Women, Men And Competition :: essays research papers

Women, Men and Competition Loudly and often, women insist they don't like competition, and that competition is an act of aggression. Ironically, however, competition as aggression is inevitable in a society where men must compete for the attention of women. Women encourage this. Every time they passively wait for men to take the initiative, or reject nurturing men in deference to domineering men, they sustain the dynamic of dominance. Ignoring this, pop-feminists contend competition is the capitalization of aggression, and men do it to the detriment of all. Does this mean fighting for domination is the only way to compete? That competition is solely a product of masculine socialization and something we can do without? Masculine socialization has nothing to do with it. In one way or another, all living things compete, because wanting creates competition. You want to live, so you offer goods or services to others in exchange for the goods and services you need to survive. The better the goods and services you offer, the more you can get in exchange, and the better you will be able to live. To live well, you make your "stuff" as good as possible relative to what your "competition" offers. That is the essence of competition in a free market. It respects the rights of others, and everybody wins because it works through validation rather than domination. Competition as validation is the process by which the efficacy of ideas, knowledge, and products is validated by consumers. They choose what they value most. To the extent our economy encourages winning through validation, it works. Most women, however, encourage competition through domination by ignoring cooperative, nurturing men to give their love and sex to domineering, "virile" men. What's more, women compete, and they compete to win. This is especially evident in women's response to the invention of the rubber condom. Prior to the 1870's, prostitution in Europe was prevalent. Victorian ladies' distaste for sex encouraged "an explosive increase in prostitution" that caused "an epidemic spread of venereal disease, and a morbid taste for masochism." Then, women began to compete sexually, and prostitution had to go. They began to compete with prostitutes for their husbands' continuing attentions. What changed? Men started using rubber condoms. This gave women the option of enjoying sex without risking pregnancy, and that meant women now viewed prostitutes as sexual competitors. Subsequently, they demanded laws prohibiting prostitution, belying the myth that women don't compete. Women say this is men's fault. That men have forced the necessity of sexual competition upon women and that, left to themselves, women hearken to a more cooperative agenda. But the facts do not support this contention.

How successful is Stevenson in appealing to his Target Audience in the first 6 chapters of Treasure Island? Essay

Stevenson originally wrote the book for his stepson Samuel Lloyd Osbourne on a holiday in Braemar in 1881. This means the book was intended to be read by teenage boys, although there are many characters so age does not matter too much. However he made the map of Treasure Island before he even began to write the book. In part 1 there is only one female character though (Jims’ mum) which means the target audience of the book is males. Whilst writing the book Stevenson realised he could market it and eventually the book was published in the ‘Young folks’ magazine, this supports the theory that the book was intended for teens. The subject of the book is pirates and treasure which will interest and appeal to teenage boys. Stevenson uses a Pseudonym to subliminally suggest that he himself was a seafaring man – Captain George North and was familiar with the Sea this would appeal to children as they may believe the book is more authentic. Another way of appealing to children is by making the narrator of the book ‘Jim’ a teenager himself which works well. Victorian parents would also approve of this book because it implemented good morals such as obey your parents- as Jim doesn’t disregard others because of their appearances, don’t give into corruption an example of this is when he is offered money by the captain to get him a drink but refuses, instead he does it for his fathers’ sake. Be kind, polite, mature, hard working, always help others regardless of their ways as the narrator and main character Jim does – another example of this is shown when he is frightened of Pew, the blind beggar – however remains polite to him. Another way in which he appeals to his audience is by using techniques such as Imagination – he is very subtle in doing this, like in chapter one when Jim makes reference to his dreams he says ‘How that personage haunted my dreams, I need scarcely tell you’. This makes the reader think they can relate to Jim on a level were an adult cannot as they are going through the same thing and because Jim does not specify his age this will appeal to a wider age range. Part one shows no fear of death as many characters die such as Pew, Jim’s father and the captain. I do not find this works well as it tells the reader to expect a lot of deaths in the rest of the book which will remove some elements of surprise. Other techniques he use include language, for instance he spells the Captains’ words phonetically so it makes it easier to imagine his accent like in chapter one page two were the captain says ‘mought’ instead of might. This is appealing to children as their imaginations have to focus less on correct grammar and more on character. Stevenson also avoids actually swearing in the book as it is for children although he does refer to characters cursing and making oaths this works very well as parents would not want their children picking up explicit swear words like when Jim refers to the stories the captain told instead of giving an example he says ‘and the language he used shocked us plain country folk. Mystery is the final very successful technique he uses at the end of each chapter like the end of chapter two you are left with many questions like – Who is Black Dog? And how does he know the Captain? This makes you want to read on to find out. These questions are still to be answered after part 1 finishes and more also such as will Jim and Dr Livesy make it to Treasure Island and what will they come across when they get there. It seems every chapter at least one question is answered but more are posed, for instance by the end of part 1 the contents of the Captain’s chest are revealed however the map inside is of an unknown Island. In conclusion part 1 of Treasure Island does very well in appealing to it’s key demographic as there is so much suspense and excitement contained within in just the first few chapters to set the scene for the rest of the book. Although I would have held out with more deaths of characters because they could have played a vital role and deaths later on in the book would be more effective, I still find it very thrilling which I think will certainly appeal to teenagers.

The Article On Slave No More By David Blight - 972 Words

The article on â€Å"slave no more† was written by David Blight. The article is about a period in the history of America when two men, Washington and Turnage, escaped the hands of slavery. Even though it is not clear whether the slaves freed themselves or were freed by Lincoln, some literature tells that both literature and the 16th American president could be liable for their release. These two men were born at a period when union forces and the civil war was advancing in their hometown. The article was written some months before the emancipation proclamation. Washington had escaped through the Rappahannock River in efforts to free himself. He was among the rare children who had learnt to read and write ever since he was a child. His notes were recorded in a manuscript that he entitled, â€Å"memories of the past†. Wallace Turnage, was yet another slave who was sold to an Alabama plantation when he was the age of 13. He grew as a plantation slave until the age of 17 wh en he made several attempts to escape. His final escape was launched in 1864. Turnage, like Washington, crossed the union forces and was hired as a cook. There, he felt he was secure ad could hardly hear the running of hounds and the blowing of horns. The article, â€Å"slave no more† analyzes the story of these two men who escaped from the hands of slavery at a period when emancipation was approaching. The article displays the issues of resistance, slavery, and abolition. The narrative had been preserved for futureShow MoreRelatedEssay Mass. 34th774 Words   |  4 Pagesbut not much more. Why did these wars happen? What was being fought for and who was making the sacrifice? In David W. Blight’s article, â€Å"The meaning or the fight: Frederick Douglass and the memory of the fifty fourth Massachusetts,† he proves that in modern American society the memory of war is that of a fight and not of what was being fought for. Media, the entertainment industry, and ev en our education systems paint quite a different picture for each of us. In the article, Blight argues that portrayalRead MoreNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay1182 Words   |  5 Pages movement. He was so eloquent that proslavery opponents charged him with being a fraud who had never been a slave and challenged him to reveal the true facts of his life. Such an account was dangerous for Douglass, who could have been captured and returned to slavery for life, but he proceeded to write in specific detail the account of his experience as a slave, in order to reveal the inhumanity of that â€Å"peculiar institution† and help bring about its overthrow. Prefaced Read MoreReconstruction Of The United States1814 Words   |  8 Pagesjoining together as one nation involving war and changes in the political system. A lot of highly respected leaders in America have come donating their own ideals and foundation to administer a better life with more opportunities for Americans, but no other political change, or battle is more scandalous than Reconstruction. The start of reconstruction began in the mid-late 1860s and finished in 1877, but even today is still labeled one of the most debated issues in American history on whether postRead MoreSlavery And The Civil War1641 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Constitution. These questions have no end to in clear and mysterious arguments of Civil War historiography, for example, the discussion of issues between Kenneth M. Stampp and Eugene Genovese over the economic aspect of American slavery, also David Brion Davis, and Thomas Ha skell s argued over abolitionist motives, and the list goes on. Intellectual historians can and should most likely consider examining the historiography of American slavery for comprehension and a perception into the politicalRead MoreNineteenth Century Americ A Bleak Portrayal Of The Sociopolitical Scene3092 Words   |  13 Pagesbecame the most popular within the colony because it housed many religious ministers and the largest church. The new faith was built around the belief that God had ordered the new Puritans into a new covenant to reform the Anglican Church and live more perfect lives according to the scriptures. Strangers were not tolerated, and they were required to convert into the new faith or risk excommunication. A group of predestined elect who were guaranteed admission to heaven were the full members of theRead MoreEmancipation And The Historical Memory Of Reconstruction Essay2661 Words   |  11 Pagesbitterness and regular acts of violence toward African Americans that characterized most of this period has caused many American s to disregard or totally erase from their collective memories this most important period in the nation?s history. This article discusses more fully the historical memory of Reconstruction. The American Civil War (1861?1865) ended with a decisive victory for the Union. The Confederacy was defeated soundly; the enslavement of about four million people of color was over. Enslavement