Environments and Ecosystems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environments and Ecosystems - Essay Example Most interesting to the ecological properties of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River is that the outflow does not immediately mix with the salt-containing water, maintaining its fresh-water integrity as it flows with Gulf currents. The stability of the river reduces the salt content as it maintains it outflow, thus providing significantly different species of plants and animals not regularly found in the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest and most dense levels. New Orleans is also surrounded by a blend of forest and subtropical vegetation that sustains a wide variety of mammals, ornithological birds of flight, and marshland reptiles that are reliant on the duplicity of these ecological differences and blends. For instance, forest-dwelling mammals depend on the food sources from marshland reptiles, which thus controls population as it relates to egg production and gestation periods in crocodiles and snakes, as two examples. These are highly inter-dependent systems that ensure a ba lance in ecology, thus maintaining a quality food chain and avoiding negative impact to human ecology. The Mississippi River and its surrounding marshlands also provide winterizing benefits to mid-continental fowls and opportunities for breeding for non-tropical birds (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 2002). Some of these species are crucial in other parts of North America for aiding in plant fertilization or reducing certain infestations of unwanted pests in the country. Today, some of these breeding grounds are being impacted by national drought circumstances that are depleting the Mississippi River volume and marshland availability that might have lingering impact on insect volumes or fertilization capabilities of certain indigenous, national plant varieties. Surrounding this blended ecosystem is the human condition, consisting of retail centers, housing developments and scattered suburban lifestyle. In some areas, especially the Gulf and Mississippi River areas, certain species of plants and animals have become dependent on human infrastructure and have thrived as a result of human social development. At the same time, vital breeding grounds for certain fish species have been depleted by human technological restructuring of the flood plain, resulting in lowered populations of certain species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 2002). This has created more human dependence on the ability of fish hatcheries and breeding systems to repopulate and provide sustenance in the food chain for humans. Additionally, dredging activities in the Gulf and Mississippi River have reduced certain sandbars that were home to clams and oysters that humans rely on for consumption and even commercial benefit. Changing the dynamics of river flow reduces, also, the breeding capabilities of certain fish species, reducing population of plant consuming and fish-consuming breeds in the river. This impacts the bird, human and reptilian food chains that currently maintains unknown long-te rm consequences. Global warming and other climate change, as aforementioned, impacts the viability and volume of the Mississippi River. Outside of the consequences already mentioned, this also changes the dynamics of plant growth and photosynthesis. Increased levels of carbon dioxide provides plants and trees with more vital nutrients, however scientific research has shown that increased carbon dioxide created by global warming alters the root development of large trees. Trees, when

Confessions of St. Augustine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Confessions of St. Augustine - Essay Example To know God, one needs to substantiate the inner awareness about God. The humans are the hearers of the Word of God; God communicates to us. The Word of God does not hard and fast refer to the divine, holy, and religious books; but for this it needs to establish a relationship between human beings and God. This relationship is nothing but that what we call "prayer." Praying to God exhibits our intention to hear and respond to God who is well coexisted within the souls of all of us. The prayer asks for surrender to the faith associated with the path full of suffering toward God. St. Augustine says "For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in thee"with reference to these sufferingsor in other words the "spirituality" which is like an opportunity forinternal emotional growth. The terms "heart" in a broader sense refers to the soul or spirit with adding to its limited meaning of affections andsensations. This heart remains filled with restlessness in terms of desire for, with real consciousness and an urge toward, the unconditional, ultimate, and unrestrictedTruth. The life of Augustine, until he found the internal relationship with God, remained full of miseries, sins, lusts, wicked thoughts, etc. These words of Augustineindicate that the true essence oflife lies at"conversion" of human with God, the Creator. The image of God is coexisted withinallhumans ever since the onset;but due toour sins that image gets lost causing a barrier between us and God. Since there isthis barrier, in between, wecontinue to be restless and unh appy; when the reunion is establishedthrough the conversion we feel the ecstasy. The early life of Augustine was highly influenced by negative episodes that filled hislife with sinfulness. He viewed the human nature as wicked and proneto doingnothing good. If anything good comes, it comes from and through the power of God; Augustine praises the power of God. This is the reasonwhy he was led to the knowledge ofhuman nature and finally to achieve true happiness when he found God.The carving for something beyond is a natural tendency in all of us. We just cannot feel the peace of mind through the experiences of our life for which we pose questions to meaning. There always remains a thirst for satisfying light and some inner security with regard to the mysterious world around. This process starts from the birth till the moment we die. If we start surrendering ourselves to the mystery of life, at least then onward, we happen to be on the way of searching for something indefinable; and this search find us to arrive at the greater realities that surround us. The definit ion of spirituality could be given as to be the response to man's awareness of God whenhuman sees God as present and responds to Him. The method of this may vary among different religions. To converse the path of life made of "materialistic" success into the path of "spiritualistic" gains, we needthe awareness ofGod. Augustine was, maybe, the greatest man in this regard who found his triumph tosolve the queries and mysteries of life with mastery over the awareness of God.This is the result why his "confession" standsunique with no comparison in spite of

Teenage Pregnacy Essay Example for Free

Teenage Pregnacy Essay Every single country in the world that the people live in is important and each country has its own nature and significance. The United States of America is known as the most powerful country and many other countries support America. These countries become America’s alliances. The Philippines is one of its alliances. The Philippines have certain factors that make it known. Some of this is the so-called â€Å"wonders of the Philippines.† An example of which is the Banaue Rice Terreces that were created by the Ifugaos The presence of the Chocolate Hills is also a wonder in this country. The beaches are also famous in the Philippines. The Philippines have great beaches wherein foreigners tend to sit often. Even if there are many things that could be praised in the Philippines, it has also issues that are known to the world. Its corruption is one of those issues that is known bout the Philippines. Another issue is its population. The population is an important factor in a certain country or place. Population could give a positive or a negative outcome depending on how it is utilized. Some countries make certain measures to make sure that the population would not be causing a problem On the other hand; others do not give much empha Even if the government is planning to adopt such this kind of law, many people are against it especially the Church. If the population were not provided with the right amount of food, they would be malnourished. There is also a positive effect regarding the increase in the population. Future researchers should focus more on the methods and implementations that will help on lessening the Philippine current population rather that concentrating on other topics. The environment has different aspects. 6 deaths for every 1000 population (http:www. It is much colder here compared to the lower land areas. Around 40 percent of those people who are poor have been able to study in elementary, while only 10 percent of the families were able to send their children to study in high school (www. Overpopulation could also lead to congestion. Some topics in this essay: Census Statistics, Philippines Philippines, According Jose, Commission Population, Filipinos Church, Metro Manila, United America, , increase population, rapid increase, Chocolate Hills, rapid increase population, Rice Terreces, philippine population, death rate, country population, positive negative, people living, continuous increase,negative effects, family planning, negative effects increasing, effects increasing population, increase population lead,increase philippine population, Population Growth Overpopulation has become an enormous crisis facing society today. Overpopulation is distinguished by the numbers of people in an area relative to its resources and the capacity of the environment to sustain human activities; that is, to the areas carrying capacity. When is an area overpopulated? When its population cant be maintained without rapidly depleting nonrenewable resources, or converting renewable resources into nonrenewable ones, and without degrading the capacity of the environment to support the population. In short, if its current human occupants are clearly degrading the long-term carrying capacity of an area, that area is overpopulated. By this standard, the entire planet and virtually every nation is already vastly overpopulated. Africa is overpopulated now because, among other indications, its soils and forests are rapidly being depleted—and that implies that its carrying capacity for human beings will be lower in the future than it is now. The United States is overpopulated because it is depleting its soil and water resources and contributing to the destruction of global environmental systems. Europe, Japan, the Soviet Union, and other rich nations are overpopulated because of their Dolan believes that an increase in population will not lead to an ultimate decline in the standard of living of humans. Also, scientists further this notion by bringing up the fact that humans, in much the same way as cancer, produce toxic metabolites. Simon believes that there is no population crisis and no environmental crisis that is due to the rapid growth of humans. We must learn to take care of the natural resources and be aware of the fact that we, as humans, will continue to reproduce and our population will continue to grow. Such a massive and still increasing population, combined with the environmentally detrimental repercussions of industrialization, as a result of the need to sustain such a large population, namely pollution from fossil fuels, has begun to take a serious toll on our planettms ecosystem. In conclusion, I believe that we must all work together to be able to live in a better environment and have a better quality of life. This meant that at some point human beings would experience a scarcity of land, food and jobs, leading to human misery and catastrophe (Southwick 159). (Dolan, 69) In short, Dolan believes that humans can decrease overall pollution while still growing in overall population. Some scientists have likened the effects that human population growthhas had on the earth to the effects of cancer on human beings (Southwick 161). Similarly, poor living conditions and sanitation, especially the lack of clean water, leads to serious outbreaks of disease. In addition, advances in agricultural and industrial technology have effectively increased the size of the globe over the last two centuries, in terms of the maximum population which it will support. For many families in poverty conditions, children are essential for the overall familys survival; more income is needed that comes with more children working. These effects in turn lead to increases in hunger and malnutrition. Some topics in this essay: Dolan Dolan, Soviet Union, Human Perspective, Paper Overpopulation, Warren Hern, Principle Population, Simon Simon, Agricultural Revolution, Edwin Dolan, population growth, Malthus Anglican, standard living, carrying capacity, reasonable standard living, reasonable standard, health care, human population, disease famine,southwick 161 scientists, poverty disease, food jobs, rich nations overpopulated, growth human, especially third world, human population growth, Population growth rate: 1.903% (2011 est.) Definition: The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing, roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring countries. Source: CIA World Factbook Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of July 12, 2011 http://www.indexmundi.com/philippines/population_growth_rate.html Indeed the population of the Philippines is expected to increase at a rate faster than that even of India. Implications for the Philippines Will The Philippines be one of a handful of countries to achieve â€Å"least-developed† status by the year 2050? There are no doubt some who will argue that the continued unchecked population growth being experienced by the Philippines is actually a blessing. Certainly it is one of the few countries that has failed to sustain any form of population policy – a consequence both of the extreme poverty experienced in much of the countryside as well as the political influence of certain religious groups who remain adamantly opposed to any form of birth control. Indeed with a number of regions – Japan and Europe most notably, facing declining populations and the United States continuing to grow largely through immigration, there are some who may see advantage in the Philippines being the baby factory of the world. But is that really what the country wants? Taking the range of projections provided by the latest data, the population of the Philippines in the year 2050 will (according to the United Nations) probably lie in the range between 154 million (high estimate) to 103 million (low estimate and based on a declining birth rate). The median predicted value is a population of 154 million. But do these figures tell the whole story? Probably not. Certainly with regard to the Philippines, the latest population data from the world body may have under-estimated the problem facing this country. Each of the scenarios modeled in the latest survey data assume that the Philippines will follow the rest of the world in implementing population policies that will lead to a declining rate of birth – the only questions then being when will it occur and how fast will that decline be? According to the data published by the United Nations, at the end of 2000 the population of the Philippine stood at 75.7 million. The population growth rate stood at 1.79 percent (annual), fertility rate (children per woman on average) at 3.18 and the crude birth rate at 2.53 percent In absolute terms, the population number given by the United Nations certainly accords with the official figure published by the (Philippines) National Statistical Coordination Board, which gives the population as of mid 2000 at 76.498 million. However the rate of population growth as determined from the National Census over the past thirty years is at variance with the UN data and in recent years the disparity is quite marked population at 82.7 million. Indeed it would appear that by end 2003, the population had already reached the level predicted by the international survey for 2005. That is not an insignificant margin of error. The population increase expected over a fiveyear period – actually occurred within three years! Against this information, the projections cited above almost certainly underestimated the future growth trend of the Philippines. Without a significant – and long-term – reduction in the birth rate, the Philippines will face a population that by the middle of the century exceeds 210 million people. Unfortunately this is not an item that appears on the national agenda. A population that is increasing more rapidly than expected also impacts on the broader demographic data not least of which is the median age of the population. While under the more modest growth scenarios the Philippines population ages from a median of around 21 years at the present time to around 35 years, under the high growth scenario the median age of the population hardly moves – only to 25 years. This means the Philippines is not only stuck with a rapidly growing population but it will remain a young population. The implications in terms of education and the demand for other social services including water and sanitation are equally alarming. Yet with such a young population, the broader tax base that comes with a rising median age will not be there to finance these demands. The population density currently stands at around 275 persons per square kilometer but could rise to as many as 700 if the worst-case scenario is realized. This possibility has immediate implications for agricultural policy and the need for rational land use and higher value-added cropping. Without such policies the poverty level – and political unrest– will be far worse than it is at present. Already the Philippines is starting late in the day. Other Asian countries, including most of the Philippines’ Asean neighbors have already adopted prudent population and industry policies to control their populations and to implement growth strategies that will make a meaningful difference to the lives of their people. Thailand for one is now reaping the benefit of policies started back in the sixties. The Philippines stands out as the exception to the rule in this regard and it is a policy stance that the country’s present political and economic elite can only ignore at the risk of jeopardizing the future of the country. http://www.philippinesforum.com/resources/research/files/PBLSR040216_population.pdf As shown at the outset of Chapter 1, the population of the Philippines is growing at the very high rate of 2.36% per year. At this rate, more than 5,000 people are born every day in a country where the number of poor people has increased by more than four million since 1985 [M92]. The population is projected to reach 111 million by 2015. Population growth in and of itself is not a problem if resources are available to cope with the additional people requiring public services, employment, housing, and so on. But in a country where the budget is already stretched and where poverty is high to begin with, population growth becomes a major issue. The links between rapid population growth and persistent poverty have been well established. Rapid population growth hinders development for two 96 Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets and Access interrelated reasons. First, because it reduces growth in per capita incomes and thus savings, it reduces the funds available for investment in productive capacity. This underinvestment in turn reduces overall economic growth and prospects for poverty reduction. Second, as population growth outpaces the capacity of industry to absorb new labor, urban unemployment and rural underemployment are compounded. In 2003, the Philippine economy generated 566,000 new jobs, of which 60% were in the services sector. Despite this job creation, unemployment levels rose because the job market was inundated with 624,000 new entrants (ADB Asian Development Outlook 2004). The larger the family, the more likely it is to be poor. Table 34 shows poverty incidence by family size for 1997 and 2000, and the two are very strongly correlated. Orbeta (2002) reviews the empirical evidence to show that high fertility is associated with decreasing investments in human capital (health and education). Children in large families perform less well in school, have poorer health, lower survival probabilities, and are less developed physically. The problem is one of resource dilution, where each additional child means a smaller share of family resources including income, time, and maternal nutrition. Orbeta (2002) further shows that larger family sizes in the Philippines are not the result of rational choice among the poor. Surveys including the APIS66 have shown that the poor have more limited access to family planning services, lower contraceptive prevalence rates, higher unwanted fertility, and higher unmet needs for family planning. The author’s conclusion is that subsidized family planning services for the poor must be an integral component of any poverty reduction strategy. Balisacan and Tubianosa (2004) undertook cross-country research to quantify the direct effects of population on economic growth, social services, and labor force participation in the Philippines. The Philippines and Thailand were similar in terms of both population and GDP per capita in 1975, but by 2000, there were 13 million more Filipinos than Thais. Total fertility rate (TFR) in Thailand had dropped to 1.9, while it remained at 3.6 in the Philippines. At the same time, by 2000 GDP per capita in Thailand had grown to 8 times its 1975 rate, while the Philippines’ GDP per capita was only 2.6 times higher. The empirical analysis shows that population is not the only cause of the poor performance of the economy, but it is the most significant one, ahead of corruption, for example. In an interesting exercise, the authors assess what the monetary savings in education and health would have been, had the Philippine population growth pattern followed that of Thailand. The authors find that P128 billion would have been saved in the education sector from 1991 to 2000, while P52 billion could have been saved in the health sector from 1996 to 2000. The Government’s new MTPDP 2004–2010 has been criticized for not articulating a clear population policy. Instead, it presents only a target: that population growth will slow to 1.98% per year by 2010. The NEDA response to this critique states that the population policy of the plan is based on responsible parenthood, respect for life, informed choice, and birth spacing (NEDA, 2004). This is insufficient. The Government, with strong donor support, should scale up family planning education and services. Innovative mechanisms and clear messages promoting contraceptive use are needed, because access does not automatically result in use, as reported in the 1999 APIS. The data shows that nearly 90% of married women aged 15–49 had access but less than 40% were actually practicing family planning. Population policy should not concentrate too narrowly on contraception alone: women’s rights, reproductive health, and education are also critical elements of the population-development equation. Rather than a singular focus on married couples, heightened emphasis should be placed on informing, educating, and providing access to adolescents and youth. The 1998 and 1999 APIS questionnaires included a series of family planning and maternal care questions–but only for married women. These were removed from the 2002 APIS for an unknown reason. http://www.adb.org/documents/books/poverty-in-the-philippines/chap6.pdf

The Interrelationship Between Theory And Practice Social Work Essay

The Interrelationship Between Theory And Practice Social Work Essay The interrelationship between theory and practice is to analyse the clients strengths based of theory and practise. The important concepts are empowerment and resilience the sources are a big factor in social work because they are the cultural and important stories that are to do with the client. Empowerment can play a big impact on the individual as this can influence their health from their emotions to their beliefs. This is the best way to help the client overcome these certain needs. For example they may need positive thinking and to ignore the negative feedback. (apa psycnet, 1996) Although theory is easy to follow it is also essential to put the theory into practice and to connect with the client. Whereas (lennarto.wordpress.com, 2009) states that the interrelationship between theory and practice is to analyze the issue non-empirically we could proceed in one of the following two ways: either we could hypothetically take one stance and see what follows from that (e.g., say that there is a close relation between theory and practice, how can we account for that and what would be the theoretical as well as practical consequences); or we could make it a normative issue. It is the environmental philosophy there has been a strong suggestion that we should minimize the gap between theory and practice. Shifting the focus from value theoretical issues towards practical real-world why do we need theory in the first place? These issues could be widely extended This is a demonstration of understanding the use of theoretical paradigms in social work. A paradigm is a group of collective ideas it is a set  of systems which  is based on a topic or theme (dictionary, 2012). For this topic I will write about Banduras theory behaviourism as a paradigm. Banduras theory is related to the bobo doll that the children wont know how to react towards things until they see how their role model acts and then they will take on this behaviour. (experiment resources, 2012) As a social worker and you help the case before it gets out of hand this is changing the behaviour they have modelled to prevent other people wont pick up this type of behaviour. Banduras paradigm can be used in social work because it relates to peoples behaviour. This is important to understand because if a client comes into see you, you need to understand that the client does have history of being violent and with knowing this paradigm you will know what questions to ask to what causes this behaviour. Changing the behaviour to what is considered to be the social norms. Bandura then considered that the personality has relations between three modules: the environment such as where the person lives, behaviour through aggression and the psychological development which is the a bility to divert images in the mind and through language. (learning theories, 2012) As a social worker you have to have an excellent understanding of how practise shapes theory and theory shapes practice. A Theory is a day to day basis to show us how to use practise works effectively. Theory that is evidenced based can impact the theory drastically every day. Through theory you can get the best outstanding models to use in the felid of social work from Te whare tapa wha to code of ethics that are used in practise. (How does theory shape practice in social work, 2010) Te whare tapa wha is a method that is used in social work that illustrates the four walls of MÄ ori well- being. The four walls are Taha wairua (spiritual), Taha tinana (physical), Taha hinengaro (mental) and Taha whaanau (family health). (health, 2012)The use of this method is to write down questions in each section to ask your client when they come to see you. Theory shapes practice because theory is a guideline of what the social worker needs follow in order to understand the client. When the social worker is having a session with the client this is the basic needs the social worker will need to know about the client in order to have a successful conversation about what is happening currently with the client. This is where Te whare tapa wha will come in place. This gives the social worker the opportunity to ask the client the questions that they have previously written down according to the notes they had previously received. For instance if the client was a violent person and preformed violent actions towards an object or human, a question under mental health could be tell me why you feel angry and what kind of thoughts do you have when you feel angry?. A series of questions can be asked in order to get the right amount of information out of the client in order to help the client recover. They could feel that they have to be violent because thats what their parents had shown them when they were younger. With this in mind you are able to relate to the client and understa nd where they are coming from. The Reflection cycle is important because this is what helps get the client on the right track with what they are trying to succeed. This area there are 6 elements to this areas these are Description (to explain what has happened?), feelings (how the client is feeling and what their thoughts are?), Evaluation (What are the good points and bad points about what is happening?), Analysis (What can you tell me about this situation?), Conclusion (what else do you think you could have done) and finally the Action plan (what would you do if it was to happen again?). (brookes.ac.uk, 1998) This is a good strategy to help a client reach their goals. Each time a social has a meeting with the client the strategies have to be different but still following the format and then the cycle is to start all over again. This is a good way for the client to tell the social worker about what has been going on in their life and in their environment. With the social worker kno wing these answers it then give the social worker the appropriate time to ask the client any questions to go further in depth for why they might need your help. You may then need to ask the client about what is going on and how the situation can make the client feel. Another view is that if the client was violent you would be able to trace back to when this first happened and strategize a way with the client of how they can fix this habit in their own way and own pace. Another form of reflection is the Layers of reflection. These contain: The Reflection-on-experience which is to reflect after the event/ situation has taken place and understanding what has happened in a positive manor. Reflection-in-action to understand the experience and take the information gained towards new goals. Reflection-within-the-moment becomes aware with what is going on with the thinking and understanding of the situation and to respond in discussion. And finally Mindful practice is aware with what is happening throughout practice. (Becoming Reflective, 2004) This is also a good model for a social worker to follow to get a full understanding of their client and also the client will be able to see the progress they are making for extra encouragement if they feel that they are close to giving up. Conclusion: In conclusion I will have explained and demonstrated my knowledge of the relationships between social work and theory and how the theory and practise link together. I then explained what theoretical paradigms and how Banduras behaviourism fits into place with the paradigm and social work theory. And finally I would have linked behaviourism into Te whare tapa wha in the areas of has practise influences theory and how theory influences practise in a clear pattern with examples of reflective is important in social work theory.

Freuds Psychoanalysis of the Interpretations of Dreams :: Freudian Psychology Essays

Dreams have been objects of boundless fascination and mystery for humankind since the beginning of time. These nocturnal vivid images seem to arise from some source other than our ordinary conscious mind. They contain a mixture of elements from our own personal identity, which we recognize as familiar along with a quality of `others' in the dream images that carries a sense of the strange and eerie. The bizarre and nonsensical characters and plots in dreams point to deeper meanings and contain rational and insightful comments on our waking situations and emotional experiences. The ancients thought that dreams were messages from the gods. The cornerstone of Sigmund Freud's infamous psychoanalysis is the interpretation of dreams. Freud called dream-interpretation the "via reggia," or the "royal road" to the unconscious, and it is his theory of dreams that has best stood the test of time over a period of more than seventy years (Many of Freud's other theories have been disputed in recent years). Freud reportedly admired Aristotle's assertion that dreaming is the activity of the mind during sleep (Fine, 1973). It was perhaps the use of the term activity that Freud most appreciated in this brief definition for, as his understanding of the dynamics of dreaming increased, so did the impression of ceaseless mental activity differing in quality from that of ordinary waking life (Fine, 1973). In fact, the quality of mental activity during sleep differed so radically from what we take to be the essence of mental functioning that Freud coined the term "Kingdom of the Illogical" to describe that realm of the human psyche. This technique of dream-interpretation allowed him to penetrate (Fine, 1973). We dream every single night whether it stays with us or not. It is a time when "our minds bring together material which is kept apart during out waking hours" (Anonymous, 1991). As Erik Craig said while we dream we entertain a wider range of human possibilities then when awake; the "open house" of dreaming is less guarded (Craig, 1992).

The Yellow Wall Paper :: Literary Analysis, Gilman, Abcarian, Klotz

The Yellow Wall Paper â€Å"The Yellow Wall Paper† is the story about a journey of a woman who is suffering from a nervous breakdown, descending into madness through her â€Å"rest cure† treatment. Basically, the woman is not allowed to read, write or to see her new-born baby. Charlotte Perkins Gilman captures the essence of this journey into madness by using the first person narration. The story plot’s is by taking the reader through the horrors of one woman’s neurosis to make strong statements about the oppression faced by women in their marriage roles. The narrator’s mental condition is characterized by her meeting with the wallpaper in her room. In addition to the story’s plot, the use of symbolism and irony throughout her story also show how males dominate during her time. From â€Å"Literature: The Human Experience† written by Abcarian and Klotz, â€Å"Irony is figurative language in which the intended meaning differs from the literal meaning† (1615). There is more than one level of irony at work in this story. Dramatic irony occurs when a reader or audience know things a character does not and, consequently, sees things differently (Abcarian & Klotz 1615). Gilman uses dramatic irony when the narrator states, â€Å"I’m feeling so much better† (Gilman 1005) as if the narrator believe that she is normal, but when she states â€Å"I think that woman gets out in the daytime! And I’ll tell you why-privately- I’ve seen her!† (Gilman 1006), the reader knows that she is actually going in sane. It is dramatic irony because the reader‘s understanding of the narrator’s speeches is different markedly from the narrator’s. Through this dramatic irony, Gilman has let the reader knows how complete seclusion can only add to the desolation and push people to the verge of insanity. The order of â€Å"rest cure† treatment may symbolize her husband’s love towards her, but ironically it makes her condition worse. This plot symbolizes how women were oppressed and dominated by their husbands and they had no place for self expression. When the narrator states, â€Å"I can see her out of my windows! I see her in that long shaded lane, creeping up and down. I see her in those dark grape arbors, creeping all around the garden† (Gilman 1006). The reader knows there is no actual woman trapped behind the wallpaper; in fact this is a hallucination that seems to be caused by forced isolation as part of her treatment.

Pocahontas – Cultural Anthropology

Writing Assignment #1: The Cultural Construction of the Idea of Progress Film chosen: Pocahontas One of Walt Disney’s most famous films, Pocahontas, takes place in the 1600s, as the British discover parts of the â€Å"New World† that are inhabited by native Americans. In this film, we are able to contrast the primitive lifestyle and culture of the Native Americans to that of the British, and are able to see how the ideas of â€Å"progress† or social evolution play a role in the ethnocentric bias held by the Westerners during this time, causing the primitive stereotypes to be built.Disney uses the structure of the characters themselves- what they wear, how they speak, what they eat, what they believe in, etc. ; and the plot line of the film, to depict the cultural construction of the idea of â€Å"progress†, and evoke the opposing ideas of the â€Å"primitive other† and â€Å"civilized self†. This film opens showing us the life of the British as they board the ship and while they’re sailing at sea. Disney starts off with the British because we as westerners relate to the British, and see their way of life as normal and civilized.We immediately relate to the color of their skin, their westernized clothing, the way they speak, and the technology they have access too. While on the boat, John Smith (the male protagonist) refers to the Native American Indians as â€Å"savages† who should be killed if they get in the way. This gives us a sneak peak into the mindset of the British and how negatively they view the Native Americans. Leaving us with the belief that the Indians are savages, Disney then introduces Pocahontas (the female protagonist) and the Indian tribe that has been living in the New World.Immediately we are exposed to the primitive lifestyle of the Indians. We see that their way of traveling is by wooden canoes, their clothing consist of a brown cloth that covers very little while they also do not ha ve on shoes, they live in tents, and have nothing but nature at it’s purest form surrounding them. We see the women out in the fields gathering corn by hand, while the men are coming home from battle, with only bows and arrows and spears for weapons.The initial reaction to seeing the culture and way of life amongst the Indians is to see them as â€Å"uncivilized† and â€Å"savage†, just as John Smith was saying on the boat. However throughout the film Disney begins to challenge this belief and shows us that the westerner’s way of life may not be the best way of life for everyone. Up until this point, John Smith and the rest of the English men had been discovering new places and finding Native American’s that had been living for many years on these foreign lands.The Europeans always saw these natives as uncivilized, barbaric savages, who needed to be taken over and â€Å"westernized†. John Smith makes a comment to Pocahontas about how they co uld make the Indians life better, and build them roads and tall buildings, and teach them how to â€Å"make the most of their land†. This is a perfect example of the ethnocentric bias mentality of the Europeans. They never once considered that someone else’s way of living and culture could actually be a successful.They thought that their way was the best way, and anything else was just an underdeveloped, barbaric lifestyle that needed to progress into the westernized lifestyle. After John Smith makes this comment about â€Å"bettering the Indian’s life styles† Pocahontas is deeply offended and proceeds to sing the popular song, The Colors of the Wind. In this song Pocahontas calls John Smith out on his ethnocentric stance and shows him her point of view, in singing: â€Å"You think you own whatever land you land on, The earth is just a dead thing you can claim, But I know every rock and tree and creature, Has a life, has a spirit, has a name.You think th e only people who are people, Are the people who look and think like you, But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, You'll learn things you never knew you never knew. † For the first time John Smith begins to listen to Pocahontas and realizes how ignorant him and his crew have been to think they can claim any land they come across, treating the natives like wild beasts.All this time the Europeans have looked down upon the primitive culture of the natives, thinking that they were sub-human, and needed to be nurtured and tamed just like animals; however in this moment John Smith see’s the free spirit in Pocahontas, and he admires her connection to the nature all around her. He begins to see that the Natives are just normal human beings in their natural element, a thriving off of the world around them, with no need of technology, or any of the advancements the westerners were bringing to the New World.Overall, Disney’s film, Pocahontas, does a wonderful job contr asting the cultures of the â€Å"primitive other† and â€Å"civilized self† with Pocahontas and the Indians as the primitive other and John Smith and the Europeans as the civilized self. We are able to see through the Europeans, their ethnocentrism, and their naive attitudes that leads them to believe they own whatever land they land on and can treat the natives however they want. Disney however plays out this film in a way to show us his view on this ethnocentric bias and how he believes it to be wrong and unlawful.He makes the viewer side with the Indians and portrays the Indians as the good guys and the Europeans as the bad guys. Disney was trying to send a message that this whiteness way of thinking is not always correct and can sometimes bring harm to others even when its not intentional. Works Cited: Pocahontas. Walt Disney Feature Animation, 1995. Film. Seriff, Suzanne. â€Å"Cultural Anthropology: ANT 302. † University of Texas. Spring 2013.