The Negative Effects Of Human Civilization On The Environment

Due to better understanding of the negative effects of human civilization on the environment, society is becoming more conscientious of its actions. We are aware that carbon monoxide emitted into the atmosphere creates a hole in the ozone layer and that discarding plastic, paper, and glass in landfills unnecessarily increases the filth covering larger and larger portions of our planet as time goes by. This is why the human race has begun preventative measures such as carpooling, switching to natural gases instead of coal and oil, and creating laws to reduce carbon emissions in factories and began recycling in order to find new ways to reuse old material. In many ways, the everyday people of the country are putting in their part to help the planet survive and thrive for the generations to come. It should not be an outrageous thought that the large, multimillion dollar corporations monopolizing a good portions of the oil sold in America should do the same. Yet, there have been multiple media coverages during the past few years of oil spills occurring off the coast. To make matters worse, one of these corporations, BP (British Petroleum) even attempted to cover up the extent of their oil spill from the media and the public causing a terrible environmental disaster to also become ethically and morally wrong from a business standpoint. Furthermore, the extent of the corporations unethical and immoral behavior can be analyzed through the use of consequentialism andShow MoreRelatedOur Solar System For Colonization1198 Words   |  5 Pagesgoing extinct and the greenhouse gas levels are reaching high levels because of advanced civilization. The current sustainability projects humans possess are neither long term nor effective. As resources decrease and greenhouse gases increase, many scientists are looking for alternative places in our solar system for colonization, and Mars is the most capable of supporting this human settlement. 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Pregnancy, Birth and the Newborn Focus on Fasd Free Essays

Running Head: FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER Pregnancy, Birth and the Newborn: Focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder SWHB 405: Human Behavior in the Social Environment 1 ABSTRACT From conception to birth, the mother’s role in bringing to life and nurturing a healthy baby is paramount. Factors such as the mother’s biological, psychological and social environment play important roles in determining the wellbeing of a child. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, an irreversible condition in children caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy will be discussed. We will write a custom essay sample on Pregnancy, Birth and the Newborn: Focus on Fasd or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its biological, psychological and societal implications will be deliberated and recommendations of interventions by Social Workers in alleviating the problem will be suggested. Key words: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Child Development Introduction All human life begins with a fertilized egg known as a zygote. By the eighth week, the zygote is transformed into a fetus which has most of its organs formed. After about 9 months (or 38 weeks) of going through transformation within the mother’s womb, the mother delivers a bouncing baby boy or girl into the world. During this time it is imperative that special care and attention is given to the mother and the child that she is carrying. Prenatal care ensures that the mother receives the much needed medical attention, nutritional advice and a positive life style tips. Particular attention is given unusual physiological and medical manifestations which could signal an array of life threatening situations for the mother and unborn child. The culmination of a successful pregnancy is the birth of a baby. Newborns weigh an average between 5. 5 and 9. pounds and they are awake and alert in first hours of life. Newborns begin learning their environment immediately and one of the things they internalize is developing a connection with the mother’s voice. The six states that a baby maintains are: quiet alert, active alert, crying state, drowsiness, quiet sleep, and active sleep (Ashford Lecroy, 2012). Babies oscillate from an awakening curious baby, peak at crying when uncomfortable, and dip thr ough to active sleep. These changes may occur slowly or rapidly throughout the course of any given day. Consequently, knowledge about this this critical life stage, helps parents to be better equipped to cope with and nurture the newborn. Risk factors during pregnancy and at birth Various physiological changes in a pregnant mother may cause or indicate a risk for both mother and child. A case in point is bleeding in the first trimester or late in the pregnancy which could mean possible loss of the child or neurological issues. In some instances, natural toxins could build in the mother’s bodies leading to high blood pressure and weight gain which may be fatal to the mother (Ashford Lecroy, 2012). Further, an increased weight of the mother could bring on diabetes in the child, while low weight of the child could be a precursor to mental retardation. Biological factors that may affect the fetus’ development during pregnancy include the mother’s age, the number of children prior and how far apart she has had each child (Boyce, 2010). Environmental factors, such as living conditions, diet deficiencies, and the emotional well-being of the mother can all affect the baby during its 38 week development. Pregnant women should be mindful of substances ingested during pregnancy as these are subsequently ingested by the fetus and affect its development. This is exemplified by studies demonstrating that women who drink caffeine tend to have a lower birth rate than women who avoid caffeine (Ashford Lecroy, 2012). Other substances that could affect fetal development by causing birth deformities, premature births and possible hyperactivity include tobacco, over the counter medications, hormones and alcohol. Prenatal care there has been shown to dramatically improve the chances of having a healthy baby. Nevertheless, there is a possibility of certain complications during birth can have lasting repercussions on a child’s life. An example is anoxia, a deficiency of oxygen during birth that could lead to the newborn developing cerebral palsy. Alcohol’s relevance in pregnancy, birth and the newborn Alcohol is a teratogen; an agent or factor that induces or increases the incidence of abnormal prenatal development (Shiel, 2010). Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is manifested in a continuum of disabilities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) (Warren Murray, in press). The most severe form of this spectrum referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). An alarming statistic from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies shows that 0. 2 to 2 cases per 1000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Since FASD presents a broad spectrum of symptoms some of which are â€Å"less severe†, it remains challenging to diagnose (Fleisher, 2010). As a result, FASD among children is either misdiagnosed or remains undetected. On the other hand, it is relatively easier to identify the key diagnostic features of FAS are they are better established. FASD is prevalent worldwide because alcohol is so widely accepted and used in so many cultures. The teratogenic effects of alcohol were not established until the second half of the 20th century when pediatrician, Paul Lemoine, in France in 1967 and two American pediatric dysmorphologists, Kenneth Lyons Jones and David Smith in 1973, independently documented the pattern of deficits resulting from heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (Warren Murray, in press). Alcohol was attributed because the children in both settings had common patterns of deficits and it was observed that all of the birth mothers had been diagnosed with alcohol use disorders Biological manifestations The teratogenic effects of alcohol adversely affect the physical development of the fetus and the child. Newborns and children with FAS generally exhibit stunted growth (CDC. Gov, 1983). A distinguishing feature of children with severe FASD and FAS is facial and limb dysmorphology. These children are generally shorter in stature and weigh less than their peers (Warren Murray, in press). The cardinal or discriminating features include short palpebral fissures (eye opening), an elongated and hypoplastic philtrum (groove between nose and upper lip), and a thin upper vermillion lip border or hypoplastic â€Å"cupid’s bow†. Other features include a low nasal bridge, epicanthal folds (skin folds covering inner corner of the eye), minor ear anomalies, and micrognathia (abnormal smallness of the jaws). Psychological consequences Facial and limb dysmorphology in children affected by FASD and FAS may cause the child is usually aware that something is â€Å"different† about him or her and thus affect their psychological wellbeing. Additionally, children with FASD have cognitive challenges leading to a myriad of problems such as the following: memory loss, impaired motor skills, neurosensory hearing loss, impaired visual and spatial skills, intellectual impairment, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, problems with reasoning and judgment and an inability to appreciate consequences of actions (Wacha Obrzut, 2007). Treatment and schooling can be very difficult for a child facing these challenges since their greatest challenge is learning and retaining information. Subsequently, the child may experience depression which can result in self-destructive behavior such as substance abuse, inappropriate sexual behavior, and suicide Societal implications Families are affected immensely when a child is born with FASD/FAS since he/she may exhibit anti-social behavior including an exaggerated startle response, poor wake and sleep patterns, impulsiveness, temper tantrums, lying and stealing (Fleisher, 2010). Moreover, schools, local health care systems, childcare and social services, and the justice system are usually ill-equipped to address the problems presented by FASD. As a result; a person with FASD may experience mental health problems, disrupted schooling, and involvement with crime, substance abuse, and dependent living and employment difficulties throughout their lifetime. As previously stated, the broad spectrum of manifestations of FASD makes it difficult to diagnose. Consequently, individuals suffering from FASD may not be properly diagnosed and are likely to be labeled social misfits and may spend a troubled life on the margins of society thus creating a monumental emotional burden on society (Wacha Obrzut, 2007). Interventions to aid those affected by FASD These physical, mental, social, learning and behavioral limitations experienced by individuals with FASD have possible lifelong implications. Fortunately, there is help for both the individuals and their families provided by Social Service agencies in form of resources and assistance needed to have a good quality of life. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1975), school aged children with disabilities (including those diagnosed with FAS) are provided with reasonable accommodations including untimed tests, sitting in front of the class, modified homework and the provision of necessary services and often the implementation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). An IEP details services that will be provided to assist the child in learning and may include services like Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and/or the provision of a classroom aide. These individuals often have social workers or case managers working with them to ensure that the services documented in the IEP’s are being provided and working effectively. Implications of FASD on Social Work FASD provides opportunities for Social Workers to play an important role in impacting positive change. Social Workers could take the lead in screening for alcohol use among women of child-bearing age and educate them about the FASD (Boyce, 2010). Women who choose to continue drinking should be encouraged to use contraceptives to reduce the likelihood of giving birth to a child with FASD. Social Workers should also be actively involved in nutrition education to ensure that pregnant mothers are following balanced diet for optimum fetal development. Nutrition education should especially target participants of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as these populations’ income may limit their food choices. FASD often have significant lifelong deficits in functional life skills that can lead to problems with day to day functioning. In adulthood, these deficits can be manifested in mental health difficulties, disrupted job experiences, trouble with the law, substance abuse and difficulties with independent living. Hence Social Workers play the important role of advocating for individuals affected by FASD, helping them to navigate their immediate environment and linking them with support services (Warren Murray, in press). Prevention of FASD is of great importance and this implies that Social Workers have the responsibility of mobilizing campaigns against drinking during pregnancy. This can be done through community education, incorporating medical personnel in research and preventive practice as well as holding alcohol producers accountable for posting health warning labels on publicity items. Conclusion Maternal alcohol use is a worldwide phenomenon that indiscriminately affects families and children of all ethnicities in all societies. Fortunately, it is possible to classify and tackle the treatment problems raised by individuals with FASD. The hope is that with continued research, education, and support from Social Service agencies, this problem can be prevented. While resources are available to help individuals and their families, it is important to know that the best treatment of FASD is prevention. It is not yet known the specific timing, frequency and quantity of alcohol use throughout the gestational period that are responsible FASD and FAS. Drinking early in the gestational period, before the woman even knows she is pregnant may present special risks for the developing embryo. Thus strategies to prevent alcohol use in pregnancy need to take into consideration that the prevalence of drinking by women of child-bearing age is on the rise in many parts of the world and most pregnancies are not planned. Bibliography CDC. Gov. (1983, January 13). Retrieved from Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Public Awareness Week: http://www. dc. gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000257. htm Ashford, J. B. , Lecroy, C. W. (2012). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Approach. Belmont, CA: Cole Cengage. Boyce, M. (2010, June). A Better Future for Baby: Stemming the tide of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Journal of Family Practice, 59(6). Fleisher, S. (2010, May). Foetal Alcohol Syndrome: Raising Awareness about Alcohol in Pregnancy. British Journal of Midwifery, 18(5). Shiel, W. C. ( 2010, December 21). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Retrieved from Medicinenet. com: http://www. medicinenet. com/fetal_alcohol_syndrome/article. htm Wacha, V. , Obrzut, J. (2007, June). Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome on Neuropsychological Function. Journal of Development and Physical Disabilities, 19(3). Warren, K. , Murray, M. (in press). Alcohol and Pregnancy: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcohol: Science, Policy and Public Health. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. The purpose of prenatal care is to monitor the development, health and nutritional status of both the mother and the baby during the pregnancy to ensure an uncomplicated pregnancy and the delivery of a live and healthy infant. [ 2 ]. Some pregnant women may develop gestational diabetes (or gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM), a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy (especially during third trimester). [ 3 ]. Cerebral palsy is a term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development. How to cite Pregnancy, Birth and the Newborn: Focus on Fasd, Essay examples

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Essay Example For Students

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Essay Imagine living in a world where sights, sounds, images and thoughts areconstantly changing and shifting. Unable to focus on whatever task is at hand,your mind wanders from one activity or thought to the next. Sometimes you becomeso lost among all the thoughts and images that you dont even notice whensomeone is speaking to you. This is what it is like for many people who have Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. Once called hyperkinesis or minimal braindysfunction, ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children. Itaffects 3 to 5 percent of all children, and it is likely to occur two to threetimes more in boys than in girls. People who have ADHD may be unable to sit still, plan ahead, finishtasks, or be completely aware of what is going on in the world around them. We will write a custom essay on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now However, on some occasions, they may appear normal, leading others to believethat the person with ADHD can control such behaviors. As a result of this, ADHDcan hinder the persons relationships and interactions with others in additionto disrupting their daily life and lowering self-esteem. To determine whether or not a person has ADHD, specialists must considerseveral questions: Do these behaviors occur more often than in other people ofthe same age? Are the behaviors an ongoing problem, not just a response to atemporary situation? Do the behaviors occur only in one specific place or inseveral different settings?In answering these questions, the persons behavior patterns arecompared to a set of criteria and characteristics of ADHD. The DiagnosticStatistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) presents this set of criteria. According to the DSM, there are three patterns of behavior that indicate ADHD:inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. According to the DSM, signs of inattention include: becoming easilydistracted by irrelevant sights and sounds; failing to pay attention to detailsand making careless mistakes; rarely following instructions carefully and/orcompletely; and constantly losing or forgetting things like books, pencils,tools, and such. Some signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity, according to the DSM, are:the inability to sit still, often fidgeting with hands and feet; running,climbing, or leaving a seat in situations where sitting or quiet, attentivebehavior is required; difficulty waiting in line or for a turn; and blurting outanswers before hearing the entire question. However, because almost everyone will behave in these manners at sometime, the DSM has very specific guidelines for determining if they indicate ADHD. Such behaviors must appear early in life, before age 7, and continue for atleast 6 months. For children, these behaviors must occur more frequently andseverely than in others of the same age. Most of all, the behaviors must createa true handicap in at least 2 areas of the persons life (e.g. school, home,work, social settings). One of the difficulties in diagnosing ADHD is that it is usuallyaccompanied by other problems. Many children who have ADHD also have a learningdisability. This means that they have trouble with certain language or academicskills, commonly reading and math. A very small number of people with ADHD alsohave Tourettes syndrome. Those affected by Tourettes syndrome may have tics,facial twitches, and other such movements that they cannot control. Also, theymay grimace, shrug, or yell out words abruptly. Almost half of all children with ADHD, mostly boys, have anothercondition known as oppositional defiant disorder. This sometimes develops intomore serious conduct disorders. Children with this disorder, in conjunction withADHD, may be stubborn, have outbursts, and act belligerent or defiant. They maytake unsafe risks and break laws ultimately getting them into trouble atschool and with the police. .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c , .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .postImageUrl , .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c , .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:hover , .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:visited , .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:active { border:0!important; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:active , .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc2dfd166645cf3dbd62f77c9b5f42b4c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Necessity of Prenuptial agreements within Australi EssayStill, not all children with ADHD have an additional disorder. The sameis true for people with learning disabilities, Tourettes syndrome, etc. They donot all have ADHD with their initial disorder. However, when ADHD and suchdisorders do occur together, the problems can seriously complicate a personslife. As we speak, scientists are discovering more and more evidencesuggesting that ADHD does not stem from home environment, but from biologicalcauses. And over the past few decades, health professionals have come up withpossible theories about what causes ADHD. But, they continue to emphasize thatno one knows exactly what causes ADHD. There are just too many possibilitiesfor now to be certain about the exact cause. Therefore, it is more importantfor the person affected and their family to search for ways to get the righthelp. A common method for treating ADHD is the use of medications. Drugs knownas stimulants seem to have been the most effective with both children and adultswho have ADHD. The three which are most often prescribed are: methylphenidate(Ritalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine or Dextrostat), and pemoline (Cylert). For many, these drugs dramatically reduce hyperactivity and improve theirability to focus, work, and learn. Research done by the National Institute ofMental Health (NIMH) also suggests that medications such as these may helpchildren with accompanying conduct disorders control their impulsive,destructive behaviors. However, these drugs dont cure ADHD, they only temporarily control thesymptoms. Many health professionals recommend that these medications be used incombination with some type of therapy, training, and/or support group. Suchoptions include: psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, social skillstraining, parental skills training (for parents with ADHD children), and supportgroups. Although most people with ADHD dont outgrow it, they do learn how toadapt and live better, more fulfilling lives. With the proper combination ofmedicine, family, and emotional support, people who have ADHD can develop waysto better control their behavior. Through further studies, scientists are better understanding the natureof biological disorders. New research is allowing us to better understand howour minds and bodies work, along with new medicines and treatments that continueto be developed. Even though there is no immediate cure for ADHD, researchcontinues to provide information, knowledge, and hope. Category: Science

Susan Sontag Essay Example Essay Example

Susan Sontag Essay Example Paper Susan Sontag Essay Introduction In the essay titled â€Å"America Seen through Photographs Darkly† Susan Sontag discusses the advent of realism, the misinterpretations of realism, and the acceptance of surrealism as a substitute for realism in the realm of photography in America. Sontag chooses the thoughts of Walt Whitman to provide a framework for studying the works of photographers from the 1930s to the 1960s. In so doing, Susan Sontag makes many controversial statements. While some may be accepted logically, there are others which can be refuted. What is significant however is that Susan Sontag through this essay creates awareness of what beauty and importance means, and of what realism means in the context of photography.Walt Whitman perceived the democratic values of culture as that which existed beyond the contexts of beauty and ugliness, importance and triviality. According to Walt Whitman, nobody would fret about beauty and ugliness. The views of Walt Whitman changed the view of artists in many fiel ds dramatically. Artists took seriously Whitman’s program of populist transcendence of the democratic transvaluation of beauty and ugliness, importance and triviality. This resulted in an inclination to portray reality as it was rather than focusing only on traditional concepts of beauty. In the case of photography, this desire, instead of resulting in demystification of reality has resulted in a mystification of the art according to Sontag. This argument of Sontag is further strengthened by Susie Linfield who says that though photographs (of humanism) don’t explain the way the world works ..it’s true that photographs document the specific, they tend, also, to blur—dangerously blur—political and historic distinctions†. She explains this with the example. A photograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Berlin, circa 1945, looks much like a photograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Hanoi, circa 1969, which looks awfully similar to a p hotograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Baghdad from last week.This is a mystifying aspect of realism. Further according to Susie Linfield, people generally approach photographs, first and foremost, on an emotional level. She points out that Brecht regarded all feeling as dishonest and dangerous. In the book â€Å"Witness Iraq: A War Journal February–April 20003† there is one image showing six women in a cemetery outside Baghdad. The picture was taken by Jerome Delay, a French war photographer for the Associated Press and the caption tells us, â€Å"Relatives of Mohammed Jaber Hassan weep over his coffin . . . Hassan, 22, died when a bomb fell on a busy market in Baghdad’s Shula district.† Because the picture is dated â€Å"03/29/03,† we know that the bomb was probably an American one and that it was dropped on the civilian marketplace almost certainly by accident. If the picture were dated 2006, then, it would imply that the bomb was plant ed by insurgents in Iraq (Linfield, 2006). Thus, we can conclude that Susan Sontag is very right in pointing to the mystification that happens when photographers become humanistic in approach.Sontag says, â€Å"To photograph is to confer importance. No moment is more important than any other moment; no person is more interesting than any other person†. One of the most talked about photographs of recent times is the picture of an anonymous Afghan refugee woman taken by photographer Steve McCurry for the cover of National Geographic Magazine June 1985. The photograph showed the piercing stare of a young woman peering from a bedraggled cloak. The piercing green eyes epitomized the tragic story of dispossessed children everywhere and the image became a 20th-century icon. It was only recently in 2002, that Steve McCurry could trace her back and found that the woman’s name was Sharbat Gula (Connor, 2002).â€Å"Whitman thought he was not abolishing beauty but generalizing it . So, for generations, did the most gifted American photographers, in their polemical pursuit of the trivial and the vulgar†. Susan Sontag talks about Walker Evans as the last great photographer to have worked seriously in mood derived from Whitman’s euphoric humanism. She says that Evans was not as arty as Stieglitz. In the words of Sontag, â€Å"Evans sought a more impersonal kind of affirmation, a noble reticence, and a lucid understatement†. She justifies her statement that Evans was not arty by pointing out that Evan never tried to express himself in the photographs (like an artist does). He took photographs of architectural still life of American facades and exacting portraits of Southern sharecroppers in the 1930s. This view of Sontag is supported by Lincoln Kirstein who wrote ‘Looked at in sequence they are overwhelming in their exhaustiveness of detail, their poetry of contrast, and, for those who wish to see it, their moral implication†. Thi s explains why Sontag said that Evan’s project seemed to descend from Whitman. Evans project showed a leveling of discriminations between the beautiful and the ugly. Sontag further makes the point that everything is morally equivalent to a photograph. Evans wanted his works to be literate, authoritative and transcendent. Whitman preached empathy, concord in discord oneness in diversity. This message of identification with other Americans links Whitman and Evans in a subtle manner.â€Å"The moral universe of the 1930s being no longer ours, these adjectives are barely creditable today. Nobody demands that photography be literate. Nobody can imagine how it could be authoritative. Nobody understands how anything, least of all a photograph, could be transcendent†. John Szarkowski, in his introduction to â€Å"Walker Evans† explains the meaning thus: â€Å"The photographer must define his subject with an educated awareness of what it is and what it means; he must des cribe it with such simplicity and sureness that the result seems an unchallengeable fact, not merely the record of a photographer’s opinion; yet the picture itself should possess a taut athletic grace, an inherent structure, that gives it a life in metaphor†. There have been impressive photographers whose work can be considered literate, authoritative and transcendent, such as those of Weegee, Helen Levitt, Homer Page, Gordon Parks, Roy DeCarava, Robert Frank, and others. The works of these photographers convey the mixed artistic mood of the postwar period. The most subjective artistic photography of the period is seen in the work of Frederick Sommer, Minor White, Harry Callahan, and Aaron Siskind, while the art of applied photography is exemplified in fashion and portrait images by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, and others. Thus, Susan Sontag seems to be somewhat pessimistically judgmental in holding that there is no one who understands what it means to be literate, authoritative and transcendent.Susan Sontag compares the works of Edward Steichen and Diane Arbus. Steichen’s work was aimed at showing all human is one and that human beings are attractive creatures. Steichen’s choice of photographs assumes a human condition or a human nature shared by everybody. Individuals are born work laugh and die everywhere in the same way. Arbus showed that this is a world in which everybody is an alien, hopelessly isolated, and immobilized, in mechanical crippled identities and relationships. Diane Arbus aimed at showing that all human is one and that human beings are horrific monsters. According to Sontag, while Steichen universalized the human condition into joy, Arbus universalized it into horror. Everybody Arbus photographed was a freak. This argument can be refuted. The main complaint Sontag places against Arbus is that she chose ugliness and horror subjects, made them pose, and took frontal pictures that were grotesque. Sontag , with an air of disapproval, claimed that Arbus’ work â€Å"lined up assorted monsters and borderline cases-most of them ugly; wearing grotesque or unflattering clothing; in dismal or barren surroundings’. Sontag says that Arbus interest in freaks expresses a desire to violate her own innocence, to undermine her sense of being privileged, to vent her frustration at being safe. This accusation by Sontag does not have any truth in it. Arbus’ work took a dark turn in her final works when her mental health deteriorated and that was seen in the collected grouped as â€Å"Untitled, 1970-71† in the retrospective organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art that showed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in spring 2005. In her early works, Arbus brought out humanity in her subjects and coaxed out their personality. Sontag says that â€Å"Anybody Arbus photographed was a freak,† citing, as one of several examples, a boy waiting to march in a pro-war march wearing a â€Å"Bomb Hanoi† button. This earnest young man is definitely not a freak. The picture is of a naà ¯ve, fresh-scrubbed boy, rather typical of the 1960s, and shows the young man as he is. No doubt he is shown as ignorant and absurd in his act of wearing the Bomb Hanoi button, but he cannot be considered a â€Å"freak,† when the truth is that many Americans, sadly, supported the Vietnam War. One of the best pictures of Arbus is â€Å"The 1938 Debutante of the Year at Home, Boston, 1966,† a picture of an extremely privileged woman well into the transition from middle age to seniority smoking in her bed. Every pore of this woman exudes privilege, captured in astonishing clarity by Arbus, a perhaps unequaled master of technique (Dolack, 2006). This woman would not have considered herself a ‘freak’. Another photo that Sontag did specifically mention is the â€Å"human pincushion† of New Jersey, a middle-aged man who, while demonstrating his specialty, nonetheless is very proud. The privileged once-debutante and the circus performer are both comfortable with themselves and thus in front of the camera.Also evident in her attack on Arbus is the fact that Sontag considers the aim of a photograph is to make something beautiful. Well, one can disagree with this statement. A photograph doesn’t necessarily make something beautiful. Consider, for example, Garry Winogrand’s picture of a legless veteran surrounded by pedestrians on a busy New York street. It’s a very strong picture, compelling and well-made. Yet, the ugliness of that man’s situation is not only exposed but amplified. Then consider Winogrand’s picture of a black man looking at a rhinoceros in a zoo – the animal’s horn is missing and what’s left in its place is ugly and disturbing, as is the recognition seen in the man’s face. Thus, two photographers whose work quickly refutes S ontag’s contention are Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand. There are several others. Arbus explains: â€Å"Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.† These words show clearly that Arbus’s personal and intellectual attractions to oddities of nature and society convey a responsiveness that is also a sense of responsibility (Schjeldahl, 2005).Thus in the essay â€Å"America Seen through Photographs Darkly† Susan Sontag makes some intellectual observations and some controversial statements. While it is true that realism in American photography has been mystifying to a certain extent and every person is given importance in a photograph, it is false that there have been no photographers who understand the meaning of making a photograph ‘literate, authoritative and transcendent† Sontag is false in her claim that photographs should aim to capture the beautiful; – and false in her attacks on Arbus. Susan Sontag Essay Thank you for reading this Sample! Susan Sontag Essay Example Essay Example Susan Sontag Essay Example Paper Susan Sontag Essay Introduction In the essay titled â€Å"America Seen through Photographs Darkly† Susan Sontag discusses the advent of realism, the misinterpretations of realism, and the acceptance of surrealism as a substitute for realism in the realm of photography in America. Sontag chooses the thoughts of Walt Whitman to provide a framework for studying the works of photographers from the 1930s to the 1960s. In so doing, Susan Sontag makes many controversial statements. While some may be accepted logically, there are others which can be refuted. What is significant however is that Susan Sontag through this essay creates awareness of what beauty and importance means, and of what realism means in the context of photography.Walt Whitman perceived the democratic values of culture as that which existed beyond the contexts of beauty and ugliness, importance and triviality. According to Walt Whitman, nobody would fret about beauty and ugliness. The views of Walt Whitman changed the view of artists in many fiel ds dramatically. Artists took seriously Whitman’s program of populist transcendence of the democratic transvaluation of beauty and ugliness, importance and triviality. This resulted in an inclination to portray reality as it was rather than focusing only on traditional concepts of beauty. In the case of photography, this desire, instead of resulting in demystification of reality has resulted in a mystification of the art according to Sontag. This argument of Sontag is further strengthened by Susie Linfield who says that though photographs (of humanism) don’t explain the way the world works ..it’s true that photographs document the specific, they tend, also, to blur—dangerously blur—political and historic distinctions†. She explains this with the example. A photograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Berlin, circa 1945, looks much like a photograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Hanoi, circa 1969, which looks awfully similar to a p hotograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Baghdad from last week.This is a mystifying aspect of realism. Further according to Susie Linfield, people generally approach photographs, first and foremost, on an emotional level. She points out that Brecht regarded all feeling as dishonest and dangerous. In the book â€Å"Witness Iraq: A War Journal February–April 20003† there is one image showing six women in a cemetery outside Baghdad. The picture was taken by Jerome Delay, a French war photographer for the Associated Press and the caption tells us, â€Å"Relatives of Mohammed Jaber Hassan weep over his coffin . . . Hassan, 22, died when a bomb fell on a busy market in Baghdad’s Shula district.† Because the picture is dated â€Å"03/29/03,† we know that the bomb was probably an American one and that it was dropped on the civilian marketplace almost certainly by accident. If the picture were dated 2006, then, it would imply that the bomb was plant ed by insurgents in Iraq (Linfield, 2006). Thus, we can conclude that Susan Sontag is very right in pointing to the mystification that happens when photographers become humanistic in approach.Sontag says, â€Å"To photograph is to confer importance. No moment is more important than any other moment; no person is more interesting than any other person†. One of the most talked about photographs of recent times is the picture of an anonymous Afghan refugee woman taken by photographer Steve McCurry for the cover of National Geographic Magazine June 1985. The photograph showed the piercing stare of a young woman peering from a bedraggled cloak. The piercing green eyes epitomized the tragic story of dispossessed children everywhere and the image became a 20th-century icon. It was only recently in 2002, that Steve McCurry could trace her back and found that the woman’s name was Sharbat Gula (Connor, 2002).â€Å"Whitman thought he was not abolishing beauty but generalizing it . So, for generations, did the most gifted American photographers, in their polemical pursuit of the trivial and the vulgar†. Susan Sontag talks about Walker Evans as the last great photographer to have worked seriously in mood derived from Whitman’s euphoric humanism. She says that Evans was not as arty as Stieglitz. In the words of Sontag, â€Å"Evans sought a more impersonal kind of affirmation, a noble reticence, and a lucid understatement†. She justifies her statement that Evans was not arty by pointing out that Evan never tried to express himself in the photographs (like an artist does). He took photographs of architectural still life of American facades and exacting portraits of Southern sharecroppers in the 1930s. This view of Sontag is supported by Lincoln Kirstein who wrote ‘Looked at in sequence they are overwhelming in their exhaustiveness of detail, their poetry of contrast, and, for those who wish to see it, their moral implication†. Thi s explains why Sontag said that Evan’s project seemed to descend from Whitman. Evans project showed a leveling of discriminations between the beautiful and the ugly. Sontag further makes the point that everything is morally equivalent to a photograph. Evans wanted his works to be literate, authoritative and transcendent. Whitman preached empathy, concord in discord oneness in diversity. This message of identification with other Americans links Whitman and Evans in a subtle manner.â€Å"The moral universe of the 1930s being no longer ours, these adjectives are barely creditable today. Nobody demands that photography be literate. Nobody can imagine how it could be authoritative. Nobody understands how anything, least of all a photograph, could be transcendent†. John Szarkowski, in his introduction to â€Å"Walker Evans† explains the meaning thus: â€Å"The photographer must define his subject with an educated awareness of what it is and what it means; he must des cribe it with such simplicity and sureness that the result seems an unchallengeable fact, not merely the record of a photographer’s opinion; yet the picture itself should possess a taut athletic grace, an inherent structure, that gives it a life in metaphor†. There have been impressive photographers whose work can be considered literate, authoritative and transcendent, such as those of Weegee, Helen Levitt, Homer Page, Gordon Parks, Roy DeCarava, Robert Frank, and others. The works of these photographers convey the mixed artistic mood of the postwar period. The most subjective artistic photography of the period is seen in the work of Frederick Sommer, Minor White, Harry Callahan, and Aaron Siskind, while the art of applied photography is exemplified in fashion and portrait images by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, and others. Thus, Susan Sontag seems to be somewhat pessimistically judgmental in holding that there is no one who understands what it means to be literate, authoritative and transcendent.Susan Sontag compares the works of Edward Steichen and Diane Arbus. Steichen’s work was aimed at showing all human is one and that human beings are attractive creatures. Steichen’s choice of photographs assumes a human condition or a human nature shared by everybody. Individuals are born work laugh and die everywhere in the same way. Arbus showed that this is a world in which everybody is an alien, hopelessly isolated, and immobilized, in mechanical crippled identities and relationships. Diane Arbus aimed at showing that all human is one and that human beings are horrific monsters. According to Sontag, while Steichen universalized the human condition into joy, Arbus universalized it into horror. Everybody Arbus photographed was a freak. This argument can be refuted. The main complaint Sontag places against Arbus is that she chose ugliness and horror subjects, made them pose, and took frontal pictures that were grotesque. Sontag , with an air of disapproval, claimed that Arbus’ work â€Å"lined up assorted monsters and borderline cases-most of them ugly; wearing grotesque or unflattering clothing; in dismal or barren surroundings’. Sontag says that Arbus interest in freaks expresses a desire to violate her own innocence, to undermine her sense of being privileged, to vent her frustration at being safe. This accusation by Sontag does not have any truth in it. Arbus’ work took a dark turn in her final works when her mental health deteriorated and that was seen in the collected grouped as â€Å"Untitled, 1970-71† in the retrospective organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art that showed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in spring 2005. In her early works, Arbus brought out humanity in her subjects and coaxed out their personality. Sontag says that â€Å"Anybody Arbus photographed was a freak,† citing, as one of several examples, a boy waiting to march in a pro-war march wearing a â€Å"Bomb Hanoi† button. This earnest young man is definitely not a freak. The picture is of a naà ¯ve, fresh-scrubbed boy, rather typical of the 1960s, and shows the young man as he is. No doubt he is shown as ignorant and absurd in his act of wearing the Bomb Hanoi button, but he cannot be considered a â€Å"freak,† when the truth is that many Americans, sadly, supported the Vietnam War. One of the best pictures of Arbus is â€Å"The 1938 Debutante of the Year at Home, Boston, 1966,† a picture of an extremely privileged woman well into the transition from middle age to seniority smoking in her bed. Every pore of this woman exudes privilege, captured in astonishing clarity by Arbus, a perhaps unequaled master of technique (Dolack, 2006). This woman would not have considered herself a ‘freak’. Another photo that Sontag did specifically mention is the â€Å"human pincushion† of New Jersey, a middle-aged man who, while demonstrating his specialty, nonetheless is very proud. The privileged once-debutante and the circus performer are both comfortable with themselves and thus in front of the camera.Also evident in her attack on Arbus is the fact that Sontag considers the aim of a photograph is to make something beautiful. Well, one can disagree with this statement. A photograph doesn’t necessarily make something beautiful. Consider, for example, Garry Winogrand’s picture of a legless veteran surrounded by pedestrians on a busy New York street. It’s a very strong picture, compelling and well-made. Yet, the ugliness of that man’s situation is not only exposed but amplified. Then consider Winogrand’s picture of a black man looking at a rhinoceros in a zoo – the animal’s horn is missing and what’s left in its place is ugly and disturbing, as is the recognition seen in the man’s face. Thus, two photographers whose work quickly refutes S ontag’s contention are Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand. There are several others. Arbus explains: â€Å"Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.† These words show clearly that Arbus’s personal and intellectual attractions to oddities of nature and society convey a responsiveness that is also a sense of responsibility (Schjeldahl, 2005).Thus in the essay â€Å"America Seen through Photographs Darkly† Susan Sontag makes some intellectual observations and some controversial statements. While it is true that realism in American photography has been mystifying to a certain extent and every person is given importance in a photograph, it is false that there have been no photographers who understand the meaning of making a photograph ‘literate, authoritative and transcendent† Sontag is false in her claim that photographs should aim to capture the beautiful; – and false in her attacks on Arbus. Susan Sontag Essay Thank you for reading this Sample! Susan Sontag Essay Example Essay Example Susan Sontag Essay Example Paper Susan Sontag Essay Introduction In the essay titled â€Å"America Seen through Photographs Darkly† Susan Sontag discusses the advent of realism, the misinterpretations of realism, and the acceptance of surrealism as a substitute for realism in the realm of photography in America. Sontag chooses the thoughts of Walt Whitman to provide a framework for studying the works of photographers from the 1930s to the 1960s. In so doing, Susan Sontag makes many controversial statements. While some may be accepted logically, there are others which can be refuted. What is significant however is that Susan Sontag through this essay creates awareness of what beauty and importance means, and of what realism means in the context of photography.Walt Whitman perceived the democratic values of culture as that which existed beyond the contexts of beauty and ugliness, importance and triviality. According to Walt Whitman, nobody would fret about beauty and ugliness. The views of Walt Whitman changed the view of artists in many fiel ds dramatically. Artists took seriously Whitman’s program of populist transcendence of the democratic transvaluation of beauty and ugliness, importance and triviality. This resulted in an inclination to portray reality as it was rather than focusing only on traditional concepts of beauty. In the case of photography, this desire, instead of resulting in demystification of reality has resulted in a mystification of the art according to Sontag. This argument of Sontag is further strengthened by Susie Linfield who says that though photographs (of humanism) don’t explain the way the world works ..it’s true that photographs document the specific, they tend, also, to blur—dangerously blur—political and historic distinctions†. She explains this with the example. A photograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Berlin, circa 1945, looks much like a photograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Hanoi, circa 1969, which looks awfully similar to a p hotograph of a bombed-out apartment building in Baghdad from last week.This is a mystifying aspect of realism. Further according to Susie Linfield, people generally approach photographs, first and foremost, on an emotional level. She points out that Brecht regarded all feeling as dishonest and dangerous. In the book â€Å"Witness Iraq: A War Journal February–April 20003† there is one image showing six women in a cemetery outside Baghdad. The picture was taken by Jerome Delay, a French war photographer for the Associated Press and the caption tells us, â€Å"Relatives of Mohammed Jaber Hassan weep over his coffin . . . Hassan, 22, died when a bomb fell on a busy market in Baghdad’s Shula district.† Because the picture is dated â€Å"03/29/03,† we know that the bomb was probably an American one and that it was dropped on the civilian marketplace almost certainly by accident. If the picture were dated 2006, then, it would imply that the bomb was plant ed by insurgents in Iraq (Linfield, 2006). Thus, we can conclude that Susan Sontag is very right in pointing to the mystification that happens when photographers become humanistic in approach.Sontag says, â€Å"To photograph is to confer importance. No moment is more important than any other moment; no person is more interesting than any other person†. One of the most talked about photographs of recent times is the picture of an anonymous Afghan refugee woman taken by photographer Steve McCurry for the cover of National Geographic Magazine June 1985. The photograph showed the piercing stare of a young woman peering from a bedraggled cloak. The piercing green eyes epitomized the tragic story of dispossessed children everywhere and the image became a 20th-century icon. It was only recently in 2002, that Steve McCurry could trace her back and found that the woman’s name was Sharbat Gula (Connor, 2002).â€Å"Whitman thought he was not abolishing beauty but generalizing it . So, for generations, did the most gifted American photographers, in their polemical pursuit of the trivial and the vulgar†. Susan Sontag talks about Walker Evans as the last great photographer to have worked seriously in mood derived from Whitman’s euphoric humanism. She says that Evans was not as arty as Stieglitz. In the words of Sontag, â€Å"Evans sought a more impersonal kind of affirmation, a noble reticence, and a lucid understatement†. She justifies her statement that Evans was not arty by pointing out that Evan never tried to express himself in the photographs (like an artist does). He took photographs of architectural still life of American facades and exacting portraits of Southern sharecroppers in the 1930s. This view of Sontag is supported by Lincoln Kirstein who wrote ‘Looked at in sequence they are overwhelming in their exhaustiveness of detail, their poetry of contrast, and, for those who wish to see it, their moral implication†. Thi s explains why Sontag said that Evan’s project seemed to descend from Whitman. Evans project showed a leveling of discriminations between the beautiful and the ugly. Sontag further makes the point that everything is morally equivalent to a photograph. Evans wanted his works to be literate, authoritative and transcendent. Whitman preached empathy, concord in discord oneness in diversity. This message of identification with other Americans links Whitman and Evans in a subtle manner.â€Å"The moral universe of the 1930s being no longer ours, these adjectives are barely creditable today. Nobody demands that photography be literate. Nobody can imagine how it could be authoritative. Nobody understands how anything, least of all a photograph, could be transcendent†. John Szarkowski, in his introduction to â€Å"Walker Evans† explains the meaning thus: â€Å"The photographer must define his subject with an educated awareness of what it is and what it means; he must des cribe it with such simplicity and sureness that the result seems an unchallengeable fact, not merely the record of a photographer’s opinion; yet the picture itself should possess a taut athletic grace, an inherent structure, that gives it a life in metaphor†. There have been impressive photographers whose work can be considered literate, authoritative and transcendent, such as those of Weegee, Helen Levitt, Homer Page, Gordon Parks, Roy DeCarava, Robert Frank, and others. The works of these photographers convey the mixed artistic mood of the postwar period. The most subjective artistic photography of the period is seen in the work of Frederick Sommer, Minor White, Harry Callahan, and Aaron Siskind, while the art of applied photography is exemplified in fashion and portrait images by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, and others. Thus, Susan Sontag seems to be somewhat pessimistically judgmental in holding that there is no one who understands what it means to be literate, authoritative and transcendent.Susan Sontag compares the works of Edward Steichen and Diane Arbus. Steichen’s work was aimed at showing all human is one and that human beings are attractive creatures. Steichen’s choice of photographs assumes a human condition or a human nature shared by everybody. Individuals are born work laugh and die everywhere in the same way. Arbus showed that this is a world in which everybody is an alien, hopelessly isolated, and immobilized, in mechanical crippled identities and relationships. Diane Arbus aimed at showing that all human is one and that human beings are horrific monsters. According to Sontag, while Steichen universalized the human condition into joy, Arbus universalized it into horror. Everybody Arbus photographed was a freak. This argument can be refuted. The main complaint Sontag places against Arbus is that she chose ugliness and horror subjects, made them pose, and took frontal pictures that were grotesque. Sontag , with an air of disapproval, claimed that Arbus’ work â€Å"lined up assorted monsters and borderline cases-most of them ugly; wearing grotesque or unflattering clothing; in dismal or barren surroundings’. Sontag says that Arbus interest in freaks expresses a desire to violate her own innocence, to undermine her sense of being privileged, to vent her frustration at being safe. This accusation by Sontag does not have any truth in it. Arbus’ work took a dark turn in her final works when her mental health deteriorated and that was seen in the collected grouped as â€Å"Untitled, 1970-71† in the retrospective organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art that showed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in spring 2005. In her early works, Arbus brought out humanity in her subjects and coaxed out their personality. Sontag says that â€Å"Anybody Arbus photographed was a freak,† citing, as one of several examples, a boy waiting to march in a pro-war march wearing a â€Å"Bomb Hanoi† button. This earnest young man is definitely not a freak. The picture is of a naà ¯ve, fresh-scrubbed boy, rather typical of the 1960s, and shows the young man as he is. No doubt he is shown as ignorant and absurd in his act of wearing the Bomb Hanoi button, but he cannot be considered a â€Å"freak,† when the truth is that many Americans, sadly, supported the Vietnam War. One of the best pictures of Arbus is â€Å"The 1938 Debutante of the Year at Home, Boston, 1966,† a picture of an extremely privileged woman well into the transition from middle age to seniority smoking in her bed. Every pore of this woman exudes privilege, captured in astonishing clarity by Arbus, a perhaps unequaled master of technique (Dolack, 2006). This woman would not have considered herself a ‘freak’. Another photo that Sontag did specifically mention is the â€Å"human pincushion† of New Jersey, a middle-aged man who, while demonstrating his specialty, nonetheless is very proud. The privileged once-debutante and the circus performer are both comfortable with themselves and thus in front of the camera.Also evident in her attack on Arbus is the fact that Sontag considers the aim of a photograph is to make something beautiful. Well, one can disagree with this statement. A photograph doesn’t necessarily make something beautiful. Consider, for example, Garry Winogrand’s picture of a legless veteran surrounded by pedestrians on a busy New York street. It’s a very strong picture, compelling and well-made. Yet, the ugliness of that man’s situation is not only exposed but amplified. Then consider Winogrand’s picture of a black man looking at a rhinoceros in a zoo – the animal’s horn is missing and what’s left in its place is ugly and disturbing, as is the recognition seen in the man’s face. Thus, two photographers whose work quickly refutes S ontag’s contention are Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand. There are several others. Arbus explains: â€Å"Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.† These words show clearly that Arbus’s personal and intellectual attractions to oddities of nature and society convey a responsiveness that is also a sense of responsibility (Schjeldahl, 2005).Thus in the essay â€Å"America Seen through Photographs Darkly† Susan Sontag makes some intellectual observations and some controversial statements. While it is true that realism in American photography has been mystifying to a certain extent and every person is given importance in a photograph, it is false that there have been no photographers who understand the meaning of making a photograph ‘literate, authoritative and transcendent† Sontag is false in her claim that photographs should aim to capture the beautiful; – and false in her attacks on Arbus. Susan Sontag Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Factory, Industry, and Plant

Factory, Industry, and Plant Factory, Industry, and Plant Factory, Industry, and Plant By Maeve Maddox An ESL speaker asks for a discussion of the nouns factory, industry, and plant in the context of the following: â€Å"mineral water factory,† â€Å"mineral water industry,† and â€Å"mineral water plant.† factory An earlier meaning of factory was â€Å"the employment, office, or position of a factor.† A factor, as in the word cornfactor, is â€Å"an agent who buys and sells, or transacts other business, on behalf of another person or company.† In the context of manufacturing, a factory is â€Å"a building or range of buildings for the manufacture or assembly of goods or for the processing of substances or materials.† The earliest OED citation of this meaning of factory (1618) refers to a facility for the printing and manufacture of books. industry The noun industry has several meanings. The relevant definition in this discussion is this one: A particular form or sector of productive work, trade, or manufacture. In later use also more generally: any commercial activity or enterprise. Also with modifying word indicating the type of activity or principal product: banking industry, car industry, film industry, heavy industry, service industry, tourist industry, etc. plant The noun plant has numerous meanings, but in the context of manufacturing, plant is often a synonym for factory: the premises, fittings, and equipment of a business; a factory, a place where an industrial process is carried out. In extended use: the workers employed at a business, institution, or factory. â€Å"A mineral water factory† can describe a place â€Å"for the processing of mineral water.† Perhaps more commonly, such a facility is called â€Å"a bottling plant.† The phrase â€Å"mineral water industry† connotes all the commercial activity that goes into the acquisition, preparation, and sale of mineral water. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"How to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†

Minorities in the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minorities in the Media - Essay Example The act of seeking out revenge by harming an entire classification of people simply because they have been stereotyped is a major depiction of ignorance and responsible for a vicious cycle of hatred to formulate. This is where the movie American History X comes in. The purpose of the story is to realize that racial hatred does not accomplish anything except create more hate. The director and writer of this movie accomplish their purpose through character development, the targeted audience, and cinematography. Character development best helps to accomplish the purpose of the movie. The most developed characters in this film are Derek and Danny. Derek’s character is full of racial hatred and plays as a leader of a neo-Nazi group in Venice Beach, California at the beginning of the movie. â€Å"Based on this traumatic incident and an underlying climate of subtle racism, the elder son, Derek, focuses his rage on the minority community and becomes a racist agitator† (McKenna, 1999). Derek preaches to young skinheads about his beliefs of the American society and how minority groups are corrupting the society and wasting taxpayer’s money. Derek shows great hate towards minority groups mostly because of the fact that his father had been murdered by a black man. American History X is clearly a film dealing with the social topic of racism. The most interesting aspect of this movie is the way in which the subject unfolds. First of all, it is quiet obvious how difficult a subject that racism is to portray and effectively depict. However American History X presents the subject without any qualms and a unique clarity. Secondly the film’s main figurehead for racism, which is portrayed by Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), is not an unintelligent redneck racist as most films usually portray anyone adopting such notions to be, but he is in fact a intelligent, eloquent, charming and bright man despite the fact that he clearly holds ideals which are terribl y wrong and confused. Finally, the film also shows that it is not only the white, neo-nazi racists who are fools for being involved in situations like these and adopt a lifestyle central on these stereotypes, but it is all those who hold hatred in their hearts. Through these methods, the film beautifully instills this idea upon the viewer, in an extremely compelling way, that hatred and racism will destroy a person and those who are closest to them. The intense realism that the movie portrays as far as the execution of the incidents is concerned is most impressive with no holds expelled of the intense racial hatred. As we go back to the starting of the movie when Derek figures that some black guys were trying to steal or wreck his truck he immediately grabs a gun, and shoots one of them, wounds another, and fires at the third as he gets away. It was then that one of the most brutal scenes in film history is shown in the way Derek forces the wounded man to put his face on the curb an d kicks the back of his head, smashing the mans skull. It is this scene that is such a perfect example of cumulative causation. This is because it depicts the endless circle of hate between both parties involved. For example, the young black men were acting out this way simply because they had been disgraced by the white male in the local basketball game; therefore, they go up to damage the white males care, which in turn leads to Derek shooting the young black men. This is a vicious circle with no seeming end. The strength that

Business of film and television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business of film and television - Essay Example The target and choice of the channel for the ‘revealed’ program is explained by the wide viewership that the channel receives especially by the locals interested in current matters as presented within the newscasts. The idea to the production of this program was informed by a series of informative telecast that is aired in a western African news reporter through the nation news corporation network. The production covers most current issues within the society and especially with political line of specialization. I have been keen to follow some past productions among which was an exposition of the internally organized malicious drug business that involved great political figures and which resulted to serial killings of all investigating teams in bid to conceal important information gotten through such investigations. The series ran in three parts and was broadcasted at the end of news coverage and showed how that government of the country impounded on lump sum drugs being shipped into the country for the local market from an oversea source. The confiscation of the cache at the seaport elicited heated discussions on which the owner(s) were and how the franchise would such a huge amount of drugs be shipped into the country with the customs authorities without knowing. ... eries, which revealed among other things the many deaths that occurred especially for investigating officers who established any crucial information in the matter. Assassinations had become regular and many to security agents were targets to specialized forces who were working for the government, which was directly involved in the drug business. In fact, the investigative series would reveal linked mysteries that the public had once experienced such as presence of some foreign drug specialists who had gotten into the country under cover and received state security only to be exposed as mercenaries hired by the government to ‘rescue’ the impounded drugs from some particular security agencies within the government. The shocking revelations from the series were how ‘inside the government’ deals resulted to great loses and deaths to innocent investigators and which would only be stage managed. Though the airing of the series by the television elicited great reac tions by the government officials interdicted along the chain of activities in such drug cases, the public through advocacy groups would rise to the rescue of the investigative teams and the public become more aware of the heinous activities that prevail under the coverage of the governments. Besides the drug menace exposure by the series, other major controversies within the nation were revealed to the amazement of the public. The main motive of the program was to empower the civilians in understanding the kind of institutional regimes under which they were governed. This would be instrumental in empowering the civilians in participation on democratic decisions such as in elections (Ferraz and Finan, 2007, p. 1-3). The African revelations are not the only of their kind in the world as is revealed by such