Abstract In this article the writer points out that in 'Life Beyond the Closet', Seidman shows how gay personal and pubic life has changed considerably over the past several decades, to the point that the closet is gradually fading and losing its viability. The writer maintains that especially since the 1990s, concurrent with a shift toward multiculturalism and tolerance in general, gays have secured civil rights and a sense of entitlement to basic freedoms and liberties. However, the writer discusses that normalizing homosexuals and making homosexuality mainstream falls short of achieving true equality and justice because normalization equals assimilation. Further, the writer points out that Seidman shows that gays and lesbians have a long way to go before becoming first-rate citizens of the United States.
From the Paper "Gays have become part of the mainstream and proudly visible on television and the media. However, normalizing homosexuals and making homosexuality mainstream falls short of achieving true equality and justice because normalization equals assimilation. Without challenging the oppressive social institutions that create homophobia, prejudice, and sexism, normalization is simply not enough. Furthermore, being out of the closet can be dangerous: Seidman notes that hate crimes against gays increased fourfold between 1991 and 1998, and since the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, there has been a 70% increase in gay and lesbian military discharges. Gay liberationism remains necessary in order to confront the underlying issues that fuel homophobia, sexism and other lingering injustices in American society."
Abstract This paper provides a critical analysis of Susan Brownmiller's essay, "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet". It discusses Brownmiller's argument to remove First Amendment protection for pornography and expose its anti-feminine agenda.
From the Paper " Susan Brownmiller's essay Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet makes a compelling case for taking pornography out from under the cloak of the First Amendment and exposing it for the ..."
Tags: Brownmiller, pornography, First Amendment, critique
Abstract This paper discusses the economic, family, legal and religious stereotypes that often exist against homosexual individuals. It then demonstrates the effectiveness of three counseling theories and techniques in aiding a client wishing to "come out of the closet" - person-centered theory, reality theory and behavioral theory. The paper explores the strengths and limitations of these theories, as well as counseling outcomes, multicultural concerns and the ethical implications of this issue.
Table of Contents:
Client Problem
Counseling Theories
Rationale For Techniques
Implementing Techniques
Effectiveness of Techniques
Strengths and Limitations
Multicultural Issues
Ethic Concerns
Conclusion
From the Paper "A 17-year-old male is getting ready to attend an out-of-state college in a few months. He reports spending massive amounts of energy disguising the fact he is gay. He currently attends a small, rural high school. He has never told any of his family or friends that he is gay due to fear of isolation and abandonment. He reports having limited homosexual experiences. He declares that he is tired of living a lie and being lonely. He proclaims that he is afraid to "come out" to family and friends but needs some encouragement to do so."
Abstract This paper relates that Joe Wlodarz, in his article, 'Maximum Insecurity: Genre Trouble and Closet Erotics In and Out of HBO's "Oz"', analyzes the interplay between genre and sexuality in the HBO television program, "Oz". The author explains that, in an attempt at a Foucauldian reading of the series, Wlodarz succeeds and fails in making a point about the notion of seeing sexual acts as an epistemological guarantee of identity. The paper also points out that, ultimately, Wlodarz falls prey to some of the same assumptions he is arguing against. The author underscores that, by queering the genre of prison drama by describing it as soap opera, he also queers the very identities he is trying to examine based upon the 'queer' acts that they are performing. The paper argues that seeing these acts as 'queer' is an instance of submitting to the same epistemological fallacy that Wlodarz seems to be working so hard to undermine.
From the Paper "Wlodarz writes that even in the 'love story' scenario between two of the main characters in "Oz", there are no loving sex scenes, no space between these men where sex is used as a resolution, or a place of comfort. Wlodarz argues that this is an indicator that "the series refuses to contain sexuality, to limit sexual identity, or to suggest that romantic and / or sexual relations are anything less than dangerous and destabilizing." I would argue, instead, that this portrayal of the sexual activity between men who call themselves straight and who only have sex with women when they have the option shows that they are indeed straight, despite the biological sex of the bodies of their partners."
Abstract This paper discusses how "Monster's Inc."(2001) is a children's film that uses the common childhood fear of monsters lurking in the closet and turns this conceit right on its head. The film depicts monsters as terrified of children and how they wait for children at night, but not to eat them--but to collect the screams of these small humans. The screams power the monster's society of Monstropolis with Scream Heat. The paper concludes that, because of their need to stimulate fear in the hearts of children, the monster's world more and more resembles in its images and structure, the society beyond the closet door.
Outline:
Introduction
Definition of a Principle or Cultural Theory That Is Present In the Film
Identify the Cultural Climate within the Film
Explain How You Would React If You Had To Exist In That Culture
Provide Analysis of What Could Be Done To Improve the Culture
Outline:
From the Paper "The fact that people who are 'different' are often called monsters in real life creates an immediate resonance between Monstropolis and our own society. The cultural theory is the theory stressed by the film is of the dangerous potential fear of the 'other'--an entire society can be powered by a fear of difference and culturally structured around a fear of difference. But fearing something only makes what you fear all the more a part of your own culture. Because children look different from the monsters, and because the children's screams power Monstropolis, the monster's entire society must be devoted keeping the children 'out' as well as keeping children in a state of fear to generate screams. Without fear, the monster's culture and the society cannot exist. "
A discussion on men on the down low, a slang phrase to describe men who have sex with men but do not categorize themselves as homosexuals and bisexuals.
Abstract This paper looks at significant media attention that men who are down low, a term used on closeted gay and bisexual men, have gained due to the increasing rate of HIV infection among black women. Some of these men who have sex with other men have girlfriends and spouses who are unaware of the double lives these men lead. The paper reviews a book written by J.L King, which provides readers with a firsthand account and understanding of the lives and lifestyles of closet black homosexuals. The author explains that men on the down low mask their homosexuality as society and religion frowns upon gays. The paper next discusses the effect of these men living in deception as well as clinical and therapy methods that would aid these individuals to cope with their lives and problems.
Outline:
King's View on Down Low
Professionals, Researchers, and Studies on Down Low
Effect of being on the Down Low
Causes of Homosexuality
The Role of the Church
What the Bible has to say on Homosexuality
Clinical Strategy
Notes
Works Cited
From the Paper "He believes that many of the bisexual men opt not to divulge their sexual preferences for fear of negative consequences that such admittance would likely cause. Numerous people are homophobic. Gays and lesbians are ridiculed by the society and it is not a widely accepted behavior in the prevailing social and religious norms. These factors contribute to men being on the down low. King further stresses that down low men's sense of self is associated with his ability to express masculinity and fulfill the traditional gender expectation assigned to men in general."
Abstract This paper defines the Oedipal Complex and show how it emerges as a theme in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', through the relationship of Hamlet and Gertrude, his mother. The closet theme is shown as a major scene that reflects their relationship, as well as other scenes which show Hamlet's anguish at being replaced in his mother's affection by another man.
From the Paper "A young boy suffering from the Oedipal Complex has sexual desires for his mother and aggressive feelings toward his father. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the object of Hamlet's Oedipal Complex, Gertrude, follows the criteria of this theory. Although Hamlet outwardly disapproves of his mother's marriage, Gertrude constantly expresses her undying affection for her son. The Closet Scene, in addition to revealing the Oedipal Complex, best exemplifies the conflict in Hamlet's relationship with his mother. "
Abstract This paper takes a look at the contribution and effect that Oscar Wilde made to British society. In "The Importance of Being Ernest" a satirical view is taken on the Victorian society and expectations for men. It describes how the character leads a double life in order to live up to these expectations. Social commitments, the role of the female and other typical Victorian issues are examined in this paper.
From the paper:
"Before Oscar Wilde became famous for his writing, he was famous for his tongue. In the early years of his career, Wilde was best known as an articulate and witty social gadfly. He was the fashion-whore of polite British society. He insinuated himself calculatingly into the social life of ?the beautiful people.? H!is reputation was built around an elaborately outrageous fashion sense, a shocking wit and amusing repertoire of behaviors, and his blatant self-stylings as an art critic and aesthete. Through-out his social career, Wilde alternately flaunted and denied his homosexual tendencies. They were a part of his carefully groomed artistic image, an image from which he occasionally worked to distance himself. He did get married and father two sons, and when he was finally accused of sodomy, he fought the charges as libelous. Yet the reality of his sexual orientation, and its natural at-odds-with-society status, was never far from his work. Even his most hetero-centric works, such as the romantic satire The Importance of Being Ernest, are informed by the daily social strains of his barely closeted double life. The Importance of Being Ernest is, in fact, in many ways a prophetic, though optimistic, metaphor for Wilde's life. He deals w!ith the hypocrisy and shallowness that "modern" women and "modern" social etiquette require from men. The story at once critiques the institution of marriage and the institution of ?polite society.? This play deals explicitly with the sacrifices and lies that must be committed in order to achieve acceptance in either marriage or society, and with the inevitable moment of truth when those lies are discovered."
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 The paper examines the issue of the author Oscar Wilde's homosexuality, how it was portrayed in his writings, accepted by society, and how he was eventually taken to court and found guilty of gross indecency. It looks at how homosexuality was not "obvious" to Victorian society and Wilde often engaged with a kind of cat and mouse game with his reading public as a closeted homosexual author. Famously, the word "earnest" was slang in many circles for homosexuality and queerness and it reviews his play "The Importance of Being Earnest" as a heterosexual comedy of manners.
From the Paper "Throughout both of his trials, Wilde adopts a kind of insouciant, provocative pose that seems, to the modern eyes, to be a "typical" portrait of a flamboyant male homosexual. Because Oscar Wilde's artistic medium has become synonymous with such a posture it is difficult to re-read history with open eyes. However, the answer as to why Wilde thought he could ?get away with it,? would seem to be found, not so much in the actual, textual evidence of either the trials or Wilde's later works during and after his imprisonment. Rather it is the attitude by which sexuality in general, and homosexuality in particular, was viewed by Wilde's Victorian reading public."
Abstract This paper reviews the life and work of Lewis Howard Latimer, the son of a runaway slave born in Boston in 1848 from his beginnings as a draftsman to his first invention?water closets for railroad cars, to his expertise in inventing, installations, drafting and patenting. It also looks at how his invention of a better method of producing carbon filaments ultimately transformed the future of incandescent lamps.
Outline
Dates of Life and Work
Education Experience in Social Context
Area of Expertise
Contribution to the Field of Science and Society
Historical Significance of his Work
From the Paper "While working at Crosby and Gould, Latimer began his career as an inventor. In 1873, he was granted a patent for his first invention?water closets for railroad cars (Klein, 1971, pp. 99-100). His belief that electricity would play a significant role in the future led him to join Hiram Maxim's United States Electric Lighting Company (Klein, 1971, p. 100). At U.S. Electric, Latimer succeeded in increasing the life of the carbon filament of the early light bulbs. In 1881, Latimer and J.V. Nichols, another Maxim employee, claimed the patent for making improvements in incandescent electric lamps (Klein, 1971, p. 101). In the following year, Latimer invented a globe support for the electric arc lamps (Klein, 1971, p. 101)."
Abstract This paper examines how the definition of sexual or intimate relationships throughout the last 60 years has not changed and how the self-imposed cultural boundaries have undergone a revolution. It looks at how behavior, which was once culturally ostracized, is now considered a healthy part of expressing one's own sexual identity. It discusses how cultural boundaries regarding homosexual relationships, as well as self?fulfilling sexual behavior, are no longer pushed out of the modern mind, or hidden in the closet. It also shows how our postmodern world has moved significantly away from defining personal completion as what a person gives to another in a relationship toward defining self-completion and satisfaction as what a person receives from another.
From the Paper "Successful relationships can be formed through many different ways but require a few common ingredients. Self-disclosure, intimacy, and respect are three of the most important ingredients in developing and maintaining a meaningful relationship. Self-disclosure is a deliberate and gradual process of revealing significant information about one's self to another that would not normally be known by others. The breadth of disclosure expands continually and extends through all the areas of life as two people choose to grow closer in an intimate relationship."
Abstract This paper explains that the first known bathtub was found in Greece in the great palace of Knossos and included impressive technologies that provided water for the tub, including a system of interlocking terra-cotta pipes. The author believes that the function of the bathroom needs to be pushed to a new extreme, allowing people, spaces, and domestic functions new potentials for hybrid activities. The paper relates that a complete home plumbing system requires three distinct networks of pipes: water supply lines, which carry water under pressure; a network of drain pipes, which works entirely by gravity; and a network of pipes, which serves to maintain equal air pressure throughout the drainpipe so that the flow proceeds without interference.
Table of Contents
Introduction
History of Bathing
Evolution of Sanitation
History of Water Closets Environmental Aspects
Public Health Aspects
Basic Components of Modern Bathrooms
Toilet or Flush
Sinks
Tubs and Showers
Storage
Ventilation
Natural Lighting
Special Effects with Plants
Appropriate Plants for the Bath
Hydroponics
Spirituality
Landscape of Bathing and Relaxing
Metroscape
Artificial versus Real
The New Landscape in Metro Area
Water Supply Service
Purification
Boosting by Pump
Boosting by Pressure Cylinder Water Pump
Drainage
Vents and Traps
The Ideal Living, the Bathroom in New Product Design Context
The Future of the Bathroom Is Here
From the Paper "In fact, until the mid-nineteenth century, streets were used as refuse dumping grounds, domestic animals roamed the streets and rodents ran rampant. Cesspools were located near houses and buildings, reeking and spreading germs. The Industrial Revolution and discoveries such as the germ theory brought about major changes in approach, raising the standard of living and ending serious epidemics. By 1900, improved nutrition, better sanitation, and, especially, contributions from bacteriologists increased life expectancy at birth by almost six years to age 47.3."
Abstract This paper is a research proposal to investigate how the media portray homosexuality in the news, sitcoms, and advertisements. The paper looks at the imbalance in the positive and negative portrayals of homosexuals and proposes a need for further research in this area.
From the Paper "Homosexuality is a very popular topic on the news. Homosexuals are portrayed as ?unnatural,? ?threatening to society,? and are being harshly scrutinized. Throughout the News, such as ABCNews, the point of argument is whether or not gays should be able to get married or if they should be able to adopt children. Such negativity is not only shown throughout every state but our President of the United States, George Bush, is trying to "redo" the constitution so that homosexuals will be unable to get married or adopt. Public support for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages has grown in the last month, leaving the nation split down the middle as President Bush announced his support recently for an amendment(Morris). The implications of this amendment will be negative toward the homosexual community."
Abstract In this paper, the author explores the topic of male circumcision in America and sheds light on the reasons that it is a firm social norm in American society. The author raises the question as to just how and why circumcision came to be so prevalent in American society. To answer these questions the author first explores the historical and religious aspects of circumcision, then the contemporary medical research and debates and concludes with the psychological and sociological aspects of this procedure. He talks in depth about each aspect and concludes that with modern research being arguable either way, circumcision should cease being the silent American tradition and should be brought out of the closet where young parents can have open, reasonable discussions with their doctors. He believes that the American taboo of remaining silent about circumcision should be reversed; after all, he states, it is just foreskin.
From the Paper "One of the main similarities in these religious practices, and those of present day, is that circumcision almost always seems to take place at birth. It seems rational that modern day techniques simply carried on the Jewish tradition of male circumcision at birth. It seems to have always been hypothesized that infants do not experience pain in the first few days of life, therefore making it seem more reasonable to perform such a painful procedure at birth, rather than later in life. As the centuries progressed, there always seemed to be a medical rational presupposed by society for the Jewish tradition of circumcision. "It is important to note, however, that it was often historians and philosophers who made medical claims for Jewish circumcision rather than Jewish religious leaders."
