Events in bars and clubs Essay Example for Free

Events in bars and clubs Essay Another source of competition is how an event may have to source out its resources through sponsorship; this means that the event will be marketed to potential sponsors that will believe that the event will create a significant leverage to the companys own marketing initiative. Hence, it is also important to stress to the potential sponsors the benefits of the event. This is discussed by Mack in which the author pointed out that (25):â€Å"[ ] sponsorship allows organizations to reach their target market with less clutter than other communications methods, exposes the product/service directly to the market, and provides an excellent mechanism for the organization to give back to the community by which it is supported. Event sponsorship, or sponsorship marketing, refers to supporting various types of event [..] Whether the type of sponsorship is financial, media, or in-kind support (Cicora 1991), the list of company benefits derived from it can range from publicity, to product sales, image enhancement, or even improved employee morale (Decker 1991). In addition to getting sponsors, companies that are about to hold an event should also take into consideration its capabilities (Silvers). These include the ability to handle the demands of the event and the ability to have the resources. It is also important to have the ability to know how to handle different events; for instance, a bar that may be holding a fundraising concert may be faced with different challenges if organising a battle-of-the-bands. As Silvers pointed, although the core processes of these two events are the same, it should be noted that one of the important elements in events management is the ability to handle the differences in the requirements of different events. All in all, the events management concept can be considered as an important marketing activity in which an establishment or company is able to communicate certain initiatives to the public (Soares). Hence, events serve as an attractor especially if the company utilises popular channels such as concerts, dance events and exhibits,among others; these venues fulfil the curiosity, the wants and needs of the people which is why events continue to be patronised throughout time. Many enterprises venture into the nightlife sector by means of establishing bars and clubs. As Chatterton and Hollands discussed, the demand for these establishments is that these have been a part of the urban landscape; there is always the market among the youth, specifically the young professionals, who are â€Å"in search for the latest cool, chic, fashionable bar or club† (3). Because of this, it can be said that there is business in this industry, especially with the continuous influence of the entertainment and leisure sector. The nightlife scene which comprises of establishments such as bars and clubs can be also said to contribute to the local tourism initiatives (Chatteron Holland). The success of any bar or club requires a significant understanding of the business especially in the aspect of strategy. Lawson provides many guidelines in the success of any club or bar including a good understanding on food service operations (which is a fundamental in any bar or club), the facilities, the design, the themes, and last but not the least, the business aspects. Lawson therefore emphasised the business framework of these bars and clubs which are heavy in the marketing practice; this is because this is a means for companies to get customers into the establishment. Bars and clubs, therefore, do not just have to excel in the food service operations but also in its ability to add value to its basic concept, and that is, to add event concepts to its entire operations. This is further attested by Smith in which the author mentioned that in order for bars and clubs to succeed, it needs to continuously come up with something interesting; hence, in addition to food and drinks and the regular dance floor or in-house performer, it is the specific events that make these bars and clubs special. This is therefore a part not only in the marketing aspect of the bar and club but also these events help the customers to identify what else they can do in the establishment, or at least, have something to look forward to (Smith, 75). Brown and Miron also mentioned the role of events in the success of any bar or nughtclub; these fall in the aspect of marketing and advertising. When an event takes place, the tendency is that the event is supposed to pull more people into the establishment. Hence, events help in the increase in sales and to make the club and bar more memorable to the consumers.

Impact of Food Industrialization

Impact of Food Industrialization Nikoleta Koleva The Industrialization of Our Food System: Are We Sacrificing Quality to Quantity? The industrialization of our food supply is something that is becoming more popular amongst farmers and food producers. One of the biggest reasons in the overcrowded conditions in farms and how easy it is for one animal to spread diseases to all, thus ending in our plates. This becomes even more problematic with the rise of globalization – with an infected animal in a farm in Alabama that no one detects, people in China can receive the disease and spread it from there. However, with the rise of industrialized agriculture, other significant problems have arisen. Obesity has skyrocketed as prices for naturally-grown food increase quickly; diseases, both behavioral and physical, have increased in children and many more drawbacks that would be too long to list. As for its history, industrial agriculture arose alongside the Industrial Revolution, something we are also feeling the side-effects of today. It is a fact that by the end of the early nineteenth century, agricultural techn iques had improved so much that the output was many times greater than that seen in the Middle Ages. This was suiting and satisfactory, as the human population was growing at an exponential rate. Later on, as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus were found and properly studied, they had a new purpose as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. With the increased usage of these elements and vitamin supplements, many farm animals face less and less exposure to nature and all that is natural, as they are fully grown indoors. Furthermore, the discovery of antibiotics and vaccines ensured that animal-spread diseases do not occur in crowded facilities. However, as industrial agriculture becomes a more popular method, concerns have arisen over the sustainability of intensive agriculture, which has been related to the decreasing soil quality in key places, such as the US, Australia, India and Asia. One strong proponent of the deindustrialization of the American food system is Al Jazeera. Since its establishment in 2006 as an international news source, it has gained a lot of momentum, due to their wide range of topics and top-notch reporting or world events. The channel itself currently broadcasts to 250 million households across 130 countries. In their article supporting agriculture and the preservation of natural-growth farms, Vandana Shiva, the author of the article, states how many industrialization supporters keep falsifying information about the scale and contribution of organic farming. Many of these advocates claim that organic farming requires too much land grab and uses too many pesticides, when the facts are that industrial agriculture is causing the deforestation of the rainforests in the Amazon and Indonesia, fuelling a land grab in Africa and Europe. In fact, according to the FAO International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources in Leipzig, industrial f arming is the reason for seventy-five per cent biodiversity erosion, seventy-five per cent water destruction, seventy-five per cent land degradation, as well as forty per cent greenhouse gases. These high numbers wound the planet in ways unfixable and long lasting. Not only this, millions of farmers are losing their farms and hard work. Even the food, which is consumed by the population is suffering – animals are put into factory farms and fed grain, as opposed to grass in a natural setting; this is equal to an animal prison. This lack of nutrients affects both the animal and the human consumer, as people are also devoid of these important dietary ingredients. The simple fact is that as industrialized agriculture has gained popularity, the number of hungry people on the planet has also risen. This is an indicator that something is not right; the food system has taken a wrong step. The facts and evidence presented by Vandana Shiva are well informed and presented. I was swayed by her argument and found myself disliking industrialized agriculture much more than previously. It is clear that she did her research and knew what she was talking about all the way through. The article was very well-structured and delivered, with no stray points or unnecessary rants. While I was previously aware of the treatment of animals in industrialized farms, I was ignorant on the impact it had on the planet environmentally. Deforestation one of the most serious problems we face today – whether regarding global warming or the extinction of millions of species, however, the fact that humans are still doing it when we have other, currently available, option is maddening. The facts are, countries that do not consume industrialized-grown food suffer from much lower rates of obesity and other food-related diseases. The problem the United States has is the fact that its organic foo d is much more expensive and harder to get than its industrialized-grown counterpart. It is an unfair race – why should consumers not have an equal access to either type? This disadvantage creates an unescapable cycle: people with less money do not purchase the organic food, thus consuming lower quality food with not enough nutrients. Since it lacks the richness of naturally grown food, people with lesser incomes consume more food, usually one that is unhealthy, cheap and lacking any types of significant nutrients. Thus, obesity begins sprouting up and rapidly spreading around the country. The problem is escaping this poisonous cycle and learning a healthier style of living. Why should we industrialize food, when naturally grown food is tastier, uses less space, does not injure the Earth and its resources and does not aid in the wide-scale release of greenhouse gases? An opponent of the deindustrialization of the food system in the United States is Blake Hurst, published in the American Enterprise Institute. The AEI is an American establishment, focused on research and education on issues of government, politics, economics and social welfare. Started in Washington in 1943, it still runs there and supplies its large readership with thoughtful articles. In his article on why industrialized agriculture is not the enemy, Blake Hurst describes how he got the idea of discussing this topic. Whilst on a plane, he heard an organic farm activist broadcasting about the inhumanity of industrialized farming. Hurst was angered at the ignorance of the reporter and is now on a mission to educate people why industrialized farming is not harmful but beneficial. His first and strongest arguing point is that people who sit in offices all day and stare at computer screens do not know what being a farmer is, yet they demand things they are not well-informed on. Telling someone how to do their work when you have no sensible information on the subject is selfish and may oftentimes be completely wrong. Hurst states that critics of industrial farming spend most of their time complaining about the way the food is raised, in regards to conditions and treatment. As his argument, he describe turkeys and how when they are naturally raised, they are not smart enough to survive long enough to be used as food. Furthermore, as President Obama and his government listen more and more to the public and demand fairer treatment of animals, the farmers cannot do anything to disprove and obey. Indeed, industrial farming conditions for animals are improving drastically. Hurts argues that nature is sometimes even more cruel than farmers, with mother pigs eating their offspring and that life is unfair all-around. Hurst’s article on why industrial farming is not evil was written well but lacked a strong punch that sways the reader to his side. Starting off with a personal story was a nice touch and humanized the writer, making him both relatable and approachable. His point on the fact that people who do not produce food do not really understand what is going on was the strongest out of all the ones later listed. It is true: with no first-hand experience, it is easy to rally for something when one is not aware of the amount of labor that goes into it. Organically-grown food is advertised as healthier and cruelty-less grown, but what do people who live in cities without animals know about how food is truly grown? However, that is where Hurst’s argument begins weakening and losing its initial punch. One big mistake in his article is the lack of focus on the environmental impact the industrial agriculture creates. In fact, most farmers that do not grow organic food fail to mention ho w their crops affect the environment and pollute various sources permanently. It was also scarcely mentioned how the health of the American citizens has significantly gone down after industrial agriculture became more and more popular with farmers and food producers. Hurst does mention that the â€Å"old-fashioned† way of farming is much more demanding and dirty but should food consumers and farmers both eat lower quality food because someone does not want to work? As Shiva mentioned in her article, food is what we are. What we eat is absolutely essential to our overall well-being and happiness. As obesity rates, not only in America but all over the world, continue to exponentially increase, it is important for us to find the source and come up with a solution. When exploring this topic, I realized how ignorant I was on many of these facts and side effects of industrially-grown food. However, when thinking about it, the proponent’s arguments make a lot more sense. As someone from a country that grows all of its food naturally, when moving to the United States, I definitely noticed a decrease in both quality and taste. Everything is larger, unnaturally so, lacking of taste and not as satisfactory. In my country, for less than a dollar, I could get a plentitude of naturally grown fruits and vegetables, while in America, I can get a smaller, industrially-grown, quantity. It is both disappointing and saddening. Humans need these nutrients, why should I pay so much to consume them? I believe the saddest fact is that many countries follow America’s steps and search for easier ways to complete food growing. This can be noted, as obesity begins rising all around the globe, with the spread of fast food American chains, which do not off er any type of nutritionally significant food. Chains, such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s, etc., sell food for cheap. When families with lower incomes go out to purchase food, it is much easier to get more of one type of food, instead of a few of another, even if the latter is healthier. Food has always been a privilege to our species but at this point in history, when there is an opportunity for most people to easily consume it, why are we settling for the worst of the available choices? Why should organic food, which our bodies need be more expensive and harder to obtain than junk food, something that should not be consumed at a constant rate? Because it is the easy opt-out and costs less for giant corporations to produce.

Death of a Salesman Essay -- essays research papers fc

Death of a salesman The Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller is a controversial play of a typical American family and their desire to live the American dream â€Å"Rather than a tragedy or failure as the play is often described. Death of a Salesman dramatizes a failure of [that] dream† (Cohn 51). The story is told through the delusional eyes and mind of Willy Loman, a traveling salesman of 34 years, whose fantasy world of lies eventually causes him to suffer an emotional breakdown. Willy’s wife, Linda, loves and supports Willy despite all his problems, and continually believes in his success and that of their no good lazy sons, Biff and Happy. The play takes place in 1942, in Willy and Linda’s home, a dilapidated shack on the outskirts of a slum. Willy has spent his whole life teaching and believing that you can achieve success by your appearance and by making yourself as amiable as possible. Eventually Willy begins to fabricate stories at himself to be able to live with himself be cause he can’t meet his own expectations. He falls deeper into his lies, making himself and his family suffer for it. (Thesis). In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller proves he is America’s social critic when he criticizes Willy’s relationship concerning his family, his lack of success in achieving his goals and his dreams along with his inner turmoil and personal collapse which result in suicide. In the onset of the play, Willy told Linda that you â€Å"work a lifetime to pay of a house. You finally own it, and there is nobody to live in it† (Cohn 56). This quote shows how Willy strives his whole life to make a home for his family and by the time he sees the realization of that one dream, his family has drifted apart and he is alone with his haunting thoughts and his ghosts. Willy has such high expectations for himself and his sons, and when they all failed to accomplish their dreams, they were unable to accept each other for what they truly were. Willy raised Biff with the idea that success depends on whether or not a person can sell himself and not how smart a person is. Biff’s tragic flaw is his acceptance of Willy’s values and not creating any of his own. When Biff realizes his father is a fake, he becomes a lost individual and he does not speak to his father for 14 years. In Willy’s family it is always Biff who receives recognition, however, H appy strives for attention too... ...sm CLC.2 . Detroit: Indiana University press. 1971. 68-96. Bibliography Bloom, Harold. Major Literary Characters: Willy Loman. New York: Chelsea House, 1991. Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations: Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. Cohn, Ruby. â€Å"The Articulate Victims of Arthur Miller†. Contemporary Literary Criticism CLC.2 . Detroit: Indiana University press. 1971. 68-96. Driver, Tom F. Saturday Review. Contemporary Literary Criticism. CLC.2.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Detroit: James Brown Associates. 1970. Magill, N Frank. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Vol.4 of Magills Survey of American Literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York: Salem Press. Inc, 1991. Murray, Edward. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Contemporary Literary Criticism.† Vol.6.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Detroit: Gak Research, 1987. Perkins, George, Barbara Perkins and Phillip Leiniger. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Readers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encyclopedia of American Literature. 1991. Simon, John. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Contemporary Literacy Criticism. Vol.2. Detroit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NYM Corp. 1972.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Interview Essays - A Local Rock Star -- Interview Essays - A Local Roc

Local Rock Star Sitting at the table with long, thick, blonde hair and a hint of Brad Pitt’s facial features sits Brian. He is a 17 year old high school junior, a guitarist in a local band, and he is my interview. He will begin nearly all his sentences with â€Å"uhh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but then proceeds to long, interesting answers. I started by asking him about when he became interested in music, and who his influences were. â€Å"I’ve always listened to music,† he said, â€Å"my first album ever was Nirvana’s Nevermind; it was a cassette tape. I also listened to a lot of Michael Jackson—don’t laugh, I mean like Thriller and stuff.† What inspired you to play an instrument? â€Å"The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ CD Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic was the first time I realized I wanted to play an instrument.† What instruments do you play? â€Å"I’ve played guitar for the last four years, saxophone for the last two—though only in the school band,† he said. â€Å"The keyboard, bass and drums I can ‘musically understand,’ though I don’t usually play them.† So tell me about the band. What’s the significance of the band’s name, No Name Charlies? â€Å"Uhh†¦ well we had, like, 100 names that we had gone through and we didn’t really like. Then Greg, our former trombone player, said that whenever his teacher in elementary school would get an essay without a name on it, she’d call it a ‘no name Charlie.’ We all kind of liked it; it’s definitely grown on us since then.† He told me the band came together in November 2001, and their first show was in spring 2002. There has been a lot of movement in terms of the band members: some have come and gone, some have come, gone and come back again, some switch instruments, and others have stepped in. The configuration, as i... ...ur first one,† he says, referring to their 2003 demo Shut Up and Listen! They met Pat Kays, bassist for the band Catch 22, when they opened for his band last year. Kays told the boys he liked their sound, and was interested in engineering and, to an extent, producing. â€Å"It was mutual,† Brian said, â€Å"because we had been wanting to record, and he had wanted to engineer. It all kind of fell into place.† Youthful endurance, continuing optimism and a small—but steadily growing—fan base have all contributed to the No Name Charlies’ local success. When asked whether the band would take the chance to become famous—if the chance was given—Brian said they would take it without question. However, he thinks balance is important, and would not sacrifice a college education for it. When asked if he thinks the band will make it big, Brian replied, â€Å"I’d like to think so.†

History of Marriage Essay

Marriage is a social institution recognized by custom and law. It is a relation that exists between one or more men to one or more women. Custom or law gives recognitions of the duties and rights of the parties involved in such an institution. The union may result to children being born in it. In general, the societal expectation is one where there is sexual gratification between a husband and wife. There are legal issues that may arise as a result of adultery, which may force one partner to dissolve the marriage. This relation is at some point regarded as an economic institution in which a husband is fully responsible for the needs of the wife and children. With the current women empowerment in the society they are also able to provide for their families. A father has a general control and power over his family but for the children his powers are for a limited time. This comes as a result of the need for children to practice decision making and show responsibility especially at adulthood. Marriage is in accordance to the laid down custom or law and the consent of each parties involved must be considered. Parents for example may ask for a bride price and after this is settled a marriage takes place. These are important steps especially where the conditions stipulated by custom or by law are complied with. The origin of marriage is seen to be a habitual practice from the medieval period. A man and woman would live together, have sexual relations and from this union children would come forth. The father would play their role as a protector and supporter of his family while his wife nurses and cares for the family. As time passed it was accepted by custom and by law and it became legal social institution. Marriage is therefore seen to be an intimate relationship which the society, the government and religion recognizes. Marriage has many forms but the major one constitutes a man and a woman. Marriage is the basis of a family unit in which procreation takes place. Through a marriage setup children can grown, be protected and shown love through provision of food, shelter, clothing, education among others. There are a variety of intentions that one has in mind while planning to enter into marriage. Some of the major reasons may include need for legal stability, social and/or economic stability. Through marriage, there is a provider, protector and the union is legally bound. Marriage can be witnessed in a wedding celebration and this marks the beginning of individual obligation to each other and to the society at large. There have been changes in the understanding and approach of marriage from the older days. In the United States marriage for example was a consideration of status as well as an oversight on the future economic stability and prosperity of the person. It was therefore an economic arrangement in which one would choose their potential spouse and so they would plan to marry . Marriage ceremonies between same sexes were done in the 5th-14th centuries by the Roman Catholic Church. Many issues about marriage caught the interest of many leaders and Pope Alexander II in 1975, prohibited marriages between couples who were closely related and especially with no more than 6 cousins related to a person. In the 16th century, only with the permission of local political authorities, servants and day laborers would be free to marry in Bavaria and Austria. In1921 this order was fully abolished. Public wife selling was witnessed in the 1960s-1870s where a divorced wife was tied with a rope around her neck and sold in public. Until 1686, marriage was rather a civil ceremony for the puritans in Massachusetts Bay. In the British colonies, there was no penalty given for interracial marriages until 1662 when Virginia doubled fornication fines for interracial couples. Maryland banned interracial marriages in 1664 and subsequently, in 1750 interracial marriages had been outlawed in all southern colonies. Married women, until mid 19th century, had no legal standing under the English common law in all American states. It was until 1848 that women had the right to own property while married, through the Married Women Act. http://www. lulu. com/content/247174 At the age of 10 years, consent for sexual intercourse was allowed in most American states while in Delaware it was at the age of 7 years only. With parental consent young boys of 14 and girls of 12 would marry, as late as 1930. In 1940, married women could not make legal contract in twelve states. Anti-Miscegenation laws were declared unconstitutional in Virginia and other states such as Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas among others. Fourteen states had in the fifteen years prior to the decision, repealed their anti miscegenation laws. This included Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, and Oregon among others. Ten states had by 1990, outlawed rape in marriage. This was after New York outlawed rape in marriage in 1978. Rape in marriage was seen as a crime in thirty-six states and this was only in certain circumstances. It was surprising that in four states, rape in marriage was never a crime. Marriage has had lots of controversies but the initial union in the religious world was the social union that benefited the society. It is seen as the union of one man and one woman blessed and united by a religious leader as seen in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhists and Hindu. The privileges enjoyed in marriages are of benefit while particular concerns were raised on homosexual couples. The commitment of traditional couples which constituted a man and woman could be seen as that of same-sex couples and so they have continued to fight for their rights and the legalization of their marriage. The sacred value of marriage should not be changed despite the fact that advocates are aggressive on the issue that it should be redefined to suit gay marriage. When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made a ruling in 2004, and said that civil union was not enough, this raised national debate. A number of people wanted the definition of one man-to- one woman to stand and others wanted it to separate same-sex institutions, with others against it. In 2004, California and New York mayors were authorizing same sex marriages while defying law and these marriages were said not to be legally binding. Nancy 2001) http://www. lulu. com/content/247174 In 1619, Virginia enacted a law in which if a bond married a Negro, Mulatto or Indian, they would be banished in the woods so that they are cast out of the colony. Later on, in 1724, there was introduction Louisiana after the slaves were freed. Laws that were known as black codes were used to control and even forbid marriages constituted by slaves while the slave master was not consented. In 1769, the English common law showed that husband and wife were one. A constitution was written in 1787 and was adopted the following year. It was effective in 1789 and replaced the articles of federation, which was the government document of the USA. It remains to be the basic law of central government. In 1839, Mississippi granted the women a right to hold, with their respective husband’s permission, property in their own name. This saw many states legalizing this grant to women so that they would have control over property and earnings. This was in 1900. In the Missouri vs. Celia case of 1855, the case was used to show that enslaved women had no right or legal recourse if they were raped by their masters. This meant that black women had no right to defend themselves after an act of rape by the master. When the Mississippi black code was passed, it was an attempt to control slaves and ensure social inequality. This prohibited blacks, in 1865, from marrying whites and in this case, it was punishable as was seen through life imprisonment. http://www. lulu. com/content/247174 More was to come and in the United States, an immigration act of 1917 banned immigration of Asians and those with abnormal sexual instincts and until 1990, lesbians and gay immigrants were excluded from coming into the United States. (Nancy 2001) In a case of New York v. Sanger, doctors would advice married couples on use of birth control pills for health purposes. The law was still enforced but was overturned in 1965 on all state laws that prohibited the use of contraceptives. In 1948, in Perez v Sharp case, there was a ban on interracial marriage in the California Supreme Court. This was the first state high court to declare it unconstitutional but later on in 1967; the U. S Supreme Court declared that there was freedom to marry allowing for interracial marriages on all Americans. This was evidenced in the case of Loving v. Virginia. The immigration act in 1965 admitted different races and nationalities and emphasized on family reunification with great concern. The act defined a family to be strictly on hetero sexual and nuclear ties and banned on lesbian and gay deviates. In 1969, California adopted a divorce law that allowed divorce by mutual consent and especially where one party simply wants it. The major challenge in this was that one party can refuse to sign the separation agreement. In 1981, there was an over turn of events when the states laws described a husband as a head and master and having control of property which is jointly owned with his wife. Nancy 2001) . http://family. jrank. org/pages/1118/Marriage-Ceremonies. html Articles were published and they advocated for legalization of same-sex couples and this was especially because these authors were gay and wanted to pursue their demand. In 1990, the congress repealed ban on gay and lesbian immigration. Homosexuals were disqualified as foreigners and were not allowed to come in to the United States. It was in 1993 that Hawaii Supreme Court said that the ban on same-sex couples from marrying must be justified and in 1998, it was amended to allow strict marriage to men and women only . In 1994, gays and lesbians sought to be part of the humanitarian law as a social group rather than an immigration group. A Person Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act explicitly promoted marriage and formation of heterosexual families. The federal law supported two parent families and in the same year, 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act defined marriage as exclusively between one man and a woman. It was evident that this act did not recognize same sex marriage at all. In 1998, there was a covenant marriage legislation in which couples promised to stay together for life and that they would denounce the no-default divorce. In the same year, May 1998, Alaska ruled that it was a fundamental right to choose a marital partner. The following year, the Vermont Supreme Court allowed for same-sex marriage to occur and that they have all rights and benefits of marriage but no marriage licenses. A governor in Oklahoma in March 2000 announced a $10 million plan that encouraged marriage than divorce and in 2001 gay and lesbian couples in Massachusetts filed law suits seeking a right to marry. This followed with other New Jersey lesbian and gay couples suing the state court for denial of their right to marry. In 2003, the US Supreme Court struck down the remaining anti-gay sodomy laws which were in Texas and in other states. http://family. jrank. org/pages/1118/Marriage-Ceremonies. html In 2003-2004, the Federal Marriage Amendment was proposed but was defeated in congress. The amendment ought to have denied marriage rights to same-sex couples by indicating that marriage would only exist between a man and a woman. The divorce rate in 1980 was 22. 6% per 1000 married women and currently it is rated at 17. 7 percent.  Other observations and statistics show that the rate of marriage has declined from 76. 5 to 39. 9 percent per 1000 unmarried women. This has been a 50 percent drop and it is attributed to cohabitation rather than marriage. These posses a great risk on the children as it affects the family stability. Breakup rates for cohabitating couples are twice as that of married couples and in 40% of such couples children are born in this rather unstable and shaky relationship. The United States is found to have the weakest families in the western world. This is attributed to the high divorce rates as well as the increase in solo parenting. The divorce rate has generally been going up more recently with about 20 divorces for every 1000 women over the age of 15. (Nancy 2001) The divorces rate has had significant factors that have led to the rise in the United States. One of them has been that men and women are economically stable and so there is less need for each other in terms of economical survival. The rate has also been on the higher side because of birth control programs that allow men and women to separate sexual activity from bearing children.

One flew over the cuckoo’s nest Essay

   Through Kesey’s use of literary features, his novel helped base an understanding on what society decided to believe is normal. Kesey highlights the significance of the insane and their positive energy. He uses McMurphy as a tool to highlight each patient’s positive side whereas society only searches for the negative. Kesey’s outlook on mental illness is simple; he uses his novel to point this out. His novel shows how the patients in the ward are there because society placed them there. Society labeled these people to be against the norms or conformities, which in return allowed the patients to feel inferior and out of place. This novel stresses the fact that each person should not be forced into a corner; they should be given rights to live regular lives with other people. Society should not force inferiority complexes on these patients. The fact that most of the patients were voluntary helps prove this point. It shows how society forced them into a completely different and inhumane lifestyle. Another novel that joins this rebellion against society in relation to insanity is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. In this novel, Plath interprets insanity in her own way trying to prove practically the same point as Kesey. Plath’s use of description, metaphors, and characterization help provide her main point of allowing insanity to merge with reality. The Bell Jar is a novel equipped with descriptions that allow the reader direct access to the main character’s mind. Plath uses an abundant amount of physical descriptions such as the description of Esther’s surroundings at all times to help give examples of how society has forced this woman to think. Esther’s thoughts on life, death, and the world all seem to be reasonable and justifiable thoughts. She is capable of convincing the reader that those thoughts are not insane. Through the use of descriptions, Plath was able to highlight the unjust life of a 1950s woman. Plath also uses metaphors to highlight the suppression made by society on the women. The title of the book is the major metaphor that best represents Plath’s idea on society’s conformities. The entire novel revolves around the idea of the bell jar and this jar represents how society analyzes and reduces the contents provided in the jar. The jar represents insanity. Esther feels secluded and isolated from the real world when she is labeled as mad. She feels like she is an airless jar that ruins her perspective of what the real world is. It signifies a buffer that ends the connection between Esther and the real world4. These literary features were all used to highlight Esther’s alienation from the real world. It shows how a young woman from the 1950s was forced to act. Esther wanted to pursue a writing career and is supported completely, but her thoughts begin to change when the fact that she cannot merge her career with being a mother come to place. Esther becomes depressed and her thoughts begin to change on the world. These individual thoughts begin to accumulate leading to actions that are condemned upon by society. Society expects a lot from Esther such as the idea of her virginity. Esther rebels against the conventional role of virginity with women at that time by embarking on a sexual experience. Esther did not become insane because she believed against the norms of society but rather insanity fell on her. The treatments in both novels are similar in many aspects. At first, the hospitals provide healthy conversations between the patient and a professional psychiatrist. In both novels, the sense of talking is important because a lot of information is released about society and what they think of it. Another treatment usually done after talk therapy is electroshock therapy. Electroshock therapy was created in 1936 in order to help patients clear their mind5. As years passed, this treatment began to evolve which therefore led to the change of its purpose. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, ECT was used as a form of punishment. Patients were punished for doing anything out of the ordinary. In The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood undergoes several electroshock therapy sessions to clear her mind. She continuously states how painful the therapy is and tries to refuse treatment. Her recollections of these treatments show the inhumanity in medical treatments. Another treatment that falls into the controversial category is Lobotomy. It is shown insignificantly in The Bell Jar, one patient briefly converses about it. On the other hand, Lobotomy has a major impact in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The main character undergoes a lobotomy at the end of the novel. This act completely criticizes the ways of society in relation to medical treatments. Many forms of medical treatments on insanity exist but whether they provide a positive outcome is the main question. Society and mental illness are very closely related in the sense that society creates the separation between sanity and insanity. That separation is miniscule and changes constantly over time. Both of these novels emphasize isolation, suppression, and seclusion forced by society. Society forces these on the ideas that are condemned or not wanted. These ideas should not force inhumane actions but rather welcome ideas as an advantage to a better society, a more open society. Mental illnesses and treatments are used as major themes in novels to help highlight the negative aspects of what society creates. Through showing the unjust actions forced by society on people, the idea of insanity should evolve from punishment to help. Word Count: 1,605 1 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey. 2 Gale, CD-Rom, HS Library. Source 1 3 Gale, CD-Rom, HS Library. Source 1 4 Concise Dictionary of American Literary Biography, 1941-1968; Contemporary Authors, Vols. 17-20.

God of Small Things Essay

In â€Å"God of Small Things†, written by Arundati Roy, Roy talks about many things but one thing that stood out was her negativity of what the colonist had brought over into India. Her argument could be that the colonist brought materialism into their culture making the natives think that they need things that they really do not need. The colonist bring the thought that making money any way possible is acceptable and Roy points out that ritual dances are even being used as a way of profit. Roy is just pointing out what effect colonialism has had on the people of the native country. Like many other text from post-colonial nations â€Å"God of â€Å"Small Things† points out the negative aspect of colonialism. Roy throughout the book talks about the city of Ayemenem and the river that used to flow through it. On one side of this river there was a place called the â€Å"history house†. Roy describes this place as a worn and old abandoned estate in a couple of her chapter but in one chapter she is describing what it looks like now and how different it is from when she was just a child. In chapter five a hotel is described; this is the chapter that I think she criticizes the rich and how they have become rich. Roy is showing her disapproval for the colonist making what was once an abandoned land fill into a tourist attraction that is no longer an eye sore and is now a beautiful estate. In chapter five Rahal returned to the river she used to know as a child. She describes how it used to be compared to how it is now that she has returned. Rahal does not seem to care about progress â€Å"So now they had two harvests a year instead of one. More rice-for the price of a river† (Roy 59). Sure people were making a profit from the rice but there will always be someone that is making a profit from something. The only good thing that Roy sees from the people making barges is that there is one more harvest; there are many rewards from having another harvest and they are not recognized; it is not that she probably does not see them but she is just pointing out the negativity from the colonist. Roy continues on and describes a five-star hotel that had bought what they used to call the â€Å"Heart of Darkness†. She says that the History House no longer could be approached from the river and that the house had turned its back on Ayemenem. Roy described this place as an abandoned haunted estate that nobody ever went to when she was a child but she says that it has turned its back on Ayemenem. Once again progress is looked at in a negative way. The hotel guests were transported to the estate by a speed boat through the backwaters and Roy describes the boats as leaving a film of gasoline. She does say that the hotel does have a beautiful view but says that they try to cover up the slum part of Ayemenem, which is understandable, it is not nature, all the slum was man made and they do not want to look at slummy areas. There was not much that the hotel could do about the smell of the waist. Roy makes many assumptions about the â€Å"hotel people†. First the thoughts are that the people actually care what is going on around them, and they do not care. She calls the estate a â€Å"smelly paradise†; the guest are to get used to the smell as they have become immune to other peoples poverty; with that statement she is claiming that everyone that owns the hotel and stays there is rich and does not know what poverty taste like; everything was a matter of discipline, nothing more to them. Roy then goes on to criticize the way the people are making money; through selling their history. In chapter five Roy not only criticizes and shows the negatives of progress, with hardly any positives, but also criticizes the way the people are making a living and profit. The â€Å"hotel people† advertise their estate as a paradise with history making many sensational claims just to draw the tourist to their paradise. She called many of the buildings that had history for sale â€Å"Toy Histories†. Roy does not like the fact that these people are trying to make a profit off of their own history and culture. The biggest thing of all probably is when the hotel hires dancers to perform dances that are classic ritual dances that have actual meaning and are not just for show; six hour classics are turned in to 20 minuet shows for pleasure. The ancient ritual dances were diluted into nothing more than entertainment where at one time they had meant something to the culture that those people once love so dearly. Here it is easy to see why Roy would criticize so much but one must realize that everyone cannot be pleased and never will be pleased. The colonial effect had some good effects and had bad, but Roy again only seems to point out the negativity that the colonialism has brought to the nation. Roy brings up many problems in her native land; I know that the point of her book is to point out the negativity of post-colonialism on her country but still, point out some more good things that did come out of colonialism. In many texts it is the same way though. In â€Å"God of Small Things† it speaks negatively of people from the native land sending their children to boarding schools in Britain, not directly but you can see that she is making a point that all the negativity is geared at those from the culture who have brought British culture and British economics back to their land. Whereas in Soyinka’s â€Å"Death of the King’s Horseman†, the horseman’s son has gone to Britain to study but comes back. After coming back he sees that his father has gone against customs and he decides to take it upon himself to see that the act is fulfilled in some form or another; in this text you have a native that stayed true to his native land but in Roy’s case the natives that went to Britain did not stay true and keep up their own culture but rather adopted another’s culture. Another example of colonist having an influence on the children of the native land and infiltrating through them is in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s son becomes a Christian and Okonkwo does not like that, it is the beginning of his culture being put to a halt. Roy, I do not think, is pointing out all the people who sent their children to Britain but rather that even though India was â€Å"Independent† it still had Britain’s influence impacting almost everything in daily lives. In conclusion, Roy makes descriptive negative images because it is what she sees and has seen from the start. People that have not grown up in her culture from birth and seen the changes she has seen cannot fathom what she has seen. If someone from a more developed country was to go there they would see progression as a positive aspect because it is what they have grown up with but for people in that culture they can see the negative aspects of some progress; and that is what Roy is pointing out, she does point out some positives but the majority of the description about the way society is looked at is negative. The book becomes a very dreary read and quite depressing at some points because of all the negativity and horrible things that happen. However, all of the description of even the negative parts make you really get a since of what Roy is trying to say and that is that even with all the negativity one can break barriers. At the end of the day it is not the colonist fault for making Roy’s society what is but rather the people that refuse to change what needs to be changed. It does not matter about how much negativity is directed at the colonist, if the native people do not take responsibility they are to blame just as much as the British. The negativity is not geared at the British but rather her own society and own people.