ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Gender identity and stereotyping begin the moment a child is born. The first question asked by relatives and friends is, “Is it a “boy” or a “girl”? Society has already formed a classification based on the two genders. The two genders have identifiable features, mainly contributing to gender identification and stereotype. They include body shape, hairstyles, walking styles, clothing types, voice, etcetera. These can be said to be some of the main identification attributes that society forms to identify the two genders. We can define gender identity as “the ability for one to label their sex accurately” (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). Various complex concepts play an integral part in the gender identity in children. One of the concepts is the distinctive qualities and features that define us in our gender and how comfortable we feel. The other is how we define ourselves and are proud to identify with our gender. The conformity and content in our gender is also a critical concept. These concepts play a critical role in how people live their lives from childhood to their adult life. Starting at infancy and in toddlers, in my opinion, it is arguably to state that infants can create categories, and one of them is gender. At a very early age, they can distinguish between males and females using some of the features earlier discussed. They progress to differentiating between a boy and a girl as they start to label people like girls and boys as early as two years of age. It is also critical to note that their gender labelling ability is mainly influenced by appearances (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). Therefore, if one gender disguises as the other, they may not tell the difference in this early stage of development. They also become curious about distinctive features that differentiate girls from boys early. Gender stereotyping kicks in when they can tell the difference between the toys that are supposed to be for girls and boys. Parents also play a critical role in children’s gender typing; for example, a father may involve his young son in physical activities while the mother may encourage her daughter to play with dolls (Halim, Walsh, Tamis-LeMonda, Zosuls, & Ruble, 2018). Gender nonconformity may tend to show in some children as they grow. In middle childhood, one can argue that gender is apparent to the young ones. They can understand that gender is constant. At this point, they know that one cannot change their gender even if their behaviours and mode of dressing reflect the other gender. In my opinion, their gender stereotyping is solid at this point, and they tend to become sexist. Middle childhood is argued to be the stage that children tend to bully or punish others who step out of their gender boundaries. However, boys show more aggression in their gender boundaries than girls. Children tend to lessen their sex and gender rigidity regarding stereotypes at the end of elementary school (Halim et al., 2018). They begin to understand the bigger worldview in gender stereotyping and how it will affect their adult life between about 7 to 15 years. As they enter adolescence, children become more content with their
The introduction: the fundamentals of 100 Cans by Andy Warhol While analyzing the work of art written by Andy Warhol, I would like to learn some basic knowledge concerning the painting. Thus, first of all, I would like to describe some technical characteristics of the picture. 100 Cans was written in the early sixties. The type of work of art is oil on canvas. The dimension of the book is 72 in x 52 in. They say that the work reflects the pop art of the USA. I would like to clarify that the type of an art movement appeared in the early fifties in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the USA, an art movement appeared a little later. The thesis statement Generally, an art movement encompasses many spheres of life. Thus, it includes advertising, news, humorous productions, etc. Andy Warhol’s work is also associated with the minimalist movement. Therefore, when looking at Warhol’s work, one can make a conclusion that it reflects the simplicity of forms. Taking into account the elements of the painting, people can disclose numerous hidden things the work of art reflects. The body: the history of the work of art I would like to point out the fact that famous production is based on monochromatic palettes of primary colors. The author didn’t want to emphasize the emotional content of the work. As far as we know, the above-mentioned qualities are recognized to be specific elements for pop art and minimalism movement. Movement in art and music I described also appeared in the early fifties. Warhol’s work of art appeared in 1962, and minimalism as an art movement was trendy in 1960-1970. “The Minimalists believed that a work of art should be entirely self-referential; personal elements were stripped away to reveal the objective, purely visual elements” (Minimalism 1). Although two art movements are closely connected with each other, I suppose that Andy Warhol mostly supported pop art. Thus, the action is associated with various familiar things, including newspaper advertisements, supermarket products, etc. The work of art 100 Cans reflects precisely supermarket products, i.e., it depicts Campbell’s Soup Cans . Once Andy was asked about the work he created. So, when asked why, he said: “Because I used to drink it. I used to have the same lunch every day, for 20 years, I guess, the same thing over and over again. Someone said my life had dominated me; I liked that idea” ( 100 Cans, 1962 1). Generally, Andy wanted people around to see the commercial world as well as its importance. The artist of the pop culture wanted to show the meaning of advertising. So, he used the things around him; numerous aspects of pop art-inspired him to create the works. The author of the painting says that people are to pay more attention to the products they buy in the supermarket. In other words, the things which seem to be usual are to be analyzed deeper. I would like to point out that the painting is really unusual. The cans Warhol depicted are not identical. “The bottom row is cut off, suggesting that they continue beyond the confines of the canvas, which leads to another aspect of the work—Warhol’s interest in mac
Introduction The human body comprises different parts that perform distinct and coordinated functions. In conjunction with the brain, the body parts respond accordingly to both internal and external environments. The excellent functionality of the different parts of the body, including the hand, thigh, neck, girdle, pectoral, and legs, are critical for the normal functioning of a human being. The brain is considered the command center of the body. According to Ramadan and Vasilakos (2017), it is equal to the computer’s central processing unit (CPU) because it controls everybody’s duty and action. This paper aims to understand how the human hand and the specific muscles work in partnership with the brain. Types of Muscles Interossei Muscles The interossei have both the palmar and dorsal small muscles. The muscles commence between the bones of the hand, towards the fingers. The muscles allow the bending of the metacarpophalangeal joint, where the finger bones intersect the hand ones. Burin et al. (2017) opine that the dorsal interossei enable people to spread their fingers away from each other while the palmar interossei pull their fingers together. It is regarded as the first muscle to shrink among patients with cubital tunnel syndrome (Urits et al., 2019). The dorsal interosseous pulls the thumb close to the index finger, providing stability when pinching. Therefore, the interossei muscles are part of the muscles which form the human hand. Hypothenar The hypothenar muscles are the other muscles which form part of the hand. The flexor digiti minimi, opponens digiti minimi, and equally the abductor digit minimi from the hypothenar muscles (May, 2020). These muscles form a bulk on the small finger. Specifically, the abductor allows the little finger to pull sideways from the ring finger (May, 2020). The opponents enable a person to cup hands, bringing the small and thumb fingers together. Elbow Muscles The elbow contains four muscles, including the biceps, brachialis, triceps brachii, and lacertus. According to Gaspar et al. (2018), the biceps help an individual rotate the palm down and up. They equally help the brachioradialis and the brachialis to bend the elbow. The brachialis is another muscle that is deep and large in the arm’s front, lying beneath the biceps muscle, attaching to the ulna’s coronoid process (Van Den Bekerom et al., 2016). The triceps are three-headed in the arm’s back, delivering the critical role of elbow strengthening (Alves et al., 2018). Therefore, a person can throw items and push up a chair due to the strength of the triceps. Sensory Stimulus Pathways There are several unconscious processes that an individual goes through to sense an external stimulus. Whether in the presence or absence of light, the human hand skin must feel different external stimuli, including the crawling of bugs on the hand. First, skin on the human hand has multiple anodes that help one develop a feeling that something has touched them. Anodes are at the epidermis and dermis, which are the topmost layers of the skin. Villard et al. (2017) allude that receptors are small i
Introduction Conquest in history . The conquest of Mexico can be considered one of the events in the world history that can be perceived in accordance with the literary sources available on the conquest. As such, two reputable sources Five Letters of Cortés to the Emperor: 1519-1526 by Hernan Cortés and The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico by Miguel Leyn-Portilla advocate different perspectives on this historic phenomenon with detailed descriptions and evidence. However, to have a full picture of what has happened in Mexico in the era of the Aztec empire, it is necessary to take into account both perspectives and analyze views of both sides of the conflict. Disparities in Amerindian and Spanish versions . The main portion of disparities in the versions reported by Spaniards and Amerindians concerns the role of both sides in the conflict and the position they advocate. Thus, Spaniards, whose version has been regarded as the only documentary source of the conquest, perceive this conflict as an ordinary thing when they told the inhabitants about their friendly intentions but razed the city to collect gold and other riches. At the same time, Amerindians’ perspective reflects the culture of the Aztecs and lack of knowledge about the real plans of Spaniards. Though these two sources are completely different, they have a lot in common as they demonstrate the same events from different perspectives and seem t complement each other. Comparison of Sources First reports about the contact of Spaniards and Aztecs, mission of Spaniards, and perception of Aztecs . The first encounters of Spaniards and Aztecs are perceived in different ways by the two authors. As such, Cortés claims that Spaniards were friendly to the natives and wanted to establish commercial relations with the representatives of the Aztec empire in order to trade with them while the natives welcomed them in a hostile manner and many Spaniards were killed or wounded: Cortés, replying by means of the native interpreter whom he had with him, informed them he was going to do them no harm but admonish them and bring them to the knowledge of our Holy Catholic Faith, that they might become vassals of your Majesty and serve and obey him, as had the Indians and peoples of those parts which are already peopled with Spanish subjects of your Majesty (Cortés Five Letters 4). At the same time, this event was described in a completely different way by Leyn-Portilla. The Aztecs were terrified when they came to know about the arrival of strangers but though them to be of divine origin. So, “Prince Ixtlilxochitl of Tezcoco … left his city with a group of followers to greet Cortés in peace” (Leyn-Portilla II-330). This means that the Aztecs were ready to welcome the strangers and share eve
Many people are exposed to dangers associated with plastic production every day. Wastes resulting from plastics products find their way into water bodies where they act as transport means for microorganisms which end up in marine habitats such as seas causing infections to organisms living in water. When plastic degrades, it produces plastic dust which causes pollution to aquatic animals. In addition, this dust causes contamination of human consumer goods especially food products posing a great threat to human health. Aquatic animals that feed on fish may mistake plastics for jellyfish and consume them and this may lead to death of such animals. In other cases, plastics that have been disposed in landfills may cause leaching of chemicals which end up in water bodies causing contamination (Uciha, 2010, p. 1). Improper disposal of plastics may have physical impacts on birds where they entangle them to death. The entangled birds may as well be deposited in water bodies alongside the plastics during which they may chock the fish. Impact of mercury on the environment Mercury is one of the most important life threatening chemicals to humans. Mercury exists in many products especially scientific ones. When released through degradation, it is referred to as methylmercury and finds its way into water bodies from where it is ingested by man (Uciha, 2010, p. 1). It has adverse effects such as reducing the capability of the human immune system and affecting the normal functioning of human enzymes, genes and the nervous system. Animals that feed on fish are also affected in a similar manner. However, mercury resulting from broken thermometers is not as much toxic although it may cause gingivitis to those who inhale it. Impact of natural gas and oil production on the environment Extraction of oil produces toxic substances that may be lethal to aquatic life. Humans may also suffer cardiovascular problems due to such toxic substances. Pathways of photosynthesis may as well be blocked especially where dynamite is being used for extraction, leading to low production of food (Uciha, 2010, p. 1). Reference List Uciha, A. (2010). Environmental impact. Web.
Persuasion is the act of influencing or convincing a person to undertake a particular action or subscribe to a certain belief through the transmission of a message. There are six main principles of persuasion (Caldini, 1984). These principles are principle of reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity. Despite using the above principles during persuasion, there are common fallacies in reasoning that can undermine the effectiveness of that process (Brizee & Weber, 2011). One major fallacy that affects my behavior as a consumer is that of begging the claim where a claim cannot be proved since I have a certain perceived mindset. This means that it is possible for me to make ill informed decisions due to my preconceived opinions. To counter that, the best thing to do is to educate myself about that particular subject before forming opinions. Carrying out a research to prove my claims is also a viable option to avoid pitfalls brought about by this fallacy. Another contentious fallacy is that of Red Herring. This is a diversionary strategy whereby the main issue is not addressed or tackled due to creation of an irrelevant issue. This is done by coming up with an equally critical issue hence all attention is diverted to the other issue. This fallacy can be countered by sticking to the issue despite how many times other divergent issues can be brought up. Therefore, remaining focused on the key issue is the best way to avoid this fallacy. Straw man fallacy is a strong argument that puts false claims on an opponent’s opinion. Consumers are prone to this fallacy due to arguments brought about by two or more competitors. A competitor can bring about an argument that is out to destroy their opponent’s market. This fallacy can be countered by the c
The effects of the lingering threat and fear that the coronavirus has created have affected a range of areas. As the story shared by Tyrone Hampton and Frank de Jesus shows, bus drivers in New York are torn between their passion for the job and the fear for their health and safety. By describing the meticulous ways of introducing precaution measures, such as taping the bus driver seat, the interviewees convey the tragedy of the situation (Hampton & de Jesus, 2020). Therefore, the story hints at the mental health challenges such as anxiety and the related issues as key effects of the coronavirus, which is crucial for understanding its threat. Along with the COVID-19 threat, the pandemic and the forced lockdown have created additional threats to the well-being of vulnerable groups. Dr. DaSilva-Ibru (2020) mentions a “shadow pandemic,” namely, a stark increase in the levels of domestic violence, particularly, violence against girls and women. However, her response toward the subject matter, namely, the creation of the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), might not work properly in the local setting due to the lack of connectivity between WARIF and local communities. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic may entail additional long-term effects. For instance, reluctance to attend healthcare facilities out of fear of the coronavirus may cause people to develop conditions that may reach a chronic stage. Moreover, some conditions may aggravate to the point where no further treatment is possible (Chen & McGeorge, 2020). Given the likelihood of a rise in domestic violence rates, other adverse health outcomes are also expected to occur. For instance, suicidal ideations in violence victims and the resulting surge in suicide attempts are expected, as the recent statistics showing 4241 instances of suicide attempts in domestic violence victims in March 2020 shows (Melillo, 2021). Therefore, an increase in fatal outcomes and severe health conditions caused by suicide attempts are to be expected.
Introduction Up until comparatively recent times, it used to be a commonplace practice among many critics to refer to cinematography and animation, as two discursively incompatible modes of artistic representation. After all, whereas live-action movies are being concerned with the events that take place in the physical world, animated films expose us to the visual projections of the affiliated animators’ artistic conceptualisation of what this reality is, as an idea. As Wells pointed out: “If it is the live-action film’s job to present physical reality, animated film is concerned with metaphysical reality – not how things look, but what they mean”. 1 Moreover, it also used to represent a common assumption that, as opposed to cinematography, animation is a rather marginal medium of channelling artistic messages. This, of course, implied that animated films could not be discussed in terms of ‘high art’, by definition. According to Pilling: “Animation became defined by the Disney model – that of the cartoon as child/family entertainment, and as such, a no-go area for most film critics and theorists other than as material for ideological/sociological analysis”. 2 Nevertheless, as time goes on, more and more people grow to perceive animation as a thoroughly legitimate cinematic genre, which in turn can be explained by the fact that the animated mode of constructing the on-screen action is thoroughly consistent with the realities of a post-industrial living in the West. In my paper, I will aim to substantiate the validity of this suggestion at length, in regards to the 1964 musical film Mary Poppins (directed by Robert Stevenson) and the 1988 live-action/animation film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (directed by Robert Zemeckis), while elaborating on what can be considered the discursive significance of both films. I will also promote the idea that the incorporation of animation in both of the mentioned films, is best discussed as such that is being consistent with people’s historically predetermined unconscious anxieties. Body of the paper The 1964 film Mary Poppins represents one of the earliest examples of animation having been made the integral part of a live-action movie. Partially, this explains the qualitative specifics of the film’s animated settings and the observable aspects of how the featured live-action characters interact with the ‘toons’. Probably the most notable of them is the fact that animation in Mary Poppins appears to serve the purpose of exposing young viewers to what can be defined as the ‘ideal reality’ of their unconscious longings. The validity of thi
Introduction Time never stands still and changes take place in every sphere of life of humanity. The same is true for food and meals traditions – due to quite rapid development of modern technologies, changes related to the pace of living, and influence of foreign traditions that are becoming extremely popular among teenagers in the East, modern ways of cooking in Dubai are quite different from ones that were popular a few decades ago. Considering the important role that cooking plays in our culture, it is necessary to conduct research allowing us to define how family meals and food traditions in Dubai have changed and which processes acted as prerequisites to such changes. The research question that needs to be answered with the help of the given paper is the following: how have family meals and food traditions in Dubai changed with the lapse of time and which factors have contributed to such a situation? Literature Review Food culture in Dubai and UAE, in general, has changed due to many factors such as the development of modern technology providing people with access to millions of recipes. Apart from that, it can be said that modern people in Dubai are often pressed in time, and this is why ways of cooking that consume less time are growing in popularity. Also, it is necessary to understand that wide use of social media and online communication remains a factor that encourages a kind of exchange between representatives of different cultures. Due to that, Western food becomes even more popular among teenagers and it may have a negative impact on traditional culture in Dubai and assumptions of the younger generation (Ali, Jarrar, Abo-El-Enen, Al Shamsi, & Al Ashqar, 2015). The culture of food consumption in the United Arab Emirates remains an important topic for many researchers. As it is clear from the article devoted to food atlas of the United Arab Emirates, a lot of food which is popular in the country is not traditional for the region (Al Marzooqi, Burke, Al Ghazali, Duffy, & Al Yousuf, 2015). Traditional dishes popular in the country include kubbe, khema, madhroba, fatoush, balaleet, and many others. Nevertheless, the consumption of dishes from other cuisines such as pizza, pasta, cheesecake, and sushi seems to grow as well due to the popularity of western lifestyle among teenagers. In fact, consumption of traditional food in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, in general, has decreased recently; another reason why such a situation occurs is teenagers’ and young adults’ concerns related to body image. Due to the popularity of a healthy lifestyle and willingness to lose weight, many university students in the country refuse to eat traditional dishes (Al Dhaheri, Al Ma’awali, Laleye, & Washi, 2014). In the past, a lot of attention was paid to family meals at home; having a family meal was both a way to spend time and a sym