Environmental Studies Essay Example for Free

Environmental Studies Essay The population of the world has been on an upward trend for the most part of the past many years. The rapid rise in the population in the past had been attributed to factors like improved medical care and good nutrition. However, the statistics appear to be changing as the 21st century wears on. There has been recorded a decrease in the overall global population growth rate such that although there is still a growth in the population, the rate is reducing. However, the rate is not evenly distributed. Instead, only the developed nations where industrialization and modernity are advanced are experiencing the population slowdown. The developing World still has rising rates of population growth (I. R. C. , 2005). The reduction in the growth rate can be attributed to climatic changes that have in turn caused people to resort to totally new ways of living. There has been a lot of destruction to the atmosphere and the resultant effect has been that some of the plants and animals that were useful for improving the immunity of the people when included in the diet are now extinct. Global warming has killed many such plant and animal species; and the other effects have been that there is an increase in strange, previously uncommon diseases caused by climatic changes which are making more people to die faster than before. Life expectancy has also reduced because of these changes (Johansen, 2009). In addition, the lifestyles of people have changed drastically, including having diets that are less healthy such as the consumption of genetically modified substances whose chemical contents are harmful to the body and shorten life. This trend is bound to go on for as long as industrial development is going to continue, worsening as the effects of global warming resulting from industrial pollution increase (Vormedal, 2005). New factors are bound to come into play, including increased child mortality and increased resistance to medication available even as new species of pathogens and parasites emerge with changing environmental conditions. It is also expected that more people will be less willing to have children as the pressure on available resources increases, thereby pushing the population growth rate down. With globalization opening up doors of nations, more technologies and immigrants are expected to get in, and not only will there be a real pressure on resources available pushing families to downsize but there will also be a massive movement away from the use of natural, more nutritious food items to those that are artificial and developed through technology (I. R. C. , 2005). As such are likely to be more harmful to the body, many people will find themselves less fertile while the fertile ones will be less willing to have more than a few children. The few children born will have a reduced life expectancy due to increased diseases; and child mortality will be very high. As the figure below shows, the population of Canada has been on a downward trend ever since the start of this century. It is expected that this will go on as the country becomes more industrialized and as global warming becomes more pronounced. By the year 2030, the country will most likely be faced with the problem of having a majority of its population being people over the age of 65 years because the young people are those who are likely to be affected negatively by the forces causing this trend (I. R. C. , 2005).

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Around the turn of the last century, and in the nineteen hundreds, much literature was sent from Canada to the United States for the benefit of those that were interested in farming. People were led to believe that a short cut to happiness and prosperity was to simply go to Canada. It all sounded so interesting. It was written that anyone coming to Canada received 160 acres of land for ten dollars plus slight homestead duties. Canada was the land where you never heard the thunder. It usually rained only at night and the water was so pure, one could drink water off the ground anywhere and it would not make you sick. When you wanted fresh meat, all you had to do was open the door and shoot your choice of the wild game that was so abundant. Seeing no future for themselves as young farmers, on poor, stoney and heavily timbered land at Fosston, Minnesota, several families left for Canada to look for these homesteads. After arriving in Wadena, and with the local guide, the men began walki ng in the north direction. They followed an old Indian trail over to the quarter sections of land available for proving as homesteads. Each man selected a quarter that he would work, they were all enjoined. They had now put in two days of interesting and educationaldiscoveruies. Interesting, in that it looked like there was a future for this country and educational, in learning that you could not expect to be able to do much walking if you drank the supposedly pure water lying everywhere on top of the ground. The local guide was already a seasoned homesteader and anyone that knew him would realize that he knew how sick, those poor greenhorns would get from drinking all that slough water. The next day, they walked back to Wadena and took the train to Hu... ... We had so many ducks that winter that we couldn't eat them all before the weather turned warm in the spring. When we tired of eating duck, there were lots of bush rabbits, and when we tired of rabbits, we ate duck. On the 20th of march 1949, I awoke one morning to find mom in an unusual mood and she told me dad had left for a drive with Cathy and the buggy during the night. For the life of me, I could not grasp what was going on, or what was to take place. Then I heard the buggy on the frozen ground and sure enough, dad was home. He had a passenger with him. She was an older lady and I was told her name was Mrs. Thorsen. I was then told to hook up Black, a calf we had broken, and to drive to the new neighbors to see how the building of their new house was coming along. I went, but I was not away very long because I knew the circumstances were not ordinary at home.

Changing Roles Of Men and Women Essay

In the years that followed the second world war, a golden age in history was set out. There was a surge in business, and after mourning their lost ones, people had grown to accept this new life. However, this new age also led to the social hierarchy, placing men at the top and their women at their feet. Men at the time were more than likely soldiers, adjusting to peace time once more. For most men, the idea was that they would start a family, get a job, and enjoy the benefits of being at the head of the household. The most common image of a man from this time was the typical business man, in a suit, going out and providing for his family. (Some of the most common occupations for men were drivers, secretaries and businessmen.) In return, it was expected for his wife, and all women, to be what was known as a â€Å"Good Wife†. A â€Å"good wife† would be expected to have a meal ready for her husband, to have perfect hair and make up, and to wait for the man to finish speaking before she spoke. It was socially acceptable for the man to punish his wife if he was displeased. Marital rape was commonplace, but often went unreported, due the expectations of a woman to please her husband. This often meant that the husband was allowed to abuse his wife for his own pleasure. While it may have been seen as ideal to be the head of the household, the did come some downsides to being a provider. The main issue men faced would have been pressure to provide. It was up to the man and the man alone to provide for what was potentially an ever growing family. There would have been a number of factors that could have led a man to suffer from a great deal of stress. With the 50’s came the civil rights movement, giving way to more minorities being allowed to work in the same profession as a white man. There was also an influx of immigrants at this time, who were seen as a cheap labour force by any big industrial power. This led to a number of men losing jobs, which then added to the stress. America at this time was at the height of the â€Å"Red Scare†, a period in which a mass hysteria gripped  Americans, and a fear of communism was evident. People that failed to meet the American ideals were often classed as commies, and those that were, were unable to keep their jobs. Therefore, there were a number of factors that prove that despite the fact that they had supremacy, life for the 1950’s man was not as easy as it seemed. Women in the 50’s had a difficult life. Many traditional women had no problem being subservient to men, it was an idea that had been in place since the birth of most modern nations. Women in the 50’s strived to be the ideal wife. They spent an inordinate amount of time cooking and cleaning, ensuring that everything was perfect for when their husband came home. They would also ensure that they had perfect hair and make up, and would stand at the ready to greet their husband when he returned. Women would often suffer at the hands of their husbands if they were displeased, and the lack of equal rights laws meant that this was not only allowed, but in many cases, socially expected. Women were unlikely to have a career at this time, again relying more on their husbands to provide for the family. It was deemed as being disobedient if a woman went against her husbands will. In the 1960’s, a new wave of feminist protests took place, inspired by the civil rights movement. 1960’s Inspired by the successes of the civil rights movement, women became bolder in their demands, and a new wave of feminism took hold. Women began to campaign for equality, and wanted to bring about an end to discrimination against women. A leading figure in women’s feminism in the sixties was Betty Friedan. A leading figure in feminism, Friedan published a book in 1963, titled â€Å"The Feminine Mystique†. This was her term for a set if ideas that said that women’s happiness came from being wives and mothers. Friedan challenged this notion, insisting that women needed employment to avoid frustration and boredom. She wrote of hundreds of college-educated women who felt little better than domestic servants. Men in the sixties retained employment in the military, sales, factories and  construction. At the time, the majority of politicians were men, and very few women were allowed a job in power. Typical jobs for women included teachers, nurses, and home-makers. Even though they were working, they were still limited to jobs that focused on childcare, or minor medical care. More women than ever were entering into paid work, which led to an increase in dissatisfaction amongst women that were still living in patriarchal households. The sixties led to a number of breakthroughs in feminism. Gradually, Americans came to accept some of the basic goals of the Sixties feminists: equal pay for equal work, an end to domestic violence, curtailment of severe limits on women in managerial jobs, an end to sexual harassment, and sharing of responsibility for housework and child rearing. During the sixties, there were major changes in marriage, particularly in the bedroom. More than ever, women had begun to use contraception. By the end of the sixties, around 80% of women of childbearing age were using the contraceptive pill after its approval by the federal government in 1960. This freed many women from unwanted pregnancy and gave them many more choices, and freedom, in their personal lives. There were heavy feminine influences on much of the culture in thee 1960s. In 1963, an American woman, the physicist Maria Goepper-Mayer, won a Nobel Prize for the first time. The civil rights and antiwar movements politicized and radicalised a growing number of women bombarded with contradictory expectations and images about work and family. While Lesley Gore’s hit song ‘You Don’t Own Me’ climbed the charts, Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best dominated television. One in 5 women with children under 6 and nearly one fourth of women whose children were over 16 held paid jobs in the Sixties. Their pay, however, was 60 percent of the male rate. Though equal pay legislation passed in 1963, that did not solve the problem of low pay in jobs that were classed as female. In 1966, the National organisation for women was formed. In 1968, feminists protested at the â€Å"Miss America† pageant, claiming that the competition was sexist. It was no longer unusual to see women in the top positions of what were seen as men’s careers, such as Opera Winfrey on TV, Madeline Albright in diplomacy as Secretary of State, and and in the Supreme Court, with  Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bayder Ginsburg. 1970’s In the seventies, it was apparent that the protests of the sixties had caused changes. Women were now able to hold jobs that granted them more power than ever before. It is clear that at this time, people were generally more accepting, and as a result, this decade saw more female political leaders than ever before. Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first female Prime Minister, in a move supported by most of the population. It was not her gender, but her social status and her actions that caused controversy, which in a way, showed that women were becoming more equal to men. Another woman who changed the face of politics include Isabel Martinez de Peron, who became the first female president of Argentina in 1974. She was also the first female head of state in the western hemisphere who wasn’t a monarch. Other women that took positions of great power included Elisabeth Domitien, the first woman Prime Minister of the Central African Republic; Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India until 1977; Prime Minister Golda Meir of Israel; Lidia Gueiler Tejada, who became president of Bolivia between 1979 and 1980; and Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, who became the first female Prime Minister of Portugal in 1979. Women’s rights and wages were high on the public agenda throughout the 1970s. Women continued to challenge traditional gender roles that confined them to work as child bearers and housewives, or kept them in routine, low-status positions. In the early 1970s, women constituted one-third of the workforce, but were still paid less than men. In 1972, the Whitlam Government ruled that women doing the same job as men should be paid the same wage. In 1979 women also won the right to paid maternity leave. Few women, however, were employed in managerial or high-status roles. More women had however, begun to work outside the house, men were allowed by society to show their sensitive sides. Whilst women would prepare for work,  men would take over more child care and housekeeping roles; a step away from any previously existing stereotypes regarding gender roles. However, with new conflicts such as Vietnam arising, it was a time when many men would be drafted and forced to fight. At this time, many people opposed the war in Vietnam, and believed that it wasn’t worth the loss. Therefore, women weren’t relied on as heavily during this conflict to keep things running on the home front, and so there wasn’t a major shift in gender roles. Equality spread to military service for 70s women as well. Women were however finally admitted into U.S. military academies, though assignments in combat would have to wait. The U.S. Army did, however, finally eliminate the Women’s Army Corps in 1978 and brought women into the U.S. Army. The feminism of the 60s had not yet died out, and what is referred to as the â€Å"New Wave† of feminism came to be. This was a huge success with women becoming more equal on any number of fronts. This was the first time that more women attended college than men, with the number of women in college making up 60% of the population. It was also in the sixties that the first female magazines were published, which featured male centrefolds. 1980s The 1980s saw major advances in technology, with televisions, early internet connections and video tapes all becoming more common. Some would argue that this was a new golden age in Hollywood, with hundreds of new movies and TV shows being readily available to those that could afford them. This growth in media had a direct impact on life at the time. Stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger promoted the â€Å"tough guy† image in their violent, action packed ventures onto the big screen. This led to a lot of men trying to emulate this image, with some going to extreme lengths to get that â€Å"Action Hero Look†. Women in movies at the time were either shown as the â€Å"Damsel in Distress†, in need of rescue, or the love interest of the protagonist. Some films, such as the â€Å"Alien† series, broke this stereotype, casting strong, female actresses in leading roles. While some aspired to be follow the film stars of the time, another major media influence was in music. Madonna was one such icon, who broke all  previously set boundaries regarding what was allowed in the media. With her provocative outfits, controversial lyrics and strong attitude, she became a figure in the growth of females as sex icons. She has inspired many current musicians, many of whom are still seen as mere icons. She also paved the way for an era of scantily clad glamour models, who wore very little, and promoted the idea that a woman had to be thin, with clear skin and perfect hair, in order to be attractive. Men had become more and feminine, following influences of Bon Jovi, Queen, and other similar musicians. It was more common for men to have long hair, wear tight clothes and to complete more traditionally women’s roles. Michael Jackson was another influence, with his high pitched voice, outlandish outfits and his behaviour on stage, he showed a generation that men were able to sing, dance and generally perform as women did. Freddie Mercury also showed this. Being openly homosexual, he often wore women’s outfits, such as his trademark white jumpsuit, and danced whilst performing, making him an icon of the less masculine man in the 80s. The household hierarchy had changed again in the 80s, with more women being the breadwinner for the family. The 80s suffered from an economic recessions, so many families relied on both parents to go out and make a living. Eventually, this recession would come to pass. The financial world and the stock market were glamorized in a way they had not been since the 1920s, and figures like Donald Trump and Michael Milken were widely seen as symbols of the decade. Widespread fear of Japanese economic strength would grip the United States in the ’80s. The 1980s gave a variety of role models in the media. 1990s During the 90s, it is widely believed that women were slipping in some cases back into the previous roles of the caregiver. Women’s long quest for equality appeared to be coming to a halt. Bill Clinton was president of America throughout the 90s, and despite the fact that he was a notorious  womaniser, he was a preferred political leader to his wife, Hillary. Most men and even some women were uncomfortable at the idea of a woman being in the White House as leader of the free world. Despite the opposition to Hillary Clinton, she remained a member of the Senate, being the first woman to do so after their husbands term in office had ended. Other women were appointed to Clinton’s office in positions of power. During the time he was in office, he appointed Madeleine Albright as Secretary of State, and Janet Reno as the United States Attorney General. Sheila Widnall became Secretary of the Air Force, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined Sandra Day O’Connor as the second woman to be on the U.S. Supreme Court. Women were becoming significantly more visible in American politics. The role of women in politics was changing in other countries, too. Margaret Thatcher, who had been the Prime Minister of Great Britain throughout the 1980s, resigned in late 1990, ending an era in which young women saw her as an example of how a strong woman could successfully lead a major Western nation. Although women had made great strides in their self confidence in the 1980s, they almost seemed to be taking a step back at the beginning of the 1990s. However, this trend did not last for long. Feminism continued to grow in strength once again. When Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas was nominated, several women, including Anita Hill, came forward and testified about how they had been sexually harassed by him in the past. This gave other women the courage to speak out against the sexual harassment they had experienced in the workplace. As a result, many women realized they no longer had to suffer in silence while their male co-workers told obscene jokes or made suggestive remarks to them. With the 90s came even greater advances in technology, with computers and thee internet becoming more powerful, communication was made easier, and the media was able to have an even greater influence on society. Although women seemed to have made strides in Hollywood during the 1980s, they seemed to lose ground in the 1990s. In the theatres, most of the leading roles continued to be played by men in movies such as â€Å"Dances with Wolves,† and â€Å"Braveheart.† However, a few women were able to land leading roles in movies like â€Å"Twister,† and â€Å"Pretty Woman.† Although â€Å"Twister† portrayed a woman  scientist, â€Å"Pretty Woman† was the classic Cinderella story in which a poor girl has her life transformed by a rich, successful man. Music was again another influence in the 90s. Mariah Carey became the biggest female music artist of the decade. Other popular female recording artists included Spice Girls, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. Some male performers were criticized by the National Organization for Women because their music appeared to advocate violence against women. In particular, they objected to the lyrics of the song, â€Å"Smack My Bitch Up,† by the Prodigy. In the video, a person was depicted abusing women and picking up a prostitute. Many women were vocal in their objections to this type of music, and the negative ideas it might give young men. Eminem also became controversial with the song â€Å"Kim†, which described the brutal murder of his ex wife. Despite some setbacks, feminism was alive and well during the 1990s. â€Å"You go, girl† was a popular expression during the decade. People also talked about Girl Power, and the importance of encouraging young women to reach their potential. The 90s saw more women in colleges and universities, and more women than ever began to graduate into higher levels of employment. As the 20th century drew to a close, women had made great progress, but were yet to achieve all of their goals. The New Millennium Many would argue that with the new millennium women have been able to achieve their goals. In some cases, this is true, with women being able to take up higher positions in employment. There are now more women as doctors, lawyers and politicians than ever before. There are less women being subject to abuse and marital rape in western society. More crimes against women are being taken seriously by the courts. Men are now more commonly taking up the role of the housewife. In many cases, the roles of men and women in society have almost reversed. The is no denying that society has changed. But this isn’t always the case. More than ever, the media has a tight grip on people. This means that its influences on society are greater than ever. Both men and women have grown to crave the looks that the media deems acceptable. The new millennium paved the way for the metro-sexual man, a male who takes great pride in his appearance, often using hair care products, fake tan and make up. This image is shown heavily in TV shows such as â€Å"Geordie Shore† and â€Å"The Only Way is Essex†. These shows not only promote this infeasible idea of what is good looking, but they also promote sexual promiscuity in their teenage viewers. This has led to a large number of teenage pregnancies, which has then either led to abortive procedures or students dropping out of education, barely able to support themselves. This isn’t the only way both genders are exploited in the media. Modelling has become more and more common, but for women in particular, it is seen as a necessity to have a petite frame with perfect hair and skin. But due to photo editing, women are perceived differently to in real life. This leads thousands of young girls to anorexia, bulimia, and in some extreme cases, anxiety and depression. Men are also edited in the media, but not to the scale that women are. Across the world, there are still places in eastern culture in which women have little to no rights. The Middle East in particular, is very strict against women. In some areas, women aren’t allowed to leave their homes without a male escort, and can suffer severe consequences if they do. Women in these cultures do not work, instead it is still the man that acts as the bread winner for the family. Recently, the president of Turkey attempted to ban women from laughing in public. Several years ago, it was illegal for women to vote in the Middle East. Both cases were met with huge resistance. Women defied the law and were finally allowed to vote. Women in Turkey openly laughed in public as a form on protest. Now, in the Middle East, women are finally beginning their struggle for independence. Islamic clerics continue to enjoy a tremendous amount of power, and often exercise great influence in the field of education. The Middle East (including Israel) is unduly hostage to clerics, who do not allow the codification of civil personal status laws. For example, only Cyprus, of all the Middle Eastern countries, recognizes interfaith marriages. Furthermore,  Islam has sanctioned and perpetuated many sexist practices and views, including polygamy, the stigmatization of menstruation, the requirement of wifely obedience to the husband, and the inequality of inheritance and court appearances. All of these practices have at one point or another been part of Christian and Jewish practices or cultures. Although religion bears major responsibility for the inferior status of women, it cannot be solely blamed for the gender problem in the Middle East. In reality, the role of culture has been even more prominent in perpetuating the oppression of women. Female genital mutilation, for example, is a cultural practice that has afflicted women in several cultures at different times in history. The practice, which in Islam garners dubious permission in an alleged Hadith of the Prophet, is largely unknown in most Muslim countries, though it is still practised in rural areas of both Muslim and non-Muslim parts of Africa. Similarly, the so-called â€Å"honour crimes† have no basis in Islam. Furthermore, though veiling has become a symbol of Middle Eastern oppression of women, the practice actually came to Muslim cultures from Christian Byzantium.

Ball State University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Ball State University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 65%. Located in Muncie, Indiana, about an hour from Indianapolis, Ball States programs in business, education, communications, and nursing are popular with undergraduates. The Communication and Media Building is named after the schools most famous alumnus, David Letterman. In athletics, the Ball State Cardinals compete in the NCAA Division I  Mid-American Conference. Popular sports include basketball, soccer, football, and track and field. Considering applying to Ball State University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Ball State University had an acceptance rate of 65%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 65 students were admitted, making Ball States admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 23,988 Percent Admitted 65% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 24% SAT Scores and Requirements Ball State University has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Ball State may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required for most applicants.  During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 68% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 540 620 Math 530 610 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of  Ball States admitted students fall within the  top 35% nationally  on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Ball State scored between 540 and 620, while 25% scored below 540 and 25% scored above 620. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 530 and 610, while 25% scored below 530 and 25% scored above 610. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1230 or higher is competitive for Ball State. Requirements Ball State University does not require SAT scores for admission for most applicants. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Ball State participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Ball State does not require the essay section of the SAT. Note that homeschooled applicants as well students who attend a high school that does not provide grades must submit standardized test scores. ACT Scores and Requirements Ball State University has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Ball State may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required for most applicants.  During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 32% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 19 24 Math 18 24 Composite 20 24 This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Ball States admitted students fall within the  top 49% nationally  on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Ball State received a composite ACT score between 20 and 24, while 25% scored above 24 and 25% scored below 20. Requirements Note that Ball State does not require ACT scores for admission for most applicants. For students who choose to submit scores, Ball State participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Ball State does not require the ACT writing section. Note that homeschooled applicants as well students who attend a high school that does not provide grades must submit standardized test scores. GPA In 2018, the average GPA of Ball State Universitys incoming freshmen class was 3.5. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Ball State have primarily high B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Ball State University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Ball State University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Ball State University, which accepts nearly two-thirds of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind that Ball State has test-optional admissions, so your grades are going to be much more important than your test scores (though home-schooled applicants and those attending schools that do not provide grades do need to submit test scores). However, Ball States admissions process considers more than numerical data. The admissions office will be looking at the rigor of your high school courses, not just your grades. Ball State also likes to see involvement in meaningful extracurricular activities, and an upward trend in grades. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Successful applicants typically have high school averages of B- or higher, combined SAT scores of about 1000 or higher (ERWM), and ACT composite scores of 19 or better. Since Ball State has test-optional admissions, grades are much more important than test scores in the admissions process. If You Like Ball State University, You May Also Like These Schools Indiana University, BloomingtonOhio State UniversityMichigan State UniversityIllinois State UniversityUniversity of KentuckyDePauw UniversityPurdue University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Ball State University Undergraduate Admissions Office.