Essay Writing Fashion’s Role in the Construction of Social Identities Essay

Fashion always played a big role in culture and personal identifying. It remains the main point in characterizing appearance and social status of the individual. As a cult, fashion always was a subject of interest on historical, sociological and cultural analysis. People always want to have a distinct way to characterize themselves within their appearance. During all the history of fashion its role in personal development remains very important and actual. This paper will deal with the concepts and ideas of fashion as an industry and social identity. First of all it is a crucial need to define the term â€Å"social identity†. Turner during his research stated, that this is a portion of an individual self-concept which is derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. (Turner, 1986). It also predicts actual social behaviors in the groups according to their status and legitimacy in the intergroup environment (Taijafel, 1979). Regarding fashion as a symbolic way to express style and cultural identity, it also makes an impact on other levels of the social ladder. Choosing the look and appearance, person visualizes his or her identity. Nevertheless it can be not so concrete and even artificial. That is why sometimes prejudices upon different styles of clothing can generate negative and dramatic views of the society. Teenagers and other social groups have different ways of expressing themselves, and the main reason is to feel unique and belonging to certain areas and groups of interests. â€Å"People, sometime interact with objects, in this case garments, as if they are humans, sometimes because they want to show to others what they believe they represent† (Adelman, 2008). That is true, that cloth dictates a lifestyle of a person and visualizes his or her attitudes towards every aspect of the lifestyle. It also gives a reason to stereotype a look with distinct views and ideas. It can even cause a chaos in the society on a very large scale. The materials which are worn and carried on the body are obvious and with these, people create â€Å"social contacts† involved in the unstable interaction between the body and the outside world (Joyce, 2005;Turner, 1980). According to Crave and Bovone, dressing itself affects and reflects perceptions and attitudes towards â€Å"self† and has distinct characters acting as material objects, due to immediate contact with the body. It also acts as a filter between a person and the whole surrounding of a social world (Crane & Bovone, 2006). Speaking about fashion as a code, it should be regarded as a part of the social processes of discrimination, namely the reproduction of hierarchy`s position and prestige in a deeply unequal society. (Arvantidou, 2008). Gender identity and its development fully stand on the social constructs of garment and fashion is one of the factors of this cause. Fashion industry sometime is considered as a process of social discrimination and reproduction of hierarchy and prestige in one or another society. Most of teenagers have some difficulties with their own identities. Acting as a part of society, youth tries to dress in the way as the similar crowd does or a group of interests. Some individuals dress in different way – to show their uniqueness. Stereotypes and social thinking formulate according to changing fashion and appearance. The body as a changeable but visible outer limit of the self, as it formulates and operates Experience . It interacts with person’s actions and external environment of the society. Body, due to fashion, is regarded as a part of natural and intergroup relations. Our appearances and the human body are viewed as a symbol of society and historical period as it is characterized by it. On the example of the female body it is better seen because of cultural symbols preservation. The traditional costumes, all along human history, showed an appearance as a part of social identifying. In many parts of the world, women and men express a national idea and way of thinking. Patterns, garments as well as fabrics always meant particular qualities and features of a nation and country. National costumes changed the way of history, as it changed our way of thinking and our society. Nowadays there is a tendency to globalization. That is why there is no need in self-identification as one nation. Multiple national costumes, today play only decorative and historical role on festivals and other artistic and cultural events. Nevertheless, mass culture can dictate not only the look of a whole nation but also of an individual in his environment. Body and appearance are regarded as an individual. With a help of garments, jewellery and cosmetics a person can change his or her body and his or her individuality in the mind of other people. As garment is used to blur the boundaries of the body, it can blur some features in personal characteristics (Fisher & Loren, 2003). Every feature has a distinct stereotype and it varies in different counties and interest groups. Garments are not actual fixed elements that play the role of cloth to cover the body of a formed identity. They mostly formulate social identities that are expressed and naturalized in the body. Cloth and style itself characterizes mass way to express themselves as individuals. On the example of Twiggy we can see how social thinking changes towards human Looks and ideals. This icon of style in sixties changed human perception of beauty. She showed another way of expressing an identity and acting as a model. Before this, models where more feminine and sexy, but she made a first step in a new way of fashion appearance. Since then more and more models have androgenic look that attracts the public eye. Fashion reflects and even predicts concepts and ideas of the society. It is a cultural product with thousands of forms. The look transposes different concepts that are implied via the whole body of a person that wears it. It leads to a change of concerns of representation of and individual according to the change of his or her look. Fashion can express hidden personality to make an artificial appearance of the wearer. Cloth differentiates social groups according to their status, position, interests and creeds. To sum up it can be said that fashion has its unique role in formatting social thinking As it leads to changing people’s behaviour. A Person is judged upon the material, jewellery and cosmetics on her or his body. Stereotypes can lead to an individual status improve, but also can make harm. People try to discover themselves as personalities as early as it is possible, to take place in a particular niche of the society. In another way a person can be cut of society because of his or her look. Certain lifestyles and ways of thinking also depend on appearance that is why it is important to observe cloth as a part of social development. â€Å"You are what you wear† – this quote is true for every aspect of the human life and interactions of social groups. Due to this fact, every person regards him or herself as a part of a society and a part of a distinct environment.

Free Essays on Rotary Vs. Piston Engine

Nearly every car ever made uses one form of a four-cycle reciprocating engine. As with any engineering design the reciprocating engine has certain pro and cons. The rotary engine provides an alternative to the reciprocating engine while being similar enough to use much of the same mechanical principles. The purpose of any combustion engine is to create power by igniting a mixture of air and fuel in a controlled environment, or the engine block. There are three goals that the engine design needs to accomplish: how to get fuel and air into the combustion chamber, how to get extra power from the combustion, and how to remove the spent fuel and air from the chamber. This is done by what is know as the Otto cycle, which is composed of four strokes: the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. The reciprocating engine, or piston engine is composed of about forty simultaneously moving parts. Inside the cylinder there is a piston that is free to move up and down within the cylinder. There is also an intake valve on one side and an exhaust valve on the other. The intake valves opens, letting air and fuel into the chamber, and moving the piston downward. This is the intake stroke. The valves close, and the piston moves back upwards, shrinking the chamber and compressing the air fuel mixture. This is the compression stroke. The mixture is then ignited creating an explosion forcing the piston to move downward again. This is the combustion stroke, the only stroke that produces actual power. Once the piston reaches the bottom of the chamber the exhaust valves open, forcing the spent mixture or exhaust out of the chamber. The cycle is continuous, therefore the cycle will return to the intake stroke. This engine has two disadvantages. The only time the engine is gener ating power is when the piston is forced down by the combustion , this means that the piston must move up and down twice for each power stroke. The up and down ... Free Essays on Rotary Vs. Piston Engine Free Essays on Rotary Vs. Piston Engine Nearly every car ever made uses one form of a four-cycle reciprocating engine. As with any engineering design the reciprocating engine has certain pro and cons. The rotary engine provides an alternative to the reciprocating engine while being similar enough to use much of the same mechanical principles. The purpose of any combustion engine is to create power by igniting a mixture of air and fuel in a controlled environment, or the engine block. There are three goals that the engine design needs to accomplish: how to get fuel and air into the combustion chamber, how to get extra power from the combustion, and how to remove the spent fuel and air from the chamber. This is done by what is know as the Otto cycle, which is composed of four strokes: the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. The reciprocating engine, or piston engine is composed of about forty simultaneously moving parts. Inside the cylinder there is a piston that is free to move up and down within the cylinder. There is also an intake valve on one side and an exhaust valve on the other. The intake valves opens, letting air and fuel into the chamber, and moving the piston downward. This is the intake stroke. The valves close, and the piston moves back upwards, shrinking the chamber and compressing the air fuel mixture. This is the compression stroke. The mixture is then ignited creating an explosion forcing the piston to move downward again. This is the combustion stroke, the only stroke that produces actual power. Once the piston reaches the bottom of the chamber the exhaust valves open, forcing the spent mixture or exhaust out of the chamber. The cycle is continuous, therefore the cycle will return to the intake stroke. This engine has two disadvantages. The only time the engine is gener ating power is when the piston is forced down by the combustion , this means that the piston must move up and down twice for each power stroke. The up and down ...

Jamestown vs Plymouth essays

Jamestown vs Plymouth essays Despite the fact that the original British settlements in Virginia at Jamestown (1607) and New England at Plymouth (1620) were founded in the same relative time period, the two colonies differed greatly economically, politically and socially. Economically, Jamestown was originally wholly dependant on money from the crown and later became dependant on a single cash crop, tobacco, while New England became self sufficient by farming all of their own food. Socially, New England colonists were a close-knit religious group of Puritans that came to escape religious persecution in England. The settlers of Jamestown were upper-class nobles who went to America in search of gold. Politically, Jamestown was set up with a more centralized government and had direct rule from the king. Plymouth had a very decentralized government made by its very own social contract and had no direct rule by the king. Although both settlements were initiated by the same joint-stock company, the London Company of Virginia, the two colonies were extremely different economically. With the help of local Indians, the pilgrims were able to become economically self-sufficient. Farmers were able to produce their own food, many of whom produced excess which they used as trading power to get furs and other goods from the natives. Jamestown, however, was almost completely dependent on money from the British crown for materials. Later, with the help from John Rolfe, Jamestown was able to produce something of value to support itself: tobacco. Tobacco was able to command high prices in Europe, and Jamestown became dependent on a single cash crop. The two settlements also differed socially. The pilgrims came from a society of Puritans who already knew each other. This allowed these settlers to more easily create a close-knit, strong community. Because of the religious persecution these people received in England, the Pilgrims mostly came to America for religio...

ashely lebev Essay Example

ashely lebev Essay Example ashely lebev Essay ashely lebev Essay Ashley Lebedev She is a 30 -year-old Artist Fine Art Photographer, specializing in conceptual portraiture, abandoned buildings, and moodscapes. She is also a poet and a writer. Her favorite movie is Bright Star. Her favorite book is Water For Elephants. She was born in 1983. Ashley currently lives in Minneapolis. Before that, she lived in Minneapolis, MN from 2006 to 2007. Ashley Lebedev attended Norwood Ctrl High School in NORWOOD, MN and graduated class of 2001. After attending school for Commercial Photography, Ashley chose to venture away from conventional hotographic style, and developed a taste for telling stories through her photographs. Her style is best described as emotional, atmospheric and romantic, brought to fruition with a very specific and continued emphasis on vintage eras, forgotten buildings, and texture work. In early 2008, Ashley made the decision to stop shooting commercial photography to focus entirely on her passion of being an artist, relaying her personal vision through photos. Ashley resides in Minnesota and is currently showing both locally and nationally. Ashley Lebedev is nlike any photographer I know. Her style is unforgettable. She tells stories with her art and leaves viewers feeling like they have been kicked in the gut (or the heart). She absolutely loves creativity and passion. Passionate people passionate experiences really do it for her. She draws so much sustenance from everything around her. She draws an huge amount of inspiration from is the simpleness in nature. The best things in life really are free. The more she fills herself up with passion, simplicity, and nature the more she finds she can draw freely from own creative flow.

How is the music industry being affected by iTunes and similar Research Paper

How is the music industry being affected by iTunes and similar services - Research Paper Example This work "How is the music industry being affected by iTunes and similar services?" outlines how the introduction of iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster, Zune Marketplace and Rhapsody have changed the music industry business. Instead of buying the whole CD just for one song people nowadays prefer buying their favorite single. Previously people were forced to buy the whole album of a particular artist or band on CD if they liked a particular song however now people have the choice of buying only the song they prefer instead of the whole album. This means that people save on their cost and can buy many more such singles instead of wasting their money on just a single album, whose songs they will hardly listen to except for that one song. Hence services like Amazon and iTunes allow people to choose amongst various songs from a plethora of songs in their database. With services such as iTunes, music has become increasingly accessible for the consumers. It is now very easy to transfer your favor ite song to your handheld device allowing you to listen to your favorite song on the go. Instead of going to the neighborhood’s music shop to buy the album that had your favorite song now you can just sit at home and buy your favorite song online. Artists who worked hard on making their whole album a success are at a disadvantage as others can easily steal their spotlight by introducing their one single hit and then disappearing into anonymity. This has led to a decline in the artists’ creativity.... This means that people save on their cost and can buy many more such singles instead of wasting their money on just a single album, whose songs they will hardly listen to except for that one song. Hence services like Amazon and iTunes allow people to choose amongst various songs from a plethora of songs in their database. With services such as iTunes, music has become increasingly accessible for the consumers. It is now very easy to transfer your favorite song to your handheld device allowing you to listen to your favorite song on the go. Instead of going to the neighborhood’s music shop to buy the album that had your favorite song now you can just sit at home and buy your favorite song online. Artists who worked hard on making their whole album a success are at a disadvantage as others can easily steal their spotlight by introducing their one single hit and then disappearing into anonymity. This has no doubt led to a decline in the artists’ creativity as we no longer s ee albums with all the songs that were a hit. On the other hand however, there has been an increase in the sale of individual songs because they are cheaper than the whole album. In fact by 2010, iTunes had sold 10,000,000,000 songs and the online music store is still going strong with consumers buying thousands of songs from the iTunes store every day. However the increase in sales does not add that much in revenue that it can offset the decline in revenue from the fall in sales of music CDs. In a study conducted by Elberse, she found out that for every one percent rise in the consumers who shift to buying music online there is a six percent drop in the sale of albums. Sales of a ‘mixed bundle’ (the album plus its single) fell from $15000 in 2005 to just $7000 in 2007 (a staggering

Fundamentals of early childhood education Essay

Fundamentals of early childhood education - Essay Example All young children, including those who have disabilities, are dependent upon the experiences and opportunities available within these everyday contexts as they build a solid foundation for development and learning. The assignment delegated to us was to experience and evaluate a child care facility with the view of gaining valuable knowledge on the operations of our future workplace. This I accomplished with such great eagerness as I was able to appreciate the environment. In the following sections, I will be detailing the information that I have garnered during the course of the study. I will be referring to the child care facility as "the center' and will be mentioning people by letters such as A, B, C and the like. This anonymity may seem to be confusing but it is necessary so as to avoid any conflicts that may arise. Lively, very caring, loving and also very cheerful- these are the traits that characterize the staff in the center. When I interviewed a caregiver on what was her ra tionale in caring fro the child, she said that it's necessary to imagine that you're a star. That is be focus of attention and the "twinkle, twinkle" star that brightens the night sky, comforting and inspiring with its presence and light The caregivers were very much sensitive as you can actually observe them tuning in to a child's behavior, taking time to notice and trying to understand what a baby or very young child wants to "say" with movements or sounds, with facial expressions or gestures. Children find all sorts of ways to express their wants, their interests, and their pleasures without ever speaking a word. They notice these cries, hums, kicks, reaches, frowns, chuckles, squeals and gurgles and begins to understand them as clearly as speech. They are also very prompt in responding to a child. A prompt response is one that follows the child's behavior as quickly as possible. Their actions are also very appropriate as they shape her interaction by matching the young child's behavior as closely as possible in terms of features like the loudness or softness of their voice, the level of emotion in their expression, and the kinds of gestures they make. 2.2 Health and Safety With regards to health and safety, the center is very much prepared and has accreditations and permits from different health agencies. These documents were shown to me. The measures they have installed include emergency policies, provisions, and education for staff, children, and parents. In managing injuries, for example, they follow these steps: survey the scene, assess the injured child, provide immediate care for the child including first aid, notify parents, obtain emergency medical care if needed and document and report the incident and actions taken. I was also told that the caregivers communicate sensitively with the injured child and other children during and after injuries and brief their parents to address their fears and concerns. They also have provision for safety surveillance, medication administration, medical emergencies, dental emergencies, first aid, emergency contacts such as police, fire, ambulance, poison control, child protective services, notifying parents, transporting children, evacuation of the site and emergency shelter (e.g., for fire, storm, earthquake, bomb threat, power failure) and dangerous parent situations (e.g., non-custodial parent, intoxication, threat of violence,

Compare and contrast the experiences of the former colonies and Essay

Compare and contrast the experiences of the former colonies and developing countries in the twentieth century to the earlier new nations in the Americas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries - Essay Example While earlier colonisers were fully in charge of the governance of their colonies before 18th and 19th centuries, twists of events were experienced in the neo-colonialism period (Strayer, 2012). This was in the 18th century through 19th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, â€Å"new nations† in the Americas were generated. The colonial powers in these centuries ceased their harsh rules to the developing countries. The developing countries or the former colonies, therefore, became sovereign and fully in control of their social, political and economic resources. This research paper compares and contrasts the experiences of the former colonies and developing countries in the 20th century to the â€Å"new nations† in the Americas in the 18th and 19th centuries. Formers colonies and developing countries in the 20th century were ruled by realism policies while the new nations in Americas were under idealism policies (Strayer, 2012). The former colonies were governed by iron fist. This is a case where colonial governments did not recognise the sovereignty of colonies and their citizens. The new states, on the other hand, emerged due to the struggle for liberation from the colonial governance. The Pan Africanism movement, for example, was the epitome of â€Å"new nations’† origin (Strayer, 2012). New nations in the 18th and 19th Centuries are sovereign states with recognitions in the international relations while the former colonies never had such recognitions. The idealism policies’ governing the post-colonialism new nations believes in the enlightenment process in the international system. The realism, on the other hand, was composed of the self-interest realist colonial powers, which never believed in the enlightenment process or even humanity. Realism majored on their excessive and unrestricted power imposition on their colonies (Strayer, 2012). Indeed this absolute power