The language of fashion magazines Essay Example For Students

The language of fashion magazines Essay Overture The significance of print media has been getting bigger and bigger as the time progress all over the world. Magazine is one of the popular forms of print media worldwide. There are different types of magazines with different features and attributes. They are mostly periodic- monthly and quarterly magazines are most common. The magazines generally focus a particular area and they target a particular group of people as their target readers. Such as business and economics oriented magazines are designed mostly for the business people, Science and genealogy for the young people and students, art and literature for the readers who particularly possess interest towards art and literature. Sports magazines target the young and enthusiastic sports lovers and fashion and lifestyle magazines are for the people who are concerned pretty much about their living style and modern days fashions. In this report we have selected such two fashion and life style magazines, one local and one international. Instill the international one, published as British version and Mirror- the Bangladesh magazine regarded as one of the most rumoring and classic fashion magazine of the country. Both the magazines follow English as their media language and are published monthly. We will try to identify the approach of these two commonly oriented magazines. Both the magazines target the todays modern women with their independence and glamorous. In the ne xt section we shall be introduced with these magazines. We will write a custom essay on The language of fashion magazines specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now 1. Mirror; at a glance: Name: Mirror Magazine Nature: Monthly Magazine Type: Fashion Life style Established (First Issue): 2003, Dacha Editor: Quasi Changer Lam Number of publication: 24,000 (2013) Language: English Company: Mirror Group (Bangladesh) 1. 3 Instill; at a glance Name: Instill Established (First Issue): June, 1994 Editor: Ariel Fox Number of publication: (2011) Company: Time Inc. (US) EPIC Media (I-J) Â  2. 1 PURPOSE STATEMENT This paper has been intended as an academic purpose of the students of M. A. In English Program. It aims to find out a comparative analysis of both the magazines in literal as well as structural sense. This comparison will reveal both the similarities and dissimilarities between the two magazines each possess supreme popularity in their own platform. The other purpose of the study is to analyze the style of language of English and what techniques are used in the magazines. This paper also tries to find out how to use language in print media 2. 2 Methodology For a constructive comparison time frame and contextual frame should be pretty much same and identical. Here two magazines have been selected with same nature and categorical similarities. In order to maintain the time frame, the particular number of the magazines for analysis was kept concurrent. The Bangladesh magazine Mirror was taken of volume 10, which is the July-August Edition of the rent year and an Did Fashion Special. On the other hand, the I-J based international Magazine Instill was taken of Volume 20, number 5 and it was the edition of the month of May of this going year. Thus, from the time frame perspective, both have same platform. In order to maintain the contextual frame, the two magazines taken from the similar taste and target readers. Both are fashion and life style magazines particularly designed for the progressive modern ladies. It is important to mention that the comparison was not made from all the numbers of the magazines, rather the two given numbers mentioned earlier. In the next section, we will begin with the comparative analysis of the magazines. Part: THREE Comparative discussions on the two magazines The previously mentioned numbers of each magazine were brought under the observation of the readers. .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 , .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .postImageUrl , .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 , .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:hover , .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:visited , .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:active { border:0!important; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:active , .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4 .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u41ade086fdfb24df10ea92da26b29ea4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare the Language Macbeth Uses in Two of His Soliloquies with the Way He Speaks When He Was Talking To Other People EssayWe have tried to point out similarities and dissimilarities found in their writing styles, literal values and presentations. 3. 1 Point of Similarities: 3. 1. 1 Presentation of the Cover Page: Both the magazines feature their cover page with the photos of two very beautiful and glamorous celebrities. The one at the left is the cover page of the Bangladesh gagging Mirror which features Biddy Sinai Mim, a very promising and one of the top models of current times of the country. On the right top, we have the cover page of the British tabloid Instill which features the global celebrity Emily Blunt, a very popular international actress. This similarity is quite an evident and a very common method for the fashion magazines to feature a photo of a beautiful looking celebrity with her distinguishes appeals and glamour. This similarity is not true for these two numbers of the magazines, bull almost all numbers of all fashion magazines. 3. 1. 2 Domination of Photos of the models at pose: This is perhaps the most significant similarity and feature of the fashion magazines. They use the photos more than words. In fact, in the two numbers of the magazines, almost 80 percent of the pages contain photo of the glamorous models at their beauty pose. Thus, the language of fashion magazines are predominately visual and not word oriented. This has been found in both the magazines case. 3. 1. 3 Presentation of Commercial Advertisements Both the magazines preach quite a heavy volume of advertisements. The advertisements are found to be similar in nature. The advertisements are mostly of the beauty products and colorful photos are used in form of commercial advertisements. This reveals that both the fashion magazines use their commercials as like their features as the magazines features models and their beauty styles. Thus the advertisements seem like the magazines own features. 3. 1. 4 Similar presentation of articles: Both the magazines publish few articles in their magazines apart from the photos. The articles are mostly short, generally contains less than 250 words. The British tabloid of May, 2013 featured few articles regarding Oscar programs and activities of he international celebrities. The local tabloid featured with beauty instructions and tips and promotes latest fashions through their articles. In each case, the language is short, easily understandable and free from literal complicity. 3. 1. 5 Similarity in Language and writing style: Due to the light nature, both the magazines follow short and simple writing styles. They use simple worlds, short speeches and the articles are mostly free from articulate and literal beauty. 3. 2 Point of Dissimilarity: 3. 2. 1 Contextual Dissimilarity: Despite of their similar nature of fashion and life style, the magazines differ in their approach too. Instill exhibits its high interest in the life style of the celebrities whereas Mirror focuses more on the fashions of the progressive ladies. The photos and the features of the magazine Instill uses the international celebrities to preach the activities of the celebrities. Mirror- the Bangladesh Fashion tabloid on the other hand, focuses more on the fashion and glamour of the local celebrities. 3. 2. 2 Difference in the theme: it has seen that the local fashion magazine focuses on the impact of culture and seasons. For instance, the selected edition was an Did special. There were previous editions on summer bride, pupas special, bookish special etc. This suggest that the local magazine focuses on the cultural impact in the world of fashion. The international tabloid focuses on the life of the celebrities, their activities are the elements of interest. The impact of culture and season was not found to be strong. 3. 2. 3 Difference in Approach: The British magazine provides short article and information though small news in columns which has been completely missed out in the beggarliness magazine. Bangladesh magazine on the other side focuses on the physical beauty of their local liberties (mostly models) and the pattern of their latest fashions thought the exhibition of a series of photos. .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad , .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .postImageUrl , .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad , .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:hover , .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:visited , .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:active { border:0!important; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:active , .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3789b3fb1df8a38d4f35a83eb65c22ad:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Fashion Flow Theories: Misconceptions EssayPart Four Findings of the language of Fashion Magazine: The noticeable findings of the language of fashion magazines are It shows how linguistic techniques such as puns and presuppositions are used by magazines to capture our attention It examines how image and text combine to produce meaning It discusses how ideological messages are conveyed It analyses how the appeals are constructed through language It looks at how magazines relate to culture part FIVE Conclusion The language of fashion magazines is lively. Furs are to-die-for, colors are drifts dreamy and looks are leotard simple. The last three decades have witnessed a reevaluation of fashion, both in terms of its credibility as an area of academic investigation and its importance in Western culture, which has caused its reconsideration within popular culture. Today, fashion can be found when flipping through art and fashion magazines. The art press, however, locates fashion within wider social and cultural dialogues, reflecting upon the social, cultural, psychological ND economic implications of dress. As womens fashion magazines have critical role in the maintenance of cultural values and representation of the gender identity, we will be able to investigate how English language relates to gender identity through fashion in Bangladesh. Even though synergies effect of fashion and language as symbolic capital is very interesting subject to study. This habitation of two is neutralized as to create mythology of the modern society is hard to deconstruct. To demythologize the fusion of English language and fashion more profound research will be needed.

Philisophical good vs evil essays

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Recreation, Leisure and Play Essay Example for Free

Recreation, Leisure and Play Essay The idea of leisure has been in existence for many centuries and has come to have many different meanings depending on the period in history or the civilization that it originated from. From as early as Ancient Greece, Rome or Babylonia, the term we now know as leisure has existed in some form or another. As has been widely noted in introductory recreation texts, schole was both the ancient Greek word for leisure meaning, â€Å"serious activity without the pressure of necessity† and is the root of the English word for school (Godbey, 2003). To the ancient Greeks, leisure, education, and culture were intertwined. In other words, learning was available only for the rich, people with the wealth to afford free time. Leisure, as we know it today, has changed from the original meaning of the word. 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Any activity carried out freely, without constraint or compulsion, may be considered to be leisure. â€Å"To leisure† implies being engaged in any activity as a free agent and of one’s own choice. (p. 12) Now I want you to keep in mind this idea of leisure as any activity of one’s own free willed decision because I am going to touch on it again during the leisure defined as time. Leisure Defined as an Activity Leisure defined as an activity is used widely as well. Most people would agree that leisure activity is something that is fun and enjoyable during a non-working time. This idea makes it difficult to pinpoint a leisure activity though. Understanding if the activity is performed for intrinsic or extrinsic purposes may be the deciding factor whether the activity is leisure or not. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic properties plays an essential role in stating several interesting philosophical problems. Why am I performing this action? If you are doing the activity because you enjoy it, then you are performing it for its intrinsic value. If you do not want to participate in an activity, but you know that you will benefit from the activity, you are performing it for its extrinsic value. An example would be a person who practices on the piano because they like to play, versus a person who practices piano because they want to win a music contest. Who of the two is experiencing leisure as an activity? Most people would agree that the first person is definitely experiencing leisure as an activity. The second person is where the debate lays. It is the same exact activity as the first person, but the motivation for performing the activity is different. I feel that as long as you, as a free willed individual, choose to perform any activity then you are experiencing leisure as an activity because you are fulfilling your desires. I feel that the only time when you are may not experience leisure is when you are dying. If you have lived a long life and eventually die from old age, I do not believe that you made the decision out of free will to pass away. Although, if a person commits suicide, does that persons free willed decision make the act of dying a leisure activity? Some good questions to ask: If your career is your passion, are you always at leisure? Conversely, is a person without a job always at leisure? Musicians, professional athletes, and the homeless are all specific examples of situations that may help answer these questions. Leisure Defined as Time Leisure defined as time may be the most commonly understood meaning of the word today because of its positive connotations (Martin, 1975). People often use the word leisure and the term free time interchangeably. On the surface this definition seems fine, but as you delve deeper and ask difficult questions, it starts to become less clear. What is free time? Free time is defined as time free of obligations or responsibilities, or time to do with what you please. As Neulinger stated his definition of leisure, performing the activity out of free will is the deciding factor for whether it is leisure or not. This idea brings this thought to mind. All human beings have been blessed with the gift of free will; a consciousness of who we are and of the decisions we make. Without consciousness we would still be aware of what is going on around us, but we would react to it in a reflexive, instinctive way. With consciousness, we can deliberately weigh what the senses tell us, and respond accordingly. If this definition holds true, shouldn’t all of life be considered leisure? Every decision, every action, comes from our decisions of our own free will. If we continue with this thought, some questions arise: †¢ Are there any instances in life that would prevent you from experiencing free will? †¢ Do we always make decisions based on our desires? †¢ Do having priorities that are not in sync with our desires negate our free will? These questions came after having a conversation with my friend. She told me that when you are a parent, you have obligations to your children that may interfere with your free time. This is where the damn breaks open and it is up to the individual to decide. Her question was, â€Å"What if my needs as a parent cannot be fulfilled because I have work to make sure my kids are fed and clothed? † I feel that even though you have the responsibility as a parent to provide for your children, you made the decision to have a child knowing full well the obligations and responsibilities that would ultimately come with that decision. Free time, who would have thought two little words, would bring up so many questions? My Definition of Leisure After contemplating on the various definitions of the term leisure I propose the following: Leisure is the phenomenon experienced by all self aware beings whose decisions are based out of free will, whether those decisions are made in the conscious or subconscious mind of the individual. Recreation Recreation is any activity which is relaxing to humans or provides diversions from their normal routine, and in many ways is also a therapeutic refreshment of ones body or mind. Any activity can potentially be a recreational one. Vacations to exotic islands, sporting events, meditation, watching television, or playing monopoly are all forms of recreation. A key factor to the activity being considered a recreational activity is whether or not it is pleasurable. If the activity is not pleasurable then the activity cannot be considered recreational because it is not rejuvenating to the body or mind. For example, a couple travels to the Caribbean for a second honeymoon. They have planned the vacation far in advance and the tickets and reservations are non-refundable. Upon arriving, the weather is awful and the couple is unable to participate in any of the activities they had planned for the trip. Even though the fact they were engaging in a commercial recreational activity, the weather prevented them from having an enjoyable time and therefore the vacation was not recreating to oneself or another. With the information provided, this vacation would not be classified as recreation. Fairchild defined recreation as â€Å"any activity pursued during leisure, either individual or collective, that is free and pleasurable, having its own immediate appeal, not impelled by a delayed reward beyond itself† (Fairchild, 1944). Another aspect of recreation was presented by Gray and Greben (1974) as: an emotional condition within an individual human being that flows from a feeling of well-being and self-satisfaction. It is characterized by feeling of mastery, achievement, exhilaration, acceptance, success, personal worth, and pleasure. It reinforces positive self-image. Recreation is a response to aesthetic experience, achievement of personal goals, or positive feedback from others. It is independent of activity, leisure, or personal acceptance. (p. 23) This definition is not focused on the activity itself, but on the individual’s reaction to the activity; the individuals state of mind. I would agree that this definition touches the heart of the subject much better. I stated earlier that any activity has the potential of being a recreational activity. This is true because it depends on how the individual feels about the activity. Most people experience pleasure during activities like exercise, sports, relaxing, and vacationing. If you think along these lines then it is easy to understand why some activities are generalized as recreational and why some are not. Although some people consider work pleasurable, most people do not love their job. This is why I believe that work is not universally accepted as recreational. My Definition of Recreation After contemplating on the various definitions of the term recreation I propose the following: Recreation is a positive state of mind achieved during any physical or non-physical activities characterized by feelings which are rejuvenating and recreating to the body and spirit. Play Leisure and recreation as I discussed them are states of mind experienced by an individual. Play, although related to these concepts, is different in the fact that it is a means to achieve this positive state of mind which all living beings desire. Play has existed since the beginning of time. Johan Huizinga (1950) described the characteristics of play as: †¢ Voluntary behavior †¢ Stepping outside of â€Å"ordinary life† †¢ Secluded and limited in time and space †¢ Not serious but absorbs the player intensely †¢ Bounded by rules †¢ Promoting formation of social groups that surround themselves with secrecy As you read the characteristics, you realize that they appear in all forms of play. Although play is a common occurrence within all ages of life, it is a concept that it liked to immaturity in today’s society. The Instinctual Aspect of Play. Play is a puzzle to scientists. Why do animals spend so much time and energy doing such silly things that seem to have no purpose? The struggle for survival in nature is deadly serious. What place is there for activities that dont help animals eat, grow, and reproduce? Play is also very risky. Animals can break bones, pull muscles, or get bitten too hard. In a study of 14 Siberian ibexes (wild goats), more than one-third were hurt badly enough during play to cause limps-a serious concern in the race for survival. And animals can become so wrapped up in play that they are unaware of danger. One study showed that 80 percent of the deaths among young fur seals occurred because the playing pups didnt see predators coming! (Braaf 2003,  ¶ 4) Why is play worth the risk? Many scientists believe its essential for survival-as important as food or sleep. Why Play? Most scientists believe that when animals play, they are practicing skills theyll need later in life. This is why different kinds of animals play in different ways. Young predators, such as wolves, lions, and bears, play by stalking, pouncing, biting, and shaking their heads from side to side. Theyre honing their skills for when they will run down, catch, and kill prey. When a wolf pup chases its own tail, bites it, and yanks it back and forth, the pup is rehearsing skills itll need one day as a hunter. Research shows that smarter animals spend more time playing. Elephants play more than horses. Chimps play more than macaques. Wolves play more than rabbits. And parrots play more than either ducks or sparrows. Smarter animals also play in more creative and complex ways. Not surprisingly, humans and chimpanzees are among the most playful species. (Braaf 2003,  ¶ 9) Here are three questions to start with: Why do humans play? Is play something that is learned, or is it instinctual? And what purpose does it serve in humans? To answer the first question, Godbey (2003) presents the following: If you put a person in a dark tank of water heated to same temperature as their body in a dark room devoid of sound, their need for stimulation will be so great that they will usually start to hallucinate. If you are walking down the street with nothing much absorbing your attention, you may start to notice cracks in the sidewalk and make up a game in which you have to avoid stepping on them. (p. 46) In conclusion, humans need stimulation. If the mind is idle then the person will seek out the stimulation in his or her surroundings. Whether or play is instinctual or learned, I believe that it is both. Most games that we play are learned, such as baseball, hide and seek, or even make believe games such as house. Obviously, not all forms of play are taught though. As in the example from Godbey, a person will make up a form of play if there are no other options for stimulation. Finally to understand the purpose of play in humans we must first discuss the four forms of play developed by Caillois (1958). †¢ The pursuit of vertigo in which one tries to momentarily destroy the stability of perception, escaping reality for the moment. †¢ Games of chance †¢ Make Believe †¢ Contests which require appropriate training, the application of skill, and the desire to win As in animals in the wild, play is used to hone a person’s skill for later in life. Some examples of this are interacting with other children on the playground, which will increase social skills, hitting rocks with a stick, which will increase hand-eye coordination, and cloud watching, which will develop a persons imagination. My Definition of Play After contemplating on the various definitions of the term play I propose the following: Play is voluntary behavior, bounded by rules, experienced by both human and non-human beings, which stimulates the mind and body, prepares an individual for similar future situations, and allows for personal growth within the individual. How Leisure, Recreation, and Play Relate Now that I have discussed my definitions of leisure, recreation, and play, I will explain how my definitions are related to one another. As I stated earlier, Leisure is the phenomenon experienced by all self aware beings whose decisions are based out of free will, whether those decisions are made in the conscious or subconscious mind of the individual. Life, to me, is leisure because of our ability to act out of free will. The question should not be, â€Å"Is this activity a leisure activity? †, but rather, â€Å"Is this activity considered good or bad leisure? † Recreation, I feel, is a subset of leisure. All of recreation can be considered leisure, but not the converse. Recreation is a positive state of mind achieved during any physical or non-physical activities characterized by feelings which are rejuvenating and recreating to the body and spirit. The reason that not all of leisure can be considered recreation is because not all of life is recreating to the mind and spirit. Play is a subset of recreation. Similar to leisure and Recreation, all of play is recreation, but not the converse. Play is voluntary behavior, bounded by rules, experienced by both human and non-human beings, which stimulates the mind and body, prepares an individual for similar future situations, and allows for personal growth within the individual. The main difference is that play is bounded by rules where recreation is not. Some examples of recreation that are not considered play would be meditation, reading, or watching TV. If you look at the following diagram, I think it makes it easier to understand the relationship between all three of the concepts. [pic] Leisure is all encompassing. Within it lays recreation and play. Although they are both within leisure there are still some aspects of leisure that are not considered recreation. This blue arrow points to this area. The red arrow points to the area that is recreational but does not classify as play. Quality of Life The well-being or quality of life of a person is an important concern when trying to understand leisure, recreation, and play in an individual’s life. Understanding quality of life is today particularly important in health care, where monetary measures do not readily apply. Decisions on what research or treatments to invest the most in are closely related to their effect of a patients quality of life. There are many components to well-being. A large part is standard of living, the amount of money and access to goods and services that a person has; these numbers are fairly easily measured. Others components like freedom, happiness, art, environmental health, and innovation are far harder to measure and are generally considered to be more important. There are two main strategies we can adopt to improve the quality of life in our everyday lives. The first is to try making external conditions match our goals. The second is to change how we experience external conditions to make them fit our goals better. Neither of the strategies is effective when used alone. Changing external conditions might seem to work at first, but if a person is not in control of his or her consciousness, the old fears or desires will soon return, reviving previous anxieties. (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 89) For instance, feeling secure is an important component of happiness. The sense of security can be improved by purchasing a gun for home protection, placing security locks on the front door, having an alarm unit installed, or moving to a safer neighborhood. All of these actions would fall under making our external conditions fit our goals better. One also has to understand that perfect safety is, in all reality, not possible and risks are inevitable. Once a person understands this then the threat of insecurity will not have as great of a chance of having a person live in fear; ultimately ruining ones quality of life. In society today, wealth, status and power have become symbols of happiness. People often assume that the rich and famous have very rewarding lives just because of their status. We often assume that life would be better if we were in other peoples shoes. The reality of the situation is that quality of life does not depend directly on what others think about us or what we own, but rather how we feel about ourselves and what happens to us in our everyday lives. Some people today suffer from affluenza, the bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. It is an epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. In layman’s terms, affluenza is experienced when people have the mentality that their possessions is what defines them as an individual. This is not to say that having nice things, being famous, or being is peak physical condition are irrelevant to happiness. These things can be genuine blessings but only if they make us feel better without having to sacrifice other important aspects of our life. Research on happiness suggests that in general, there is a mild correlation between wealth and well-being. Given these observations, instead of worrying about how to make a million dollars or how to win friends and influence people, it seems more beneficial to find out how everyday life can be made more harmonious and more satisfying, and thus achieve by a direct route what cannot be reached through the pursuit of symbolic goals (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 91). How Leisure, Recreation and Play Affect Quality of Life Everyone is familiar with stress. We experience it in varying forms and degrees every day. In small doses, stress can actually be beneficial to us. It is only when the stress becomes too great, affecting our physical or mental functioning, that it becomes a problem. The stress response of the body is meant to protect and support us. To maintain stability or homeostasis, the body is constantly adjusting to its surroundings. When a physical or mental event threatens this equilibrium, we react to it. This process is often referred to as the fight or flight response. We prepare for physical action in order to confront or flee a threat. When it is part of a natural reaction to challenge or danger, the body’s response is called positive stress. However, when you feel out of control or under intense pressure, you may experience the physical, emotional, or relational symptoms brought on by negative stress. Stress can cause both physical and emotional in an individual’s life. Stress adversely affects reproduction, sexual behavior, and growth. Stress inhibits the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu, fatigue and infections. Leisure, recreation and play are natural ways to reduce negative stress that builds up in the body therefore improving ones quality of life. The human body is like any other system in nature. If we don’t have ways to vent our stress from everyday life through activities that are pleasurable, we will start to experience the negative side effects of stress. Final Thoughts My thoughts on the subject of leisure, recreation, and play before this paper could not be further from where my thoughts are now. I feel that too much emphasis is placed on unimportant things today. Society, more so than ever, has gotten into the habit of treating the symptoms of people, instead of treating the individual. I feel that having a better understanding of the concepts of recreation, leisure, and play and the role they play in your life will ultimately lead to a happier and hopefully longer life. Refrences Braaf, E. (2003). Why animals love to play. Retrieved September 20, 2006, from Find Articles Website: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4128/ is_200311/ai_n9307508/pg_1 Caillois, R. (1958). Man, play and games. Glencoe, IL: The Free press. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York, NY. Harper and Row. Fairchild, H. (1944). Dictionary of sociology (pp. 251-252). New York, NY: Philosophical Library. Godbey, G. (2003). Leisure in your life: An exploration. State College, PA: Venture Publishing. Gray, D. and Greben, S. (1974, July). Future Perspectives. Parks and recreation, 61, 49 Hiuzinga, J. (1950). Homo ludens: A study of the play element in culture. Boston, MA: Beacon Press Martin, A. (1975, March). Leisure and our inner resources. Parks and Recreation, 69. 1-16 Neulinger, J. (1974). The psychology of leisure: Research approaches to the study of leisure. Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas Publishers.

Martial Arts :: essays research papers

Martial Arts To follow is my report on martial arts in Asia. This a very interesting subject, and a very good report. It will describe martial arts and some types of martial arts. It will also say where they originated from. The term "martial arts" is a general term used to describe general types of fighting. Most martial arts practised today came from China, Japan, and Korea. There are hundreds of types of martial arts, each divided into specific styles or systems. Technically, martial arts fall into two categories: percussive, and non-percussive. In percussive martial arts such as Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Kung-Fu, people strike with their hands, feed, elbows, and head. This type of martial arts is very aggressive. On the other hand, in non-percussive martial arts, such as Judo, involve throwing, locking, and neutralising the opponent. They are far less aggressive. Kung-Fu is an interesting type of martial art, the origins of which are unknown. Some historians believe it started as early as 1500 BC There are two major types of Japanese martial arts. They are Bujitsu, and Budo. The bujitsu martial art is a relatively new one. It emphasises combat and willingness to face death as a matter of honour. Budo, which was started during the late 1800's, focuses on developing moral and aesthetic developments. Karate-do and Judo are forms of Budo. People who learn budo learn it to use it only as a last resort. Another martial art that developed in Japan is ninjitsu, which means "the art of stealing in!" People who practice ninjitsu are called ninjas. Ninjitsu was developed in the late 1200's.