This has been represented through both advertisement campaigns highlighting individual beauty and greater media attention to those who do not bear resemblance to traditional images of beauty. In "sex, lies and advertising," it is evident that the use of magazines and other advertising mediums are the direct correlation to why so many women feel that they need to change themselves. These images however all false in nature since they do not accurate depict what the feminine form and beauty is. There is no strong conflict of interest between women's magazines and beauty products because the idea of beauty is now so deeply entrenched in social and cultural frameworks those magazines will not shake the desire of women to want to be beautiful. Furthermore, the prevalence of women's magazines only makes the problem appear more subliminal and give people the false sense of acceptance that is not in fact present.
All of the readings within this selection use very powerful language to reflect black protest. This is evident in Randall's poem "Ballad of Birmingham" that the African-American protest is coached in both pride and sadness. The fact that African-Americans have to live in fear even in church, and the language of protest that Randall uses captivates us. The Letters to Birmingham also captures this same idea, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently explains the position of African-Americans in the fight for freedom, because they must instill pride in themselves and understands where they fit within the American dream. His powerful language centers on black identity, in how African-Americans see themselves in the current world and how they must see themselves in the new world in order to initialize change. Both of these works exemplify sadness in how much pain must be endured in the civil rights conflict, but at the same time a pride in the fact that they can confront this pain and still overcome it. Baldwin's work "A Native Son" also captures the frustration and anger that African-Americans feel towards their fate. All three of this text explains that the African-American civil rights movement is much more than winning the right to have an integrated...
I agree with Lewis in that the spread of westernization has had a severe impact on religious acceptance and practices around the world. The conflict between Islam and McWorld can be observed in almost all facets of the Middle East, from the increasingly liberalized female population to the proliferation of cell phone usage in Saudi Arabia. One can reconcile their faith through understanding and constantly reframing themselves in the context of modern society. Religion provides a framework for how one should live, this framework is just as applicable in our modern society as in any other time period in our lives. The problem with modern society is not that there are too many temptations, but rather that the modern environment happens faster, and gives people less time to think, therefore more opportunities for errors in judgment. In order to have faith within a world where there is so much conflict, one has to always remember the think within the framework of religion. Barber's analysis is astute on this issue, she explains that McWorld, the corporate western world, is trying to dehumanize and erode Middle Eastern culture. To some degree this is true, because the influx of western civilization provokes profound change from traditional Islam. However, Muslims can still preach and practice their religion in the context of modernization, this has been proven by the increasing number of Muslims in both the U.S. And Europe. This is further supported by Qutb, whose analysis shows that Islam is not a religion of hate, but a religion based upon equality and social justice. As a result, individuals can easily fit this within their framework of thought. Understanding these two perspectives means that reconciling religion with the modern world is all about how an individual frames themselves in the context of our world. We have to keep our faith in the midst of turmoil and conflict, and remember to judge all situations according to our moral and ethical convictions.
