Roots of the post Second World War environmental movements Essay

Roots of the post Second World War environmental movements - Essay Example The Second World War was described as a ‘watershed’ that developed into environmental activism that spawned quickly during the 1960s.The Second World War was a time of difficulty for many people around the world,it was also realized that the world was a small space that needed to be protected from the constant destruction by man towards the environment. After the war, the 50s was a fast-paced moving world littered with images of the perfect life, the perfect housewife in advertisements. These images were to accommodate a growing push towards a more materialistic life as more and more inventions were being made and used. Among a lot of the products available during the 1950s were items that were actually hazardous to the environment like the hairspray from the musical ‘Hairspray’ for example that encouraged the use of hairspray in modern hairstyles as well as the release of dangerous chemicals such as CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon) and vinyl chloride which was a known carcinogen. It was also during the 1950s and the 1960s as more and more industrial accidents occurred that affected the environment that caused a revived concern about how we treated our ecology. The modern livelihood of man was farfetched from the roots that they have begun as hunters and gatherers who are more ecologically aware and attentive to the adverse effects of man and their exploitation and manipulation of their environment (Sahlins 1971) but as industrialization began to boom even more quickly the way man lived prior to the Second World War was a far cry from contemporary man. ... garments and transient objects. Aside from the growth of industrialization man continued to try and change their environment to bend to their own will. For example, if during Victorian times a garden was simply a garden and ways to control pesticides from invading gardens were by utilizing simple home remedies such as using vinegar. With the growth of industrialization and as many more people became wealthy enough to own a garden albeit with lesser time due to work quicker pesticides were used as a solution to pest problems in home gardens and in industrial farms. In 1960, a naturalist by the name of Rachel Carson began to publish a series of writings that were concerned with the adverse effects of the use of chemicals in the control of natural environments (Nash 1990:192-194). For example, she argued that the use of DDT which was only to get rid of weeds and pesticides affected the surroundings of the weeds themselves therefore also pointlessly poisoning the earth for no apparent reason in gardens except to make them look good and for industrial farms the ability of evolution would only create and cause even more stronger pesticides who will be resistant to the effects of the DDT and therefore needing even stronger more dangerous chemicals. Although cries such as Carson on the effects of chemicals were heard but not fully heeded it was also a backlash against government policies which tended to support industrial growth rather than protect the environment for the 'benefit' of the people. The politics of pollution during the 50s and 60s was a climate that favoured a 'little bit' of pollution and some money to be made over the unalterable effects on the earth's nature. For example, in the 1950s to the early 1960s the United

The Causes For Eating Disorders And The Impact Of The Media On Essay

The Causes For Eating Disorders And The Impact Of The Media On Self-Image - Essay Example This paper discusses causes for eating disorders and the impact of the media on the self-image. Causes of eating disorders Poppink defined eating disorder as abnormal eating habits, which may occur in form of starvation or excessive eating acts and identifies anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating as examples of common eating disorders (17). Causes of eating disorder can be grouped into psychological, interpersonal, and social factors. Psychologically, eating disorder may occur because of mental and emotional imbalance. Psychological factors include, lack of self-esteem, feeling of lack of purpose in life and occurrence of anxiety, anger or stress. Psychological factors, though inherent to the patients, can be professionally addressed through patient counseling. In addition, Poppink states that individuals could manage anxiety and anger without seeking professional services where individuals could relax, and avoid incidences that might trigger anger (104). Interpersonal factors could al so result to eating disorders. According to NEDA (1), interpersonal factors may occur through physical and sexual abuse, strained personal relationships, and having history of being ridiculed or teased about ones weight or size. Having relationships and interacting with parties is the genesis of developing interpersonal factors that lead to eating disorders. Avoidance of negative crowd and withdrawal from strained relationships could prevent the occurrence of eating disorder. However, those who have suffered from sexual abuse may further require professional counseling and guidance. Spettigue and Henderson further identify social factors as the leading cause of eating disorders. With the advent of information technology, mass media have created a social context of ideal women through the biased exposures of thin women in their programs and magazines. The society has also framed a narrow definition of beauty where slender women and masculine men are being considered beautiful and han dsome. Poppink further notes the existence of such biased concept and social mind frames in the society may generate peer pressure among individuals who are overweight hence leading to eating disorder (145) Causes of eating disorders offers basis for treatment and recovery. The disorders may be treated in three different approaches, which include the use of psychotherapy, medicines, and nutritional supplements. Spettigue and Henderson stated that the cause of the eating disorder determines the approach of the treatment. Counseling and administration of medicines may be used to treat eating disorder that could have resulted from physical and sexual abuse. It is fundamental that the administered treatment addresses the root cause of the eating disorder and resulting symptoms of the condition concerning psychological, interpersonal and social factors (NEDA). After undergoing successful treatment, an individual is able to recover from an eating disorder. Full recovery is always dependen t on the nature of treatment and care offered to a patient. Recovery is a long-term process, which may last for years. It is vital that one should carefully follow the instructions of the therapist and the outlined recommendations for this stage (NEDA). The role of the media The media has a mandate of informing the public. It, as an informative tool, has contributed to the flourishing of eating disorder in the society. Overweight women, for example, have been subjected to social pressure by the media, which has framed social context of beauty. The media has portrayed celebrities, actors, and models with slender bodies, resulting to a biased definition of bea