Saturday, December 28, 2019
Analytical Analysis Of Community Health Assessment
Analytical Summary of Community Health Assessment Introduction Community health assessment is a process of systematic identifying and examining health indicators in a defined population. The purpose of this community health assessment is to gather and analyze information about health status, factors that can have an influence on community membersââ¬â¢ health, and needs of the population within the target community. The collected data allow comparing the health status and needs of the residents in the Newmarket Health Centre (NHC) and residents in surrounding neighbourhood with the local health care services and resources available for them, which will help to identify health inequities among community members (Goodman, 2014).The main goal of this community health assessment is the strategic development of solutions to the identified health needs in a community. Data Collection Methods Community health assessment of Newmarket Health Centre and Newmarket neighbourhood community is a collaborative process where qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used together. To categorize demographic trend with respect to older adults living in Newmarket, Statistics Canada website was used to gather quantitative data. To gather qualitative data, several different methods were used such as: 1. Four windshield surveys were conducted by walking and driving around the NHC on different days and at different times to observe and analyze surrounding physical environment of theShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Guinea Worm Eradication ( Group 7 )1477 Words à |à 6 PagesPostal 2: Guinea Worm Eradication (Group 7): The condition for the commissioning setting was a supposed guinea worm outbreak that has been reported in three Local Government Areas of Akoko town in Ondo State Nigeria by the Stateââ¬â¢s Ministry of Health among people aged 6-46 years. Their rationale was based on high density of cases in Ise, Auga-Okemole and Iboropa areas of Akoko local government areas, after WHO had declared Nigeria free of the infection. Based on continuous surveillance and diseaseRead MoreEmory University Health Care System1707 Words à |à 7 Pages Emory University Health Care System Hospital- Atlanta, Georgia 7/22/2014 Kaplan University Joyce Ileen Smith Introduction Founded in 1905, Emory is one of the largest Hospitals in the Georgia with 200 provider locations and 1,800 physicians in more than 70 specialties, including 220 primary care physicians. The report presented evaluates major internal and external factors affecting Emory using an analytical technique. Based on Emoryââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ Services in Georgia, it identifies strategies that haveRead MoreThe Santiago Park Neighborhood Community And City Officials Incase Incident Of Attack And Or Natural Disaster1229 Words à |à 5 PagesThe purpose of this risk assessment report is to bring awareness to the residents of the Santiago Park Neighborhood Community and City Officials incase incident of attack and or natural disaster. This risk assessment is focusing on the possible intendent on the neighborhood and or the neighborhoods road network. This report will show how if an attack and or natural disaster does occur where key failure to the community might occur and might cause problematic in cidents for first responders to helpRead MoreImpact Of Genomics On Health And Disease1366 Words à |à 6 PagesImpact of Genomics in Health and Disease The field of genomics has an incredible relevance starting from biomedical research to health care and then personalized health care to patient and their families. Over the last two decades, there has been great advances in the field of genomics, a discipline in medicine that involves a personââ¬â¢s genetic information and its use in the clinical practice for treatment and prevention of a disease. With the advancement in technological capabilities and addressingRead MorePersonal Statement . It Was In The Spring Of 2013, In A1448 Words à |à 6 Pagesmountains of Buayan village, as part of my masterââ¬â¢s course ââ¬Å"Energy and Poverty Solutionsâ⬠field trip. The objective of our trip was to conduct field assessments and explore solutions to improve the energy access situation in the village. Buayan had a micro-hydro energy system that had broken down and stayed idle for months, leaving many in the community without electricity. Some of the locals adapted to the new s ituation, while others operated loud and polluting generators that relied on expensiveRead MoreThe Effects Of Being Sleep Deprived1292 Words à |à 6 Pagesnot obtained we began to notice some depreciation in daily functions and activities of someone whoââ¬â¢s sleep-deprived which can have a negative impact on performance, critical thinking and may lead to health problems. Sleep is important because it has a determining role in your mental and physical health, along with the quality of life (ââ¬Å"How Much Sleep is Enoughâ⬠, 2012). The purpose of the research is to enlighten the world at large that itââ¬â¢s important that we receive the proper amount of sleep to avoidRead MoreThe Disease Aids And The Us Public Health Department1288 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Disease AIDS And The US Public Health Department The disease AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The epidemic disease AIDS affected the US in 1981. The disease AIDS is defined according the world health Organization (WHO) ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a term which applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infectionâ⬠. An outbreak virus that struck women, men, and children from every single part of world. A known disease of gay men that causedRead MoreEffects Of Poverty On Children1553 Words à |à 7 Pagesfocused on the major effect of poverty on children, and were sorted into four sub-categories or themes based upon a specific focus areas of this complex and not yet fully understood issue. These themes included developmental, educational outcomes, health, and parenting effects, and how they were impacted by children living in poverty. Impact on Development The developmental theme included reviews of four articles, each with a slightly different focus. In a paper researching the racial/ethnicRead MoreBusiness Analysis1111 Words à |à 5 PagesBusiness Analysis Part I Paper Rhonda Ellis-Thomas MGT/521 University of Phoenix Dr. Shane Howell March 21, 2012 Business Analysis Part I Paper Assuming the role of the mutual fund manager and after conducting a SWOT analysis, the decision has been made to select the Fortune 500 Company UnitedHealth Group to invest in. UnitedHealth Group operates in all 50 states and is based out of Minnetonka, Minnesota. The purpose of this paper is to identify the companyââ¬â¢sRead MoreEffects Of Poverty On Children1554 Words à |à 7 Pagesfocused on the major effect of poverty on children, and were sorted into four sub-categories or themes based upon a specific focus areas of this complex and not yet fully understood issue. These themes included developmental, educational outcomes, health, and parenting effects, and how they were impacted by children living in poverty. Impact on Development The developmental theme included reviews of four articles, each with a slightly different focus. In a paper researching the racial/ethnic
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Black Women As Sexual Objects - 1662 Words
ââ¬Å"Gabrielle Union Shows Off Taut Tummy and Glowing Skin with Husband Dwayne Wade.â⬠(US Weekly) ââ¬Å"President Barack Obama Loves Michelle s Curves.â⬠(TooFab) ââ¬Å"Happy Birthday, Serena Williams! See Pictures of the Tennis Pro s Best Booty Moments.â⬠(Amos) All articles depict mainstream media celebrating the success of these woman but somehow their bodies come into the picture. Most often the Black woman is wrongfully represented and sexualized in the media. This view of black women as sexual objects we see in the media today has its roots in the common practice of rape during slavery by white male owners of their black female slaves. Many Black novelists attempt to complicate this idea of Black women as sexual objects through literature. Theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Moreover, sexual abuse was not the only suffering Black woman endured. In the case of Sarah Baartman, an illiterate slave who was tricked by an English shipââ¬â¢s doctor, William Dunlop , to travel to England to earn a fortune for her family. Within her time in London, she was put on exhibition and considered an anthropological freak and displayed as a sexual curiosity. Passerbyââ¬â¢s were allowed to touch and observe for as long as they want and some were even permitted to attempt to arouse and feel on Baartman. The perception of the Black woman as a sexual object was rooted and evident within slavery. Baartmans tale only serves as a beginning of the exploitation of the Black womanââ¬â¢s body. (SaartjieBaartmanCenter) Furthermore, stereotypes and depictions continued to construct a societal perception of the Black women to be seen for only her assets. The Jezebel stereotype was used within slavery and post slavery as a rationalization for sexual relations between white males and black women. The Jezebel image permitted for white men to relate to black women in a more primitive manner than they would to their wives. The Jezebel was depicted as a black woman w ith an insatiable appetite for sex, in which Black men couldnââ¬â¢t relieve. If the Black women enjoyed being taken advantage of, then indeed they differed from the white women whose bodies were not used for pleasure. The Jezebel image was constructed as a cover up and a silencing for theShow MoreRelatedThe Objectification Of Black Women1378 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Objectification of Black Women ââ¬Å"No other group in America has so had their identity socialized out of existence as have Black womenâ⬠¦ when Black people are talked about the focus tends to be on Black men; and when women are talked about the focus tends to be on white women.â⬠- Bell Hooks Imagine not being in total control of your own life, having someone else tell you what you can and cannot do. Being a prisoner and constantly being policed everyday and every second in a world that does not wantRead MoreThe Black Body : Racial Fetishism Essay1224 Words à |à 5 PagesHypersexualization of the Black Body: Racial Fetishism Sexualization is to make something sexual in character or quality, or to become aware of sexuality, especially in relation to men and women; sexualization is often linked to sexual objectification. Before the sexualization of Africans/African Americans, sexualization was given to inanimate objects, Europeans documentation of their conquest is doused with language thatââ¬â¢s sexually suggestive to describe the nature of the ââ¬Å"discoveredâ⬠land. ColumbusRead MoreWomen Of The Hip Hop Culture942 Words à |à 4 Pagesconstruct social identities in ways that allow us to understand what it means to be black, white, Asian, male or female etc. Within many popular culture mediums such as music, stereotypical representations of racially marked female bodies are often formed. Thus, these representations also have the ability to create stories about a certain culture. In music videos, it does not go unnoticed that women are portrayed as objects whose objectives are to pleasure men. In this paper, I will argue how raciallyRead MoreIdeology As The Superstructure Of A Civilisation1630 Words à |à 7 Pagesvideo for Robin Thickeââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËBlurred Linesââ¬â¢ it is clear that it is consciously promoting a patriarchal ideology by the way the women are represented. A patriarchal ideology ââ¬Å"operates to conceal, mask and distort gender relations in our society.â⬠(Storey, 2008, p. 4) his video goes alongside this patriarchal view by showing inequality, exploitation and oppression towards women. When looking at Gramsciââ¬â¢s theory of Hegemony, one could say Robin Thicke takes the role of the ââ¬Ëhegemonââ¬â¢ in the music videoRead MoreEssay on The Exploitation and Objectification of Women in Rap1184 Words à |à 5 PagesWomen have consistently been perceived as second-class citizens. Even now, in times when a social conscience is present in most individuals, in an era where an atmosphere of gender equality supposedly exists, it is blatantly apparent that the objectification and marginalization of women is still a major social issue. In reality, progression in terms of reducing female exploitation has been stagnant at best. Not only is the degradation of women a major problem that to date has not been eradicatedRead MoreRacial Oppression Of Black Criminals981 Words à |à 4 Pagesquestioning him. Although the officer confirmed that the call was for a different neighborhood, this man was automatically assumed to be the burglar because he was black, and that in its elf was deemed suspicious by the police due to the stereotype of black crime. These officers, who were also black, have internalized oppression about black criminals, which means that they harbor the oppressive thoughts about their own minority group. This leads to the fact that this man was also facing horizontal hostilityRead MoreHow Women Are Used For Sexual Pleasure1486 Words à |à 6 PagesWomen are often seen as sexual objects used for sexual pleasure. This is made apparent in games such as Grand Theft Auto where an individual can pick up prostitutes, beat on women, and receive private dances from females at an adult club. As a reward for properly receiving a dance, you may take the dancer home with you for sex (Grand Theft Auto Five). This proves how women are viewed as objects for sexual pleasure. Also, even if a female is given power, she is still viewed as a sexual being. ThisRead MoreEssay about Marilyn Monroe1281 Words à |à 6 Pagesa signifier for the down classing o f females as nothing more then sexual objects in our society. As a sign, the written text can be categorized as an icon as it directly connotes Marilyn Monroe as being Entertainment for Men, a playmate valued only for her body. This sign heavily draws on the inferior position that women held in the 1950s. The slogan only reinforces the 1950s discourse of a male dominated world where women were considered the lesser sex. This cultural myth relies on theRead MoreThe Portrayal Of Hip Hop Music991 Words à |à 4 Pages Itââ¬â¢s obvious that a lot of African American men and women, especially young men and women, get a lot, if not most of their gender messages from hip hop music. Especially those messages and ideas that revolve around sex, friendship, love, and marriage. Itââ¬â¢s in my opinion that hip-hop music is more misogynistic to black girls and women than any other form of media consumed by this demographic. The derogatory lyrics, the soft-porn visuals. and the attitude s and behaviours of the industry are embeddedRead MorePortrayal Of African American Women1538 Words à |à 7 Pages Women have long been negatively stereotyped in American society, usually portrayed as submissive and passive while at the same time seen as disobedient and pushy. These contradictory representations are doubly imposed upon Black women. For example, there are common stereotypes ascribed particularly to African American women, such as the ââ¬Å"promiscuous jezebelâ⬠. This stereotype, which evolved during slavery, continues to exist and still contributes to the harassment of African American women today
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Explain the Causes and Consequences of the Iraq War free essay sample
On the 20th of March 2003, US cruise missiles and bombs were dropped on Baghdad, Iraqââ¬â¢s capital city. The target was the then Iraqi president, Saddam Husseinââ¬â¢s and his closest aides, who were believed to be in a meeting. It would be the start of a conflict that would still be going strong seven years later. Even after so many years of US-led invasion, the reasons for invading Iraq are still debated worldwide. As Allawi (2007) argues ââ¬Ëin the history of conflicts and wars, there are few instances that match the invasion and occupation for complexity of motive and ambiguity of purposeââ¬â¢[1]. As a result, the Iraq War or otherwise known as ââ¬ËOperation Iraqi freedomââ¬â¢ was to become one of the most controversial wars to date especially because of the overwhelming international hostility. It is one of the most important events that affected the world, radically changing 21st century international relations. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain the Causes and Consequences of the Iraq War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This essay will be structured as follows the first section will explore the causes of the war. It argues that the main cause of the war was the perceived threat of Iraqââ¬â¢s possession of weapons of mass destruction. This study further argues an attempt to bring democracy to the country and getting rid of the countryââ¬â¢s authoritarian leader was another cause of the Iraq war. The second section will explore the consequences such of the war from four different perspectives: the humanitarian consequences, the military consequences, the political consequences and finally the economic consequences. This will be followed by a conclusion. Hallenbery and Karlsson (2005) argue that the September 11th attacks on the twin towers in 2001 to some extent led to the Iraq invasion. The attack on the twin towers is one of the events that changed the world forever. Soon after the attacks, the then president, George Bush Jr, publically televised Americaââ¬â¢s War on Terror. The first of Americaââ¬â¢s target was Afghanistan, in particular the Taliban ââ¬Ëwho openly supported the Al-Qaedaââ¬â¢[2]and ââ¬Ëallowed Afghani territory to be used for training camps and basesââ¬â¢[3]. However even after the invasion of Afghanistan, America was still concerned about possible threats. The US concluded that the September 11th attacks showed that ââ¬Ësome countries could ally themselves with terrorist movementsââ¬â¢[4] and most importantly provide them with weapons of mass destruction. Bush was especially concerned by Saddam Husseinââ¬â¢s Iraq. It was well known that during the 1980/90ââ¬â¢s, Saddam had access to weapons of mass destruction. He had used them on his own people, killing thousands of innocent Kurds during the attack on Halabja[5]. Furthermore Saddam showed persistent hatred towards the west, especially America. The perceived threat of Saddam Husseinââ¬â¢s weapons of mass destruction was the main cause of the Iraq War. As already mentioned, soon after the September 11th attacks and the invasion of Afghanistan, Bush placed is attentions onto Iraq. Both the US government and the UK government argued that the invasion of Iraq was necessary for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was seen as part of the axis of evil, alongside Iran and North Korea, accused of seeking weapons of mass destruction and helping terrorism. Secondly, Saddamââ¬â¢s regime was linked to Al-Qaeda. It was feared that he might pass the weapons of mass destruction to Al-Qaeda who could potentially use them against western democracys. Thirdly, Iraq was accused of not only possessing WMDââ¬â¢s but was developing more deadly ones[6]. During 2002, speech after speech, Bush argued that world faced a common problem; Iraq. He pledged to work with the United Nations to deal with the issues posed by Iraq. By the end of 2002 the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1441; they gave their final opportunity to Saddam to comply with its disarmament obligations of face serious actions. However, by 2003, the US, UK and Spain introduced the ââ¬Ësecond resolutionââ¬â¢ arguing that Iraq failed to take the final opportunity provided by the UN Security Council to disarm. The second resolution meant the authorisation of immediate force to disarm Saddamââ¬â¢s Iraq. [8] However, Franceââ¬â¢s president Jack Chiroc argued that they would veto the resolution. Crisis talks were held with the leaders of the US, UK and Spain resulting in the withdrawal of the resolution. The very same evening, President Bush televised a live conference warning that if Saddam Hussein did not leave Iraq in 48 hours the result would be ââ¬Ëmilitary conflict commenced at the time of our choosingââ¬â¢[9]. Therefore the main cause of the Iraq War was the threat of Saddam Husseinââ¬â¢s claimed WMDs. Prior to the invasion, American policy makers also emphasised ââ¬Ëthe broad benefits likely to result from the removal of Saddam Husseinââ¬â¢s authoritarian regime into a ââ¬Ëcultivation of a democratic regimeââ¬â¢[10]. They argued that democratization of Iraq would improve the well being of Iraqi citizens, politically and economically. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, the democratization of Iraq would help stimulate greater economic prosperity and promote further democracy in the rest of the middle east a region historically characterised by authoritarian governments where there is a wide spread of conflict, instability and widespread poverty[11]. Moreover it was claimed that the democratization of Iraq would set the stage for the settlement of conflicts that had plagued the Middle Eastern region for decades which would mean the chance to create lasting peace. [12] This next section will examine the consequences of the Iraq war. Soon after the US entered Iraq, the Baââ¬â¢ath party quickly crumbled. Many of the key members were killed soon after the invasion began. Saddam Hussein on the other hand, went on the run. This left the the country without a leader. Nine months after the war had begun, on the 14th of December, Saddam was finally captured. His capture would be the biggest, and some say only, accomplishment of the Iraq War. Shortly After his rise to power, Saddamââ¬â¢s ruthless tendencies came to light. For example he would often use violence to achieve his political goal, murdering any of his rivals. He invaded neighbours Iran in 1990 and Kuwait in 1991. He also created a secret police. The most disturbing of his actions could be seen in the events in small Kurdish town, in northern Iraq, called Halabja. As a result of Kurdish opposition, ââ¬ËIraqi aircraft dropped canisters believed to contain a lethal cocktail of the nerve agents sarin, tabun, VX and mustard gas on the townââ¬â¢[13]. Over 5,000 civilians died, most to be believed women and children. Thousands of more were permanently affected[14]. Time and time again, Saddam showed no remorse about killing his own people. It is also believed he was also responsible for the deaths of his own daughterââ¬â¢s husbands. Altogether, although there is no official count of how many deaths Saddam caused, it is estimated to be around the region of 400, 00 to 50,000. Soon after his capture, Saddam was put on trial for crimes against humanity. He was found guilty killed and sentenced to death by hanging. He was hanged on the 30th December 2006. The removal of the brutal, ruthless, remorseless and genocidal leader is therefore seen a positive consequence of the Iraq War. Another consequence of the Iraq war is the failure to bring stability and democracy into the country. As already mentioned previously in this study, one of the causes of the war were to democratize the country which would in turn result into stability of not only the country but the whole region. The US led coalition were able to take Iraq within a matter of weeks as the Iraqi army proved weak. Instead the coalition forces faced a guerrilla style war. Insurgency intensified shortly after the war began. It seemed that almost, everyday there was a new story about some type of suicide bomber attack. However even after seven years, such attacks in Iraq are still are nearly an everyday occurrence. For example, the latest attack which happened on the August 17th 2010, 57 Iraqi recruits and soldiers were killed in Baghdad, while 123 were seriously wounded by a suicide bomber who blew himself up at an army recruitment centre[15]. The consequence of this latest attacks is that even after seven years, coalition forces have failed to stabilize the country. Interestingly, Wehrey et al (2010) argues that the removal of Saddam upset a traditional balance of power in the region'[16], bringing further instability into the country. Traditionally, the balance of power in the region involved Iran and Arab nations. However with the Iraq war, the balance of power has now shifted towards Iran. Wehrey et al (2010) further argues that this shift in the balance of power has led to widespread concern amongst Arab states because of how easily Iran can manoeuvre in the core of the Middle East, from Lebanon to Gaza'[17]. Therefore one of the consequences of the war and the removal of Saddam has created the perception of increased vulnerability on the Arab side. [18] The attempts to bring democracy have also failed. Iraq is no more democratised then before. This can be proven by the recent election results. Although elections were successfully held in 2005 to create a transitional national assembly whose main purpose was to create a constitution. As a result Prime Minister Nouri Maliki was able to formulate a government. However the recent election results have so far not been so successful, as six after Iraqiââ¬â¢s went to the polls, no winner has been declared due to delays and claims of vote rigging. The importance of the 2010 elections was great as the party who one would be the first to rule over a fully sovereign Iraq since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. [19] However the months of political instability has brought about fears of insurgency violence arising to levels seen between 2003-2006, where violence was at its highest. One of the major consequences of the war has been the huge loss of life. The BBC estimate that over 90,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed in since the beginning of the war. It estimated that nearly 5,000 casualties from the coalition forces[20]. However the number of causalities, both civilian and military, have been falling in the last few years. The loss of creditability of both the US and UK governments have been another consequence of the war. Mitchell argues that a number of policy errors were made by both governments. He argues that opinions were not debated, intelligence was selectively used, the invasion lacked sufficient force, there was a failure to anticipate on insurgency and postwar planning was poorly devised. There has been widespread anger that the reasons for war were found true, therefore as some claim, making the war unjust and illegal. In the case of the British Government, the then prime minster, Tony Blair, popularity had fallen hugely as many believed he had led the country into war under false pretences. Wehrey et al (2010) make an interesting point. They argue that once consequence of the Iraq war is that is ââ¬Ëhas provided an anti-Western motivational focus and consolidated pre-existing grievancesââ¬â¢[21]. The beginning stages of the war particularly from 2003 to 2006, presented a narrative of resistance to the US led invasion that proved powerfully ttractive to people across the region ââ¬Ëwhose immediate local grievances may have been unrelated to Iraq itself but who nonetheless may have been inspired toward violence by the warââ¬â¢[22]. Furthermore Al-Qaeda, successfully portrayed Iraq as the most striking example of an infidel invasion of an Arab Muslim land[23]. The economic consequences of the Iraq war have also been great. Reports have suggested that the cost of the war for the US is over three trillion dollars. Before the war, Iraqââ¬â¢s economy was weak due to decades of economic mismanagement by Saddam. Although Iraq was oil rich- it had huge debts due to Saddamââ¬â¢s wars in Iran and Kuwait. Furthermore economic sanctions from the UN during the 1990ââ¬â¢s heavily affected Iraqââ¬â¢s economy. The country was never quite able to bounce back from the sanctions despite the large oil reserves. The impact of the war has worsened the situation. Unemployment it at an all time high and rebuilding infrastructure that was destroyed by the war, has been slow. The war has also brought about the problems of refugees. The United Nations commissioner for refugees argues that there are nearly one million refugees as a result of the war and roughly about 1. 5 million internally displaced person ââ¬Ëa third of who are living in settlements or camp-like situations in extremely poor conditionsââ¬â¢[24]. In conclusion, the main cause of the Iraq was the belief that Saddam Hussein was in possessions of weapons of mass destruction. Although it was no secret that Saddam had access to WMDs in the past, UN inspections would later find no evidence of them. Another cause for war was the belief that the overthrow of Saddams brutal regime would allow the democraztisation of the country which would improve Iraqi lives and lead to economic prosperity. Futhermore it would enable peace in a region which was riddled by conflict and instability. The toppling of saddams authoraitive rule and then eventual capture of the ruler was one of the rare success stories of the war. However this seems to be the only one. An attempt to bring democracy to the country has yet to be achieved; the casualities of the war have been high, people have lost confidence in governments and some have argued that the war has led to increased terror levels and consolidated an increased anti-western focus. Only time will tell the full extent of the wars further impacts. With America preparing to end its combat mission and end the number of American troops in Iraq, Iraqââ¬â¢s future looks dim. Even after six months of Iraqiââ¬â¢s going to the polls, a government has still not been formed. Fears are growing that Iraq still may not have the ability to provide security for itself or to be able to govern. Although Iraq may have got rid of their despot leader, the already weak country may have become even weaker as a result of the war.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Reviving Ophelia Essays - Adolescence, Childhood, Youth,
Reviving Ophelia Reviving Ophelia Adolescent girls growing up in todays society endure many more hardships than in previous years. Adolescence is no longer a time of endless sunny days spent on the back porch with a glass of country time lemonade and a smile extending ear to ear. Adolescence for girls is now generalized as a dark and depressing period of life that often seems hopeless and never ending. Mary Pipher PH.D tries to illustrate just how drastically life has changed over the years for teenage girls through her best selling book Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Although Mary Pipher was once a clinical psychologist, she articulates very well for everyone to clearly understand her ideas and perspectives. One way she is able to transfer her ideas to her readers without losing any of the emotion and feeling is by using actual quotes by her adolescent girl clients. I feel this is a very effective way to keep the readers attention and to convey the reality of the problems many teenagers are trapped in. I agree with Pipher that our society has changed for the worse even though we are persuaded to think that we are moving in the right direction. Yes, equal right movements have been placed in the law, but the respect that people once had for women has been eliminated. Comparing girls true selves to the Bermuda Triangle, Mary Pipher goes to great depth to explain what a mysterious trend this has become. No one can reason why these girls can no longer appreciate anything in life when just a few years before a spittle bug could have kept them mesmerized for an hour. Pipher recalls early in the book the image of Shakespeares Ophelia drowning herself due to failed attempts to please both her father and hamlet. She states that adolescent girls are similarly drowning in confusion as they try to sort out details in their life, and decide whom they really want to please. I really liked how Pipher points out that during the most stressful time during girls lives, our society stres ses the importance of cutting the emotional ties with moms and dads although this is the time when parental guidance and support would most likely be needed, but maybe not appreciated at the time. However, some parents can actually impact the girls choices negatively by insisting that they grow up too fast or to confine to the norm. This is a frightening crisis that Pipher demands we meet head on; indeed, among American girls there is more depression, eating disorders, addictions, self-mutilation, and suicides than ever before! I really related well with this book because I grew up being a tomboy. I still sometimes wish that I were a guy because life would seem so simple. I, too, miss the days when I could go to a social gathering without a mask, and I could actually be myself without worrying if I was acting proper or if I wore the right thing. I really feel that Pipher mainly emphasizes the major problems adolescent girls are now facing, the causes of these problems, and how as a society and individually we can deal and change this reoccurring depressing pattern our teenage girls are following. First, Pipher blames the low self respect of adolescent girls everything from parents to peers, but mainly faults our society as a whole. We are all guilty of getting caught up in the media, television, and magazines. Have you seen Rosie? She has lost so much weight! Oprah gained all of her weight back and more! These are just a few of the comments that are made after watching two of the most watched talk shows. I know these comments sound harmless, but to a young girl who is struggling with the perfect body image these comments reinforce the importance of appearance. Pipher also points out that intelligent girls are more prone to depression because they are more aware of their surroundings and therefore more aware of the new constraints they face as they leave childhood. Our society idealizes tall, dark and very skinny women. Thin is one thing, but we like skinny enough that it kills. I really like when
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