Techno †Cihuatl: The Birth of a Modern Mexican Female. :: Culture Cultural Mexico Papers

Techno – Cihuatl: The Birth of a Modern Mexican Female I learned about computers and technology a little at a time, from simple games, to web building and heavy use of applications. Some of the knowledge came form a school setting; most of it I acquired from trial and error and by a friend’s teachings I overcame the limitations of growing up in a Third-World country (Mexico) with little access to technology and tried to keep up with its changes as time went by. My country has had a love-hate relationship with the US for a long time. Within the huge Mexican middle class there are different opinions regarding the US way of life. While some people crave to have every single item of "gringo-wealth" such as electronics, clothing and even food, some others are deeply concerned about the "loss of identity" "deculturalization" and hegemony that US-like culture has brought to Mexico. This phenomenon is particularly clear among the generation born in the seventies, especially women. Young Mexicanas that are now in their middle twenties are torn apart between two worlds: First, the technology – driven college education and work that are the symbols of US - imported woman liberation. Second, the motherhood – housewife roles traditionally imposed on them by the Mexican culture along with their religious, mystical, and cultural implications. Instead of marrying both ideas into a nice middle term, Mexican society (which is still a male dominated environment) tends to relegate them apart: either you become a housewife, or a professional. I consider that these extremes are always detrimental. I was the first-born of a young couple fresh out of college. My parents belonged to the first generation of Mexicans that lost their political innocence (and correctness) with the student’s riots of ‘68; they were rebels by nature. My mother was a biochemical engineer in a society where women were supposed to be teachers or housewives. My father was the only one out of five sibling who finished college, and he worked in a transnational firm, which was very odd at the time. Unlike most of our relations, we were no strangers of technology, mainly because we "imported" many appliances from California, where my uncles lived. We had a black and white TV; my father listened music using certain tapes that looked like Nintendo cartridges and he also had acetate discs, we had no telephone, but we were the first family in our block to get a microwave.

Human Society

In discussion of inhumane treatment, a controversial issue is whether animals are entitled to their rights. While some argue that only humans have rights, others contend that animals should have the same privileges as humans. The author of â€Å"A Change of Heart about Animals,† Jeremy Rifkin, claims that animals should have better treatment. Rifkin rhetorically changes one’s view on this subject without the consent of the reader. Rifkin begins by showing the animals’ human qualities, then giving a counter statement to common objections, and finally ends it by utilizing negative language. Rifkin’s expressive strategy is to note the similarities between animals and humans. Rifkin mentions Koko, a 300-pound gorilla. Koko was able to learn sign language and yet some people never even learn how to communicate in sign language. Rifkin also notes the similarity between rats and humans. He states, â€Å"Recent studies in the brain chemistry of rats show that when they play, their brains release large amounts of dopamine, a petrochemical associated with pleasure and excitement in human beings. Rifkin shows that not only do animals have the ability to learn the things we do, but also have some features that we do. After providing the analogy between the two, Rifkin anticipated that many people would view animals as one of them. The result is that to believe that animals are not any different than us, so they shouldn’t be in the brutal situations they face every day. It also, makes much more likely to accept the statement he makes based on the similarities he provides, that we must work to increase the benevolent treatment of animals. Among Rifkin’s subtly persuasive strategies is to denote the common objections and give a counter statement. Jeremy Rifkin for showing us that science supports what we pet owners and animal rights activists have known in our hearts all along: animals have feelings and abilities not very different from humans. When will more people begin to realize that we share this world with many creatures deserving of our care and respect? Animals have a right to live without being confined, exploited, and tormented.

Neocolonial Floor Plans