Teaching children Essay Example for Free

Teaching children Essay While it is necessary to monitor the programs that children are viewing on television, it is also important to understand that children do not have the concept of what is real and unreal at an early age. Teaching children to become media skeptics is expecting them to think and rationalize like adults. In the essay, Remote Control: How to Raise a Media Skeptic, Susan Douglas narrates how she tells her young daughter to become a more discriminating television viewer. The author is not against children watching television as evident in her statement, â€Å"I am not one of those virtuous, haloed parents who has banished the box from the home. She points out that growing up with TV provides her daughter with a form of cultural literacy that is important for the child’s growing years. She only wants her daughter to understand about what is on television and why it is there. It is an act of showing the child that whatever she sees on commercials is not what it is in reality. She believes that talking to children about what they see on television and what is unreal is important in raising them to become media skeptic. It is similar to giving them the skills and the tools to know that not everything is true on television because advertisements are there to attract us to buy products that are not as good as they are presented on TV. By nature, children are attracted to toys that are colorful, with moving parts and attractive sounds and media knows how to attract the very young consumers. Children prefer anything that stimulates their senses. They do not have the capability to understand about safety, durability, and cost. They are just kids who want to play with their toys. When they are in the toy section, they will pick toys that are seen on cartoons shows or TV commercials. When I was a child, I never had parents like Susan Douglas. My parents never pointed out what is good on television or what is real and unreal with what we see on the commercials. As we grow up, we have our own ability to know whether we are being fooled by the advertisements or whether they are telling us the truth. I believe that as long as we are studying, talking with people and we are exposed to all forms of media, the knowledge of determining what is real and not real will come naturally even without the intervention of the adults. Being a media critic, the writer Susan Douglas is sensitive to whatever she views on television. There is also a strong tendency for her to push her opinions on others and influence them on what she believes is real and what is not real. She monitors her daughter well and fears the effect of media on her child. Although there are positive and negative effects of television on the young viewers, I also believe that we should keep tract on what the children are viewing. However, I do not agree that children should be trained to become media skeptics at a young age. Adults should allow their children to be children. Pointing out everything that is right or wrong on television will affect the imaginary minds of the children. It will also spoil the fun of making children enjoy the toys that are in the market. We should not hasten the growth of the child and make them think like adults. I do not agree with the statement that â€Å"one of the best words to use when you’re watching TV with your kids is stupid. † Adults do not have the same imagination as children. What is stupid for adults may be fun for the kids. In time, children will know that ladies do not have perfect figures like the Barbie dolls and that both males and females do household chores and change babies’ diapers. Susan Douglas’ method may be effective because children trust the opinions of their parents and regard them as an authority figure. However, since most of us were not taught by our parents to be media skeptics, I believe that her techniques will not be fully acceptable to all parents.

Essay on Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy -- Invisible Man Essays

The Question of Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy      Ã‚   In the early twentieth century black American writers started employing modernist ways of argumentation to come up with possible answers to the race question. Two of the most outstanding figures of them on both, the literary and the political level, were Richard Wright, the "most important voice in black American literature for the first half of the twentieth century" (Norton, 548) and his contemporary Ralph Ellison, "one of the most footnoted writers in American literary history" (Norton, 700). In this paper I want to compare Wright's autobiography "Black Boy" with Ellison's novel "Invisible Man" and, in doing so, assess the effectiveness of their conclusions.    Both books have many striking parallels. Each tells the story of a young and intelligent picaresque character who goes through a painful odyssey of racism and prejudice during which he intellectually matures. Disappointed by institutions like family, church and political parties, mainly because they try to deprive them of their individuality by instrumentalizing and categorizing them, both protagonists grow more and more disillusioned. At the peak of their cynicism they eventually reject the American society as a whole. They now have only two logically consistent ways out of their dilemma: Flight or fight.    Ellison's protagonist chooses to take the first way. He believes that he can now finally see how society really works and he finds that in it he plays the role of an "invisible man". His invisibility is due to the fact that the other people are blind for the characteristics that distinguish him as an individual human being and instead apply to him the same stereotypes they associate with A... ...llison ends. His protagonist does not have to look for the individualism that the invisible man is always struggling for because he seems to have been born with it. Therefore his efforts are much more focused and constructive.    In conclusion I can say that I understand Ellison's point of view on the emotional level but that I have to give Wright right on the political level.    Works Cited: Berry, W. Abner. "Ralph Ellison's Novel 'Invisible Man' Show Snobbery, Contempt for Negro People." The Daily Worker: 8 Nov. 1999 <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/berry-on-ellison.html>. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. 2nd ed. New York: Vintage International, 1995. W. L. Andrews et al., ed. The Literature of the American South: A Norton Anthology. New York: Norton, 1998. 58 Wright, Richard. Black Boy. New York: Harperpennial, 1993. Essay on Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy -- Invisible Man Essays The Question of Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy      Ã‚   In the early twentieth century black American writers started employing modernist ways of argumentation to come up with possible answers to the race question. Two of the most outstanding figures of them on both, the literary and the political level, were Richard Wright, the "most important voice in black American literature for the first half of the twentieth century" (Norton, 548) and his contemporary Ralph Ellison, "one of the most footnoted writers in American literary history" (Norton, 700). In this paper I want to compare Wright's autobiography "Black Boy" with Ellison's novel "Invisible Man" and, in doing so, assess the effectiveness of their conclusions.    Both books have many striking parallels. Each tells the story of a young and intelligent picaresque character who goes through a painful odyssey of racism and prejudice during which he intellectually matures. Disappointed by institutions like family, church and political parties, mainly because they try to deprive them of their individuality by instrumentalizing and categorizing them, both protagonists grow more and more disillusioned. At the peak of their cynicism they eventually reject the American society as a whole. They now have only two logically consistent ways out of their dilemma: Flight or fight.    Ellison's protagonist chooses to take the first way. He believes that he can now finally see how society really works and he finds that in it he plays the role of an "invisible man". His invisibility is due to the fact that the other people are blind for the characteristics that distinguish him as an individual human being and instead apply to him the same stereotypes they associate with A... ...llison ends. His protagonist does not have to look for the individualism that the invisible man is always struggling for because he seems to have been born with it. Therefore his efforts are much more focused and constructive.    In conclusion I can say that I understand Ellison's point of view on the emotional level but that I have to give Wright right on the political level.    Works Cited: Berry, W. Abner. "Ralph Ellison's Novel 'Invisible Man' Show Snobbery, Contempt for Negro People." The Daily Worker: 8 Nov. 1999 <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/berry-on-ellison.html>. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. 2nd ed. New York: Vintage International, 1995. W. L. Andrews et al., ed. The Literature of the American South: A Norton Anthology. New York: Norton, 1998. 58 Wright, Richard. Black Boy. New York: Harperpennial, 1993.

Effect of Colonialism on Gender Equality Relating to the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

When it comes to delegating responsibility, allocating power, and demanding equality, there always seems to be an underlying bias towards the masculine sector of society, which allows an imbalance regarding gender equality. Understanding where this way of thinking comes from is an essential part of trying to shift and completely erase the bias. Throughout history, a patriarchal pattern and way of thinking has been passed down from generation to generation; what we fail to see is the reason for this pattern and the ways in which we can remedy the situation.A great example of this issue is displayed in the novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. The female characters of Junot Diaz’s novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, La Inca, Beli, and Lola, demonstrate the ways in which colonialism led to the dehumanization of citizens, especially women, and how these power dynamics carry over into modern society in relationships between the majority and minority, b oth in terms of race and gender in their oppression and the stigma that is attached to being a Dominican immigrant women in America. There are three important women in the novel: La Inca, Beli, and Lola.Each are strong women who battle each other, men, the fuku, their past, their color, and–most important the fact that they are women. One can argue that this habit of undermining the female population comes all the way from when colonialism began to take place. Not only did this Western idea of colonizing mean degrading those that were more, barbaric and unfortunate. â€Å".. we must study how colonization works to decivilize the colonizer,to brutalize him in the true sense of the word, to degrade him, to awaken him to buried instincts, to covetousness, violence, race hatred, and moral relativism. (Cesaire 35) But it was from this that the idea of judging humans by their appearance came about and began to exist. Prior to this the idea of looking and judging by color, gender a nd physical appearance was non-existent. What we fail to see as a society is the realness of this matter, the fact that still in the 21st century this idea of inequality hits almost every single female in one way or another, affecting even the capability to sustain themselves economically because of the still present gender gap in salary wages. This struggle is specifically seen in foreign females residing in America.Junot Diaz in his novel very craftily, with much use of heteroglossia- the presence of two or more voices, discourses, or expressed viewpoints in a text or other artistic work and uncensored truth displays this with his female characters. Lola, represents the first generation American Hispanic female who struggles with finding a balance of her spanish culture and the urge of freeing herself from the stereotype she is expected to uphold. In her journey to oppose such characterization, and as a modern Dominican girl she could only push and dream on. â€Å"with promises t hat once I reached college I would be able to do whatever I pleased, burst out.I couldn’t help it†¦ It was a message more than a feeling, a message that tolled like a bell: change, change, change. † (Diaz 58) This feeling of hope is what drives and keeps many women working hard and pushing for positive changes still to this day. But the constant tag of war with essentialism- belief that a group of pe2ople exhibit traits, characteristics, or behaviors that are essential to their nature and membership to that group, is what drove Lola to the verge of insanity. â€Å"What it’s like to be the perfect Dominican daughter, which is just a nice way of saying Dominican slave. (Diaz 56) She fought like a mad cat for justice, freedom and opportunities. Basic human rights, but not for the average foreign female in the U. S. Her battle was seen as her â€Å"crazy years.. what Dominican girl doesn’t have those? † (Diaz 24) Her sense of independence and brav ery is taken and classified just merely because she is an ethnic female. â€Å"She’d turned into one of those Jersey dominicanas, a long distance runner who drover her own car, had her own checkbook, called men bitches, and would eat a fat cat in front of you without a speck of verguenza. (Diaz 25) To call such attitude honorable would be out of the question because to society she is stepping out of what her stereotype is suppose to be.On the other hand, feminism to traditional La Inca was never even a thought. La Inca is part of the female group that accepts the oppression and her given expected role in society. Instead of fighting against it she lives her entire life trying to maintain and protect her assigned role â€Å"La Inca, you see, was a serious woman, an upstanding woman, one of the best in her class. (Diaz 102) She fought hard to keep the status of her family up high, she is the result of a woman from a colonized country. She knows nothing more than what she is g iven and refuses and is scared to venture. La Inca is the traditional dominican mom, her only wish was for her daughter, Beli to succeed and achieve what she could not. But like many traditional mothers she wanted her daughter to stay rooted in her culture, just the mere thoughts of Beli going to the â€Å"extranjero† brought her anger â€Å" The U. S. was nothing more and nothing less than a pais overrun by gangsters, putas, and no-accounts. (Diaz 158) La Inca lives by what society has taught her to be, to do things for the well being of the men in society, to take care of the home but more importantly to stay at the bottom of the chain and not even think about fighting it. The fight against what colonialism has built the female population to be was started thanks to women like Beli. She represent the females who were tired of living the role they were given.â€Å"Beli could no longer abide working at the bakery or being the â€Å"daughter† of one of the â€Å"most upstanding women in Bani. † She could not abide, period†¦ hat she wanted, more than anything, was what she’d always wanted throughout her Lost Childhood: to escape. † (Diaz 80) She was able to detach herself and learn that there is more to life than what she was told. It is thanks to females like her that we are becoming aware of how far down colonialism has push females. That the â€Å"worship of women as objects of chivalric adoration† (Kaplan 107) should not be, society makes females feel â€Å"invited to imagine themselves participating in the adventures of empire as a means of rejoicing traditional roles. (Kaplan 110) This is what the support of imperial conquest has created. Hypatia Belicia Cabral, a lost dominican single mother in the U. S trying to escape from the culture that expects her to fulfill a given role. Colonialism allowed the lessening of a person just because of an aspect of their look or status.Just as Aime Cesaire states,  ".. while colonialism in its formal sense might have been dismantled, the colonial state has not. Many of the problems of democracy are products of the old colonial state whose primary difference is the presence of black faces. (Cesaire 27) This being a clear example of Oscar, who even in a new country with endless possibilities to succeed still drags on with him that curse of fuku and the result of colonialism as his cross which leads him to find a way to not succeed. Judged by his skin color and his constant battle of achieving the mastering of this male chauvinism, that also came as a result of colonialism and its oppression of woman. The reality is that colonization taught human beings to â€Å"dehumanizes even the most civilized man. † (Cesaire 41) It allowed this concept of â€Å"ownership† and superiority of a race against another- creating an evil chain.Wealthy men were the owners of less fortunate men, and as a result of chauvinism, men were the owners of wome n. â€Å"Colonial activity, colonial enterprise, colonial conquest, which is based on contempt for the native and justified by that contempt, inevitably tends to change him who undertakes it; that the colonizer, who in order to ease his conscience gets into the habit of seeing the other man as an animal accustoms himself to treating him like an animal, and tends objectively to transform himself into an animal. (Cesaire 27) Colonialism began to build a pyramid of levels of importance in society, placing wealthy men at the top following by the rest of the men population and lastly are those wealthy and educated woman; that regardless how hard they try could never climb up the set social cast as we see in the battle of Lola against this very restricted stereotype she gets casted into. Although many of these casted minorities move to the United States in search of freedom and equality, as Beli did in order to â€Å"escape,† many of them instead find a world heavenly still conden sed in the social dynamics carried over from colonialism.American domination – the only domination from which one never recovers. I mean from which one never recovers unscarred. † (Cesaire 77) As the ethnocentric country that we are, we like to criticize other nations in the way they handle their national issues but this is merely part of colonization, a skill that the United States as a whole has down to the most specific detail. By doing so the nation as a whole makes it that much easier for members of such colonized countries to undergo the process of which colonization becomes epidermalization- â€Å"The interiorisation of an inferiority complex based on socioeconomic inequalities. Such experience that all the characters in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao undergo and are in constant conflict with. As a nation of great power we possess many great attributes but lack immensely in the topic of equality of genders. Judging rulers of other countries such as Chavez, Castro and Hitler, when these rulers had so much more to offer their woman in comparison to the United States.Although they committed crimes of which none are applaud for, what we don’t like to state and teach is that in spite of all this â€Å"wrong†, women in these particular countries received the support and were asked to better themselves and contribute to the economical development of their own nation. â€Å"By any standards, the position of women in Cuba ranks among the highest indices of equality of treatment and opportunities. † (Women In Cuba) In Venezuela Chavez receives the support of thousands of women, both in government and outside. Tania Diaz, governing party candidate for the capital district and previously minister of communications, said the aim of the activity was to support the president†¦. Since the government came to power women’s opportunities for development and for participation in Venezuelan society had multiplied. † (Pearson) While in Hitlers world, women were encouraged to train and become strong in order to become competitive with the male population and thus take part in the advancement of the Nazi nation. Hitler provided places for the female youth to learn and support each other in such advancements.These youth group was called the League of German Girls, founded in 1930. An important part of life in the League of German Girls was to help the girls build character, and to prepare them for what were supposed to be their future tasks within the Nazi Volksgemeinschaft, or people's community, by getting them involved in programs that were for the â€Å"good of the people† (Chris Crawford and Stephan Hansen) Empowering woman was something that was done in these nation, had These nations although accused of being some of the most dehumanizing, underdeveloped societies, have more opportunity and support for all of their women citizens.Allowing them to become just as competitive in the wor k force and every other aspect of society. While in America the gap between male and female equality is still so spread, and even more so the gap between male and an ethnic female. The power of oppression towards women as a result of colonialism and how these power dynamics carry over into our modern society is something that we must begin to shift. That although America tries to escape from being called a colonizer, we have become victims of our own poison. â€Å"Domestic and foreign spaces are closer than we think, and that the dynamics of imperil expansion cast them into jarring proximity. (Kaplan 1)Cesaire, Aime Discourse on Colonialism, 1955 Edition Presence Africaine Chris Crawford and Stephan Hansen, http://bdmhistory. com/research/main. html#two, copyright 2003-2008. Diaz, Junot The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, 2007 Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Kaplan, Amy The Anarchy of Empire In the Making of U. S Culture, 2002 President and Fellows of Harvard College ?Pearson, Tamara, à ¢â‚¬Å"Venezuelan Women Swear to be â€Å"Guardians† of Chavez in?Response to CNN,† VENEZUELANALYSIS. COM, http://venezuelanalysis. com/news/5644 Women in cuba- http://www. cuba-solidarity. org. uk/

Censorship Essay examples - 939 Words

Censorship Without the history of Censorship, what type of things would children be watching? Without the unique methods of Censorship, what kinds of films would be being released into the public? Throughout this essay I will be explaining the steps taken to achieve the level of Censorship, that we have now. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In 1900-1950 every movie in the world was rated before being released. The government, of the country in which the movie was made always did this. In 1956 the rules were changed. Each movie’s script was now required to go before a Film Board, before being produced. If approved the company was allowed to go on with production. In 1968 the Film Board of the Motion Picture Association of America adopted†¦show more content†¦4. X-No one under 17 is admitted. Throughout History Production companies have been influenced by Religious, Ethnic, Racial and political groups, who have lobbied against content they deem controversial. In 1953 a producer named Otto Preminger, made a movie called †The Moon is Blue†. This movie caused the collapse of the Production Code from previous years. The movie caused such controversy because of one line in it â€Å" a professional virgin†. Because in 1953 the scripts of movies were read before they were produced, and the organization CARA was not yet established, Otto Preminger was not given a seal of approval. Before he was denied a seal of approval, we were given the opportunity to cut the line out of the movie and go on. So he agreed to cut it out, but the rest of the movie had quotes in it that implied similar things to that. This is what started the slow loss of power for the Production Code. The Code was renewed in 1956, 1961 and then in 1968 the new approach of the organization CARA was reached. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As of 1990, the Motion Picture Association of America has a newer system of rating movies. It is quite similar to that of 1968. There are now five categories: 1. G- general audiences 2. PG- parental guidance advised. 3. PG-13: parental guidance advised for anyone under 13 years of age. 4. A parent or guardian must accompany r-anyone under 17. 5. NC-17No persons under the age of 17 admitted. In the past the rule ofShow MoreRelatedCensorship : Censorship And Censorship Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesIn the modern sense, political correctness has become a form of censorship. With protestors forcing students to find alternate routes to school or pushing the administration to cancel guest speakers in fear of triggering students, the modern-day university is no longer a place of free, critical, thinking, but a place of censorship. Political correctness (is used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended primarily not to offend or disadvantage any group of people in society. InRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of Music1544 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s music, otherwise known as, censorships. A crisis has emerged concerning the issue of censorship. This argument consists of two possible stances: one, supporting the continuation of censorship, and two, eliminating the status quo of censorships in the music industry. There have been countless debates a nd arguments regarding the issues of censorship ever since the U.S. Congress passed the Radio Act in 1927 (The History). The time has arrived for censorship to be brought to an end. The governmentRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of The Internet985 Words   |  4 Pagestruth.. This influenced freedom of the press rights and embracing those rights to the constitution (Linder). Recently the issue of Censorship of the Internet in America has become a trending topic. The internet has been commonly censored to comply with the Digital Millennium Rights Act, but in recent times our government has been requesting more aggressive censorship in order to provide a safer cyberspace. If the American government began to censor the internet, the restriction will result in suppressionRead MoreThe Censorship Of Internet Censorship3057 Words   |  13 Pages Internet Censorship Student’s Name: Institution Name: Internet Censorship Internet censorship refers to the suppression and control of what people can access, publish, or view on the cyberspace (Reynolds, 2014). It may be done by regimes or private firms at the command of the government. It can be a government’s initiative is or carried out by regulators. Organizations and individuals may practice self-censorship for religious, business or moral reasons to comply with societal normsRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of The Internet1754 Words   |  8 PagesCensorship of the Internet is on the rise in highly populated states today. Although the Internet is considered as one of the most significant tools for the public sphere, many users have decried the Internet’s benefits and seen the Internet as a ‘double-edged sword’. Even as the Internet connects most of the world and gives valuable access to information, the same tool allows access to material that may be considered dangerous or harmful. The recent increase in discussion on the act of censorshipRead MoreThe Importance Of Censorship1640 Words   |  7 PagesHow is Censorship Beneficial? How is censorship used? Is it good or was it bad? Censorship is a good thing because people do not want kids looking at bad pictures. Censorship stops them from seeing that because it makes it to where there are books being banned and movies being rated. Also, censorship allows the government to control and limit exposure to several different types of things. Censorship is well known and was even used in the past. Censorship should be allowed in schools to prevent kidsRead MoreCensorship Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesCensorship â€Å"Congress shall make no law†¦prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right to petition the government for a redress of government.†(Ravitch, 118) As stated in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the people of this nation have the right to exercise their beliefs out loud, or in writing. With this in mind, does the government have the right to undermine the foundation of our nation, and censor what we readRead More The Censorship Debate795 Words   |  4 Pages The Censorship Debate nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Do words such as nigger, bitch, or ass offend you?nbsp; The answer may seem clear cut, but our nation has been struggling with the issue of censorship almost since its conception.nbsp; To many, the aforementioned words are a part of their everyday vocabulary; to others, they are vulgar and unacceptable.nbsp; The issue of censorship is much more than just words.nbsp; There have been huge controversies over the negative ideas andRead More Censorship Essay1002 Words   |  5 PagesCensorship The Columbia Encyclopedia defines censorship as the official prohibition or restriction of any type of expression believed to threaten the political, social, or moral order. It is necessarily broad definition. Any type of expression in fact, covers just about everything from clothing to print to movements and even to simply being. George Bernard Shaw described assassination as an extreme form of censorship. It is now omnipresent in society and has been as long as society has existedRead MoreCensorship in the Media1115 Words   |  5 PagesIs Censorship necessary? â€Å"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear. -- Harry S Truman Thesis: Although some people believe that censorship is adequate to select what things does the society will be good and can live around it while others believe that there