Tuesday, August 25, 2020

How Language Develops in Children

For each parent, language advancement in their youngsters is a central perspective that must be given significance the same number of guardians are worried about the advancement of their kids with regards to figuring out how to talk and to getting words and their implications. The child’s relational abilities are additionally evolved through the cooperations they have with others. That’s why guardians should constantly give the cooperation required so that their children’s progress is persistent and consistent. Language advancement is characterized as the procedure wherein small kids comprehend and convey language during youth. Rafanello says that it is procured all the more rapidly in the initial five years of a baby’s life (1). Interestingly, even before the infant is conceived, he can separate local language and different dialects. This is on the grounds that when they are still inside the belly, they hear and react to recognizable voices, particularly the mother’s. An infant’s cerebrum experiences changes after birth. Trillions of pathways create between synapses, and these pathways will permit the infant to learn and think, and afterward talk, and whatever incitement an infant has during the early long stretches of his life will form and reinforce these cerebrum pathways. Guardians of these children, particularly the guardians, need not stress on the grounds that there are such huge numbers of chances for a child’s language abilities to be additionally improved. Rafanello included that the encounters of a newborn child with language in collaboration with guardians and others around him will affect his general turn of events (1). An infant conveys through outward appearances, coos, motions and verbal cries. In the article â€Å"Language Development in Children,† it says that even before a kid can talk, he can get words. It likewise adds that the language addressed a child from birth will empower him to grasp the words and later on express them. Language improvement in babies begins through signals and outward appearances. Through these, an infant can communicate his solace or inconvenience, repulsiveness and even fulfillment. There will be words that will have enthusiastic centrality on an infant, and these are generally the words that he will focus on. An examination indicated that as right on time as twenty a month, a newborn child can separate among â€Å"bah† and â€Å"gah.† Another investigation demonstrated that a month old baby can â€Å"associate sucking conduct to the hints of â€Å"b† and â€Å"p.† Later on in his life, he will figure out how to â€Å"babble† and shape his own language (â€Å"Language Development in Children†). It is of significance that guardians converse with their youngsters, as this incitement with the language condition has esteem. It is said that a child figures out how to associate words with his enthusiastic encounters and this will give him the inspiration to talk, or to communicate his sentiments through â€Å"babbling.† As the infant develops, he will endeavor to make sounds in attempting to speak with the individuals around him. An investigation refered to in the â€Å"Language Development in Children† demonstrated that when an individual articulates words plainly to a baby, it will assist the newborn child with understanding. This is a significant proportion of a baby’s language improvement with the goal that he can fathom words and their implications. An infant will likewise discover that his prattling will pick up the consideration of the individuals who are around him. Listening is a significant advance before a kid can learn. At the point when a child tunes in to a great deal of things, he can create and grow his jargon and improve his IQ. This is additionally the aftereffect of an investigation of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Beside the bigger jargon, a baby’s language aptitudes are increasingly perplexing when they are brought up in top notch youngster care condition (Rafanello 1). Also, â€Å"live† language can colossally improve the language aptitudes of kid. To be capable for kids to appreciate language, they should hear it in relationship with what occurs around them. Through this, language doesn't turn out to be only commotion. Another significant thing for a memorable parent is talking straightforwardly to the infant even before he can argue. This encourages comprehension of a word or words that are verbally expressed commonly. The best and characteristic path for a child to get familiar with the implications of words is discussion to him comparable to what's going on. Activities and portrayals of articles or contemplations will likewise assist the infant with associating words with them. An examination by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) indicated that a positive collaboration is associated with language advancement. Besides, a kid can learn better through language-based collaborations with his folks or the individuals around him. Now and again, an infant rehashes a word commonly, for example, â€Å"bah† regarding a similar item. At the point when he develops, he figures out how to talk different sounds. For example, an infant can make sounds when he is in his bunk. At the point when his mom approaches and converses with him, the baby’s sounds become visit. This is an exceptionally huge advance as it opens another open door for the discourse improvement of a kid. In the event that an infant is animated, he will utilize his vocal strings ordinarily. This likewise clears a path for expanded social incitement from others to him. The accompanying presents the language improvement of kids at particular ages. Indeed, even before birth, language improvement happens, particularly when a mother continually converses with her unborn youngster. As per Alic, babies become acquainted with the human voice. She includes that newborn children give more consideration to a human face, all the more significantly when it is talking. At outset, babies either calms down or grins when they are addressed. Turning towards natural sounds and voices are additionally normal for newborn children. In addition, they impart through laughing, sputtering, whining and cooing. They can likewise create sounds, for example, â€Å"ohh† and â€Å"ah.† They additionally convey and express their needs through crying. Somewhere in the range of three and a half year, a baby can demonstrate reactions to changes in a manner of speaking. He likewise figures out how to vocalize his pleasure or dismay. Also, he snickers, moans, screeches, blows air pockets, prattles and falters boisterously to get the consideration of individuals around him. He additionally learns t use motions to convey his wants. Also, he can cry distinctively on the off chance that he is in torment or hungry. A newborn child this age can likewise shape his mouth to change sounds. His new assortment of jargon incorporates sounds, for example, â€Å"b†, â€Å"m† and â€Å"p† (Alic). Six to a year old enough denotes the most basic time frame for open language advancement. Open language improvement is the infant’s capacity to understand language. During this age, a newborn child reacts to their names. He additionally figures out how to listen distinctly to discourse and different sounds. He communicates his states of mind through non-verbal communication and sound. He can likewise play with sounds. Beside these, he can react to inviting or irate tones and can rehash syllables. He likewise imparts through impersonation of inflection or discourse sounds. At this age, he utilizes his tongue to change sounds and jabbers with upwards of 12 sounds in a repetitious example. He can likewise make long sounds (Alic). In his seventh month, a baby can vocalize syllables, for example, â€Å"Dada† or â€Å"Mama† (Child Development Institute). Rafanello included that at this stage, an infant’s jibber jabber has long and short gathering of sounds, for example, â€Å"tata upup bibibibi.† His jargon currently incorporates a couple of new words, for example, â€Å"bye-bye,† â€Å"dada,† â€Å"mama,†, â€Å"no,† or â€Å"uh-oh† (6). A baby somewhere in the range of nine and a year can listen when he is addressed. Additionally, he can offer reactions to basic solicitations. He likewise perceives the names of his relatives and even the names of basic articles. He likewise comprehends the word â€Å"no.† He rehashes sounds, practices pitch, utilizes the words â€Å"dada† and â€Å"mama† for any individual, associates voices and names with individuals, utilizes sounds other than sobbing for their necessities or to get consideration, yells and shouts, knows their own names, comprehends motions prattles a few syllable rehashed sounds. By 12 and year and a half old enough, a baby would now be able to utilize halfway words, perceive names, snicker suitably, use words that start with â€Å"b,† â€Å"c,† â€Å"d,† and â€Å"g,† make signals and state â€Å"no,† comprehend and follow headings, and request help utilizing sounds and motions. He can likewise utilize total words and comprehend certain words, for example, â€Å"up,† â€Å"down† and â€Å"hot.† Moreover, a little child this age figures out how to frame sentences by assembling two short words. This age additionally denotes the toddler’s comprehension of words related for everything; their language improvement is consistent. Alic says that most of a toddler’s first words are general. They comprise of names of nourishments or relatives. By the age of 18 to two years, a little child has an assortment of 20 to 50 clear words. He would now be able to state more words every month and set up two words, for example, â€Å"more cookie† (Rafanello 6). His jargon likewise comprises of things. He can follow straightforward orders and utilize two pronouns accurately. The pronouns I, me and you are normally utilized. He likewise follows order, for example, â€Å"show me your eyes.† An a multi year old little child can utilize short sentences to request things, and he has a word for nearly everything. Everyone around him can comprehend his discourse (Rafanello 6). His jargon currently comprises of 400 words, which incorporate names. As ahead of schedule as this age, the baby can rehash the accounts, tunes or rhymes he hears. He can likewise portray his experienc

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Complex Leadership Styles And Success Management Essay

Complex Leadership Styles And Success Management Essay Initiative style is too unpredictable to even consider limiting to a basic recipe, in spite of the fact that there are some character characteristics that are viable for turning into a fruitful pioneer. A portion of these have a place with administration, while others are utilized in venture the executives. Some broad characters are normal in the vast majority of the pioneers, for example, inventiveness, insight and fearlessness. Be that as it may, there are two inverse attributes among pioneers particularly in basic circumstance which can decide if the pioneer will be effective or not. A few heads will in general accuse others and stay away from obligation, while different pioneers acknowledge the disappointment and accept that results rely upon their choice and furthermore their activities. Today, being a successful task supervisor is one of the most significant issues in every association. This section will exhibit the essence of exercises which have been done about administration up until now. It will exhibit the contrasts among the board and initiative inside the task condition. Authority can be communicated regarding the capacity to fabricate the guidance of undertaking, inspire the individuals and keep up the exhibition of various gatherings in the association. All in all, supervisors should manage complexities and pioneers should concentrate on changes. Authority is identified with peace promotion and delicate abilities however the board is identified with defining, observing and handling. Tolerating disappointment however not rout, thinking about the past missteps during the venture, and being the hopeful individual ought to be considered for pioneers to conquer the issues and direct the undertaking in the best possible manner. It is hard to set up a specific guidance for turning into a compelling venture administrator albeit a wide range of authority and the board styles have been worked to build up the undertaking precisely. The entirety of the authority styles and the executives innovations have been made so as to complete the undertaking on schedule, absolutely and agreeably. Successful pioneers should initially discover the motivation behind their authority (George, 2006). . Administration hypotheses General view Administration has been viewed as more than some other part of human conduct in the task the executives study. Initiative is the capacity to unite individuals to achieve the outcomes after some time. Initiative is the drawn out procedure and it needs long stretches of progress and dedicated. The initiative for 21st century turns out to be increasingly intricate and ought to be rethink so as to accomplish the incredible objectives (George, 2006). Numerous examinations have been done in authority concentrates in order to locate a suitable administration hypothesis. For example, Bass (1985) has greatly affected initiative hypothesis. He distinguished various sorts of qualities, practices, and administration styles. Notwithstanding that, the study of authority doesn't have certain elements which can be applied for all of undertakings on the planet. Estimating and surveying ventures in better places are not the equivalent because of various circumstances. Along these lines, numerous parts of administration despite everything remain hypothetical and can't be down to earth (Gehring, 2007, Geoghegan and Dulewicz, 2008). All broad administration hypotheses, for example, change, exchange and way objective show that the venture administrators should possess the necessary attributes to lead an undertaking adequately. At the end of the day, compelling undertaking directors ought to perceive which approach is fitting for applying to extend administration. Pinto et al. (1998) expressed that Any task chiefs capacity to lead adequately is expanded by their comprehension of elective ways to deal with authority. Consequently, pioneers should remove the abilities of their representative and apply them to the task so as to lead the undertaking precisely (Gehring, 2007). History of hypotheses Hypothesis of initiative like different speculations has the historical backdrop of arrangement. The first was called better individual and related than old Egyptians lords. The second was the extraordinary man hypothesis which made by building up the principal hypothesis and demonstrated that an incredible man could decide the historical backdrop of his nation. The third one was the main event and it was the cutting edge type of the incredible man hypothesis. This hypothesis extended and made the essential recorded administration hypothesis that called attribute hypothesis. After this time administration was extensively displayed because of effect of incredible pioneers on history, for example, Napoleon, Frederick, Churchill, Roosevelt and so forth (Gehring, 2007). Characteristic hypothesis For the most part, qualities are worried about close to home attributes, for example, mental fortitude, insight, inventiveness and appearance. Characteristic hypothesis has surprising missteps because of its confinements. The explanation is that it is hard to figure out which pioneer can be known as a fruitful pioneer. Likewise, numerous attribute records have been made for administration; hence it is difficult to make a quality rundown as a kind of perspective. What's more, pioneers who just have the attribute list can't be called as effective pioneers. At last, before twentieth century's over, this hypothesis is supplanted by present day speculations which worried by conduct of pioneer instead of attributes (Gehring, 2007) . This hypothesis shows that compelling pioneers are conceived, not made. It guesses that powerful pioneers have nearly similar attributes. Three central point are considered in this kind of hypothesis: individual appearance, character, and capacities. Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) found the fundamental attributes of viable pioneers; insight, specialized information, self-assurance, impact, aspiration, and uprightness. This grouping for viable venture supervisors is unique. It incorporates critical thinking and arranging capacities, activity, direction, correspondence, point of view and fearlessness (Turner, 1999, Turner, 2005). The true chiefs ought to have the five primary characteristics for driving the associations, for example, showing self-restraint, making associated relationship, driving with the two hearts and heads, preparing strong worth, and empowering their motivation with energy (George, 2006). Competency Tragically, the administration terms, for example, initiative characteristic, authority trait, administration style and authority ability have slender definition. In this way, now and then these terms have been utilized in an inaccurate position. In any case, it ought to be noticed that in the advanced undertaking, these terms ought to be considered so as to assess initiative achievement (Gehring, 2007). As indicated by attribute hypothesis, a few analysts accept that the powerful pioneers have the regular intrinsic abilities. In spite of the fact that, this thought is only for innate capabilities and the individual skills can be learned just as close to home attributes during the work (Geoghegan and Dulewicz, 2008). A few creators accept that all of individuals have the intensity of driving in them; some of them in government, some of them in business, and so on. This force as arrangement of skills ought to be found in a specific time without anyone else to serve others (George, 2006). Tasks need venture the board abilities so as to be practiced effectively. Fitness can be characterized as far as abilities (counting insight, the executives and critical thinking abilities), information, qualities, bent, conduct, and rationale. The capabilities have been recognized by the task chief competency advancement (PMCD) structure: information, execution and individual. The individual one likewise has been characterized into six significant capabilities: (1) individual adequacy, (2) impact, (3) Managerial, (4) intellectual, (5) human help and (6) achievement (Gehring, 2007). Numerous scientific categorization have been made for the competency, albeit, one of the thorough one was made by Dulewicz and Higgs (2003). They characterized fifteen authority capabilities for three sorts of administration: scholarly, administrative expertise and enthusiastic. See table 2.1(Dulewicz and Higgs, 2003). Table 2.1: Fifteen initiative skills and the abilities profiles of their styles of authority (Dulewicz and Higgs, 2003). The competency initiative hypothesis was made in 1990 so as to perceive the skills of successful pioneers. It shows that viable administration can be gotten distinctly by learning. Distinctive blend of skills can make various styles of initiative; in this way, they can be helpful in various circumstances. As needs be, Bass (1990) expressed that specific chiefs are progressively reasonable for stable condition and others are fit to a flimsy situation (Turner, 2005). It ought to be noticed that the pioneers in certain industry can once in a while to be successful in different enterprises where they have insufficient experience. Hence, the structure of industry can affect on skill of pioneers (Groysberg et al., 2006). Significant initiative hypotheses Numerous initiative hypotheses records have been distinguished in the course of the only remaining century. One of the noteworthy of these rundowns is characterized into six hypotheses: (1) quality hypothesis, (2) competency hypothesis, (3) social or style hypothesis, (4) possibility hypothesis, (5) visionary or charming hypothesis, and (6) passionate insight hypothesis (Turner, 2005). The conduct or style hypothesis is identified with practices and accept that compelling initiative can be get during the life and successful pioneers are not conceived normally. The Cognitive hypothesis expect that a compelling pioneer can be made in an extraordinary situation. Way objective hypothesis is made through psychological hypothesis. In pas-objective hypothesis pioneers should assist individuals with finding their way to their objective. This hypothesis decides four authority practices: order, steady, participative and accomplishment arranged (House, 1971, Turner, 2005). The visionary or charming hypothesis showed up in 1980 when business pioneers changed their methodology because of basic circumstance. Two authority sorts of this hypothesis are transformational (individuals centered) and value-based (task-centered) which are made by Bass (1985). Afterward, Bass and Avolio (1995) built up these change and exchange authority styles and found that change style has more prominent

Friday, August 7, 2020

Contraception and Safe Sex at MIT!

Contraception and Safe Sex at MIT! **The idea for this post was originally Abby’s, but she is very hosed this week and she wanted it to be posted in honor of the November Rule expiring, so here I am. Per my previous post: the November Rule is technically over. Also per my previous post, this doesn’t mean that it’s okay for frosh and upperclassmen to start hooking up left and right, but I wasn’t born yesterday and I know that it’ll probably happen to some capacity. So before starting with that, you should read this post honestly, anybody who is sexually active (and anybody who would like to come to MIT and would like to also be sexually active at MIT) should read this post. tl;dr MIT has a surprising amount of options for taking care of your sexual health and contraception, most of which are free! Sexual Health at MIT by the students, for the students MIT is a marvelously sex-positive place. But not only are we sex-positive we also care very deeply about sexual health in a way that is honestly unheard of in a lot of places. We have two student organizations that focus specifically on educating people about sex and relationships and whats okay and whats not okay in both of those things. [emailprotected] Pleasure is  a student-led effort to promote healthy relationships and eliminate sexual violence at MIT, and maybe this is biased, but there are very few organizations at other colleges that are similar to this one. PLEASURE stands for Peers Leading Education About Sexuality and Speaking Up for Relationship Empowerment, and their student liaisons Pleasure Educators have received a lot of training in a wide variety of sexual health topics, and hold frequent workshops/study breaks about sexual education, consent, and relationships. Student Sex-Positive Club (SSC) The SSC focuses on creating a safe space to discuss sex and learning about ways to engage in enjoyable and consensual safe sex. They have a lot of information about kinks and how to engage in safe sex, and even have a library of books that you can educate yourself with. PLEASURE and SSC will give you a lot of information on why using contraceptives is important, but if youre actually in the market for contraceptives, then oh boy do I have a rundown for you.  The types of contraceptives that you can get depend on the type of student insurance you have, so lets go over that first. MIT Insurance Plan Types Lets start with the basics. All MIT students are on one of two insurance plans: the regular Student Medical Plan, and the Student Extended Insurance Plan. At the beginning of each year, were all automatically added to the Extended plan. The Extended plan is a full insurance plan in its own right, and meets the minimum essential health coverage requirements in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act according to MIT Medical. It does cost extra, though, and isnt included in basic tuition (the basic Student Plan is). Since a lot of us are already on our familys U.S. based insurance plans, it can be unnecessary to have to pay extra to be on a whole other insurance plan, so you have the option to waive the Extended plan and just be on the basic plan. To reiterate, the basic plan  is included in student tuition.  This is something that I didnt know coming in I thought that because I waived the extended insurance, I just didnt have MIT insurance. I also didnt know that just on basic tuition, you can get a lot of services for free at Medical. You  can find more information about the basic Student Plan here and more information about the Extended plan here. Contraceptives and Other Services Offered By MIT Medical Free and Readily Available to Everybody (walk-in, no appointment required!) Free and confidential STI testing:  MIT Medical offers free walk-in STI clinics in partnership with PLEASURE. Every two months, all MIT students get emails from PLEASURE and from their halls Pleasure Educators reminding them about this months STI clinic. If you are sexually active at all, then this is a great thing to go to! I went with a group of my friends and can confirm that it was very free, very easy, and very confidential. The walk-in clinic is always at the Student Center and tests for most STIs, but some STIs can only be detected through a blood test, so you have the (recommended) option to schedule a blood test at MIT Medical. I did this as well, and it was also free and easy. This isnt to say that STIs are rampant at MIT (theyre not), but getting tested is part of having safe sex and its better to be safe than sorry, honestly. Free condoms at the Community Wellness Center at MIT Medical (3rd floor of building E23, from 8 am to 8 pm): Yes, thats right, you dont even have to buy condoms. Make sure you go when theyre actually open (Ive made this mistake a couple of times), or get a friendly neighborhood Pleasure Educator to tap you in after-hours. In addition to a very wide variety of condoms (various sizes, flavors, glow in the dark), the Community Wellness Center also has female condoms, dental dams, and many types of lube. Your hall should have a communal box of condoms that is restocked semi-frequently by a hall Pleasure Educator, but you can also just go yourself or with a partner and grab the certain things that you like. Free on the Basic Student Plan (aka Free to ALL MIT STUDENTS w/ appointment) Intrauterine Devices, more commonly known as IUDs (appointment required, hormonal type lasts 3-6 years and copper type lasts up to 12 years, more than 99% effective!): A PSA to all MIT students with uteruses: YOU CAN GET AN IUD FOR FREE AT MIT MEDICAL. YES, YOU HEARD ME. YOUR PARENTS DONT EVEN HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT IF YOU CARE ABOUT THAT. MEDICAL OFFERS BOTH THE MIRENA AND THE PARAGARD (the hormonal and copper IUDs, respectively). All you have to do is make an appointment with Medicals OB/GYN and if that goes well, then boom! You can get an IUD! This is genuinely a really nice thing and if youre considering getting an IUD, then you dont have to go any farther than MIT Medical! Maybe this isnt as revolutionary to some people as this is to me, but I honestly didnt know that I could get an IUD for free on the basic plan I thought I had to be on the extended plan. Nexplanon implant (appointment required, lasts up to 4 years, more than 99% effective!) If youre squeamish about the intrauterine part of the IUD, then you might consider the Nexplanon implant, which is a tiny rod inserted into your upper arm that releases the appropriate hormones into your body. Getting a Nexplanon implant here requires a call to Womens Health at Medical, but thats it! Free on the Extended Insurance Plan (aka Free to students who HAVE NOT waived their extended plan w/ appointment) The additional forms of contraception that you can get on extended insurance are generally less effective, so I wont say that much about them. Dont worry, those of us on the basic plan arent missing out on that much! Diaphragm (appointment with Primary Care or OG/GYN required, insert at will, 88% effective with proper use) Oral contraceptives, aka the pill (appointment with Primary Care or OB/GYN required, ingest daily, 91% effective with proper use) Generics are free on the extended insurance, but if youre on the basic plan, you can get them prescribed at MIT Medical and get the actual medication ordered to a pharmacy outside of MIT. My pills are free on my non-MIT insurance and I just pick them up at the CVS in Central Square, 15 minutes away from campus. Depo-Provera injection (appointment with Primary Care or OB/GYN required, receive every 3 months, 99% effective with proper use) The brand name Depo shot has a copay, but the generic shot doesnt. Contraceptive patch (appointment with Primary Care or OB/GYN required, replace every week, 91% effective with proper use) NuvaRing (appointment with Primary Care or OB/GYN required, replace every month, 91% effective with proper use) BONUS: Emergency contraception:  Hopefully you wont need this, but if you do, it costs $40 over the counter if youre 17+ years old. If youre under 17, then you need an appointment with OB/GYN. A very nice table with all of this information is available on MIT Medicals site. Its also worth going through their Sexual Health page to see all the resources they provide! Thats it from me have fun and stay safe this November! Post Tagged #contraception #insurance plans #MIT Medical #[emailprotected] #sexual health #SSC #STI testing #wellness

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Role Of Music In Sonnys Blues - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 485 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Sonny's Blues Essay Did you like this example? Music plays an integral role in the development of social theory and understanding of identity. Sonnys Blues incorporates the idea of music to help define the characters and establish a better understanding of the sociopolitical reality and culture of Harlem. The rather turbulent relationship between the two brothers becomes apparent early on as Sonny yearns to translate his passion for music into a careera decision his brother struggles with accepting. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Role Of Music In Sonnys Blues" essay for you Create order The two brothers have different visions of life, which, in turn forces them to continually have contrasting views. Sonny struggles to be heard especially by his brother however it is through music that Sonny is able to express that which could not be articulated in the verbal language and continually communicates his reality through the medium of jazz. The pain and suffering Sonny endures can be witnessed through the characters adoration of Charlie Parker, a jazz musician who himself died at an early age as a result of drug addiction. We see the parallel between the character and Charlie Parker who at the end of the short story plays his music in front of his brother. The narrator finally listens to his brother Sonny play, revealing the raw essence of his reality which in turn brings the brothers closer and provides both understanding and acceptance of the other in a previously strained relationship. Music served as Sonnys salvation and allowed for the two brothers to open a respectful and understanding dialogue. The narrators understanding can be further demonstrated when he says, Sonnys fingers filled the air with life, his life. But that life contained so many others, indicating that he had now accepted Sonys music and no longer undervalued the meaning it holds. Sonnys Blues is a story about suffering and triumph which play a fundamental role in the development of identity. Each experience served as a chance for salvation and an opportunity for the brothers to make sense of the cruelty of life. Through communication the two brothers are able to achieve a form of salvation by articulating that which seemed impossible. Through listening the two brothers are able to achieve a sense of freedom from the despair that fuels their reality. Music acts as the underlying method of communication for Sonny allowing the character to express his internal struggles that his brother ultimately understands. Baldwin ultimately believes that true sympathy is shown not by trying to change an individuals lifestyle or personality but to support the individual and remain at their side. True compassion does not stem from agreeing with an individuals perspective but rather results from a meaningful attempt to understand the perspective of others that leads to genuine regard for one another. Perhaps this was the message Baldwin attempted to illustrate in Sonnys Blues, that in order to function as individuals in a rather austere environment it is paramount to communicate and listen, for that is what will ultimately free us.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Life of Virginia Woolf Essay - 1535 Words

The Life of Virginia Woolf Driven by uncontrollable circumctances and internal conflict, her life was cut short by suicide. One of the greatest female authors of all times, Virginia woolf, produced a body of writtings respected world wide. Her role in feminsim, along with the personal relationships in her life, influanced her literary. Virginias relationships throughout her life contributed not only to her literature, but the quality of her life as well. Perhaps the greatest influence in Virginias life is her mother, Julia Stephen. Julia Stephen was the most arresting figure which her daughter [Virginia Woolf] tried to resurrect and preserve (Gordon 4). Woolf, a manic-depressive, found herself constantly searching for approval.†¦show more content†¦(Bond 59) They were both extremely outspoken while sparing no ones feelings with their comments. Virginia and Leslie both had strong personalities and rapid mood changes. Woolf portrayed her father, like her mother, through characterization in To the Ligh thouse. Mr. Ramsey captures her father as a man of baffling mutability, a lightening switch from the most lovable of men, to a famished wolfhound and back again (Gordon 22). This portrayal of Leslie Stephens relates to his uncontrollable rages and mood swings. Leslie Stephen not only controlled Virginias mental development, but her intellectual development as well. He became his daughters mentor, and trained her to become his intellectual aire (Bond 60). Mr. Ramsey parallels Woolfs father in his need to pass his intellectual nature onto his children (Gordon 26). Leslie Stephen saw no problem with his uncontrollable behavior. Virginia, on the other hand, found it infuriating. She established: In the creation of this character#8230; the examination of Mr. Ramsey#8230; is like a witness box account of the pros and cons of his [Leslie Stephens] behavior. (Gordon 22) Despite their differences, Virginia and her father formed a special bond not understood by anyone but each other. His inse curities and flaws became hers, which added to the already enormous struggles in her life. The relationship betweenShow MoreRelatedLife And Death Of A Moth By Annie Dillard And Virginia Woolf1153 Words   |  5 PagesLife and Death Told by a Moth In the short stories, the â€Å"Death of the Moth,† Annie Dillard and Virginia Woolf discover a moth flying and observes it. The short versions has two versions and both author tries to explore the theme of life and death and explains their perspectives on it. Both of the short stories have similar titles, but both pieces exhibit several differences. Annie Dillard starts off her short story by beginning the death of the moth and realizes the valueRead MoreThe Game Of Life : Who s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?1849 Words   |  8 PagesGame of Life in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 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Woolf has her way with different words and styles,Read More Virginia Woolf1120 Words   |  5 PagesVirginia Woolf In recent times there has been a renewed interest in Virginia Woolf and her work, from the Broadway play, â€Å"Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?† to the Academy award nominated film â€Å"The Hours† starring Nicole Kidman. This recent exposure, along with the fact that I have ancestors from England , has sparked my interest in this twentieth century British novelist. During the early part of the twentieth century, artists and writers saw the world in a new way. Famed British novelist VirginiaRead MoreVirginia Woolf: Just a Misunderstood Women948 Words   |  4 PagesVirginia Woolf can be considered one of the most influential authors of her time, she has helped pave the way for the female gender for generations, and possibly generations to come. Using her feminist approach to get her voice heard, Virginia Woolf was able to get her point across in a powerful yet meaningful way. My research of Virginia Woolf involved looking at her life to determine why she turned out the way she did, and why she wrote the way she wrote. From her early childhood, Virginia WoolfRead MoreEssay on The Bloomsbury Group1644 Words   |  7 Pagesthe most important aspects of the Bloomsberries were Literature and Art. All members of this circle of intellectuals were vastly incorporated with both of these aspects as well as a few others. The most well recognized writer of this group was Virginia Woolf. The Bloomsbury Group is a popular collective designation for, a number of English intellectuals prominent in the first quarter of the 20th century, all of whom were individually known for their contributions to the arts or to the socialRead MoreAnalysis Of Virginia Woolf s Gone At The Lighthouse Never Go Return 1706 Words   |  7 PagesElizabeth Conner 9 November 2017 ENGL-4010-001 Professor Westover Virginia Woolf: Gone to the Lighthouse, Never to Return Many authors inject a little bit of their personalities and lives into their writing, making it more relatable to their readers and more marketable to publishers. However, depending on the work, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what is inspired by real life and what is merely fiction. Therefore how important an author’s biography is to a story can also be hard to understandRead MoreMrs. Dalloway By Virginia Woolf1443 Words   |  6 PagesMrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf examines the lives of a group of socialites in post World War I England. Clarissa Dalloway spent her life suffering from anxiety but was devoted to hiding it from the world. Septimus struggled with shell shock, or post-traumatic stress disorder, that no one could help him with. These people were not only characters in Virginia Woolf’s story, but also a representation of what had been going on in Woolf’s life. She used her own struggle with mental illness as inspirationRead MoreModernism Essay1103 Words   |  5 Pagesno exception. Susan Gorsky, in her book titled Virginia Woolf, states that Virginia Woolf perhaps spoke for the writers coming of age around WWI: We are sharply cut off from our predecessors. A shift in the scale - the sudden slip of masses held in position for ages has shaken the fabric from top to bottom, alienated us from the past and made us perhaps too vividly conscious of the present. (Virginia Woolf, 280). The continuous change in life and the constant shift in the scale forced writersRead MorePsychiatric Evaluation and Diagnosis of Virginia Woolf757 Words   |  4 PagesI have chosen to write about Virginia Woolf, a British novelist who wrote A Room of One’s Own, To the Lighthouse and Orlando, to name a few of her pieces of work. Virginia Woolf was my first introduction to feminist type books. I chose Woolf because she is a fantastic writer and one of my favorites as well. Her unique style of writing, which came to be known as strea m-of-consciousness, was influenced by the symptoms she experienced through her bipolar disorder. Many people have heard the word bipolar

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Sex Online Free Essays

string(61) " sex happen in a space where both participants aren’t\." This lecture is really an intro to the course. It defines the act of sex as the â€Å"exchanging of genetic data by two organisms for procreation. † This lecture also challenges our ways of thinking about sex as more than Just an act of procreation, but also as an act with social, political, mental, and personal complications. We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Online or any similar topic only for you Order Now From strictly an evolutionary perspective, the goal of our genes Is to have as many babies as possible, through the act of sex. This lecture tells us sex has never Just been about babies (although they do allow for a kind of immortality and free labor) but also has o do with culture. Lecture 2- Fertility Tech This lecture begins to transcend Into the discussion of sex and technology. Technology comes from the Greek word techno, which means â€Å"Knowledge around a way of doing something. † This lecture also discusses the early forms of sex tech, specifically fertility control through herbs, abstinence through calendar manipulation (also known as the rhythm method introduced by SST. Augustine, 4th Century), and acupuncture. This lecture also discusses the economic effects on fertility, such as the requirement of money to support a child. Culture was fluid and open. Homosexual relationships with young boys were considered fine in Greg Lecture 3- Why do we do It? This lecture clarifies the argument, that even In ancient times sex was not always for procreation. Early times were less hung up on sex. After human environments began to become heavily agricultural, sex did undergo a change that saw sex as something that should be controlled, or even saved for marriage. Still, sex in ancient times was still used much like it Is today, for pleasure. Condoms made of animal bladders, women using preemptively forms of lipstick, and all types of masturbation and roof sex demonstrate that In regards to the act of sex Itself, not much has changed. Sex in modern and ancient times was/is performed for pleasure, for ritualistic cultural purposes, for money, power, and even in situations where it was/is forced. Lecture 4- The Classical World This lecture discusses sex In the classical world. It talks about sex In ancient viewed abroad. Sexual practices across these different places were not shared, especially the tech that was used for sex. For example, in 800-B. C China, sex manuals were popular for men AND women, yet, in Greece sex was considered a more male entered-power act, in which the penetrator had the power. In Iran, sex was more strictly controlled, versus India and China where the sexual CE, as young boys didn’t yet have the â€Å"power. † Lecture 5- World religions and Sex Religions that came out of the Classical Period, sought to control sex. Into the Middle Ages, the main religions all agreed sex needed to be controlled, and saved for marriage (save the Hindus, they didn’t have the same kind of restrictions). Paul really started the move towards Church control of Sex (1st Corinthians), but his views were skewed by a belief Armageddon was coming within a few years. The Christian churches’ belief in sexual control stems from Chrism’s obvious display of a lack of sexuality (some argue Christ had kids. In other religions such as Buddhism, monks also abstained from sex( before priests did). When settlers came to the New World, they viewed Native American men as feminine and weak for their dress and homosexual acceptance, and the women as objects of great sexual passion for their open sexuality. Yet, before world religions became overarching, religion and sex was intermixed ( in Hellenic Greece, Syria and Babylon, India, and Nepal, temple prostitutes were used). Even cults (such as the Oneida Commune) sex was controlled with communal control over fertility and children, yet, sex was free and open. So, is religion considered a technology? The answer is basically, yes. Lecture 6- Pre-Electric Erotic Communication Tech This lecture discusses sex technology, the earliest of which was used for communication purposes(cave paintings). Some of the earliest cave paintings depicted sex! Along with paintings, devices such as the Venus(clay statue emphasizing big boobs and vulva) and even ancient dildos display sex tech and communication is as old as humanity itself. This lecture really pushes the point that every technology (paintings, stone mastery) was eventually put towards some sexual use, even ask years ago. First uses of any medium, are often erotic. This is displayed by sexual magazines made of papyrus in ancient Turin, Chinese art, and Japanese Shunts. Early erotic messages in Bibles (known as â€Å"Books of ours†) also demonstrate that as early as printing and engraving processes were created, they were used to create erotica. Lecture 7- Mass Sex Tech With the creation of printing presses and engraving machines came social change. Due to the high cost of owning a book, early erotic books and porn pieces were only for the wealthy and elite. Some art pieces, (specifically by Marquis De Side) were â€Å"art. The use of sexual art was also used for comedy (Romans thought huge penises were hilarious). Like any technology, when it was first created it was expensive. Yet, as things like printing and photography ( the first Polaroid camera) pornography began to become cheaper and easiest to create. At first, porn was thought only appropriate for wealthy men, as it might corrupt the poorer lower classes, yet, as cameras and elm became cheaper, porn began to drive the tech market. Many argue the Polaroid camera and VS. were huge successes because of the want to make pornography in a discreet, private settings. Lecture 8- PEP Networks Mass communication in regards to sex started simply as person-to-person communication. Love letters were probably the earliest forms of sexual PEP communication, followed by personal nude photos, and phone sex. Once operators were removed from phone lines, it became possible for people to have private phone sex. With phone sex, came the centralization of phone sex though sex lines. The dead of this lecture is to establish the idea that phone-sex, and virtual sex happen in a space where both participants aren’t. You read "Sex Online" in category "Papers" Out of the PEP networks, would eventually spawn the porn industry as we know today. Y. At this time, internet downloads took forever, which is why the classic â€Å"Porno Movie† took hold. These were typically well funded films that created â€Å"stars† who appeared in more than one video. Yet, the internet began to change all of this in the ass’s, as download times began to be reduc ed, and videos and images could be shared via the web. From videotape, porn moved to DVD, then finally to digital online). Lecture 9- The Industry The sass really started pornography as an industry, not Just a private PEP network. With technology advancing in forms of film, VS., and cameras, porn also advanced as an industry. With movies like â€Å"Deep Throat† porn began to become commonplace in the theater, and would eventually move even into hotel rooms (pay- per-view). With more premiership, Porn began to make more money, became mass produced. Currently, the porn industry is struggling due to technological advances on the web. How do sex online differ from prostitution? Is it the same? Lecture 10- The Sex-Tech Nexus This lecture is a summary of what we Just learned. It asks us to re-think the outcomes, and what counts as sex are difficult to measure and vary. Module 1 Readings: 1 . Coppersmith: Pornography and the Internet Two main arguments -In the last 2 decades consumers of porn have accelerated the diffusion of new communication technologies like the VS. CD-Room by becoming early buyers and users, thereby providing a profitable market for newly introduced services – Waves of new communication technologies have affected porn in ways as revolutionary as any other area of society The article focuses on the idea of the â€Å"demagnification of orangeroot’ by reducing entry and transaction costs. Porn has served as an agent of change for both innovation and quest for profits. Video porn provided customers with a product to Justify acquiring costly equipment (VS.) and accelerated the diffusion of new technology without shaping it. Cyberspace attracted users to browse the internet and increased their knowledge of the system. Porn products have shaped computer technology by pushing the technological and commercial envelope. 2. Hughes: The Internet and Sex Industries From the introduction video, when thinking about the arguments made by Hughes, e able to take a stance and have information that would reinforce her arguments, or counter (thinking this could be a potential essay/short answer question Just throwing it out there) 3. Wallace: Greek Kings of Smut At first the invention of the internet was great to the porn industry, but as the years have went by, it has become detrimental. Now, there are not as many people buying porn because so many websites give you access to free porn these days. These amateur sites that offer free porn are even pirating from professional sites, and it is hard for them to stop this from happening because it occurs so often. . Dibbled: A rape in cyberspace The discussion of a textual rape that took place on a early form on an online community called Lampoon. A character named Bindle (SP? ) virtually raped 2 other characters in an open living room space. Brought about questions of Just because this took place online, do it dismiss the crime committed against the avatars. The Lampoon community was brought together to discuss Just that, and what the punishment should be for the rape in cyberspace, which was a proposed â€Å"toadying† or banishing that character. Also discussed about individuals real connections with setting proportions. Ultimately, the community came together to form a type of government to deal with such issues, and the resulting punishment for Bindle was toadying. 5. Avider: Waller: A Freudian Analysis of Setting Fantasy is not only an imitation of one’s relationship with reality, but it is also a different relationship to a world that’s entirely different. Setting becomes an alternate reality. 6. Ross: Typing, Doing, and Being The increasing salience of sexuality on the internet, whether cyberspace or use of the internet to make sexual contacts, has focused interest n how internet-mediated sexuality informs social theory. This article reviews social theory and sexuality in relation to the internet, with specific reference to the development of intimacy, the association of texts with sexual scripts, the emergence of accessibility as a sexual space midway between fantasy and action, and the question of boundaries and the location of the person in sexual interaction. Also, the supplanting of the real by the symbolic, the internet as a sexual marketplace, its important role in creating sexual communities, particularly where sexual behavior or density is stigmatize, its impact as a new arena for sexual experience and experimentation, and its impact in shaping sexual culture and sexual- TTY are noted. Finally, the importance of the internet as a medium for the exploration of human sexuality and as an opportunity to illuminate previously challenging areas of sexual research is discussed. Quiz 1 Questions and Answers Question: Giddiness argues that all but one of the following have led to new reflexivity and plasticity of our sexual identities? Which of these influences was NOT included in Giddiness’ ideas? Answer: The Internet. Which of these does Ross argue lead to the success of cyberspace on the internet, but the ultimate demise of phone sex, despite the similarities between the two. Text allows you to distance yourself more from your statements about preferences or desires when compared with voice. Which of the following does Ross suggest may be possible effects of sex online? Answers: Cyberspace becomes a new niche of sexual behavior. There is an expansion of sexual possibilities and partners made available to users. People will feel freer to experiment with alternative sexual experiences in a stigma- ere environment and learn more about themselves. The borders of where we consider ourselves and our bodies may change in unpredictable ways. At least two of our readings this module suggest that the internet provides a space for consequence free exploration of identity. Mr.. Bungle also made this claim. How does Dibbled Judge his comment? He suggests that the â€Å"it’s only play† excuse is available only to newbie’s and sociopaths. Others come to have a closer connection to their online personae. The New York Magazine article suggests that the online adult industry is hurting. What do most in the industry attribute this to? Tube sites and amateur. Module 2- This lecture is an intro about specific parts of pornography. Specifically, rule 34-if it exists there is porn about it. The idea behind Rule 34 is about community, meaning if someone likes a weird porn, odds are there are others that like it too(even if those numbers are small). Within this intro, is also an intro for the topics of future lectures in regards to extreme porn, horror porn, rape porn, snuff and the large variety of different pornographers. Lecture 2- Manipulating Intimacy This lecture starts the discussion about intimacy, and its relation to sex. Sex is arguably the most intimate a human can be with another person, yet online sex manipulates this intimacy. Eric Gong in her book, A Fear of Flying, discusses the idea of the Zippers buck, a pure buck that has no power game, nothing is taken or given, there is no humiliation, and there is nothing to prove. However, the Zippers buck according to Gong is as rare as a unicorn, and begs the question, does it even exist? Sex without intimacy is the main idea of this lecture, and whether or not it’s even possible. Things like swingers clubs, bathhouses (1 5th century) and anonymous sex presented early forms of sex without intimacy, or â€Å"baggage† so to speak. While detached sex is not a product of the internet, it has become a cultural part of it. In terms of anonymous sex, there is not much social consequences as identity remains hidden, whereas actual-biological sex comes with the possibility of disease and such. The internet and things like phone sex allow for users to take on an identity, partake in sexual activity, and leave, whereas an online performer is not anonymous. In summary, the complexity of online sex is tied to identity, and anonymity. Lecture 3- Texts Is text interactive? Yes. In the early days of the internet when images were not possible, text was the main way of communication sexual speak. Coatrooms known as MUD’S and Moon’s, allowed for people to gather in basic chat rooms and talk. These talks could often become sexual in nature, especially with questions like SSL (age, sex, location). Texts is also seen in romance novels for example, and even in sexual fan- fiction known as Slash. Virtual engagement programs like Cork and Elise created bots that could talk, which was then turned into a sexual chatterbox. These early MUD’S and bots paved the way for online sexual communities, Lecture 4- Pictures Online From text, came the first online pictures created using text. Images of a nude picture would be created using type writer, and when connected to a computer, could be shown to others around the web. FTP (file transfer protocol) allowed users to share a file on an FTP server. Users were then able to download and share various images, some scanned from magazines and even some slash fiction. These early FTP servers created early marketplaces for porn, and early porn sharing services (think Egan taking pictures directly for web consumption. But how did people find these sites? The answer was early search engines. Search engines like Google rose to prominence for their ability to cut through massive amounts of porn related searches on the early internet and show users only subjects they wanted to search for. Tags, (thumbnail gallery post) were sort of online magazines, that websites tried to trick Search Engines and users to clicking on, driving traffic to early web pages. Lecture 5- Video Due to the slow download speed of videos, it took a while for videos to hit the internet. Yet, with the increase of bandwidth, small-stamp size videos eventually made their way onto the net. Early programs for video feed (Consume) allowed users to see one another, in slow frame-by-frame speed. With the explosion of the internet in 95†², early WebMD sites like Jenny Cam took off, drawing viewers and eventually money from complete strangers. What started with porn images, moved to videos in the late ass’s as file compression, and the web itself advanced. Lecture 6- Mobile The idea of mobile pornography was not very popular early on. Yet, the mobile phone itself also grew as a result of pornography. Cell phones started with phone sex, and then grew to locative technology (tinder, grind etc). Cell phones allowed social life and internet life to mix, and at the same time created a mobile, private sexual place for people to explore. The gradual growth of mobile technology allowed for connections to be made that were sexual in nature. The main point of this lecture is that phones mixed online sexuality, and social culture. Lecture 7- Community Module 2 Readings: 1 . Fiddle: Indentured Servitude (Gizmo Article)- This article discusses chemicals and how some can make tons of money, and how there make little to no money. It’s easy to get into this industry if you own a computer and are willing to show off your body to anyone willing to pay. Websites like Embraces make it easy for the people who own them to launder money because nobody actually knows where the money goes because it’s hard to track it. 2. Passion: Labors of Love, Network This article talks about the transformation of porn online. There were sex wars in the feminists have said porn identifies women as being subjected to violence. Moral conservatives says it is faith and morally decaying in any social or cultural value. Network refers to pornographers specific to online platforms and networks. This article talks about two very different forms of new porn and amateurism; network and porn on the net. Network refers to a more grassroots pornography movement in â€Å"which online technologies restructure the pornographic, porn on the net refers to the recycling of the same old pornographic images and texts from print media, video, and film on the internet† – Porn on the net also can include â€Å"gone’ porn. Alt porn mature porno are submerges of network: both â€Å"shift roles of porn consumers and producers within the framework of Web 2. † An example of ALT Porn is Suicide Girls. ALT is normally â€Å"soft-core† porn; typically included with â€Å"exhibition of non-standard subculture styles† It is considered the answer against mainstream porn; not Just in esthetics but in the business model used. 3. Rookie: Beyond Key Parties and Wife Swapping 4. Rubber: Getting Started with Sex in Second-Life – This article talks about the gaming website called Second-Life. It is a virtual world in which people can meet anonymously and have cyberspace with each other. Cyberspace can be 100% text based or you can use avatars that you create perform the sex acts.. Members can become anyone they want, selecting enhanced, or different body parts, clothes, hairstyles, and personalities that they wish they had, or simply play with an alter-ego. Members navigate the site much like a game, but this is in order to meet different members. Once you meet and chat with another member, you can engage in virtual sex with that member, and they rarely say no. Second Life sex is a combination of the visual and the verbal. Players strip their avatars down to their cyber skin, use pose balls (those floating orbs placed in romantic areas throughout he virtual world) to animate them into various sex acts, and keep up with the whole thing in IM. There’s even a third option: climbable body parts attached to the avatars. These nipples, slits, penises, etc. Can be â€Å"touched† Just by clicking on them. Since the parts monitor the avatar’s â€Å"arousal,† avatars can even orgasm this way. 5. Sutherland: Journalist or Panderer? This article talks about the online threat of websites used by minors. In the article the boy Justine Berry who was 13 at the time when got his first WebMD in which he was lured by sexual predators into striping, touching himself while they watched. How to cite Sex Online, Papers

Friday, May 1, 2020

Critical Analysis of Women’s Representation free essay sample

Through the interpretation of texts, and subsequent creation of social reality, mediated representations are often seen to be presented within the certain of ideological discourses that reflect the existing power structures. The main objective of this paper is to analyze television commercials with an emphasis on gender roles to decode the main elements of a dominant discourse (preferred readings) and representation mechanisms; and the elements relationships with ideology, hegemony and power relations in reproducing a dominant discourse. Grounded in an interdisciplinary theoretical framework of cultural studies and critical studies perspectives, the two-layer analysis is used in this paper – a semiotic and critical discourse analysis of television commercials with an emphasize on gender roles and ideology. The results demonstrate that the TV advertisements selected in this paper represent dominant gender relations and reproduce traditional values. Furthermore, these representations illustrate a contradiction between society and media in gender roles. Keywords TV advertisements. Representation of women. Gender roles. Critical discourse analysis. Ideology. 1 Ali Hajimohammadi PhD Candidate, Cultural and Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, PO Box 773/14395, Jalal Al e Ahmad AVE, Tehran, Iran. e-mail: [emailprotected] com Published Online: 15 January 2011 108 Introduction The research is placed within the cultural studies perspective that assumes an intertwined relationship between the production and reproduction of symbolic meanings and actualized meanings. From a cultural studies perspective, the study of womens representation in mainstream television advertisements with emphasize on gender roles is embraced. Media has an important role in representation of different groups in a society, but television, as the most popular medium, plays a significant role in representing and shaping attitudes. Advertising, as one of the television genres, is a prominent discourse type in virtually all contemporary societies (Cook, 2005). In addition to information regarding services and products, it constructs a secondary discourse about society and power relations. Gender relations are one of the secondary discourses that advertisements construct. The image of woman and man in media, particularly in television, is essential for the understanding of social practices, social interactions and ideology. Therefore, advertising has an important role in the representation of gender in a society. Advertising, as a powerful force, often reflects and enhances the social ideologies that it selectively endorses. At the same time, advertising is a cultural environment challenged by ideological discourses in the society and is constantly evolving in response to the shifting power relations between social groups. In addition, advertising considered as a cultural form and discourse is a site in which different subjectivities struggle to impose or challenge, to confirm, negotiate or displace definitions and identities† (Gledhill, 1988, p. 72). On the other hand, representations are directly associated with collective meanings, power relations, status hierarchies, resistance, alliances or conflicts that may exist in the public sphere. Thus, it is a common belief among scholars that the representation of gender relations actually reflects the social, cultural, political and economic values of the society (Dines Humez, 1994; Gauntlett, 2002). Recent studies in relevant literature have illustrated that the present systems of mass communication express to a considerable extent gender representations of the dominant Published Online: 15 January 2011 09 patriarchal ideology (Brunsdon, 2000; Shattuc, 1997). Accordingly, television programs mirror dominant gender relations and patriarchal values that still remain in post-modern societies (Van Dijk, 1993). Representation of women in the media, especially television, is an important issue in social communication and cultural studies, since media has an important role in communities. Media typically carries dominant values, cultural elements, and dominant ideology in any society. In Iran, despite changes in the representation of women in television, dominant discourse in advertising is evident, thus challenging the dominant regimes of representation should be considered. Utilizing a critical approach, the mainstream television commercials represent women and gender roles is going to be investigated. This study also aims to explore the intersections of gender and ideology that are embedded in television advertising. Research Approach Cultural studies have linked communication, consumption and cultural transformation to identity through the analysis of both media texts and living experiences (Muhammad, 2003). In terms of method, the cultural studies perspective raises questions that emphasize qualitative and interdisciplinary modes of investigation. In this paper, critical discourse analysis is used as a linguistic tool in cultural studies. According to the purpose of this study, the following research questions serve as the guidelines for analyzing the advertisements: How are women represented in television commercials? What are the common mechanisms in presenting female characters in television How do television commercials conceptualize women in relation to the dominant What are the socio-cultural mechanisms and ideologies that play a role in How does the dominant discourse become naturalized in television commercials? commercials? male culture and for what reason? shaping these representations? To answer these research questions, a qualitative analysis method is used. A ajor criticism against quantitative research on the evaluation of gender roles focuses on this aspect that statistical content analysis usually describe the visual elements of audiovisuals, easily recognizable and clearly measurable factors but do not provide an in-depth reasoning about the hidden ideologies and the social interaction of the production procedures (Norenee, 1977). Furthermore, quantitative analyses usually do not investigate advertising as an intermediary system between economy, culture and society (Pazarzi Tsangaris, 2008). In this respect, a qualitative study is conducted – a textual analysis that studies all the elements in which femininity is conceived, constructed and projected in society through three TV commercials. Textual analysis has been widely used within the cultural studies to uncover the preferred meanings encoded in a text. Specifically, this textual analysis is intended to show how ideology and meanings are accepted and conceptualized by TV commercials to define a woman (or man) in mediated culture. This is especially true in the analysis of TV advertising because textual analysis often deals with a relative smaller number of texts, but seeks to get into the beneath of the surface, the denotative meanings, to examine more implicit, connotative, and symbolic meanings, through the researcher? s interpretation rather than systematic measuring. By uncovering the connotative meanings and the deeper social and marketing ideologies shaping these images and messages, one can reach to this understanding of how women are being represented and gender roles constructed and ideology enacted in advertisement. The critical discourse analysis not only concentrates on visual issues and constructing meanings, but it also focuses on the question of how these meanings reflect or support the dominant patriarchal ideology and naturalization of dominant discourse in the society. As mentioned earlier, commercial advertisements are cultural phenomena in the society. Different methods are used to study cultural phenomena, but cultural studies Published Online: 15 January 2011 111 like other qualitative forms of sociological inquiry, inevitably emphasize on â€Å"circle of meaning† which is inspired by Derrida (1979) and Laclau and Moufee (1985). For these thinkers, nothing exists outside of discourse; and race, gender, nationality and class are discursive. Consequently, â€Å"semiotic approach cannot explore their strategies. In semiotic approach, representation was understood on the basis of the ways words functioned as signs within language, but in a culture, meaning often depends on longer units of analysis – narratives, statements, group of images, the whole discourses which have acquired widespread authority. Therefore â€Å"semiotics seemed to confine the processes of representation to the language and to treat it as a closed, rather static system† (Hall, 2003, p. 2). It is the fundamental basic of development from semiotics to metatextual analysis. Subsequent developments became more concerned with representation as a source of production of social knowledge and power relation that led to critical discourse analysis and its different approaches. Considering the main vocabulary and purpose of critical discourse analysis (Van Dijk, 2003) and the formations of cultural studies (Barker, 2003), it can be concluded that gender and representation are the main areas of critical discourse analysis and cultural studies. In other words, they are the shared subject of many researches in these fields. Since approaches of critical discourse analysis are complicated and numerous, and cultural fields also involve a vast part of the community, explaining the interaction between methods of discourse analysis and cultural studies in a brief article like this is not possible. Therefore, the focus is going to be on a certain approach of critical discourse analysis to achieve a clear and perfect vision of cultural phenomena. As mentioned above, the analysis of representation should go beyond the semiotic approach to provide a more complete analysis. The analysis of gender representation has to go beyond semiotics approach and utilize a discourse approach. Laclau and Mufee? s (1985) approach is the appropriate theoretical framework of analyzing text for the whole discourses embedded in advertising about gender roles and its discourses. Published Online: 15 January 2011 112 Explanation of the theoretical principles of Laclau and Mouffe? s (1985) theory and utilizing it as the method of analysis is not impossible here. This theory is primarily based on Foucauldian interpretation and manifesto of macro semantic system. It helps researchers to identify discursive distinction and antagonism among discourses and floating signifiers to determine what discourses they produce and which discourses are highlighted or marginalized. Questions like whether it also demonstrates the interaction of them over the definition of signifiers, or how television advertisements, according to this theory, reinforce and reproduce the dominant discourse and dominant patriarchal system. Hence, the two-layer analysis is used in this paper – a semiotics and critical discourse analysis of television commercials. Grounded in an interdisciplinary theoretical framework of cultural studies and critical studies perspectives, the present research can contribute to the current understanding of how TV commercials represent women and how the dominant male discourse becomes naturalized. The common advertising strategies targeting gender roles are examined to illuminate how gender roles are encoded in TV advertising texts, how woman is defined through consumption ideologies, and how advertising constructs subjective positions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of advertising representations of women and the preferred meanings in advertising are presented. Sampling The main sampling method in this paper is purposive sampling, the most common sampling method in qualitative research (Creswell, 2007). The purposive sampling approach is used when samples are chosen because they have particular features of characteristics that will enable detailed exploration and understanding of the central questions that the researcher intends to study,