Discover a Diva within you

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Mehwish Irfan's grp survey

Jinnah University For Women

Dept: Mass Communication

BS 4^th year

Name: Age:

Class: Occupation:

1.Do you think that good physical appearance is a required thing for?

a.Marriages b.Getting a good job c.Getting social approval

d.Personal satisfaction

2.Do u ever think that having not a good physical appearance is a hurdle for girls to survive in Pakistani society?

a.Yes b.No

3.If a girl doesn’t have good physical appearance then what she should do?

a.Should come out from depression b.Should be confident and believe in her skills

c.Should try to improve her appearance

4.Do you think for the recognition of skills & abilities good physical appearance & fair complexion is required?

a.Yes b.No

5.Do you think fitness is required for good physical appearance?

a.Yes b.No

6.According to you what is beauty:

a.Simplicity b.Originality c.Fair complexion d.Having good looks

7.Are you beauty conscious?

a.Yes b.No

8.Why do you prefer to look beautiful & fair?

a.For personal satisfaction b.For seeking priority c.For getting social approval

9.Do you think that girls having dark complexion face depression because of the criticism from their families,friends & relatives?

a.Yes b.No c.Don’t know

10.Do you think dark or dusky skin complexion is a hurdle:

a.In marriages b.In getting good career c.No

11.Why do the girls having dark complexion use fairness creams?

a.To look attractive & pretty b.To get married c.For getting better career

12.Girls having dark complexion often face:

a.Hurt self esteem b. Lack of confidence c.Inferiority complex

c.Other psychological problems

13..Girls having dark skin complexion face much more problems & social disapproval as compare to girls having fair complexion?

a.I agree b.I don’t agree

14.Our society give more preference to:

a. Girls having fair complexion & good looks b. Girls having dark complexion

c.Girls having smartness & slim body

15.Fair complexion is the symbol of beauty:

a.I agree b.I don’t agree

16.Do u think fairness cream advertisements are creating some kind of discrimination in society?

a.Yes b.No

17.What role media is playing regarding colour discrimination?

a.Negative role b.Postive role

18.Which TV shows & magazines do you prefer in order to enhance your physical appearance & beauty? (name them)

_________________________________________________

19.By using which tool media can change the opinion of the people & educate them regarding colour discrimination?

a.Dramas b.Talk shows c.Reality shows d.Advertisements

Once upon a time there were two colours, brown and blue. Each represented their place on Earth. One day brown met blue and their combination originated a new colour; green. Earth was a happy place with them until humans came into their life. The humans were fascinated by the powers of these colours. Soon they began fighting for the possession of those colours and thus, created the human discrimination.

The humans took the bias behaviour to another level and started separating people by their complexion and physical appearance. God made this planet as one and humans divided it with their prejudice. The practice still continues and has a more severe affects on human life.

It seems like a normal thing now. People face rejection in social groups, peers, matrimony, jobs and even at education. The reason is mostly our representation at first sight. Our personality is our representation. True, but what made us who we truly are? Is it our talent and knowledge that matters the most or our appearance on which we have no command?

Paulo Coelho said, “Don’t worry. Nothing is wrong with looking like a fool if what you are doing is far from foolish.” So, which fool we would like to be? Think wisely.

Qurrat-ul-Ain Fatima

Karachi

Sara Niazi's Article

“BLACK & WHITE”

Discrimination in Pakistan is systematic and independent of the presence of foreigners of any tinge. The climate permits and promotes this chaos and disdain for dark skin. Most Pakistani celebrities have wheatish skin. Several stars even promote skin-bleaching cream that promises to improve one’s popularity and career success. Matrimonial ads boast of fair complexion alongside foreign visa and advanced university degrees.

Discrimination based on dark complexion exists in Pakistan. Even now when a girl faces a so-called ‘ber dikhawwa’ or ‘drawing room scene’, a custom in our society, she has to counter remarks like “the girl is so dark I want a fair girl for my gorgeous son”, or “the girl is so short that I don’t think she would complement my tall son” or mostly “the girl is so fat that she would be a football or giant after a few months of marriage so I want a slim and smart daughter-in-law.” People never seem to value the education and other skills of a girl. These are the demands not only set by the mothers but also by the boys. When they are putting these demands and requirements, they totally forget themselves. Do they really deserve a perfect girl? They are oblivious and never bothered to even think about hurting the girl’s feelings with their rejection.

In the last sermon of our Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) addressing a large gathering of Muslims, He (P.B.U.H) says: “No Arab is superior to a Non-Arab neither a white man is any way better than a black man, only the goodness of a person makes him superior from others.”

I don’t understand why we forget that Almighty Allah has created every thing beautiful and individual. Then why we differentiate people by their complexion or their looks? When our beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H) had removed all the differences that led to racism and discrimination among Muslims then why we commit sin by doing so and hurting the self esteem of girls? Why don’t we prefer and desire for the intelligence, talent and education of a girl instead of her looks as a life partner who might be a beautiful housewife but lack that education required to run a proper lifestyle?

It is well said that character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude, and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.

Sara Niazi

Jinnah University For Women

Karachi.

Sara Muzamil's Article

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder

Our society follows traditions strictly. The opinion and standards are made in our minds which makes everything rigid in our society. Idealism is another craze which drifts us away from the actual facts. We see things from above and ignore the inner side of the picture.

Beauty of any girl in our society is defined as fair, tall and slim. We do not include girls with little dark complexion but attractive features. We also never include girls as beautiful who are chubby.

Why we have a rigid thinking and particular mind set about the things? Why we have set beauty standards as fair, tall and slim? Females go out to search for a perfect bride by judging these things as beauty in a girl. Other qualities, skills, their nice behaviour and attitude are left unseen.

This has created a fuss and complex among girls which do not have these qualities. They feel guilty and complex of being rejected so many times. They are tired to be shown as a nice decoration piece in front of others. But still people see and reject them due to colour, height or weight.

This dilemma in our society is increasing day by day. Even when our society is changing somewhat from traditional one to modern then why we are not trying to bring positive changes instead of following those old traditions.

We females have to change our attitude and guide our brothers and sons that beauty does not just lie in physique, colour or height. It is much more than that. Skilful, active, well qualified and smart girls are more successful wives and mothers.

There is beauty in a pretty smile and caring eyes. No matter the physique whether chubby or slim. So much beauty is in this spectacular world and dazzling life but the true beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Sarah Muzamil

Jinnah University For Women

Karachi.

Sara Niazi's Article

Prejudice

“Fairness is the real strength”. This was the marketing message of one of the fairness creams advertisement watched throughout the Pakistan. The ad was directed at women who desire for fair complexion to get prominence in the society. The idea of “being fair is superior” was actually given by English people who always thought and still consider that white skin is supremacy.

The concept of “white complexion is ascendancy” is traced back from the Mughal rulers of Central Asia, Turko-Afghan dynasties who were known for their white complexions and the British who ruled in the Sub-Continent approximately for two hundred years. It is also presumed that the fairness is associated with the landed class. In Pakistan, you won’t see a beggar with white complexion, if a person is a beggar here and wandering around the streets, the ultra-violet rays will burn his or her skin into coal.

However, the concept of beauty is also coupled with fairness. In Pakistan, there is no chance to be called beautiful until and unless the girl is very fair. Our advertisements establish the notion that if the girl is fair only then she can get married, or can get superior career or can attain triumph and promotion at work place. This also leads to the stereotypes among women for work in any field and for getting married that merely fair girls are the priority.

There are several outcomes of such advertisements which are certainly negative, that girls descend into inferiority complex, suffer with despair and lack of confidence. Their self-esteem is harmed and they loose the real aspiration of their lives.

Girls are very sensitive about their social acceptance in the society and the ones with darker skin tone are being disregarded in most of the places. So, we need to change the thoughts and modify the behaviors of not only people but also the media because if media wont perform positively for this matter than no one would ever even think seriously about color discrimination as an issue. And it is the major tool for bringing up any social change in the society.

Sara Niazi

Jinnah University for Women

Karachi.