What Is A Feminist? :: essays research papers

FEM-I-NIST n. A person who is involved in the movement advocating the granting of the same social, political and economic rights to women as the ones granted to men. When asking the question, "What is a feminist?," I received some very strange responses. When I posed this question, the people who answered seemed to be confused about their own beliefs. The question was also much more controversial than I had anticipated. The group that I asked was comprised of six females and four males, and was only moderately ethnically diverse (being one African-American, one multiracial person and one Israeli). They had many ideas about what it meant to be a feminist. Going into this assignment, I assumed that everyone would have the same ideas about feminism that I did. I believe that a feminist can be many different types of people. My definition includes women who are not afraid of their own power, and are not afraid of the power of the patriarchal society, and stands up for what they believe in throughout every aspect of their life. There are also male feminists who recognize some of the wrongs that have been done to women, and support the movement to change them. A feminist can be the militant, angry female who thinks that men are against her or the soft-spoken pro-choice woman who believes in her right to choose her own health care. I believe that feminists come in all shapes and sizes, and may not be able to fit into the label that encompasses them. In my experiment, people's view of feminism came in two varieties. One version of answers focused on a positive view of feminism. After posing the question, a friend of mine named Katrina immediately responded, feminism is the "reason why you can have a bank account in your own name." Another friend, who considers herself a feminist, said that feminism is "a person who believes in complete equality; socially, economically and otherwise, between males and females." She also said "because we live in a heteropatriarchy, (feminism includes) going out of your way to support women and help lessen the gap - I will be post-feminist in the post patriarchy." I also heard from a friend named Beth that "a feminist is someone who believes in equal rights for women, even in football". She thinks that they "go out and fight, sometimes bra-less." Greta says that a feminist is "a person who respects and is considerate towards women's rights and will do anything in their power to achieve them.

The Scarlet Letter Review :: essays research papers

Adultery, betrayal, promiscuity, subterfuge, and intrigue, all of which would make an excellent coming attraction on the Hollywood scene and probably a pretty good book. Add Puritan ideals and writing styles, making it long, drawn out, tedious, wearisome, sleep inducing, insipidly asinine, and the end result is The Scarlet Letter. Despite all these things it is considered a classic and was a statement of the era. The Scarlet Letter is a wonderful and not so traditional example of the good versus evil theme. What makes this a unique instance of good versus evil is that either side could be considered either one. Hester could very easily have been deduced as evil, or the "bad guy," as she was by the townspeople. That is, she was convicted of adultery, a horrible sin of the time, but maybe not even seen as criminal today. As for punishment, a sentence to wear a scarlet "A" upon her chest, it would hardly be considered a burden or extreme sentence in present day. Or Hester can be seen as rebelling against a society where she was forced into a loveless marriage and hence she would be the "good guy," or girl, as the case may be. Also the townspeople, the magistrates, and Chillingworth, Hester's true husband, can be seen in both lights. Either they can be perceived as just upholding the law -she committed a crime, they enforce the law. On the other hand are they going to extreme measures such as wanting to take Pearl, Hester's daughter, away just because Hester has deviated from the norm, all to enforce an unjust law that does not even apply to this situation? Although the subjects of the novel do apply to important issues in history and could have had influences on the time period, they were not great. During the times and in the Puritan community this did not have a large affect on anything. Sure, they did not want anyone committing adultery, most were killed if convicted, but it was not something that upset their way of living in any permanent manner. To an individual or group who was battling something backward in the Puritan society, as were many things, this would have been an inspirational book and possibly a revelation. In short, this book could have been exceptional; it had all the elements of a superb book.

Journal of Sofonisba Anguissola Essay

I have painted many self-portraits in my life, but the one that sticks out the most to me is the one in which I painted myself holding a book. I was born in a time, when women typically were not encouraged to obtain an education. My family, however, went against the grain, and actively supported my sisters and I in our education. Even today, as I write this, my society celebrates women for our â€Å"virtue and beauty,† (Niyazi, 2011) with our sole purpose being solely the â€Å"ambition to marry and bear children† (Niyazi, 2011). Nowadays, women in Italy are â€Å"consigned to sit in their palazzos and pursue needle work† (Burke, 1995) when not occupied with the tasks of raising children and tending to their families. Women are not considered to be individuals that are worthy of being intelligent creatures and their education is believed to be a waste of time and resources. In contrast to this common societal belief, my parents pushed me to become educated. Studies of the arts were especially stressed, and this is one of the main reasons why I was even given the liberty of pursuing my artistic interests. I painted this particular self-portrait in order to show other women that education is a worthy cause to pursue. In this portrait, I painted myself holding a book. This book is open, and the viewer can see the writing within it. Within the portrait, the book is not painted merely for show, but rather to signify that it has a place in my life. It is the only object that is in the painting besides me and it draws the attention of the viewer. It is something that is special and precious and asks other women to take the journey of education with me. This self-portrait is rather simple, yet it holds quite a bit of meaning to me. I am wearing very simple, and dark colored clothing, and my hair is pulled back in a bun. I intentionally stripped my image of trad itional feminine adornments, such as an elegant dress and an elaborate hairstyle, in order to draw attention away from my femininity. I avoided these â€Å"female signifiers† (Niyazi, 2011) so that the audience would not connect my image with beauty, which is something that is traditionally connected to women in my society. I created this image to look masculine in order to show that I am mature, independent, and self-possessed (Niyazi, 2011). Even the background behind me has nothing that would detract from this; the background is a rich green color that only makes my figure stand out to the viewer. I can only hope that the women that have looked at this portrait of me are inspired to pursue their goals and dreams, no matter how foolish they may seem to be by society. I have been fortunate enough to be allowed to break away from my expected norms and go after the arts. I hear that I am the â€Å"first known woman artists to achieve international fame,† (Clara, 2012) which means that my efforts and my talents have not gone in vain. It is my humble wish that decades from now, women can look at this pai nting and see that their efforts to be more equal to men are worth and so important. Amongst the paintings that I have created, there are several others that I think are an important contribution to the study of art. The first one is The Family Group, which I painted in 1558. In this painting, the central figures are my father, Amilcare, my sister Minerva, and my only brother, Asrudbale. In the painting, my father’s attention is focused on my brother, while my sister stands behind them. This painting represents the traditional Italian family of my time, where the family is male-centered, and the females remain in the background. From amongst us seven children, my father had only one son, and only this one child had the ability to carry on our family name, therefore, this child was obviously very special to my father. This painting signifies the bonds of this relationship and the expectations that a father may have for his son. The second painting would be The Chess Game, which I painted in 1555. The main subjects of this paintings are three of my sisters, Lucia, Europa, and Minerva, and our nurse. My sisters are playing a chess game and obviously enjoying it very much. The purpose of this painting was to show that women are just as capable of being intellectual as are our male counterparts. Chess is a challenging game to engage in, and it is truly a feat to beat another player. If I remember correctly, around the time that I had painted this particular piece, the rules of this ancient game were changed in order to â€Å"make the queen the most powerful pawn† (Niyazi, 2011) within the game, which was meant to reflect back upon my sisters playing. The final painting that is remarkable to me is Portrait of Giulio Clovio, which represents the artis Giulio Clovio holding a small figure of the Flemish female artist, Levina Terrlinc, in his hand, and looking at the viewer. All throughout my artistic career, female artists were cultivated and developed under the tutelage of a famous male artist. I, myself, studied under the watchful eyes of Campi and Michaelangelo. Granted, I was able to learn crucial skills that helped me develop into the artist that I am today, but I still resent the fact that it is the male artist that must shape the female artist. The fact that the subject of this painting, Clovio, is holding miniature of a female artist shows the concept of male influence and leadership. Even though I may not completely like this, I have to accept it. However, I was able to capture my feelings regarding this issue in this painting. Overall, my paintings reflect my desire for women to be equal to men. Whatever it is that I have painting, as evidenced by my self-portrait and the other three painting that I have chosen to highlight, it is a commentary on the social conditions in Italy. I would like women to have the opportunity to obtain the education that is traditionally available only to men. We owe it to ourselves to pursue the best lives possible and to do what makes us happy instead of living fighting the expectations of society. Sources Burke, Kathleen. (May 1995). Sofonisba Anguissola: Renaissance painter extraordinare. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/anguissola-abstract.html Clara. (2012). Database of Women Artists. Retrieved from http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=116 Niyazi, Hasan. (20 July 2011). Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist. 3 Pipe. Retrieved from http://www.3pipe.net/2011/07/sofonisba-anguissola-and-problem-of.html

On Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther” Essay

Every piece of literature which alludes to the foolishness, audacity, and perhaps, sheer naivety of the age-old play that is love, in its passions, pursuit, and myriad complex jubilations and devastations, is bound to appeal to at least one individual or the other. Humanity is inherently blessed or plagued by this encompassing sentiment, however fraught with woes and literary tremors it may appear to be, which is why poems, short stories, novels, and other literary works of fiction, in the flamboyant manner by which it recounts aspects of humanity, serve as fitting stages or platforms for the overplayed drama that is love. The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe plays the aforementioned persuasion well, particularly in what many regard as a semi-autobiographical novel entitled, â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† (1774). While the novel can be easily and automatically categorized as a ‘romantic’ piece of literary fiction based on the instance that it was published during the height of the Romantic period that is 18th century western Europe, it is also identified as such because it encompasses and reflects the spirit of the said era. â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† constitutes, much like the title already aptly connotes, the pains of a young man named Werther, as he personally recounts the perennial tragedy of unrequited love, through a series of letters addressed to his friend Wilhelm. Werther is impassioned and consumed by attraction to a woman who doesn’t reciprocate his affections, much less pay attention to him, and who happens to be engaged to one of his friends. Werther culminates his long drawn poetic divulgings, outcries, and â€Å"sorrows† in the act of suicide. For most people, the concluding drama and tragedy which exists in Goethe’s novel is entirely plausible, or â€Å"realistic,† given that it was fueled by the obsessive nature of attraction. Goethe affords readers a perspective of an attraction, of a sentiment, of a proclaimed ‘love’ that may be juvenile and naive, but is far from healthy or harmless. It affirms and encompasses every romanticized idea or cliche of love as an immense force far greater than any individual; all-consuming and agonizing, especially – as in young Werther’s case – when it isn’t reciprocated. It also highlights the great lengths people rise or turn to for the sake of love, however convoluted, or different, and maybe even delusional, the form it takes may appear to be. These aforementioned â€Å"great lengths† aren’t always necessarily a good thing, in Werther’s case for instance, it meant death. It meant killing the pain, meant dying in flesh and bones in the same manner he already had inside. It meant consummating the proverbial death which he was only able to hold on to for so long. It may be achingly juvenile, and infinitely naive, but it is the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s take and translation of love, in its purest and unabashedly raw form; devoid of necessary standards, strictures and responsibilities of â€Å"reasonable love. † One which lives, and as already apparent, dies for the sole purpose of the said circus or charade of an emotion; so much so that it ascribes the instance of death, and particularly of suicide, as a course of action or undertaking which is suddenly deemed romantic, noble, or at the very least acceptable, where the passions of attraction and the agony of love is concerned. While this may appear utterly heartbreaking and romantic on the leaves of a paperback book, I have reason to believe that it should be limited to the said confines, and not translate to â€Å"the real world. † While most readers, and myself, may sympathize with Werther’s plight, agony, and his aptly titled ‘sorrows,’ I have reason to believe that love can also manifest in less explosive and immensely imposing ways. I believe that it exists and abounds throughout the greater part of humanity and the world we live in, despite what hideousness and ugliness which surrounds the current state of our country and the rest of the world may connote. It exists in something as mundane as an e-mail or phone call, a free car ride, to seeming hallmark or kodak moments as the flying of kites, a little league team at play, a shared sandwich; and to the familiar trivialities but authentic and wholly heart-warming dependability of broad shoulders, thin lips, welcoming cheeks, and the warmth of an embrace. Love exists in more than one definition and translates in varying degrees and circumstances, an individual shouldn’t decide to end his or her life because of a romanticized version of it. People should live through and for love, not die for it. As for sorrow, people should endure and keep every exquisite agony, because ultimately and essentially, sorrows affirm our humanity, and our capacity to love. Works Cited Von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. (2006) The Sorrows Of Young Werther. Mondial.

Contract Law. Questions and Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract Law. Questions and Answers - Essay Example In such case the contract is void whether it is the non-existent subject matter of the agreement ( Res Extincta) or it is regarding the contract of purchase of own property(Res Sua) . The case of unilateral mistake is where only one party is mistaken. This can be by mistake as to the terms of the contract and also by the mistake as to the identity in which the first party thinks of the third party as the second party. Where the parties are inter prae sentes (face to face) there is a presumption that the mistaken party intends to deal with the other person who is physically present and identifiable by sight and sound, irrespective of the identity which one or other may assume. In the case of mutual mistakes where the parties misunderstand each other's intentions and are at cross purposes and if the transaction is totally ambiguous so that it can be assumed that there will be no consensus ad idem (agreement as to the same thing) and the contract will be void: Moreover mistake related to documents also leads the contract voidable. If writing contracts were costless, the parties would specify which of their beliefs were crucial to the agreement and condition performance of those beliefs, just as they would avoid all ambiguity in defining performance by including all details that might be relevant (1) Since reSince reading and writing contracts is costly, courts sometimes fill gaps in incomplete contracts by supplying the omitted terms, asking what the parties would have specified ex ante had the contract writing been costless. When beliefs are mistaken, the court might follow a similar rule, not by adding omitted terms (since the contract is unambiguous), but by modifying the contract to express the true intentions of the parties. or, the court could reform the contractual obligations by voiding the contract, leaving the reconstructing to the parties involved. Reforming or voiding contracts, however, goes beyond the gap-filling function in which courts customarily engage; it is an almost paternalistic change in the contract's express terms.In the same manner, the Court always tries to make distinction between incorrect belief and mistake to empty the concept of the mistake from its original meaning. In the opinion of the Court mutual mistake will be used to announce a decision not to enforce the promis

Discussion Questions and Participation Questions Essay - 6

Discussion Questions and Participation Questions - Essay Example In order to determine if the business research study on customer satisfaction is of quality I would investigate several aspects of the study. First of all I would ask the investigator to provide a framework of the research design he used to develop the survey. The quantity or sample used was 600 people. That sample sounds like a lot, but in order to determine if is adequate I need to know the size of the population. To determine the accuracy of the study I would need to know the confidence interval the investigator used. Different dimensions of the managerial process promote effective research. For example managers have to utilize statistics in order to determine the viability of introducing a new product into the marketplace. Business research can be performed to evaluate the work efficiency of the labor force. Other aspects of the business such as production management can benefit from research design in order to optimize the quality control of the business entity. The managers are responsible over the entire performance of the business. All the different managerial dimensions affect the performance output of the business. The use of theory as you mentioned can add a lot of value to the business research process. College students go to school in order to learn about a field of study. During the learning process the student is exposed to hundreds even thousands of different theories or concepts. It would be illogical to think that these theories that we learn do not have practical applications in the real world. Theories can be used as the basis to develop alternative solutions to problems. The methodology you mentioned of defining a question, gathering information, forming a hypothesis, performing an experiment and collecting data, analyzing the data, interpreting the data (drawing conclusions), publishing results and retesting is a great system for designing business

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Essay Example petus to desegregation however occurred between 1866-1876 during the Reconstruction, when Congress overrode President Andrew Johnson and ratified the 14th Amendment. But in 1883 the U.S. Supreme Court overruled this and things reverted to their old ways although by 1869 the Freedmans Bureau had set up more than 3000 schools for black children. The most important judicial decision which led to total desegregation was the Brown v. Board of Education case, argued by such legal luminaries as Charles H. Houston and a battery of lawyers led by Thurgood Marshall, which opened the floodgates for reforms in the segregated educational system. The case was a combination of cases filed in South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, Washington D.C and Kansas. The Delaware case challenged the poor conditions of schools for blacks and also the plight of children who had to travel an hour everyday to attend a school with poor facilities because the local high school refused to take them. Louis Redding, a local NAACP attorney was the lawyer. The South Carolina case was a class action civil suit against the inferior conditions in black schools, filed by the state NAACP at the urging of Rev. J.A. DeLaine. The case from Virginia was against the inadequate buildings and inferior school facilities and was facilitated by the NAACP. The case from Washin gton D.C was filed when students from a black school, during a field trip to a white school were denied entry and the ruling stated it â€Å"a denial of the due process of law guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment†. The Kansas case which gained fame as the Brown v. Board of Education case was filed on denial of admission to black children in schools segregated for whites. The Topeka NAACP under McKinley Burnett was responsible for this suit. This case was a landmark judgment because it paved the way for desegregation, not only in schools but also other public utilities and led the way for greater change in society and a general attitude towards