Marie de Champagne :: Essays Papers

Marie de Champagne Marie de Champagne is the oldest daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen first of France and then of England. Known for her interest in poetry, music and the arts, Eleanor is "credited with the development of the rules of courtly love, and for their dissemination throughout the medieval society of France and England" (Patronage 1). Sharing a very strong mother-daughter relationship, "Marie is known to have shared many of her mother's views and ideas" (Patronage 1). Competing against each other in an "elaborate intellectual game," Eleanor and Marie "try to outdo each other in presenting situations which test the boundaries of courtly love" (Patronage 1). The courtly love relationship is between a knight and his lady. The knight serves his lady with utmost obedience and loyalty while the lady is in complete control of the love relationship. In order to be worthy of the lady's love, the knight must perform great deeds that display his chivalric characteristics. The courtly love relationship typically is not between husband and wife, but usually a knight and a married lady. "Courtly love may therefore be regarded as the complex product of numerous factors--social, erotic, religious, and philosophical" (Courtly 1). As a crusader of courtly love literature, Marie greatly influences Chretien de Troyes' works "which reflect her own world views" about the relationships between men and women (Patronage 2). Writing under the guidance of Marie, Chretien claims that Marie's "command has more importance in his work than any effort [he] might put into it" (Patronage 2). Enforcing the importance of courtly love to the development of the Arthurian legends, Chretien with Marie's influence introduces a complex tale of courtly love and deception between Lancelot, Queen Guienevere and King Arthur. A story of love, lust, and betrayal, the characters that Chertien creates "personify the ideals of chivalry and courtly love according to the social mores of the literary patron, Marie de Champagne" (Patronage 3). In order win Queen Guinevere's heart, Lancelot endures great humiliation and heroic feasts, which portray his virtuous and chivalric character. Chretien's portrayal of Lancelot "is in complete harmony with [Marie's] vision of [courtly] love" (Patronage 3).

Management and Organization Essay -- Business, Scientific Management T

Introduction The management and organizational approaches that are used by various firms play a critical role in their performance. The adopted management approach is important due to the fact that it determines the efficiency with which activities are performed. The organizational structure of the firm on the other hand determines the delegation and application of authority. The organizational structure is developed by the management. The structure facilitates effective interaction among employees and helps in directing resources towards achieving the goals of the organization. The behavior of employees is also influenced by the management and organizational approach (Mullins 3). Thus a firm will only be successful if it adopts the best management and organizational approach. This paper will focus on analyzing two management approaches namely, scientific and bureaucratic theories of management. Scientific Management Theory This theory focuses on the analysis and synthesis of workflows. Its main objective is to improve efficiency within an organization. In order to achieve this objective, the theory proposes that scientific principles should be used in designing processes and managing workers. This theory was developed by â€Å"Fredrick Taylor in the 1880s and 1890s within the manufacturing industry† (Cook and Hunsacker 34). The theory was highly influential in the 1910s as the best management style. However, by 1920s it began to lose its popularity as new management ideas and concepts emerged. The modern organizational approaches and management styles borrow the following concepts from the scientific approach. The concepts include â€Å"logic, efficiency, mass production, rationalization, work ethic and standardization of best practi... ...ty. Finally, the two approaches adopt a top-down system of making decisions. This means that commands or directives are given by the top officials while the junior employees are expected to obey. By contrasting the two approaches, the following differences can be identified. While the scientific approach focuses on improving labor productivity, the bureaucratic system puts more emphasis on administrative efficiency. The scientific approach encourages the introduction of incentive schemes in order to motivate workers. The bureaucratic approach on the other hand places emphasis on the rights of the workers in order to motivate the employees. Finally, the bureaucratic approach considers employment as a life-long career. The scientific approach on the other hand leads to job loses as â€Å"knowledge is transferred from workers to workers and from worker to tools† (Dean 29)

Irony and satire are prominent themes throughout Anthony Burgess’s

Irony and satire are prominent themes throughout Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and Joyce Cary’s The Horse’s Mouth. Burgess’s novel satirizes the world as Burgess viewed it in the mid to late 16th century. It was a world in which individuality copped out to societal norms. Wolf attempts to illustrate the irony of the tenuous connection between the age of reason and the modernization in her work To the Lighthouse which was published in 1984. Like Woolf and Burgess, Cary too takes an entirely satirical approach to the early twentieth century in his work The Horse’s Mouth.Each work published at different junctures in the twentieth century offers unique parodies of the times and the direction each author saw society following. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Irony, is perhaps the cornerstone of A Clockwork Orange. It is most frequently demonstrated through Alex who prior to his government mandated t reatment repeatedly refers to violence as a thing of beauty. For example, after hitting Dim Alex goes on to note that his victim â€Å"is singing blood to make up for his vulgarity.† (Burgess, 28) In another example of irony, prior to his treatment, Alex looks upon those things that most people deem desirable such as religion, education and reason as purely undesirable. In other words, Alex sees things in reverse until the government reforms him. After his treatment he adapts an entirely passive outlook manifested by the following excerpt: â€Å"And what, brother, I had to escape into sleep from then was the horrible and wrong feeling that it was better to get the hit than give it. If the veck had stayed I might even have like presented the other cheek.† (Burgess, 121) This turn in Alex’s attitude toward violence comes as a result of a rigorous two week treatment in which Alex while incarcerated for crimes of violence is injected with a drug. The drug makes Alex ill and during the effects he is forced to watch tapes containing excessive violence. The technique known as associative learning forces Alex to become ill at the thought of violence. Ironically, following the treatment, Alex who was an ardent admirer of classical music cannot stand to listen to classical music since he associates it with violence.Irony and satire is further illustrated by the name attached to a cottage where Alex and his gang members, called droogs, entered and committed crimes of rape and assault. This was prior to Alex’s arrest, incarceration and eventual associative learning treatment. The cottage is named Home and Alex describes it as â€Å"a gloopy sort of name. † (Burgess, 19) The word home is associated with comfort and safety and naturally an escape from the abrasive outside world. At Home, Alex and his droogs turn the concept around by beating the man of the house and raping the mistress.Ironically the master had written a manuscript in prot est against the treatment that the government used to reform Alex. While at Home committing violent crimes, Alex burnt the manuscript which is the very thing that might have spared him the treatment that he received in prison. In the final analysis, the government, by brainwashing Alex for the collective good of society had ironically dehumanized him. This dehumanizing took the form of robbing Alex of free will and free choice.He had not elected to abstain from violence he had been programmed to do so and as such was no more than an animal or a thing. The greatest irony of all is that the very violence that Alex perpetrated had been regarded as non-human. His treatment did no more than suppress his desire for violence leaving no less human than before his treatment. Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange therefore offers a satirical indictment of modern approaches to order in society. Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey represent the gap between realism and mod ernity with an ironic undertone.While Mr. Ramsey is apt to rely upon his intellect and Mrs. Ramsey relies on her emotion, both characters are keenly aware that their existence is profoundly transient. For instance Mrs. Ramsey is weighed by concurrent thoughts of her sons’ growth and the inevitable dangers in the outside world. Mr. Ramsey is constantly obsessing over his inevitable demise. In many ways this approach to modern day chaos is reflected in Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange. Man’s attempt to modernize and grow threatens the very essence of humanity.In A Clockwork Orange the dehumanizing impact of technological progress was epitomized through Burgess’s Alex. Woolf’s approach is slightly different but is nonetheless satirical. Despite the advances in technology humanity is characterized by its flaws. A flawless society is impossible despite the perfection offered by modernity. Woolf highlights this satirical approach in a scene where Mr. Ramsey is observing Mrs. Ramsey and James, (their son) through a window as he strolls through the lane. Woolf writes the following:â€Å"Who shall blame him? Who will not secretly rejoice when the hero puts his armour off, and halts by the window and gazes at his wife and son, who, very distant at first, gradually come closer and closer, till lips and book and head are clearly before him, though still lovely and unfamiliar from the intensity of his isolation and the waste of ages and the perishing of the stars, and finally putting his pipe in his pocket and bending his magnificent head before her—who will blame him if he does homage to the beauty of the world?† (Woolf, Ch. VI) Obviously, Woolf is demonstrating that humanity is flawed and no amount of science can prevent the inevitability of mortality. For Burgess humanity is endlessly flawed by free choice and no amount of scientific procedure can correct that flaw without substituting one problem with perhaps a larger proble m. For instance the treatment given to Alex only robbed him of human traits while attempting to make him more human by eliminating his desire to commit acts of violence.While Burgess uses Home as a symbol of irony in that it typifies a place of order and peace yet becomes a place of great violence and upheaval, Woolf takes a more traditional approach. At her dinner party, Mrs. Ramsey poignantly observes that despite the outside chaos and the turmoil of the outside world there is some peace at home. Reflecting on the dinner party Woolf write: â€Å"It partook . . . of eternity . . .there is a coherence in things, a stability; something, she meant, is immune from change, and shines out (she glanced at the window with its ripple of reflected lights) in the face of the flowing, the fleeting, the spectral, like a ruby; so that again tonight she had the feeling she had had once today, already, of peace, of rest. Of such moments, she thought, the thing is made that endures. †(Woolf, Chapter XVII) Although this aspect of the home can be distinguished from Burgess’s satirical approach to the home the message is nonetheless vastly similar. Certain elements of humanity cannot be usurped by modern technology.As advanced as the sciences may become, human nature remains sacred and necessary for a cohesive society. As collective as society has become at the heart of society there are individuals with human desires, the hub that successfully turns the wheel of humanity. As Mrs. Ramsey observes, some things cannot change and that is human nature. For Alex, human nature required free choice. For Mrs. Ramsey human nature required peace and rest. Ironically, free choice, peace and rest are all compromised in Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange and Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.For Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, humanity was threatened by modern technology as evidenced by Alex’s treatment. For Woolf, humanity was likewise threatened by modern technolo gy at a time when the world was at war and the industrial revolution was in full swing. The Lighthouse in Woolf’s To the Lighthouse can be compared to the Home in Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange in that they both represent the irony of contradictory nature of things. As previously observed the Home, traditionally a place of refuge became the scene of heinous crimes in A Clockwork Orange. A similar, yet not so dramatic contradiction and irony surrounds Woolf’s Lighthouse.For instance, James observes as the Ramsey’s boat approaches the Lighthouse: â€Å"The Lighthouse was then a silvery, misty-looking tower with a yellow eye, that opened suddenly, and softly in the evening. Now— James looked at the Lighthouse. He could see the white-washed rocks; the tower, stark and straight; he could see that it was barred with black and white; he could see windows in it; he could even see washing spread on the rocks to dry. So that was the Lighthouse, was it? No, th e other was also the Lighthouse. For nothing was simply one thing. The other Lighthouse was true too. † (Woolf, Chapter VIII)

History Of St. Joseph Academy Of Valenzuela Essay

In Everythingthere is a beginning and a time for every purpose under the heaven SJAV was founded at the right time and place with heavenly purpose. Sometime in a year of our Lord in nineteen hundred eighty six, a hardworking businessman met a very tragic experience that almost cost his life; without the timely assistance of what percieved as â€Å"Little Angels†. It all started with an unforgettable robbery on june 12, 1986 around 10:00 in the evening at the grocery store Karuhatan Market owned by a generous man named Damaso D. Lopez in which he suffered from a two gun shots wounds in his body and was brought to the hospital. On the way to the hospital he knew that it was just a time for him to take a litle rest after all those untiring work to earn a living. Physicians and surgeons did their very best and done seven operations to save the life of hepless man, and was clinically dead for several seconds on his last operations. But soon he was awakened by the images of the young children wearing white clothes that made him decide and promised to put up a school as soon as he recovered because he believed that it was the sign of his mission here on earth. On that moment of his helplessness, he was with his brother reading the bible from the book of John 12:47 â€Å" I came to save the world and not to condemn.† As he spent more days in the hospital, he noticed another miracle wherein three out of six dried roses in a vase where suddenly starting to bloom and turned into fresh rose while the others remained dry. Similarly the almost dried gladiola flowers from Baguio City which was offered to the grotto of Mt. Carmel, when brought to the hospital bloomed on the very same day of his recovery. Mr. Lopez was in a state of temporary amnesia, when his 6-yr old Daughter Nina visited him at the hospital wearing her school uniform. This prompted him to inquire where she was studying. The child answered that she was under the tutelage of Mrs. Yolanda C. Politico. Thus, his convlescence stage, he invited Mrs. Politico to discuss the feasibility of establishing a school believing that it was the way of giving back all the goodness and blessings God has bestowed upon him. In 1987, with the assistance of Mrs. Politico, he established a Daycare Center using a two-storey Bodega-garage where SJAV is now located. She hired another teacher to start the 1st Batch of more or less 50(fifty) pupils. At The present, the School President together with the help of principal of High School And Grade School Department are serving their very best with the help of the other administrative officials, teacher and non-teaching personnel, in attending to spiritual and educational needs of the students.. In Everythingthere is a beginning and a time for every purpose under the heaven SJAV was founded at the right time and place with heavenly purpose. Sometime in a year of our Lord in nineteen hundred eighty six, a hardworking businessman met a very tragic experience that almost cost his life; without the timely assistance of what percieved as â€Å"Little Angels†. It all started with an unforgettable robbery on june 12, 1986 around 10:00 in the evening at the grocery store Karuhatan Market owned by a generous man named Damaso D. Lopez in which he suffered from a two gun shots wounds in his body and was brought to the hospital. On the way to the hospital he knew that it was just a time for him to take a litle rest after all those untiring work to earn a living. Physicians and surgeons did their very best and done seven operations to save the life of hepless man, and was clinically dead for several seconds on his last operations. But soon he was awakened by the images of the young children wearing white clothes that made him decide and promised to put up a school as soon as he recovered because he believed that it was the sign of his mission here on earth. On that moment of his helplessness, he was with his brother reading the bible from the book of John 12:47 â€Å" I came to save the world and not to condemn.† As he spent more days in the hospital, he noticed another miracle wherein three out of six dried roses in a vase where suddenly starting to bloom and turned into fresh rose while the others remained dry. Similarly the almost dried gladiola flowers from Baguio City which was offered to the grotto of Mt. Carmel, when brought to the hospital bloomed on the very same day of his recovery. Mr. Lopez was in a state of temporary amnesia, when his 6-yr old Daughter Nina visited him at the hospital wearing her school uniform. This prompted him to inquire where she was studying. The child answered that she was under the tutelage of Mrs. Yolanda C. Politico. Thus, his convlescence stage, he invited Mrs. Politico to discuss the feasibility of establishing a school believing that it was the way of giving back all the goodness and blessings God has bestowed upon him. In 1987, with the assistance of Mrs. Politico, he established a Daycare Center using a two-storey Bodega-garage where SJAV is now located. She hired another teacher to start the 1st Batch of more or less 50(fifty) pupils. At The present, the School President together with the help of principal of High School And Grade School Department are serving their very best with the help of the other administrative officials, teacher and non-teaching personnel, in attending to spiritual and educational needs of the students.. Questions: 1.How much the Tuition Fee? > 2.What date that the School has been established? > 3.How many Elementary Teachers have been working? > 4.How many High School Teachers have been working? > 5.How many Students in every Class rooms? > 6.Is your School is supported by the Government? > 7.How many subjects in a day? > 8.What is The Major Subjects?

Gender Politics and Roles in a Horror Film Essay

Gender politics in horror films are not all that difficult to comprehend mainly because they devise a specific role for the various genders. That is the gender politics are little more than a variant on class roles in society. In fact, even an individual who has a passing interest in horror films can see that the heroes and villains are male and the victims are predominantly women. This is the common, tried and true cliched method of â€Å"cranking out† horror movies on an assembly line basis. There are, of course, some excellent horror films that alter the generic methodology of producing horror films that prescribe to a single minded of opinions of what are the â€Å"proper† gender roles that are found in horror movies. Often, we see men as the hero and women as either the victim or the hero. In reality, when it comes to gender roles in horror films there really are no differences because these different roles are based on human interpretations deriving from external opinion; in the film itself it is the â€Å"monster† that defines the role and the monster invariably defines the role of all human – regardless of gender – as prey. When it comes to drive in theater/direct to DVD releases, serious study is often difficult. Films that are cranked out to cash in on a niche market are generally not works of art. Those horror films that do rise to a higher level of art, however, can provide a brilliant insight into the multitude of variances of gender roles that exist. In examining gender roles in horror films, one could split the genre into two halves: the pre-ALIEN era and the post-ALIEN era. In the era prior to 1979’s landmark film ALIEN, the perceived role of women was that of the unwilling victim who was Gender Roles in Horror Films – Page 2 menaced by the vampire, werewolf, artificial construct et al and needed a hero to save her. This is referred to as a perceived appearance because the role of the female character was actually much stronger then that in certain films. (In the more â€Å"B grade† films the role of the victim was a cardboard one lacking in any depth) With the release of ALIEN, a female character was presented as a strong adversary of the monster. Instead of needing to be saved, the female heroine defeats the monster quite handily. This would become the more common female role in horror movies. Unfortunately, this more active role would be perverted into â€Å"the last victim† stereotype crafted in the slasher films of the 1980’s; a role that still exists for many female characters to this very day. Of course, not all female gender roles are heroines or victims. The recent release of SAW III brought back the lesser used concept of the female villain. The most famous example could be found in 1932’s underrated DRACULA’S DAUGHTER. While the role of the female vampire was effective, there was little interest in continuing to use females in â€Å"horror movie heavy roles†. The usage of a female in a horror role was limited although it was not without precedent. A female werewolf debuted in lost werewolf film unimaginatively titled THE WEREWOLF. (Female werewolves would return in such films as SHE WOLF OF LONDON and CRY OF THE WEREWOLF) But, this particular role was limited. Further roles of females in the monster role range from the exploitative (THE VAMPIRE LOVERS) to the downright silly (FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER) to the brilliant (THE EXORCIST) While this particular gender role of Gender Roles in Horror Films – Page 3 villainess is limited it is not without precedent and it does occasionally appear. In rare instances, it is done effectively as seen in films such as the aforementioned SAW III and THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. There are questions that need to be raised in terms of how a woman’s role vs. a male role in a horror film is devised. While some may look for a profound answer to this the real answer is somewhat mundane. That is to say, the roles presented in many of these films are simply reflections of common themes. Consider the following assessment: â€Å"In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, please in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects a fantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact†¦ † (Mulvey 203) In other words, the gender roles prevalent in most horror films was simply what the audience had grown accustom to expecting. If the audiences of the 1930’s sat down in a dark theater in the 1930’s and were treated to a female hero in DRACULA or KING KONG the films would have been radically different in their narrative. Audiences generally expected a common role for men and women in horror films and any departure from these roles may run the risk of being rejected. Well, they will not be rejected if they are scripted well. In the 1976 KING KONG remake, Jessica Lang’s dopey dialogue to Kong did change her role from the frightened Fay Wray of the original film, but not in a good way. Screaming at the top of your lungs at the sight of a monstrous ape makes sense. Looking at a gigantic amorous Gender Roles in Horror Films – Page 4 ape and saying â€Å"This isn’t going to work out† is just outright silly. It simply is not the role people expect in a situation of grave terror. But traditional roles do not always exhibit passivity. In a way, Fay Wray’s fear and terror is not so much submission or passivity as much as it is obstinate. She rejects Kong and stands up for herself. Her screams are screams of defiance and such defiance throws Kong off his game plan. As such, her role is really not as passive as one would assume. She does stand up to the creature, but unlike Jessica Lange’s obtuse reaction Wray’s reaction is believable. This is what makes her defiance believable. In a way, gender roles in horror films really more blurred than most would initially assume. Consider the following conclusion: â€Å"From its beginning gothic writing entwined culture and economy as well as blurring sexual boundaries and disturbing aesthetic and moral categories. † (Botting 135) On the surface, many would be disinclined to agree with such a statement. After all, what blurring of gender roles are there to be found in a horror film? Prior to ALIEN, the roles of men and women were starkly contrasted. In the post ALIEN world, women take on a more active role. This is hardly blurring. In fact, the roles are fairly obvious and pronounced. Again, this is what might appear to be the fact on the surface because on the surface we are looking at the actual action of the characters. The roles of the characters do not change regardless of the decade the film was produced. That is to say, humans – whether they are male or female – remain victims in horror films. Gender Roles in Horror Films – Page 5 That is, Ripley may be active in ALIEN but she is the prey of the alien no different from the role of Fay Wray in KING KONG. Even in 1942’s THE WOLFMAN we can see a variant of this. Consider Evelyn Ankers role in the film: her character Gwen is far from a weak female. She is a very independent and strong character. At the film’s climax, she goes out in the woods by herself looking for her boyfriend even though she knows a werewolf is prowling. Of course, the werewolf attacks her because that is what werewolves do. The werewolf – like aliens, vampires and giant monsters – only sees humans as prey. The creature often does not see gender roles. The role to the creature is irrelevant beyond seeing humans as victims. Victims are essentially the repressed regardless of their gender role. â€Å"What is primal Repression? Let us call it the ability of the speaking being always already haunted by the other, to divide, reject and repeat. Without one division, one separation one subject/object having been constituted†¦ why? Perhaps because of the maternal anguish, unable to be satisfied within the encompassing symbolic. † (Kristeva 12) As such, the gender role of the active male or active/passive female never really changes. The role they play is always reactive to the creature and this makes them perfect for the role of a victim. This may seem like a odd way of looking at the roles because it deviates from the commonality of what we are grown to expect in horror films. This is because â€Å"Cinema is at once a form of perception and a material perceived, a new way of encountering reality Gender Roles in Horror Films – Page 6 and a part of reality thereby discovered for the first time. † (Shaviro 40) That is, one of the benefits to enjoying a film is watching how humans are presented. Even in fantastic films such as the horror genre there is a unique insight into reality present and that particular reality is both the different roles genders play (passive/active) based on human perception and then there is the monsters perception: prey. As such, there are different roles and singular roles occurring at the same time. As Barker illustrates: â€Å"If she had been taciturn in the street, Anne-Marie was anything but in the privacy of her own kitchen. Gone was the guarded curiosity, to be replaced by a stream of lively chatter and constant scurrying between a half dozen minor domestic tasks, like a juggler keeping several states spinning at once. † (Barker 74) That is, a singular person can play many roles based on varying perceptions. While there are many different types of horror films, all horror films center on the common theme of predator and prey. While sometimes there may be variants to the role ( a sympathetic monster, a flawed human hero, etc) the end result always returns to the original theme: predators seek their prey. Sometimes, the prey is passive and sometimes the prey remains passive. Of course, prey can be both male and female and, unfortunately, the gender roles of the prey often follow common stereotypes. However, to the classic monster gender roles are irrelevant: to the monster all humans are prey and that trumps gender roles completely. This is not to say that there are no nuances found in the various gender roles. But, as far as the creature is concerned all humans are prey no matter how they act or react through the course of the film. Bibliography Barker, Clive. â€Å"The Forbidde. † In IN THE FLESH: TALES OF TERROR. New York: Poseidon Press, 1986. 67 – 108. Botting, F. â€Å"Candy Gothic. † In GOTHIC CAMBRIDGE: Boydell & Brewer, 2001. 133 – 151. Kristeva, Julia. â€Å"Powers of Horror: A Study in Abjection. † New York: Columbia University Press, 1982. Mulvey, Laura. â€Å"Visual Pleasure and Narrative cinema. † Shaviro, Steven. â€Å"Film Theory and Visual Fascination. † In THE CINEMATIC BODY. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis Press, 1993. 1 – 65.

Equality for Undocumented Immigrants Essay

The women founders of sociological theory made it possible for women and members of other marginalized communities to gain access to the rights and privileges their white male counterparts enjoyed for centuries. In particular, the incredible lives of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Ida B. Wells-Barnett allowed new avenues of academia and social change that had not previously been conceivable. Although they used different approaches and their theories focused on different aspects of the society in which they lived, a common thread ties them together in the history of feminist thinkers: their passion for social and economic change for women. Their contributions laid the groundwork for the modern day struggles for civil rights, in particular the fight for fair treatment and equality of undocumented immigrants. Gilman and Wells-Barnett did not gain admiration for maintaining the status-quo, which is exactly why it is important to apply their methods of research and analysis to the fight for the equality of undocumented immigrants. This paper focuses on the revolutionary theories Gilman and Wells-Barnett are most known for, and discusses the potential implications the application of these theories might have when applied to undocumented immigrants. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860 and died by suicide in August of 1935. Despite her unfortunate death, the contributions Gilman made to the feminist movement are still considered to be unparalleled, so much so that has been judged â€Å"the most original and challenging mind which the woman movement produced† 1. In her most famous work, Women and Economics, Gilman separated herself from other feminists of the time by boldly stating that the integral cause for sex-distinction and the inequality facing women is the dependence on the husband in the family unit for all money making activities. Her bold and unapologetic prose highlighted the â€Å"sexuo-economic relationship† between married men and women, dating back to prehistoric times 2. According to Gilman, women must rely solely on their sexuality to attain even their most basic needs. Unlike men, who have endless opportunities to gain their desires, young women are left with only their bodies as a means for material and social well being, because â€Å"all that she may wish to have, all that she may wish to do, must come through a single channel and a single choice. Wealth, power, social distinction, fame- not only these, but home and happiness, reputation, ease and pleasure, her bread and butter-all, must come to her through a small gold ring† 3. Woman’s dependence on men economically not only hurts women financially, socially, mentally, and intellectually. This dependence of married women on their husbands for virtually all aspects of their well being also has a negative effect on the economy. Gilman blames the â€Å"androcentric culture† for societies ills, using the term specifically to refer to the institutions and social norms defined by the capitalist patriarchy men and women are taught to live in beginning at a very young age. This phenomenon, coupled with the inability for women to compete with men in society, is causing great intellectual waste as well as economic ramifications. Until women could have the same freedoms as men to pursue economic independence, they would remain subjugated and forced to live their lives without freedom and confined by social norms perpetuated by the capitalist patriarchy of male domination. Ida B. Wells-Barnett made her mark in feminist sociology not only for her work in the field of sociology but also as a social activist who challenged the status-quo of American society. She used a unique blend of research and social activism to challenge the racism she and her fellow African Americans faced every day in the United States, particularly in the South. Wells-Barnett collected information from newspapers, journals, and other media outlets to uncover the ways African Americans were represented in the media and the negative effect this had on the lives of people of color and the poor across the country. For example, in her autobiography, Wells-Barnett describes one incident which resulted in a lawsuit against the Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern Railroad. When she refused to leave the â€Å"ladies† car, two conductors had to physically remove her, during which she bit one conductor on the arm and refused to let go. She explains â€Å"†the white ladies and gentlemen in the car even stood on the seats so that they could get a good view and continued applauding the conductor for his brave stand.†4Together with other theorists like Julia Cooper, Wells-Barnett developed a theory of domination that explained why white men of power continued to dominate American institutions and perpetuate the cycles of racism and poverty. Specifically, Wells-Barnett focused on the violent behaviors, such as lynching, that dominant members of society used when they felt their position of authority was being threatened by someone or some group they deemed subordinate in society. Historian Ula Taylor explains the many ways Barnett used these tools: â€Å"She challenged the myth that all White women were chaste, all Black women were without virtue, and all Black men were rapists by unleashing a massive international campaign against lynching. She documented the economic realities of lynching victims, the possibility that a White woman could be attracted to a Black man, and finally the fact that Black women were violated and abused at alarming rates. Barnett advocated self-help activities, but she also fought against Jim Crow facilities with economic boycotts and was not above armed resistance†. The focus of Wells-Barnett on the subordination of women was unique in that it looked at the problem not only through the lens of sex, but of race, class and geographic location. Undocumented immigration, commonly known as â€Å"illegal immigration†, is a hot button topic in American politics today. In the last ten years candidates for political office, political parties and interests groups have used this issue to gain support for their cause, resulting in a heated ongoing debate that affects the estimated 20 million undocumented immigrants that live and work in the United States today. What has become lost in the majority of these discussions is the diminished quality of life these immigrants are forced to endure due to failed social policy of US lawmakers, as well as the many positive contributions immigrants from all countries have on the economy and culture of the United States. Advocates for undocumented immigrants are faced with similar challenges faced by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Both women fought for equality for those who did not have equal status in society and in the institutions that make up American government. The application of their theories to the plight of undocumented workers provides a unique lens in which to study these women and to test whether their theories can still be successfully applied to modern-day issues. The fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants in the United States today is being fought with many of the same tools used by Wells-Barnett during her fight for civil rights. These tools include economic boycotts, marches, policy advocacy and media coverage that highlight the injustices being endured by millions of men, women and children across the country. For example, in 2004 a documentary entitled â€Å"Farmingville: POV† told the story of two murders in the suburban town of Farmington, New York6. Two undocumented workers from Mexico were brutally murdered by the hands of white men because of their ethnicity and legal status. According to Wells-Barnett, these vicious murders occurred because of the pathology of the white men. The violence was a reaction to the dominant members of the society feeling their status in their community was being threatened by those they considered beneath them. The similarities in legal status of African Americans during the lifetime of Wells-Barnett and present-day undocumented immigrants is strikingly similar. Undocumented workers, like African Americans of that time, have different legal rights than their â€Å"American† counterparts, and legally they are not afforded the same rights and liberties as those considered â€Å"legal†. As she did in her studies of lynching of African-Americans, Wells-Barnett would also look at media representation and instances of racism within the police force and other law enforcement agencies as proof of her theory of domination. For example, she could cite an article recently published in Los Angeles, California in which Ernesto Cienfuegos boldly stated: â€Å"murderous ogres are today getting away with the horrific killings of undocumented Mexican immigrants due in part to uncaring and often racist USA   law enforcement agencies. Anti-immigrant hysteria, once the purview of fringe vigilante groups, has now afflicted some in the mainstream media and this has fanned the flames of anti-Mexican bigotry throughout the nation resulting in a series of heinous murders of undocumented immigrants that have included women and children†7. The language in this article reflects the beliefs held by Wells-Barnett concerning the rape, murder and other brutality faced by African Americans before and during her lifetime. The theories of Charlotte Perkins Gilman could also be applied to undocumented immigrants in the United States. Specifically, her assertions concerning unspecialized labor in the workforce. In â€Å"The Waste of Private Housekeeping†, Gilman explains her belief that because women are forced to be housewives and therefore cannot pursue their intellectual potential: â€Å"Neither the labor of the overworked mother, nor the labor of the perpetual lowgrade apprentice, can ever reach high efficiency. This element of waste is inherent in domestic industry and cannot be overcome. No special training can be applied to every girl and produce good results in all; no psychological gymnastics can elevate housework when housework, in economic status, is at the very bottom of industrial evolution†. Gilman argued that because women were kept to working inside the home they were not able to develop intellectually at the same level or rate as men. Because undocumented workers face deportation and other punishments because of their legal status, they also are often forced to remain in jobs in the service industry and as maids cleaning up and looking after the children of other families. They depend on the companies that hire them and the families that pay them for their income, and therefore have no choice but to work in deplorable working conditions with wages often lower than the federal minimum wage. The argument can also be made that many undocumented women are kept economically dependent on men because they are brought into the United States for use in the sex industry, and often kept as slaves. Without the necessary skills, education, or legal status these women cannot escape their terrible situation, and therefore remain dependent on men for their basic needs in return for work around the house and sex. Without Gilman and Wells Barnett it is hard to know what these women would think about the plight of undocumented immigrants. It is important to take into account the different time periods these women lived and worked in. For example, Wells-Barnett focused on African Americans because they were legally enslaved by slaveowners for centuries in the United States, and there were laws in place that protected these slaveowners from being held accountable for inflicting harm on any of their slaves. Undocumented immigrants, however, are afforded some basic rights that African Americans were not even after the abolishment of slavery, which Wells-Barnett might be quick to point out. While it can probably be proven that the media gives less attention to the murders and violence towards undocumented immigrants, the severity and social stigma involving lynching of African Americans in the South was certainly much different. Gilman’s theories are often criticized for their racist and xenophobic undertones, as she believed America was the best country in the World and Americans were morally superior to citizens of all other countries9. Might she then condemn undocumented workers and treat them with the same racism she afforded African Americans? In conclusion, the work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Ida B. Wells-Barnett is anything but limited to sociological theory. Both their lives impacted women around the world, and without their vision, intellect and passion for social change the status of women could not be where it is today. The lasting impression these women made on society is proven when their theories are applied to the plight of undocumented immigrants in the United States today. These women are responsible for the tools marginalized members of society use to gain access to the freedoms we as Americans strive to achieve. Although criticisms can and have been made against the theories of both women, their positive contributions to critical social theory far outweigh the negative. Because of these women’s passion for social justice and equality they too would join the fight for immigrant rights if they were alive today. I am honored to have been able to study and analyze their works and will carry the knowledge gained from this experience for the rest of my life.

Queer critiques of gay marriage Annotated Bibliography

Queer critiques of gay marriage - Annotated Bibliography Example In the article, the community notes that the number of homosexuals has grown despite the widespread negativity the members face. The second article adopts an equally critical stand as it investigates the cost of achieving equality for the LGBT community. The author of the article understands the society’s skewed and skeptic approach to homosexuality despite the growing number of gays and lesbians in the society. In constructing their articles, the respective authors uphold some of the basic guidelines of writing. The make essential citations thereby enhancing the authority of the claims they make. In retrospect, the two articles are valid reports that make good arguments. Furthermore, they are good sources owing to the authors’ ability to present their facts systematically and attempt to provide evidence by citing the works appropriately. The LGBT community in the country sought to develop a new strategic vision to help redirect their future endeavors. The new vision seeks to safeguard immense economic benefits for gays, lesbians, transgender and bisexuals in the country. The article seeks to safeguard the acceptance, respect and recognition for members of the community in every feature of the society and numerous states within the country. In justifying their new vision, the community explains a number of intricate features of the society including the diversity in families and households as the number of homosexuals grow throughout the country. The community argues that the increase in its size implies that a greater number of people continue to face economic stress. The community uses its experience and experience on the issue by analyzing official reports in coming up with the blueprint. Despite such attempts, the article lacks statistical proof of the issues it raises a feature that make it inflammatory. The article vouches for equality for the LGBT community. The