Final Polish: Paper #2

Melissa Sawyer

62 Faith Dr.

Watsonville, CA 95076

December 9, 2012

Steven Sawyer

62 Faith Dr.

Watsonville, CA 95076

Dear Dad,

Looking back to my childhood I can see just how drastically our family dynamics have changed since my siblings and I were born. The family I was once used to now seems strange and unrealistic. When I was born my stay-at-home mother and growing family was solely supported by you and your income. Over the years, Mom went from housewife to part-time work and now to a full-time supervisor position. Not only this, but Mom relishes in both the freedom and responsibilities of work. On the other hand, I hear constantly of how that last year until retirement could not come soon enough, and I know how you long to switch to part-time work or even become a stay-at-home husband. I don’t blame you, Dad, and believe it or not, you’re not the only one. America has been experiencing a new trend, heightened by the recent Great Recession, of men losing their jobs and unable to find stable work while women climb the ladder of success despite the country’s financial situation, finding themselves on top. For the most part, history has exhibited the theme of patriarchy all over the world. What if this traditional male dominance is not what is best for the family unit or society in general? Women are starting to wear the pants more and more in this society, and I don’t think this is merely a random phenomenon; women’s dominance in society is necessary – women can no longer stay in the kitchen if our species is going to thrive on this planet.

Biologically, the idea of a successful matriarchal society is not a new idea. Consider our closest relatives genetically: chimpanzees. There are two species of chimpanzees, the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo chimpanzee (Pan paniscus).  Humans evolved from one species of chimps 4-6 million years ago and the one species split into two roughly one million years ago. Unfortunately knowledge of the social behaviors of chimps 4-6 million years ago is not accessible, but there is still a lot to learn from their modern day counterparts. Both species show a huge maternal influence in society. In common chimps, although there is an alpha male, he is chosen by the females in the community. His status in the community is only valuable for mating purposes and the female chimps are dominant over the rest of the society, such as the resources. In bonobo chimpanzees, the community is completely matriarchal – the female chimps have total control over the community. If the species we once descended from and share about 94% of our DNA with has found extreme success in a matriarchal based society, why would humans be any different? How did we become a patriarchal society in the first place? According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, if we want to keep evolving as a species, we must be able to adapt to many types of changes: physical, geographical, physiological, and especially social. In American society today, we must adapt to the change in gender dominance once again.

Women seem to be rising to a place of dominance in American society in several aspects. This is extremely impressive considering that women received the right to vote in this country a mere 92 years ago. In American 2 and 4 year universities, women make up 58% of enrolled students. Not only this, but women tend to drop out less, have a higher GPA, graduate with honors, and pursue even further education than men. As explained by the National Census taken in 2010, “Among the population 25 to 29, 36 percent of women had a bachelor's degree or more, compared with 28 percent of men.” It seems that the younger the generation, the further the gap widens between males and females concerning college degrees. Statistics also show that today women make up 46% of the labor force in America whereas in 1900, fewer than 20% of women worked outside of the home. According to a New York Times article written by Hanna Rosin, “Of the 15 categories projected to grow the fastest by 2016 — among them sales, teaching, accounting, custodial services and customer service — 12 are dominated by women.” She goes on to explain that even though these may not be the most desirable or well-paid positions, they are the most stable and consistent fields of work today. Very physical trade type work, like construction, is out and more maternal based fields, like teaching and nursing, are in. It is also true that women only make 77.5 cents to every dollar a man makes, but this gap has been reduced substantially and only continues to shrink. An article by CBS News explains that “the number of stay-at-home dads who are the primary caregivers for their children reached nearly 2 million last year, or one in 15 fathers.” This has never been seen before in America and it is becoming more and more common as time goes on.

On the other hand, this scenario is not experienced worldwide. As Salam explains “while North American and Western European men broadly – if not always happily – adapt to the new egalitarian order, their counterparts in the emerging giants of East and South Asia, not to mention Russia, all places where women often still face brutal domestic oppression, may be headed for even more exaggerated gender inequality” (634). Salam explains that although Western developed nations tend to have a more open mind towards drastic social changes in gender roles, this is not true for the entire world. Countries like China and those of the Middle East are still very much male-dominated and a gender role switch will not occur easily, or possibly not even at all. In Chinese society, the economy is thriving and male-dominated fields are still growing. This country can support the patriarchal society they have been accustomed to since the start of their nation. Considering population, United Nations statistics show that in China there are 93 women to 100 men. Even more surprisingly, in Qatar there are only 32 women per 100 men and in Bahrain there are a mere 60 women per 100 men, both countries in the Middle East. On the other hand, both the United States and the United Kingdom have 103 women per 100 men in their national population. This trend is also seen in the percent of educated men and women in Western nations versus those in the more male dominated societies. In many of these strict patriarchal countries, removing men from society seems very unrealistic.

Change is occurring regarding gender roles in the United States whether Americans like it or not. Change is hard, scary, and frustrating, but it is also necessary for the evolution of our species. Men can fight the change all they want, but it is looking more and more like women are winning this battle. The other option is to adapt. Men would benefit greatly by pushing aside past male gender roles and male expectations in other areas of the world and consider what is going on in the world around them. Obviously, this is not even always necessarily true for all American men. There are many fields of work that men are generally more suited for. A great example of this is math and science. Data explains that male high school students on average score higher on the math portion of the SAT test. These fields also still have a fairly large gap between men and women employed in the field. Not to say that women cannot find employment in these fields, but tendency shows that men thrive more in these areas. Men will never become completely obsolete in the workforce, but men need to consider how the gender dominance switch will affect them and their families personally. An open mind is key for adaptation. The longer men fight society, the more dissatisfied they will become with both themselves and the world around them resulting in depression, substance abuse, violence, and so much more. To counter this, the sooner they adapt, the sooner they’ll be able to find their new place in society.

Dad, this step you are taking to adapt is extremely helpful for not only you and our family but also for society as a whole. It is in our genes to be a matriarchal society. This may be completely against what your father and grandfather would encourage or what other parts of the world are doing, but it is what is best for you. Not only is this the best choice for you, but American and Western European men seem to be following this same pattern overall. Acceptance and adaptation will allow our species to continue and evolve rather than destroy itself. You’re making history!

Yours always,

Melissa

Final Draft: Paper #2

December 2, 2012

Dear Dad,

Let’s face it, our family dynamics have changed drastically since my siblings and I were born. The family I was once used to now seems strange and unrealistic. When I was born you worked full-time to support your stay-at-home wife and growing family. Over the years, Mom went from housewife to part-time work and now to a full-time supervisor position. Not only this, but Mom relishes in both the freedom and responsibilities of work. You, on the other hand, cannot wait that last year to retire and I know how you long to switch to part-time work or even become a stay-at-home husband. I don’t blame you Dad, and believe it or not, you’re not the only one. America has been experiencing a new trend, heightened by the recent Great Recession, of men losing their jobs and unable to find stable work while women climb the ladder of success despite the country’s financial situation, finding themselves on top. For the most part, history has exhibited the theme of patriarchy all over the world. What if this traditional male dominance is not what is best for society in general or specifically the family unit? Women are starting to wear the pants more and more in this society, and I don’t think this is merely a random phenomenon; women’s dominance in society is necessary – women can no longer stay in the kitchen if our species is going to thrive on this planet.

Biologically, the idea of a successful matriarchal society is not a new idea. Consider our closest relatives genetically: chimpanzees. There are two species of chimpanzees, the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo chimpanzee (Pan paniscus).  Humans evolved from one species of chimps 4-6 million years ago and the one species split into two roughly one million years ago. Unfortunately knowledge of the social behaviors of chimps 4-6 million years ago is not accessible, but there is still a lot to learn from their modern day counterparts. Both species show a huge maternal influence in society. In common chimps, although there is an alpha male, he is chosen by the females in the community. His status in the community is only valuable for mating purposes and the female chimps are dominant over the rest of the society, such as the resources. In bonobo chimpanzees, the community is completely matriarchal – the female chimps have total control over the community. If the species we once descended from and share about 94% of our DNA with has found extreme success in a matriarchal based society, why would humans be any different? How did we become a patriarchal society in the first place? According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, if we want to keep evolving as a species, we must be able to adapt to many types of changes: physical, geographical, physiological, and especially social. In American society today, we must adapt to the change in gender dominance once again.

Women seem to be rising to a place of dominance in American society in several aspects. This is extremely impressive considering that women received the right to vote in this country a mere 92 years ago. In American 2 and 4 year universities, women make up 58% of enrolled students. Not only this, but women tend to drop out less, have a higher GPA, graduate with honors, and pursue even further education than men. As explained by the National Census taken in 2010, “Among the population 25 to 29, 36 percent of women had a bachelor's degree or more, compared with 28 percent of men.” It seems that the younger the generation, the further the gap widens between males and females concerning college degrees. Statistics also show that today women make up 46% of the labor force in America whereas in 1900, fewer than 20% of women worked outside of the home. According to a New York Times article written by Hanna Rosin, “Of the 15 categories projected to grow the fastest by 2016 — among them sales, teaching, accounting, custodial services and customer service — 12 are dominated by women.” She goes on to explain that even though these may not be the most desirable or well-paid positions, they are the most stable and consistent fields of work today. Very physical trade type work, like construction, is out and more maternal based fields, like teaching and nursing, are in. It is also true that women only make 77.5 cents to every dollar a man makes, but this gap has been reduced substantially and only continues to shrink. An article by CBS News explains that “the number of stay-at-home dads who are the primary caregivers for their children reached nearly 2 million last year, or one in 15 fathers.” This has never been seen before in America and it is becoming more and more common as time goes on.

On the other hand, this scenario is not experienced worldwide. As Salam explains “while North American and Western European men broadly – if not always happily – adapt to the new egalitarian order, their counterparts in the emerging giants of East and South Asia, not to mention Russia, all places where women often still face brutal domestic oppression, may be headed for even more exaggerated gender inequality” (634). Salam explains that although Western developed nations tend to have a more open mind towards drastic social changes in gender roles, this is not true for the entire world. Countries like China and those of the Middle East are still very much male-dominated and a gender role switch will not occur easily, or possibly not even at all. In Chinese society, the economy is thriving and male-dominated fields are still growing. This country can support the patriarchal society they have been accustomed to since the start of their nation. Considering population, United Nations statistics show that in China there are 93 women to 100 men. Even more surprisingly, in Qatar there are only 32 women per 100 men and in Bahrain there are a mere 60 women per 100 men, both countries in the Middle East. On the other hand, both the United States and the United Kingdom have 103 women per 100 men in their national population. This trend is also seen in the percent of educated men and women in Western nations versus those in the more male dominated societies. In many of these strict patriarchal countries, removing men from society seems very unrealistic.

Change is occurring regarding gender roles in the United States whether Americans like it or not. Change is hard, scary, and frustrating, but it is also necessary for the evolution of our species. Men can fight the change all they want, but it is looking more and more like women are winning this battle. The other option is to adapt. Men would benefit greatly by pushing aside past male gender roles and male expectations in other areas of the world and consider what is going on in the world around them. Obviously, this is not even always necessarily true for all American men. There are many fields of work that men are generally more suited for. A great example of this is math and science. Data explains that male high school students on average score higher on the math portion of the SAT test. These fields also still have a fairly large gap between men and women employed in the field. Not to say that women cannot find employment in these fields, but tendency shows that men thrive more in these areas. Men will never become completely obsolete in the workforce, but men need to consider how the gender dominance switch will affect them and their families personally. An open mind is key for adaptation. The longer men fight society, the more dissatisfied they will become with both themselves and the world around them resulting in depression, substance abuse, violence, and so much more. To counter this, the sooner they adapt, the sooner they’ll be able to find their new place in society.

Dad, this step you are taking to adapt is extremely helpful for not only you and our family but also for society as a whole. It is in our genes to be a matriarchal society. This may be completely against what your father and grandfather would encourage or what other parts of the world are doing, but it is what is best for you. Not only is this the best choice for you, but American and Western European men seem to be following this same pattern overall. Acceptance and adaptation will allow our species to continue and evolve rather than destroy itself. You’re making history!

Yours always,

Melissa

Formal Paper #2: Rough Draft

November 24, 2012

Dear Dad,

Let’s face it, our family dynamics have changed drastically since my siblings and I were born. The family I was once used to now seems strange and unrealistic. When I was born, you worked full-time to support your stay-at-home wife and growing family. Over the years, Mom went from housewife to part-time work and now to a full-time supervisor position. Not only this, but Mom relishes in both the freedom and responsibilities of work. You, on the other hand, cannot wait that last year to retire and I know how you long to switch to part-time work or even become a stay-at-home husband. I don’t blame you Dad, and believe it or not, you’re not the only one. America has been experiencing a new trend, heightened by the recent Great Recession, of men losing their jobs and unable to find stable work while women climb the ladder of success despite the country’s financial situation and are now finding themselves on top. For the most part, history has exhibited the theme of patriarchy all over the world. What if this traditional male dominance is not what is best for society in general or specifically the family unit? Women are starting to wear the pants more and more in this society, and I don’t think this is merely a random phenomenon; women’s dominance in society is necessary – women can no longer stay in the kitchen if our species is going to thrive on this planet.

Biologically, the idea of a successful matriarchal society is not a new idea. Consider our closest relatives genetically: chimpanzees. There are two species of chimpanzees, the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo chimpanzee (Pan paniscus).  Humans evolved from one species of chimps 4-6 million years ago and the one species split into two roughly one million years ago. Unfortunately knowledge of the social behaviors of chimps 4-6 million years ago is not accessible, but there is still a lot to learn from their modern day counterparts. Both species show huge a maternal influence in society. In common chimps, although there is an alpha male, he is chosen by the females in the community. His status in the community is only valuable for mating purposes and the female chimps are dominant over the rest of the society, such as the resources. In bonobo chimpanzees, the community is completely matriarchal – the female chimps have total control over the community. If the species we once descended from and share about 94% of our DNA with has found extreme success in a matriarchal based society, why would humans be any different? How did we become a patriarchal society in the first place? According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, if we want to keep evolving as a species, we must be able to adapt many types of changes: physical, geographical, physiological, and especially social. In American society today, we must adapt to the change in gender dominance once again.

Women seem to be rising to a place of dominance in American society in several aspects. This is extremely impressive considering that women received the right to vote in this country a mere 92 years ago. In American 2 and 4 year universities, women make up 58% of enrolled students. Not only this, but more women tend to drop out less, have a higher GPA, graduate with honors, and pursue even further education than men. FIND QUOTE Statistics also show that today women make up 46% of the labor force in America whereas in 1900, fewer than 20% of women worked outside of the home. According to a New York Times article written by Hanna Rosin, “Of the 15 categories projected to grow the fastest by 2016 — among them sales, teaching, accounting, custodial services and customer service — 12 are dominated by women.” She goes on to explain that even though these may not be the most desirable or well-paid positions, they are the most stable and consistent fields of work today. Very physical trade type work, like construction, is out and more maternal based fields, like teaching and nursing, are in. It is also true that women only make 77.5 cents to every dollar a man makes, but this gap has been reduced substantially and only continues to shrink.

On the other hand, this scenario is not experienced worldwide. As Salam explains “while North American and Western European men broadly – if not always happily – adapt to the new egalitarian order, their counterparts in the emerging giants of East and South Asia, not to mention Russia, all places where women often still face brutal domestic oppression, may be headed for even more exaggerated gender inequality” (634). Salam explains that although Western developed nations tend to have a more open mind towards drastic social changes in gender roles, this is not true for the entire world. Countries like China and those of the Middle East are still very much male-dominated and a gender role switch will not occur easily, or possibly not even at all. Considering population, United Nations statistics show that in China there are 93 women to 100 men. Even more surprisingly, in Qatar there are only 32 women per 100 men and in Bahrain there are a mere 60 women per 100 men, both countries in the Middle East. On the other hand, both the United States and the United Kingdom have 103 women per 100 men in their national population. This trend is also seen in the percent of educated men and women in Western nations versus those in the more male dominated societies. In many of these strict patriarchal countries, removing men from society seems very unrealistic.

Change is occurring regarding gender roles in the United States whether Americans like it or not. Change is hard, scary, and frustrating, but it is also necessary for the evolution of our species. Men can fight the change all they want, but it is looking more and more like women are winning this battle. The other option is to adapt. Men would benefit greatly by pushing aside past male gender roles and male expectations in other areas of the world and consider what is going on in the world around them. Obviously, this is not even always necessarily true for all American men. There are many fields of work that men are generally more suited towards. A great example of this is math and science. Data explains that male high school students on average score higher on the math portion of the SAT test. These fields also still have a fairly large gap between men and women employed in the field. Not to say that women cannot find employment in these fields, but tendency shows that men thrive more in these areas. Men will never become completely obsolete in the workforce, but men need to consider how the gender dominance switch will affect them and their families personally. Adaptation is key. An open mind is key. The longer men fight society, the more dissatisfied they will become with both themselves and the world around them resulting in depression, substance abuse, violence, and so much more. To counter this, the sooner they adapt, the sooner they’ll be able to find their new place in society.

Dad, this step you are taking to adapt is extremely helpful for you and our family. This may be completely against what your father and grandfather would encourage or what other parts of the world are doing, but it is what is best for you. Acceptance and adaptation will allow our species to continue and evolve rather than destroying itself. You’re making history!

Yours always,

Melissa

Annotated Bibliography #2

Rosen, Hanna. “Who Wears the Pants in This Economy?” The New York Times. Ilena Silverman. 30 Aug. 2012. 18 Nov. 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/magazine/who-wears-the-pants-in-this-economy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

This article, written by Hanna Rosen, a senior editor at The Atlantic and at Slate as well as the co-founder of DoubleX blog, was published by The New York Times on August 30, 2012. This article is adapted from Rosen’s book “The End of Men: And the Rise of Women”.  The central theme of this article describes the rate of adaptation of men and women within the current economic crisis, exploiting evidence from an in depth look into Alexander City, Alabama to argue that women are emerging on top of the workforce. Although this article is written specifically about one town, this trend is becoming apparent all over the country and is important for Americans, especially American families, to consider.  Rosen’s article is written very objectively, extensively covering both female and male perspectives to this social change.

Shteir, Rachel. “Breadwomen: ‘The Richer Sex,’ by Liza Mundy.” The New York Times. The New York Times. 13 April 2012. 18 Nov. 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/books/review/the-richer-sex-by-liza-mundy.html?pagewanted=all

In this piece, writer Rachel Shteir reviews Liza Mundy’s book “The Richer Sex” for The New York Times on April 13, 2012. Shteir picks apart Mundy’s arguments as well as explains her own perspectives on the subject at hand: the switch in gender roles in America, specifically regarding dominance in the workforce. Mundy argues her case by supplying many statistics varying from explaining the decreasing wage gap between men and women, the amount of women currently graduating with bachelor’s degrees, and the amount of marriages versus the amount of women under 30 years old having children without a male counterpart. Rather than exhibiting the objectiveness that the previous article employed, this review and the book itself seem very focus on the woman’s perspective and even biased towards women. Shteir also criticizes this book explaining that many of the conclusions Mundy claims are far-fetched and not supported by her data, questioning her credibility.

Dickler, Jessica. "Stay-at-home dads: More men choosing kids over career." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/30/pf/stay-at-home-dad/index.htm>.

The article “Stay-at-home dads: More men choosing kids over career”, written by journalist Jessica Dickler, was published by CNN Money on April 30, 2012. Like the other articles, Dickler uses a plethora of statistics and data to back up her central argument: gender roles are changing in both the household and the workforce bringing women into a more dominant position in society. Like Rosen, Dickler takes an unbiased approach towards viewing the social implications for both males and females concerning both the home and the workplace.  This article also explored the idea that this social change, although felt nationally, is not for every family. Overall, this essay is very forward and concise, but could explore the topic more in detail.

Proposal #2

               History has shown that traditional gender roles put women in the kitchen, taking care of the kids, and not having anything to do with the real world or work force. On the other hand, men traditionally are the “bread winners” in the family dynamic. In the last 100 years and up to present day women have made huge leaps and bounds towards equality with their male counterparts. But what if tradition had it all backwards? What if women are actually more suited for the business world and men are more capable of being the stay at home parent? What if that is what true equality looks like in America and even the world? Everyone is affected by this subject because we all our subjected to some form of gender standards every day. More specifically, this paper is aimed at the generation just now graduating from college, starting their careers, starting their families, and deciding what their future really will look like. This subject is very important for the future generations as well because they will be growing up in a family dynamic that is very different from the traditional views of 100+ years ago.  America’s idea of the family unit is changing, and I would even argue that women are becoming the more dominant, “bread winning” partner while men are beginning to stay home more. Gender stereotypes aside, this may even be the more natural place for both people.

               The first method I will employ will be logos. I will use statistics and data to explain that men actually prefer to stay at home. I will also show that women tend to do better in school and are more likely complete higher education. I will also show data on the counterargument describing that there still is discrimination in the workforce towards women and men are still favored. The reader’s response would hopefully be to see the information and understand that a change is occurring in America regarding gender roles and equality, but it is also an extremely slow and hard process for all Americans.

                An appeal to the emotions is the second strategy I will apply. I will do this by explaining both the male and female perspectives to this gender change as well as their opinion of working. I will use articles such as “Bros Before Hos” by Michael Kimmel and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid to elaborate on traditional gender roles and how the change in roles affect Americans. The reader’s response will be to understand both male and female gender roles, how they’ve changed, and what this means emotionally for everyone. I want the readers to understand how difficult this change is and how it affects Americans, especially the younger generations.

                The final method to explain my claim will be ethos. I will use the fact that I am in a younger generation and am currently experiencing different gender roles than my mother and even grandmother. The traditional ways of being a woman that I was taught as a kid are slowly becoming less of my identity and I am faced more opportunities than the prior generations of women have ever experienced. I hope the reader will understand my experiences and see how life for females and males have changed extremely in the last 100 years.

RA #3 Morgan

“From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos” was written by Joan Morgan, a writer and feminist, in 1999. This article explores how rap music has changed in the last few decades and what that means for the women involved – extreme prejudice and violence becoming more and more accepted and common. Morgan explains the urgency of her essay saying, “[w]e have come to a point in our history, however, when black-on-black love – a love that’s survived slavery, lynching, segregation, poverty, and racism – is in serious danger” (602). This serious danger is the increasing rate of violence between males of the African American community, as well as between males and females in the same community, which is exemplified by the increasing violence occurring in the lyrics of rap music. This article is aimed at many groups including feminists, the African American community (both to brothas and sistas), and America as a whole. Morgan claims that rap music is beautiful and powerful, but it also shows what’s really going on in the African American community: African American women are continuously degraded, abused, and objectified by their male counterparts due to a tremendous amount of pain these men are facing, but that cannot stop them from loving these hurting men and ending the vicious pain cycle.

Writer’s Strategy #1: Morgan uses the mode of compare and contrast in this article in describing the ongoing issue between male African Americans and the women in their lives. She does this mainly by expressing her findings from both a feminist and a “sista” perspective. An example of this would be in her introduction. Here she explains that because of her heritage, she adores hip-hop and rap, but because of her feminist views, she feels as though she cannot support it because of being continuously reduced to “tits and ass” (602). Because of this, the development of her points is clear, well rounded, relatable, and a really interesting duel personality.

Writer’s strategy #2: Another mode employed my Morgan is that of Aristotle’s Appeal of pathos. Because of Morgan’s close ties to the subject matter, this article is extremely emotionally driven – not to say that she does not use logos or ethos, because those are extremely present as well – and really helps her analysis of the heart of the matter. To clarify, this can been seen as she talks about Notorious B.I.G.’s life using phrases such as “divulged his inner hell” and even his own lyrics from “Everyday Struggle” revealing that he was “plagued with guilt, regret, and depression”, going on to explain the end result: his suicide (603). Morgan’s descriptions show the reality of what this community is experiencing in an extremely heart-wrenching manner.

Writer’s strategy #3: Cause and effect plays a very large role in this article as well. Morgan’s overall claim is a manifestation of cause and effect. The cause is men feeling pain. The effect is the pain is taken out on each other and women rather that dealing with the pain in a healthy matter. This causes more pain and even lives lost. Morgan’s argument is to stop the cycle of pain and instead let the causes effect in a way of producing love for these hurting individuals.

My response: I really enjoyed this article and I think Morgan made great points using many of the modes to support her ideas. The fact that she used both perspectives of feminist and sista in her article really helped me understand. Being a white girl from a wealthier portion of California, I have no experience when it comes to the African American community. I also don’t listen to rap so I had no idea things were so extreme in that culture. The great thing about this article is that her advice can really apply to everyone, not just the African American community. One argument that I do have comes from her explanation of “black-on-black love”. That love is what carried them through slavery, lynching, segregation, etc. From what I have learned in history, African American men have been severely abusing women since the slavery days as a result of feeling out of control, much like what is happening in rap music today. From my knowledge, abuse is not new to this culture; it has just taken a new form. Other than that, I thought this article was really intriguing. 

RA #2 Salam

“The Death of Macho” was written by Reihan Salam in 2009. The topic of this article regards gender roles, both presently and in the past, and the evidence of a switch in gender dominance from males to females occurring today. The exigence explains that although slowly, men in America and all over the world have been losing their dominance, especially due to the recent economic collapse and specifically in America due to the housing bubble crash. Men are losing their place in this world. The intended audience would be generally everyone, but targeted specifically to male Americans. The purpose is to make the reader aware of the gender switch that is occurring, and the reality of what this switch entails, as well as how one would either adapt or resist the switch. The claim of this article, as hinted at before, is that the past’s idea of the macho, man’s man ideal is fading out, and although men are fighting hard to resist, women are taking the place of dominance in today’s culture. In present day, the issue at hand is gender roles and people must decipher what that means for themselves and the entire world.

Writer’s Strategy #1: In this article, Salam employs the method of cause and effect many times through giving examples of current and past events that lead to or are aiding in the transition of male to female dominance. An example of this can be found on page 630, which explains how Iceland made the transition. The cause was the “all-male elite who oversaw the making of the crisis”, the crisis being Iceland’s enormous economic crash, causing the effect of naming “the world’s first openly lesbian leader as their prime minister.” This is one of the many ways Salam utilizes the method of cause and effect in his explanation of how gender roles are changing. Personally, his use of this mode is great evidential support towards explaining his claim. By applying this method, Salam shows a great use of Aristotle’s appeal of ethos. This abundance of evidence really shows his credibility.

Writer’s Strategy #2: Salam also exploits the method of compare and contrast in this article. There is a compare and contrast between men and women gender roles. He also compares and contrasts between gender roles today and those from the past. Not only that, but near the end of the article he utilizes this method again to compare and contrast the choices men have in light of the changing times: adapting or resisting. I really enjoyed this aspect of Salam’s writing. Because there was a constant battle between two ideas, people, or situations, I felt that the article was very unified and cohesive.

Writer’s Strategy #3: Another strategy Salam used, and arguably the most important for this subject matter, is classification and division. The entire article is focused around the question of how men and women should be classified. Salam explains how men and women were divided in the past, how they are classified now, and what the future holds for these supposedly separate but equal groups. Many factors that attribute to this separation can be what job one holds, how much education one has, and even who is the “breadwinner” of a family unit. Salam explores the idea that the classification of gender is often skewed what it means for America and even the world to adjust their current classifications. At what point will the classifications of gender become obsolete? Will that ever happen? The division of male and female is a huge debate today and Salam explains it beautifully in this article.

RR #2 Kimmel

“Bros Before Hos”: The Guy Code, written by sociologist Michael Kimmel, was originally published in his book titled: “Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men” (2008). In this excerpt, Kimmel explains that “guys”, or young men between the ages of sixteen and twenty-six, have an extreme amount of pressure weighing down on their shoulders to be as masculine as possible. This pressure, which can be explained through “The Guy Code”, starts at an extremely young age. Not only this, but more than any other influence in their lives they experience the pressure in the most intense aspects from other men: fathers, brothers, friends, coaches, grandfathers, uncles, etc. If a guy strays from “The Guy Code” even slightly other men use effeminacy to reprimand the behavior promoting violence, independence, lack of emotion, fear of vulnerability, etc. Kimmel argues that men are not just biologically hard-wired to be masculine – that the development of masculinity has very much to do with male culture – also explaining that the root of this issue ultimately is the “fear of other men” causing men to become extremely angry and depressed individuals (613). Human beings have been reduced to male robots and female objects. What happened to life?

                Kimmel explains on page 609 the “The Guy Code”, or standard of masculinity set for every male, summarizing it into a “Real Guy’s Top Ten List”:

                1. “Boys Don’t Cry”

                2. “It’s Better to be Mad than Sad”

                3. “Don’t Get Mad – Get Even”

                4. “Take It Like a Man”

                5. “He Who has the Most Toys When he Dies, Wins”

                6. “Just Do It” or “Ride or Die”

                7. “Size Matter”

                8. “I Don’t Stop to Ask for Directions”

                9. “Nice Guys Finish Last”

                10. “It’s All Good”

In my own life, I have experienced every single one of these rules even though I am a female. Between my dad, my grandfathers, my uncles, my guy friends, my past boyfriends, and even acquaintances, it has become obvious that this cultural male mindset is real and extremely devastating. One prime example that comes to mind is the life of my father. From early on, he was a very sensitive, introverted, caring, kind, and vulnerable guy. This was immediately used against him by his alcoholic, ex-Marine Corp. father, his troubled, older brother, and his mentally unstable mother; only to be continued by peers in school.  Over the years of constant physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, he became extremely depressed. He was able to leave that life behind by joining the Navy, military being one of the most masculine institutions. Fast forward fifteen years, my dad finds himself the father of four daughters and the only male in the house. Although I’m sure he experiences some form of effeminacy still to this day, he really has been released by the “straightjacket” that is “The Guy Code”. I’ve seen the pain that this code causes in my father’s life and so many others. I cannot comprehend how biologically this could possibly promote success and therefore must be caused by something other than evolution. I understand that the code is extremely engrained in culture and has been since the beginning of man, but what I want to know is what will it take for men to have enough and strip the straightjacket of masculinity from their lives, as a whole? Is that even possible? 

Final Polish PROPOSITION 30 OP-ED

It is obvious that California is facing a budget crisis. The last few years this state has faced an extreme amount of funding cuts and has still found itself in billions of dollars of debt. One area that is especially experiencing this financial disparity is the educational system. This once great system has faced billions of dollars in budget cuts in that last few years and is facing $5.35 billion more in cuts this next year if we don’t act now. Governor Jerry Brown’s solution: Proposition 30. Proposition 30 promises to give back about $6 billion to K-12 and community colleges through a quarter-cent sales tax raise for four years and a 1-3% income tax raise for seven years to singles making at least $250,000 or couples making at least $500,000 annually. The money acquired from taxation will go into an Education Protection Account (EPA) and will be given to the schools to use where needed, allocating 89% to K-12 and 11% to community colleges. Not only will this improve funding for schools, but it will also prevent a series of “trigger cuts” that will occur if Proposition 30 does not pass. These not only affect the school systems, but public safety as well. As a student currently attending one of California’s many community colleges, I know first-hand how the budget cuts are affecting the educational system and I strongly urge a YES vote on Proposition 30 to prevent more damage to the schools.

Budget cuts are real and devastating; I know this personally and experience their effects daily. In August I started my third year at my local community college, Cabrillo College. The general expectation for length of attendance at a community college is two years.  I was not able to achieve this because throughout my first two years there were extreme budgets cuts raising tuition and cutting classes and staff.  Now that I have finally been able to get all of the classes necessary for transfer to a UC, I am faced with an even more dismal situation because of how expensive higher education is becoming. I am a serious student and highly value my education, but I will not be able to afford to continue in my college career if Prop 30 does not pass.

                Like all complex changes to a Constitution, there are both pros and cons to the change. History has shown that Californians do not favor implementing new tax raises. In the last decade voters have turned down 10 of the 11 propositions that involved raising taxes. Taxes can be annoying and even scary, especially when it comes to trusting a government that hasn’t been exactly trustworthy with their taxpayer’s money. When considering a lower class family, even the slightest raise in taxes could affect them greatly. As explained in an article written by Bill Freeman: “[y]es, the measure calls for a temporary one-quarter of one percent increase for four years, but even with the increase, our sales taxes will be lower than they were last year.” One could even say that the increase in sales tax affect small businesses because consumers would be purchasing fewer products due to the raised sales tax; but as explained, that argument simply does not stand.

                Another argument concerns the income tax raise of the wealthy. Why should the rich pay for other people’s children to attend school? Ever since Reagan was in office, America has seen an enormous decrease in income tax, especially on the affluent. Since the 1980’s, America has experienced a deficit where a very important form of funding used to exist. The top 1%, which is who will experience the increase in income tax, supplies a large portion of funding in America. America, and specifically California, cannot afford to tax the top 1% at this low of a rate.

                Critics argue that Proposition 30 is not enough. California needs a reform in the education system and government in general. They may be right about this, but now is not the time. The state needs a quick solution now, and a reform would be too much, too soon. Prop 30 is a temporary tax, so it gives the government time to think and strategically plan how to fix this issue permanently. Otherwise, we have 3 short months until the “trigger cuts” start their destruction. Another argument explains that because this taxation is temporary, the state could become dependent on the money coming in, and will not be prepared once it stops. In this case, the voting citizens have to make sure that a more permanent reform occurs before the money runs out.

                Proposition 30, also known as “Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act”, strongly affects local governments in regards to public safety. Voters question why schools and public safety issues are lumped together in one measure. The proposed “trigger cuts” that would go through on January 1^st of next year do not only affect K-12 and community colleges. These cuts would also pertain to UC’s, CSU’s, social services such as police and fire, prisons, health programs, and many departments such as Fish & Game and Parks & Recreation. If Proposition 30 passes, it will free up about $3 billion for these different public safety departments, many of which the state government dumped on local governments in 2011 without aid in funding. When concerning prisons, the measure will support programs in prisons that aim to educate prisoners, giving them foundational skills for a successful transition into society once they have been released. These programs aim to lower the rate of returning convicts. This is a form of education, and although prisons acquire much opposition, denying a prisoner of education is discrimination. Also, with less returning prisoners, this will shrink the population of the prisons in California, reducing this ongoing issue and financial burden.

                In regards to Proposition 38, the measure running against Prop 30, I urge a NO vote. Prop 38 claims to raise about $10 billion in support for K-12 schools through extensive income taxes to those making as low as $7,316 a year for 12 years. Prop 38 will only help K-12 and will completely ignore higher education. Not only this, but if this proposition goes through, the trigger cuts will still take place removing $6 billion from all of the school systems as well as public safety. Only one of these propositions can pass, and this is not the solution.

Although Proposition 30 may not be perfect, it is the best option (and only option for higher education) until a better and permanent reform can occur. Overall, it provides the most change with the lowest financial impact for taxpayers. Education is unavoidable because it affects everyone. Therefore, everyone needs to be actively seeking a solution for this educational crisis and Prop 30 is the current solution. I cannot imagine what students 5 or 10 years younger than me are going to have to face if Prop 30 doesn't pass. Hopefully California residents have had enough of this diminishing school system and will put forth effort needed to return the state to what it once was. I know I have, and that's why I'm voting YES on Prop 30.

Final Draft: Proposition 30 from a College Student's Perspective

It is obvious that California is facing a budget crisis. The last few years this state has faced an extreme amount of funding cuts and has still found itself in billions of dollars of debt. One area that is especially experiencing this financial disparity is the educational system of California. This once great system has faced billions of dollars in budget cuts in that last few years and is facing $5.35 billion more in cuts this next year if we don’t act now. Governor Jerry Brown’s solution: Proposition 30. Proposition 30 promises to give back about $6 billion to K-12 and community colleges through a quarter-cent sales tax raise for four years and a 1-3% income tax raise for seven years to singles making at least $250,000 or couples making at least $500,000 annually. The money acquired from taxation will go into an Education Protection Account (EPA) and will be given to the schools to use where needed allocating 89% to K-12 and 11% to community colleges. Not only will this improve funding for schools, but it will also prevent a series of “trigger cuts” that will occur if Proposition 30 does not pass that not only effect the school systems, but public safety as well. As a student currently attending one of California’s many community colleges, I know first-hand how the budget cuts are affecting the educational system and I strongly urge a YES vote on Proposition 30 to prevent more damage to the schools.

                Budget cuts are real and devastating; I know this personally. In August I started my third year at my local community college, Cabrillo College. The general expectation for length of attendance at a community college is two years.  I was not able to achieve this because throughout my first two years there were huge budgets cuts and I was not able to get all of the classes I needed. Now that I have finally been able to get all of the classes necessary for transfer to a UC, I am faced with an even more dismal situation because of how expensive higher education is becoming.

                Like all complex changes to a Constitution, there are both pros and cons to the change. History has shown that Californians do not favor implementing new tax raises. In the last decade voters have turned down 10 out of 11 propositions that involved raising taxes. Taxes can be annoying and even scary, especially when it comes to trusting a government that hasn’t been exactly trustworthy and honest with their taxpayer’s money. When considering a lower class family, even the slightest raise in taxes could affect them greatly. As explained in an article written by Bill Freeman: “[y]es, the measure calls for a temporary one-quarter of one percent increase for four years, but even with the increase, our sales taxes will be lower than they were last year.” One would even say that this sales tax could affect small businesses because people would be purchasing fewer products due to the raised sales tax, but according to this quote, that argument simply does not stand.

                Another argument could be based upon the income tax raise of the wealthy. Why should the rich pay for other people’s children to attend school? Ever since Reagan was in office, America has seen an enormous decrease in income tax, especially on the wealthy. Since the 1980’s, America has experienced a deficit where a very important form of funding used to exist. The top 1%, which is who this proposition will be taxing, supplies a large portion of funding in America. America, and specifically California, cannot afford to tax the top 1% at this low of a rate. Not only this, but the bottom 99% will benefit greatly from their generosity.

                Critics argue that Proposition 30 is not enough. California needs a reform in the education system and government in general. They may be right about this, but now is not the time. The state needs a quick solution now and a reform would be too much, too soon. Prop 30 is a temporary tax, so it gives the government time to think and strategically plan how to fix this issue permanently. Otherwise, we have 3 short months until the “trigger cuts” could be put in place which is not enough time for a reform. Because this taxation is temporary, the state could become dependent on the money coming in, and once it stops California would be in worse shape than before. In this case, the voting citizens have to make sure that a more permanent reform occurs before the money runs out.

                Proposition 30, also known as “Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act”, strongly affects local governments in regards to public safety. Voters question why schools and public safety issues are lumped together in one bill. The proposed “trigger cuts” that would go through on January 1^st of next year not only remove funding from K-12 and community colleges. These cuts would also pertain to UC’s, CSU’s, social services such as police and fire, prisons, health programs, and many departments such as Fish & Game and Parks & Recreation. Why does public safety have anything to do with the school system? If Proposition 30 passes, it will free up about $3 billion to go to these different public safety departments that the state government dumped on local governments in 2011 without aid in funding. When concerning prisons, the measure will be supporting programs in the prisons that educate prisoners and build their skills for successful transition into society once they have been released. These programs aim to lower the rate of returning convicts. This is a form of education, and although a voter may not wish to support prisons, prisoners should not be discriminated upon by being refused an opportunity like education. Also, with less returning prisoners, this will shrink the population of the prisons in California, which has been an ongoing issue and financial burden.

                In regards to Proposition 38, the measure running against Prop 30 that also claims to produce funding for schools, voters should give a NO vote. Prop 38 claims to raise about $10 billion in support for K-12 schools through extensive income taxes to those making as low as $7,316 a year for 12 years. Prop 38 will only help K-12 and will completely ignore higher education. Not only this, but if this proposition goes through, the trigger cuts will still take place removing $6 billion from all of the school systems as well as public safety. Only one of these propositions can pass.

Although Proposition 30 may not be perfect, it is our best option (and only option for higher education) until a better and permanent reform can occur. Overall, it provides the most change with the lowest financial impact for taxpayers. Education is unavoidable because it affects everyone. Therefore, everyone needs to be actively seeking a solution for this educational crisis and Prop 30 is the current solution. I can't imagine what students 5 or 10 years younger than me are going to have to face if Prop 30 doesn't pass. Hopefully California residents have had enough of this diminishing school system and will put in the effort needed to return the state to what it once was. I know I have, and that's why I'm voting YES on Prop 30. 

Rough Draft: Formal Paper 1

               It is obvious that California is facing a budget crisis. The last few years this state has faced an extreme amount of funding cuts and has still found itself in billions of dollars of debt. One area that is especially experiencing this financial disparity is the educational system of California. This once great system has faced billions of dollars in budget cuts in that last few years and is facing $5.35 billion more in cuts this next year if we don’t act now. Governor Jerry Brown’s solution: Proposition 30. Proposition 30 promises to give back about $6 billion to K-12 and community colleges through a quarter-cent sales tax raise for four years and a 1-3% income tax raise for seven years to singles making at least $250,000 or couples making at least $500,000 annually. The money acquired from taxation will go into an Education Protection Account (EPA) and will be given to the schools to use where needed allocating 89% to K-12 and 11% to community colleges. Not only will this improve funding for schools, but it will also prevent a series of “trigger cuts” that will occur if Proposition 30 does not pass that not only effect the school systems, but public safety as well. As a student currently attending one of California’s many community colleges, I know first-hand how the budget cuts are affecting the educational system and I strongly urge a YES vote on Proposition 30 to prevent more damage to the schools.

                Like all complex changes to a Constitution, there are both pros and cons to the change. History has shown that Californians do not favor implementing new tax raises. In the last decade voters have turned down 10 out of 11 propositions that involved raising taxes. Taxes can be annoying and even scary, especially when it comes to trusting a government that hasn’t been exactly trustworthy and honest with their taxpayer’s money and how they’ve been spending it. When considering a lower class family, even the slightest raise in taxes could affect them greatly. As explained in an article written by Bill Freeman: “[y]es, the measure calls for a temporary one-quarter of one percent increase for four years, but even with the increase, our sales taxes will be lower than they were last year.” One would even say that this sales tax could affect small businesses because people would be purchasing fewer products due to the raised sales tax, but according to this quote, that argument does not stand.

                Another argument could be based upon the income tax raise of the wealthy. Why should the rich pay for other people’s children to attend school? Ever since Reagan was in office, America has seen an enormous decrease in income tax, especially on the wealthy. Since the 1980’s, American has experienced a deficit where the very important form of funding used to exist. The top 1%, which is who this proposition will be taxing, supplies a large portion of funding in America. America, and specifically California, cannot afford to tax the top 1% at this low of a rate. Not only this, but the bottom 99% will benefit greatly from their generosity.

                Critics argue that Proposition 30 is not enough. California needs a reform in the education system and government in general. They may be right about this, but now is not the time. The state needs a quick solution now and a reform would be too much, too soon. Prop 30 is a temporary tax, so it gives the government time to think and strategically plan how to fix this issue permanently. Otherwise, we have 3 short months until the “trigger cuts” could be put in place and that is not enough time for a reform. Because this taxation is temporary, the state could become dependent on the money coming in, and once it stops California would be in worse shape than before. In this case, we as voting citizens have to make sure that a more permanent reform occurs before the money runs out.

                Proposition 30, also known as “Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act”, strongly affects local governments in regards to public safety. Voters question why schools and public safety issues are lumped together in one bill. The proposed “trigger cuts” that would go through on January 1^st of next year not only remove funding from K-12 and community colleges. These cuts would pertain to UC’s, CSU’s, social services such as police and fire, prisons, health programs, and many departments such as Fish & Game and Parks & Recreation. Why does public safety have anything to do with the school system? If Proposition 30 passes, it will free up about $3 billion to go to these different public safety departments that the state government dumped on local governments in 2011 without aid in funding. When concerning prisons, the measure will be supporting programs in the prisons that educate prisoners and build their skills for successful transition into society once they have been released. These programs aim to lower the rate of returning convicts. This is a form of education, and although a voter may not wish to support prisons, prisoners should not be discriminated upon by being refused an opportunity like education. Also, with less returning prisoners, this will shrink the population of the prisons in California, which has been an ongoing issue and financial burden.

                In regards to Proposition 38, the measure running against Prop 30 that also claims to produce funding for schools, voters should give a NO vote. Prop 38 claims to raise about $10 billion in support for K-12 schools through extensive income taxes to those making as low as $7,316 a year for 12 years. Prop 38 will only help K-12 and will completely ignore higher education. Not only this, but if this proposition goes through, the trigger cuts will still take place removing $6 billion from all of the school systems as well as public safety. Only one of the propositions can pass. California’s education system needs change, and needs it now. Although Proposition 30 may not be perfect, it is our best option (and only option for higher education) until a better and permanent reform can occur.

Proposal

Proposition 30 is a very large and controversial topic concerning the upcoming election, especially considering the current financial situation California is in. There is no dispute that California’s educational system is in dire need of attention. Funding for the schools has been severely cut in the last few years and this trend will only continue to increase in this next year’s budget. All Californians are affected by the educational system in some form, and if we don’t act to protect what we have left and rebuild what we’ve lost of the once-great school system, this state will become a tragic failure of what the American Dream promised.

The logical reasoning that I will use in my op-ed in favor of Proposition 30 is that ultimately, the state needs money, especially when considering education. If this proposition doesn’t go through, Kindergarten through 12^th grade and community colleges will lose $5.35 billion in funding. This is a lot more expensive than the quarter cent sales tax raise for four years that is being proposed by the state government. This sales tax raise would amount to paying 1 penny extra on a $4 hamburger. The numbers speak for themselves.

The reader effect would hopefully be to see the difference between the numbers and understand that this proposition really is affordable and will hardly affect anyone financially in terms of what good it will be doing for the educational system.

My next strategy will be to explain that I am a full time student at Cabrillo College which is one of California’s many community colleges that is supported mainly on state funding. I have been attending Cabrillo since Fall of 2010, and although I have not fully experienced the rise of tuition in its full extent, I have experienced the tuition rising from $26 per unit when I first started to $46 per unit in Fall 2012. I chose to come to a community college in the first place because of the affordability and accessibility. This is becoming less and less true today.

I hope the reader effect for this section will be to understand that I am experiencing California’s degrading educational system first-hand. I know how detrimental it is because I live it every day that I go to school. I want the reader to see that I am credible on this subject.

The final strategy will be to explain that I do understand why someone would disagree with Proposition 30. I understand that the current condition the state government is in is not exactly the most trustworthy and honest cause to support with taxpayer’s money. I understand that taxes are annoying or even scary. I understand that the proposition wasn’t exactly written in a manner that explicitly states where the taxpayer’s money will go. I understand all the oppositions to this proposition, but I also understand that this is California’s only hope when it comes to the educational system. If this proposition fails, there will be a series of “trigger cuts” made to the state’s budget. With these “trigger cuts”, schools will be the most affected by far, but so many other areas of funding will be removed as well, like police, fire, the UC and CSU systems, and so much more.

I would like to see the reader effect for this section be a real understanding for both the pros and cons of this proposition as well as the dire state California is in and how much worse it is about to get if Prop 30 does not pass. 

Annotated Bibliography

York, Anthony. "Gov. Jerry Brown Formally Kicks off Prop. 30 Tax Hike Campaign." Los Angeles
          Times. Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012   

          <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/16/local/la-me-brown-taxes-20120816>.

This article on Proposition 30 was published by the Los Angeles Times On August 16, 2012 and written by Anthony York, whom often reports on Governor Jerry Brown. It was written after the Governor kicked off the campaign to promote Proposition 30 and aims to be very upfront and honest about the new proposition. Although this article states a lot of facts about the proposition such as the quarter of a cent sales tax increase and how it will raise income tax for those who make $250,000+ per year, it also has a subtle bias against the proposition. It does so by adding quotes that explain why one should be skeptical of the proposition and advertise another proposition, Proposition 38, and why it would be better for schools. The article explains that so far, the state government doesn’t have the best track record of using tax payers’ dollars responsibly and also that the proposition was written in such a way that the money generated is not strictly promised for schools.

Freeman, Bill. "Prop. 30 Invests In Education, Economy." U-T San Diego. The San Diego 

          Union-Tribune, 23 Sept. 2012 Web. 23 Sept. 2012

          <http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/sep/23/tp-prop-30-invests-in-education-economy/>.

This article on Proposition 30 was published by The San Diego Union-Tribune on September 23, 2012 and written by Bill Freeman, a third grade teacher and the president of the San Diego Education Association. This article is an op-ed piece, spending a lot of time using pathos to emotionally draw the reader to vote YES on Proposition 30; and support the once great, but now dying, California school system. This article spends less time explaining what the proposition actually is and what it does explain, it uses specifically to back up the supportive point of view. It does take advantage of surprising facts and statistics, furthering the author’s point. The author spends most of his time explaining some of California’s schooling history as well as, from a teacher’s stand point, how this proposition is a step in the right direction towards returning California’s schools back to what they were in the glory days. Overall, the author is very persuasive in causing the reader to want to see this proposition succeed.

"Vote Yes on Prop. 30, No on Prop. 38." SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Sept. 2012. Web. 23
          Sept. 2012. <http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/Vote-yes-on-Prop-30-no-on-Prop- 

          38-3888244.php>.

This article was published by the San Francisco Chronicle on September 23, 2012. Its main purpose it to compare Proposition 30 and 38, the two propositions created to combat the state’s budget deficit, especially regarding the upcoming budget cuts to California’s school system. The article explains that even though both propositions have many shortcomings, ultimately it votes in favor of Prop 30 and against Prop 38. It breaks down both propositions very clearly, showing both the benefits and faults in a very transparent and unbiased way for each proposition, showing that the most logical and practical choice for today’s educational system would be Prop 30. Prop 30 is less aggressive, as well as promises money to all school systems in California whereas Prop 38 will cause very drastic, across-the-board, taxes, and only promises money to preschool and K-12, completely ignoring public colleges and universities. Finally, the article explains that voters can choose to vote NO on both propositions and face extreme cut backs everywhere, especially in schools.

RR #1 Gatto

The article “Against School” was written by John Taylor Gatto and originally appeared in Harper’s magazine in 2003. This article attacks the modern day definition of schooling and explains that it is more an asylum used to suppress people into become robots rather than really nurturing a student’s physical, psychological, and social needs. Gatto is a former schoolteacher and is a strong advocate for education, but he strongly believes that our form of schooling today does not educate. He continues to explain that school purposefully does not allow children to mature so that the government will have a large group of well-behaved, children, consumer, citizens to take care of rather than a large group of matured adults that could possibly cause issues by not allowing the government full control over their lives. Gatto debates against the Prussian educational system that America so fondly adopted in the 1800’s, which is explained in Horace Mann’s article “Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education” (p. 116). The author is not all about negatives though; he goes on to explain that the solution is to invest in flourishing and maturing our children’s minds and give them the opportunity to develop themselves.

According to Gatto and prior to him, Alexander Inglis, the six unstated but actual principles of schooling are quite shocking. The first purpose is the “adjustive or adaptive function” which explains that schools must “establish fixed habits of reaction to authority.” (p. 152) The next principle is the “integrating function” making children as alike as possible (p.153). The third function is the “diagnostic and directive function”, used to determine a student’s “proper social role”. The fourth purpose is the “differentiating function” taking the student’s social role and educating them to the point necessary for their niche. The fifth principle is the “selective function” relates to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, or as Gatto explains its purpose is to: “wash the dirt down the drain.” The final function is the “propaedeutic function” which explains that there is a small population of children that will quietly be informed of these actual functions of education and taught how to maintain the balance so that the government and corporations can continue unchallenged. According to my own experience, I definitely experienced these unstated functions of schooling. I’ve always done really well in school, ever since I was young. Because of this, I noticed some of my teachers, especially elementary school teachers, giving me special attention and I was put into a lot of programs for gifted students. These teachers really invested in my education and challenged me to grow and flourish even though my home life was nowhere close to easy or supportive of an education. On the other hand, I realized early on that there were other teachers that did attempt to hold me back with all the other students. I met this adversity mostly in high school, but I always combatted this by playing into their mind games at school and then educating myself at home. I was homeschooled through middle school, so I understood how my brain worked and took advantage of the lack of homework my teachers were giving me by teaching myself things that actually interested me. My schooling history is very unique which produced an education that was very unique compared to that of my classmates. I don’t believe I fit into the generalized category Gatto explains in this article, but I do understand and believe that his claims are very true to today’s society. 

Week One

Option #1: From what I’ve gathered, Para Teresa was written in both English and Spanish for a few different reasons. One of the reasons was to expand further on the speaker and her background. The speaker used this change in languages as an expression of the culture she belonged to. She is both Hispanic and American. In her world she used both languages frequently. She used English more than she used Spanish signifying that although Spanish is part of herself and her heritage, her future and the majority of her life revolves around English. This could even be exemplified in her life; although she has a Hispanic background, America is becoming the forefront and basis of her life. It is an innate part of who she is. Another reason would be explained by understanding that she used Spanish specifically when she was addressing Teresa. This, in a way, shows Teresa a great amount of respect. Teresa rebelled against schooling, the system, and America in general. She wanted to stay true to her roots. The speaker understood that and spoke or referred to Teresa in Spanish as a sign of respect for Teresa’s choice to remain loyal. It shows that all along the speaker never meant any harm by Teresa, and although they are choosing different lifestyles, they still are united by their past and the culture they belong to. The speaker shows a great amount of respect for the Hispanic culture she originated from. This is seen by her use of Spanish when referring to her family, specifically her grandparents. She is not ashamed of her family or heritage when using their native language to describe them. The next reason would be that of simple language barriers. In this particular situation, the Spanish language explains the situation so much clearer. English would not have done the scenes justice. Not only that, but Spanish gives such a deeper understanding of both the circumstances and the overall theme itself. The poem would not exist without this obvious battle between cultures, heritages, and languages. The author uses the switch between languages as a literary technique to expand on these differences.  Teresa and the speaker would have never had a conflict if they both only knew English and grew up in the American culture with American heritage. Overall, the use of both Spanish and English in this poem is extremely important and the poem would not have been as effective if it was written in only one language.  

Option #6: The article I found on Proposition 30 was published by the Los Angeles Times On August 16, 2012. This article was written after Governor Jerry Brown kicked off the campaign to promote the proposition. Although this article states a lot of facts about the proposition such as the quarter of a cent sales tax increase and how it will raise income tax for those who make $250,000+ per year, it also has a subtle bias against the proposition. It does so by adding quotes that explain why one should be skeptical of the proposition and advertise another proposition, Proposition 38, and why it would be better for schools. The article explains that so far, the state government doesn’t have the best track record of keeping track of tax payers’ dollars and also that the proposition was written in such a way that the money generated is not strictly promised for schools.

Link to article: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/16/local/la-me-brown-taxes-20120816

I am...

I am Melissa Gabrielle Sawyer. I am a student at Cabrillo College. I am a Biology major with concentration in Marine Biology. I am a surfer, tide pool explorer, sun tanner (more like burn, but I try), and overall ocean lover.  I am a cashier for Sun Shops Inc. I am a Libra. I am a resident of Santa Cruz County and have been since birth. I am 19 years young. I am shy, nerdy, and introverted. I am a Christian. I am an adventurer, an explorer, a traveler, a curious and open mind. I am indecisive. I am a photographer, but I still have a lot to learn. I am passionate. I am a baker, and would love to go to culinary school in France at one point in my life. I am a dreamer, and my dreams are huge, but not impossible or illogical. I am a thinker. I am a sweet tooth; I love candy way too much for my own good. I am extremely organized, punctual, and what one would call smart (I, on the other hand, just consider myself good at school). I am an optimal realist. I am learning every day, and I know I have much more to learn. I am an “old soul”. I am physically active and a lot of that comes from surfing, yoga, and Crossfit. I am a friend to many. I am a sister to three. I am a daughter to a divorced couple and stepmom, whom my dad is remarried to. I am a tea drinker, book reader, and snuggler. I am a listener. I am not a fan of coffee or chocolate, because of this I am “unique” (most people prefer to use the word “weird”). Overall, I am me, and I love it.