The social meaning of clothing and dress Research Paper - 1

The social meaning of clothing and dress - Research Paper Example Clothes are put on bodies which are sigs of Selfhood are defined as extensions of self meaning in the cultural aspect. In this case, the meaning of clothes includes different aspects namely moral, social, and aesthetic (Danesi, 2004, p.179). On the other hand the manner of dressing is based on different parameters such as gender, culture and even religion. The dress codes, for example, are considered as basic social requirements for dressing (Danesi, 2004, p.179). Based on the definition of clothes and dress then it can be considered that the manner by which people present himself or herself can either be based on personal preference or based on the rules of social institutions he or she may belong. In this manner, the social meaning of clothing and dress should be discussed on the basis of two categories. One of the main categories in the social meaning of clothing is the personal preference of the one wearing the clothes. It had been known that clothes and dresses can be considered as one of the basic indications of a person’s character. According to Davis, as quoted in the work of Barnard (2002), clothes that people wear are considered as social statements. Although most people can be considered to choose clothes unconsciously, their personal preference always comes out (p.72). There are different factors that can take part in the choice of clothes and dresses that people wear which at the same time can present their personal preference. One factor is fashion. It can affect the way people choose clothes for a particular season and occasion. Within each trend though, people can still choose what they feel most comfortable in. Another factor is the cultural influence, which is more on the region where a person resides. In the present and modern era where traditional costumes are less worn, differences in the manner by which people choose clothes can still be observed

What is at stake in the call to decolonize IR What difference would it Essay

What is at stake in the call to decolonize IR What difference would it make, if any, to how we make sense of the international theoretically - Essay Example Further, this field has been dominated by Anglo-American scholars, and to this extent it has ignored much of the rest of the world. Thus, the field of International Relations has largely been reduced into western imperialism, and the international interest for global powers has effectively become the foundation of the world order. It is against this background that the creation of a new world order in the 21st century becomes a subject of interest, which can barely be achieved without first decolonizing International Relations (Tickner, 2003:297). Despite the fact that globalization has come as an avenue through which a new world order can be created, the long-past against which the previous and the current world order is built has hindered this transformation. Thus, International Relations, which has largely ignored the fundamental questions of dispossession, racism, colonialism and slavery serves as a major impediment to the achievement of the new world order (Krishna, 2001:407). Therefore, there is no vital time in the history of the world to address the decolonization of International Relations, than presently. The call to decolonize International Relations emanate from the need to address the historical background that led to the development of the current world order, which has completely been ignored by the International Relations discipline (Shohat, 1992:102). The apparent definition of the historical background of colonialism and dispossession that led to the current world order as a taboo by the discipline of IR has raised sufficient ground for understanding the unwillingness of the west to address the issue of colonialism, slavery racism and imperialism, which led to the development of a world order where some nations are powerful, wealthy and developed than others (Barkawi, 2010:1365). Therefore, the decolonization of IR would majorly seek to create a ground for focusing on such historical backgrounds, so that the