to â€Å"diet† so as to lose weight and look like their â€Å"attractiveâ₠¬  slim peers or their supposed role models who are always sportspersons, fashion designers, musicians, politicians amongst others. This is a wrong perception that is most likely corrupt our children and women in their blind pursuit to become beautiful. Research has linked serious disease conditions such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa to eating disorders. Previously, it used to be believed that women only were the ones harboring insecurities over the looks of their bodies, but not anymore. Experts have shown that currently, about 25 percent of men nowadays suffer some forms of uncertainties how they look or their beauty (Narayan 219). This tendency can be partly explained by the increased media campaigns advertising some kind of body looks which are slowly sinking into the minds of many men. For instance, many fashion magazines feature men with stunning, flawless looks; with great hair, abs, dental formulae, posture, among other attributes. In general, what these adverts on Televisions and fancy music tells us is that women and girls love masculine men, and thus those without are more â€Å"women† or girlish than men. The entire society has also fallen victim to this analogy, always reading contempt on those men without enough muscles or energy like a stallion. This is witnessed mostly when less muscled boys or men are seen or thought as homosexuals by the society (Shields 43). The cloth line DG has an advertisement which portrays three men with great biceps and abs surrounded by women, with a caption going like, â€Å"One must try them out and see how sexy they will make you feel.† This promotion not only makes men believe that they will look like the ones in the advert itself but gives the potential customer an ill perception of an attractive man. Experts notes that most of these models do not look as exactly as they are made to look on the pictures, since most of the images are edited afterwards and gives virtual attributes non-existent to the common man so as to have the â€Å"wow† factor and convince the potential clients that the clothing will delete their shortcomings and look as attractive as those in the media. The same strategy is used by liquor advertising companies which show men in expensive suits, cars, watches, accessories and posh surroundings mostly in the company of submiss ive women yearning for the man. This behavior as seen many men with body image uncertainties to buy unnecessary materials and lifestyles to try and cover their shortcomings (Helman 152).

Depression Is The First Leading Cause Of Suicide - 1496 Words

Today in America, depression is the first leading cause of suicide. Reported in recent statistics, every year, thousands of people succeed in taking their lives and even more have attempted suicide at some point (Hyde and Held 8). Although it is an afflicting concern today, depression dates back to centuries ago, but wasn t fully recognized as a clinical illness until the 1960 s. At this point, depression treatment was only available to adults because it was so unlikely for adolescents to experience from depression (Peacock 32). In the 1920 s, people thought of depression as a â€Å"women s sickness† because they did not understand it s complexity (Hyde and Held 34). Treatments for depression were first prescribed in the late 1950 s. The treatments that were available were medicine and pills, but after thorough research (because depression was becoming a rising issue) of causes of depression, physicians found that they could treat depression through therapy sessions, depending on its severity. Depression arose in the 1980 s, and was taken more seriously as suicide rates began to increase. Depression is a clinical illness that is derived from emotional detachment which typically results from traumatic experiences (Childhood Adolescent Depression). According to Judith Peacock, author of Teen Suicide, depression is more serious than feeling sad for a few days. Depression can affect someone for weeks, months, and in common cases, years (Peacock 37). When a person encountersShow MoreRelatedTeen Suicide Is The Third Leading Cause Death For High School Students1396 Words   |  6 PagesOver the years teen suicide has increased tremendously. 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Personal Imaginitive Coursework Free Essays

I trekked slowly across scorching sands; the beach was bare and inert, the searing sun too much for most, who took refuge in the shade. My mouth parched and dry, I licked my lips; my sweat tasted too salty. I dragged my unwilling limbs further along. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Imaginitive Coursework or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the background I could hear weary birds groaning under the sun,s ruthless blaze, they seemed to be circling me slowly, waiting to pounce. The vast, clear waters seemed lifeless, there were no amiable waves; there were not even small ripples. The ever present fish had decided to seek safe haven in the ocean’s limitless shelters. I felt alone, secluded and dejected. I gently closed my eyes: Where was it? Would she be there? Was I late? These questions overwhelmed me. I quickly opened my eyes. In the distance stood a very small and trivial hut, I could barely make out any significant detail, however I knew it was where I needed to be. I started walking, with a new found energy, towards it ignoring the surroundings. The hot and heavy sand baked my bare feet subsequently causing me great pain. The humid and muggy air caused my eyes to water as I focused all my attention on the hut. As I got closer to the hut I could make out its finer details; it seemed a battered old construction with little in terms of modern architecture. The substandard paint that covered its cheap bricks was peeling at the far edges. The decayed wooden panels had lost their pristine newness long ago and had now become antiques that belonged in a museum of a desolate town. The ocean’s rage was reflected in its rotting foundations. The hut had seen it all over the decades. She was already there and I was late. On viewing the fetid diving suits I was shocked. The suit was muddy and grimy. Its surface was no-longer new; it was instead coated in a thick layer of mire that had partially dried making the suit rigid. Reluctantly I put it on. Its tough fabric caused my skin to itch frantically. I ignored all of this as much as I could by focusing my thoughts elsewhere. For what seemed like an eternity I had played with the thought of being deep underwater: Would I feel crushed under the weight of the ocean? Would I run out of oxygen and suffer an excruciating death? I had my questions and I was soon going to find out the answers to them. The old engine roared deafeningly behind us as we travelled out to sea. I could feel its uneven vibrations running through me, adding to the nervousness I was keeping concealed inside. The beach was a distant memory and the heat no longer seemed to exist. I looked over at my diving partner. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she was as anxious as I was. We stopped in the middle of a vast ocean, the coast was no longer visible; we were alone. The suns powerful reflection dazzled all around us. We put on our goggles and set up our tanks. As soon as we had done this we positioned ourselves on the edge of the boat. I closed my eyes, ready, and dropped into the blue world beneath. It was like going to sleep and waking up in a surreal dream. It can only be described as illusory. I felt completely different; my whole body felt tranquil, sharing a unity with the ocean. I followed her deeper and deeper into the ocean’s depths; every thing I saw was new to me. I saw a shoal of sapphire coloured fish swimming by swiftly beneath me. Their presence created a gap in my mind; I wanted to find out more about the ocean and its colourful inhabitants. After several more minutes of diving down we reached the bed. It was littered with coral. A diver will never find two corals exactly alike. It is in this mysterious and irregular aura which makes coral of significant beauty. It was very difficult to examine what was amongst the coral as light was partially absent there. The sand on the bed was in a wave-like pattern. Around me there were various fish swimming around almost purposefully, fish were appearing and disappearing every few seconds. There appeared to be small dwellings where groups of fish congregated amongst themselves. It seemed as if the fish had their own society, distant from the human world. I felt a gentle palm rest on my shoulder. She was pointing apologetically to the surface. It was clear that neither of us wanted to leave. We rose much quicker than we had descended; the oceans upward thrust almost throwing us out of its territory. As we approached the surface, I felt as if I had got to known the ocean and appreciate its hidden wonders. We surfaced and climbed onto the boat. I felt sad; as if I had left a part of me behind. How to cite Personal Imaginitive Coursework, Papers

Great Gatsby Lifestyles Essay Example For Students

Great Gatsby Lifestyles Essay The wealthy lifestyles of the Buchanans and Miss Jordan have morally corruptedtheir lives. Money has created boredom for them. Their ways of perceiving lifeand their altitudes towards other is vain. But each of them shows off theirvanity in different ways. Tom Buchanan, for example, believes that whitecivilization is going to pieces and will be utterly submerged by the otherraces. The Rise of the Coloured Empires has reinforced his perception that hisrace is more civilized. This book has made Tom believe that it is all scientificand true. He does not realize that he is a racist. He thinks that just becausethe white race has more wealth, that they should be in control of society. MissBaker shows off her vanity in her actions. In the vehicle with Nick, Jordaninsisted she receive special privileges because of her wealth and celebritystatus. Her comment, Theyll keep out of my way, implies that otherdrivers will keep out of her way. She has a spoiled altitude towards because shethinks she owns the road. She is also hypocritical because she hates carelesspeople even though she is a careless driver herself. Daisy Buchanan expressesher vanity in the words she says. For example, she once said, Ive beeneverywhere and seen everything and love everything, implying that she hasbeen around the globe and seen everything there is to offer. She thinks that shecan solve the problems of the world because she has gone to a few more placesthan other people have and that she knows more than other people do. Her wealthhas given her the opportunity to visit extraordinary places, but it has alsogiven her boredom. She has taken her money for granted and now she has too muchfree time. Money has given the Buchanans and Miss Baker everything they had everwanted. It has enriched their lives and their lifestyles. But it has also madetheir altitude towards others vain. Their wealth has revealed their vanity forthe rest of the world to see. BibliographyFitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby