Significance of Political Texts Nations and the World

Political texts are written mainly to highlight the issues and problems of one specific country or the whole world. They bring forward the issues that either unnoticed by government or burning issues of the time along with the solutions and suggestion. People analyze those issues collect data and statistic to simplify and provide simple possible solutions to the government and people. Texts such as Women Capabilities and the Rights to Education in Bangladesh by Sajeda Amin and More than 100 Million Missing Women by Aamartya Sen , are representing women related issues in Bangladesh and in the world.
Political texts are very crucial to inform people about problems of their country as Amin brings up the issues related to the women education in Bangladesh and women status due to education. In her text she argues that women education in Bangladesh is a “to acquire human capital” (126). She than analyses that this approach is to enhance the economy of the country; it is also valued due to “fertility decline”, “decline in mortality”, “to live longer life” and “empowerment of women”. Further she explains that though the instrumentalist approach has its advantages but it is not as effective as it has to be in enhancing women capabilities. In conclusion she suggest that education in Bangladesh should be promoting women capabilities so women can get more power and be more aware of their rights and also be able “to question the traditional views”(140). Likewise every political text is important to analyze the problems of country and to provide with relevant suggestions and solutions.
Similarly Amartya Sen in his political article More than 100 Million missing Women presents a global issue of missing women. He provides with evidences and facts to analyze the issue of missing women. His ratios play very important part to persuade the reader and make them scrutinize the issue. For instance he examines women to men ratio in the world being 100 women for every 105 or 106 men. Similarly in western world where women outnumber men but in Asia men outnumber women. He presents many reasons but he gives one main reason of missing women could be lack of education. He analyzes every issue thoroughly and suggests government to take steps to spread education in developing countries to overcome this problem. These types of texts are very important to spread awareness among the world about burning issues and help the world to take initiatives to solve the problems.
In short political texts are helpful to enlighten the world and to bring up the issues. Political texts are useful to solve problems of the world.

Works cited
Arends-Kuenning,Mary and Amin,Sanjeda, “Women’s capability and right to education in Bangladesh .” International Journal of Politics and Society, Vol. 15, No.1, September 2001. Print.
Sen, Amartya. “More Than 100 Million Missing Women.”Nybooks Archives. Dec,20 1990. Mar 4, 2013.

Contribution of A Paragraph to More Than100 Million Missing Women

Amartya Sen In paragraph four on second page of his article “More Than100 Million Missing Women” argues that East West division does not hinders the political career of women in East. Although the ratio of women to men is very low in large countries of South Asia as compare to West. His argument seems very vague but he manages to strengthen it by his evidences and facts.
To prove his main argument about East-West division and political career of women yet low ratio of women to men in South Asia, he uses logos from South Asian countries. For instance, he uses “women to men ratios of South Asian countries being lowest in the world” for examples India and Bangladesh: 0.94, and Pakistan: 0.90, which are the large countries of the region having lowest ratio of women to men. Furthermore, he adds the political status of women in South Asia and he discusses these regions being “pioneer in electing women as top political leaders’ but not for ensuring women’s rights. By his evidences he appeals the readers to accept his argument. He simplifies his argument later in another paragraph that women in West have not such political privileges as East have but western common women have more rights and they have outnumber men. Through his examples of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh having an elected heads of government, he implies that political career cannot ensure equality and cannot be the cause of low or high ratio of women to men. So people who claim that the East West division is the reason behind low ratio of women to men and doing gender is not valid after analyzing his examples from Eastern world and the right women have in politics.
The paragraph discusses very specific and logical argument of Sen that East West division is not the cause of missing women. It overall presents the idea that there cannot be one reason in lacking women from the world. It also contributes to present the situation of women to men ratio in four largest countries in South Asia which is again very helpful in understanding the ratio of women to men in South Asia as part of the world. The main purpose of Sen in writing this article was to figure out reasons behind 100 million missing women and this specific paragraph is helpful in proving that the conventional believes of East West division cannot be enough reason behind missing women from world. Rather there may be this reason of empowerment of common women in West which makes women less deprived of their rights than in East.

Sen, Amartya, “More Than 100 Million Missing Women.” Nybooks Archives. Dec 20, 1990. Mar 31, 2013.

Judith Shakespeare an example of women in 1800s

“One knows nothing detailed anything perfectly true and substantial about her.” Human history is full of information about almost everything but common women. If one will study the history one will see a queen, a slave or a concubine but not women. The author of A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf is facing problem in finding a women “a common women” and her life style. She is trying to figure out how would be women’s life before 1800s? She asks from the historians and from their answers she assumes that early women were not educated, confined to household, suppressed and inferior therefore she makes an imaginary character called Judith having all the characters of women, to make Judith intelligent author supposes that she was gifted sister of Shakespeare. In addition to make Judith’s character similar to the poetic representation of women, author gives her beauty, strength, good nature and wisdom. As the poetic representation of women is “she is a vessel in which all sorts of spirits and forces are coursing and flashing perpetually.” so it means women for the poets were like a vessel due to which everything of the world is continuous. These two different images of women compel Woolf to create Judith and she shows her in the society before 1800s. She also imagines her struggle against her family and society. She explicitly shows the behavior of society towards women of that era. The author very artfully takes us back to 1600 or 1700 centuries with her fiction character and shows the common women of history which one cannot find any historical books.
Furthermore Woolf tries to explain why a woman cannot have genius of Shakespeare and why she cannot write like Shakespeare, through her unreal character “Judith”. She represents women from the century before 1800s that they was not educated, parents were forcing them to marry at early ages, they were restricted to do households and even she does not have the privilege to touch the books. And when they were trying to disobey their family they were beaten, scolded, emotionally suppressed and even not accepted by the society, women genius was never recognized by men and ancient women were deprived of their rights so they were not able to do what they wanted.
Thus writer has a clear purpose to show the women of 1700s through her imaginary character Judith, as she does have a real example of common women from 1800 century.
Works Cited
Woolf, Virginia. “A Room of One’s Own.” Fort Washington: Harvest Book. 1981. First published 1929.

Pausanias: Two Types Of Love

Pausanias: Two types of love
You will be surprise that why I have choose this topic? It is not me who believes that rather it is the “Pausanias”. Pausanias is the great philosopher of Greek times and a character in Plato’s framed story “symposium”. This is a framed story of Plato (there are other stories in the story). The story of “symposium” begins with a dialogue between two persons. One of them demands the other to tell about the dinner party at Agathon where many philosophers spoke about love. So this man tells the speeches of every philosopher including Pausanias. Pausanias begins his speech and he thinks there are two kinds of love as he with some of his friends considered love as a god, so there were two goddesses with the name of Aphrodite and these both were considered as gods of love by Greeks. Pausanias then explains that one of these gods was heavenly Aphrodite and other was common Aphrodite. Though these two goddesses have impacts on love however different cities have different attitudes towards love.
Pausanias further explains that how these two goddesses are dominating the affairs of love “depending upon which goddess is love’s partner” (465). For Pausanias common love is “love felt by vulgar” (466) this love is only about physical relationship with boys as well as with women. On the other hand heavenly love is the pure one “this goddess, who’s decent, is purely male (hence this love is for boys)” (466). Here he assumes that pure love is only for men of their own kinds, so “they find pleasure” in loving more “intelligent and strong” ones (466). In heavenly love he believes that one man sacrifices everything to his loved one and is ready to love his lover throughout his life. Here we can see how the early Greek was thinking about love; there were no restrictions on love for male as we see now in many countries. Though there were certain cities at that time which were opposing love of any kind but Greeks were disregarding them for their acts.
Pausanias continues his speech by comparing different cities and countries and their customs concerning love. He tells that how it is difficult for Athens and Spartan to take a lover openly. But in the city of Boeotia, it was considered as tradition “tradition straight forwardly approves taking a lover in every case” (466). There it was not shameful like it was in Ionia and Persian Empire. In Persia taking a lover was considered to be disgraceful (467). Here Pausanias dislikes the ways of Persian Empire and it somehow shows the distrust among the two Great empires.
At last he discusses what the Athens think about love: they label love as graceful, honorable and god but in Pausanias’s opinion love is “neither honorable nor disgraceful —its character depends entirely on the behavior it gives rise to” (468). Pausanias maintains his argument on love by saying a true lover will do whatever his lover is demanding to do without being concern of the result but a vulgar one will not.

Women and Veil in Islam

Women and veils
Is Feminism “rights of women equal to men” is possible in Islamic world? Is the question that arises after reading the Lorber’s article Night to his day: The social construction of gender in his article he mentions the social structure of Muslim women. He says that Muslim “women are kept out of sight behind walls or veils, have no rights” (61). Often Muslim women in veils are suppressed and dominated by men because veil is the way to hide the women’s abilities. Many people also think that veil is the women’s freedom to practice the religion. But in reality is there any relation of dress code with religion? I don’t think so because dress is the social need rather than religious norm. People might say Quran emphasis on the “purdah”? In fact “The Quran does not use the word `hijab` for women in general. Instead it exhorts women not to display their zeenah (adornments, charms) publicly (verse 2431)” (Ali). And the hijab system differs from community to community and country to country.
As all Muslim believe that Islam is the religion that has guidance in all aspect of life. But if we consider that women should be kept in homes and secluded from the world and men can enjoy every moment of life then Islam limits human rights and creates differences among people, yet in Quran “Whoso acts righteously, whether male or female and is a believer, We will surely grant him a pure life; and We will surely bestow on such their reward according to the best of their works (Ch.16: V.98). This is one of the Quranic verses that state all human beings are equal in front of Allah accept for their deeds. So dress code or veils for women are human creation as in history we studied it was created by Abbasids (Shias later when they were in power) in mediaeval period due to their political and family interests in addition these were ways to limit women’s rights. That’s how many things came to religion and now people are considering them as part of religion. There is not any relation of veil and freedom rather it limits women to house hold work and child rearing. So the feminists who believe veil as a social norm are right and Naghibi is right in saying “the reality is more complex” because Muslims can be exploited more often on the name of Islam. In reality there is nothing like “hijab” in the Quran and religion.

Work cited
Ali, Asghar. “Purdah: Quranic and Social. DAWN.COM.” DAWN Archives RSS. N.p., 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2013

Lorber, Judith. Night to his day: The social construction of gender. 61. 15 Feb.2013

Is Plato Feminist?

Is Plato a feminist?
After reading symposium I did not get the least idea of Plato’s feminism but then I read the articles is Plato a feminist? These articles made me confused because in these articles the author was referring to Symposium. So, I went through the symposium again and also our teacher told us in class that the word “feminist” is a new word it did not exist at Plato’s time. Now I became more curious about this matter so I reached Oxford English dictionary that defines feminism as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.” This definition cleared my confusion and I strongly believe that Plato —was not a feminist. Though people will give arguments to prove Plato a feminist that his time was totally different and compare to that era he did a lot for women and their identity but it is illusion of opponents because he was strongly believed in man power. Yet he discusses women so yes women were part of the society and no one can deny their existence.
People who consider Plato a feminist claim that Plato wanted women to get status in the society but in reality Plato makes it clear by his arguments that woman are weak and inferior. He also promotes relationship among the male member of society. Throughout the symposium he is supporting male but it is also the fact that in some places he have discussed women —but as “inferior and weak” and that’s because there were people preferred women over men so, Plato call women “inferior and unintelligent.” He even disgrace the marriage and reproduction “they are bold and brave and masculine, and they tend to cherish what is like them. Do not want me to prove it? Look, these are the only boys who grow up to be real men in politics.” “They naturally pay no attention to marriage or to making babies, except insofar as they are required by local custom” (475) for Plato marrying a girl was a mere custom not anything to be praised.
While considering Plato a feminist opponent argue that he has mentioned Diotima and her arguments in symposium but it is ignorant because as we know in symposium Diotima is not speaking. Actually Socrates is telling story and even we don’t know who Diotima was? Was she a real women or goddess or an imaginary character? As they are discussing love and origin of love from the two goddesses so, it is not an unusual that he is creating another story of a goddess. Even she gives men power of reproduction by saying that men can also reproduce “wisdom” and she does not discusses love regarding women and not says a word how she considers love for women. Another thing is that though they considered goddesses the creators of love but he tries to imply love for men is nothing to be ashamed. And to verify his argument he creates boy friends for Socrates. Discussing sacrificing in love Phaedrus uses “even if she’s a women” (664) this word “even” simply shows inferior position of women. Plato’s aim of discussing women is only to prove her inferior and tell the men who love women are “weak and coward.”
In conclusion Plato is not a feminist rather he tries to encourage relationship between men and men by disapproving love for women. He also uses the names of philosophers for his characters in symposium to attract, appeal and love men, as these philosophers are inspiration for people of every era.
Work cited
“Feminism.” Definition of in Oxford Dictionaries (British & World English). Oxford University Press, 2003. Web. 09 Feb. 2013.

A story Of Today’s Barbie Doll

The Story Of Today’s Barbie Doll
Barbie doll is a poem written by Marge Piercy says women’s story. The author begins the story from the birth of girl child, “this girl child was born as usual/and presented dolls that did pee-pee/and miniature GE stoves and irons/ and wee little lipsticks the color of cherry candy”. In these verses author tells us that when a girl child born, her family becomes very happy and supply her with doll and other little toys. This child becomes favorite of her parents because they see their own reflects in her “the color of cherry candy”. Then that child turns to the puberty, here author uses metaphor of magic for the stage of puberty when a girl gets comments from opposite sex. At this stage girls almost expect good comments. When they get comments like “you have a great big nose and fat legs” (6) they start to become conscious about their appearance.
Author changes the tense in second stanza and says once she was intelligent, healthy and had strong arms and back, by these author means she was strong and she has support. Author continues by saying she had ability to drive and men toward her by her intelligence and manual powers. But she did not understand that and apologized for nothing but everyone saw fatness of her body. But time changed for women and now no one admires these qualities. Now time suggests changing women and wanting women to attract attention of the world, “she was advised to play coy/exhorted to come on hearty/exercise, diet, smile and wheedle”. Today’s world encourages woman to be lively, attractive, and to exercise diet and wheedle. Then author states though she did what she wasn’t supposed to do and her identity lost under these exercises and wheedles. She uses a simile of fan belt to good nature. She says as a fan belt is necessary for a vehicle similarly good nature is necessary for human beings but now people are changed and good nature no more effect people. So now people are cutting down their fats and other parts of body to attract the world. “So she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up” here author refers to the plastic surgery and other modern techniques through which people are trying to look beautiful.
In last stanza author again uses metaphors of casket and undertaker for the people who keep applying new technology on their body from different surgeons or makeup artists like a casket by caretaker. This is what people considered perfection and a happy ending when they get compliment on their outfits and appearance. This poem is a critic on the ways and norms of today’s world.