Madonnas Role in a Feminist Culture Essay example -- Papers

Madonna's Role in a Feminist Culture In the book written by bell hooks, Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, she criticizes a number of the actions and viewpoints of Madonna. Claiming that Madonna has changed from appearing to be a strong feminist icon into a woman who no longer has a connection with feminist views, bell hooks examines how Madonna chooses to represent herself as well as Madonna’s changing role in the feminist world. According to bell hooks, initially Madonna was a very transgressive in a feminist sense, and now she appears to be almost welcoming of the phallocentric imperialist patriarchal views. I agree with our class discussion and with bell hooks’ critique, feeling that Madonna has changed from a woman who resisted male dominating ideas showing strong feminist characteristics into a more accepting view of patriarchy and sexism. First explaining the Madonna of the past as a cultural icon. Madonna was supported and idolized by feminists, because she portrayed herself as a very independent, strong, and powerful woman, unbounded by sexism and a system flooded with patriarchy. By transgressing the boundary of a sexist society, she showed us that a woman could be strong, independent, sexy, powerful, and just as good as any man, if not better. Over time, bell hooks explains, Madonna has changed, being more accepted by the patriarchal and sexist society, neglecting her previous advocation of feminist images. Madonna has done this, bell hooks argues, by posing very seductively in Vanity Fair magazine. These images supposedly show Madonna in very conventional and typical kiddie-porn photographs. When appearing in images like these, Madonna is implying that she openly welcomes sexist and patriarchal ... ...se show me that bell hooks is correct in her critique of Madonna, changing from a once feminist cultural icon to a representation of the white supremacist patriarchal views. In her book, Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, bell hooks gives us a critique of Madonna, giving us examples of how Madonna has transformed into a figure whom has abandoned her feminist thinking. These examples include Madonna’s photographs, her book Sex, and quotations. I agree with bell hooks’ critique of Madonna because I feel that evidence can be shown in Madonna’s actions over time supporting her change in views. From Madonna’s portrayal of a feminist to an advocate of patriarchal ideas, it can clearly be seen that Madonna has withdrawn her stand as a feminist cultural icon. Works Cited hooks, bell. (1994). Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations. New York, Routledge.

Drunk Driving Essay

Don’t you want to make sure your life is as safe as possible without the convicted reckless driving criminals on the road? People convicted of drunk driving should be imprisoned on the first offense to ensure this safety of others. These people are a danger to our society, and drunk drivers need to be stopped. Imprisoning the intoxicated driver on the first offense would lower the deaths and injuries of the innocent people who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Drunk Driving is called DWI or DUI, â€Å"Driving While Intoxicated† or â€Å"Driving under the Influence†. The crime of drunk driving is usually a misdemeanor, but depending on the number of prior drunk driving convictions someone may have, it can also be a felony. Drinking and then driving have resulted in thousands of road accidents, injuries and deaths. A mandatory jail sentence for convicted offenders would cause people to seriously consider the bottom line of drinking and driving. T aking a serious civil approach to the offense would cause friends and family to view drinking and driving as completely offensive. It would add a risk of job loss, public humiliation and jail time to the risks of injury, and death. It is well known that drinking affects an individual’s way of thinking and doing things. When drunk, it is almost impossible to conduct duties in a normal way compared to when one is not drunk. Evidence shows that a number of road accidents are caused by careless drivers who drive when drunk. Although the cause of the accident may not be the fault of the drunk driver, the situation worsens because the drunk driver does not manage to control the motion of the vehicle (Walters, 2009). To ensure that the society lives in an environment that is healthy towards accidents, drunk drivers should go to prison when found guilty (Rebik, 2010). People who drive intoxicated most likely have done it before and will do it again. Out of the 900,000 people arrested each year that are convicted of a DUI, one third of them were repeated offenders (Fell, 2004). An average of people who drink and drive have done it eighty times before their first arrest, and some even more (â€Å"Morbidity and Mortality†). Since one arrest occurs in every 772 drunk driving incidents, many think they a re just lucky because they haven’t gotten caught yet (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2002). Even though drunk drivers might not get caught by the law, they’ll most likely suffer injury or death by making the bad decision of drinking  and driving because one in three people will be in a crash caused by a drunk driver in their lifetime (NTSA, 2001). If they were imprisoned on their first offense, there would be no recurring offenders around to make the same mistake over and over again. It would deter many from drunk driving and discourage many from committing this crime. Imprisoning them would also remove them from the streets so they are doing the same thing and hurting others. Drunk drivers are most likely to commit the crime again, so they deserve to be imprisoned on their first offense to ensure the protection and save lives of others, especially children’s. Most kids don’t have the choice to not ride with the driver because it is usually an adult or parent driving. That’s unfair to put the kid’s lives in danger. Many children are affe cted by people drinking and driving. Seventeen percent of traffic deaths with children involved an alcohol impaired driver and 61% of those children were riding with them (Macgregor & Collins, 2011). Nobody should have to go through the pain of losing a child, especially under the circumstances of a drunk driving accident. The convicted drunk drivers being put away would relieve parents so they wouldn’t have to worry as much about drunk drivers adding a risk to their kid’s lives. The death and injury rate would also decrease dramatically and save lives of many innocent children who have been put in that terrible situation. Drunk driving is a direct result of bad decisions and not an â€Å"accident.† It is completely preventable. If the punishment was harsher than just having a license suspension and treatment classes, more people would think more about what they are actually doing. Drunk drivers being imprisoned would have to live with the humiliation and disappointment for being in jail because of making a careless mistake. People would feel worse and think twice because driving drunk makes them a criminal. They would then realize there would be more at stake since drunk driving is a crime and is the most frequently committed offense in America (â€Å"The High Cost†, 2012). Drunk drivers being imprisoned on their first offense would reduce the amount of injury, death, and damage to others. If people were imprisoned on their first drunk driving offense, it would make people more hesitant about making that careless decision. Evidence suggests that most road accidents are caused by drunk drivers who lose control when driving. Drivers who cause accidents regret on the actions and plead that they will not repeat their actions. In the first place, drivers know that  driving while drunk is offense and may cause an accident. This is a clear indication that they willingly break the law already knowing the consequence they may get. (Richardson & Thompson, 2008). To ensure that the society lives in an environment that is healthy towards accidents, drunk drivers should go to prison when found guilty, (Rebik, 2010). It might look injustice to imprison a driver when caught in the first time, but the reality is that imprisonment helps drivers reform. This reduces the occurrence of accidents that kill innocent people. There should be no mercy when charging criminals simply because they commit their offense in an ignorance manner (Richardson & Thompson, 2008). Protecting law is an important thing that most people ignore but find themselves in a fixed when law is against them. Unless drivers are imprisoned for the offense they commit, cases of accidents caused by drunk drivers won’t reduce. It is clear that they will increase causing more deaths and destruction of properties (Walters, 2009). Driving when drunk is dangerous to human life as well as the environment at large. Drivers who may drive drunk, argue that they have the right to drink and or consume alcohol. Although each and every person has the freedom to do what he wants, it should also be considered that the actions should not violate rights of other people or be harmful to anyone and anything around you. No one is prohibited drinking provided he, or she has turned the age of 21. Law prohibits driving when drunk because it may cause an accident killing people who are innocent. To avoid situations like this, it is advisable to imprison drivers who drive under the influence. Some may argue that they have control of their drinking habits, but to some point alcohol affects the response of the human body. It affects the control ability that is important when driving thus drunk drivers may lose their control and cause accidents (Durkin et al., (2008). It is argued that humans are to error and that they are subjected to mistakes. If the argument is based on that, drivers argue that imprisonment should not be done when the offense is made on the first situation. They say that forgiveness should work and warning given to those who commit offense in their first situation. Supporters of drinking and driving argue that they know their drinking habits and have drinking limits. This is not a justification as to why drivers should drink and drive. It should be remembered th at when a driver starts driving, he should take care of the lives he carries by ways of  driving in a careful manner (Richardson & Thompson, 2008). All people have equal opportunity when it comes to life and drunk drivers should not ruin that for anyone. Drunk driving is completely preventable if you imprison first offenders to catch other people’s attention. Imprisonment is the best form of prevention and rehabilitation for any sort of act involving drinking and driving; it’d make people realize their mistakes. Imprisoning people on the first offense for drunk driving would ensure the safety of others and to save the lives of many people because in most cases, drunk drivers are predicted to drive drunk again. Citations Drunk Driving Statistics. (2008). Retrieved from, http://www.alcoholalert.com/drunk-driving-statistics.html, on October 30, 2012 Durkin, Keith F.; Wolfe, Scott E.; May, Ross W. (2008). Social Bond Theory and Drunk Driving in a Sample of College Students. College Student Journal, Vol. 41, No. 3.Lankford, Ronnie. â€Å"Eliminating Drunk Driving Creates Repressive Laws.† Opposing Viewpoints Research Center. (2007)Gale. Gateway Community College Lib. Retrieved from, http://findgalegroup.com/ovrc, on October 30, 2012 Rebik, D. (2010). Drunk Drivers Who Kill Could Face Longer Jail Sentences. Retrieved from, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/kcpq-092810-duilaws,0,5507117.story, on October 30, 2012 Richardson, K., Thompson, K. M. (2008). Drinking and Driving. Journal of College Student Development Volume 49, Number 5, pp. 497-508 10. Doi:353/csd.0.0034 Traffic safety facts. In (2009). (p. 6). DC: US Department of Transpotation. Retrieved from, http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/811385 .pdf, on October 30, 2012 Walters, S. (2009). First drunken driving offense shouldn’t be crime, says Van Hollen. (p. 1). Wisconsin: Journal Sentinel Inc. Retrieved from, http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/37748539.html, on October 30, 2012

Education Barriers Of Poor Countries - 1971 Words

Natasha Juvera Professor Martineau English 122 3 April 2016 Education Barriers in Poor Countries According to a new UNESCO policy paper 58 million children aged 6 to 11 are not receiving any education. Over 40% of these children will never enter a classroom (Unesco.org). In Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai said, â€Å"almost half of school-age children do not have access to education. Some because of war or their schools have closed by the Taliban or others, or they do not have the ability to go to school† (Rawa.org). Pakistan has the world’s poorest education systems with 3 million children out of school (en.unesco.org). Girls in poor countries face barriers such as cost of education, violence, poverty, gender norms, and early pregnancy;†¦show more content†¦Cost of education makes it hard for them because they do not have the money for textbooks or bus fares. Many classrooms in Pakistan do not have textbooks, even though books are considered the most important instructional material for the student’s. Childr en score higher in tests of math and reading comprehension when they are provided textbooks. Other issues are the quality of the books are flawed with factual errors, inappropriate illustrations, and problems with readability, due to factual and grammatical errors, along with major deviations from the specifications set by the Curriculum Bureau. The language of the text creates confusion because it differs greatly from one grade to another and even subject to subject among books at the same level (YesPakistan.com, 2002). Throughout Pakistani society, education of girls is prohibited. Sending girls to school is against family honor. Education is viewed as un-Islamic by the Pakistani Taliban. The terrorist frown upon co-education, and in retaliation destroy the schools and the children. More than 800 schools in the region have been attacked since 2009, according to government education authorities (Siddiqui). Co-education remains to be an issue in Pakistan, despite the positive sides to it such as, enabling women and man to understand each other while having positive interactions (Ahmad). Since the attack of the Taliban on a Peshawar public school where a