Child Prostitution in South-East Asia Essay Example

Child Prostitution in South-East Asia Paper Child prostitution is an appalling social issue plaguing Southeast Asia’s youth and society at large. In this brief paper I will expand on the epidemic of child prostitution in this region of the world. By illustrating why these children are becoming prostitutes and pointing out who is paying for their business, I hope to better understand the scenario and look at alternatives to alleviating this social problem. The magnitude of this problem is phenomenal. The Human Rights branch of the United Nations has estimated that â€Å"hundreds of thousands of children are involved in child prostitution and pornography in India alone. Other reports say there are 200,000 child prostitutes in Thailand, and 60,000 in the Philippines† (Lukas, 1996). These U. N. estimates are not accurate because they were taken several years ago and since child prostitution is illegal many of the numbers remain hidden from western statistics. The U. N. doesn’t post statistics with regard to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, or Indonesia which are all countries where child prostitution occurs. These estimates that the U. N. has predicted, do present a question of why child prostitution is occurring in the first place. Much of Southeast Asia is comprised of lesser-developed countries where poverty, hunger, and child labor are rampant. Having children who go to work selling their bodies is a deplorable act, in my opinion. Unfortunately this is a cultural norm in countries like Cambodia and many other countries of the region. Mu Sochua is Cambodia’s Minister for Women’s Affairs and she claims that, â€Å"it’s become socially acceptable to sleep with young girls; the message is its O. K. Do it. You won’t be punished† (Perrin, 2002). We will write a custom essay sample on Child Prostitution in South-East Asia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Child Prostitution in South-East Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Child Prostitution in South-East Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mu Sochua thinks that if the Cambodian society changed their opinion with regard to child prostitution then girls wouldn’t be drawn into these sorts of situations. These children wouldn’t sell themselves if there was no one to buy them for these acts, and they would have to find an alternative method to make money. Growing up here in the United States I have become comfortable with the idea that child prostitution is a horrible, disgusting act. I was shocked to learn, however, that male tourists from the U. S. and other industrialized nations were the people buying these young children for sex. Predominantly men from Japan, Germany, Scandinavia, the Middle East, and the U. S. are the major consumers of child prostitution (Crooks and Baur, 2002). Other research verified that â€Å"foreigners are not the only ones who exploit our children,† according to Mu Sochua (Perrin, 2002). It is also local native men who not only buy sex from children but force children into becoming prostitutes. Many families even sale their daughters and sons to brothels or to pimps as another source of familial income when times are harsh. It’s not just young girls who end up in these lifestyles, it is young boys also. One 13 year old Indonesian boy who was interviewed reported, â€Å"I could not refuse since he gave me meals. I let him do what he did do me sexually. It was very painful when he did it for the first time. Now I am ok. I do not feel the pain anymore. I could even enjoy the act† (Lancet, 2002). These sad situations exemplify why these children are forced into these lifestyles. If they do not have parents to provide them with the necessities of life like food, then they will have to work for it. None of my research ever illustrated a case in which a child was selling himself/herself because he/she wanted too. Prostitution is a way for these children to get food for the day and a roof over their heads at night sometimes. This problem has a clear connection with Third World countries and although economic development may not be the precise solution, it will bring better education and more modern principles that will help to alleviate this epidemic. Many governments in many of the worst areas for child prostitution have already begun to address the problem by cracking down on the sex tourists. Much of the pressure to get tough on sex tourists has come from ECPAT, which is an acronym for End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism. ECPAT promotes the â€Å"enforcement of prostitution and child-abuse laws and helps to raise public awareness about the dangers of child prostitution† (Chidey, 1996). Cracking down on the sex tourists is not the only factor that the governments of these countries needs to do. They also need to crack down on the corrupt law enforcement agents, whom allow these deprived children to be exploited. Welfare programs need to be instituted so that these children can get food and shelter from the government rather than by selling their bodies on the streets and spreading the HIV virus. Although I have focused primarily on the economic development and cultural norms of the society as factors which cause child prostitution to occur, I think it is very clear that child prostitution doesn’t just happen in Third World countries where different cultural principles exist. It is fair to say that the predominant amount of child prostitutes is in Asia, however, the Human Rights branch also estimates that there are over 200,000 here in the United States and many others in well-developed countries (Lukas 1996).

Textuality - Definition and Discussion

Textuality - Definition and Discussion In linguistics  and literary studies, the property by which successive sentences form a coherent text in contrast to a random sequence. Textuality is a key concept in post-structuralist theory. In their study Translation as Text (1992), A.  Neubert and G.M. Shreve define textuality as the complex set of features that texts must have to be considered texts. Textuality is a property that a complex linguistic object assumes when it reflects certain social and communicative constraints. Observations The Domains of Texture, Structure, and ContextThe three basic domains of textuality . . . are texture, structure, and context. The term texture covers the various devices used in establishing continuity of sense and thus making a sequence of sentences operational (i.e. both cohesive and coherent). . . .Another source from which texts derive their cohesion and acquire the necessary coherence is structure. This assists us in our attempt to perceive specific compositional plans in what otherwise would only be a disconnected sequence of sentences. Structure and texture thus work together, with the former providing the outline, and the latter fleshing out the details. . . .In dealing with structure and texture, we rely on higher-order contextual factors which determine the way a given sequence of sentences serves a specific rhetorical purpose such as arguing or narrating (i.e. becomes what we have called text).(Basil Hatim and Ian Mason, The Translator as Communicator. Routledge, 1997) What Is a Text?There are various senses in which a piece of writing may be said to be a text. The word text itself is the past participle stem of the Latin verb texere, to weave, intertwine, plait, or (of writing) compose. The English words textile and texture also derive from the same Latin word. This etymology of the word text is apparent in expressions that refer to the weaving of a story, the thread of an argument, or the texture of a piece of writing. A text may thus be taken to be a weaving or a network of analytic, conceptual, logical, and theoretical relations that is woven with the threads of language. This implies that language is not a transparent medium through which arguments are expressed, . . . but is interwoven with or provides the very filaments of the substantive arguments themselves.(Vivienne Brown, Textuality and the History of Economics. A Companion to the History of Economic Thought, ed. by W. J. Samuels et al. Blackwell, 2003)Texts, Textuality, and TextureThe p roper business of literary criticism is the description of readings. Readings consist of the interaction of texts and humans. Humans are comprised of minds, bodies and shared experiences. Texts are the objects produced by people drawing on these resources. Textuality is the outcome of the workings of shared cognitive mechanics, evident in texts and readings. Texture is the experienced quality of textuality.(Peter Stockwell,  Texture: A Cognitive Aesthetics of Reading. Edinburgh University Press,  2009) Textuality and TeachingAs I see it, textuality has two aspects. One is the broadening of the objects we study and teach to include all the media and modes of expression. . . . Expanding the range of texts is one aspect of studies in textuality. The other . . . has to do with changing the way we look at texts to combine the perspectives of creator and consumer, writer and reader. Both of these aspects of textuality have to do with helping students open their minds and expand their vision of how texts work and what they do. The larger goal of textuality is the opening of a wider world of culture for students . . ..The study of textuality involves looking at works that function powerfully in our world, and considering both what they mean and how they mean.(Robert Scholes,  English After the Fall: From Literature to Textuality. University of Iowa Press, 2011)  Ã‚   Also Known As: texture

An Enlightening Dining Experience Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

An Enlightening Dining Experience - Case Study Example We took a turn down Newberry Road, and ran into a tiny, modern looking restaurant with a large, lit dragon on the top. Next to the dragon read Bento Cafe. Bento, as in bento box Interesting enough, we pondered. We thought that at least it had to be better than that delivery pizza. Out of curiosity, we rushed inside the restaurant through the pouring rain. I must admit that I have been to many restaurants and fast food places, but Bento Caf is far from ordinary. Bento Caf portrays a unique concept, catering to college students around ages eighteen to twenty two. It's overall theme or story, dcor and atmosphere, cuisine, specialty items, reasonable prices and its proximity to campus all can be described as very unique and culminate to produce this unique concept. It wasn't until the time we sat down that I really had a chance to take in Bento Caf's unique theme: a very small, but different type of caf or sushi bar. Many may call Bento the "McDonald's" of Japanese sushi restaurants. Far from this, Bento defines a novel trend in everyday dining experiences. It is modeled after popular cafes found in the urban parts of Japan and Taiwan. Bento Caf utilizes Zen architecture and interior design, creating a neat and uncluttered overall presentation. To complete the effect, Bento serves many of their meals in Bento boxes or little partitioned trays which are modeled after a traditional Japanese box lunch. In the Japanese culture, a box lunch is actually an art form because Japanese women may spend hours on cooking and color coordinating the food, chopsticks, tray, and the napkin for their children to carry to school or their husband to carry to work. Although this may seem a bit paltry, it actually defines a common theme in Japan. Thus, these are th ought of as the cafeteria trays of Japan. This overall theme of Bento Caf may be novel for Westerners like us but defines what is traditional for the Japanese. This theme makes it a perfect place for young people to dine in and hang out. A diner in Benton might note its very unique atmosphere which enhances its overall appeal. The restaurant can be described as different because it fuses Japanese tradition with the modern market. While some may chastise the cool and casual feel of Bento, it is extremely hip, and beckons a younger crowd of people. Compared to the usually dull and monotonous atmosphere of fine dining sushi restaurants, Bento's design is hip and trendy. Bento incorporates hard surfaces and sharp edges with the sparkle of the black marble looking tables, dark blue tiles and metallic smattering; the dcor is far from mundane and can be described as ultra-modern. The subdued lighting, neon, polished concrete, wooden chairs and flat screen televisions on the wall add to the overall ultra modern theme. However, this is balanced with soft candle lights, and blue and silver highlights which is very appealing to many college students. The glowing tables due to the brilliant lighting enhance the setting. The mus ic in the background offers a very loungy and hip appeal. Towards the back of the caf lie a couch and a seating arrangement around a large window while a flat screen television resides in front of the couch. In its commitment to offer a perfect place, cleanliness is maintained throughout its