The Cuases, Effects, and Prevention of Homophobia in America Essay Example for Free

The Cuases, Effects, and Prevention of Homophobia in America Essay Homophobia is an immense issue in todays society, but especially in America. The completely irrational prejudices against the community of this country is on the rise. This is due to a number of causes of which we as the American people have the ability to change. We must closely exam the causes and the effects of homophobia in America to completely understand why and where this is still occurring in modern day society and how it may be further prevented. Homosexuality has existed as long as humanity itself, and with homosexuality always seems homophobia, or the completely extreme and irrational fear or aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people, is sure to exist. This prejudice against homosexuals has been in one way or another shown to exist in almost every culture and society, although some cultures have come to coexist with the gay community in harmony, others how ever still have much work to do in the stride for equal rights and lack of discrimination for the gay population in their countries. Of these countries most are found in the Middle Eastern regions, in places like Africa, Egypt, and Iran homosexuality is a felony, and in many cases will have one either imprisoned or killed. It is in a way expected that these countries would oppose homosexuality so strongly, due to their strong Islamic traditions. But a country that it would not seem irrational to think would be more open to the gay population is the United States of America, but this is not true. Homosexuals might not be stoned to death in the streets of America, but they also don’t have the options of freedom and rights those in Europe have either. According to statistics, nearly half of America still has a strong opposition or hatred toward this community, as a country America needs to realize how absurd this completely irrational prejudice is and how much of a waste of it really is. As a country we should fight to stop homophobia in its tracks. Homophobia has really existed, but when did it really start occurring in the U. S.? The term homophobia was coined in 1967 by Wainwright Churchill in his study on the habits and lifestyles of gay men in America. Ever since then, it seems the term has stuck, even if it is used in the wrong context. The term left the scene of American society for around 20 years or so, but resurfaced much, much stronger with the global AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, gays across the globe were targets of severe and irrational beliefs that AIDS was a â€Å"gay mans disease†. Such beliefs of course are highly illogical, but that does not stop them from spreading like the disease its’ self. This stereotype can still be seen in todays supposidly more liberal modern society. Such stereotypes fuel the continued occurrence of homophobia, especially in the U. S. , which in return keeps the continues cycle of hate and prejudice going. The issues that stem from homophobia are numerous and far and in-between, but many are huge and obvious issues that America as a whole could change if its’ people really wanted to. Of the many prejudices against the gay population, it stands no more obvious anywhere else than in equal rights, rights that all Americans deserve. The discrimination of housing, employment, and equal marriage rights, all must be stopped. America is singling out a â€Å"minority† with in it’s borders, and that is wrong, the â€Å"land of the free† is showing a severe hypocritical, and bigoted side that no one should ever see occur. What is really the core cause of all the negative energy toward Americas gay community? Of the many things that cause homophobia in America, government would not be expected, but it is true to say that government is where most of the negative energy toward the gay community stems from. The American government is supposed to support it’s people as a whole, in an equal unbiased manner. If this is true, why is the government putting such restrictions like the ban on same-sex marriage on the gay community? This is a direct contradiction to the qualities America is built on, this isnt freedom for all of its’ people, it is freedom for those who are stereotypically perceived as â€Å"normal† by a bigoted, ignorant society that is intolerant of difference. America’s government is tainted with people thinking in this mindset, especially among the republican party. Politicians are openly allowed to â€Å"smear† the gay community with their extremely bigoted comments, and have recently succeeded in allowing others to freely do so also. In the state of Michigan, republicans have managed to pass bill 137, a bill that promotes bullying. One has to think twice to really absorb that the state has actually done such an absurd thing. In this bill it is now okay to freely and openly express ones feelings towards another, harass, bully, what ever it is they want, as long as they can support their claims with a moral or religious view. This is of course a horrendous and stupid idea. After the bill was successfully passed, Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing), took to the floor of the Senate to voice her outrage at the amended language and the danger of the exemptions: â€Å"Here oday you claim to be protecting kids and youre actually putting them in more danger. But bullying is not OK. We should be protecting public policy that protects kids,? all kids, from bullies,? all bullies. But instead you have set us back further by creating a blueprint for bullying. Shockingly, Senate Bill 137 will do more harm than good. Senate Republicans left our students behind in favor of partisan politics and passed a bill that actually allows more bullying. Students and parents expect lawmakers to lead the charge against bullying, but instead Republicans made ideology more important than school safety. Research clearly shows that only states with enumerated bills see a reduction in bullying. We need a bill that mentions the most affected populations and requires statewide reporting of bullying and harassment. Senate Bill 137 simply does nothing to reduce bullying in our schools. † â€Å"But the saddest and sickest irony of all, is that the bill was named â€Å"Matt’s Safe School Law,† after Matt Epling, a 14-year-old East Lansing student who committed suicide in 2002 after being repeatedly bullied in school†. As Senator Whitmer has made clear, this unrelentless bullying must be put to a stop, not promoted like it currently is in American government and society. Government and it’s views are corrupt, so corrupt that it will not function as it should in the goal of protecting it’s citizens and their well deserved rights. It is known government spreads the ideas of homophobia, but where is the homophobia in American government stemming from? The answer lies within the religious institution that runs most of America, the religion it was founded on, Christianity. Christianity is the largest practiced religion in the world, with such a hopeful message of salvation and a forgiving and loving God it is no surprise this is true. Their teachings have a message that â€Å"God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son and those who believes in him and that those who accept him as their one and only savior shall have everlasting life† (John 3:16). With such message of love and equality toward all of humanity, why is it that this religion that is supposed to spread this message of love and hope, actually in some areas spreading the hatred of some and especially the promotion of homophobia? The reason is there are many bigoted, hypocritical, and of all things homophobic pastors that tell sermons spewing with bigotry, manipulated to convey the thoughts of negativity towards the gay community in America. It seems the congregations that hear these so called â€Å"sermons† are nieve beyond recognition. Why is it that the general public has lost all of its common sense listening to seemingly false sermons preeching the hatred and intolerance of a minority? Of the few verses that mention homosexuality in the holy bible, one is more than any other, that verse is Leviticus 20:13. â€Å"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads†. This verse is said to directly quote homosexuality as a sin, but this is not so. In the verse listed above it is talking about the Canaanites laws, not God’s, it is prosecuting the Canaanites sexual cult rituals involving male prostitutes, not gay men in commited relationships. The severe unwillingness to let one think for themselves has allowed this verse to be repeatedly misinterpreted to the point where it is thought to be the absolute truth. Thus encouraging the U. S. Media and society to, in it’s thoughts, rightly denounce or discriminate against the gay population. Since media is a strong driving force of information and individual opinions in the U. S. , especially to many nieve people, it in not unrealistic to think that media is of a big influence on homophobia in America. All this talk about the causes of homophobia is sure to have one wondering how it effects the actual gay individual or gay community. Ask any gay person and they will more than likely say that homophobia has been or is a serious and hurtful problem, but just how does it really affect them? Homophobia has many, many negative affects on gays, many of which they have no control of what so ever. Among these many affects, the one that is seen to occur the most is the strongly held negative attitudes that the American public has on their lives. Gay people are discriminated against everyday in the U. S. , and sometimes even almost every day of their lives. They are verbal harassed in the workplace, at school, or even out in public in general. Severe prejudice against the homosexual orientation is seen to be extremely common and more hostile around highschool students and young adults, these young gay people must combat and suffer what their peers say to them on a daily basis, whether said to their face or not, it still has severe psychological effects on a person. â€Å"Prejudice and discrimination have social and personal impact. On an individual level, such prejudice and discrimination may also have negative consequences, especially if gay people attempt to conceal or deny their sexual orientation. Although many gay people learn to cope with the social stigma against homosexuality, this pattern of prejudice can have serious negative effects on health and well-being. This treatment to which gays are subjected to has significant mental health concerns. This also amounts to a great amount of stress, although social support is crucial in coping with stress, antigay attitudes and discrimination may make it difficult for gay people to find such support. (American Psychological Association 2) As it was said above, being gay adds a considerable amount of stress to ones life, sterotype upon stereotype upon stereotype are thrown at them, and they have to attempt to cope with it and get on with life. Although this may work for some, for others the stress leads to other serious problems, problems such as constant or severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and even more stress. Feeling suicidal is never a good situation, and it is shown to be four times as likely that gay people, specifically men, attempt to kill themselves or actually do kill themselves. Recently there has been a tremendous jump in the amount of suicides of gay people, all where high school or college age, and where harassed about their sexual orientation until it was unbearable. This shows that the pressures on gays is increasing steadily and is becoming more consistant in it’s effects it has on the individual. Among the many people in the American gay population many are subjected to violent accounts of homphobia that usually has them physically assaulted. These horrific events are aptly named â€Å"gay bashings†. One would like to say that this does not happen much in America as much as people say it does, one also cannot deny or ignore their occurrences either. The victims of these viscious attacks are almost always very badly injured and usually in the hospital for quite some time, many do not even make it to the hospital. Often times after these attacks are over and the suspects have been apprehended, they are hit with a lighter sentence than they actually deserve. Instead of being charged with a hate crime, they often get of easy with counts of assault. This is a major let down of our governments purpose, our government really drops the ball here. The reason we have government is to defend America’s citizens, and that is not happening when â€Å"gay bashers† are let of the hook that easily. This, in many cases can be seen as a hate crime due the recurring fashion of the attacks and in the sense that these people being attacked are targeted directly due to their sexual orientation. Things like this must be further and more thoroughly prevented in America, no gay person should be afraid of being assaulted whenever they go out into public, this must come to an end. As a nation America needs to stop pretending it is not a problem and open it’s eyes and realized what it is letting happen way too often. American society and culture needs to learn to that not every body is the same and needs to learn to be tolerant of differences. One way people could be aware and start prevention of all these many issues discussed is gay people should learn that even though society disaproves, that there is nothing wrong with who they are, they are born that way and cant change so have to learn to live with it. Heterosexual people who wish to stop homophobia in it’s tracks need to examine their response to antigay stereotypes and prejudice, they can make a point of coming to know gay people and realizing that they are human too. They should go hand in hand with the gay community against the fight of homophobia in America, heterosexuals are often in a good position to point out to other heterosexual people how irrational their homophobia can be. Studies of prejudice, including prejudice against gay people, consistently shows that prejudice declines when members of the majority group interact with members of a minority group interact wiht members of a minority group. In keeping wiht this general pattern, one of the most powerful influences on heterosexuals’ acceptances of gay people is having personal contact with an openly gay person. Antigay attitudes are far less common amoung members of the population who have a close family member or friend who is gay, especially if the gay person has been directly open about their sexual orientation toward the heterosexual person. These are of the many examples of how Americans CAN change their view on homosexuality. The causes of homophobia through the church, government, and media are known, and the effects these things have on the gay community can be seen. It is not until The United States of America realizes that these all have underlying problems and are a part of the bigger picture, can homophobia be further and better prevented in America.

Animals Should Be Used in Scientific Research Essay Example for Free

Animals Should Be Used in Scientific Research Essay Over 100 million animals are used every year in the United States as models in biological and medical research to study human disease, injury, development, psychology, and anatomy and physiology. Research involving animals has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century. Even today, there is no complete alternative to biomedical research with animals. The vast majority of research animals are mice and rats bred for this purpose. Dogs, cats, and non-human primates together account for less than one-half of one percent of the total, and this number has declined for more than 25 years. Since 1979, the number of dogs and cats needed in animal research has declined by more than 50%. The number of non-human primates needed represents less than .2% (.18% in 2004) and has remained relatively constant—in the 50,000 per year range—for the past decade. History The history behind animals being used in scientific research is that is started In Europe and in the US by the early 1900s and especially during and following World War I the benefits of animal research continued to be recognized. Following the Nuremberg Trials for atrocities by the Nazis during World War II, society spoke loudly demanding no research on humans until animal research had made such research a reasonable risk. Today, the majority of people in our society do agree with the idea of the humane and responsible use of animals in research. There is safeguard standards for scientific studies on animals * The USDA has set forth federal regulations governing the care and use of animals in biomedical research that are considered even more extensive than those covering human research subjects. * The Animal Welfare Act sets standards of care for research animals with regard to their housing, feeding, cleanliness, ventilation, and medical needs and requires the use of anesthesia or analgesic drugs for potentially painful procedures and during post-operative care. * The US Public Health Service Act requires that all institutions receiving research funds from NIH, FDA, or CDC adhere to the standards set out in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. * Institutions must follow detailed animal care recommendations and establish an IACUC to ensure that all animals are treated responsibly and humanely Some people think that all animals that are in scientific research are in pain or distress while undergoing the research that is not necessarily true. The 2004 USDA Annual Report reveals that 57% of all research procedures with animals involved no more than slight or momentary pain or distress (i.e., an injection). In 34% of research procedures anesthesia and postoperative painkillers were used. In 9% of the procedures, neither anesthesia nor pain medication could be used, as they would have interfered with research results. Scientific Perspectives Here are 4 reasons why animals are used in research: 1. The principles of anatomy and physiology are true for humans and animals, especially mammals. Once scientists learned that animals were similar to humans, in physiology and anatomy, it became preferable to use animals rather than humans for preliminary research. 2. Certain strains or breeds of animals get the same diseases or conditions as humans. Animal Models are frequently critical to understanding a disease and developing appropriate treatments. 3. Research meant introducing one variable and observing the results of that one item. With animals we can control their environment (temperature, humidity, etc.), and shield them from diseases or conditions not related to the research (control their health). Although human and animals get the disease that may be the subject of a research investigation, the different life styles or living conditions make them poor subjects until preliminary research under controlled conditions has been done. 4. We can use scientifically-valid numbers o f animals. Data from one animal or human is not research; it is a case study. To scientifically test a hypothesis, an adequate number of subjects must be used to statistically test the results of the research. Some individuals claim that we should use human or animals that have a disease to study that disease. Certainly, epidemiological studies (tracking the occurrence of a disease or condition) have provided many important insights into the cause of a disease or a condition, especially when an environmental aspect is responsible. However, epidemiological studies are successful in only a limited number of situations. Only if the study of a disease is severely hindered or not possible when the research subjects have been/are exposed to a variety of environmental factors. According to the American Medical Association, humans are the most frequently used animal in research. However, research studies conducted on humans follow preliminary studies conducted in animals. These animal studies make human studies a reasonable risk. The animal studies are not a guarantee of success, but they do tell us that the human research has a reasonable probability of success.

Asian Popular Culture In Globalization Contexts

Asian Popular Culture In Globalization Contexts Globalization is a process of cultural, economic, politics and religious integration all over the world. Globalization has brought about great changes on the ideologies, communication, and transportation. The Asian popular culture has also undergone great changes under the background of globalization. During the globalization process, the Asian popular culture has played an important and critical role. The Asian popular culture has exerted great influence on the world culture. The Chinese Kung Fu and the Japanese animation are the typical examples which have brought about great impact on the world popular culture. The case of the Chinese Kung Fu in the film industry and the Japanese animation images will be further studied in the following passages. Case 1 Chinese Kung Fu in the film industry In recent years, the Chinese Kung Fu films have been popular all over the world. Many Hollywood films contain the Chinese Kung Fu elements. The philosophy in the Kung Fu such as go with the nature has been wide spread (Royo, 2009). Learning Chinese Kung Fu has become a fashion among many foreigners. The images created by the Chinese Kung Fu actor Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan and Jet Lee have influenced people of several generations. The director Ang Lees film Chinese Kung Fu film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has won the 2000 Academy Award including the Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Original Score, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. The 2008 animation Kung Fu Panda of DreamWorks has again fired a Chinese Kung Fu fashion. In the film, besides the martial arts and the Panda which are of strong Chinese characteristics, other Chinese elements have also been included, such as the chopsticks, Chinese costumes and Shifu(master). In this film, the Chinese philoso phies have also been involved. As a matter of fact, the Hollywood films which take Chinese historical stories as the main theme, or which involves Chinese elements are in a great number. The Chinese Kung Fu has already been rooted in the film audiences minds. Most western film goers believes that if the protagonist in the film has been equipped with Chinese Kung Fu, he is sure to beat his opponent no matter what impediment or unfavorable condition the protagonist is in (Belton, 1996). Due to the influence of the film industry, the Chinese Kung Fu has been widely spread all over the world and become popular. Many foreigners including the westerners as well as those in the Asian countries as well come to china to study Chinese martial arts or Kung Fu. The Shaolin Monastery becomes an ideal destination for the fans who love the martial arts of Bruce Lee or Jacky Chan. The Shaolin Monastery in the Henan Province in china is on the Songshan Mountain which is one of the four renowned moun tains in china. The Shaolin Monastery has a long tradition of martial arts and the monks in this monastery are all master hand in martial arts. The name of Shaolin Monastery has been spread by many films. Every year, the Shaolin Monastery receives thousands of foreign tourists who interested in the martial arts and the Kung Fu lovers who want to study martial arts. The monks of the Shaolin Monastery will put performance every year all over the world and their performance is enthusiastically welcomed by the foreign audience no matter they love Kung Fu or not. The Chinese Kung Fu gradually becomes a part of popular culture with the help of the film and the film itself has been popular enough. The Kung Fu has also becomes popular among the Chinese. Many elements in Chinese Kung Fu have been incorporated in peoples daily exercises to keep fit. Case analysis Chinese popular culture as the bridge between the eastern and western culture under the background of globalization From this case, the Chinese popular culture has played a role of bridging the western and eastern culture. Under the background of globalization, culture diversification is an inevitable trend under the background of globalization. The integration and infiltration of the alien culture and the local culture is an inevitable process for the development of the culture. No culture can develop and evolve through isolation and insulation with the outside world. Therefore, the Chinese popular has played the role of bridging the western and eastern culture through the popularization of the martial arts, a major part of the Chinese popular culture. This bridging process promotes the culture diversification as well as the development of various cultures. In the past, the western people have little knowledge about china and the Chinese has distorted knowledge about the western countries as well as some Asian countries. During the communication and exchanging with the foreign cultures, more fore igners become interested in knowing more about the unique culture of china which they had little knowledge. Due to more direct communication with the outside world, the Chinese know more about the foreign cultures. In the case of the Shaolin Monastery, on one hand, the foreigners come to china to seek the martial arts in their minds, on the other hand, the Shaolin Monastery organize monks to put performance in foreign countries to display the essence of the martial arts in their minds. The Shaolin martial arts therefore become an industry which will bring about profits to the Shaolin Monastery and can provide martial arts teaching service for the public particularly to the foreigners. There are many other labels in Asian popular cultures such as the Japanese animation and Judo, like the Chinese martial arts, they have all played the role of the bridging the different cultures. Case 2 Hello Kitty and Japan Hello Kitty is a world famous cartoon image which came out in 1974 in Japan. Hello Kitty can be regarded as the prime representation of the Japanese popular culture as well as the world popular culture. This simple cat image with bowknot on the head and with no mouth has become popular for almost 30 years all over the world. The image of Kitty can be seen on cup, notebook, cell-phone, toy, watch, computer and etc. Almost on most of the daily utensils, the image of Kitty can be seen. There are 22,000 products are labeled on the image of Kitty and sold to over 40 countries all over the world (Craig, 2000). In the year 2004, McDonald pushed a mini decorative pendent of Kitty. This pendent has become so popular that in Taiwan the lovers took this pendant as the symbol of their love. In Singapore, a commotion happened when people were queuing to buy the happy meal with the theme of Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty has brought about 50 million dollars profits to its copyright owners every year (Cr aig, 2000). Not only kids love Kitty, the adults even the old people loves Kitty. For a child, Kitty is a lovely toy; for an office lady, Kitty brings her back to her innocent childhood; for a father, Kitty gives him a chance to show his love and care for his children who loves Kitty very much. People of different age, taste, style, gender and wish are attracted by this lovely little cat. Unlike Garfield or Mickey Mouse which are backed by fascinating films and books, there are no stories, movies, TV series, books about Kitty but Kitty has become a cultural symbol for it successfully satisfied peoples desire for innocence. Not only Kitty is welcomed by the general public, Kitty and her family members, friends, boy friend are all welcomed by the people all over the world. Many people have a desire to collect a whole series of Kitty products. The scene that people wait in long queue just to buy the newly come out Kitty product can usually be seen. Kitty is not just a successful produc t; it becomes a lifestyle of some people. It reflects peoples inner motives, desires and emotion. It is a cultural product which arouses fierce discussion among scholars and politicians who are blamed to manipulating the image to realize the political purpose (Zoonen, 2004) . Case analysis Hello Kitty, urban syndromes and animation diplomacy The popular of Hello Kitty has two reasons. The first one is that with the acceleration of the industrialization and urbanization, people feel more alienated and lonely. The interpersonally relationship becomes more impersonal and cold. Under the urban culture of strong pressure, depression and competition, people tend to ease their pressure and gain care and love from lovely objects. Hello Kitty is a product which just fulfills the need of the vulnerable urban people with various urban syndromes. Hello Kitty can be regarded as the representation of the lovely culture which exists to ease peoples pressure and satisfy their longing for love under the background of globalization which makes the urban syndromes more severe. The second reason for the popular of Hello Kitty is that the Japanese government has made efforts to promote the Japan image and the soft power of Japan by promoting Hello Kitty and other renowned cartoon images. Thus the further and enduring popularity of Hello Kitt y has close relation to the governments efforts. The promotion of the Hello Kitty of the Japanese government is with the intention to promote Japanese culture and Japanese image all over the world. Some western media believe that Japans overseas image has close relation to the image of Hello Kitty. The fact attests to this saying for in May 2008, Hello Kitty becomes the tourism promotion ambassador of Japan (Desai, 2004). On March 19th, 2008, the Japanese Foreign Ministry held a special ambassador inauguration (Desai, 2004). The animation image Doraemon, a blue machine cat was appointed as the foreign ambassador of Japan which was an unprecedented event. Hello Kitty and Doraemon have both bore the responsibility of improving the image of Japan. This culture diplomacy taken by the Japanese government is regarded as animation diplomacy (Desai, 2004). The Japanese popular culture has been successfully used by the government to improve the countrys soft power under the background of glo balization. Japan has taken advantage of its popular culture to improve its influence on the world. The influence of the Asian popular culture on the flow of people The flow of people and the Asian popular culture is an interaction process. On one hand the Asian popular culture influences the flow of people and on the other hand the flow of people makes the Asian popular culture more diversified and spread in a wider range. As to the influence of the Asian popular culture on the flow of people, before discussing this issue, first of all, the categories of flow of people will be discussed. The flow of people can be divided into the flow within the country and the flow among different countries. The flow of people can be permanent or temporary. The Asian popular culture has exerted influence on both the four kinds of flow of people. Most people migrant with the hope that they will reach a better destination to live or settle down and the image of better destination to some extent is build on the popular culture. For the popular culture is the easiest access to understand the culture of another nation. The Asian popular culture has great impact on the temporary flow of people. The major part of the temporary flow of people is tourists. For example, with the popular of the Chinese Kung Fu film all over the world, people from various countries come to china to find out whether the Kung Fu in the film is real. Thus they go to the Shaolin Monastery to see the monks so as to satisfy their curiosity. Some frantic Kung Fu lovers even stay in Shaolin Monastery to study the martial arts. From large number of tourists from all over the world received by the Shaolin Monastery, it is easy to infer that the popular culture has exerted great impact on the temporary flow of people. In Japan, the situation is quite similar. Large numbers of tourists come to Japan just want to visit the Hello Kitty Museum or to buy the Doraemon products which can only be purchased in Japan. Moreover, within the same country, flow of people can still be caused by the popular culture. Most young people are willing to live in the part of the country where the po pular culture is thriving (McDonnell, 2000). Those young people may try to find a job or travel in those parts in the country, thus the flow of people becomes more frequently within the country. The influence of the Asian popular culture on the ideas The Asian popular culture has great influence on the ideas of people all over the world. A countrys image has close relation to the countrys popular culture. Take the Chinese popular culture as an example, the Kung Fu in the films seem incredible and mysterious to the foreigners particularly the westerner. Thus image of china in the westerners minds are usually mysterious. Besides, with the spread of the Chinese popular culture, the traditional Chinese philosophy is also spread to all over the world. The unique traditional Chinese culture which put emphasis on the harmony between human and nature has greatly influenced the westerners ideas. More westerners begin to learn the profoundness of the Asian culture and begin to have further study on the eastern culture by the help of the popular culture. The Asian popular culture plays the role of the media in spread the ideology of the Asian (Huat, 2004). Another example is Japan. Japan has made great efforts to establish sound national im age through promoting it popular culture. The cute Hello Kitty and other animation images make the image of Japan milder and friendly. The Japanese animation exerts great impact on the ideas of the teenagers all over the world particularly the teenagers in Asian countries. The teenagers will wear like the characters in the animation or wear the ornaments the characters in the animation wear (McDonnell, 2000). The success of the Japanese film Spirited Away has popularize the eastern philosophy all over the world. Its great impact on the ideas of people can be demonstrated by the recognition of this film from the international society. This film has won many prizes including Best Animated Feature in the 2001 Academy Award. The animator Hayao Miyazaki who directs this film is world-renowned and his other works are also welcomed by the people all over the world. Through his works, the Japanese and Asian culture and philosophy has been wide spread which makes the outside world knows more about Asian and Japan (Iwabuchi, 2002). Hayao Miyazakis work is the integration of the Asian ideology and ideologies from other parts of the world. This is a forceful demonstration that Asian popular culture has great impact on the ideas of people from all over the world. The influence of Asian popular culture on the trends In most Chinese Kung Fu films, the masters in the films usually wear the traditional Chinese garment (Tang suit) and the female characters usually wear cheongsam. With the spread of those Kung Fu film, the traditional Chinese garment and cheongsam become popular all over the world. The Chinese costume elements such as red embroidered peony can usually be seen in the Fashion Week in Milan. The fashion industry all over the world has integrated the traditional Chinese costume elements in the trends. The most wanted gifts of the foreign tourists in china are the traditional Chinese garment and cheongsam. The above example demonstrates that the popular culture has exerted even changed the trends and fashion. Moreover, the popularity of the Chinese Kung Fu films also promoted the trends of Chinese study. For a time, learning Chinese becomes a trend and fashion among the westerners. Another example is Japan animation. Not to mention the Hello Kitty that is a trend itself. The large sale an d peoples frantic purchasing of the Kitty products demonstrate the charm of Kitty. Kitty has changed the fashion industry which usually means slim models, glorious ornaments, luxurious brands and dazzling shows. Kitty ignites a new concept that loveliness and simplicity can also be a trend. The trend is as a matter of fact, the reflection of the mind set and metal state of the people (Tay, 2009). The Asian popular culture to some extent changes the mindset and metal state of the people. Moreover, the Korean TV series has also fired a trend in Asian countries, especially in china. The Chinese youngsters, teenagers and even housewives and office ladies become interested in the Korean culture such as costume and food (Chua Iwabuchi, 2008). Their ideas about the country Korean are mostly based on the TV series (Dator Seo, 2004). In conclusion, the popular culture has changes and influenced peoples ideas to a large extent. The influence of Asian popular culture on the cultural products Before discussing the influence of Asian popular culture on the cultural products, the concept and scope of the cultural products should be identified. The cultural products are the products which come out from the culture or are closely related to the culture. The typical cultural products are books, softwares, magazines, computer games, films, TV shows. Asian popular cultures influence on the films is obvious. The Judo, Kung Fu elements in the Hollywood films are welcomed by the foreigners. The computer games based on Kung Fu Panda and Japanese animation figures have been sold all over the world and welcomed by the teenager and computer game lovers. The Asian popular has brought about great profits to the cultural industry. The success of Kitty is another example which demonstrates the influence of the popular culture on the culture products. The Asian Kung Fu film and the Japanese animation are all examples that the popular culture has exerted great influence on the cultural produ cts (Malik, 2009). The western media and newspapers cover large amount reports on Asian culture and tradition and the one of their motivations is to satisfy the westerners curiosity about the eastern culture elements in the popular cultural products such as films and animation. The cultural products are no longer monopolized by the American MTV, MacDonalds and hip-hop. The cultural products have integrated more Asian elements due to the spread of the Asian popular culture which are welcomed under the diversified and internationalized world (Pieterse, 2009). Conclusion This essay has discussed the role of Asian popular culture under the background of globalization. The world under the background of globalization becomes more diversified. The Asian popular culture has adapted itself to the more diversified world and acts as the bridge between the western and eastern culture. In this essay, the cases of Chinese Kung Fu and Japanese Hello Kitty are discussed in detail. The above two can both be regarded as the typical representation of the Asian popular culture. During the process of globalization, the above two cultural labels have interacted with the world culture. They changes the world culture and at the same time be changed by the world culture. They are the promoter of the Asian popular culture and the world popular culture is no longer dominated by the Americans strong popular culture such as Starbuck and MTV. The migration of people, the change of peoples ideas, the various trends, and the cultural products are all greatly influenced by the po pular culture. The popular culture is a major part of a nations culture whose impact can never be ignored.

The Rivalry between Germany and Britain Essay -- Papers world war one

The Rivalry between Germany and Britain The direct cause of the First World War, the spark that set it off in other words, was the assassination of the Austrian archduke Francis Ferdinand, who was heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife by a Serbian student in Sarajevo in June 1914. A month later Austria declared war against Serbia. This local warfare brought Russia, Germany and France straight into fight, and in the end got other European Powers such as Britain, and even Japan and America involved thus became a world wide armed conflict. There are many arguments that have been made among historians about grounds of such war. So many theories have been found, and discussed for decades. Yet the controversy has not seen its end and is still growing. Imperialism, militarism, rise of nationalism, and the alliance systems are often named as the major causes. However, when historians come to discuss militarism on this subject, their theme tends to be based around whether or not a sense of rivalry between Germany and Britain was one of the primary causes. The purpose of this paper is answering the essay question above by examining the Anglo-German relations before 1914, and its significance on outbreak of the war. Before start, it should be made clear what it is meant by the words "major cause" in the title above. Examiner's use of the word "major" can be vague. Does she mean the major cause as the factor that has direct and decisive impact upon the incident? If so, the answer to this question is no. The war did not arise originally from between Germany and Britain, and reason for them to join the war, on the surface, appeared to be alliances with the other countries involved. Yet, there is other interpretat... ...y of Europe 1815-1914`. Second Edition. Longman Group Limited. Berghahn, V.R.1987. `Modern Germany`, Society, economy and politics in the twentieth Century. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press. Joll, James. 1990.`Europe Since 1870`, An International History. Forth Edition. Penguin. Larr, Jon. `An Overview of World War 1`. http://members.aol.com/sniper43/worldwar1.html Layton, G.1995. `access to history`, From BISMARCK to HITLER: GERMANY 1890-1933. Hodder & Stoughton. Roberts, J.M.1989. `Europe 1880-1945`, A General History of Europe. Second Edition. Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Wolfson, R. and Laver, J. 1996.`Years of Change, Europe 1890-1945`. Second Edition. Hodder & Stoughton.

Robert Frosts Use of Nature in Poetry Essay -- Papers Poem Frost Essa

Robert Frost's Use of Nature in Poetry Robert Frost, an American poet of the late 19th century, used nature in many of his writings. Frost was very observant of nature, he often used it to represent the emotion of his characters in his poetry. I will use "West-Running Brook" and "Once by the Pacific" to demonstrate Frost's use of nature in his writings. Robert Frost was born March 26, 1874 in San Francisco ("American Writers" 150). In 1885, the dying request of his father took Frost back to Massachusetts for the burial. Since Frost couldn't afford to travel back to California, Frost remained there and began his writing. Frost led a simple life. He taught, was a New England farmer, worked in a mill, was a reporter, and wrote. He graduated as valedictorian in High School in 1892 and attended Dartmouth College, but quit shortly after he started. Two years later he sold his first work "My Butterfly: An Elegy" and later that year he married Elinor White. He attempted school again at Harvard but left before getting his degree. The next 10 years he wrote poems and worked small jobs throughout New Hampshire. In 1912 he moved his wife and four kids to England to work on poetry full time. "A Boy's Will" and "North of Boston" became a instant success in Europe and in 1915 he moved to America. "North of Boston" was reissued in Ameri ca and became a best seller. Frost used the money from it to buy a farm in New Hampshire, where some of his most successful poems were written ("American Writers" 152). Frost's poems are full of so many strong themes and richer meanings than nature, but most Frost fans prefer his modest feelings toward nature. The images he creates are so vivid and simplistic the common reader can v... ...chigan, 1963. pp 97-103 and 86-87 Call number: PS 3511 7. Thompson, Lawrence, "Encouraging Younger Poets." Robert Frost The Years of Triumph. New York: Twayne Publishers,1967. pp 360-362 8. Thompson, Lawrence. Robert Frost: The Early Years. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966. pp 381-382 and 570 9. U.S. Literature. Glenview: Scott, Foresman, and Company, 1991. pp 509 Robert Frost's Use of Nature Thesis: Robert Frost, an American poet of the late 19th century, used nature in many of his writings. Frost was very observant of nature, he often used it too represent the emotion of his characters in his poetry. Introduction I. Frost's feelings on nature A. Overview B. Contrast with Mathew Arnold C. Contrast with Wade Van Dore II. "Once by the Pacific" III "West-Running Brook"

Tourette Syndrome Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Tourette Syndrome Tourette syndrome is an inherited severe neurological disorder usually occurring before the age of eighteen and is associated with a degree of facial and body tics sometimes accompanied by random declarations of phrases or obscenities (2,3). The facial and body tics associated with the disorder can be painful and even embarrassing. Involuntary body movements such as jaw snapping, gyrating, hopping, and obscene gesturing are to name a few (1). Tourette Syndrome was named after a French neuropsychiatrist named Gilles de la Tourette who successfully assessed the disorder in the late 1800’s(3). Tourette Syndrome claims no specific race or ethnicity. The disorder generally can affect any ethnic group yet it does affect three to four times more males than it does females (3). Although just a mere decade ago Tourette Syndrome was frequently misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, Sydenham’s chorea, epilepsy, or nervous habits, its symptoms are now differentiated and specific case related. Tourette Syndrome is a case sensitive genetic disorder that varies from generation to generation. However, not everyone that carries the genetic make up of Tourette Syndrome will express those symptoms (1). Coined as the term autosomal dominate, when one parent is a carrier or expresses symptoms of having Tourette syndrome, there is a 50/50 chance the child will receive the gene from the parent (1,4). There are several behavioral and cognitive difficulties associated with the tics that many with Tourette Syndrome experience. Although Tourette Syndrome may present itself as a disorder of motor and vocal tics, it is much more complex. Commonly linked with Tourette Syndrome is attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity(A... ...r bodies just can’t control. While we think of behavior as a voluntary physical action, Tourette Syndrome reminds us that it is not. Without proper brain function our behavior can become totally involuntary and have a ‘mind’ of its own. Behavior is not a result of a physical bodily movement. Behavior may start in the brain and the type of behavior emitted is thus a result of the manner by which that brain functions. However it is also important to be opened minded and realize that sometimes our bodies can react without direct causation of the brain. Internet Sources: 1)htttp://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p40-gtor.html; Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tourette Syndrome 2)Dictionary.com/tourette syndrome 3)http://www.tsa-usa.org/; Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. 4)http://members.tripod.com/~tourette13/; The Facts About Tourette Syndrome

Twenty First Century

Twenty-first Century Skill: Trading Carbon CreditsPublished:| June 8, 2011| Author:| Julia Hanna| Cap and trade has become an increasingly popular mechanism which is used by governments to increase green behavior and to cut corporate pollution. this article told, the students at Harvard Business School use a simulation to learn how it works and includes an interview with professor Peter Coles. In industries it’s really important to know how cap and trade Works and because of that a Harvard Business School professor, Peter Coles, gives his students an opportunity to experience the carbon trading simulation.He has used the simulation in the elective course â€Å"Managing Networked Businesses and the doctoral course Market Design†. The basic concept is a cap which is set on carbon emissions. Students are wanted to try to rise profits with clean technologies. So that we can say the simulation provides a classroom experience for students to see the impact of different design principles in the cap-and-trade mechanism. At first nobody knows what the appropriate permit price is so they are in an unknowledge and fort his situation, Coles says, â€Å"Those who make poor choices feel the consequences of price uncertainty most deeply†.One of the cement factory managers begins with no permits. While that may seem unfair, it's a condition that mirrors real life. â€Å"Typically, these permits are grandfathered,† Coles says. â€Å"They go to incumbent firms with the best lobbyists, while the new guy faces an uphill battle. † Sometimes groups will find that the price drops to zero, upsetting students who are stuck with suddenly worthless permits. In other instances, the price rises dramatically. Both extremes offer useful discussion points,† says Coles, noting that the Europe Union experienced a price collapse in 2006 that called the stability of the entire market into question. â€Å"As a class we can talk about whether a price collap se is really a problem, and if so, what can we do to fix it. A simple solution would be to not issue so many permits, which is easier said than done. Another is to allow unused permits to be banked for future periods, while a third would be to establish a government-imposed floor or ceiling on rading prices that would protect firms from those extremes. † The profit point The profit-driven behavior of the cement factory managers eventually creates a clear â€Å"aha! † moment. â€Å"No one is thinking about efficient reduction of pollution during the exercise, and that is really the whole point of the cap-and-trade scheme,† Coles says. â€Å"A property right is assigned to produce a certain amount of pollution and then market principles go to work. Afterward, in discussion, we look at what's happened and see that we've held pollution to the cap level incredibly efficiently. In the discussion, he adds, it's possible to go through the math behind the dynamic and the role of marginal cost of abatement in reaching this point. Students consider other market design factors during the debriefing session, such as determining how to set initial permit allocations. As mentioned, grandfathering would give incumbent firms an advantage; other options include auctioning permits to the highest bidders, or assessing each firm's operations by size and industry and then estimating benchmark pollution levels; if a firm exceeded those levels, it would need to buy additional permits.Trading in the United States While the United States hasn't taken part in global carbon cap-and-trade schemes, Coles notes that it has long had trading programs for sulfur and nitrogen oxides, the emissions that cause smog and acid rain. â€Å"Our ‘SOx' and ‘NOx' markets are well functioning. It's an easier problem to solve because it's a more local pollution. By contrast, if China, the United States, and India decide not to join a global carbon trading scheme, Europe's efforts may appear insubstantial in reducing global warming.Worse, if cap and trade puts European firms at a permanent disadvantage in the global market, this may further erode European industry support. † Using a simulation to grasp the mechanics and economic efficiencies of cap and trade is one matter. But factoring in the complexities of global politics? Coles has been thinking about an extension of the simulation, in which the United States joins the European Union's carbon market as a means of testing what happens when markets are linked. There will probably never be a simulation that captures and accurately predicts the intricacies of eopolitics—but it's a start. Cap and trade has become an increasingly popular mechanism which is used by governments to increase green behavior and to cut corporate pollution. this article told, the students at Harvard Business School use a simulation to learn how it works and includes an interview with professor Peter Coles. In indu stries it’s really important to know how cap and trade Works and because of that a Harvard Business School professor, Peter Coles, gives his students an opportunity to experience the carbon trading simulation.He has used the simulation in the elective course â€Å"Managing Networked Businesses and the doctoral course Market Design†. The basic concept is a cap which is set on carbon emissions. Students are wanted to try to rise profits with clean technologies. So that we can say the simulation provides a classroom experience for students to see the impact of different design principles in the cap-and-trade mechanism. At first nobody knows what the appropriate permit price is so they are in an unknowledge and fort his situation, Coles says, â€Å"Those who make poor choices feel the consequences of price uncertainty most deeply†.One of the cement factory managers begins with no permits. While that may seem unfair, it's a condition that mirrors real life. Sometimes groups will find that the price drops to zero, upsetting students who are stuck with suddenly worthless permits. In other instances, the price rises dramatically. â€Å"Both extremes offer useful discussion points,† says Coles The profit-driven behavior of the cement factory managers eventually creates a clear â€Å"aha! † moment.Using a simulation to grasp the mechanics and economic efficiencies of cap and trade is one matter. But factoring in the complexities of global politics? Coles has been thinking about an extension of the simulation, in which the United States joins the European Union's carbon market as a means of testing what happens when markets are linked. There will probably never be a simulation that captures and accurately predicts the intricacies of geopolitics—but it's a start.