When Studying Gender, The First Task Is To Clearly Define What It Is N

When studying gender, the first task is to clearly define what it is not. Gender simply can not be defined by one's anatomy. In other words, gender is not categorized as male or female. Stating this fact is of the utmost importance, because most people would define gender in such a way. In fact, some dictionaries actually define gender as See sex. So now that I have withdrawn that determinant, I must conclude that gender is something which is determined socially. Unfortunately, the concept is far too broad to have one clear definition. It can be studied in so many different ways, and it is because of this that there are a multitude of theories about it. Learning about differing theories stimulates one's own beliefs about gender and its usefulness. Every sociology litterateur is aware of the socialization theory. Socialization and the study of gender are often linked. In terms of gender, the socialization theory suggests that children are taught to behave a certain way according to their sex. Boys are taught to be masculine and girls to be feminine. For example, parents will often buy boys trucks or army toys and for girls, they will buy dolls and playhouse sort-of toys. Boys are played with in a rough manner and are taught to tough it out when they get hurt. Girls are taught to be more passive and expressive of their feelings. Also, children learn by observing their parents and the roles that they play. Girls love pretending to be the mommy. Chores are also divided. Those chores that are more masculine are for the boys such as taking out the trash and raking leaves. Girls help in the kitchen and with cleaning. The socialization theory is accepted by many, but it does not account for everything. This theory is limiting in that it doesnot allow one to study gender in a macro sense. This theory cannot explain why or how gender came about. It also doesn't provide an answer for how gender inequality began or how it can be minimized. Many theorists take the socialization theory and expand on it. One of the most unique theories on gender comes from Judith Lorber, a professor of sociology. Lorber's book, Paradoxes of Gender, introduces her idea of gender being a social institution. Lorber views gender inequality from this perspective. It is difficult to explain all aspects of Lorber's theory without sounding repetitive, because so much is interrelated. She critiques all of the popular beliefs about gender. Gender is not the assumptions or beliefs about males and females; it is not the roles that males and females play; it is not male and female status; it is certainly not anatomy, and it is not strictly socialization. Gender is a social structure that has its origins in the development of human culture, not in biology or procreation. ... As is true of other institutions, gender's history can be traced, its structure examined, and its changing effects researched. (Lorber, p.1) LLorber does not view gender at the individual level, but rather as a social construction that establishes norms for individuals which are built into the major societal organizations. The development of gender inequality is the main focus of Lorber's discussion of gender. According to Lorber, roles are gendered. Either sex can participate in opposite gendered roles. The problem is that males are expected to be masculine and women to be feminine. Those jobs that are more feminine have lower statuses, thus lower pay. So we now begin to see where inequality comes into play. An interesting point that Lorber makes about this is that women are to blame for this as well as men. When a woman chooses to go into a female-dominated field, she is perpetuating inequality by contributing to masculinism. However, when a female works in a male-dominated field, she must become a social man. For example, in the work force, CEOs are supposed to possess masculine traits. A female CEO must be aggressive, dominant, and non-sympathetic. So when females become social men, they are looked down upon. Most of these women are thought to be too aggressive and unappealing. They have failed at being a woman. The same goes for men in female-dominated jobs, although for

Learn About Sunspots, the Suns Cool, Dark Regions

Learn About Sunspots, the Sun's Cool, Dark Regions When you look at the Sun  you see a bright object in the sky. Because its not safe to look directly at the Sun without good eye protection, its difficult to study our star.  However, astronomers use special telescopes and spacecraft to learn more about the Sun and its continual activity. We know today that the Sun is a multi-layered object with a nuclear fusion furnace at its core. Its surface,  called the photosphere, appears smooth and perfect to most observers. However, a closer look at the surface reveals an active place unlike anything we experience on Earth. One of the key, defining features of the surface is the occasional presence of sunspots. What are Sunspots? Beneath the Suns photosphere lies a complex mess of plasma currents, magnetic fields and thermal channels. Over time, the rotation of the Sun causes the magnetic fields to become twisted, which interrupts the flow of thermal energy to and from the surface.  The twisted magnetic field can sometimes pierce through the surface, creating an arc of plasma, called a prominence, or a solar flare. Any place on the Sun where the magnetic fields emerge has less heat flowing to the surface. That creates a  relatively cool spot (roughly 4,500 kelvin instead of the hotter 6,000 kelvin) on the photosphere.  This cool spot appears dark compared to the surrounding inferno that is the Suns surface. Such black dots of cooler regions are what we call sunspots. How Often Do Sunspots Occur? The appearance of sunspots is entirely due to the war between the twisting magnetic fields and plasma currents beneath the photosphere. So,  the regularity of sunspots depends on how twisted the magnetic field has become (which is also tied to how quickly or slowly the plasma currents are moving). While the exact specifics are still being investigated, it seems that these subsurface interactions have a historical trend.The Sun appears to go through a solar cycle about every 11 years or so. (Its actually more like 22 years, as each 11-year cycle causes the magnetic poles of the Sun to flip, so it takes two cycles to get things back to the way they  were.) As part of this cycle,  the field becomes more twisted, leading to more sunspots. Eventually these twisted magnetic fields get so tied up and generate so much heat that the field eventually snaps, like a twisted rubber band. That unleashes a huge amount of energy in a solar flare. Sometimes, theres an outburst of plasma from the Sun, which is called a coronal mass ejection. These dont happen all the time on the Sun, although they are frequent. They increase in frequency every 11 years, and the peak activity is called solar maximum. Nanoflares and Sunspots Recently solar physicists (the scientists who study the Sun), found that there are many very tiny flares erupting as part of solar activity. They dubbed these nanoflares, and they happen all the time. Their heat is what is essentially responsible for the very high temperatures in the solar corona (the outer atmosphere of the Sun).   Once the magnetic field is unraveled, the activity drops again, leading to solar minimum. There have also been periods in history where solar activity has dropped for an extended period of time, effectively staying to solar minimum for years or decades at a time. A 70-year span from 1645 to 1715, known as the Maunder minimum, is one such example. It is thought to be correlated with a drop in average temperature experienced across Europe. This has come to be known as the little ice age. Solar observers have noticed another slowdown of activity during the most recent solar cycle, which raises questions about these variations in the Suns long-term behavior.   Sunspots and Space Weather Solar activity such as flares and coronal mass ejections send huge clouds of ionized plasma (superheated gases) out to space. When these magnetized clouds reach the magnetic field of a planet, they slam into that worlds upper atmosphere and cause disturbances. This is called space weather. On Earth, we see the effects of space weather in the auroral borealis and aurora australis (northern and southern lights). This activity has other effects: on our weather, our power grids, communication grids,and other technology we rely on in our daily lives. Space weather and sunspots are all part of living near a star.   Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen

Addictions in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Addictions in the 21st Century - Essay Example The main trends incorporate internet surfing, pornography viewing, video gaming and social media. It can involve a single habit or a compilation of several habits within the same range. Addiction is experienced when the participants are constantly plugged into these devises. He states that anything else comes as a distraction. Alexander identifies the â€Å"tragically cool† group as the group that heavily relies on digital technology in their day-to-day life. Their daily interactions involve such activities; hence, they are the most prone to addiction. Indeed, Alexander’s assertions about addiction type 3 are valid. This is because of the increasing numbers of peoples checking into rehabilitative support groups, and the increased legal cases involving internet games addictions. An example was the litigation of the NCsoft Company, a manufacturer of video games. Smallwood sued the company because of his addiction to the Lineage II game. The case was not dismissed as a frivolous suit; thus, the judges found it valid to go through trial. Additionally, countries such as China and Korea consider video games addiction as the primary cause of health complications in their country. Moreover, Addiction 3 factors are gaining commendable attention from researches, medics and the legal world. There are more video game cases on litigation in the subsequent years. Online game producers are also compelled to display warning signs to the members. There are also compelled to derive safer methods to playing these games. Learning institutions and work places have installed devices to obstruct social sites and internet games. This is because of the perceived concern of the effects of internet addictions on time management and work quality. The human nature is viable to irrepressible compulsion thus everyone can easily be addicted. He asserts that addiction is an extrapolated human condition

Chronic Diabetic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chronic Diabetic - Research Paper Example There are several core signs and symptoms by which chronic diabetes due to hyperglycemia is identified including increased urination, increased hunger, weight loss and increased thirst. In addition to these symptoms, damaged eyes/impaired vision and eventual blindness, renal failure, impotence, foot disorders (due to insufficient blood flow to legs) and nervous system impairment are the long-term effects of hyperglycemia. Chronic diabetes also exposes one to risks of developing stroke, kidney disease, and heart disease. From the causes, signs, and symptoms of chronic diabetes, it is quite apparent that the central way of treating or managing the condition is by lowering the elevated levels of blood sugar to the normal levels. This lowering of blood sugar level not only assists in improving the signs and symptoms of the disease but also prevents/delays the setting in of the myriad complications associated with chronic diabetes. It is not enough to beware of and implement the necessary interventions to realize normal blood sugar levels: more should be done by way of proper, patient-centered, well-coordinated and comprehensive interventions, caring for and treating chronic diabetics. Chiefly at risk of contracting chronic diabetes and other serious and life-threatening conditions are older adults amongst whom most of the life-threatening conditions often associated with chronic diabetes are observed to be more widespread. It has also been observed that many years of undetected or untreated unusually high blood sugar levels. is responsible for widespread chronic diabetes in older adults. Thus, it is imperative that victims of chronic diabetes under formal and informal care should be encouraged to practise good chronic diabetes

Environment Coursework Essay Example for Free

Environment Coursework Essay CO2 (Carbon dioxide) is a compound composed of two carbons and one oxygen, It is a colorless and odorless gas produced both naturally and through human activities like the burning of gasoline, coal, oil, and wood. People exhale or breathe out Carbon dioxide which releases it into the air. Carbon dioxide are higher in areas with heavier industrial activities due to many factors. Factors such as the number of people present the amount of outdoor fresh air entering the area and whether combustion by-products are contaminating the indoor. are just a few of the many carbon dioxide releasers. Carbon Dioxide is a gas used by plants during photosynthesis for the production of sugars which may either be re-consumed in respiration or used as raw materials to produce polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose, proteins and other organic compounds needed for plant growth and development. Plants role is photosynthesis is extremely important because it remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and uses it to produce oxygen. Deforestation cuts down many plants, trees and forest and reduces the trees available to absorb the carbon dioxide from our planet. CO (Carbon Monoxide) is a molecule that contains one carbon atom covalently bonded to one oxygen atom and is produced from partial oxidation of carbon compounds such as in internal combustion engines. Carbon monoxide burning in air with a characteristic blue flame will produce carbon dioxide. It is extremely toxic but plays a useful role in modern technology. Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless and tasteless, yet highly toxic gas. Its molecules consist of one carbon atom covalently bonded to one oxygen atom. It is the simplest oxocarbon, and can be viewed as the anhydride of formic acid. There are two covalent bonds and a coordinate covalent bond between the oxygen and carbon atoms. In urban areas, carbon monoxide reacts photochemically with aldehydes to produce a peroxy radical which reacts with nitrogen oxide to increase ratio of NO2 to NO, thus reducing the quality of NO to available to react with ozone. It is a constituent of tobacco smoking. Through natural processes in the atmosphere, it is eventually oxidized to carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide concentrations are both short-lived in the atmosphere and spatially variable. CH4 is known as methane, a chemical compound that is also the simplest alkane and the principal component of natural gas. Methane is known to be a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 72 averaged over a period of 20 years. Methane is oxidized in the atmosphere thus, producing carbon dioxide and water. The Earths crust contains huge amounts of methane. Large amounts of methane are produced anaerobically by methanogenesis. Other sources include mud volcanoes, which are connected with deep geological faults, and livestock, primarily cows. Methane is used for electrical generations by being burned as a fuel in a gas turbine or steam boiler. Methane is also used as a vehicle fuel in the form of compressed natural gas and is claimed to be more environmentally friendly that fossil fuels such as gasoline and petroleum. Answer 2: Area =1000 1000 x 0. 625 gallon/inch x 0. 3 inch = 187. 5 gallons/ Rain = 0. 3 inches 0. 625 gallon/inch Answer 3: Ecosystem services are fundamental to human life. They not only help promote economic benefits but offer the protection of human health and safety. One ecosystem service essential for human life is fresh water. Fresh water is a source of supply that does not have technological substitute for at this time. There may be some water purification processes but it does not replace the need for replenishment of fresh water. The key to maintaining water purification services is to protect and restore the ecosystems that provide these services. The economic cost of this service is priceless in terms of money. Answer 4: Biogeochemical cycles are often disrupted by human activities such as cultivation of land to grow annual crops disrupts the nutrient balance in the soil. This results in the nutrients being removed from the area as the plants are being shipped off for food and the straw is removed for other purposes. Plant material then breaks down and farmers replenish the removed nutrients by adding fertilizer to the soil further disrupting the biogeochemical cycle. Logging is another way that disrupts biological chemical by reducing the amount of oxygen in the air and allow gave room for the buildup of carbon monoxide. When logging occurs, what happen is that millions of trees and plants are removed from the earths atmosphere making them unable to convert the carbon monoxide in the air into oxygen, thus, allowing carbon monoxide build up as well as reducing the overall amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. In order to help stop this disruption, we must find a way to protect the few natural land that we have left from the destruction of farming and logging by not being wasteful of the resources that are available to us and to make it a responsibility to recycling paper product as a part of our lifestyle. References: Raven, Peter H. , Johnson, George B. (2002). Biology. Boston. McGraw Hill.

SIR :: essays research papers

CANTERBURY TALES THE MERCHANT’S TALE Chaucer has let January become the character he is partially down to the fact of his age. We know January is highly sexually driven without a doubt. Yet Chaucer leads us to believe that this is down to his personality and character rather than his age being used as a justifiable tool; so what if the man is 60 he still wants to have sex right? We are told that January has a sexual appetite and regularly feeds with mostly a selection of middle aged women, so when he acquires himself a young and "untouched" girl as a wife we are taken aback. At this point Chaucer casts age into the conundrum and we begin to see just how January thinks and more precisely what he desires. Justinus and placebo's scene with January for me is more like him talking to himself and there being an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. (This scene is very resemblant of Dr Faustus in which the Good Angel and Evil Angel appear to Faustus.) Placebo is the "devil" and the free thinking conscienceless side of January whilst Justinus is the angel who shows morals and ethics. This is almost an externalization of his mind frame, revealing both halves of his thought. Chaucer has used this scene well to show us exactly the knight's thoughts. As the characters tell him what they think, inversely it is really what he thinks. (He chooses to ignore Justinus and by listening to Placebo he listens to what he wants and desires.) The recklessness for January is his great lack of realism. Not only is it portrayed by the way he expects to have a young wife at the age of 60, but by the way he thinks that he "still has it" and that his age has not affected his status with women. This is one of the seven sins that Chaucer uses in all of the Canterbury tales; vanity. This is reinforced by the way he refuses to listen to Justinus. Although he is a bachelor right unto the point where he meets May and marries her, we have been given little or no real background to his life, his age and his masochistic ways. The total expectation of a "young and fair" wife is surely meant to be interpreted as arrogance. Yet the way January voices his expectation, one casts asides their views of his arrogance and surprisingly adopt one of empathy towards him.

Abigail Williams Analyzation

Williams is a cruel, vengeful and power hungry person. She has the ability to manipulate almost anyone she wants, whenever and wherever. She uses this ability to gain power and deem people witches who don't have any real proof against them. This puts her in a position where she can Just do almost anything she wants to, like eliminating people that she doesn't want to see anymore. Abigail Williams is really just one power hungry, vengeful person. Abigail had been one of the original girls that started the whole witchcraft ordeal y practicing voodoo rituals in the woods outside of her town.She later then blamed the whole event on the slave of Reverend Paris saying â€Å"Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tuba conjured Ruth Putnam dead sisters. † The people she told believed her as slaves were of lower class then Abigail, and that Just happened to be how it worked then. Abigail also was in an affair with John Proctor, which after Elizabeth found out about it, who is John's wife, Abigail was fired from her position as a servant to the Proctors.Abigail went on to accuse people of the town of witchcraft. This allowed her to rise to power and become a member of the court. Abigail sought vengeance on the people that witnessed her in the woods with Tuba as well. She pin pointed those people and decided she would accuse them of witchcraft In any way she could. For instance, she accused Elizabeth of witchcraft because she had a doll with a needle In Its stomach, saying she was using voodoo to hurt Abigail.Even though Abigail set the whole thing up and punctured herself with a needle. All these situations show how Abigail nature Is to be cruel, and how she manipulates people's views and emotions. Abigail also became a huge power fugue throughout the act. She rose to power after accusing people for witchcraft. She made up fake stories and false evidence to get people to go to trial. For Instance when she accused Elizabeth proctor of witchcraft, Abigail said she was stabbed by Elizabethan spirit.When the authorities searched the Proctors house, they found a doll with a needle In Its stomach. This was enough â€Å"proof' they needed to take her away. Abigail got away with a lot of things throughout act 1 . She used peoples emotions to get what she wanted and didn't have any sympathy for anyone she came across. She ended up In a position where she can Just do almost anything she wants to, Like eliminating people that she doesn't want to see anymore. Ball Williams Is really Just one power hungry, vengeful person.Abigail Williams Analyzing By shinning pin pointed those people and decided she would accuse them of witchcraft in any OLL with a needle in its stomach, saying she was using voodoo to hurt Abigail. Even situations show how Abigail nature is to be cruel, and how she manipulates people's false evidence to get people to go to trial. For instance when she accused Elizabeth authorities searched the Proctors house, they found a doll with a needle in its stomach. This was enough â€Å"proof† they needed to take her away. She ended up in a position where she can Just do almost anything she wants to, like