Differences between men and women Essay Example for Free

Differences between men and women Essay It is beyond reasonable doubt that the lives of men and women are different . To be identified as either male or female is one of the fundamental point in anybody’s identity. Debate has been raging on as to whether the differences between men and women are either biological or they are purely as a result of our socialization process, that is, they are socially constructed. Social constructionists and feminists believe that gender roles and hence the differences between the sexes are completely arbitrary. To them biological preferences are not relevant. On the other hand essentialists are of the idea that gender roles are purely brought about by biological differences, and are not modified by the social adaptations in the different societies. Further arguments points out that the differences between men and women are brought about by socialization process in the societies which are dominated by men. This argument has been presented by the feminists who are of the idea that the patriarchal system has dictated the types of roles that women should play and these roles tend to be feminine in nature. To them biology has nothing to or little role to play as far as abilities and sex roles are concerned. The idea of male and female sexes is a myth according to the feminists’ writers. (Moi 1999:89) In his book titled Why men rule, Steven Goldberg (1993) maintains that despite the fact that biological differences between men and women exist there is no inferior or superior sex. He believes that each of the genders has strong and weak points. He attributes the biological differences that exist between the two sexes to be hormonal and genetically driven. The hormones that are found in either a man or a woman determine their behavior hence the differences between the two sexes. (Goldberg 1993:67) Psychologists and biologist believe that the differences between men and women are largely attributed to the chromosomes and hormones in our bodies. They hold the notion that females and males are different right from the time conception takes place. The differences are evident in the materials that carry the characteristics traits of each individual which are passed on to the offspring from the parent. As the fetuses continue to grow in the womb further sex differences occur as the female and male features start to be more prominent. The male has more testosterone while the females on the other hand acquire estrogen. (Goldberg 1993:78). The two hormones have great effect on the behavior of the two sexes. To some extent this explains why the boys play with the toys while the girls are inclined more towards playing with the dolls. Psychologists argue that this is largely due to the hormones which control their minds making them behave in a certain way which the society has come to regard as either feminine or masculine. (Goldberg 1993:87) Sociologist concentration is more inclined to the evidences which suggest that the differences are as a result of socialization process as opposed to the psychologists and biologist who believe that the situation arises due to the physiological process. Sociologist argue that if the differences were largely due to physiological configurations of female and male then across all cultures all women or men should be expected to play the same roles in their societies. Since this is not the case, their argument is that different cultures dictate the roles that men and women will play in the society. This explains the differences that exist in various cultures as far as gender roles are concerned in different communities in the world. When a child is born in a given culture the reception given is determined whether he is a boy or a girl. The type of clothes bought will be dictated by the sex of the child. (Moi 1999:123)Though biology is used to determined the upbringing of the child, it has been argued that the way boys and girls are brought up may be the same but the enculturation in the society will impart some roles which will determine the roles each expects to perform in the society. As the child grows he or she learns fundamental things. They incorporate that fatherhood and motherhood are institutions which are different are designations and have very different implications. They learn that mothers are the women while their fathers are the men and they perform different roles at family levels and also in the outside world. Simultaneously they learn that boys are expected to play rough while the girls should be nice. (Moi 1999:134) The notion that they are expected to do different things is incorporated in their minds as they grow . Therefore the children copy what goes on in their culture and this is what shapes them up in the rest of their lives. The process of socialization shapes them as they behave as their mothers and fathers or such kind of figures in their lives. It is believed that both nature and nurture have a great role towards the development of male and female attributes. Nature represents the environment in to which one is brought and this is largely the culture. Culture dictates all aspects of human life the dressing mode, our eating habits, roles we perform among other things. Nurture is represents the ways were are brought up which again is determined by the culture of a given society. If as a child one is brought up in an environment where the different gender roles are not emphasized, he or she will not appreciate the differences that the society puts on both men and women. Though one must appreciate that anatomically men and women are different, this should not be used as basis of placing women at a disadvantaged position due to the stereotypes that have existed. Labeling women as weak, emotional and many other terms that places women at a lower position in comparison with men are all derived from the anatomical differences that exist between the two sexes. Biological differences between men and women are complimentary in nature so that the each can work together for the sake of making the lives of each other better. (Moi 1999:189) Argument that hormones and chromosomes dictate the way we behave only serves the interest of those who want to maintain the status quo, where women remain subordinate to the men. These biological chemical exist only to play some vital roles in our bodies rather than dictating the roles that men and women are supposed to play in the society. The chemical help the bodies to function properly taking into the consideration that man and women have different anatomical features. Testesterone plays a vital role in enhancing male features but does not influence the way he is expected to behave by the society. Male behavior is largely from the observation rather than the chemicals in his body. The same cases apply to the women. The fact that men and women have are different biologically is purely acceptable in all quarters but this only represents the sex differences. The roles played by men and women is largely determined by the socialization process which part and parcel of the culture in question. work cited Moi, T. What is a woman Oxford, Oxford university press (1999)

Combating The Health Hazards of Technology Use Essay -- Technology neg

Technology has multifaceted benefits. Your smartphone can keep you connected with friends and family, find you healthy dining options nearby, and entertain you with games, music, and videos. Unfortunately technology also has a darker side. Being plugged-in or â€Å"on† all the time can take a toll on our physical and mental health. This essay will explore how we can combat the more common health issues that could be related to our use of technology. The good news is that many of the more common health health problems related to our use of technology can easily be fixed with a few moderations infused in society’s mindset. First, existent health organizations have dedicated their money and time to ensuring proper health guidelines. For example, the United States’ Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have issued guidelines for proper ergonomics, which are the principals of quality and movement, when using technology (Health and Technology). Another example includes the International Ergonomics Association, â€Å"which boasts members from around the globe, and is dedicated to improving quality of life by focusing attention on body mechanics and work environments† (Technology and Health). These organizations have already dedicated their time to improving life quality. By making few changes to their works, these organizations can provide a more significant change in society to help correc t society’s addiction to modern technology. First, OSHA has general enforcement authority for workplace safety and health, with the other agencies having enforcement authority for particular types of workplace hazards. OSHA’s primary mission statement states, â€Å"Congress created OSHA to assure safe and healthful condit... ...ity." "Occupational Safety And Health: Federal Agencies Identified As Promoting Workplace Safety And Health: HEHS-00-45R." GAO Reports (2000): 1. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. Schwartz, Katrina. â€Å"What Students Think About Using iPads in Schools.† MindShift. 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2014 "Sports Physical Therapy Institute." Sports Physical Therapy. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. "Technology and Health." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Global Issues In Context. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. "Teens and Technology." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Tim, Parker. "More Concerning Statistics About Twitter's User Base." Benzinga 15 Apr. 2014: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. "THE STUDYMODE." Potentially Negative Effects of Technology on Student Attention Spans. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.

Chinese Communist Party in the Civil War in 1949 Essay

The Chinese Civil War, which lasted from 1927 to 1949, was a civil war in China which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) overthrew the Guomindang (GMD) . As the CCP had always been inferior to the GMD in many aspects, many were shocked and startled by the Communist’s victory; although numerous factors show that the Communist’s victory was almost inevitable. This essay will examine the factors that lead to the Communists victory, which includes ideology, economic, political, social, military, foreign issues, and personalities of the leaders. One of the major advantages of the CCP can be seen in their social aspects and the support of peasants, which were the vast majority of people. They owned limited amount of land, had high rents, low productivity, were in dept and many lived on the edge of starvation. In addition, having peasant support for the CCP can supply with food resources. Therefore, Mao understood the first goal he had to achieve was the support from peasants. First, he set up peasant unions of Hunan from 1925-27, then in 1838-45 when Chiang had their attention focused on the Japanese Invasion, Mao and the CCP went to the rural areas, where the peasants were grateful for the way the soldiers behaved and helped the people. Then, the political leaders confiscated land from the landowners and redistributed it to landless people; lastly, they were given rights to vote for village leaders. By doing all this, the once enslaved and exploited people of china gained faith and freedom established the myth that only the ‘Red Army’ was the true protector of China. In contrast, the GMD had no strong support from the peasants; and most of them felt no connection to the government. The GMD had no party organization helping the struggling provinces, and after the split of GMD and CCP in 1927, the support of common people was very low . On the military aspects, the CCP was disadvantaged in the number of arm forces. In 1945, the GMD had 5 million troops, while the CCP only and 1.25 troops. However, there are a few points which can turn this into an advantage. Firstly, they made use of guerilla warfare, which is extremely suitable for small troops to travel swiftly, change position; be precise and alert. Secondly, the communists selected high quality troops and trained them strictly with strong discipline. Lastly, the communists had similar  lifestyles between the leaders and soldiers, and with the peasant support, they sustained high morale within the Red Army. With all these advantages, we can see that in 1930-1931 Chiang Kai-shek sent 3 military expeditions to exterminate the Red Army, facing an army of 300000, the CCP defeated them all . Here, we can see how effective the guerrilla warfare is in facing a large amount of troops. In contrast, the GMD had huge troops and modern weapons . However, the GMD troops did not have strategies against the light armed and swift troops of the CCP. Moreover, because the life between the leaders and the soldiers had too much difference, they had low morale and did not have the full heart to fight for the GMD. In terms of economic aspects of the CCP, and they did not have a lot of expenses due to the guerilla warfare tactics, and the people can self-supply themselves with food, as they were all peasants. In contrast for the GMD, 65% of the state’s budget was met by currency expansion and only 10% by taxes . Therefore, they were highly dependent on foreign aids of the US. The constant depreciation of the value of paper currency undermined in particular the morale in all jobs that were dependent upon the payment of salaries, including troops, officers and civilian officials. Their tolerance was limited and led to widespread corruption. In terms of political aspects, the CCP had made a lot of errors and had escaped destruction by a hair’s breadth, but they had an extraordinary resilience, refused to give up and learned from their mistakes . In 1927 after the failure of the autumn harvest uprising and retreated to Jinggang Shan, he noticed needed to win the hearts of the peasants; therefore, he adapted the Marxist theory and incorporated it into the peasants . Then, as he retreated with the remaining troops, he set his base in the Jinggang shan mountains where nationalists were far. Here, it shows that Mao learned from his mistakes. Furthermore in 1936 during the Japanese invasion, Mao forced the GMD to unite with them to defend the country, and here, we can also see that Mao truly cared for his country and did not just want power. In contrast, the GMD did not truly care for China. Firstly, the GMD’s support came from the wealthy city classes and landowners, which was a small population of China. Lastly, the GMD lacked passion and never learned from  their mistakes, for example, in the final battle in 1948, when they were advised to concentrate his forces on the Huai River. The foreign issues were also a crucial point in the victory of the communists. During the Japanese invasions in 1937, the GMD, who were supposed to be in charge of china, conserved his forces for the inevitable civil war, and pinned their hopes of interventions of foreign powers to defeat Japan . Moreover, as the GMD is dealing with the Japanese invasions, it gave chance to the CCP to gain popularity, strengthen their armies, and give them time to expand in general. By 1945, party membership gained from 100,000 to 1.2 millionOther factors such as the ideology and the personalities of the Mao and Chiang played an important role in the victory of the Communists. In the ideology of communism by Marx, they were just supposed spread communism, but later, it was adapted by Mao to suit china’s conditions, focused on the peasantry as the main revolutionary force, instead of the workers. Meanwhile, the Nationalists did not remain to their original ideology, which was the three principles – people’s livelihood, democracy and nationalism. For example, when Chiang gave the warlords a position in the government to develop urban areas, he ignored people’s livelihood. During the Japanese invasion, he ignored nationalism by relying on foreign aid, and in 1932, he ignored democracy by suppressing the media, books, and the press. Gradually, the GMD lost support and the people favored the Communists. In conclusion, the Communists’ victory was due to the peasant support, political organization, and their use of military tactics in guerilla warfare. Also, the nationalists’ incapability of governing, corruptions not remaining to the original ideology, and the lack of passion, leads to the downfall of the GMD. In addition to the foreign issues, the Japan invasions, the Communists truly won not only by forcing the GMD out of china physically, but winning the people’s hearts and minds. At last, the country with the largest population, China, is finally painted red. References Chinese Civil War 1946-1949. (2000., December 16). Wars of the World. Retrieved September 26, 2007, from http://www.onwar.com/aced/chrono/c1900s/yr45/fchina1946.htmElegant, R. S. (1972). Mao vs. Chiang: The Battle for China, 1925-1949. New York: A Thistle Book. Lescot, P. (2004). Before Mao (S. Rendall, Trans.). 10 East 53rd Street, NewYour, NY10022, USA: HarperCollins Publishers. (Original work published 1999)Marrin, A. (1989). Mao Tse-Tung and His China. 375 Hudson Street, New York 10014, USA: Puffin Group. Meins, B. (n.d.). Chinese history: The Chinese Civil War of 1927-1950 . In Helium where knowledge grows. Retrieved September 26, 2007, from Helium Web site: http://www.helium.com/tm/346350/chinese-civil-happen-momentShowalter, D. (2005, April). Decisive Encounters: The Chinese Civil War, 1946-1950. Retrieved September 26, 2007, from LookSmart Web site: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3686/is_200504/ai_n14681639Wood, J., & McManus, A. (1998). China Revolutionary Leadership (L. Day, Ed.). 6 Ride Way, Albany, Auckland, NewZealand: Macmillan Publishers. (Original work published 1998)

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