Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Using Metaphors in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Using Metaphors in Organizations - Essay Example This essay stresses that metaphorical way of looking at an organization is a very useful way of understanding the organization, developing new concepts and theories that can help in better management and growth of the organization. This can potentially have a very positive influence on the society and environment as well. The discussion above explains how two different metaphors for the same organization can create completely different perceptions and theories in terms of their operations, people, customers and stakeholders. This paper makes a conclusion that emphasis on metaphors can be considered as one of the oldest, most deeply embedded, even indispensable ways of knowing in the history of human consciousness and also form the basis of some of the most central ideas of understanding a concept. In fact, many theorists have agreed with the three reasons Ortony. These theories state that metaphors provide a compact version of an event; they enable people to predict characteristics that are unnamable, and; they are more vivid emotionally, sensorially and cognitively because they are close to perceived experience. In spite of the power embraced by metaphorical expressions, their exploitation creates lot of misunderstanding of the concept. The positive outcomes of metaphorical expression of organizations as brains can be attributed to the sophistication in information processing systems used by the organization, their capacity to handle huge data, and their ability to think and act strategically.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Evolution of Primate Locomotion and Body Configuration

Evolution of Primate Locomotion and Body Configuration Humans, who have long since abandoned the trees as their principal lodging place, have only partially lost the physical adaptations for tree climbing; their hands, in particular, remain in the arboreal mold. Only the feet have lost their primitive prehensility in adapting to bipedal walking (Primate, 2009). There are many changes that occurred in locomotion and body configuration through primate evolution, many of which are easily seen, but some require some in depth research. This research paper will try to elaborate on the evolutionary modifications and some of the theories that have been proposed for these changes throughout our and other primate evolution. Grade I The Lemuroids Some of the greatest diversity of strepsirhines and lemurs are found on Madagascar, where more than 30 species are represented, belonging to five different families (Harrison, 2004). The Lemur ranges in size from as small as a single ounce to as much as twenty two pounds. At one time there were even larger lemurs that weighed as much as 240k g but are now extinct due to humans settling on Madagascar. Lemurs on the evolution timeline have not changed very much from their ancestors. This helps in the understanding of primate evolution because we can see primates of long ago first hand. One of the best-known members of the lemur family is the Ring-tailed Lemur. Like other lemurs the Ring-tailed lemur move quadrupedally in the trees and on the ground. Although their spine is shaped for walking quadrupedally, Ring-tailed lemurs are able to hop bipedally as well. According to Shapiro, there are a great deal of fossils from the earliest of primates. And although they were not directly ances tral to the lemurs, in terms of their adaptations they were probably most similar to the living lemurs. Shapiro goes on to say that this spine comparison is important because lemurs spine is a very different shape from the spine of a primate that keeps its back upright a lot. Compared to other primates like Chimpanzees, the lemurs spine looks very different. All monkeys or prosimians who walk on all fours most of the time have much longer spines, which are more flexible, and they have a harder time holding their back upright. Shapiro also states that Lemurs do a lot of different kinds of locomotor behaviors. They do walk quadrupedally, but theyre also very good at leaping. And in some of the lemurs, they do their leaping from a horizontal position. And their spine looks like that of a primate that walks quadrupedally. Other lemurs leap from a vertical position, and they spend almost all their time either clinging to the trunk of a tree vertically, and then they leap (Shapiro, 2001). Grade II The Tarsiers The Tarsier is a one of the smallest primates belonging to a single genus and they can be found on the islands of Southeast Asia. Tarsiers are often called the living fossils because of striking resemblance to fossils of primates from 40 million years ago. These nocturnal primates have some of the largest eyes of the primate family. Their legs are much longer than their forelimbs and they have a long and almost hairless tail. Tarsiers also have pads on the ends of their fingers which are a result of adaption for their specialized lifestyle as vertical clingers and leapers (Harrison, 2004). What makes Tarsiers unique among primates is that they have toilet claws on both their second and third toes, unlike the lemur which only have a toilet claw on their second toe. Strepsirhines and Tarsiers have in the past been grouped together because they still retain many primitive features that become obsolete in higher evolved primates. However, Tarsiers share a number of distinctive specializa tions with anthropoids (for example, the development of a bony partition that partially separates the eyeball from the chewing muscles behind, lack of a toothcomb, a dry hair-covered nose and undivided upper lip, a short snout with reduced facial whiskers, and the structure of the placenta) that suggest that they are more closely related to each other than either is to the strepsirhines (Harrison, 2004). Tarsier move somewhat like a small, furry frog, and can leap from small branch to small branch. In order to do this efficiently, the tibia and the fibula (the two lower leg bones) are fused about halfway down their length, giving the leg more strength. Tarsiers also have elongated ankle bones, which helps them leap, and which gives them their name, tarsier, a reference to the tarsal, or ankle, region.(Jurmain, 2008) The legs are much longer than their arms. These curious little nocturnal creatures dart around the undergrowth and low trees, keeping out the realm of larger animals unt il they want to leap across the ground to gather up prey. Tarsiers are carnivorous, eating insects and small lizards (Blashfield, 2009). If the Tarsier had not developed grasping and large eyes through evolution it would have most likely not survived in its present habitat. Grade III The Monkeys Monkeys can range in size from 5–6 in long (plus tail) to almost 3.3 ft long. Monkeys can also weigh anywhere from 4–5 ounces to as much as 77 lbs. Some are arboreal (living in trees) while others live on the savanna. Living in such different climates play part in how some Monkeys have different characteristics than others. Some characteristics are shared amongst most Monkeys. New World monkeys have prehensile tails while Old World monkeys have non-prehensile tails or no visible tail at all. Some monkeys have trichromatic color vision like humans do, others are dichromats or monochromats. Although both the New and Old World monkeys, like the apes, have forward facing eyes, the faces of Old World and New World monkeys look very different, though again, each group shares some features such as the types of noses, cheeks and rumps. One monkey that stands out in particular because of its evolutionary traits is the spider monkey. The Spider monkeys use several different types of locomotion. They can use quadrupedal for walking or running, suspensory locomotion when hanging, climbing or moving through the trees and bipedalism when leaping. Quadrupedal locomotion is usually observed if the monkey is on a stable relatively substrate free of obstacles. When they are using suspensory locomotion they may be brachiating (swinging with their arms from one branch to another while often maintaining a tail hold). The most commonly used pattern of body movement while in a feeding pattern is that of quadrupedal, climbing and suspensory locomotion. While traveling they mostly employ quadrupedal walking and running, suspensory locomotion and climbing. The part of the body that helps the spider monkey walk bipedally, almost acting as external spine is the single trait in particular that makes it stand out. Its griping tail. This arboreal monkey has a prehensile tail that is muscular and tactile and is used as an extra hand. The tail is sometimes longer than the body an d when stiffly up righted against their back act an external spine so that they can maintain a bipedal walk. Both the underside and tip of the tail are used for climbing and grasping and so the spider monkey uses it like a fifth hand. When swinging by the tail, the hands are free to gather food( Valley, 2009). In the picture to the right you can see how the spider monkeys tail can support the entire weight of the monkey. The Spider monkey may have evolved into this structure so that when eating high in the trees where there is no room for error in grip, it can still have a two handed grip. There is still much speculation as to why primates as they get larger in size start to lose their tails (Kavanagh, 1984). Grade IV The Apes and Man Apes and humans differ from all of the other primates in that they lack the external tail. Shapiro believes that as primates move into an upright position that that is when we began to lose our tails. When you lose the tail, the tail musculature gets incorporated into the pelvic floor, which can form a support for your organs. Because of the upright position, your organs will tend to move downward. This is where the support would come in on the pelvic floor. Among all the Primates, Man and Apes are the most intelligent. We are also more dependent for survival. Aside from the lack of the external tail, there are several internal body differences as well, such as the absence of an appendix that monkeys have. Humans and apes are both members of the Hominoidea family. Until recently, humans were separated into our own family. It was believed that we significantly different from the apes. However, in recent genetic studies and discoveries form the fossil record have shed light on that som e apes are more similar to humans than previously believed. Apes can be found all over the world. Orangutans and Gibbons reside in Southeast Asia. Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees can only be found in Africa. According to fossils it is also believed that humans to originated in Africa. The gibbons are the smallest of the ape family. There are 12-13 species of gibbons. Because of their size however, they are referred to as the lesser apes. Gibbons only get to be around 3ft in height and range from 12-20 pounds. One of the key characteristics of the gibbons is their long arms. Their long arms, permanently curved fingers, and light bodies make them excellent brachiators. This structure makes moving around trees by swinging from branches ideal. This action is call suspensory climbing. Gibbons also can walk bipedally on top of branches but are better at swinging (ONeil ,2009). Orangutans are the rarest and largest of the Asian apes. They can grow in weight up to 200 pounds and grow as tall as 4.5 feet. This body structure prevents it from swingi ng like the gibbons so orangutans must walk on the ground. unlike most primates, orangutans have huge fleshy pads framing the upper part of their faces. Unlike the male orangutans, the female orangutans can move about in the trees thanks to a lighter structure. Not as swift as the gibbons, the female orangutans use a leaning form of brachiation. They carefully shift their body weight to bend a supporting branch and then grab the next one before the original one snaps under pressure. In this part of the evolutionary timeline you begin to notice that primates are coming out from the trees and roaming the flat surface as they grow in body size. Their bodies are becoming less adaptable to trees. The largest of the Ape family is the Gorilla. Gorillas have been known to have been as tall as 6 feet with an arm span of almost 10 feet. This long arm span and introduction of knuckle walking is where quadrupedal is starting to fade and bipedal is beginning for primates. However, gorillas are q uadrupedal because the small legs cannot support the massive structure so it is forced to walk on all fours. They walk on the soles of their feet but not on the palms of their hands. Gorillas bend their fingers so that they can support the head end of their bodies. The gorillas head is massive and heavy. With this comes huge muscles on not only the rest of the body but on the jaw. Like humans, gorillas are terrestrial. The more common resemblance to humans does not belong to gorillas however, but chimpanzees(Byrne, 2001). Chimpanzees grow to be around 5.5 feet in height and their average weight is about 100 pounds. Their arms get to span about 6 feet. Because of the evolution of the spine in primates, even though chimpanzees prefer to walk quadrupedally, they can get around bipedally. This is what makes the chimpanzee are closest cousin on the primate table (ONeil, 2009). While researching at The Los Angeles Zoo, I got see firsthand the transformation from quadrupedal to bipedal in an afternoon. While at the chimpanzee exhibit I got to see a close family eat and sleep together. When it came time for feeding, one of the males ran bipedally across a flat area. As I walked around viewing the other primates, viewing the Siamangs and their griping abilities, the white sifakas and how it has arching spine when it walks about, and the gorillas and how when they look out at the onlookers, it really does feel like they are looking back at you with some kind of interest. You begin to believe more in Darwins theory of evolution when you see such striking patterns in structure to yourself. Although there are significant differences between humans and non human primates, the distance between primates begin to get closer as we humans begin to look deeper into primates evolution. The way we walk, grab, even just stand can all be traced through the bone structure of our non human cousins. As researchers get closer to discovering links between humans and non human primates and filling the gaps of origin information, the gap between ape and man becomes dramatically smaller than once thought. References Blashfield, J. F. (2009). Tarsiers Locomotion. Retrieved September 29, 2009, From Jrank.org Website: http://science.jrank.org/pages/6695/Tarsiers.html Byrne, R. W., Dunbar, R. I.M., McGrew, W. C., Pusey, A. E., Snowdon, C. T., Stanford, C. B., et al. (2001). Tree of Origin: What Primate Behavior Can Tell Us about Human Social Evolution. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Figure 1. Spider Monkey (2009). Source: http://www.primates.com/monkeys/spidermonkey.jpg Harrison, T. (2004). Primates, Retrieved September 29, 2009, from [emailprotected] Hill, Website: http://www.accessscience.com Jurmain, R., Kilgore, L., Trevathan, W., Ciochon, R. L., (2008). Introduction To Physical Anthropology. California: Thomson Higher Education Kavanagh, M., Morris, D. (1984). A Complete Guide To Monkeys, Apes And Other Primates. New York: The Viking Press ONeil, D. (2009) Apes. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from Palomar.edu Website: http://anthro.palomar.edu/primate/prim_7.htm Primate. (2009). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Website: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/476264/primate Shapiro, L. (2001) Primate Locomotion. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from PBS.org Website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/07/3/text_pop/l_073_08.html Valley Zoo School (2009). Spider Monkey Retrieved September 30, 2009 Website: http://www.zooschool.ecsd.net/spider%20monkey.htm

Friday, October 25, 2019

Sino-Tibetan Affairs Essay -- Tibet History Government Papers

The â€Å"Tibet Question† has evolved into a Western synthesis of affairs and circumstances that govern the uncertainties of Tibet’s national identity- a mere euphemism concerning the improbabilities of Tibet’s political fate. Tensions seemingly escalate by the day, as questions of Tibet’s impending future become more and more desperate, and to the chagrin of many Tibetans, only the Chinese government has the foresight to ascertain a solution. Though the future of Tibet and China is still more or less unseen, it does happen to serve a function in illuminating the aspects of their rough and tumble past. The premise to my essay concerns itself with the chronological development of Sino-Tibetan foreign relations. From its origins in tribute relations, on through Mongol dynastic rule, and ending in the apocalyptic era of Mao, I intend to explore the various strategic purposes and objectives that led to Tibetan neutrality and Chinese antagonism, the definitive stance of today’s affairs. The evolution of this relationship is no more than a mirror and reflection of the progression of ethnic kinship into a national identity. The fundamental purpose of my essay is to extend the â€Å"Tibet Question,† so as to include the uncertainties and questions of Tibet’s ethnic identity in conjunction with the real question regarding their political fate. I make the assertion that the conflict of today is simply the culmination of prior ethnic conflicts, and not the struggle for supremacy between two proximal nations. The Tibet Question has been misconstrued so as to consider the Sino-Tibetan conflict exclusively one of politics, but in truth, as my essay should reveal, it transcends borders and exposes greater ethnic attitudes. Origins: An Exami... ...: Oxford University Press, 1962., 475. [5] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 23. [6] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 22. [7] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 23. [8] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 25. [9] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 27 [10] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 27. [11] Melvyn C. Goldstein, The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama, 2. [12] Melvyn C. Goldstein, The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama, 4. [13] Hugh E. Richardson, Tibet and its History, 1-2.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fashion, Gender and Identity

‘Gender is a meaning that a culture assigns to sexual differences' and within gender, ‘masculinity and femininity are the divisions that a culture creates between behavior and ‘characteristics considered to be appropriate to men and women' (Bernard, 2007, 185- 186). Fashion aids in the social construction of gender through separating male and female fashion and promoting the stereotypical feminine figure. From the days of stays and petticoats to corsets and crinolines and now with padded bras and ‘Spans', fashion has seen centuries of shrinking and augmentation of the body to achieve the sexualities, feminine' shape.The communicative function' of the body and they way in which it is McCollum is like a ‘language' – a ‘cultural communication' (Descanters, 1997, 11). Being ‘feminine' is Just one of many ‘performances' that people can choose to present and a person's choice to follow more typically feminine or masculine styles can pr ovide an insight into who they are (Gauntlet, 2008, 11). Although certain guidelines may be socially expected, in the western world, we are largely in control of what we wear and thus are perpetually communicating some element of personal identity every time we get dressed, whether it is intentional or subconscious.Using the visual examples of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and a fashion icon in the late 18th century and Lady Gaga, a current fashion and pop icon, this essay demonstrates how, even though centuries have passed, the practice of augmenting and shrinking the figure through fashion garments to achieve a feminine' shape has continued to perpetuate social constructions of femininity. Then, the example of Andre] Pelvic is used to demonstrate how appearance can communicate identity, in particular gender identity.Beginning in the 16th century in Europe, Women's bodies were universally forced onto bizarre, unnatural shapes' (Smith, 1998, 5). Stays, petticoats, corsets and cr inolines with stiff fabric, boning and wire were used to force the body into the desirable feminine' silhouette of the time. Constant dissatisfaction and change with the idealized shape of the body reinforced the idea that the natural body needed to be ‘improved and restricted' to be considered attractive (Smith, 1998, 5).We see this trend continue into modern day clothing and undergarments. This constant restriction and augmentation, which occurs almost solely to the female body, aids in the social construction and communication of gender. Illustration of Marie Antoinette by Panderer-Login, from Encyclopedia Figure 1 Britannica Image Quest A royal exemplar existed in the form of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France from 1774 until 1792 – a time when all of Europe was ‘culturally and stylistically influenced' by France, during the Rococo era (Coving, 2006, 56.Descanters, 1997, 35-36). The desired feminine physical ideal at this time was the ‘hourglass female fi gure: a tiny waist, ample bosom and large hips which enhanced femininity (Tallahatchie-Villas, 2007, 36-37). Marie Antoinette had to ‘learn to be a woman (or at least how to perform indemnity)' through the molding of her body with fashion garments (Goodman, 2003, 6). In Figure 1 (above) the Queen is depicted with her hand resting on her commodious and voluminous skirt, serenely gazing into the palace.It can be seen that her body is distinctly shaped to the ‘hourglass' figure that Tallahatchie-Villas (2007) refers to as an image of ‘enhanced femininity – the tightly laced corset has shrunk her waist and her bosom is being flattened and pushed upwards to have an overflowing effect. At the same time her hips have been augmented by a large pannier shaped undergarment and gathers and ruffles of fabric add to the luminous result. Corsets had been present since the beginning of the 17th century, initially made with an iron structure, which was replaced by whalebone in the 18th century.At the beginning of the 18th century, the farthing' – a framework of hoops' that aristocratic women had previously worn to provide volume under their skirts – was replaced by the crinoline (Charles & Carl, 2010, 30). The crinoline augmented the size of the hips and changed shape to follow changing fashions in the desired feminine physique. In the early 18th century the shape of the crinoline was round, it then came oval and then ‘conical' (Charles & Carl, 2010, 30).By the mid 18th century they had become a ‘pannier' shape meaning ‘side hoops' or false hips' – a shape that was flat on front and back and extended on the wearer's left and right, giving her exceedingly wide hips (Cumming, Conjunction & Conjunction, 2010, 148). This is the shape we see in Panderer-Aligns illustration of Marie Antoinette in Figure 1 . In this illustration there are a number of elements of composition and execution that support the conclusion that the molding the Queen underwent were both expected and desirable at this time.There is the artist's decision to place her in a standing position in which the full scale of her skirt can be realized, the addition of shading to emphasize her bust, and dark shadowing around the waist that functions to reduce its size. The enormity of the Queen's gown in relation to her head and the background of the portrait ensure that her curvaceous feminine shape instantly draws the viewer's eye. The artist's decision to contrast the rich, dark objects in the background with pale colors to illustrate her in the foreground again draws attention to this almost ethereal feminine form.One wonders how widely this image as distributed, given our knowledge of Marie Antoinette influence on fashion. Queen Marie Antoinette was known as the ‘Queen of Fashion' and her choices in clothing were closely documented, publicized and duplicated by women throughout the whole of Europe (Weber, 2007, 1). Her wardr obe has even provided inspiration for current designers such as Much Dulcet for her millinery collection at the Autumn/ Winter 2012/13 London Fashion Week and John Gilligan for his Spring 2010 Couture collection for Dior in Paris (Clearing, 2012. Maida, 2010).The consequence of her choice to conform to the notion of molding her body, restricting and augmenting – wrought undergarments and fashion garments – to achieve the hourglass shape ensured this practice remained in fashion and in turn contributed to the social constructions of the feminine physical ideal. After the fall of the monarchy at the turn of the century this fashion of restricting and augmenting the body, molding it to achieve the ideal feminine' physique, persisted. The use of the waist- shrinking, bust- raising corset was continued into the nineteenth century, although steel boning began to be used instead of whalebone.By the mid sass, ‘cheap, mass-produced' corsets were developed and became a tab le of nearly every woman's wardrobe (Gag & Steele, 2005, 291). At this time, flexible sprung-steel rings suspended from cloth tapes' known as ‘Hopkins' were in fashion and augmented the size of the wearer's hips (Gag & Steele, 2005, 317). The corset remained in fashion into the early twentieth century, when it had become a ‘straight front' corset that ‘pushed the pelvis back and the bosom forward,' forming the desired feminine physique at the time – the ‘S' silhouette (Gag & Steele, 2005, 293).The fashionable body in this period was augmented towards the back with use of a bustle skirt. In the sass, the fashionable female figure was ‘boyish and flat- cheesed,' so the waist shrinking corset and wired underskirts became largely obsolete, but the practice of restriction remained in fashion as the breasts still had to be tightly bound, this time to conceal rather than enhance' (Smith, 1998, 5).In 1939, and then after World War II, Tallahatchie-Villas ' image of ‘enhanced femininity with a tiny waist, ample bosom and large hips' returned to fashion again and brought with it the return of the corset and fuller skirts (Tallahatchie-Villas, 2007, 36-37. Gag & Steele, 2005, 293). From the sass onwards the process of restriction and augmentation to achieve the desired feminine physique dictated by fashion at the time has continued. A review of more recent trends and products and fashion exemplars appears below.Currently there is no singular feminine' silhouette that is being dictated by fashion. In some areas of fashion media we are seeing the same boyish thinness as in the twenties and in others there is a push for the ‘real', curvaceous shape (Abraham, 2012). There are still some ‘corset enthusiasts' and elements of these undergarments such as boning and full skirts are still being used in many women's garments as well as in haute couture fashion. There is a myriad of other new garments encouraged by fashion for wo men to restrict, augment and mold their bodies into any desired shape.A few products currently on the market include the Wastepaper' – a tubular piece of Lacy worn to slim the waist and flatten the stomach; the ‘High-waist Long Leg Brief which is designed to provide ‘under-bust and tummy support, hip and thigh contouring, and a nice boost for your butt'; as well as ‘Padded Shaper Panties' which have two round foam pads to give you a ‘perfectly rounded derriere' and padded bras to increase bust size (Morgan, 2012). Compared to the days of corsets and crinolines, he variety of ways in which fashion encourages women to squeeze, expand and mold their bodies have grown.Figure 2 – Photograph of Lady Gaga at the 2009 MET Music awards. Photo courtesy of Getty Images, 2009 Lady Gaga, is Without question, the world's biggest pop star' and a current fashion icon (Robinson, 2010, 280). She famously morphs her body into the sexualities feminine hourglass sha pe with boning, padding and structured garments – often designed specifically for her by current avian garden fashion designers such as Giorgio Airman and Nicola Fortieth for Thither Mugger (Fleming 2012.Nick, 2011). In the above photograph (Figure 2) Lady Gaga is wearing a Jean Paul Guiltier padded and boned body suit, which drastically shapes her figure into the curvaceous, hourglass silhouette of ‘enhanced femininity that Tallahatchie-Villas refers to (2007). The boning restricts the size of her waist while the undermine and padding on the cups over her breasts raise and shape the bust and the padding on her hips augment their size.Although this is an exaggerated example and would not be considered a ready- to- wear garment that women would be seen in on the street, Lady Saga's style choices are influential on how women choose to dress in mainstream culture. More than four hundred years after the first corsets and petticoats came into fashion, we see that the process of restricting and augmenting the female body to achieve a look considered to be feminine is still widespread.Through encouraging this practice and promoting a desired feminine physique that is difficult to attain naturally, fashion aids in the social construction of gender. An individual's choices about the clothes, make-up, accessories and styling that they adorn before venturing into public can communicate a lot about who they are. At the name time, the changeable and impermanent nature of these external applications meaner that no definite assumptions of a person's identity can be made and these variables can easily be manipulated by the individual, allowing them to become who they would like to be.An individual's unique interpretations of, and resistances to conventional fashions is known as ‘appearance style' and is a medium through which individuals can ‘announce' who they are or who they want to become (Gag & Steele, 2005, 34). There are some elements of appeara nce that we are accustomed to observing and processing almost immediately when we look at a person. For example when you see a stranger, it is highly likely that you will be able to tell if their gender is male or female almost instantly and their appearance style aids in this immediate recognition.When you observe the combination of their choice of hair cut, cosmetics, clothing, accessories, shoes and mannerisms; you can draw a conclusion about what gender that person is ‘announcing that they are. This shows that the individual has the power to manipulate these components of their appearance to communicate their understanding of their personal gender identity. An example of how successfully appearance can provide an insight into gender identity and also how easily it can be manipulated can be seen through examining performances of Andre] Epic.Pelvic is biologically a man but models as both a male and a female. At his first fashion week – New York Fashion week Fall/Wint er 2011/12 – he walked in five menswear shows and four homeowners shows and this number has since grown (Morris, 2011). Pelvic explains how he began to mold himself into the typically feminine aesthetic, creating an appearance style that would be read as female – he grew and dyed his hair, ‘started wearing skinny Sears†¦ Hopping in the women's aisle and putting on make-up' (Morris, 2011). Pelvic was voted the ninety- eighth sexiest woman in the world in Fem. ‘One Hundred Sexiest Women' list last year (Peck, 2011, 24). Figure 3 – Andre] Pelvic in ‘Hem' ad campaign. Photo courtesy of Hem from Hollywood Planet, 2011 In the above ad for the Dutch department store ‘Hem', Andre] Pelvic is pictured wearing their ‘mega push up bra' underneath a close-fitted top and a figure hugging dress (Freeman- Greene, 2011).The bra is claimed to ‘add two cup sizes' to its wearer's bust, which it has achieved successfully with Epic's originall y flat chest (Quicker, 2011). His body has been manipulated so that his appearance style masticates his gender as female. His hair is long and blow-dried in a typically feminine style, he is wearing make-up and a necklace, his arms are void of hair and his body has been manipulated to augment the bust with padding. He attempts to channel the poses that female models often make by moving and looking at the camera in a fluid and dramatic' manner (Morris, 2011).The close up angle of the photos and the choice of shots where Pelvic is making direct eye contact with the camera enforces the believability of Epic's feminine appearance. The success of the communication of Epic's gender identity as female in this advertisement monstrance the extent to which an individual can communicate who they are or would like to be through their appearance. As an audience we almost automatically assume Pelvic to be a ‘beautiful, Victorians Secret queue bombshell' (Abraham, 2011).This mutual communic ation and interpretation that can be achieved through manipulating the variables of appearance style allows for an individual's look to say much about who they are. Fashion aids in the social construction of gender through separating male and female fashion and promoting the stereotypical feminine figure. In numerous entities past and continuing into the present, the practice of women using wire, steel, elastic and padding to McCollum their bodies to the fashionable shape of the time has been common, even expected.We have examined how Queen Marie Antoinette encouraged this practice in the 18th Century by wearing a corset to nip her waist and enhance her bust as well as hoop pannier skirts to widen her hips. In the 21st Century it has been demonstrated that this body distortion is still common with pop icon Lady Gaga wearing a boned and padded body suit that provides her with that feminine, hourglass shape. We then saw how this practice is so typically expected to be feminine that th e biologically male model Andre] Pelvic can display his female gender identity by donning a padded bra. Fashion, Gender and Identity gender is a meaning that a culture assigns to sexual differences' and within gender, ‘masculinity and ‘femininity are the divisions that a culture creates between behavior and ‘characteristics considered to be appropriate to men and women' (Bernard, 2007, 185- 186). Fashion aids In the social construction of gender through separating male and female fashion and promoting the stereotypical feminine figure. From the days of stays and petticoats to corsets and crinolines and now with padded bras and Spans, fashion has seen centuries of shrinking and augmentation of the body to achieve the sexualities, feminine' shape.The communicative function' of the body and they way in which it is molded is like a ‘language' – a ‘cultural communication' (Descanters, 1997, 11). Being ‘feminine' is Just one of many ‘performances' that people can choose to present and a person's choice to follow more typically feminine or masculine styles can provide an i nsight into who they are (Gauntlet, 2008, 11). Although certain guidelines may be socially expected, in the western world, we are largely in control of what we wear and thus are perpetually communicating some element of personal Identity every time we get dressed, whether It Is Intentional or subconscious.Using the visual examples of Merle Antoinette, Queen of France and a fashion Icon In the late 1 8th century and Lady Gaga, a current fashion and pop Icon, this essay demonstrates how, even though centuries have passed, the practice of augmenting and shrinking the figure through fashion garments to achieve a ‘feminine' shape has continued to perpetuate social constructions of femininity. Then, the example of Andrea Pelvic is used to demonstrate how appearance can communicate identity, In particular gender identity.Beginning in the 16th century in Europe, Women's bodies were universally forced onto bizarre, unnatural shapes' (Smith, 1998, 5). Stays, petticoats, corsets and crin olines with staff fabric, boning and wire were used to force the body Into the desirable friendly' silhouette of the time. Constant dissatisfaction and change with the Idealized shape of the body reinforced the Idea that the natural body needed to be ‘improved and restricted' to be considered attractive (Smith, 1 998, 5). We see this trend continue into modern day clothing and undergarments.This constant restriction and augmentation, which occurs almost solely to the female body, aids in he social construction and communication of gender. Britannica Image Quest A royal exemplar existed in the form of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France from 1774 until 1792 – a time when all of Europe was ‘culturally and stylistically influenced' by France, during the Rococo era (Coving, 2006, 56. Descanters, 1997, 35-36). The desired feminine physical ideal at this time was the ‘hourglass female figure: a tiny waist, ample bosom and large hips which enhanced femininity (Tallah atchie-Villas, 2007, 36-37).Marie Antoinette had to ‘learn to be a woman (or at least how to perform indemnity)' through the molding of her body with fashion garments (Goodman, 2003, 6). In Figure 1 (above) the Queen is depicted with her hand resting on her commodious and voluminous skirt, serenely gazing into the palace. It can be seen that her body is distinctly shaped to the ‘hourglass' figure that Tallahatchie-Villas (2007) refers to as an image of ‘enhanced femininity – the tightly laced corset has shrunk her waist and her bosom is being flattened and pushed upwards to have an overflowing effect.At the same time her hips have been augmented by a large pannier shaped undergarment and gathers and ruffles of fabric add to the luminous result. Corsets had been present since the beginning of the 17th century, initially made with an iron structure, which was replaced by whalebone in the 18th century. At the beginning of the 18th century, the farthing'  œ a framework of hoops' that aristocratic women had previously worn to provide volume under their skirts – was replaced by the crinoline (Charles & Carl, 2010, 30).The crinoline augmented the size of the hips and changed shape to follow changing fashions in the desired feminine physique. In the early 18th century the shape of the crinoline was round, it then came oval and then ‘conical' (Charles & Carl, 2010, 30). By the mid 18th century they had become a ‘pannier' shape meaning ‘side hoops' or false hips' – a shape that was flat on front and back and extended on the wearer's left and right, giving her exceedingly wide hips (Cumming, Cunning & Cunning, 2010, 148). This is the shape we see in Pannier-Aligns illustration of Marie Antoinette in Figure 1 .In this illustration there are a number of elements of composition and execution that support the conclusion that the molding the Queen underwent were both expected and desirable at this time. There is t he artist's decision to place her in a standing position in which the full scale of her skirt can be realized, the addition of shading to its size. The enormity of the Queen's gown in relation to her head and the background of the portrait ensure that her curvaceous feminine shape instantly draws the viewer's eye.The artist's decision to contrast the rich, dark objects in the background with pale colors to illustrate her in the foreground again draws attention to this almost ethereal feminine form. One wonders how widely this image was distributed, given our knowledge of Marie Antoinette influence on fashion. Queen Marie Antoinette was known as the ‘Queen of Fashion' and her choices in clothing were closely documented, publicized and duplicated by women throughout the whole of Europe (Weber, 2007, 1).Her wardrobe has even provided inspiration for current designers such as Much Dulcet for her millennia collection at the Autumn/ Winter 2012/13 London Fashion Week and John Gillig an for his Spring 2010 Couture collection for Dior in Paris (Clarinda, 2012. Maida, 2010). The consequence of her choice to conform to the notion of molding her body, restricting and augmenting – wrought undergarments and fashion garments – to achieve the hourglass shape ensured this practice remained in fashion and in turn contributed to the social constructions of the feminine physical ideal.After the fall of the monarchy at the turn of the century this fashion of restricting and augmenting the body, molding it to achieve the ideal feminine' physique, persisted. The use of the waist- shrinking, bust- raising corset was continued into the nineteenth century, although steel boning began to be used instead of whalebone. By the mid sass, ‘cheap, mass-produced' corsets were developed and became a table of nearly every woman's wardrobe (Gag & Steele, 2005, 291).At this time, flexible sprung-steel rings suspended from cloth tapes' known as ‘Hopkins' were in fash ion and augmented the size of the wearer's hips (Gag & Steele, 2005, 317). The corset remained in fashion into the early twentieth century, when it had become a ‘straight front' corset that ‘pushed the pelvis back and the bosom forward,' forming the desired feminine physique at the time – the ‘S' silhouette (Gag & Steele, 2005, 293). The fashionable body in this period was augmented towards the back with use of a bustle skirt.In the sass, the fashionable female figure was ‘boyish and flat- cheated,' so the waist shrinking corset and wired underskirts became largely obsolete, but the practice of restriction remained in fashion as the breasts still had to be tightly bound, this time to conceal rather than enhance' (Smith, 1998, 5). In 1939, and then after World War II, Tallahatchie-Villas' image of ‘enhanced femininity with a tiny waist, ample bosom and large hips' returned to fashion again and brought with it the return of the corset and fuller sk irts (Tallahatchie-Villas, 2007, 36-37. Gag & Steele, 2005, 293).From the sass onwards the process of restriction and augmentation to achieve the desired feminine physique dictated by fashion at the time has continued. A review of more recent trends and products and fashion exemplars appears below. Currently there is no singular feminine' silhouette that is being dictated by fashion. In some areas of fashion media we are seeing the same boyish thinness as in the 2012). There are still some ‘corset enthusiasts' and elements of these undergarments such as boning and full skirts are still being used in many women's garments as well as in haute couture fashion.There is a myriad of other new garments encouraged by fashion for women to restrict, augment and mold their bodies into any desired shape. A few products currently on the market include the Wastepaper' – a tubular piece of Lascar worn to slim the waist and flatten the stomach; the ‘High-waist Long Leg Brief whic h is designed to provide ‘under-bust and tummy support, hip and thigh contouring, and a nice boost for your butt'; as well as ‘Padded Shaper Panties' which have two round foam pads to give you a ‘perfectly rounded derriere' and padded bras to increase bust size (Morgan, 2012).Compared to the days of corsets and crinolines, the variety of ways in which fashion encourages women to squeeze, expand and mold their bodies have grown. Figure 2 – Photograph of Lady Gaga at the 2009 MET Music awards. Photo courtesy of Getty Images, 2009 Lady Gaga, is Without question, the world's biggest pop star' and a current fashion icon (Robinson, 2010, 280). She famously morphs her body into the sexualities feminine hourglass shape with boning, padding and structured garments – often designed specifically for her by current avian garden fashion designers such asIn the above photograph (Figure 2) Lady Gaga is wearing a Jean Paul Guiltier padded and boned body suit, which d rastically shapes her figure into the curvaceous, hourglass silhouette of ‘enhanced femininity that Tallahatchie-Villas refers to (2007). The boning restricts the size of her waist while the underwear and padding on the cups over her breasts raise and shape the bust and the padding on her hips augment their size.Although this is an exaggerated example and would not be considered a ready- to- wear garment that women would be seen in on the street, Lady Saga's style choices are influential on how women choose to dress in mainstream culture. More than four hundred years after the first corsets and petticoats came into fashion, we see that the process of restricting and augmenting the female body to achieve a look considered to be feminine is still widespread.Through encouraging this practice and promoting a desired feminine physique that is difficult to attain naturally, fashion aids in the social construction of gender. An individual's choices about the clothes, make-up, accesso ries and styling that they adorn before venturing into public can communicate a lot about who they are. At the same time, the changeable and impermanent nature of these external applications means that no definite assumptions of a person's identity can be made and these variables can easily be manipulated by the individual, allowing them to become who they would like to be.An individual's unique interpretations of, and resistances to conventional fashions is known as ‘appearance style' and is a medium through which individuals can ‘announce' who they are or who they want to become (Gag & Steele, 2005, 34). There are some elements of appearance that we are accustomed to observing and processing almost immediately when we look at a person. For example when you see a stranger, it is highly likely that you will be able to tell if their gender is male or female almost instantly and their appearance style aids in this immediate recognition.When you observe the combination of t heir choice of hair cut, cosmetics, clothing, accessories, shoes and mannerisms; you can draw a conclusion about what gender that person is ‘announcing that they are. This shows that the individual has the power to manipulate these components of their appearance to communicate heir understanding of their personal gender identity. An example of how successfully appearance can provide an insight into gender identity and also how easily it can be manipulated can be seen through examining performances of Andre] Epic. Pelvic is biologically a man but models as both a male and a female.At his first fashion week – New York Fashion week Fall/Winter 2011/12 – he walked in five menswear shows and four womanlier shows and this number has since grown (Morris, 2011). Pelvic explains how he began to mold himself into the typically feminine aesthetic, creating an appearance style that would be read as male – he grew and dyed his hair, ‘started wearing skinny Jeansà ¢â‚¬ ¦ Shopping in the women's aisle and putting on make-up' (Morris, 2011). Pelvic was voted the ninety- eighth sexiest woman in the world in Fem.. ‘One Hundred Sexiest Women' list last year (Peck, 2011, 24). Figure 3 – Andre] Pelvic in ‘Hem' ad campaign.Photo courtesy of Hem from Hollywood Planet, 2011 wearing their ‘mega push up bra' underneath a close-fitted top and a figure hugging dress (Freeman- Greene, 2011). The bra is claimed to ‘add two cup sizes' to its wearer's bust, which it has achieved successfully with Epic's originally flat chest Quicker, 2011). His body has been manipulated so that his appearance style communicates his gender as female. His hair is long and blow-dried in a typically feminine style, he is wearing make-up and a necklace, his arms are void of hair and his body has been manipulated to augment the bust with padding.He attempts to channel the poses that female models often make by moving and looking at the camera in a flui d and dramatic' manner (Morris, 2011). The close up angle of the photos and the choice of shots where Pelvic is making direct eye contact with the camera enforces the believability of Epic's feminine appearance. The success of the communication of Epic's gender identity as female in this advertisement demonstrates the extent to which an individual can communicate who they are or would like to be through their appearance.As an audience we almost automatically assume Pelvic to be a ‘beautiful, Victorians Secret issue bombshell' (Abraham, 2011). This mutual communication and interpretation that can be achieved through manipulating the variables of appearance style allows for an individual's look to say much about who they are. Fashion aids in the social construction of gender through separating male and male fashion and promoting the stereotypical feminine figure.In numerous centuries past and continuing into the present, the practice of women using wire, steel, elastic and paddi ng to mould their bodies to the fashionable shape of the time has been common, even expected. We have examined how Queen Marie Antoinette encouraged this practice in the 18th Century by wearing a corset to nip her waist and enhance her bust as well as hoop pannier skirts to widen her hips. In the 21st Century it has been demonstrated that this body distortion is still common with pop con Lady Gaga wearing a boned and padded body suit that provides her with that feminine, hourglass shape.We then saw how this practice is so typically expected to be feminine that the biologically male model Andre] Pelvic can display his female gender identity by donning a padded bra. When examining these three examples, it becomes clear that the molding of the body into the feminine physical ideal through restriction and augmentation is communicative of the wearer's gender, whether intentional or projected by society, and provides an insight into who they are.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Judgement

To judge is a vague content of knowledge without an encounter. Example: I may say that â€Å"he† is â€Å"intelligent† and someone else also said â€Å"he is intelligent†. This judgment should be provided by a qualifier to determine the Judgment.The use of: â€Å"he† as pronoun/subject â€Å"Is† as verb â€Å"Intelligent as predicate Thus the Judgment Is also the expression of the fact that the subject belongs to the extension of the predicate Judgment does not merely express the comprehension of the subject by means of a predicate but many Judgments need an encounter In an act of â€Å"knowing†. In the example: â€Å"Peter is mortal†, â€Å"Peter is intelligent† -it showed many judgments to express the encounter. In the example â€Å"Peter is Peters -this shows vagueness .This shows TAUTOLOGY-is a way to express something by repeating or saying it in a different way THE VERBAL copula â€Å"IS† The judgment is not only a dismemberment of the encounter which is knowledge. Example: â€Å"This is heavy' The JUDGMENT, therefore, not only expresses the subject's comprehension in a concept, but also places the subject under the predicates extension and in addition, declares that the subject and the predicate are identical in the terminus of the encounter In Mathematical Expression: Line A = Line B does not mean that it is not a Judgment.Mathematical expressions are also Judgment through formula. Every judgment , however states an identity. Kind of â€Å"Translations† is necessary to reveal the declaration of identity contained In mathematical statements. Judgment By Telescopically From Webster Dictionary: To Judge is a vague content of knowledge without an encounter. Example: I may say that â€Å"he† is â€Å"intelligent† and someone else also said â€Å"he is intelligent†.This Judgment â€Å"is† as verb â€Å"intelligent as predicate Thus the Judgment is also the ex pression of the fact that the subject belongs to the eradicate but many Judgments need an encounter in an act of â€Å"knowing†. In the example: â€Å"Peter is mortal†, â€Å"Peter is intelligent† -it showed many Judgments to express the encounter. In the example â€Å"Peter is Peter† -this shows vagueness . This The Judgment is not only a dismemberment of the encounter which is knowledge. Mathematical expressions are also Judgment through formula. Every Judgment , Kind of â€Å"Translations† is necessary to reveal the declaration of identity contained in