To what extent are human bodies products of culture Discuss In Essay

To what extent are human bodies products of culture Discuss In relation to Susan Benson and Anne Balsamo theories and give 2 ex - Essay Example 123); at the same time, it served as an instrument to the expression of one’s culture, beliefs and practices (e.g., tattoos, body piercings, etc.) (Shilling, 2002, p. 68). Nevertheless, cultural influences on the beliefs of the society pose questions about the abilities of the body to satisfy human craving for perfection. The physical limitations of the body, especially in the context of gender, are causes of these commotions. At the spring of technology, the frustrations that bred from these limitations made humans create cybernetic organisms or the cyborgs, concede to cosmetic surgeries, and use equipments that could help correct the issues â€Å"concerning health, beauty and ageing† (Lewis, 2002, p. 294). Because of the increasing attention gained by the human body, several individuals and groups have formulated theories on the bases of these shifts. Theories on Human Body and the Culture As culture affect people’s beliefs and practices in almost all aspects o f living, its influence on human perception about their body has also been inevitable. This is plainly evident particularly in the Western civilizations. Consequently, the collection of research studies and related literature on the account of identity and differences as determined by the body itself, and how humans have proceeded to initiate changes and created new ways to modify the limitations of the natural body which promote control especially in the aspects of health, beauty and aging, have accumulated to unexpected degrees. Subsequently, theories by Foucault, and others, attempt to explain the relationships between the society’s views of the human body, its causes and effects, and the internal and external factors that play a role in the circumstances involved (e.g., human emotions and drives, language, among others) and the current trend of human ascendancy over it (Lewis, 2002, p. 295; Shilling, 2002, p. 65; Balsamo, 1999, p. 20). The presence of social standards and the pressure that it puts on the populace, as well as the submission of the society to these norms, propose that despite the intrinsic diversities that result from â€Å"the modernist ideology of individualism† (Lewis, 2002, p. 295), culture remains to be a crucial and major determinant of how the people view the body and its value. With this, and with the assistance of technology, the human race try to develop the body into the image which suits the idealists view of how the body should be by maintaining health (e.g., exercise and proper diet) and even undergoing cosmetic surgeries; existing in the absence of or surpassing â€Å"bodily flaws, disease, obesity, ageing and (even) death† (Lewis, 2002, p. 295). This is also why bodybuilders, cyborgs and robots, and even those who have anorexia and bulimia exist -- ways in which humans try to demonstrate control over their bodies to achieve what is considered by the society as ideal or within the bounds of social standard s. As a result, experts suggest that what human body is now -- how it is treated, looked at and valued -- is a product of cultures that desire for standardized perfection. Still, the presence of the aforementioned advances towards the â€Å"improvement† of the human body does not mean the complete absence of what is unwanted. Mary Douglas even stated that â€Å"that which is negated is not thereby removed† (as cited in Benson, 2002, p. 124). Hence, people continue to struggle between the threats of the internal and

Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plagiarism - Essay Example In simple terms, the use of another person’s work without giving due acknowledge to the source constitutes plagiarism. The first step towards avoiding plagiarism is to admit that adhering to the strategies for avoiding plagiarism makes a person no less of a great writer. The following paragraphs of the essay are used to lay out how students can strategized their writing to avoid cases and instances of plagiarism in a wake of an era when plagiarism is gaining more and prominence throughout universities in the world. Strategies for avoiding Plagiarism One of the first strategies to avoiding plagiarism is to identify the appropriate mechanism instituted in the selection of a group of words belonging to another person. By academic provisions, a student is expected to either paraphrase a group of words belonging to another person or bring quotation marks when the words are taken verbatim (University of Michigan’s Scholarly Publishing Office, 2006). ... An example can be cited with the same example above to read as ‘plagiarism remains a critical component of academic dishonesty’. From the structure of the paraphrased sentence, it can be seen that the central theme of the original message is maintained while keeping about the same number of words. It is in light of this that the Durkin University (2012) states that â€Å"a paraphrase is the rephrasing of a short passage from a text, in about the same number of words.† The next strategy to paraphrasing and using quotations is much related to paraphrasing and using quotation and this has to do with using in-text citation. In-text citation simply refers to a provision whereby the writer states the name of the original owner of any quotation or paraphrase made Durkin University (2012). In most jurisdictions, it is expected that the writer will also state the date of publication of the said source. The general idea behind in-text citation is therefore for the writer to state the name of original owner and the date of publication. However, depending on the referencing format or style being used by the writer, there are difference ways in which in-text citations will be made. Some of the referencing styles are APA, Harvard and Oxford. It is very important for a student who wants to avoid problems with plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty to have a fairer idea of how to use in-text citation for the different referencing styles. In a typical APA referencing style, a write who indicates the name of original owner and date before the quotation or paraphrase will be expected to write the surname of the owner and put the date in parenthesis. Example is Gardener (2011). If the source is an institution, it is expected that the