Eve Kosofsky Sedgwicks Tendencies: Queerness and Oppression Essay

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's Tendencies: Queerness and Oppression Over the last two decades or so, the idea of queerness is one that has been utilized and considered by individuals and communities of marginalized sexualities and genders. The concept is one that has attempted to broaden and deconstruct traditional notions of gender and sexuality in order to include all of their incarnations as valid experiences and identities. Queerness endeavors to include all of those who feel they are a part of it yet, seemingly, not everyone can be queer without changing the very nature of queerness. Or can they? Queerness is a concept which resists borders and structure yet it seems as though there must be certain commonalities among all queer identities and behaviors. In her book, Tendencies, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick constructs queerness as a seemingly all-inclusive and individually determined space, writing that: queer can refer to: the open mesh of possibilities, gaps, overlaps, dissonances, resonances, lapses and excesses of meaning when the constituent element's of anyone's gender, of anyone's sexuality aren't made (or can't be made) to signify monolithically. (8) She expands queer beyond the bounds of "same-sex sexual object choice" making queerness about performative behavior rather than sexual mechanics (Sedgwick 8). For example, Sedgwick's idea of queer includes "feminists... masturbators... lesbian-identified men...[and] people able to relish, learn from, or identify with such" among others(8). She posits that the fundamental precondition, "to make the description 'queer' a true one is the impulsion to use it in the first person" (Sedgwick 9). Yet is this self-determined queerness valid? Can actual queerness be claimed s... ...cepting one's status as incongruent allows one to claim a singular identity without inviting oppression because one's incongruence prohibits a singular identity claim to completely describe the self. The manner in which Foucault and Sedgwick construct queerness allows for oppression because they assume that the self is a singular cohesive body. Warner supposes that by realizing the fragmentation the self, one can claim an identity and escape oppression. Works Cited Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality Volume 1: An Introduction. Trans. Robert Hurley. New York: Vintage Books, 1980. Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. Tendencies. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1993. Warner, Michael. "Tongues United: Memoirs of a Pentecostal Boyhood." The Material Queer: A LesBiGay Cultural Studies Reader. Ed. Donald Morton. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996.

Workplace Observation Essays -- Pharmacies Pharmacy Business Essays

Workplace Observation I am currently employed at B&L pharmaceuticals, one of the largest manufactures of generic medications in the world. In this paper I will discuss how communication flows in my workplace, organizational diversity, and conflict management. With my current position as a Group Leader the flow of communication is very important. Communication Communication at B&L consists of emails, work procedures and policies, telephones, and bulletin board postings throughout the facility. A majority of the emails are sent both internally and externally, make the bulk of the communication that takes place here at B&L. Using outlook express, emails also allow for the scheduling of meetings and appointments. Telephones are used to communicate within the company by dialing exte...

Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting Up a Business

Advantages of Starting up a Business Advantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Being your own Boss – You can make your own decisions, keep your own time and not have to answer to â€Å"The Boss† Hard Work & Know How – If you are a hard worker and / or have immense industry know how, you may want to benefit from the long hours you do or the knowledge that you have acquired over time. Financial Independence – One day, you may realize your dream of financial independence.Creative Freedom – No more restrictions, you can do what you like and have the freedom to work, design, create, build what you think is best – your way! Goodwill – You don't have to pay for it, you get to build it. Location, Premises, Building Fit out – You get to choose it all. Staff – You not lumped with staff you don't want. You hire and train from scratch – Your way. No Bad Name – A fresh business, a fresh start. Your name has no bad history with suppliers or customers. If you buy a business, you may find some people just won't deal with the business because of past dealings. Business Image – You create the business image you want.Your way. Disadvantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Cash Flow – Your business may not have a positive cash flow for two years – how are you going to cover that? Competitors – You may invest all this time, money and effort into your business and a large competitor targets your customers and offers them a similar product / service at below your cost – until your business has failed. Homework – Have you done it? You may do it all and then find when you are all set up, that something from left field becomes apparent and significantly alters the outlook of your business.History – If you buy a business, you are buying something. You are buying history of the business trading, you have staff in place, equipment and premises in place, customers ringing in with orders on your first Monday morning. If you start a business, you have no history. Everything must be generated from scratch. Married to the Business – This is a common phrase from small business owners. It basically means, your hours of work and level of commitment is such that you cannot take a holiday, your business is always with you (day, nights ; weekends) and basically your neck is on the line.You can't just throw the keys back and give it all away if it gets too hard! Suppliers – Suppliers may not extend you credit as your business has no history, so you may have to pay upfront for your goods, and you may not collect money from your customers for those goods for 90 – 120 days. This is very detrimental to cash flow. Can you sustain this? Have you factored it into your budget? Family – Is your family situation such that you can undertake this huge venture of starting a small busine ss from scratch? It often means a huge sacrifice with no guarantee of reward. Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting Up a Business Advantages of Starting up a Business Advantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Being your own Boss – You can make your own decisions, keep your own time and not have to answer to â€Å"The Boss† Hard Work & Know How – If you are a hard worker and / or have immense industry know how, you may want to benefit from the long hours you do or the knowledge that you have acquired over time. Financial Independence – One day, you may realize your dream of financial independence.Creative Freedom – No more restrictions, you can do what you like and have the freedom to work, design, create, build what you think is best – your way! Goodwill – You don't have to pay for it, you get to build it. Location, Premises, Building Fit out – You get to choose it all. Staff – You not lumped with staff you don't want. You hire and train from scratch – Your way. No Bad Name – A fresh business, a fresh start. Your name has no bad history with suppliers or customers. If you buy a business, you may find some people just won't deal with the business because of past dealings. Business Image – You create the business image you want.Your way. Disadvantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Cash Flow – Your business may not have a positive cash flow for two years – how are you going to cover that? Competitors – You may invest all this time, money and effort into your business and a large competitor targets your customers and offers them a similar product / service at below your cost – until your business has failed. Homework – Have you done it? You may do it all and then find when you are all set up, that something from left field becomes apparent and significantly alters the outlook of your business.History – If you buy a business, you are buying something. You are buying history of the business trading, you have staff in place, equipment and premises in place, customers ringing in with orders on your first Monday morning. If you start a business, you have no history. Everything must be generated from scratch. Married to the Business – This is a common phrase from small business owners. It basically means, your hours of work and level of commitment is such that you cannot take a holiday, your business is always with you (day, nights ; weekends) and basically your neck is on the line.You can't just throw the keys back and give it all away if it gets too hard! Suppliers – Suppliers may not extend you credit as your business has no history, so you may have to pay upfront for your goods, and you may not collect money from your customers for those goods for 90 – 120 days. This is very detrimental to cash flow. Can you sustain this? Have you factored it into your budget? Family – Is your family situation such that you can undertake this huge venture of starting a small busine ss from scratch? It often means a huge sacrifice with no guarantee of reward.

The Vietnamese culture, a rich heritage on many different levels

Vietnamese Culture Thesis Statement: The Vietnamese culture, a rich heritage on many different levels. Through exploring its religion, population, language, education, government, art and economics, an appreciation can be developed for the important contributions Vietnamese people make in American society. The early inhabitants of the area were Negritos. Some 4,000 years ago Austronesian (Indonesian) migrants from the north were moving into the area that is now North Vietnam. Later, Austro-Asiatic (Mon-Klimer and Maylayo-Polynesian) peoples arrived. Then, about 2500 years ago Viet (Yueh) and Tai peoples moved down from southern China. Out of this mixture of genes, languages, and cultures arose Van Lang, considered to have been the first Vietnamese Kingdom. In mid-third century B. C Van Lang was over run by and incorporated into another state to the north, forming the kingdom of Au Lac. Then Au Lac was incorporated into an even larger and more powerful state: Nam Viet. (Levison 284) Historically speaking, Vietnam (officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as of 1992) has struggled for independence for at least two thousand years, primarily from China. There have been brief periods when the country has itself p In spite of its long relationship and physical closeness to China, Vietnam has for most of historical time â€Å"defined itself as China†tms enemy, a fact memorialized in folk song and legend† (301). The Communist party enlists neighborhood committees and uses these along with its own organizations to monitor behavior and punish what it perceives to be deviance from the norm. About 20 percent of all Vietnamese people live in cities, the majority of these in two or three room apartments. The punishment for exceeding the two child limit was most easily enforced† (295). Once a tattoo artist, Tan experiments with subjects such as men masturbating and variations on the phallic symbol. But number one, there is very little money to be made in Vietnam, so there are few places to spend it. In writing, these tones are marked diametrically, giving the language a great musicality. In 1994 the population of Vietnam was roughly 69 millions. Respecting its economy, Vietnam is and always has been a very poor country, â€Å"with an annual per capita income of less than U. Although the party has eased up on the economy a bit regarding control, it still wields absolute political power. In Vietnam, â€Å"gossip and ridicule have been important weapons for social control because of a concern for face† (296). Was Communism to be practiced, as it should be in Vietnam There would be a middle and upper class which there are not except at the level of government, meaning it†tms the same old story of corruption, hunger for power and the odd need to keep the people as submissive and as under-privileged as possible. The children are taught that â€Å"water from Vietnam†tms many rivers and from the annual monsoons is basic to the rice agriculture† (26), which is so vital to the country†tms existence in terms of both substance and economy. Music plays a central role in daily life just as it does in America; its fine arts and architecture, however, reflect Chinese as well as Western influence. Most households have altars for their ancestors and â€Å"small shrines built in honor of various spirits (the earth god, Shakyamuni, the goddess of mercy, the god of wealth, etc. In spite of its long relationship and physical closeness to China, Vietnam has for most of historical time â€Å"defined itself as China†tms enemy, a fact memorialized in folk song and legend† (301). The Communist party enlists neighborhood committees and uses these along with its own organizations to monitor behavior and punish what it perceives to be deviance from the norm. About 20 percent of all Vietnamese people live in cities, the majority of these in two or three room apartments. The punishment for exceeding the two child limit was most easily enforced† (295). Once a tattoo artist, Tan experiments with subjects such as men masturbating and variations on the phallic symbol. But number one, there is very little money to be made in Vietnam, so there are few places to spend it. In writing, these tones are marked diametrically, giving the language a great musicality. In 1994 the population of Vietnam was roughly 69 millions. Respecting its economy, Vietnam is and always has been a very poor country, â€Å"with an annual per capita income of less than U. Although the party has eased up on the economy a bit regarding control, it still wields absolute political power. In Vietnam, â€Å"gossip and ridicule have been important weapons for social control because of a concern for face† (296). Was Communism to be practiced, as it should be in Vietnam There would be a middle and upper class which there are not except at the level of government, meaning it†tms the same old story of corruption, hunger for power and the odd need to keep the people as submissive and as under-privileged as possible. The children are taught that â€Å"water from Vietnam†tms many rivers and from the annual monsoons is basic to the rice agriculture† (26), which is so vital to the country†tms existence in terms of both substance and economy. Music plays a central role in daily life just as it does in America; its fine arts and architecture, however, reflect Chinese as well as Western influence. Most households have altars for their ancestors and â€Å"small shrines built in honor of various spirits (the earth god, Shakyamuni, the goddess of mercy, the god of wealth, etc.

Chevrolet Case Analysis Essay

Then: ​ In the beginning, Chevrolet positioned itself strongly as a theme of â€Å"quality vehicle with deep roots in America’s past. Priding themselves on the traditional representation of the sporty car brand, Chevrolet has made great strides over the years. Firmly entrenching the brand as a key part of the American culture, Chevrolet has made many attempts to associate with American sporting events. For example, Chevrolet sponsored the All ­American Soap Box Derby for a decade. In addition to sponsoring events, Chevrolet also sponsored drivers with their vehicles for racing circuits such as NASCAR. Another subcategory Chevrolet used along with the American theme was patriotism in its promotional aspects. Taglines with the phrases â€Å"America’s Best Seller,† â€Å"America’s Best Buy,† and â€Å"Like a Rock,† were all famous for reminding consumers about Chevy’s great history as an American leader for automaking. This was perhaps the biggest aspect of Chevrolet’s branding as a company in the United States. However, when it came to Chevrolet as a leading automaker overseas, four values represented the company to their foreign consumers: durability, value, practicability, and friendliness. Many of their various taglines surrounding these values create  strong brand cohesiveness. Although Chevrolet has adopted more of a global brand strategy, it still customizes its branding to appeal to certain markets. Now: ​ Currently, Chevrolet is making plans to launch new vehicles and continue advertising and promoting their brand to consumers. Despite the recall at the beginning of the 2014 year, according to Chevrolet’s marketing leaders,â€Å"†¦the automaker is not spending more on advertising or incentives than previously   budgeted and isn’t likely to change that strategy† (â€Å"GM Stick with Marketing Plan Despite Recall†Ã‚ ­ USA Today). The plan is to focus on the product and not the publicity of trying to defend themselves as a company. Therefore, there will not be a recall ad and instead there will be just ads showing new products introduced recently. As stated before, Chevrolet is looking to spend more marketing money and energy on its full ­size pickups and SUVs this year. On the other side, Chevrolet is using the NFL Superbowl in hopes to boost not only national but global awareness with its ads. Chevrolet continues to also sponsor sports with â€Å"​  Chevrolet’s jersey sponsorship with English soccer club Manchester United†¦will put the Chevrolet bowtie logo in front of the club’s worldwide fan base of some 700 million people..† (â€Å"Audi, Chevy and Lincoln Plan to Boost Ad Spending in 2015†  ­ AdAge)​ . Chevrolet’s current marketing innovations regarding technology with 4G LTE in its vehicles also proves that Chevrolet plans to remain relevant with consumer wants and needs. The GMC Problem Chevrolet’s biggest problem is in fact it’s biggest company supporter, GMC. GM is the starting point for Chevrolet, yet it has been not once but twice in a position that jeopardizes the equity of the Chevrolet brand. GMC is the problem for Chevrolet because of their bad publicity regarding the 2008 bailout and 2014 recall crisis thus far. As mentioned before, Chevrolet’s association and alliance with GMC causes them to have a bad reputation at times, even with Chevrolet’s freedom to stand on   its own as a brand. In the case of GM, the company’s bankruptcy and subsequent bailout had the ability to contaminate its four brands of vehicles, in spite of their individual merits. Therefore, Chevrolet has to figure out how they are going to deal with the bad publicity domino effect that falls upon them every time GM fails. Recommendations Even with a company as successful as Chevrolet, there is always room for improvement. Tactical modifications that can be made to enhance the Chevrolet brand’s equity to remain substantial while in alliance with GM could be examples of: brand decisions to enhance self ­image and product loyalty, increasing brand value from recognition and preference to brand  insistence for their products, and focusing slightly on marketing strategies for ethical and social responsibility if they continue to be a part of GM. Chevrolet is a high quality brand nonetheless, however, they focus on American vehicle tradition where they could take a step back and focus on the consumer. If Chevrolet would reposition a few of their vehicles to show how it would enhance the self ­image of the consumer driving a sporty yet luxurious car, there is a possibility they will get great feedback in sales. Consumers currently are looking for mass customization products that can be used on every level of purchasing decisions. Therefore, it would a smart move for Chevrolet to focus on the consumer even more as the â€Å"person behind the car† (â€Å"man behind the mask†), while still including valuable information about the car itself.

Business Law1

Business Law1 Essay The full name of the first company I chose is Entrust Technologies Inc. The state and year of incorporation is Texas in 1996. The company was a spin-off of Nortel Networks. The worldwide headquarters for the corporation is 4975 Preston Park Blvd Suite 400 Plano, Texas 75093. The Chief Executive Officer and President of the company is John Ryan. The number of shareholders is in the 26, 000 range and the stock is traded on the NASDAQ. The ticker symbol for the corporation is ENTU. The CUSIP number is _________. The price range of Entrust Technologies from 1998 1999 was $24 upon opening on January 1, 1998 and its close was $60 on December 31, 1999 (See chart 1.1, attached to back of paper full year price range). The corporation has many subsidiaries that it recognizes: Entrust Technologies Limited, Entrust. net, Entrust Technologies (United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan), Entrust Technologies GmbH (Germany) and CygnaCom Solutions. Entrust Technologies Inc. provides products and services to ensure secure electronic communications and transactions over the Internet, Extranets and Intranets. (http://biz.yahoo.com/p/e/entu. html) The company is ahead of its game in the Internet business. A lawsuit was filed against the company in February of 1999 by Surety technologies, Inc. The lawsuit involved the supposed infringement of patent rights on the part of Entrust Technologies. Surety said they developed a digital timestamping method using hash and sign. They claim it was their method and only theirs. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled for Entrust claiming that the patent covering the special hash -and- sign method used by Surety was not a new thing. Any company could use the technology to better their communication systems by timestamping electronic documents. The lawsuit and verdict proved to the rest of the world that Entrust Technologies is ready to advance all companies with special devices to make their business run a little bit smoother. The verdict was handed down in November 1999 and gave ENTU a very strong third quarter. Their revenue increased from $13.0 million to $22.6 million in one year. The lawsuit benefited, not hampered the business practices of Entrust Technologies. There are literally hundreds of competitors in the computer services business. AutoBytel Com Inc., Agency Com LTD, Publicard Inc, Zapme Inc., Knot Inc. and Paychex Inc. are just some of the companies that compete in the business with Entrust Technologies (See 1.2, attached file regarding the competitors). VectorVest rates the long-range outlook for the stock poorly in most areas. They rate stocks well that are steady and predictable. All the stocks are rated on a 0.00 2. 00 scale, a relative safety greater than 1.00 is safe and below 1.00 is not a safe buy. ENTU was given a relative safety of 0.71, very poor. The relative value is a 0. 82, also poor. When a stock has a relative safety and value greater than 1.00 the earning rate will increase and shares will increase in value. Entrust was given a relative timing rating of 1.04, which is fair in this field. The trend established is fair and might last depending on the stocks dependability. VectorVest also suggests that ENTU is overvalued and having a high-risk dividend because it does not pay a dividend. This also shows that ENTU has not dividend growth and that indicates future outlook and past history. In conclusion, Entrust Technologies has a below average safety with below average upside potential. This reflects the stocks potential and almost ensures below average, inconsistent returns. Reesegroup.com rates ENTU as having no interest at this time. Entrust Technologies Inc. was a good buy. I disagree with the critics on this one. When I bought the stock on January 20th it was at $56 and it rose up and down slowly to 92 .

Staffing Organization for a Gourmet Coffee Shop Assignment

Staffing Organization for a Gourmet Coffee Shop - Assignment Example I am planning to initiate a gourmet coffee shop next to a college campus in Washington, DC. During the week days, hours of operation will be from 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and start at 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekends. The coffee shop is planning to have 3 store managers and 10 coffee servers. Below is my first part of the Staffing Organization that contains ways I plan to staff and manage the business for the next 3 years, and run it profitably. 1 The type of relationship I will establish between the coffee shop and employees from a legal perspective affects the duration that I will have them in the coffee shop. I will apply the indefinite duration employment contract in recruiting workers. They will have to sign a contract that defines their existence in the shop. In this contract, their continuous offering of service will be intended to last for an indefinite time (Smith & Smith, 2012). The contract has rights and responsibility that have to be followed and adhered to, for exampl e, the right to be informed when being terminated. I believe employees will work to their perfection to avoid losing a job. The type of relationship will augment the coffee shop’s profit. I will not be subjected to pay employees fixed amount of money for duration, but for efforts put in the business (Smith & Smith, 2012). ... The employment policies that define the salaries, promotions and hiring of employment are audited frequently to find out whether they are advantageous to workers. I will make sure that all information on promotion opportunities of the company reaches every employee. I will make an effort of identifying and removing barriers that deter a leave or absence from work so that employees can relax when needed (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2010). I will create effectual communication field with employees where they can air out their issues openly to be looked at. Lastly, I will train and promote hard working staffs to a higher echelon; hence, encourage them to put more efforts in their work. 3 External factors hindering staffing of the coffee shop include the modern complex technology that requires extensive and intensive edification to operate them efficiently (Koontz & Weihrich, 2007). The public is an external factor that hinders staffing since workers are required to adhere to high ethical stand ards when dealing with the public. Legal and political constraints affect staffing of coffee shop since they are obliged to follow government laws that guide the business operation. Recruiting and selecting workers is an external factor influencing staffing since it is difficult to get hardworking workers who are profit oriented (Koontz & Weihrich, 2007). Competition is a core factor that affects staffing. I will want to have innovative workers who make business boom and became a top class coffee shop. Lastly, the trade unions affect the staffing because of their requirements they want business organization to possess. 4 The plan will involve, analyzing the current labor supply, forecasting