Freakonomics Essay Essay

The most interesting excerpt of â€Å"Freakonomics† was the connection made between crime rates and abortions. This passage was fascinating for a few reasons. The first reason being that it makes absolute and complete sense, so much so that it should be common sense. This correlation between the legalization of abortion and the rate of crime going down is so simple, yet so incredibly profound. This piece of information, if used correctly, can totally obliterate the argument that pro-choice is a negative thing for society. On a more personal note, I found the concept that the crime rate really is not as high as it was in the 90’s to be encouraging. One thing I really do not enjoy is when an adult says something along the lines of, â€Å"The world really isn’t what it used to be,† when referring to safety. As much as I do understand that â€Å"back in the day† things were much more relaxed and safer, all I can do is accept how the world is now and not let it get in the way of my life. With the decline of the crime rate in the 90’s due to abortion, it is a great feeling to think that where our world is, safety-wise, is not at its lowest point, and therefore we know that it can be handled. Overall I really enjoyed this book. Even the parts I did not like very much still caught my attention. An example of this is the section pertaining to how real estate agents may not try their very hardest to get you the best deal. Although this makes absolute sense in the simplest manner, much like everything in this book, it is not the easiest to stomach. While the real estate agents only lose a couple hundred dollars in commission, a buyer or seller can lose thousands of dollars because of an antsy real estate agent. Another example of a part that I did not like was the excerpt on the teachers cheating for their students. I was completely put off by this because in the end, the students ended up in a worse spot than where they were original. Standardized testing is put in place to make sure that no children fall too far behind in school. While I don’t believe in all of the repercussions of standardized testing such as lack of funding for low scores or teachers solely teaching to the test, I do believe that standardized testing does serve a really important purpose in schools. Standardized testing is a benchmark that the teachers should strive to reach for with  every child in their class. This testing ensures that kids are learning the fundamentals needed throughout life, such as reading comprehension and critical thinking. The fact that the teachers were cheating for their children proved that the teachers did not believe they have done a good enough job at teaching these fundamentals. These teachers therefore, while they believe the contrary, are doing a disservice to their students. The biggest thing I learned from â€Å"Freakonomics† was that economics is simple, sometimes so simple in fact that the general public a majority of the time over thinks it. Not only that, but economics can also be extremely interesting. This is because at the core of economics, is us. When I say us I mean, us, the people that buy and sell and keep the economy going. Without us, the economy would not exist. So essentially, the study of economics is the study of people and the decisions we make.

Body Ritual among the Nacirema Essay

Abstract In this paper I discuss what point Horace Miner was trying to make is his paper titled â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema†. Horace’s paper is about America but in the perspective that America is a tribe of third world country or such. I go through the individual topics, which mostly make fun of American’s vanity, and I describe what he is really talking about. I try to summaries Horace’s paper and put it in â€Å"American† terms. Nacirema: The American Tribe Here in America we view ourselves as one of the most, if not the most, advanced societies in the world. Most of us feel that we are just the best, but if you really look at a lot of the aspects of our society in the eyes that Horace Miner provides in his paper â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† you may begin to think otherwise. In Horace’s paper he shows the reader how the United States of America could be viewed from the perspective of a more advance, or more developed country. You could think of it as what aliens might view us. I guess you could even say a that an underdeveloped country would view us in this way too, but by the tone it seems that its meant to be a view of America by someone that views America how Americans see other cultures such as an African tribe or third world country or cultures of that sort. The main topics he covers are on the vanity of Americans, but he also covers doctors, dentist, therapists, hospitals, and a few others things. Horace starts out by discussing the Nacirema shrine. The shrine is where the Nacirema worship themselves. This is obviously a bathroom. Since this is poking fun at Americans vanity, wherever people focus their time on cleaning and grooming and pampering themselves would be their shrine. How many shrines you have, and how nice your shrine is, is determined by how much money you have. Every Nacireman at least has one though. The Nacireman’s think the body is ugly and disease and dies if they don’t take care of it so performing these â€Å"ceremonies† are important and dire to survival and acceptance. Now two parts of the shrine that are most important are this charm box or  chest that is built into the wall, and the font that is under this charm box/chest. We know these things as a medicine cabinet and the sink that is underneath. Our water supposedly comes from some magical water temple where a priest makes it pure with ceremonies, which as we know our water is provided by our local water company who cleanse and treats it to make it full of chemical or pure by American standards. Now in this charm box I mentioned before are tons of charms and potions and things, which Nacirema believe they can’t live without, and they have so many that they don’t even know what all of them are for anymore. Well since the charm box is a medicine cabinet then we can safely assume that these charms are medicines, specifically prescription medicine. We know they are prescription medicines because they get them from the medicine men. Medicine men are just simply doctors. We must pay our doctors to get medicine and their services. In the paper he describes this as giving the medicine men gifts. In real life I hear all the time that you cannot read doctors writing especially on prescriptions and its comical that Horace writes that they write in a secret language that only the pharmacist can read, well, the herbalist as he puts it. As I said before he also writes about dentist and therapist, or what he calls â€Å"the holy-mouth-men† and â€Å"the listeners†. Since oral hygiene is something that is crucial in the Nacirema the holy-mouth-men are very important. Their ceremony described sound like a scene from the movie â€Å"Saw† but in all reality it is nothing more than getting a cavity filled. When he talks about the therepist he talks about how they expel the demons from your head but in reality they help get rid of your bad thoughts. The way he puts it though it makes it seem like they just listen and that’s it, that they serve no real purpose. Horace then goes on to describe several other things that ill describe briefly. He calls hospital, â€Å"Latipso†, and he talks about how crazy it is that the Nacireman even their people there because how horrible the care is. He makes some decent points but for the most part is just more crazy tribal exaggeration. He writes again how the Nacirema just basically hate their  bodies, and if their fat then they don’t eat and eat a bunch if they are skinny. He talks about boobs how they are either too big or too small and how girls get implants. He also says that some girls with implants show them off to make a good living, a.k.a strippers. Then the last topic he talks about is sex and how were not supposed to talk about it and we try to prevent it but conception is still high (I mean that’s totally true.weve all seen teen mom). â€Å"It is hard to understand how they have managed to exist so long under the burdens which they have imposed upon themselves. But even such exotic customs as these take on real meaning when they are viewed with the insight provided by Malinowski when he wrote â€Å"Looking from far and above, from our high places of safety in the developed civilization, it is easy to see all the crudity and irrelevance of magic. But without its power and guidance early man could not have mastered his practical difficulties as he has done, nor could man have advanced to the higher stages of civilization.†Ã¢â‚¬ (Miner) This part of the paper is what the whole paper is making fun of. This piece of satire is how americans view other cultures. We often say the same, that it a surprise that they’ve made it this far. I think America has made a little too complex in some aspect and parts of our life’s are burdens. Our lives here in America are not perfect and our customs defenatly a ren’t either, so to judge another culture that is at least mildly surviving is wrong. We cannot sit back and judge cultures that use â€Å"magic† because as the quote says, it is from these cultures that Americans came from. References Miner, H. (1956, June). â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† Retrieved from https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html#anchor876436

Representation and Exploration of Gender Roles in Comrades, Almost a Term Paper - 1

Representation and Exploration of Gender Roles in Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Films - Term Paper Example Compared to the early styles of Chinese filmmaking the issues of depiction, especially reflection of depicting gender roles in films have undergone a drastic change. Films like Comrades, Almost a Love Story, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are brilliant examples that not only reflect the impact of modernist trends in the art of filmmaking but also provided considerable focus on gender roles, contending the traditional approach. The films, Comrades, Almost a Love Story, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, though have dealt with a different storyline, thematic approaches and cultural situation, however, the role of women as reflected in both these films, can be regarded as a brave shift from the traditional approaches. In each of the films, women have played interesting as well as equally commanding parts compared to their male counterparts in the context of developing storylines. The film, Comrades, Almost a Love Story while provides a sufficient reflection over development of Chin a in terms of modernism and neo-Marxian perspective and consequently provides a detailed impression of the contemporary socio-political and economic situation of the nation and how the characters, especially women are responding to such metamorphosis, on the other hand, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon develops its thematic approach over socio-cultural situation of early 18th century China. While Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can be regarded as a sincere attempt to reinterpret the 18th century social history of China according to the principles of modernist context, however, special emphasis on roles of women as emergence of â€Å"women warriors† can definitely be regarded as a bold initiative that emphasizes the theme of contending conventional refection of gender roles in films in terms of radical modernism.  

Garbology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Garbology - Essay Example Personally, my refuse pinpoints my shopping trends, the types of food I consume, my budget and expenditure, what types of food I eat on a regular basis, the number of people involved, and my concern for the environment. Essentially, I think I am regular shopper but not to the extent of being termed shopaholic. Most of my daily refuse comprise of shopping bags that I get from the store every time I shop. In fact, for every discarded trash, there is a shopping bag. In this respect, I think I prefer shopping regularly than just shopping once or twice a week. This means that I do not shop in bulk, thus the every-now-and-then trashing of shopping refuse. Food consumption can tell so much about me. Over the observation period, most of my refuse comprised of ready-made food stuff. Raw kitchen refuse was minimal, while ready-made food remains were quite substantial. I think I prefer buying take-away food to actual cooking, an aspect that my garbage essentially reflects. With regard to budgeting and expenditure, I think I am a high-scale spender. My budget hardly conforms to my expenditure plan, and the reason is well seen in the junk-food trash that I discard. This also takes into account my personality and character because when I host my friends or family the garbage bin gets the best out of it. I think I make frequent trips to the garbage bin more than any other person around my residence. Having said that, I think am responsible and concerned about the environment. I do not handle my trash carelessly. I make sure that what needs to be recycled and what needs to be trashed goes into the right section. On the same note, I opt to support green programs whenever I shop; I do this in stores that offer such programs. In general, my refuse can tell what kind of a lifestyle I have. As it is the case so far, most of my garbage encompasses groceries shopping. Whilst I do not consider myself a spendthrift, I think I believe in enhancing

The Jade Peony and The Other Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Jade Peony and The Other Family - Essay Example They are made to feel like outsiders, at times and this can be very humiliating. They have to try to forget the language and way of life that they have been used to since their childhood, if they are to adapt to life in their new homeland. This can be a painful experience, because they have to give up something that is very close to their hearts. It is easier for children and young people to make these changes and to adapt to life in their new homeland. For older people it can be much more difficult to give up a way of life that they have been used to for all their lives. It is even more difficult for parents, who feel rejected, when their children adopt the language and culture of their new homeland. Bannerji, in The Other Family highlights the feeling of insecurity of an immigrant mother, who says to her only daughter "Is this the family you would like to have Don't you want us anymore You want to be a mem sahib, a white girl" (143). She worries that some day her daughter would be ashamed of her and would move out into the world of the residents of their new homeland. She thinks that some day they would be enemies. She is afraid that she will lose her child. She feels that the people in her new homeland have the power to crush little people like her anytime. She exposes her fear of rejection to her daughter.

Group Setting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Setting - Research Paper Example It discusses the different subjects in the study, their particular type of illness, and how willing they were to make changes in their lifestyles to cope with these particular afflictions. This study takes a look at homeless individuals who presented with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance abuse and some of the different ways that they can be assisted, what resources are available, and how to offer them specific types of support for these afflictions. There is an increasing concern of how best to deal with the members of the homeless population who suffer from mental illness, especially in light of the fact that it is often due to the severity of the mental illness that these individuals end up in a situation that results in becoming homeless in the first place. One possible method of addressing this issue of social concern is to take a group of concerned individuals, comprised of volunteers, doctors, therapists, and social workers who would all work together with these individuals to show them what resources are available to them and how they can best avail themselves of those resources. In the introductory phase of the group, the individuals that comprise the group, the doctors, therapists, social workers, and volunteers would all work together to determine the best target population to start with; a look at the different areas where the homeless congregate, as well as the types of people who make up this population would serve as a way to best address this goal. Once the target area has been determined, the group members would, through the use of their individual specialties, work with the members of the homeless population who suffer from mental illness, and based upon their affliction, determine the appropriate resources they would need in order to best meet the goal of improving the quality of life for the patients as well as working to get them back into

General Education Teachers Expectations of Special Education Students Essay

General Education Teachers Expectations of Special Education Students - Essay Example The IDEA Amendments Act of 1997 emphasizes the importance of ensuring that students with special needs can access the general curriculum, meeting education standards applicable to every child (O’Connor, 2010). In order to meet these challenges, therefore, general education teachers across the US have had to acquire new strategies and skills. These changes signify a period of transformation for general education teachers, informing a re-evaluation of service delivery required to support special needs students in the general education environment. One challenge that general education teachers face is to meet and maintain high standards of education for every student, also ensuring that all the unique instructional requirements of each child are met. These expectations, however, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The educational standards can be used as impetus and motivation for focused instructional planning in the general education environment for special needs students, leading to improved achievement (O’Connor, 2010). Lewis and Doorlag (2013), for example, report that general education teachers believe that standards-based reform increases learning opportunities for students who have special needs, while also noting that special education teachers contend that standards improve the characterizations of student requirements. Prior to the changes set in place by IDEAA 1997, there was a huge gap in expectations between general and special education students, who had their own room, teachers, routines, curriculum, and community. These students, majority of whom had learning disabilities, underperformed academically. At national level, most of the students with special needs were placed in self-contained classes, isolated from the general education environment, and labeled as behaviorally challenged, sending the message that they could not meet the expectations of the general

Should Term Limits in Government Be Abolished Essay

Should Term Limits in Government Be Abolished - Essay Example Before going into the discussion regarding term limits, let us get a better understanding of what term limits actually are. Ellis-Christensen (n.d.) states, â€Å"Term limits refer to the maximum number of times a person can hold the same public office†. Different people have different viewpoints regarding term limits. I am personally in favor of term limits because of various reasons. In my view, some of the most considerable benefits of term limits are that they prevent government officials from hogging their seats, increases the level of commitment of the government officials, provides an opportunity for new people to serve the nation, and eliminate the chances of corruption. Term limits are also a solution to eliminate the factor of self-interest from the government officials (Keller, 2010).Term limits are beneficial for a nation because it provides the way for other talented people to come into the government and serve the nation with a new passion and commitment. Bringin g fresh blood into the government improves the connection of government with the people (Ritchie, 2011). If we consider the impact of term limits on the economy of a country, we can say that when same officials come into the government repeatedly, there is less progress or change in economic position because they hardly have any new idea or strategy to improve the economy. On the other hand, term limits provide an opportunity to new people who have new ideas and strategies to improve the economy. Every person possesses the right to serve his/her country.

Designing a course in technology-Enhanced learning for Adult learners Essay

Designing a course in technology-Enhanced learning for Adult learners - Essay Example This paper aims to present a discussion that revolves around principles of learning design. The focus is to design a unit assessment plan that will educate 65 year old adults on prevention, treatment, and management of foot related complications. Some of the skills that the unit assessment aims to establish among the older population include synthesis of instruction, exploration skills, designing skills, collaboration, and reflection skills. Technological transformations have prompted the majority of educators to adopt newer and advanced forms of newer technology in teaching. Teachers in institutions of higher learning have opted for the use of e-mails, PowerPoint presentations, education applications, and design Web sites to pass knowledge and information to learners (Caulfield, 2011). The mode of connecting teaching to learning has formed the center of current debate, with critics questioning the validity of the relationship. This is because they have argued that such learning techniques are vulnerable to losing their validity with changes in technology. On the other hand, proponents have highly held the phenomenon, citing their value in expanding the learning and teaching experience. Rogers (2003) maintains that the application of skills in learning and teaching is crucial, as it determines the effectiveness of the teaching and learning experiences. When a new technology emerges, there are various levels that educators should undergo in their endeavors to fully adopt any technological model of teaching (Rogers, 2003). However, recent research has revealed that some learning sessions have not fully benefited from the advantages of employing technological based teaching and learning experiences. This is because of the different degrees of adaptation by teachers. Analysts have argued that educators should follow the right procedure in their quest to make some technology based models of teaching part of their professional initiative. Some of the