Does Mulan Overthrow Oppressive Gender Norms free essay sample

During this story, the main character, a girl, joins the Chinese army to fight because she doesnt want her dad to get hurt. Girls were not allowed in the Chinese army so Mulan had to hide her identity doing a variety of different things. Many people speculate that Gender Trouble played a role in the creation of Mulan. Judith Butler believes that gender parody and bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms are means for overthrowing these oppressive gender norms. I believe that Mulan uses Butler’s theory to overthrow oppressive gender norms during three specific parts of the movie. The first part in which this occurs is in the beginning when Mulan attempts to impress the women and become an honorable lady. The second part is when Mulan decides to enter the army, and the third part is when she is at the army base and is part of the army. There are numerous examples throughout Mulan that have to do with feminist issues. During the beginning of Mulan, Mulan has to dress up and be ready to visit the matchmaker. The matchmaker grants all Chinese girls honor by leading them to their future husbands. There are plenty of examples of both gender parody and bodily performance in this scene. As Mulan enters to town, she is instantly cleaned up and made ready for the important meeting with the matchmaker. In this scene Mulans mother and another women are helping her get ready while they sing a song. A few of the lyrics in this scene are very peculiar. They almost are exaggerating sexism and the role that women play in society. This is the first example of gender parody in this movie. Wait and see, when were through, boys will gladly go to war for you. A girl can bring her family great honor in one way. By striking a good match, this could be the day. Men want girls with good taste. Calm, obedient, who work fast pace. With good breeding and a tiny waist. We all must serve our Emperor who guards us from the Huns. A man by bearing arms, A girl by bearing sons. (Bancroft 1998). Above are four quotes taken from the song sung during this scene. Gender parody is seen here by these lyrics. These lyrics seem very satirical. They make it seem as if the only possible way for a girl to be successful is to be pretty, get married, and have children. Also, bodily performance is seen in this part. When Mulan first goes to the town, she isnt very clean and has to be washed and dressed. The women have to turn Mulan into a lady to be able to meet the matchmaker. Also, all the girls that are walking to the matchmaker have very strait posture and are walking in unison while Mulan walks normal which to some people would show she isnt ladylike. When Mulans father is chosen to join the army and fight she becomes extremely upset. Women were forbidden to fight in wars so her father was chosen to go to the war. Mulan risks everything by taking her father’s gear, dressing as a man, and going to the army. The bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms are very obvious in this scene. Everything that Mulan does in this scene is against the gender norms. First, she cuts off her hair. Men having short hair while women having long hair are age-old gender norms. By cutting off her hair, she is attempting to be a man. Also, Mulan wears all of the gear. The gear and sword are symbols of masculinity and war. The law at this time was that women cant fight in wars and if so they would be executed. Mother: You must go after her, she could be killed. Father: If I reveal her, she will be. (Bancroft 1998). Mulan made a very brave decision to join the army and much of what she later has to do is completely opposite of gender norms. The most prominent example seen throughout Mulan that relates to Butlers theory for overthrowing oppressive gender norms is the time Mulan spends in the army. There are numerous examples of both gender parody and bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms. When Mulan enters the army on the irst day you can see her trying to act like a man in front of everybody else. When she is talking to the captain of the army, in a manly voice, she says You know how it is when you get those manly urges. You just gotta kill something, fix things, cook outdoors. (Bancroft 1998). While she is telling that to the captain, she has a very manly posture. She hits her chest and her open palm as she is talking to try to seem more masculine. This wh ole scene has gender parody. Throughout this scene, Mulan pretends to be a man by spitting and fighting as well. The lyrics to the song during this scene while they are training for battle are also signs of gender parody. The song repeats with the line Ill make a man out of you. (Bancroft 1998). Another form of gender parody seen throughout this scene is the fact that Mulan is constantly struggling to keep up with the rest of the men, suggesting she is the weakest out of all. Mulan then trains extra hard and eventually is able to keep up with the rest of the men. For many reasons, this portion of the movie display gender parody and bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms. Throughout Mulan, examples of gender parody and bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms are evident. These ideas originate in Gender Trouble. Butler believes that gender parody and the bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms are ways to break gender norms. What performance where will invert the inner/outer distinction and compel a radical rethinking of the psychological presuppositions or gender identity and sexuality? (Butler 189) Butler means in that quote what will change the paradigms of what is manly and what is womanly behavior? It’s hard to know whether or not these ideas will ever be changed or rethought, but the insight Butler has about these topics is provocative. The relationship between Mulan and Gender Trouble is clearly seen when watching and reading each of the two. Both are very feminist and against the gender norms. Judith Butler believes that gender parody and bodily performance of possible alternatives to established gender norms can break age old gender norms. Throughout Mulan, there are many examples of both of these topics. I believe that Mulan uses Butler’s theory to overthrow oppressive gender norms during three specific parts of the movie. The first part in which this occurs is in the beginning when Mulan attempts to impress the women and become an honorable lady. The second part is when Mulan decides to enter the army, and the third part is when she is at the army base and is part of the army. Bibliography Bancroft, Tony. Mulan. Recorded 1998. Disney. DVD Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.

Socio Cultural Environment of Saudi Arabia

Population According to the April 2010 Census, Saudi Arabia’s population was 27,136,977 as at that year. It is now estimated that the population could be close to 27,500,000 at present. This population comprises of about 18,707,576 Saudi nationals; those who are not citizens of the country are about 8,429,401. The population has a rapid growth with youths accounting for the majority of the population (Lippman 6).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Socio Cultural Environment of Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Education The education system in Saudi Arabia is exclusively managed by the Ministry of Education assisted by the Ministry of Higher Education. The system comprises about 25,000 schools, 24 public universities and about 8 private ones. Every Saudi citizen is entitled to free education and other educational amenities (Lippman 126). Language In Saudi Arabia, Arabic is considered the official language and is used in most of the places including schools and other social places. English is taken as a compulsory second language in schools and it is used mostly in companies, hotels and in schools where it is taught (Zuhur 246). Aesthetics Most of the Saudis dress in a traditional fashion to preserve their customary values. Some things such as alcoholic drinks are prohibited as they go against the religious teachings. Public exhibitions are considered unacceptable as far as domestic matters are concerned (Zirinski 129). Religion Saudi Arabia is regarded as an Islamic theocratic dominion in which Islam is the only official religion. Almost all Saudi citizens are Muslims and the only exceptions are passport holders. The other major religions in the country include Christianity and Hinduism, which are mainly practiced by non-Saudi citizens (Zuhur 18). Technology Technology in Saudi Arabia is managed by Communications and Information Technology Commission. It regulates and hosts a firewall, which determines what is contained on the websites that are accessible in the country. Currently, Saudi Arabia is one of the Asian countries that have recorded significant developments in technology (Zirinski 131). Political Discourse Political discourse in Saudi Arabia manipulates devout Muslims to comply with the authorities by showing absolute obedience to their rulers. Saudi Arabia’s political discourse prohibits citizens from criticizing their leaders in public. It is a criminal offence to be found making public criticisms about a ruler (Kamrava 341).Advertising Looking for report on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Social Organizations Saudi’s population has always consisted of nomads, villagers and a small number of townspeople. Kinship model is considered pervasive in the country with a lot importance given to the extended family as a unit of social organization (Kamrava 342). Values and Attitudes Arabs in Saudi Arabia believe that their dignity and honour are everything and should be well preserved. They also believe that people should be loyal to their families and that someone’s social class and family background determine their positions in the society. Their leading attitude is that everyone should believe in God to have a religious attachment (Zuhur 200). Comparing Hofstede’s Dimensions of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates Hofstede’s dimensions measure how low class individuals in organizations, institutions, and society at large accept and expect resources to be distributed equally to every member of the society. The dimensions assert that the level of equality in a society is mainly determined by the common citizens rather than the leaders. Saudi Arabia has a higher score of the Hofstede’s dimensions as compared to the United Arab Emirates. The high scores of Saudi Arabia indicate that the there is a large gap betw een the rich people and the poor ones. The low scores of United Emirates show that the region has as many wealthy people as the poor ones (Barnes 320). Works Cited Barnes, David. Operations Management: An International Perspective. London: Thomson Learning, 2008. Print. Kamrava, Mehran. The Nodern Middle East: A political History Since the First World War. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2010. Print. Lippman, Thomas. Saudi Arabia on the Edge: The Uncertain Future of an American Ally. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2012. Print.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Socio Cultural Environment of Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Zirinski, Roni. Ad Hoc Arabism: Advertising, Culture, and Technology in Saudi Arabia. New York, NY: Lang, 2005. Print. Zuhur, Sherifa. Saudi Arabia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print. This report on Socio Cultural Environment of Saudi Arabia was written and submitted by user Megan Walter to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Winter Storm essays

Winter Storm essays The white storm that I was caught in happened twenty-seven years ago. The natural disaster I refer to struck on Friday, January 28, 1977, The Blizzard of 77", or as author Erno Rossi, M.A. termed it White Death. What happened on that Friday so long ago was actually a winter hurricane. It had been such a cold, brutal winter. Lake Erie had been frozen solid by Christmas. With extreme temperature and record snowfall, the snow had piled up on top of the ice. So as the 50 mile an hour wind swept across Lake Erie, it blew the powdery snow off the lake, and into Buffalo and the surrounding counties. Into my county it came with a vengeance. I was working as an office clerk at a local linen factory. At that time I did not have my license to drive, so I had to depend on others for my transportation. On this particular day it was my Dad who drove me to work, and who would also drive me home. As we went to work that day it had been snowing heavily. Note enough for us hearty Upstate New Yorkers to stay home though. As the morning had progressed, so had the snow and the wind. My Dad had called me to let me know that he was leaving work early, everyone was being sent home. My Dad came and picked me up at about 12:00 noon. At which point the winds were even stronger and visibility was zero. There we were my Dad and I leaving the city of Batavia to make our six mile trek home in the storm. As we inched our way out of the city we were headed north to our home in Oakfield New York. When I say inched I mean it literally. The windshield wipers couldnt work fast enough to keep the snow off the windshield, the wind was howling around us. We couldnt see. I would roll my window down and pop my head out to see if we were still on the road, but that did little good. So we crept on. It seemed we were alone in this white vacuum. ...

Childrens Health - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Childrens Health - Smart Custom Writing Italian Renaissance Art Humor and SatireIn History of art, Italian Renaissance period is consider as one of the most productive period. It was the period where large number of   most outstanding masterpiece were found in all the major fields like painting, sculpture and architecture. During this period great artist   like Masaccio in painting, Brunelleschi in Architecture and Donatello in sculpture, their work of master piece marked the beginning of a new era in art history. It is also in this period that the artist were not just considered to be craft people, their social status change, and were recognized as individual with a unique and awesome talents. Art and Science were closely connected in Renaissance period because both the artist and the scientist strove for the mastery of the physical world. These artists bring–out   new concept and methods in the world of artistry. The art painting is profited by the two field of scientific study: the anatomy perspective this provides an accurate representation of the human body and the mathematical perspective. The effect of the perspective in painting to create a illusion of a three-dimension from the two-dimensional surface. Empirical means, make it possible for the   previous painters to achieved this effect, in 1420 Brunelleschi discovered the method of attaining three-dimensional impression by using the mathematical method. Artist used this method as chief instrument to pursuit reality since it could be systematically studied and explained. Some of this talented men were both Scientist and Artist, two of this were Leonardo da Vinci and Piero della Francesca. Along with the spread of the Renaissance, the Europeans a completely new world and culture were conceived. From the Renaissance concept, that humankind in control of   nature, this gave birth to modern science. The humanistic and scholastic thinking of human led to advancement and many great scientists and thinkers existed seventeenth century. The English constitution theory, as we have known today, is the result of the concepts of human freedom and republicanism that were adopted during the period of Renaissance. Perhaps one of the most significant thing that the Renaissance brought to the society aside from the breath taking work of art, was the ideology of individualism. Uniqueness in style and knowledge of each artist became the sign of nobility. During the Renaissance period, portraits of women were made without eye contact because of reasons that â€Å"exchange of glances† is already a form of communication during the fifteenth century. In the culture of Italy on Renaissance, portrait signifies and importance of lineage. A portrait of man is a visual parallel to the ideals of political system, to the nobility of birth to the member of aristocratic dynasties. In northern Italian court portraits celebrate women because of their exceptional aristocratic birth, but contribution to the society was seen principally in forging a family connection through marriage and in preservation of family through the birth of a male heir. Many of the greatest work of the renaissance period was devoted to Christianity, one of this is the painting of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s â€Å"The creation of Adam†. However, intellectual approach to religion has begun to change that affects the cultural life of the society, the changes had influenced the artists of that period which are reflected in their art. The beginning of the Italian Tragedy all goes back to Aristotle. His dramatic precept  Ã‚   became the basis of the all theatre scholarships. Debates regarding the aesthetic and technical aspect of the tragedy such as it concept and function comes from the poetics. The truth is, because of Italian Renaissance the treatise were able to reach the Western Culture. Due to some incidental comment of Aristotle regarding the time span of the dramatic action an Arestotelian Unities was developed by the Renaissance critics. Their interest for the treatise is not for the reason of academic but more especially for practicality since a help for the cinquecento playwright is needed in reviving the just discovered tragedy. Unsure of the real idea of a tragedy a thorough discussion happen in the Middle Ages. Because only few of the ancient text were known and mainly in anecdote or quote, scholars thought that tragedy is about a ghastly crimes that often times participated by women. But on the other hand Donatus concluded it as a literary form which refers to a noble character, great apprehension, and a sad ending. Dante on the other hand concluded that tragedy is a serious subject taken in sublime manner and having a dreadful ending. The purpose of tragedy as a poem is mostly intended for   a reading audience was further substantiated by the discovery of Seneca’s plays in the early fourteenth century first printed on 1474-84. Senecan   give more importance on speech rather than action met with great favor in a culture that give high value to the art of verbal talks. The involvement of the audience in the dramatic action would be the largest extent significant success of the cultural forum of theatre. At this point, playwright would often say that events should be displayed with virtual reality. Their guiding principle was much debated concept of credibility to actual reality. The stage must present the fictional world in a realistic manner to easily suspend the instinctive of audience who are reluctant to be drawn into the theatre’s world of illusion out from their real world. Some authors called attention to the creative ventures through which they brought realistic shows on stage. Some others like Dolce, went so far as to encouraget spectators to imagine themselves as living, if not physically, at least in sprit, in stage’s world of fiction. In the prologue to is Giocasta, he tells the spectators: â€Å"Ora pesante di trovrvi in tebe.... E, se non sete in lei con la persona, Siatevi con la mentre e col pensiero.† [Picture yourselves in ancient Thebes.../And if you cannot be there in person, /you can at least be there with your imagination]43 The involvement of the spectators was not simple enough by just asking them of their attention. In order to get their full attention and participation speak to the audience abut themselves and their problems, then showcase what is current. Whether writing comedies or tragedies, playwrights persistently pursue the novelty on the genre and argue against the boring imitation of a long dead traditions. Francisco Grazzini, Angelo Beolco O Ruzzante, and Geraldiare among to   those who argue for the modernity of theatre, Dolce gave the most distinctive account of this principle of poetics. In his Medea, The spectators are informed   what the are about to see: Una Tragedia nova, Nova dico, per esser novamente Con Nuovi panni da colui vestita. [A new traged,/I say new, for it has been/ dressed with new clothes by him(the author)] Although issues were not resolve, an unusual notion of reality seems to have prevailed: respecting the historical and cultural identity of the characters. Another good attribute of the Italian Renaissance tragedy was the modern courtly ambiance in which numerous plays were cast. Often times it setting were castle and fortress, and the character knights and princes. In Rucelli’s Oreste, for example, the princes were seen dressed in his lavish costume, the stage where the setting was dominated   by structure resembled too the Renaissance tower. Some Renaissance tragedies also take on a dreadful and horrifying stories of brigands and pirates with which cinquecento audiences were quite familiar. Di Maria also explained the role of religion in Cinquecento and how ancient religions and Christian beliefs was connected by the playwrights. He also mention the ideological and dramaturgical development of the deus ex machina expedient. It is easy to find a references even if the tragedies is not exactly a Christian when you unfold the Christian setting. Tragic portrayer expresses Christian beliefs and continuously request for divine comfort and justice. Playwrights most of the time give pagan gods Christian attributes; mythological characters use a language that is often more Christian than pagan; the chorus and helpless victims tend to invoke a Christian deity. The deus ex machina expedient has to be seen not as a opposite but as a "mirror of the changing perceptions that Renaissance society had on religion and its godhead". In fact, in the first part of the century, the humanist ideals that humans could fixed their own affairs and were free to realize their physical and intellect ual capacities were shattered by events (such as the sack of Rome) that proved to be too overwhelming for any human being to control. The playwrights' recourse to the ex machina expedient reflects the growing awareness of human limitations and the need to rely on a superior power. In the second half of the Cinquecento, together with the coming of the Counter-Reformation, people were moving forward to the Christian ways, which results to a stricter observance of religion. Di Maria also tackle the nature of kingship and the debate on Machiavellism beginning with the question whether rulers should follow to Machiavellian precepts or to humanist values. Most Renaissance playwrights built their tragedies around the Sophoclean conflict that pits the interests of the state against the rights of the individual. The Cinquecento tragedy usually convey the defend in the action of the king (on the grounds of ancient traditions and Machiavellian theory) against the advice of his counselor, often of humanist ideals. Giraldi's Orbecche best exemplifies the debate as King Sulmone, the bloodiest and most tyrannical ruler in all of cinquecento tragedies, argues with his counselor Malecche, who exhibits a clear aversion to tyrannical rule. The King was given advised by Malecche to forgive his own son-in-law Oronte because a righteous king should all forgiving like God. His advice points to a view of kingship based on Christian morality. Sulmone is hesitant to forgive b ecause he was afraid it will make as this would give him the character as a compassionate, weak, and vulnerable ruler. This view recalls Machiavelli's advice against appearing cowardly and vulnerable, the point of view in those time that king should rule with fears not by love were established. According to Botero, in beief that power are from God the foundation of kingship should be the religion. Kings, in addition to being pious and observing God's law, should also establish a reputation of being strong and fearsome rulers through the occasional use of violence. Clearly the ideal of politics is beginning to change toward notion of divine justice. He also illustrated how stage was use as instrument to talk about the of a women Though each generation’s culture had their significant influence in their present and future societal state, the Renaissance appears to be one of the most influential period in history. It has affected the works, thoughts and reactions of the society up now and mostly likely continue to influence the future generations’ creations. Bibliography: Cole, Bruce. â€Å"Italian art, 1250-1550: the relation of Renaissance art to life and society†. Harper   Row Publishers Inc.1987 Di Maria, Salvatore.( 2002). â€Å"The Italian tragedy in the Renaissance: cultural realities and theatrical innovations.† illustrated. Bucknell University Press, Print. Killenger, Charles.( 2005) Culture and Customs. 5th. Westport: Greenwood Press, Print

Hispanics, African-Americans and other cultural Term Paper

Hispanics, African-Americans and other cultural - Term Paper Example This term paper aims at describing the under representation of Hispanics, African-Americans and other cultural in mass media. Mass broadcasting have participated and will persist to perform a crucial function in the manner Americans observe African-Americans. As an outcome of the overwhelming broadcasting focus on misconduct, drug use, group violence, and other shapes of defiant social conduct between African-Americans, the broadcasting have promoted a distorted and malicious public opinion of African-Americans (Mastro and Greenberg 112). The description of African-Americans is a long period struggle in opposition to oppression and favoritism. The mass media have participated in perpetuating the consequences of this historical persecution and in influencing to African-Americans' ongoing position as second-class inhabitants. As an outcome, America has experienced from a profound doubt as to description of African-Americans. Despite this ethnic division, something indisputably the whit es concerning African-Americans has produced doubts concerning the white man's worth system (Mastro and Greenberg 113). Exploring how ethnic minorities are represented on TV is beneficial for two main reasons (Mastro and Greenberg 114). ... It has been recorded that television has turn out to be the â€Å"nation’s main story-teller† (Mastro and Greenberg 116). This term paper imitates earlier masterpiece by Mastro and Greenberg who discovered the illustration and portrayal of Caucasian, Latino and African American or black individuals on television. Mastro and Greenberg discovered that, Latinos were not represented on television compared to the African Americans and the Caucasians (116). They comprised of 3% of TV characters. Their study was significant because they described that Latino TV characters were not as destructively categorized as African American television character. Initial studies by Mastro and Robinson suggested that media metaphors and messages operate as a reasoning filter to aid how individuals represent the world. Others researchers have claimed that media has the â€Å"ability to reach the very remote areas of the human consciousness. If media images influence stereotypes, then ethnic minorities were negatively categorized on media is difficult. They noted that these negative stereotypes shaped how audiences think about ethnic minorities. Mastro and Robinson argued that media uninterruptedly supports views opinions over a long period (117). Proposing a culture hypothesis, Mastro and Robinson posited that media images update public feelings about the communal world (117). Specifically, fostering theory projected that oppressive exposure to mass media, TV in particular, formed how audiences saw the actual world. What such audiences believe as appropriate character portrayals, morals and philosophies are progressively in line with individuals presented on screen. Similarly, Lauzen and Dozier argued that mass media images, collectively with existed experience,

Media studies key glossary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media studies key glossary - Assignment Example McLuhan elaborated that medium grows and being such, it is also an agent of change that includes everything we think of, create, think and conceive. There are several terms used which critically relates to the text which are senses, mind and change. Senses relate to the text as it is the agent that collects experience to be stored in the mind which in turn becomes the medium that will facilitate change. This is important in media studies because it clarifies the use of the term not as a vehicle but rather as the dynamics and the agent of change. Medium is the message (McLuhan) - McLuhan earlier defined medium as the extension of our minds and senses. Being an extension of our minds and senses, it could change anything we can think of, create or conceive. Message on the other hand is the pattern or scale of the change that an idea introduces in human affairs (McLuhan 1964, 8). The message is not the content but rather the dynamics that change brings with it. Thus, the â€Å"medium is the message† meant that we could know the dynamics of anything (medium) that we conceive due to the changes that they effect (message) and should not be confused with the content of the message ((McLuhan 1964, 9). These terms are important to the study of media because it again put the usage of the word â€Å"medium is the message† in proper perspective. Message does not necessarily mean the content but rather the extent of the change that the medium or the dynamics of change can facilitate. Print-capitalism (Anderson) – refers to the use of the printing press that facilitated discourse of which eventually emerges a common language that facilitated common understanding. Capitalists printed their works in the vernacular (Anderson 1991, 39) to have an optimum circulation that cause people to understand each other and brought common discourse. This common language wrought by the discourse of print capitalism brought about the idea and notion of

Saving the Pacific Salmon Essay Example for Free

Saving the Pacific Salmon Essay Salmon are one of the most important fish species in the world, and in the Pacific Northwest the fish are a way of life for many species of plants and animals, including humans. The major problem that humans are facing is that the population of wild salmon is dangerously low as compared to historic numbers due to over-fishing and human degradation (including dams, chemical pollution and land use impacts. ). Pacific Salmon are now extinct in forty percent of the rivers they once thrived in (Four Fish). Zoologist George Suckley stated in 1854, that the Pacific coast salmon were â€Å"one of the striking wonders of the region these fish. astonish by number, and confuse with variety. †(In a Sea of Trouble) and that â€Å"The quantities for salmon which frequent these waters is beyond calculation, and seems to be so great as to challenge human ingenuity to effect it in any way. † (In a Sea of Trouble). In order to get a better grasp on the problems humans are causing we need to first understand the salmons life cycle. In the Pacific Northwest there are five different species of salmon: Chinook, Pink, Dog, Coho, and Silver. All of which are anadromous basically meaning that they live in both fresh and salt water. These fish start life hatching many miles upstream on the gravel beds in rivers on the pacific coasts of North America, and Asia, were they grow into smolts as they are carried downstream to the sea. Once at sea the salmon spend one to seven years maturing. Then for reasons unknown to scientists, a homing impulse triggers them to make an astonishing journey back to the very river or tributary they were hatched in (Salmon). At least that is how it is supposed to work. When Lewis and Clark made their famous expedition nearly two centuries ago they marveled at the â€Å"great quants. of Salmon† they had seen in the Columbia River in Washington State, which in 1860 produced sixteen million salmon annually. Today the figure has dropped to less than one million respectively (Where the Salmon Rule). In 1990 not one sock-eye salmon out of a population of thousands made its way back to its spawning area in Redfish Lake, Idaho (In a Sea of Trouble). The brutal decline is emblematic of the problem. Biologists Willa Nehlen, Jack Williams, and James Litchatowich reported that of the hundreds of distinct native populations that were once common to the Pacific Coast are disappearing. Of the original stocks 106 are extinct, 102 definitely face extinction, fifty-eight are at moderate risk, and fifty-four are a matter of concern. All in all the report said that 214 natural spawning routes are in very serious trouble (Fish-eries Mar. /April issue). What possibly could be the reason for the sharp decline of this life giving species of fish? HUMANS. Let’s start with dams. The first half of the twentieth century, in order to harness the power of the rivers in the Pacific Northwest for producing electricity, and producing water for irrigation in the semi-arid valleys, countless dams were built. The engineers that built these structures had the salmon in mind during the design phase. They constructed fish ladders and artificial falls designed to allow the upstream passage for the salmon past all the concrete now blocking the rivers vital to the species. On the Columbia River alone eight major dams were built, while a spattering of additional smaller dams were plugging up the tributaries. There was something that the engineers did not account for and that is for each existing dam five to fourteen percent of adult salmon moving upstream cannot find the fish ladders, or if they do end up getting lost in the vast reservoirs created between dams. And worse yet the engineers designed the ladders and artificial falls for fish moving upstream, not the smolts making their way downstream to the Pacific Ocean. It is estimated that we lose ninety percent of the smolts that count on the flow of the river to carry them to the Ocean. Instead the juvenile fish get caught and mutilated in the screens or die due to predation in the reservoirs (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife). Another huge problem to the choked rivers is land degradation. Every year the U. S. Forest Service sanctions timber and grazing practices on the national forest lands in the regions that are ecologically prudent to native salmon populations. The clear cutting, roadways, and destruction harm the salmon that make it through the dams indefinitely. Salmon need cool clean water to survive the journey to their spawning grounds, and the logging industry cuts all the trees down, which in turn lets more radiation from the sun hit the water and heat it up. The trees being cut down speeds up the erosion of the soil, which pours into the streams making them very dirty which suffocates the eggs and alevins. Road and rail construction causes land-slides that block rivers (The Plundered Seas). A study conducted by the Forest Service looked at several hundreds of miles of streams in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho counting cool clean pools that are critical to wild salmon. They found that fifty to seventy-five percent of the pools were gone in the most heavily logged areas. Those areas that were spared still remained stable or even gained pools over the last fifty years. One of if not the largest problem is that of overfishing. Humans with their large boats and drift nets sometimes spanning thirty miles in length, gill nets and fish wheels can catch salmon by the millions. Alaska alone harvests 200 million fish annually to keep up with the demand. The United States, which is limited by strict total allowable catch quotas (TAC’S) that monitor and limit the overall weight of fish which fishermen may land, based on advice by scientists, and is enforced by the U. S. Fish and game Service. Although sometimes the TAC is wrong, and the U. S. takes to many fish we are not the main problem here. It is the other countries that illegally set their nets in our waters to poach salmon by the millions. Specifically the Taiwanese fishing fleets whose thousands of miles of netting plucked at least by estimate of the NMFS eight million illegal salmon last year (NMFS). Also the NMFS estimates that at least twenty million West Coast salmon are caught illegally every year. As it stands now according to 1996 study Factors Contributing to the Decline of Chinook Salmon estimates that in recent years harvest impacts on Puget Sound Chinook salmon stocks have been quite high on average sixty-eight to eighty-three percent of the wild stock has been taken by fishing. And that is a problem when you consider the other factors that man has created that impede or harm native stocks. Pollution from pulp mills, industry and agriculture has also had a devastating effect salmon. Aluminum pollution has had a particularly horrible effect on the gills of the salmon. The aluminum mutates the thin mucous membrane from which the fish takes its oxygen and keeping out potentially damaging microbes into a crusty damaged organ that inhibits the fish’s ability to transition from fresh to salt water (Nature’s Crusaders). Also it has been found that mixtures of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides that are commonly detected in freshwater streams and reservoirs that support endangered species of salmon. What happens is the pesticides can inhibit the activity of acetyl cholinesterase which is a hormone secreted to aid in neural function (The Synergistic Toxicity of Pesticide Mixtures). Several of these chemicals when mixed together in relatively low doses have proven to be fatal for the salmon, whereas individually the chemicals in the same doses are non-lethal. In the late nineteenth century man noticed that there were less salmon in the waters of the Pacific Northwest and something had to be done to supplement the commercial fishermen’s catch. Thus came the idea of hatcheries. Hatcheries work like this: Salmon that are returning to spawn in their home rivers are captured. These captured fish contain both males and females. The eggs are taken from the females, and the sperm is taken from the males and mixed together to form fertilized eggs. The eggs are then incubated, where the hatched fish are placed in holding tanks to grow and develop. When adequate growth is reached the fish are released into the river where they make their way to the ocean, mature and return back to the hatchery or spawning grounds. This practice makes the survival rates increase because there are no predators in hatcheries and their environment stays constant plus food is abundant. So what is the problem with hatcheries you might ask? The answer is genetic diversity. The fish that come to the hatcheries (which are set up along rivers) get a lot of the same fish back every year. Currently, most of the fish in the hatcheries are fourth, fifth, and sixth generation stocks from the hatchery. These fish keep being bred with genetically similar fish, which weakens the population as a whole. On the Columbia River in 2006 8,157 oho salmon were caught for a study to determine how many were hatchery fish, and the results were shocking. Of those fish 6,234 were hatchery fish leaving only around 1900 as wild stock (The End of the Line). Without genetic diversity the salmons’ immune systems get weakened and they become more susceptible to diseases that normally wouldn’t affect them. Also a concern for hatcheri es is that they grow larger than their wild counterparts and evidence suggests that the larger hatchery fish kill wild stock due to predation (Northwest fisheries Science Center). Hatcheries are also known to have disease outbreaks that can be transmitted to wild stock. Now that I have shown that there is a problem let’s take a look at what lower numbers of salmon effect in their environment. When Salmon make their epic runs up the rivers of the Pacific Northwest not all survive. Bears numbering in the hundreds stand in the rivers plucking fish out of the water trying to put on pounds and pounds of fat to get them and their cubs through the long northern winters, and the salmon are the bears’ main source of calories (Planet Earth). When the salmon runs are abundant the bears only eat the skin, brain, and eggs of the fish because they are the parts with the highest calorie content. So along the shores of the rivers lie thousands maybe even hundreds of thousands of carcasses that are free for the taking by wolves, coyotes, fox, raptors, insects and any other opportunistic animals. These remains are vital to the overall health of many different species of land animals, not to mention plants as well. Even after the animal kingdom has had their way with the carcasses there is still rotting flesh and bone that gets left behind. A study of fifty different watersheds in the Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia’s central coast says that the predation of salmon provides a â€Å"potent nutrient subsidy† that drives plant growth in the surrounding forest. Numbers nearing fifty percent of the salmon are getting carried to the forest, with the remaining fish that make it to the spawning grounds to reproduce and die ending up decomposing on the banks. The study observed everything from lichens to shrubs and found that nitrogen loving plants were thriving in these areas (The Vancouver Sun Mar. 25, 2011). The areas that did not have the salmon were not as robust. When the salmon decompose carbon and nitrogen get released into the soil. That coupled with animal scat makes for very rich fertilizer making the forest grow thick and lush (Hanley and Schnell 1998). When dealing with an issue of this scope one must take into consideration the many obstacles that will present themselves, such as how to regulate the many countries that have access to the Pacific Ocean. How will funding be provided for the operation? How to peacefully find an alternative for those who depend on salmon for their family’s livelihood. Continuing research for hatcheries and the money that will be needed and so on and so forth. My plan to preserve the pacific salmon is multi-tiered and complex, but if the people involved can be agreeable a sacred and valuable species can be saved. First the issue of regulating all the coastal countries for poachers must be addressed. I propose that these countries involved start a salmon fishing enforcement bureau that is a combined and comprehensive unit tasked to regulate, seek out, and enforce the laws and regulations with steep penalties decided by a committee comprised of representatives from each respective country. Secondly I propose that all commercial fishing be halted until the populations of salmon can recover. Once recovered then commercial fishing can be continued at a reasonable rate as advised by the bureau’s biologists. Doing this would outrage the fishermen who depend on salmon for their income, but there is a solution to this as well. The misplaced fishermen will have the option to be trained free of cost, (made possible by government funding) and assigned jobs at salmon farms and hatcheries, also the processing plants that butcher and package the salmon. While the fishing ban is in effect the nation will rely on fish farms to provide salmon for consumption by humans. Except those indigenous peoples (such as the Indian Tribes and Inuit) that will be given rights to a predetermined number of fish for their freezers to be consumed. To address the problem that the hatcheries and farms produce regarding disease and inbreeding the government will redirect money in the national budget to enlist the help of the foremost experts in the field to figure out ow to eliminate disease and genetically diversify the stocks coming from the farms and hatcheries. Next the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers will demolish dams at strategic locations to allow the salmon free passage up their streams and rivers. To supplement the cheap electricity that will be lost, wind and solar farms will be set up to get electric to customers that the dams supplied electric to. Also we will utilize available technology to modify the dams in a way that all migrating fish will know where to go, and receive safe passage through the structure. Logging companies will be mandated to not build roads or clear cut trees any closer than 1 mile from a salmon spawning river or tributary unless it is deemed necessary by the U. S. Division of Parks and Recreation. Enlisting the help of the EPA would be a priority. The EPA could ban the use of certain pesticides that contain aluminum in their chemical makeup, and test farmers land to regulate and arrest (if necessary) those in violation. In closing I would like to state that the future of the Pacific salmon is clouded by all of the problems I listed in the above paragraphs. And it was we who have created this problem, so it has to be we who fix it. Implementing the plan I have devised will be challenging, tough and expensive, but if the American people can be patient and understanding I know we can come together as a country and fix our mistake and save the salmon. We have to. Salmon are more than fish; they are one of the last great symbols of the west, and givers of life to so many people, plants, and animals. To lose them due to non-natural causes (like we did the bison) would be a travesty. The world would quite literally be a lot less beautiful without them, and I cannot imagine it. Can you?