SS310 unit 6 Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SS310 unit 6 Assignment - Research Paper Example the single most potent and important step on the part of the women to win for themselves equal political, social, civil and moral rights (Dunlop, 1998, p. 246). The very fact that this convention was actually held, imbued the hitherto scattered women’s rights groups in the United States with the faith and the confidence that women were not only capable of politically organizing themselves, but were also capable of articulating their rational in an organized and forceful manner (Dunlop, 1998). The reverberations of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention could well be felt in the drafting and ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, representing the fructification of the political and social momentum unleashed by the Seneca Falls Convention. Hence, there is no denying the fact that the first Women’s Rights Convention of 1848 in a way constitutes the chronological and ideological epicenter of the Women’s Rights Movement right from its dawn to the present day. It repres ents a first socially and politically organized and symbolic dissent on the part of the women, against the hitherto existing system that denied to them the very basic civil, political and economic rights. It was the 1848 Convention that initiated a debate on the issue of women’s right and other related issues. This also needs to be mentioned that many of the women activists being actively engaged in the abolition movement, were for the first time able to unequivocally express their disenchantment with a society that extended to them less than equal rights and that too with a grudge. Hence, the First National Women’s Rights convention at Worcester in 1850, tends to be a worthy follower to the 1848 Convention, which intended to be a litmus test on the part of its organizers, to test if Women’s Rights Movement could accrue support from varied sections of the American society and whether the time was right for initiating and organizing this struggle. In that sense, the First Women’s Rights

The Ancient Greek Education Theology Religion Essay

The Ancient Greek Education Theology Religion Essay The Ancient Greek Education and the Effect on the Western World. The education system today has been built on ideas and influences of the past. By building and expanding ideas, education has grown into an ever-evolving system. However, there are still strong influences from past cultures affecting the education system in the Western World. Today, the Ancient Greeks continue to influence the Western World with their legacy, especially in education; with the Athenian and Spartan systems being looked back to for guidance on todays system and the teachers of Ancient Greece being used in teaching methods and evaluation. The Athenian school system is looked back on and influences todays public school system. They were also the first to introduce a system of higher education, which is equivalent to todays post-secondary institutions. Spartans had a much regimented school schedule and were primarily taught fighting and survival, paralleling todays military school systems. Another comparison that can be drawn in the young age that the Spartans began training and were taught that the state is the prime concern; similar to Hitlers youth groups in World War Two. The teachers in Ancient Greece are looked back to for their teaching methods and evaluations of teaching itself. Socrates, Aristotle, and the Sophists are the major influences of the Western World with their teaching methods and evaluations. The Western Worlds education system has evolved and changed but still has the strong influences of the Athenian schooling system. Todays education system has been affected by the legacy left behind by the Ancient Greeks. Especially with the Athenian education which provides examples of higher education and public school systems. There have been many ideas as to who first created higher education, such as Socrates, but it was the Pythagoreans, it seems, who established a real school of higher education- the distant ancestor of our modern universities(Flaceliere, 112). The higher education was influenced by the time period as it was the sons of wealthier parents usually continued their childrens education to the age of 18 with specialist teachers in medicine, law, rhetoric or the increasingly popular courses given by the sophists(Adkins, 254). Athenians had speciality teachers who focused on main areas of study for students who desired and could afford the higher education that was offered. Similarly, we have higher education where students specialize in certain fields. Today these fields are taught at university or college and the Athenians were taught by philosophers or one of the travelling Sophists. Even these fields today are similar to the ones that were taught by the Athenians; one in particular being medicine. Another popular area of study for the Athenians and scholars today is law. Even though the Athenian education system has not been actively used for thousands of years, examples and influences are still drawn from it. The establishment of higher education in Ancient Greece provides evidence as to how the Athenian education system provides a strong influence over the Western Worlds education. However, higher education was not the only influential aspect of the Athenian school system. The modern Western World is privy to private school institutions where the parents provide the funds for their childs education; paralleling the Athenians methods of education as well as the mandatory school attendance. Today, students are required by the Ontario government to attend school until the age of sixteen, similar to the Athenians as while there was absence of a written stature, compulsory education was most certainly enforced by custom and tradition-which are just as binding as an instrument (Flaceliere, 92). Attending school is compulsory for students in todays school system, equivalent to the mandatory schooling in Ancient Athens. Another part of Athenian education that corresponds with todays schooling is the funding for education by parents and benefactors with an extension of elementary education, with generous foundations set up in some cities to fund teachers (Hornblower, Spawforth, 245). Today, private school systems are funded by parents and there are also generous supporters of the students, offering scholarships or bursaries, allowing students to attend school as did wealthy civilians in Athens. The Athenian education system has grown and evolved to include higher education and benefactors to help with the funding for schooling. Today, the education system has been influenced by the Athenians in terms of university. The Western Worlds education may be changing; however, it still draws influence from the Athenians and other Ancient Greek city states. The Spartan education system has also had a lasting legacy on the Western World as they have been influential for military schools of today and the Hitler Youth Groups that began during the World War Two period. Education in Sparta had the study of letters was restricted to the bare minimum; for the rest, their education consisted exclusively in learning unquestioning obedience, superhuman endurance, and how to win at wrestlingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ their heads were close-shaved (Plutarch, 1). The Spartans focused more intensely on military training and leaning that the state itself came before anything else. They were not concerned with reading and writing as the Athenians were, satisfied to focus intensely on military training, which is reflected in the impacts left on todays education in the Western World. Today, examples can be seen in different military institutions such as; the service academies-the Coast Guard Academy, Air Force Academy, West Point and Annapolis- are shown to have been long involved with the task of finding the synthesis point between the Athenian and Spartan philosophies(Lovell, 1). The Spartan education system differs greatly from the Athenian education system, focusing more on fighting and survival as the state was immersed in military culture. This could be relatively compared to todays military schools and systems as they focus on survival and repetition of drills. Spartans were focused on survival and becoming the fiercest warriors in order to protect and provide pride for their state. Also, the students who come out of military school are taught that they are fighting for the state; similarly, the Spartans were taught that the state comes first. Many military schools today draw on the Spartan discipline by keeping strict rules and regulations that candidates must follow. Also, these schools emphasize that the students will be representing their country and must make the country proud. Sparta was a state dominated city, meaning that the state was put above anything else and this belief pervaded into all aspects of Spartan life, including their education system, which influences modern day Western World education. At the age of seven a young Spartan male was enrolled (rather as young Fascists or Nazis were a few years ago) in a sequence of pre-military organizations which covered his entire childhood and adolescence (Flaceliere, 85). There are direct parallels between the young Spartans and the Hitler Youth Groups and military schools of today. Both are taught obedience, survival and that it is the state you must defend and put first, not anything or anyone else. The young Spartans and Germans had to learn to sacrifice their personal lives and well-beings in order to protect the state/country. Both had the common denominator of starting their candidates young with the goal being to have a military with a strong alliance to the state or country. The main goal of the Spartan education system was to create a well-drilled military machine composed of soldiers who were obedient to the word of command, capable of enduring hardships and victories in battle (Lin, 1). When the Spartan system pulled the young boys out of their homes, they became immersed in the state. The young boys were taught that the state is the most important aspect of their lives and that they were to represent the state. This can be compared to the Hitler Youth Groups of World War Two and military academies as they are taught that the state is their lives and they must represent accordingly. The Spartan education system used in Ancient Greece can be paralleled to todays military academy with the use of regimented drills and tutelage of survival skills. Also, the fact that the male Spartan youth were taken at a young age and immersed in propaganda of the state is similar to Hitler Youth Groups. Even thousands of years after events, the education system of Ancie nt Greece continues to influence the education system of today. The Western World not only draws influence from the different city states of Ancient Greece but the philosophers and sophists with their teaching styles and parallels to todays university professors. A large influence on todays teaching style is Socrates who taught with conversation, debate, back-and-forth between teacher and student, a focus on student talk rather than teacher talk (Schneider, 1), and Socratic classrooms can be relaxed or tense, loud or quiet, large or small (Schneider, 3). Socrates was a philosopher who taught young Greeks and his method of teaching is still taught today from kindergarten to post-secondary education. His philosophy when it came to teaching was to have the teacher ask questions to the students and have them answer instead of the student asking the teacher questions. Teaching in this way caused a new type of education to be developed, one where the students must find their own answers instead of relying on the teacher to provide all the answers for t hem. With his method the teacher or leader of the dialogue, asks probing questions in an effort to expose the values and beliefs which frame and support the thoughts and statements of the participants in the inquiry (Stanford University, 1). Socrates forced the students to learn and understand by asking these questions and making them think of their own answers instead of being given answers. His method of teaching forced the students to become self-sufficient and be able to think critically and deeply. University professors and middle school teachers alike use Socrates method to expand the students learning as Socrates did in Ancient Greece. He was not the only philosopher to influence the teaching system in todays Western World. Aristotle was another Ancient Greek philosopher who influenced the Western Worlds education system, by presenting a system in which teachers can be evaluated on their methods and effectiveness of teaching. His theory of Phronesis (practical wisdom) has enjoyed a revival in recent years. In modern philosophy, it supplies a possible basis for postmodern criticism of technological society and its limitations (Back, 1). This discusses Aristotles theory of practicality and how it can be applied to society and discussed in philosophy classes/ discussions. Aristotle believed that students needed to be taught practically, the only way for students to learn and more importantly understand; was to have them be taught in a useful, sensible way. He not only provided this popular teaching method but also evaluation methods for teachers that is used today. He also discourses that teachers need to be evaluated and under conditions of uncertainty and complex or convoluted situations, the professional must follow a process of deliberation in which he or she examines the appropriate means of achieving the goals in the specific parameters of the particular situation (Back, 2). Teachers must act accordingly to the problems presented when teaching and when putting a potential educator in an uncertain situation, it is all about seeing how the professional reacts. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, taught and is now influencing teaching today. His methods of teaching are not necessarily used to teach, but rather to evaluate teachers and focus on the teachers ability instead. Despite the growing education system today, it can still be partial to the teachings of Ancient Greece. He is not the only influential person in Ancient Greek society, a large group of people, known as the sophists, also were significant in shaping the Western Worlds educati on. The sophists were a group of people who travelled around Ancient Greece and were paid to teach subjects that were not taught in the regular schooling in Greece. They are equivalent to todays university and college professors as they also focus on specialized topics and are paid a salary. Sophists were important not only to the development of todays education but also Ancient Greeces as they met a need for higher education and some amassed large fortunes. The word sophist does not refer to a school of thought but a professional teacher (Adkins, 254). The sophists are an ancient representation of modern day university professors. They taught specialized courses that required elementary schooling and extended knowledge to those who desired it. Also similar to todays university professors, the sophists also charged a fee for their services though today it seen as a cultural normality; in Ancient Greece, citizens, philosophers especially looked down at the sophists and the money they dema nded. The sophists introduced many innovative ideas to the Ancient Greece, not the least a salary for educating youths. These sophists introduced to the Ancient Greeks a new extended type of schooling that went beyond the regular schooling and had students (or their parents) paying for education. Philosophers of Ancient Greece did not approve of the sophists as they did not believe in the payment of teachings. However they did provide more under the general heading of philosophy they taught all the subjects then available that had not been covered by the elementary school curriculum: geometry, physics, astronomy, medicineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Adkins, 254). Even though they were not well liked in Ancient Greece they introduced a new way of teaching that influenced todays education system. University and college professors are the sophists of today; teaching specialized subjects and charging a fee. The Ancient Greeks provide guidance for the teachers of todays education system. They offer different styles of teaching methods and also how to evaluate teachers that are used commonly today. Influenced by the An cient Greeks, the Western Worlds education continues to change and grow. The Western World is influenced by the Ancient Greeks lasting legacy through the Athenian and Spartan education systems, and also by the teachers of Ancient Greece; influencing the teachers of today with the teaching styles and evaluation. The Athenian education system created higher education which parallels todays post-secondary education system and also provides a comparison between the compulsory education and private schooling. Todays military schools show influence from the Spartan education system. As well as the propaganda in Sparta that can be compared to the Hitler Youth Groups in Nazi Germany during World War Two. Ancient Greek philosophers provide methods of teaching styles and evaluation for teachers today, showing the influence and lasting legacy of the Ancient Greeks on the Western World.

Essay --

Sondra Haywood 11/21/13 English period 3 Research Paper The Pros and Cons of Standardized Tests Every year, the average American student who attends public school is forced to prepare for standardized tests even though it is not necessarily beneficial to his or her education. Standardized testing has become a main focus in modern day schools across the U.S nation, causing a monumental increase in the amount of time a student prepares for a test. On an estimate, students are expected to study a staggering amount of 60 to 110 hours a year in order to get decent, meaning and average C or higher, on the standardized tests. Not only is standardized test producing a large amount of unnecessary work in order to score the apparent intelligence of the body of students, but it also comes at a high expense. â€Å"Including the cost of lost instructional time (at $6.15 per hour, equivalent to the per-student cost of adding one hour to the school day), the estimated annual testing cost per pupil ranged from $700 to more than $1,000 per pupil in several grades that participated in standard ized testing†. (Strauss). Even though standardized tests are commonly known for benefitting the country as a whole, it is not improving the education in America because it is not enabling young American students to reach their full potential. Even though standardized tests often decrease the potential ability of students all over the U.S, it does improve the educational system in some areas. For example, standardized test can be a reliable and consistent mean for education to students who attend underprivileged schools. That means, young students of America who attend schools that would ordinarily be below the educational standard bar, are not falling behind d... ...very poorly. Standardized tests have done more harm than good in numerous ways including diminishing the chance of opportunity, bringing down the standard bar of schools across the nation, and creating a boring perception of knowledge. Even though standardized tests can bring up schools education in some cases, it would be better if standardized tests were discontinued. Discontinuing the use of such harsh and prioritized tests will promote a good sense of opportunity to both low-income and high-income students, bring up the standard bar of schools, and provide a creative educational environment where students strive to learn. The thirst of knowledge is so critical to the world today because it provides an inspiration to make the world a better place. The use of standardized test diminishes the chance of creating a better education for the students of the modern day.

Forms Of Literature: Barbie Doll

American culture encompasses today’s traditions, ideals, customs, beliefs, values, and innovations. In Marge Piercys poem entitled â€Å"Barbie Doll†, the title emphasizes the theme of the poem which is that girls are ultimately influenced by society’s limited definitions of feminine behavior and beauty. In this poem Piercy conveys the cultural and societal expectations that American culture places on children these days, especially young girls. The image that Piercy tries to portray in this poem is not supposed to be wrong in any way but in reality it is incorrect to what according to the American society is the â€Å"perfect women†. As a child, the girl in the poem was presented dolls that did pee-pee, miniature GE stoves, irons, and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy. By providing and using solid examples that many Americans would be familiar with, and even using the brand name of General Electric, Marge Piercy allows the story to relate to images of the reader's past. In these examples, though, are the ultimate causes of the girl's lack of self-satisfaction: perfect bodies, perfect faces, and the perfect look. It is to no surprise that Piercy names the poem â€Å"Barbie Doll† the typical example of fake perfection. Further into the poem Piercy goes to greater extent to show the consequence of dissatisfaction with one's self. Despite the fact that she was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, had an abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity, traits that would seem â€Å"perfect† to any human being, she was still unaccepted by society. The girl attempts to please everyone at first, but soon â€Å"Her good nature wore out. † The people around her were the main cause. In the stanza that immediately follows, Piercy shows the main idea of the poem. The young women whom is now lying dead in a casket wearing a pretty dress and fake makeup now looks â€Å"beautiful† to the people around her. The society is now happy. â€Å"Doesn't she look pretty? Everyone said†. Her beauty is no longer significant now that she cannot live to express it. The society in which the young girl lived in drove her to her death. Laced in irony, it is finally stated by the author that the girl has achieved acceptance, but not on the quality of her character or her being but through the unwilling compromise to culture. Piercy shows through her poem â€Å"Barbie Doll† the dangers of false standards and the consequences of their application. It is not that we should all be held to a single, high standard, but rather that we should each be judged according to our own quality and values. When reading this poem I realized that wanting to fit in and be perfect isn’t cool, it’s a waste of a perfect life.

Define Industrial Revolution

Explain the problems faced by historians in defining the term Industrial Revolution. Historians face many problems when it comes to using the term â€Å"Industrial Revolution†. There is much debate and difficulty when is comes to defining it. It opens up many questions and there are many contributing factors and areas to consider. Can it be considered a revolution when it occurred over quite a long period of time? When did it start? What were the causes of it? Many historians have differing opinions on each question. A revolution can be defined as â€Å"a sudden or grand change† (oxford dictionairies. om). Wordiq. com defined the Industrial revolution as â€Å"the massive social[->0], economic[->1], and technological[->2] change in the 18th century[->3] and 19th century[->4] within Great Britain,† This indicates that it was a grand change but not a sudden one. It was spread out over two centuries. There are two approaches that historians either support. The first is the revolutionary approach. Writers, such as Deane and Cole (1967) saw the industrial revolution as a period of great expansion, and they said that there certainly was a rapid growth of production in leading sectors. They therefore supported the revolutionary approach. Rostow (1960) used the term â€Å"take off† when defining the industrial revolution. He believed that there was a take off phase within the country at the beginning of the industrial revolution. The other approach is the gradualist approach. This approach obviously indicates that ii wasn’t has rapid and debates that it was more gradual. Crafts (1985) believed that it was a time of slow improvement therefore supporting the gradualist approach. He believed it was slower, particularly socially; standards of living and wages did not improve. He also claimed that modernisation in Britain was sluggish, because demand and consumption only grew very slow during the claimed period. Wrigley (2004) is also of the gradualist school of thought. He argues that fundamental changes did occur in certain areas but that it wasn’t seen all over the country. A further debate concerns when the industrial revolution started. Most historians agree that it occurred during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century but no one date can actually be pinpointed as to when it all commenced. So was it the causes that started the industrial revolution and what were they? Factories were being built and they were certainly on the up rise during the late eighteenth century. Cotton and textiles in general moved more to the factory setting and away from the domestic system. Hobsbawn (1968) is quoted as saying â€Å"that whoever says industrial revolution says cotton†. Foster (1974) claims that the revolution began because of factories being built. To counteract Foster, Rule (1986) said that factories had existed before 1750 in isolated examples, which was pre-industrial revolution. This still doesn’t explain why the number of factories increased during the industrial revolution and whether they were the cause of the revolution. Another possible explanation as to why the industrial revolution occurred is that it was during a time when inventions were popular. John Kay invented the Flying Wheel in 1733; this speeded up the process of weaving. In 1765 James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny; that made spinning more efficient. They were still manual items and they took time to be introduced to manufacturers and potential factory owners. Methods of powering them were invented next. Richard Arkwright was first to use a water frame to mechanise spinning. He opened up a factory in 1771 and was able to produce material at a much larger scale. They certainly contributed to the increase in factories at the time but did they cause the revolution? Other historians believe it was steam power that caused the revolution. Inventors James Watt and Thomas Newcomen introduced the concept of steam to power machinery. They used coal to produce the steam. This made the machinery more efficient and increased production furthermore. Factories were also able to move away from sources of water and nearer places were coal was present. This method was put into action around 1785 when it was used to operate a spinning mill. So both water and coal and their use played a vital part in the revolution. Regardless of what caused the industrial revolution there were some great innovations that contributed to its onset; but do they help us define the industrial revolution? Rule (1986) states that â€Å"to most people the essence of an industrial revolution lies in the transformation through technology of manufacturing and it’s reorganisation into the new factory mode. There are plenty of other areas to discuss about the industrial revolution, which can open up further debate. Other areas to consider include why it started in Britain first, did it occur in other industries? What changed socially for the people? Population increased rapidly over the period discussed. Did the industrial revolution occur to meet their n eeds? The debates can go on and on and thus explains why historians will always face problems when it comes to defining the term ‘the industrial revolution’. Bibliography Crafts, Nicholas F. R. 1985) British Economic Growth During the Industrial Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press .Deane and Cole (1962) cited in Wrigley E. A. (2004) Poverty, Progress and Population. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Foster (1974) Class Struggle and the Industrial Revolution. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London .Hobsbawn (1968) Industry and Empire. Penguin group, London. Industrial revolution. http//www. wordiq. com/definition/industrial_revolution. Date accessed 14/10/2011 Revolution definition. http://oxforddictionaries. com/definition/revolution. Date accessed 14/10/2011 Rostow (1960) cited in Wrigley E. A. (2004) Poverty, Progress and Population. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Rule (1986) The labouring Classes in Early Industrial England 1750-1850. Longman Group, Harlow Wrigley E. A. (2004) Poverty, Progress and Population. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge [->0] – http://www. wordiq. com/definition/Social [->1] – http://www. wordiq. com/definition/Economic [->2] – http://www. wordiq. com/definition/Technology [->3] – http://www. wordiq. com/definition/18th_century [->4] – http://www. wordiq. com/definition/19th_century