7/25/2019 Jacalyn McCarthy Assignment 5 Final Draft Section EK

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Jacalyn McCarthy

Section EK

Julia Bowes

12/1/15

Assignment 5

How authentic are our needs and desires !hat role do social relations and technology "lay

sha"ing our needs and desires

Human needs and desires are not entirely authentic due to the immense amount o#

in#luence surrounding them$ %esires and needs are a "art o# human li#e& that cannot 'e dis"uted$

(hings li)e air& water& and shelter are necessary com"onents o# human li#e& and can 'e

considered authentic needs$ *eeds and desires #or things li)e sociali+ation& intimacy& and

"hysical a##ection cannot 'e considered authentic$ (he #amily dynamic& technology& en,ironment&

and e,en sociali+ation in one-s "ersonal li#e can all "lay a "art in the #ormation o# that

indi,idual-s needs and wants$ (his is e,ident in Sherry (ur)le-s "iece .Alone (ogether !hy !e

E0"ect More #rom (echnology and ess #rom Each ther3 where the com"licated relationshi"

'etween children and their toys #ul#ills their need #or sociali+ation$ eslie Bell-s wor) .Hard to

4et (wentySomething !omen and the 6arado0 o# Se0ual 7reedom3 com"ares and contrasts

two )inds o# desires& and "ro,es that desires are altered #or many reasons$ 7inally& .(he *a)ed

Citadel3 'y Susan 7aludi #ocuses on the idea that certain needs and desires are altered 'y the

social situation or en,ironment in which the indi,idual is immersed& using (he Citadel as a "rime

e0am"le$ !hen su'8ected to numerous issues& human needs and desires are su'8ect to easily

change in order to 'e #ul#illed or ma)e the indi,idual more com#orta'le in an uncom#orta'le

situation& ma)ing the needs and desires unauthentic$

Human needs can 'e #ul#illed in ways that are not traditional& causing the authenticity o#

the needs to 'e 9uestioned$ Sociali+ation and intimacy are two needs that are crucial to human

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de,elo"ment$ (hese needs are 'eing #ul#illed 'y indi,iduals in untraditional ways& ma)ing the

needs seem tri,ial and inauthentic$ Children are using 7ur'ies and (amagotchi-s to #ul#ill their

need #or sociali+ation 'y settling on the ro'ots 'eing .ali,e enough3 #or com"anionshi" :(ur)le

;

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children "laying with the doll started to sha)e the doll ,iolently& claiming that it had .no

#eelings3 :(ur)le ;=$ (he children #elt it acce"ta'le to torment and 'e aggressi,e to the doll

that did not show "ain& 'ut not to the 7ur'y who said things li)e .Me Scared3 :(ur)le ;=$ She was #rom an im"o,erished& wor)ing class 'ac)ground& and tried to a,oid ma)ing

the same mista)es that girls she )new made$ Alicia altered or a,oided her desires& and 'ecame

a'stinent in order to ha,e an alternati,e to what her en,ironment commonly created$ ?# her

se0ual desires were true and authentic& she would not ha,e 'een a'le to a,oid them to #ul#ill her

other desires& they would ha,e 'een e9ually as im"ortant$ En,ironment "laying a role in

inauthentic desire and wants is noticea'le in the cadets at the Citadel$ 7aludi e0"lains the

en,ironment at the Citadel 'y saying& .they can act li)e human 'eings- in the sa#ety o# the

domestic li#e o# the 'arrac)s$ But& in return& the institution demands that they ne,er cease to act

li)e a man-3 :7aludi 1@>=$ (he en,ironment o# the Citadel "lays such a huge role in how the

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cadets act& and what they need and desire$ (he en,ironment inside the 'arrac)s allows the cadets

to #eel normal& howe,er& it does not allow the cadets to em'race their #eminine wants and desires$

Authentic needs and desires would 'e em'raced and #ul#illed e,erywhere& not em'raced in

certain en,ironments and sti#led in others$ Since needs and desires are a'le to 'e so easily altered

and a,oided 'ased on the en,ironment they are su'merged in& they are not truly authentic$

Human needs and desires are not all truly authentic 'ased on their a'ility to 'e #ul#illed

untraditionally& their a'ility to 'e altered due to social situations and stigmas& and the im"act that

the en,ironment has on the needs and desires$ (ruly authentic needs and desires& li)e #ood and

water& are de#inite things that "eo"le want and need& and cannot 'e a,oided$ ther human needs

and desires& li)e sociali+ation& se0ual desires& and "hysical a##ection cannot 'e considered

authentic since they are so su'8ect to change& or 'e to 'e a,oided$ Children are su'stituting real

human interaction with ro'ots& women are a,oiding what they want #rom relationshi"s 'ecause

how they thin) "eo"le will thin) o# them& and soldiers are "retending to 'e something they-re not

'ecause o# the en,ironment they are in$ .(he *a)ed Citadel3 'y Susan 7aludi& .Alone (ogether

!hy !e E0"ect More #rom (echnology and ess #rom Each ther3 'y Sherry (ur)le& and .Hard

to 4et (wentySomething !omen and the 6arado0 o# Se0ual 7reedom3 'y eslie Bell all

showcase that needs and desires cannot 'e considered authentic #or multi"le reasons$ !hen

su'8ected to numerous issues& human needs and desires are su'8ect to easily change in order to 'e

#ul#illed or ma)e the indi,idual more com#orta'le in an uncom#orta'le situation& ma)ing the

needs and desires unauthentic$