TEXT 1


William Shakespeare

Sonnet 1


FROM fairest creatures we desire increase,

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,

But as the riper should by time decease,

His tender heir might bear his memory:

But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,

Feed'st thy light'st flame with self-substantial fuel,

Making a famine where abundance lies,

Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.

Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament

And only herald to the gaudy spring,

Within thine own bud buriest thy content

And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,

To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.



                                              TEXT 2


"Men and Women of the Corporation"

Gender issues in the workplace have made many changes in the

past decades. While women today have much more equal footing

with men, there are still many discrepancies. Women are

still lagging behind in taking their place alongside men in

top management positions. Those who are in the organization

are there typically as lesser paid employees and often

expected to be more subservient than equal even to their

male peers. Even women who do not actually work for the

organization are subjected to many of the same biased

expectations.

Kanter (1993) explains this lag that is apparent for women

entering the top echelon of organizations as being

reflective of "homosocial reproduction", the tendency of

homogenic workplaces to promote those that move in the

right social circles in the organization. The workplace

emphasis on homogeneity even promotes specific manners of

dress, dress that is often determined by the male-oriented

social norms of that workplace. Peer acceptance is an

important factor in the phenomena of homosocial reproduction

as well.

The justification for homosocial reproduction is that it

strengthens an organization.


Study Questions:


1) Compare and contrast the two texts. What kind of words do their authors use? Is the meaning of
both texts clear? Which of them is more demanding for you to read and why?

2) Give a short summary of the ideas of both texts.