Eulalia! A Mossflower Memory

Eulalia! A Mossflower Memory This is a guest post from Troy L. Wiggins. Troy is from Memphis, Tennessee. He was raised on a steady diet of comic books, fantasy fiction, and role-playing games. His short fiction and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in Griots: Sisters of the Spear, Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction From the Margins of History, The Mash-Up Americans, The Afrikana Review, Literary Orphans, and Memphis Noir. He currently resides in Memphis with his wife and their tiny expuptriate. Follow him on Twitter  @TroyLWiggins. ____________________ The end of my eighth-grade year was marked by two things: June’s hateful summer sun, and afternoon rides on buses that whined and belched like Jurassic sauropods. I despised those buses, with their emissions and squeals and oddly stained plastic seats. They would rumble down one of my hometown’s major streets, stopping just enough times for rowdy groups of middle and high schoolers who frequented the back of the bus to get too loud and catch shouted admonishments from the elders who sat at the front. I could usually be found lurking around the rowdy group, a “good kid” with a decent GPA who played along because it was better to be at the edge than to cross that thin line to outsider status. I had always loved books, though I could never find time to read them on the bus. My parents’ mantle was covered with prizes I had been awarded for my reading prowess. But those same parents, who knew that a young black man spending his time reading books with sword-bearing white people on the cover wasn’t always the most direct path to academic success, had steered my literary consumption in more practical directions. One of my classmates had been engrossed in a book that reminded me of my forbidden reading loves, only instead of white people on the cover, there were mice. His face never left its pagesto the detriment of his math studies. Seeing his enjoyment, I decided to ask him if I could borrow the book for a few days. The closer he got to the end, the more apprehensive I became. Here is where fate first intervenes: The day we found ourselves in detention together (because of missed math homework) was the very day he finished the book. I gave my ask and he told me, with the air of a child who gets everything that he wants and thus doesn’t care about anything in particular, that I could have the book because it was old anyway. That was my introduction to Brian Jacques’ Mossflower, and I went into his hero creature filled world with glee in my heart. I crossed the thin line that day. Unable to deal with the volume at the back of the bus, I moved to the front. Someone made a Rosa Parks joke, but everyone else seemed unbothered. What frightened me next was getting off at the transfer, where all of the toughest and most frightening reform school kids would hang out. Mossflower, however, was more compelling. Would Martin and Gonff escape Tsarmina’s clutches? Was Fortunata a sorceress? I kept reading because I had to know. There was a bench at the transfer, stained with the sins of high school children. I sat there, book in hand, barrelling through the eventual prison break, and followed along as a group of woodland creatures fomented a revolution. I was completely engrossed despite my teenage fears. At least, until fate decided to interrupt me once again. The girl that sat down next to me smelled like Now and Laters and hair products. Her school uniform was in a state of disarray, and her lips were plump with gloss. Two friends flanked her, equally stunning with their braids, jewelry, and candy scents. I prayed that they couldn’t hear my teeth chattering. “What you reading?” the ringleader asked, genuinely interested. She made popping noises with her gum because she could. “A book,” I replied (Stupid!), holding it up so that she could see the cover. She studied it for a moment. In the background, her friends were engaged in a discussion about which of the boys currently crossing the street was the most handsome. “That’s a weird looking book,” she said. My heart dropped to my feet, either because she had deemed my book strange or because she disapproved of me as a cluster of breathing cells. “What’s it about?” “It’s like an adventure story,” I said, somewhat surprised that I was able to form sentences. “This mouse gets locked up in a dungeon by an evil queen. The queen’s a wildcat. He and his friend break out of jail, and there’s probably going to be a big fight where they break the other folks out of the dungeon too, and save the woodlands.” “For real? My cousin is in jail. I wish somebody would break him out.” She looked at me for a moment, and I tried not to melt into a puddle of proteins. “I just came over here to see what you was reading. You looked like it was real good. If I see you after you finish your book, can I borrow it?” “You can have it,” I promised her. She smiled at me, then went to join her friends, sliding on her tough mask and punching one of the handsome boys in the arm. I never saw her again. But every so often, I think on the effect of this moment on the trajectory of my life, and consider reaching out to those who reassured me when I was most afraid of belonging. Before I do, though, I catch myself, and realize that even though the events were important, discovering a book that I loved is what mattered most. Instead of stalking them across social network profiles, I choose to send the two of them silent thanksin whatever strange way one thanks their memories.   ____________________ Book Riot Live is coming! Join us for a two-day event full of books, authors, and an all around good time. Its the convention for book lovers that weve always wanted to attend. So we are doing it ourselves.

Utilization of Satellite Information to Screen Carbon...

Article 1 Overview: This study investigated the utilization of satellite information to screen carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) in Northern Thailand throughout the dry season when woodland flames are known to be a vital reason for air contamination. Satellite information, incorporating Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) CO, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer vaporized optical profundity (MODIS AOD), and MODIS fire hotspots, were examined with air contamination information measured at nine programmed air quality overseeing stations in the study range for February–April months of 2008–2010. The association examination indicated that every day CO and PM with size beneath 10 ÃŽ ¼m (Pm10) were connected with the woodland fire hotspot include, particularly the country regions with the most extreme relationship coefficient (R) of 0.59 for CO and 0.65 for Pm10. The correspondences between MODIS AOD and Pm10, between MOPITT CO and CO, and betwe en MODIS AOD and MOPITT CO were additionally dissected, affirming the companionship between these variables. Two backwoods fire scenes were chosen, and the scattering of contamination tufts was mulled over utilizing the MOPITT CO downright segment and MODIS AOD information, together with the surface wind vectors. The outcomes demonstrated consistency between the crest scatterings, areas of thick hotspots, ground checking information, and common winds. The satellite information were indicated to be

Trurls M - 1077 Words

Title: Trurl’s Machine Author: Stanislaw Lem As a boy Stanislaw Lem showed an early interest in science as well as in the imaginary worlds of fantasy and science fiction. The young Lem’s interest in tinkering mechanical devices of all sorts was put to use by secretly damaging the German vehicles during the Nazi occupation. Later on, he became a full time writer establishing himself as leading science fiction writer in Eastern Europe. This writer from Lvov Poland (now Ukraine) worked on serious themes as the purpose of life and relationship between human beings and technology. Characters: Trurl -He is a constructor who built an eight-story thinking machine. -He is so disappointed that his machine can’t answer his mathematical†¦show more content†¦Thunder and sulfurous fumes filled the cave and sparks flew from the blows of steel on rock, yet through all this pandemonium one could still make out, now and then, the ragged voice of Trurl. They heard an explosion and saw the machine, lay smashed and flattened, nearly broken in half by an enormous boulder that had landed in the middle of its eight floors. With the greatest care they picked their way down through the smoking rubble. In order to reach the riverbed, it was necessary to pass the remains of the machine. Without a word, the two stopped together in the shadow of its twisted hull. The machine still quivered slightly, and one could turning, creaking feebly, within. â€Å"Yes this is bad enough you’ve come to, and two and two is—as it always was—â€Å" began Trul, but you just then the machine faint, barely audible croaking noise and said for the last time, â€Å"SEVEN.† Then something snapped inside, a few stones dribbled down from overhead, now before them lay nothing but lifeless mass of scrap. The two constructors exchanged a look and silently, without any further comment or conversation, walked back the way they came. Lesson Learned: †¢ There’s a good side to everything. †¢ Don’t expect too much, it can hurt you. †¢ One must not hurt others, even the machines/robots, because we don’t know what will happen after

Example of Interpersonal Communication Free Essays

Concept Application Paper Aside from food, water, oxygen and other practical needs, communication with the people around us has proven to be essential for our own well-being. The different types and styles of communication allow ourselves the opportunity to create and build relationships with the people around us. It is also the basis on how we define ourselves through self-image and self-esteem. We will write a custom essay sample on Example of Interpersonal Communication or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through social, inflated, and deflated comparison we shape ourselves into the image in which we feel would satisfy the people around us; how we think others want to see us. In more cases it is a negative thing as the true soul inside a person is usually too ashamed or scared to reveal themselves to the public. We then force ourselves to shape into an image we feel will please the people around us. Evolved from our life experiences, we set an imaginary guideline in our mind for people to be considered ‘normal’ based on our perception of how society should behave. We automatically isolate anyone who deviates from these â€Å"guidelines†; they might include a person from a different culture or someone who simply wants to express themself. It was our responsibility to investigate how society reacts to an adjustment in the social norm. In this experiment I wore a tank top, board-shorts, and flip-flops in which I enacted in unordinary verbal and non-verbal communication with the people around me. As a male in the American culture, I dress myself according to what I suppose is ‘trendy’ in my sub-culture. By observing a person’s patterns in the way they dress and how they act, it is possible to discover a person’s personality. An identity is created through our manners, appearance, and the environment we associate ourselves around. We pick and choose how we want others to see us in different situations, so of course no one would ever think of dressing out of their usual pattern for no apparent reason. However, the purpose of the experiment is not to continue to carry on with daily procedures, but to deviate and record reactions and changes in behavior of bystanders. I devised a theory that I would be able to observe two sets of reactions, one from the people whom I share relationships with and random students whom I have never met before. People who have knowledge about my existence would be able to detect a change in behavior while a stranger would just consider their encounter simply as something out of the ordinary. I chose to wear clothing not typically suited for the weather; Corvallis was reaching mid 40os and I had decided to be dressed in clothes one would wear to the beach. I felt this was an appropriate change in behavior because it would not be following the usual guidelines of the social norm. Everyone had one or two jackets and long pants, setting the basic social code to follow. However, since I was not abiding to this ‘system’, I was considered an outcast or placed in an out-group of the current social culture. Even if I were not doing an experiment and intentionally dressing this specific way, I would be relaying non-verbal codes to whoever saw me which in their opinion would be interpreted much different than what I may have meant them to be. It would all be a matter of opinion or relational communication between me and the people in the environment. The channels of communication would be through non-verbal/ non-vocal communication. Other channels would be invalid because I would not be communicating through other means including spoken or written words. However, fewer available channels did not result in any less interaction. In the experiment, it was interesting as the deviation from the social norm sparked two reactions in people whom either allowed this contact to prohibit them from verbally communicating with me or on the contrary, the change actually was a catalyst and started verbal communication as the main topic of discussion. This occurred in both groups of people whom I was acquaintances with and people I did not know. A friend who had happened to see me first as I left my room was slightly shocked and warned me about the weather. Although their tone wasn’t hostile, more trying to help, the message that I interpreted was â€Å"If you’re not going to change clothes you’re going to look really weird wearing that type of clothing and secondly, you’ll be cold for the rest of the time until you decide to change your mind. My reaction to this conversation was close to emotionless because I would have reacted the same and produced similar responses because we interpret any change in behavior as ‘not normal’. Walking to a dining hall outside in public, my first observation was receiving numerous stares from the people passing me. Through my analysis this was a form of intrapersonal communication because I decoded their body language with a certain meaning and message. By simple gestures of staring and changes in body language, it encoded a message of ‘out casting’ to the receiver solely based on the type of clothing I wore. I am thankful that I was not dramatically influenced by any of the responses and reactions I observed between my friends and the public. My analysis is these responses were forms of communication which easily could have been affected by culture and perception. People’s different interpretations would eventually lead to the shaping and defining of one’s identity through their behavior and appearance based on how they want others to see themselves. Although it apparent that media has a large influence on choosing how we present our public self, it may seem that the people around us also have a large influence as well. They might include significant others or just ordinary people whom we compare ourselves to in social comparison. This experiment was a great understanding of how some people automatically separate someone just by expressing themselves. Society defines certain things such as fashion or behavior attached with the message, â€Å"follow the same guidelines or beware of being put in an out-group. Majority of people will be high-self monitors and follow the norm. Personally, I feel I am this way because of the need to feel belonging to a particular group or something. I learned that it is much harder to express one-self based on our own intuition of being ‘judged’ for what we do. By investigating how society reacted to an adjustment in the social norm, it was evident when I wore different clothing; the res ults when engaged were rather un-warming incidents of unordinary verbal and non-verbal communication. How to cite Example of Interpersonal Communication, Essay examples

Introduction to Data Science Cookies Ltd Bakery

Question: Discuss about theIntroduction to Data Sciencefor Cookies Ltd Bakery. Answer: Introduction Cookies Ltd bakery has been selling its whole range of enticing cookies since years. The sales all around have been productive and now it is time to grow digitally. The company runs its business through local transaction management system. With the advent of technology now one can present themselves and their product anywhere and anytime. The report comprise of the two prior requirements of the company that is being Consumer-centric and Data-driven. It will focus and highlight the technologies that will help the company to expand and achieve high sales and productivity maintaining the quality. This report has been divided into three parts Storage and data collection system Data in Action Business continuity plan during IT disaster The age of digitization has taken the business to great heights. Each and every company whether executing business online or not, today requires an online presence. This presence allows holding on to consumers and enlarge mass of potential customers. Being online helps one to showcase their products and thus making it easier for the company to become a brand. This also provides a gateway for the customer to be connected with their favorite product or brand by rating and reviewing the product. This kind of medium influences a large mass with varied customer of diversified demography. Along with that new and trending Information and Communication technologies should not be forgotten. Today we have many such systems to help the business flow fast and accurate. Cookies Limited likewise requires a strategic plan to keep a track of customers needs, demands and feedback in accordance with the data collected from the customer itself. Following strategies and business model can be implemented to achieve the desired outcomes. Data Collection Storage System Data can be defined as any set of information or facts gathered from different channels of sources for analysis or referencing (Stanton 2013). Data collection is a way of collecting or gathering facts on some targeted variables done in a systematic fashion. These data need to be analyzed, managed, calculated and keep a track of it (Stanton 2013). Tracking the data let the company plan and manages future models for the growth of the company (Shmueli, Patel and Bruce 2016). Data collection basically is done to secure the evidence and then analyze it later to answer those questions that have been raised. Cookies Limited requires maintaining the data related to its inventory, transactions, sales and product details. Inventory Data for all the raw products purchased needs to be stored so to keep a track on the investments and the budget. Transaction It will include all the monetary deals taking place related to buying of raw products, selling of the products made, investments on buying new and more advanced machineries, packaging and payments made to the employees. Sales Under this only the data related to pure sales of the company is maintained. The productivity and the gain incurred in the sales in a particular time. These data capture evidence and calculate the growth of the company in the recent past. Product Details This will consist of all information related to the products being served by the company along with their extent of sale. It will help in re-designing the product list in accordance to the present demand. Storage System A storage system can be mentioned as a system which stores, updates and allow user to access data to resent or calculate any issue. The storage of these data is very important for the company which would be advantageous if all is stored at one single place. This can resolve many issues of storing, accessing and managing data. This process can be accomplished with help of a proficient database system. A Database system will allow the managing authorities to conveniently store and update their data collection (Coronel and Morris 2016). To implement, this will require appointing a Database Administrator who will manage the entire task related to it. This system comes for free (Oracle database) and does not require any nominal charges. Alongside this also provides the facility of cloud computing which allows authorities to access manage and alter data anywhere, anytime through any devices (Grasselt 2016). Carrying out these implementations will lower the investment budget, increase the productivity, make computing faster and help the Cookies Limited to prosper (Bester et al. 2016). Data in Action Consumer-centric product design determines the marketing and sales of a specific label, bracket or the monetary portfolio of products. Such design provides liberty to the company to target appropriate consumer to enhance the profits. Furthermore, it assists company in determining suitable strategies for acquisition of suitable customers by understanding customer demand and service based requirements. Besides this, it helps in long-term value additions by differentiating a product from the race and decrement in the production time to maximize profit. Production and marketing of such produce must be customer oriented and is be induced by appropriate statistics on the requirement by the customer (Chang 2016). Customer centric business requires consumer pivot direction, cognizance of the target consumer, detailed analysis on the existing and future relationship, strengthening the front line, increased profits, and appropriate feedback to key stakeholders. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can prove to be a best implementation to get the business customer centric. To elaborate we can say, it is software which works on enormous amount of data where it solely uses it artificial intelligence to list down or separate the needs and requirements of different people differently. This sets appropriate policies, procedures and guidelines for synergy between the producers and consumers, and amplification in overall experience of customer (Khodkarami and Chan 2014). It gives the company and its people a 360 view of every customer and then allows to use these data to heighten the experience of the customer. This can push the business to a different level. It can help Cookies limited in the following ways: Providing a Complete View CRM software works as a perfect tool which functions smartly to identify the customers need and the history of the positive customer. It is like a survey made internally for a better understanding of the customer interaction. Here one can reference to the last customer interactions. This works much faster and in a smooth manner. Marketing Automation This is another highlighting feature which makes the CRM efficient in providing customer centric business. It provides all from email designing to automation. It sends registered user or customers electronically generated mails with new and upcoming products feedback forms and other such details to make customer relationship better. In this way business can be empowered in more lot sense. Sales Pipeline It is one of the general advantages of the CRM software to track and identify the sales pipeline. Visibility of the sales pipeline is very essential as it allow to insight in forecasting in an enhanced way. Once the precept about insights are clear on can have a far more beneficial conversation or rather interaction with the prospects. Intelligent Recommendation System Recommendation system is an extension of information filtering system which works more deeply with the allied properties of an artificial intelligence. It determines the proclivity and ranking the customer must provide as a feedback to the service or product provided (Robillard et al. 2014). In general it provides a company with likes or dislikes of customers and works as a filtering system. It automatically learns from the customers previous behaviors and action, thus forming a list of recommendation for their next interactions. Based on filtering type recommendation system are of two kinds: Content Based: Such technique compares content to consumer attributes. Comparison is done on the basis of detailed prognosis on the existing information on consumer demand and sales (Adomavicius and Tuzhilin 2015). Furthermore, it does not undertake consumer perspective for the decision making. Collaborative Filtering: It is a primary technique which advocates products after the detailed analysis on the need and requirement of the consumer. Furthermore, it uses consumer perspective for the decision making (Hedge and Shetty 2015). On the basis of the ratings and reviews provided the collaborative filtering generates recommendation any of the three below given ways: Item-based: recommendations that are categorized in consonance with similar items. User-based: Users having familiar characteristics and interests are used to derive the recommendations. Slope-one: This is a fast method which uses previous rating of the items to create a recommendation lists. Business Continuity Plan Business Continuity undertakes procedural designing and composition that allows an organization to continue operations in power outage and other disasters. The three core dimensions of business continuity are resilience, recovery and contingency (Cook 2015). Disasters must never affect functioning and framework of the business (Snedaker 2013). Further, a business must immediately recover from the critical situation and must be willingly available to front an unfavorable condition. Continual survival of online business can be implemented with the help of Information Technology Disaster Recovery Plan. This provides an organized approach to unwanted and unfavorable threats to hardware, web, software and system (Whitman, Mattord and Green 2013). Undertaking business impact analysis (BIA): This provides insights on information technology systems and constituents in order to locate and prioritize critical areas. The system which the company installs will keep them ahead with planning as the data analysis will be provided to them and they can plan their impact and solutions beforehand. Genesis of preventive measures: This determines different measures to be taken to decrease or overcome the detrimental effects. Data backup creation can be a major step to fail the effect of power outage or disaster (Whitman, Mattord and Green 2013). Here vendor supported recovery strategy will efficiently help the company to be ready for any disaster as the data has been backed up on someplace else thus saving the data from any kind of mishap. Evaluation and modification of restoring methods: This step provides analysis on strategies required for recovery after the disaster. Formation of Information technology emergency plan: Although if company lands up also in any trouble these steps provide policies, procedures and strategies for restoration after a power outage or other disaster (Cook 2015). Hence Cookies Limited requires framing on certain reconstruction plans and policies which will help it in disaster recovery. Experimentation, tutelage and implementation of procedures: This step determines the loopholes in the existing plan and also provides further training required for the efficacious activation. Continuance of new plan: This step provides an updated plan with fewer loopholes to enhance the efficiency of the business (Cook 2015). Conclusion Conclusively, Cookies limited will flourish greatly in future with digitization. The company can go with present technologies and advancement familiar today. This will allow the company to be present in front of mass without any extra advertising. It is also true the brand or a company gain more popularity among masses if it is user centric that is a user or a customer can freely share a feedback and send responses in likings of their flavor, taste and services. The company on choosing the above mentioned appropriate methods and techniques like recommendation system, database system or customer relationship management system will brinng the company in race with todays growing companies. References Adomavicius, G. and Tuzhilin, A., 2015. Context-aware recommender systems. InRecommender systems handbook(pp. 191-226). Springer US. Bester, K., Chandler, A.T., Shewell, M.A. and Yates, S.J., International Business Machines Corporation, 2016.Grouping data in a database. U.S. Patent 9,495,441. Bogers, M., Hadar, R. and Bilberg, A., 2016. Additive manufacturing for consumer-centric business models: Implications for supply chains in consumer goods manufacturing.Technological forecasting and social change,102, pp.225-239. Chang, J.F., 2016.Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Choi, K. and Suh, Y., 2013. A new similarity function for selecting neighbors for each target Cook, J., 2015. A six-stage business continuity and disaster recovery planning cycle.SAM Advanced Management Journal,80(3), p.23. Coronel, C. and Morris, S., 2016.Database systems: design, implementation, management. Cengage Learning. Grasselt, M., Maier, A., Mitschang, B., Suhre, O. and Wolfson, C.D., International Business Machines Corporation, 2016.Workflow processing system and method with database system support. U.S. Patent 9,342,572. Gutjahr, G., 2015. Consumer Relationship Management. InMarkenpsychologie(pp. 131-132) Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Hegde, A. and Shetty, S.K., 2015. Collaborative Filtering Recommender System.International Journal of Emerging Trends in Science and Technology,2(07). item in collaborative filtering.Knowledge-Based Systems,37, pp.146-153. Khodakarami, F. and Chan, Y.E., 2014. Exploring the role of customer relationship management (CRM) systems in customer knowledge creation.Information Management,51(1), pp.27-42. Lusch, R.F. and Vargo, S.L., 2014.The service-dominant logic of marketing: Dialog, debate, and directions. Routledge. Newnes. Robillard, M.P., Maalej, W., Walker, R.J. and Zimmermann, T. eds., 2014.Recommendation systems in software engineering. Springer Science Business. Stanton, J.M., 2013. Introduction to data science. Shimomura, Y., Nemoto, Y. and Kimita, K., 2015. A method for analysing conceptual design process of product-service systems.CIRP Annals-Manufacturing Technology,64(1), pp.145-148 Shmueli, G., Patel, N.R. and Bruce, P.C., 2016.Data Mining for Business Analytics: Concepts, Techniques, and Applications with XLMiner. John Wiley Sons. Snedaker, S., 2013.Business continuity and disaster recovery planning for IT professionals. Whitman, M.E., Mattord, H.J. and Green, A., 2013.Principles of incident response and disaster recovery. Cengage Learning.

Comfort Women Essays - Comfort Women, Forced Prostitution

Comfort Women Comfort Women In 1932, the Japanese armys comfort stations began. The Japanese Lieutenant-General Okamura Yasuji, was trying to find a solution to the 223 reported rapes by Japanese troops. So the only solution that he could find was to ask for comfort women to be sent for his soldiers in Shanghai, China. The Japanese Army made use of comfort stations a lot until the war ended in 1945. At a typical comfort station, a soldier paid a fee, obtained a ticket and a condom, and was admitted to a woman's space. Pak (her surname) was about 17, living in Hamun, Korea, when local Korean officials, acting on orders from the Japanese, began recruiting women for factory work. Someone from Pak's house had to go. In April of 1942, Korean officials turned Pak and other young women over to the Japanese, who took them into China, not into factories. Pak's history is not unusual. A majority of the women who provided sex for Japanese soldiers were forcibly taken from their families, or were recruited deceptively. Sometimes family members were beaten or killed if they tried to rescue the women, most in their teens. Once the women arrived at the comfort station, they were forced to have sex, typically with 20 to 30 men a day. If they resisted, they were beaten or killed. Nearly all of the two-and-a-half million Japanese soldiers who surrended to the Allies in 1945 would have known about the comfort system, according to George Hicks' book The Comfort Women. However, after the war the comfort stations quickly faded from public consciousness, and for years the issue received little attention. Accounts of former comfort women reveal that many told only a few family members or no one about their experiences. The events that led to international awareness of the issue began in 1988. In that year, Professor Yun Chung Ok of Ehwa Women's University in Korea began to lead an activist group that conducted and presented research about the comfort women. In 1990, 37 women's groups in Korea formed the Voluntary Service Corps Problem Resolution Council and demanded that the Japanese government admit that Korean women had been forcibly drafted to serve as comfort women, publicly apologize, fully disclose what happened, raise a memorial, compensate survivors or their families, and include the facts in historical education. In response, the Japanese government denied that women had been forced to work at comfort stations and maintained that it was never involved in operating comfort stations. In 1991, three Korean former comfort women filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government. History

Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Soci Essays - Gender

Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Soci Essays - Gender Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Socialization Double Standard of Masculinity in Gender Role Socialization Masculinity is a topic that has been debated in our society extensively, through research as well as in informal settings. Many wonder what it means to be masculine, and if we can really assign a definition to such a subjective term. After all, shouldn't one's own perception be the determinant of what constitutes masculinity? This self-construction would be the ideal in our society, but unfortunately, it represents a false belief. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. In this paper I will explore the many facets of masculinity and demonstrate how certain beliefs pertaining to it are perpetuated in our society. I will also uncover many of the contradictions between society's assigned definition of masculinity and the expectation that males will somehow learn how to act contrary to that assigned and learned meaning. Definition of Masculinity Men are primarily and secondarily socialized into believing certain characteristics are definitive in determining their manliness and masculinity. These characteristics range from not crying when they get hurt to being and playing violently. The socialization of masculinity in our society begins as early as the first stages of infancy. A child's burgeoning sense of self or self-concept is a result of the multitude of ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs to which he is exposed (Witt 1997). Later in this paper the question of whether there are genetic factors will be discussed. However, to further my argument at this point, I will discuss masculinity as it is socially defined. From the outset of a boy's life he is socialized into the belief that he should be 'tough'. Often when boys get hurt, 'scrape their knee', or come whimpering to their mother or father, the fated words, Little boys don't cry, issue forth. Children internalize parental messages regarding gender at an early age, with awareness of adult sex role differences being found in two-year-old children. One study found that children at two and a half years of age use gender stereotypes in negotiating their world and are likely to generalize gender stereotypes to a variety of activities, objects, and occupations (Witt 1997). This legitimization teaches males that boys and men are not allowed to cry. There also exists the belief that boys are often required to do 'men's work' outside of the home such as mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, etc., and not 'sissy women's work' such as cooking and cleaning, etc. Other factors help to perpetuate certain standards expected of men and boys (Stearns 1990). The violence boy's witness on television further legitimates this belief. Katz explains that advertising imagery equates masculinity with violence. For boys this means aggression is instrumental in that it enables them to establish their masculinity (Katz 1995). Lee Bowker researched the influence advertisements have on youth. He asserts that toy advertisements featuring only boys depict aggressive behavior. Strangely, the aggressive behavior generally results in positive consequences more often than negative. Bowker also looked at commercials with boys that contain references to domination. The results of all the commercials indicate that 68.6% of the commercials positioned toward boys contain incidents of verbal and physical aggression. There was no cross?gender display of aggressive behavior. Interestingly, not one single-sex commercial featuring girls shows any act of aggression (Bowker 1998). This research helps explain that it is not just the reinforcement of close caretakers t o the child that legitimate masculinity but society as a whole (using the television as a symbol of society and it's desires). Another example of how this can be reinforced even by women who may or may not be trying to promulgate such a belief is with an experience I had growing up: When I would get a cut or a bruise, I would muster up all the strength I had to not cry. I feared that if I cried I wouldn't be worthy of being a tough kid. On one occasion I had a severe cut in my knee that required several stitches. When I took a look at the wound after rolling up my pant leg, my first inclination was to break out crying. However, at that moment my teacher told me what a