Judith Butlers 'Imitation and Gender Insubordination' Essay

Judith Butlers 'Imitation and Gender Insubordination' - Essay Example She is not a feminist. She departs from feminist theory to do other things. Drawing ideas from other writers and philosophers, her methods are rich and interesting and many feminists are struck and excited about her work. But other writers and thinkers see her ideas as taking away from the real and practical needs of women. Discussion Butler (1989) tries to ask essential questions. For example, she asks, once the subject "outs" her- or himself, is that person "free of its subjection and finally in the clear'?† (308). Or does the the subjection continue? But what does the following mean, characteristic of Butler's writing: "Can sexuality even remain sexuality once it submits to a criterion of transparency and disclosure .." (309) For something to determine itself, some other must exist to make this determination, and what is it this other? This other is a "prior to" and it is the most interesting thing which Butler says, I believe. Her thought is easily confusing unless one grab s hold of that idea. She is looking for the prior and I believe she is asking does whatever the prior is establish sexuality or is the prior already a sexually determined object. There is a danger that coming out "reinscribes the power domains that it resists" and that it is part of the "heterosexual matrix that it seeks to displace" (309). One must try to locate the "framework that privileges heterosexuality as origin". Butler would like to use the concept of the speech act (from philosopher John Austin) to say the way one creates being is the way in which one may create herself or himself. There is a difficulty perhaps always in this activity as one must ask who it doing the creating? From what position is the creating done, that of homosexuality or heterosexuality? I think it is important for Butler, because she wants to produce an original, defensible "I' that is thoroughly lesbian or homosexual, without the pejorative connotation. But that is her very problem. the pejorative co nnotation is already tied into the words and their origin from the heterosexual point of view. Butler would like to reach a non-reflexive position that perhaps is neither heterosexual nor homosexual. Butler has to establish, more or less a "private language", one that is not derived from the present language, because the present language already has the power relationships of sexual identities established in it - that is a man, and that is a woman. But Butler seeks "that grid of cultural intelligibility that regulates the real and the nameable' (312). 'Lesbian' exists as an 'abiding falsehood' in present discourse Hence as a falsehood, the being of lesbianism is denied, it has been erased from discourse. She and others must place it back, but it cannot be done under present 'existing regulatory regimes'. These regimes had wrongly created the category in the first place. There must be a prior for Butler. For example there is no prior to 'gender', hence the concept of ‘drag†™ itself is an original model, â€Å"gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original â€Å" (her italics 333). Butler goes further and even makes heterosexuality a model for which there is no original. Her supporting writers then say that concepts of sexuality are socially constructed and not original forms that are necessary in some accepted way. She argues, "...there are no secondary consequences which retrospectively confirm the originality" of the original model (313). Because heterosexuality must always be in the act of replicating and emulating itself, there is always the risk that it will lose itself. I have a friend who says he must always prove to himself ‘not homosexual' by always repeating it or comparing himself to

Symbolism in Waiting For Godot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Symbolism in Waiting For Godot - Essay Example Although Godot does not arrive during the course of the play, his anticipation sets up the context for the musings and conversations of Estragon and Vladimir. Author Samuel Beckett creatively exploits this open ended plot structure to ponder over important questions about the human condition. Given that it was published in the aftermath of the Holocaust, it asks deep and compelling questions of the state of human civilization and the nature of our species. Such utterances from the two lead characters as â€Å"to hold the terrible silence at bay†, â€Å"Nothing to be done†, â€Å"We are saved!†, etc offer profound interpretive scope for the reflective reader. (Beckett, 1956) The most ostensible symbolisms in the play pertain to the existentialist philosophical framework. The first quote alludes to the acute existential crisis shadowing the period after the Second World War. Written as it was in the aftermath of the most devastating war in history, Beckett's preocc upations with the purpose of human life and how best to go about fulfilling it are in tune with the concerns and sentiments of the time. In this, the play is full of symbolisms of existence and its opposite state death - a pattern found in the works of other post-war intellectuals such as Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Waiting for Godot is a product of the author's affectations during the war and hence contains in it psychological and philosophical questions treated in the existentialist framework. It is for this reason that notions such as 'death', 'nothingness' and momentary crises of human existence are all symbolically expressed. The play can also be read with theological symbolisms in mind, especially that of the Christian doctrine. The choice of the name Godot (that contains 'God' in it) is perceived by critics to have religious connotations. This claim is vindicated by dialogues in the play that resonate with Christian concepts of salvation, rising from the dead, etc. For example, â€Å"We are saved!†, which is frequently uttered by Vladimir or Estragon can be taken as a reference to the notion of salvation. These two characters can also be seen as the two thieves crucified alongside Jesus Christ. Out of their boredom, every now and then Estragon and Vladimir contemplate committing suicide by hanging themselves from the only prominent tree in the setting. This is again a reference to the crucifixion, but albeit in a sense of parody. Vladimir's casual remark to Estragon in Act I, â€Å"Hope deferred maketh the something sick, who said that?" is again a parody of a Christian proverb of the same rhyme - â€Å"Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (Beckett, 1956) Hence, the religious symbolism is quite strong, but the tone is one of mockery and not reverence. Ontological questions are focused upon in the play, with the author giving special treatment to the concept of time, which links this work to anoth er path-breaking existentialist thesis, namely that of Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time. For example, the deliberate similarity between the first and second acts in the play and elements of repetition seen in them is symbolic of the rhythmic and periodic nature of human existence, with each passing day a mirror of the day gone by and so forth. Because the play is essentially devoid of a describable plot and narrative, it operates at a very high level of abstraction. At this level, it lends itself to

Key microeconomic and macroeconomic factors that are likely to Essay

Key microeconomic and macroeconomic factors that are likely to influence the price and output of that product over the next five years - Essay Example are several key microeconomic and macroeconomic factors that have a heavy influence on the price and output of ‘Phenomen’Eyes.’ In the course of this paper these factors will be further explored and explained. The factors that affect the individual will be looked upon under microeconomics and can range a time span of less than a year. Where as the factors that affect the entire economy and will last five years or more will be looked over under macroeconomics (Mankiw, 1998). In short macroeconomic factors are centered on things which affect the nation i.e. inflation, interest rate, unemployment, exports and imports, where as microeconomic factors consist of those that affect people on an individual level e.g., personal income, preferences, price of competitor products. To start with, microeconomic analysis aims to take a better look at how individuals and organizations work in any given economy, in our case this would be the economy of Australia. Here we look at the small scale issues and problems related to the decisions of prices and output for the Phenomen’Eyes. Prices here arte based on individuals and how they would act and react to the market and the product. The output is directly linked to the demand that is being targeted. In this case, Givenchy is going after consumers who are interested in high end beauty products. The prices are based on their preferences; these individuals will most likely not be looking to invest in mascara that has a lower price tag on it because they associate money with quality. Similarly, because a relatively small amount of consumers are being targeted their demand will come in small numbers as well, which means that the production will not consist of a large scale massive operation. Demand the production is directly related here, the lower the demand the lower the number of units that will be produced and vice versa. The microeconomic analysis assumes that the consumers are acting with a proper rationale for all their

Action Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Action Plan - Assignment Example This feedback is gathered by healthcare organisations in rigorous and systematic fashion. The information obtained is accurately made to improve on the complaints that are raised (Cabana, 2004). The study will, therefore, provide analysis and a discussion of the data provided to measure the clinical care outcome anomalies. As a result, it will provide a proposal for all the possible causes and formulate an action plan that will address these gaps. The main objective of a patient experience feedback is to deploy patient stories to boost health services. These services are therefore designed in such a way that they ensure that patients receive the best quality care. As a result, the services are focussed on the needs of the patients in opposition to the preferences and needs of the health service provider (Jha, Orav, Zheng, 2008). At the end of the day, the mode of delivery is improved in such a manner that it ultimately enhances the patient experience. Methods such as the reduction of patient delays in service queues, the flow and quality of health services and improvement in access to important fields of the health services are used just to name a few (Berwick, 2009). Patients are interviewed to obtain the much-required information directly. Some companies deploy satisfaction surveys that have obtained much fame in the past decade (Rathert, Huddleston and Pak, 2011). Programs such as partnering with patients are developed on a daily basis to assist clinicians who are led by a motive to provide excellent healthcare to their patients. This model does pay attention to the relationships that clinicians develop with their patients, and those that carers develop with families as they are all partners in a health service delivery system (Coulter, 2011). Patient experience is recognised as a member of the pillars supporting quality in health care. Its compatriots include patient safety and clinical effectiveness.

The night mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The night mother - Essay Example It is mentioned she is a lonely girl who doesn’t find much interest in talking to other people, but struggles to put herself together. Unlike her daughter, Thelma Cates is described as chatty and nosy yet as we read the play we realize that she is just as lonely as her daughter. She is in her late fifties and is quiet aware of her age. She tries to take this in positively, but cannot ignore the obvious that she is getting older and her time will soon come too. The play takes places in Thelma’s house and from there on Jessie has made the decision to take control of her life, thoughts and feelings. By the very first look of â€Å"Night Mother† we are able to determine that the play revolves around gloom and loneliness, from Jessie and Thelma, and grows around the issues they have had throughout life with a failed marriage, her epilepsy, and her delinquent son, Ricky. The main issue revolving the story sets around the fact that Jessie has decided to commit suicide, and straightforwardly tells her mother of her plans. â€Å"Jessie is full of vengeance and decides to commit suicide; oblivious to the fact that it might hurt her mother† (Brustein 160.) Before she does so, she must complete the list of things she has set herself to make before she kills herself, or as she told the people around town, â€Å"taking a vacation† (Norman 15). ... The author makes a remark by indicating that the appearance of the house shouldn’t be associated with the personality of Jessie, given that her mother is the one who is most outgoing. Norman adds on to the dialogue invisible characters that come up, meanwhile the two of them are having a deep conversation about how and why Jessie has taken the decision she has. While talking, they bring up characters like Dawson, Jessie’s brother, Loretta; Dawson’s wife, Ricky; Jessie’s son, and Cecil; Jessie’s ex husband. In addition to these characters, Jessie’s dad plays a very important role. From the conversation she and her mother are having, her mother admits to never loving him, but unlike Thelma, Jessie loved her father very much. I believe the importance of Jessie’s father plays after his death, since she did not have a father figure and her mother did not seem to worry about other than herself. It is also mentioned in the play that Cecil, wa s a handy man that made the porch and Thelma ended up marrying him to her daughter. Such actions have made the character of Jessie to submerge herself in the memory of her father, because â€Å"she never saw an environment in which love and harmony were abundant† (Burkman 36). In my opinion, Jessie’s suicidal thoughts come from the lack of affection she has received throughout her life. Cecil, her ex-husband has also taken most of her happiness since she became epileptic and fell off a horse and he divorced her. Her ideal marriage never really came together, and to only see her son grow to be somewhat of an antisocial or a delinquent. Although her mother wants to convince her that this is just a phase Ricky is going through, she

THEMES IN U.S. & WORLD HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THEMES IN U.S. & WORLD HISTORY - Essay Example B. Justify your choice of the one most significant environmental/geographic factor that contributed to the development or diffusion of one human society from the following list:Â   Prosperity of the Mesopotamian society was predetermined by the fertile soil and developed system of irrigation that in turn allowed keeping the large number of cattle. These were the crucial factors for the prosperity of the civilization, as well as the presence of the favorable climate. Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations differed in many ways, yet both of them were dependent on the river systems. However, Egyptians mainly populated the Nile River valley, while Mesopotamians settled all across the Middle East. C. Justify your choice of the two most significant social and/or political changes that occurred as a result of the actions of one individual from the following list of world leaders:Â   Nelson Mandela represents an example of a bright leader who inspired millions of people around the world. First of all Mandela won the first multi-racial elections in South Africa thus creating a significant change in perception and building of a color blind society in Africa and around the world. Prior to becoming a president Mandela was known for his anti-apartheid violent actions, his actions attracted attention to the existing problem. D. Justify your choice of the two most significant social and/or political changes that occurred as a result of the actions of one individual from the following list of United States leaders:Â   I suppose that Martin Luther King became an iconic figure, whose courage inspired countless people. First of all Martin Luther King advocated for civil rights by means of the peaceful methods and never encouraged using violence for achieving the goals. His speech I Have a Dream encouraged creation of a color blind society and society based on equality. He actively addressed issues of poverty and contributed to the end of the War in Vietnam. E. Discuss the ris e of imperialism or colonialism in one area of the world from the following list:Â   Western countries were interested in expanding their influence beyond the borders of Europe. South East Asia became one of the victims of this imperialism. In the 19th century China was particularly vulnerable and could not resist the imperialism from Japan, Russia and different Western countries. Most importantly Chinese markets opened for trade – Britain was precisely interested in this measure. Two Opium Wars, countless disputes and conflicts led to a total subjugation of China. Since Japan was an Asian country that led an aggressive expansionist policy in the region, local population highly resisted its actions. The aggressive Japanese policy predetermined negative perception of the country’s actions in the region for decades. F. Compare the tactics of one violent revolution and one nonviolent revolution from the following list:Â   I would like to address the two brightest exampl es of revolutions from the Eastern European countries: Russian Revolution of 1917 and Orange Revolution in Ukraine from late 2004 early 2005. Russian Revolution is clearly the case of a violent change of the regime in the country, followed by the execution of the Tsar’s family and destruction of all previous existing institution and intelligentsia. To the contrary, Orange Revolution in Ukraine, almost a century after the Russian one, represents a nonviolent scenario of a revolution, when people were able to achieve

Pricing Strategies Essay Example for Free

Pricing Strategies Essay Competition based pricing Setting the price based upon prices of the similar competitor products. Competitive pricing is based on three types of competitive products: * Products having lasting distinctiveness from competitor’s product. Here we can assume * The product has low price elasticity. * The product has low cross elasticity. * The demand for the product will rise. * Products have perishable distinctiveness from competitor’s product, assuming the product features are medium distinctiveness. * Products have little distinctiveness from competitor’s products. Assuming that: * The product has high price elasticity of demand. * The product has some cross elasticity of demand. * No expectation that the demand of the product will rise. Cost plus pricing Cost plus pricing is the simplest pricing method. The firm calculates the cost of producing the product and adds on a percentage (profit) to that price to give the selling price. This method although has two flaws; it takes no account of demand and there is no way of determining if potential customers will purchase the product at the calculated price. AC + Profit markup It is lower than profit maximizing level of pricing Price = Cost of production + Margin of profit Creaming or skimming Selling a product at a high price, sacrificing high sales to gain a high profit, therefore ‘skimming’ the market. Usually employed to reimburse the cost of investment of the original research into the product – commonly used in electronic markets when a new range, such as DVD players, are firstly dispatched into the market at a high price. This strategy is often used to target â€Å"early adopters† of a product or service. These early adopters are relatively less price sensitive because either their need for the product is  more than others or they understand the value of the product better than others. This strategy is employed only for a limited duration to recover most of investment made to build the product. To gain further market share, a seller must use other pricing tactics such as economy or penetration. This method can come with some setbacks as it could leave the product at a high price to competitors. Limit pricing To set a price low enough to ensure that new entrants are discouraged to enter the market. A limit price is the price set by a monopolist to discourage economic entry into a market, and is illegal in many countries. The limit price is the price that the entrant would face upon entering as long as the incumbent firm did not decrease the output. The limit price is often lower than the average cost of production or just low enough to make entering not profitable. The quantity produced by the incumbent firm to act as a deterrent to entry is usually larger than would be optimal for a monopolist, but might still produce higher economic profits than would be earned under perfect competition. The problem with limit pricing as strategic behavior is that once the entrant has entered the market, the quantity used as a threat to deter entry is no longer the incumbent firm’s best response. This means that for limit pricing to be an effective deterrent to entry, the threat must in some way be made credible. A way to achieve this is for the incumbent firm to constrain itself to produce a certain quantity whether entry occurs or not. An example of this would be if the firm signed a union contract to employ a certain (high) level of labour for a long period of time. Loss leader Loss leader: Basic concept in the majority of cases, this pricing strategy is illegal under EU and US Competition rules. No market leader would wish to sell below cost unless this is part of its overall strategy. The idea of selling at a loss may appear to be in the public interest and therefore often not challenged. Only when the leader pushes up prices, it then becomes suspicious. Loss leadership can be similar to predatory pricing or cross subsidization; both seen as anti-competitive practices. Market-orientated pricing Setting a price based upon analysis and research compiled from the targeted market. Also with the cost price. Penetration pricing This price is deliberately set at a low level to gain customer’s interest and establishing a foot-hold in the market. Price discrimination Setting a different price for the same product in different segments of the market. For example, this can be for different ages or for different opening times, such as cinema tickets. Such as market orientated pricing is also a very simple form of pricing used by very new businesses. What is involves is, setting a price of product/service according to research conducted on your target market. It holds good in case of: price sensitive consumers existence of large mass market intence competition in the market.