...implementation of stronger drug prohibition laws. Many of the positively represented films were eradicated to make way for more insightful films about drugs – illustrating the true horrors of drugs and consequences of addiction. In these films, Boyd finds the choice in music is a vital key in pursuing the message. Susan Boyd’s ‘Pleasure and Pain’ seeks to explore the historical motifs of drug trafficking, consumption, and addiction through a number of relevant texts dated between the 1960s and the year 2010 in the hope to broaden current representations of drug use in the entertainment industry. The initial views presented in Boyd’s research are that the films and songs about drugs emphasise the risk and dangers of use, along with how it brings pleasure and fun. The works of Coveney and Bunton however propose that pleasures of drug consumption are different in for all contexts in that some cultures may see drug use as pleasurable, while some may not. In turn, they believe the natural urges derived from bodily pleasures are the causes for such irrational decisions (consumption of drugs). Throughout the course of ANTH106, students have learnt that drugs carry a very large symbolic status. As a result of this, the general stigma of drug abusers have been carried on to this day and age – being described as criminal in nature, as well as identifying a majority of them as...
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...Why Asian Americans are facing unfair treatment from U.S society? Xuchen Cheng The Ohio State University Why Asian Americans are facing unfair treatment from U.S society? The term, hyphenated American, is initially used to disparage people who came from a foreign region but were born in America. Asian Americans, which occupy about 4.8% of US population (Wikipedia), are often defined as those Americans who emigrated from Far East, such as China, India. In recent years, it has become common to see Asian American typically as technicians in U.S advertisements and this trend leads to a controversy of Asian American’s stereotype and portray among U.S society. It is not fair to Asian American of being portrayed as a limited and singular cliché for such highly diverse group. In this case, Asian Americans face an unfair judgment from their “hyphen” that should certainly be removed. The more appearance of Asian Americans in visual culture can be a double-edged sword, indicating the consumption and repercussions among U.S society. On the one hand, it’s encouraging to see Asian American faces in the mainstream media being associated with positive traits — intellectual, well-educated, knowledgeable, etc. (P.Farhi, 2011, p14). For example, in Verizon’s 2011 commercial, Belt of Technology, a kid walked in a Verizon store and showed off his amazing hardware, such as PSP, E-reader, and his smirk vanished after the salesman pulled out a smartphone with more than 200,000 apps available...
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...the everyday, and even in those areas of media production and consumption where it may be suggested that there is scope for both resistance and ambiguity (and there is evidence, for example, in popular music culture and in some online networks and bulletin boards that this is the case).” (Silverstone, R., 2002). It’s the media, producers and the fortune 500 companies that produce consumer goods and those companies that feed our imaginations with fallacies through “entertainment” television. i. Thesis: It is my belief that we should hold the media accountable for its not only on a deontological level but, a judicial level as well. II. Ethnics: while not mandatory is in good character. i. Promote your business in a positive light. ii. Provide positive influences for children. III. Where the stereotypes are: “There are many formal fallacies, mistakes in reasoning that occur due to the structure of the argument (the fallacy of affirming the consequent is, therefore, a formal fallacy). There are also hundreds of informal fallacies.” (Mosser, 2010) i. Stereotypes and the media influence consumers with fallacies such as Slippery Slope, False Authority and Hasty Generalizations. ii. It’s “reality”, not the consumers’ reality but the producers, advertisers and writers. IV. Blame it on the media: there ignorance and why they are wrong, “Even after a person leaves a situation where they faced negative stereotypes, the effects of coping with that situation remain,” says Inzlicht...
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...psychoactive substances have long prevailed through history. For decades society has known about psychoactive substances and many are presented through media as a norm. Throughout, the American popular culture, the media frequently documented these substances through movies, songs, TV shows, TV commercials, etc. Both society and the media have implemented good and bad stereotypes of drug use. On one side, they indicate that media cannot portray more than it is actually shown in the media. On the other hand, longitudinal studies support a connection between media portrayals of drug use and other drugs among children, adolescents and young adults. For this said, I decided to choose one of America’s popular movies, Scarface,...
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...relevancy and suitability of coding in our programming, basic principles of decoding/encoding (Hall 1980) have been substituted with our cultural norms and as a result, they influence our interpretation of "the meaning". This critical review will explore two different articles on this issue and assess their contents. One could argue that Daniel Miller's paper “The Young and the Restless in Trinidad: A Case of the Local and the Global in Mass Consumption" (2002) which is a study on local and global transformation and cultural content in television programming does not fully take into account John Fiske's "Television Culture"(1987) which outlines the codes of images that determine the way we create and understand television; when claiming that society is already pre-disposed to coding cultures and therefore specific coding does not necessarily apply when cultural context is imposed on an audience. Firstly, Fiske and Miller believe that coding is involved in the process of guiding an audience to a meaning. Secondly, they imply that while culture context does manipulate an understanding of meaning, there needs to be an initial adapted code before context comes into play. Both of the articles, published within ten years of one another, are written from a post-modern viewpoint. This means that both authors discuss the general ideology of coding and how it affects the audiences understanding of "meaning". Equally important, both arguments contrast one another. One article breaks down...
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...changes in consumption pattern. At first we will explain the changes of men’s consumption patterns, in a second time we will talk about the changes of consumption habits in women, in a third part we will see how these changes influenced retailers, and finally we will conclude. With the modernization, and the development of new technologies, we can see a change in men’s consumption behaviors. Indeed the gender stereotypes have faded; cosmetics are no longer reserved to women, the choice of the car is no longer reserved to men…With the growth of challengers, the increase of e-commerce, retailers couldn’t sell their goods like in the past with one product for everyone without take into account Culture, gender, age... and they have to developed new strategies like retail market segments, business intelligent tools to respond to these changes. Nowadays “more and more men are in the market for grooming and personal care products”. “Men’s grooming represents a $35 billion global industry in America” (source: FIT NYC). Indeed the attitudes and mindset of the American male have evolved. “Today three out of four men agree that men and women don’t need to conform to traditional roles and behaviors anymore” (source: FIT NYC). Nowadays women work as much as men, the household is become neutral and it’s become common to share responsibilities. “Men take more grocery shopping tasks” This change of the gender stereotype is not the only factor that made this change of men consumption. Indeed...
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...Handicapped Does not Mean Handi-can’t Media Portrayals of disabled Americans Monica Franklin University of the Rockies Abstract This paper will discuss the way the media portrays people with disabilities. One aspect of our culture that has been misrepresented in the media is the portrayal of people with handicaps or disabilities. Unfortunately people with disabilities have been given a bad rap due to negative images displayed by the media, thus leading to negative perceptions. These perceptions lead to isolation and ridicule. The paper will also focus on the negative effects of stereotypes used to describe this group. Images will also be displayed throughout the paper that represents what the media would like society to see as disabled in America. Key Words: Disability, isolation, perceptions, misrepresentation, negative , images disabled. Handicapped Does not Mean Handi-cant Media Portrayals of disabled Americans Television has been a part of our lives since the early 1920’s and mass media has been instrumental in the portrayals of American culture, but what do you envision when you hear the word disabled? What do you envision when you hear handicap? One aspect of our culture that has been misrepresented in the media is the portrayal of people with handicaps or disabilities. According to the portrayal in the media, rumor has it that people with disabilities are needy, dependant, submissive and always the center of distasteful jokes. Disability by definition...
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...FINAL ESSAY Your name Course Name Date 1. Describe the major hormonal changes that occur during adolescence. Describe girls’ reactions to menarche and boys’ reactions to spermarche during puberty. What factors influence the way adolescents respond? Describe the impact of puberty on parent–child interaction and the adaptive value of this change in adolescents’ relationships with their parents. Hormonal change is at its peak during adolescence and is a period of rapid psychological and physiological transformation. During puberty boys and girls sweat and their oil glands become more active. This will result in body odour and acne. They also get underarm and pubic hair in the body. The brain releases Gonadotropin – releasing hormone (GnRH) for stimulating pituitary gland. Pituitary gland is also known as the Master gland releases luteinizing hormones and follicle stimulating hormone. In boys, interstitial cell stimulating hormone and it stimulates interstitial cells to produce to from hormones in male organ of testicles. Both male and females have estrogens and androgen in their body in low level and after puberty, males begin to have more androgen including testosterone. In female they get more oestrogen as puberty crosses. Menarche is the first menstrual bleeding in a girl and her reaction to this event can be both emotional and physical. It is a sign of growing up and happens between the age of 9 and 15 years. The girls usually show stress, irritability and...
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...Properties of Culture * Symbolic – stands/means for something * Socially constructed – created by society * Embodied in form – person, objects, visual, audio, language, nonverbal gestures 2.) Four means of understanding the “popular” aspect of popular culture * Well-liked * Measured by success usually in ratings and sales * Well-known * Recognized globally * Example: Paris Hilton * Targets a general wide audience (“mass culture”) * Commercial media that is for general consumption * Directed to the common people * Belongs to the people * Invokes a individuals tradition and roots 3.) Cool hunters are people who go around looking for the next person that is considered cool and what will be the start of a next new trend. They research the underground trends of fashion-forward youth in order to appropriate them for mass consumption. The triumphant circularity of cool hunting refers to: * No coherent philosophy of cool * Can’t manufacture cool, only observe it * Must be cool to know cool * Look for people first and cool things later 4.) 5.) The functionalist approach argues that the explanation for popular culture is our obsession with “mass entertainment” in terms of their social uses or their function in generating solidarity among individuals within large and anonymous communities. It also emphasizes how the symbols, rituals, and practices surrounding its production and consumption can bring...
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...eventually die, there are easily identifiable periods of growth; yet the older one gets the more indiscernible relative changes become. This paper will discuss late adulthood and death, placing emphasis on the following: how individuals can promote health and wellness into late adulthood and mitigate the negative effects of aging, an analysis of ageism and stereotypes associated with late adulthood, an exploration of different views of death and dying at different points in human development, and an examination of the attitudes of various cultures towards death and dying. Getting older does not have to mean that one gets sicker. Of course as we age our reflexes slow and the passage of time may appear more noticeably on one’s face. Yes we do get older, all of us; it is called senescence. Senescence is the process of aging and all humans go through it. But as previously stated one does not need to get sicker just because they get older. Some of the ways to promote wellness in an older adult include but are not limited to the following: exercise and dieting, eliminating unhealthy habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and establishing healthy personal relationships. Older adults should be proactive in the pursuit of health and wellness, according to K.S. Berger (2008) some of the health factors that accompany aging are heart disease, diabetes and dementia. All of these health factors can be anticipated and to some point, prevented. As the body ages it is more susceptible...
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...CRITICAL ESSAY: Pleasure and pain: Representations of illegal drug consumption, addiction and trafficking in music, film and video It is a safe assumption that when the term ‘drug’ or ‘use’ is mentioned, many automatically associate this with something rather unpleasant, a negative experience. This is due to the fact that individuals throughout most of their lives are warned of the destructive, detrimental and the horrendous nature of drugs and the consequences that arise from one’s involvement with them. This message is conveyed through many platforms, one of them being the media/entertainment industry. It is the same media portrays the image of illegal drug consumption as highly pleasurable. In the article Pleasure and pain: Representations of illegal drug consumption, addiction and trafficking in music, film and video (Fraser, S and Moore, D, 2011), composer Susan Boyd thoroughly explores through qualitative research the role music, film and video playing in creating meanings and images of drug consumption, addiction and trafficking and- in doing so, shapes up our perspective on drug use. This essay will discuss ways within which music, film and video represents illegal drug consumption, addiction and trafficking and how this influences our perspective and understanding of drug use. Media in today’s contemporary society is viewed as a necessity, it is held on the same level of importance as food and clothing (Stoddart, T, 2014). Individuals are exposed to the media throughout...
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...Late Adulthood and Death PSY/280 June 30, 2014 "Late adulthood is a time of reflection, enjoying friends, family, and grandchildren, and maintaining health in preparation for the final years of the lifespan. Although genetics play a significant role in the quality of life during these final years, individuals who modify destructive lifestyles and embark on healthier options will experience an improvement in their health and sense of wellbeing (Berger, 2008). During this stage of adulthood, older adults remain socially active and independent rather than subjecting themselves to isolation and withdrawal (Berger, 2008). As more aging adults continue to live healthy, socially active lives and maintain important family roles, it is important to refrain from stereotypical thought and the negativity of ageism, which can contribute to their premature decline. With technology and high quality medical care, aging adults continue to be a valuable resource for younger generations. Healthy habits and daily routines are essential for promoting health and wellness into late adulthood. Smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise, and overeating cost many individuals their ability to maintain an active and independent lifestyle as they age (Berger, 2008). Exercise and a healthy...
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...Amrita Singh ADV 319 Professor Close Abs2238 Research Credits: Analysis The first study I participated in was the Moral and Consumptions study. This research targeted young adults, transitioning through life and coming across several obstacles. This study was important because it really touched on ethics and the relationship it has to consumption and our everyday lifestyles. The research will impact frequent shoppers, couscous buyers and young people that are the most easily persuaded with brand preference and products. The implications I can draw from this research is the team conducting the study wants to learn more about buying patterns and the association it has with peoples personal values. In the study, I was asked about my self esteem, stereotypes on materialism, affection and intimacy, views on shoplifting and how I basically view myself as a young adult in this fast passed consumer driven world. I was given a set of questions as a survey and my answer choices ranged from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”. Overall my reflection on the study was a bit surprised but at the same time glad these questions were asked. I was unsure how to feel about the variety of questions. One set would be asking about intimacy and sexual history, while the next set is my views on materialism and shoplifting. The correlation between the two was hard to understand at first, but if there is a strong relationship between the two this would be the way to find out. From...
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...Blackface Chic: High Fashion, Racechange and Cultural Tourism Race, Identity, and Public Culture Popular cultural representations, in particular those in the fashion industry, have recently reinvented a historically loaded image in their performances: blackface.1 In the past several years, blackface and other images of physical transformations of race have appeared in a number of high and popular fashion contexts including a “yellowface” fashion show in Shanghai sponsored by Karl Lagerfeld, supermodel Heidi Klum photographed wearing only chocolate syrup, an issue of French Vogue featuring a white model in black body paint and elaborate “African-inspired” costuming, a photograph in V Magazine of two models, one in blackface and one white, wrestling, two episodes of America’s Next Top Model involving racial and biracial transformation, and an editorial naming American Apparel and showing a woman in blackface. Blackface, though in a contemporary form more accurately described by the term “racechange,” or the performance of one race by another (Gubar 2000), far from being taboo have become an aesthetic in the fashion industry. Though popular magazines and newspapers such as Essence and a number of fashion blogs have responded to particular instances of racial transformation, there is relatively little scholarly work on the rise of racechange in contemporary fashion. This essay attempts to fill that gap in scholarship by examining racial transformation through...
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...With Jade Snow trials to assimilate into mainstream culture, she still finds it difficult for a member of racial minority to be accepted by the discriminatory dominant society. Therefore,she manipulates food as a critical medium for acculturation to represent a “hyphenated American identity that is informed by ancestral roots in Asia and complicated by American national loyalities”(Ann Ho, 3). Like many Ethnic American protagonists whose “relationship to food represent their struggle to embrace an American identity, forcing them to acknowledge their bi-or multi-cultural status as hyphenated peoples in a country that historically has dealt with race in black and white terms”(Ann Ho, 3), Jade Snow expresses her strong interest in food as her acceptance ticket into the American society and to represent the ambivalence that she is struggling with to balance her Chinese and American-born Chinese identities. She concentrates on the connotation of Chinese food and meals. Consumption of food, as well as the creation of recipes, become a critical means for Jade Snow to create a pristine dual identity or what W.E.B. DuBois's calls“double consciousness”(20). S.Qiao explains that “foodways provide people, such as...
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