Abstract This paper explores the current position of the gay and lesbian population in American society. The writer attempts to explore the culture and understand how spaces and territories are established. The writer also discusses the differences in social lives of gays and lesbians.
From the Paper "America's gay and lesbian populations have come a long way in recent decades. They are far less apt to remain in the closet than in days gone by and they are much more open about their lifestyle than they had been in the past. The gay and lesbian community worked hard to carve out niches in urban society including hang outs, social functions and other rights of passage that are an automatic given for the straights of the nation.
?The late 1980s and early 1990s saw a growing sensitization on the part of mainstream society to the issues of gay and lesbian liberation(Voigt, 1999). Though the questions of gays in the military and gay marriage remain controversial, a number of gay issues been resolved, even on the civic level."
Tags: liberation, closet, homosexual, marriage, AIDS
Abstract This paper sheds light on some important issues related to employment of HIV infected people. With dramatic increase in HIV patients worldwide, several problems have surfaced regarding the rights of this group in society and in the workplace. Corporations are still uncertain how an HIV infected employee should be covered by medical insurance when pre-existing conditions can be a huge burden on a company's financial resources. Discrimination based on valid concerns and social prejudice has made life difficult for the infected members of the American workforce. The paper shows how sufferers are not treated fairly in the workplace and how certain professions have imposed restrictions on the entry of infected people.
From the Paper "HIV/AIDS virus is an extremely dangerous and mysterious predator, that has infected some 22.6 million people around the world, and the number is continuously rising as no cure is in sight and no breakthrough in this field has yet been achieved. The disease that was discovered in 1981 posed a major threat to the human population when, within the first five years of its discovery, AIDS had attacked 24,000 Americans and it was believed that within a short period of time this disease would reach an epidemical stage. That period has expired and we are encountering a situation, which two decades ago was simply impossible to even imagine."
Tags: cost, employment, patient, restrictions, rights
Abstract The writer of this paper describes the techniques used by the film maker to illustrate common issues evident in cutthroat corporate America. The writer explains how Levinson combines cynicism with optimism to realistically portray the conflicts in corporate circles.
From the Paper "Cutthroat corporate America comes alive in Barry Levinsons's film Disclosure starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. The title of the film conveys several meanings: the most carnal is the disclosure of Meredith Johnson's (Moore?s) body. Her seduction falls short of perfect, however, and soon the truth is revealed, thanks to a coincidental phone message. Disclosure also refers to the uncovering of the sordid truth in Digicom's cost-cutting plans for their new CD ROM drive, Arcamax. To assure a lucrative merger, Garvin (played by Donald Sutherland) and his team subvert production plans of the new drives, thereby humiliating the head of production lines, Tom Sanders (Douglas). ?Give a man $100 million and you create a frustrated billionaire,? warns Stephanie Kaplan, who turns out to be a true friend to Sanders. Disclosure elucidates the genuine corporate conflict between profit and integrity and also illustrates the continued tension between sexuality and power in the workplace. Levinson and his cast use body language, dialogue, and cinematographic pacing to draw out and resolve the film's conflicts."
Abstract Mrs. Doubtfire is a movie about a man who dresses as a woman and passes as a nanny so that he can be closer to his children following an ugly divorce. By examining the first scene, this paper explores the social values being portrayed in the movie. These include the well-being of children, continuity in the character's children's lives and self-sacrifice.
From the Paper "The remarkable fact about the movie, ?Mrs. Doubtfire,? is that there are no villains. Although the story centers on a divorce, an unemployed father, Daniel, torn from his three children, and his ex-wife, Miranda, being romanced by a handsome and successful old flame, Stu, no one is to blame, no one is the bad guy. The better qualities of each character shine through the trauma and dysfunction that this family finds itself. Thus, by concentrating on the positive aspects of the relationships, the film teaches that love is the one thing that makes a family, no matter the distance, lifestyle, or circumstance."
Abstract MacKinnon petitioned the High Court claiming that pornography was a violation of Civil Rights, and she won the case. This paper looks at the arguments she presented and how her re-definition of pornography has social ramifications. It looks at other work she has done in the field of legislation against sexual harassment.
From the Paper "Beginning in the mid 1970s, MacKinnon pioneered the legal claim for sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. Beginning in 1983, with Andrea Dworkin, she conceived and wrote ordinances recognizing pornography as a violation of civil rights. The U.S. Supreme Court accepted her theory of sexual harassment in 1986. The Supreme Court of Canada adopted, in part, approaches that she created with the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) to equality (1989), pornography (1992), and hate speech (1991). (Website)"
Abstract This is an introduction to the topic that sexuality in advertisement causes sexual desirability of a person. The null hypothesis is that this experiment using sexual advertisement will not produce desirability. The paper shows how sexuality is a problem in the United States and examines whether the advertisements that portray sexuality may lead to sexual violence crimes. The writer asks that if this is true, then is it ethical to use "sexual" advertisements?
From the Paper "Does sexuality cause desire for sex? What is the difference between looking at sexual advertisements and regular advertisements without sexuality? Is there a difference? The class will show 15 sexual advertisements and 15 non-sexual advertisements. Will there be a difference? Many believe that the media has played a role in the increase of young people having sex early and with more partners. Is this true? Movies, television, music, and magazines are filled with sexual messages to the young person. Even at an early childhood age, children want to dress sexually. Teens rate the media as a second source of information about sex. Schools are the first source in giving information about sex. Does "sexual" advertisement lead to sexual crimes and aggression? Is it ethical to use sexually appealing advertisements if it can lead to violence in the home or other crimes? Does research show that advertisements bring the desire for sexuality? "
Abstract This paper examines the relationship ? often predictable, but sometimes surprising ? between body image and sexual satisfaction, examining in particular how so many people end up with a poor body image and little sexual satisfaction because they do not meet cultural standards for beauty. However, another focus of this research is how some people who are not good matches for culturally mandated standards of beauty or sexual attractiveness nevertheless find a high degree of sexual satisfaction.
From the Paper "We might think that sexuality is a perfectly natural aspect of human life. After all, we could hardly have survived as a species if sex were not something that we could engage in without too much analysis. But therein lies the rub, for sexual satisfaction ? or sexuality ? and sex are not the same thing anymore than sex and gender are. While for the purposes of this paper we may define sex as various forms of intimate contact (including intercourse) between two people (usually of opposite sexes) in which the biological shape of people's bodies is the most important determining factor, sexual satisfaction is in many ways a cultural construct. Sexual satisfaction includes both the physical sensations of sex and everything we think about them ? from whom we believe should have sex with whom to the morality of abortion to whom we find sexually attractive. The issues of human sexuality ? as opposed to the biological mechanics of sex ? is a vastly complex topic, too broad for a single paper. Thus this research concentrates on a single corner of this topic, the intersection of body image and sexual satisfaction."
Abstract This analysis examines how Charles Derber explains the different types of formal interactions between both males and females. The writer uses real life examples to reinforce Derbers main points. It discusses deals with topics such as social class and social status, and examines how high school students in particular are extremely concerned about these labels.
From the Paper "According to the Encarta dictionary "attention" is defined as a notice or interest. Charles Derber discusses the different ways certain people gain interest from others in his book ?The Pursuit of Attention.? Along with the ways individuals gain attention he breaks it down into different social classes, gender, and different situations that we someday my encounter in our own lives. In the first chapter he gives us actual examples to help us grasp the concept of "Shift Response" and ?Support Response.? Using these two types of responses we create different unique styles to respond to each other's questions and comments. These responses also allow you to act professional and not rude when talking to people you have never met before."
Tags: class, social, sociology, status, formal, label, high, school
A study of philosopher Michel Foucault's "Discipline and Punish" and Sandre Lee Bartky's "Femininity and Domination" and their views on power struggle.
Abstract This paper looks at two different views of society as seen by Michel Foucault in "Discipline and Punish" and Sandra Lee Bartky in her book "Femininity and Domination". The paper investigates how each observes a power struggle in our society. Foucault argues that it is through our society's power structure that our current society has evolved alongside the prison, whereas Bartky argues that the current power structure of society creates a male dominated society.
From the Paper "The town fought the plague by implementing strict discipline on the whole society. It was one of the first times the disciplinary society emerged as a power structure. With the three steps to docility, methods through which discipline spread, and panopticism our society, as Foucault argues, has turned into a prison society."
Abstract In recent years there has been a growing realization that AIDS is spreading rapidly among women. This paper discusses the fact that women with AIDS tend to become sicker, faster, and die sooner with AIDS due to numerous social and economic factors, including ; limited access to health care, poverty and economic dependence, and the fact that women tend to be the primary caretakers of the sick and dying even when they themselves are in need of care.
From the Paper "In recent years there has been a growing realization that AIDS is spreading rapidly among women, and rates of infection in women may eventually mirror those in the global epidemic. In contrast to 1985, ?when women represented only 7% of all AIDS cases, today approximately one quarter of AIDS cases occur in women of all ages, cultures and sexual orientations.?1 Women are at a greater risk for becoming infected due to the fact that the rate of male-to-female transmission of HIV is 12 times more likely than female-to-male transmission.2 Differences in male and female anatomy are thought to result not only in greater susceptibility of women to AIDS, but also greater difficulty in diagnosing the infection and a higher likelihood of complications from the disease. Many women often have limited access to information and services, and some may increase their risks greatly by selling sex in order to survive. Other factors, including cultural beliefs and roles, social status, and behavioral practices, may hinder many women from seeking treatment which allows the disease to progress much quicker. The most significant contributing factors, however, are; limited access to health care, poverty and economic dependence, and the fact that women tend to be the primary caretakers of the sick and dying even when they themselves are in need of care."
Tags: disease, health, care, economy, care, giver, poverty, medication
Abstract This paper provides a broad description and understanding of the historical, biological, cognitive, social and moral issues related to the media's influence on feminine self-image, and how the media affects body image and self-perception, particularly in young females. The paper provides an understanding of the balance between theoretical perspectives and their practical implications and applications, with a particular focus being placed on "Social Judgment Theory".
From the Paper ""What did I need a mirror for, I was fat"? Every time I hear the "spokesmodel" from the Slim Fast commercial say that line, I can't help but wonder what kind of messages modern media is sending to women. It is as if the ad is saying that if you don?t look like a size three model, then there is no way you could possibly take pride in your appearance, so a mirror would be of no use. This is not only insulting but also frightening. Women are already conditioned to feel insecure about their bodies and media images such as this only serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes."
Tags: anorexia, commericals, girls, teenage, television, women
From the Paper "By the end of the last decade, there were 35 or more women facing execution and living on Death Row in the United States (Baldauf, 1998). If statistics are any indicator, America's justice system is often very reluctant to execute female felons. Baldauf (1998) has reported on studies demonstrating that while women account for one out of every eight Americans arrested for murder, they also represent only one out of seventy of the people who are sentenced to Death Row. Though women are screened out of the process all the way through the criminal justice system, in recent years, the execution of Karla Faye Tucker has fostered renewed attention to the question of how the justice system treats female felons convicted of crimes sufficient to warrant the application of the death penalty. This brief report will consider the question of two women currently on Death Row - both in Texas -..."
From the Paper "Introduction
According to Gordene MacKenzie (1994), the transgender movement is inextricably bound up with the gender movement in the United States and they are the most important civil rights movements of the 1990s. MacKenzie, who teaches courses on sex and gender, along with popular culture, is in the Women Studies Program at the University of New Mexico.
Looking at Language
It might help to start by making some distinctions in terminology. Many terms have been used interchangeably, and there is some confusion about their meaning. The basic terms are transvestite, transsexual, and transgenderist. The transvestite individual, whether male or female, is the individual who attempts to look like.."
From the Paper "Domestic violence is widespread in America, and is usually thought of in terms of violence by men against women, though some women do batter men. Child abuse is also very common, and can involve violence against children of either sex by adults of either sex, even to the degree that it is not uncommon for children to be murdered by relatives. A hidden side of domestic violence is that between partners in same sex-relationships. It occurs between gay men and between lesbians.
It has been estimated that more than six million women are victims of domestic violence every year in the United States, and this violence ranges from simple hassling in the street to rape and incest, to physical and psychological abuse, all of which are very destructive on the physical and mental health of a woman (Bernhard, 2000). While some woman-to-woman abuse takes place ..."
From the Paper "Sex in America: A Definitive Survey is the popular, briefer book version of a comprehensive and authoritative study of sexual practices in the United States. In 1992, the staff of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago conducted 90-minute face to face interviews and follow up questionnaires with 3,432 people aged 18 to 59 who were randomly selected. Sex in America, published in 1994, presents the major conclusions of the larger study. The book holds that Americans are more monogamous, more satisfied with their sex lives, and less sexually active than was generally believed. The authors' conclusions go against the grain of general thinking regarding American sexual behavior and contradicts the conclusions of previous reports. This paper will focus on chapters one through eight, and 13 to discuss what questions and issues.."
