A Deconstruction of an episode of Sex and the City Essay

A Deconstruction of an episode of Sex and the City - Essay Example In a sense Sex and the City deconstructs some of the supposed passions and seriousness surrounding this issues. It thus makes sense to add a further layer of deconstruction by analyzing an episode of the comedy through the deconstructive lense.In the episode called "Woulda Shoulda Coulda" the subject of accidental pregnancy (and subsequent wish to have an abortion) is juxtaposed against a couple who desperately want to get pregnant, but who cannot because the woman's body is attacking her partner's sperm.The context of this episode is the ongoing battle over abortion, together with the great advances in reproductive medicine in general, including the ability to discern precisely "why" a couple cannot get pregnant, together with the possibility of artificial implantation.Thus this analysis will consider a particular episode of Sex in the City within the context of its "discipline",but also see what this discipline has been able to "dissimulate" and/or "forbid". The method will involve entering into the mindset of the series, with its attempted sophisticated portrayal of the postmodern condition.This condition has been well described by Jean Baudrillard in his analysis of what he calls "the schizo". He argues that all individuals in postmodern societies, especially those who are attempting to thrive in a large city, may be characterized in the following manner: This is a complex idea, but one suited to this study. ... He is himself obscene, the obscene play of the world's obscenity . . . he can no longer produce himself as a mirror. He is now only pure screen,a switching center for all the networks of influence. (Baudrillard, 1983) This is a complex idea, but one suited to this study. The individual, within Baudrillard's vision, is no longer the solid, three-dimensional object that he/she once was, but rather now exists as a kind of node on a two dimensional surface. The forces of modern society flow through these "nodes" without the individual having much influence upon them. Within the episode being considered here the random forces of nature: whether a woman gets pregnant or not, together with the pressures and opportunities of modern medicine, produce a kind of dance of the characters as they attempt to deal with the situation. The terrible ironies of the situation faced by these people will be couched within the exigencies of comedy, but the true seriousness of the situation often shines through. Irony can only go so far. 4. Discussion The episode starts with a view of a busy New York and two fo the main characters running along the street, clearly late. The main character states in a voice-over. "In life, sometimes we find ourselves at a crossroads. In New York that crossroads tends to be busy and very loud." As the last words are being spoken she nearly gets run over by a taxi as she crosses the road without really looking. The fact that she is literally at a crossroads, and that it is very loud, and perhaps even very dangerous makes the beginning of the show apparently very clichd. But in reality it can be seen that the writers are in fact putting the whole classic

With reference to motivation theory, discuss the psychological Essay - 1

With reference to motivation theory, discuss the psychological foundations of pay - Essay Example The intellectuals mentioned above have offered their theories from the perspective of their respective fields/disciplines. For example, Maslow, McGregor, Alderfer, McClelland have emphasized the physiological basis of employee motivation, whereas scientists such as Locke, Vroom, Kelly and Tolman have presented the cognitive basis of motivation. Social/behaviourist theories of motivation comprise the third school of thought, where seminal contributions were made by Pavlov, Taylor, Thorndike, Skinner, etc. An understanding of psychological motivations of pay is achieved by gleaning relevant points from these three schools of thought. The behaviourist theory lays emphasis on the â€Å"effect of learning and reinforcement, and as a result the behaviourist theory of motivation is closely connected to the psychological theories of learning and reinforcement.† (Hume, 1995) Abraham H. Maslow’s ground breaking thesis the Hierarchy of Needs gives insight into human motivation (in the workplace or elsewhere). He notes that â€Å"all individuals have a set of human needs which are prioritized on an ascending scale, primary needs dealing with physiology and safety, and secondary needs dealing with the psychological aspects of human existence, etc. These needs in ascending order are: physiological, safety, social/love, esteem, and self actualization.† (Hume, 1995) Firstly, pay helps satisfy primary needs of physiological needs of safety and security by allowing for housing, clothing expenditures. Secondly, it satisfies the social/psychological need by bestowing a social status to the individual. Though this secondary need is subjective and less tangible, it is a powerful source of motivation nevertheless. Coming to the Cognitive theories of motivation, the most important contribution comes from American psychologist Edward C. Tolman, who articulated his Expectancy Theory of Motivation. Here, he suggests that â€Å"that the behaviour of individuals is not