Beyond labeling: The case of the mentally retarded

This paper provides a review of the sociological literature on the mentally retarded. It attempts to analyze the reasons why the mentally retarded have been so thoroughly de-valued in our society that even social scientists ignore them as an object of study. The literature that does exist is primarily confined to the mildly retarded and generally applies labeling theory to understand the processes by which individuals unable to succeed in institutions such as schools are diagnosed as retarded. Studies employing labeling theory either ignore the severely retarded or allow the medical model as the only appropriate framework for understanding these populations.The failure to include the severely retarded in the general analysis of the problems of the handicapped by labeling theorists indicates a deficiency in the theory rather than the group excluded. A more critical perspective on the handicapped is required which ties the analysis to the study of other surplus populations such as the poor, the illiterate and other disposessed groups. The treatment of the severely retarded provides a looking-glass into the way our society can so de-value a dependent population that its very survival can be questioned.A version of this paper was presented to the Southern Sociological Society Meetings, Memphis, Tennessee, 1982.     

Spectacular metamorphosis and an erotic device in the self-promotion campaign of a satellite television channel

In contrast to the increased popularity of gay and lesbian representations in the visual media of the early 2000s, the imagery of androgynous, inter-sex and transgender subjectivities, particularly in television commercials, is conspicuously limited. This article distinguishes three main categories of cinematic (mis)representation of gender transgression: the opportunistic lipstick, the “authentic” lipstick, and the fabulous lipstick. It examines this classification through the analysis of a unique, self-promotional television commercial broadcast by Yes+, an Israeli digital television channel whose visual contents often transgress the limits of mainstream television. Although the discussed advert conforms to the commercial imperative to attract Israeli audiences by all means, it is much more polysemic than one might notice at first glance. This study problematizes the sensational aspects of this “spectacular drama,” embraces its diverse erotic identifications and re-examines the price of queer visibility in the age of exploitive striptease culture.     

Human Resources Wasted in Government? - Who's counting?

U.S. taxpayers spend over $80 billion a year to meet theFederalcivilian payroll. Yet there are signs that a significant part of this investment is being wasted. For example, about $2 billion of the total is spent to pay employess who are on sick leave and, in a recent year, over 18 percent of the workforce left government service. While controls are placed on many government assests to guard against waste, similar concern is not directed at the waste of human resources. There are many questions we can’t answer, such as what it costs when workers file grievances and EEO complaints, what it costs for excessive use of leave, and whether supposed cost saving steps (e.g. cutting training funds) really save money in the long run.Pressure to improve government’s productivity, cut the deifcit, and improve quality ofservice to taxpayers makes better control of our human resources Terry Newell is chief of the Special programs Branch, Horace Mann learning Center, U.S. Department of Education. This article was written by him in his private capacity. No official support or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education is intended or should be inferred investment essential. There are at least two broad strategies we can use. First, we can analyze human resource costs across and within agencies to see where there are opportunities for savings. For example, analysis of sick leave using available data suggests that some agencies use considerably less sick leave than others and that there may be a pattern to such use. Attempts to reduce sick leave use seem possible and offer the prospect of substantial savings. Second, we can analyze human resource policy options to determine the full cost implications of decisions before they are made. When done, we may find that some policy options promise short run savings but will be more costly than alternatives over the long haul.Use of human resource cost analysis, while rudimentary at present, will increase in the future because it is necessary to contain costs and because the technology is available to allow government-wide data analysis.