My writing style has remained the same throughout the last four papers: large block papragraphs with multiple small points rotating around a few larger ones, all of which are to bolster my paper's arguement. The sentences are long and wordy, but they get the point across in a clear, understandable manner. Plenty of puntuation is used, and the utmost professional manner has been integrated into the papers for academic integrity.
From the revisions in class, it seems the present style is appreciated, as it has recieved very little criticism. The points are clear and strong, and analytical above all else from the multiple sources used. One change, though, has been to make multiple smaller paragraphs rather than large blocks, for ease of the reader. I still view my writing style correct, and I move to clarify what one does not interpret offhand or becomes corrective about.
Revising, the papers of others, though, has exposed my writing new other styles and new ideas. It may be wise to construct sentences shorter, making them less lengthy and allowing room for more content. In addition, adding more parenthesis rather than commas/periods would be helpful. In critical writing, though, the point shares equal value to how it is expressed, so bluntness could hamper rather than help.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Tale of Two Cited Articles: Scholarly Paper Four
My fourth paper topic is a closer analyzation of what "benefits" a rich, industrialized nation supposedly brings to its people, finding deeper truths and comparing the findings with what living in a poorer country brings.
McIntryre, Lisa. The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
This book by WSU professor Lisa McIntyre describes the modern world and societies from the collective perspectives of multiple sociologists. Several chapters pertain to my paper four, entailing the social problems that have arisen with the unprecedented modern industrial world, how ideal benefits have brought about unforseen problems and upheavals, and the shift away from unfavored past traditions has brought about greater division and stress in several nations.
The social analyzations of pains and powers between rich and poor countries have had suprising results; "though rich people live better than poor people in general, rich countires seem to live worse off than poor countries overall" (McIntyre, 2008, 50). The increase in the amount of work per individual, the corruption of higher figures, the decrease in self worth, and the strain between different groups all seem to increase with a nation's prosperity. All great, powerful, industrialized nations are experiencing common issues: heart and liver disease spikes, fracturing social groups, and higher taxes and stress. This all seems to become a self-perpetuating cycle: as prosperity increases, so do taxes and prices, which cause more sress and deteriorating social bonds to meet them. Meeting the taxes and prices causes higher prosperity, causing them to rise higher, and the cyle builds until it can simply build no more, and collapses.
Along with these points, "The Practical Skeptic" describes sociological terms, the lives of several modern sociologists (Marx, Comte, etc), ethic and means of sociological study, and various types of discriminations, differentiations, and privileges in a society. In addition, several common sociological layouts are entailed, as are the advantages and disadvantages of each as a whole. Major findings are compared and displayed analytically, while more minor ones are attributed more to their discovering sociologist.
Wilkenson, RG and KE Pickett. Income Inequality and Health: A Review and Explanation of Evidence. New York: Social Science and medicine, 2006.
Again pertaining to my paper four, RG Wilkenson's article descibes how public and social health run perpendicular to national prosperity; as a nation rises, it people seem to fall. The greater the nation's wealth and power, the greater the gap between its people and the greater its problems overall. As said by Wilkenson, "inequality affects the vast majorit of the population, not just the poorest" (Wilkenson, 7). If an entire society is rich by comparison overall, then problems will tend to face the rich more than the poor as a result.
McIntryre, Lisa. The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
This book by WSU professor Lisa McIntyre describes the modern world and societies from the collective perspectives of multiple sociologists. Several chapters pertain to my paper four, entailing the social problems that have arisen with the unprecedented modern industrial world, how ideal benefits have brought about unforseen problems and upheavals, and the shift away from unfavored past traditions has brought about greater division and stress in several nations.
The social analyzations of pains and powers between rich and poor countries have had suprising results; "though rich people live better than poor people in general, rich countires seem to live worse off than poor countries overall" (McIntyre, 2008, 50). The increase in the amount of work per individual, the corruption of higher figures, the decrease in self worth, and the strain between different groups all seem to increase with a nation's prosperity. All great, powerful, industrialized nations are experiencing common issues: heart and liver disease spikes, fracturing social groups, and higher taxes and stress. This all seems to become a self-perpetuating cycle: as prosperity increases, so do taxes and prices, which cause more sress and deteriorating social bonds to meet them. Meeting the taxes and prices causes higher prosperity, causing them to rise higher, and the cyle builds until it can simply build no more, and collapses.
Along with these points, "The Practical Skeptic" describes sociological terms, the lives of several modern sociologists (Marx, Comte, etc), ethic and means of sociological study, and various types of discriminations, differentiations, and privileges in a society. In addition, several common sociological layouts are entailed, as are the advantages and disadvantages of each as a whole. Major findings are compared and displayed analytically, while more minor ones are attributed more to their discovering sociologist.
Wilkenson, RG and KE Pickett. Income Inequality and Health: A Review and Explanation of Evidence. New York: Social Science and medicine, 2006.
Again pertaining to my paper four, RG Wilkenson's article descibes how public and social health run perpendicular to national prosperity; as a nation rises, it people seem to fall. The greater the nation's wealth and power, the greater the gap between its people and the greater its problems overall. As said by Wilkenson, "inequality affects the vast majorit of the population, not just the poorest" (Wilkenson, 7). If an entire society is rich by comparison overall, then problems will tend to face the rich more than the poor as a result.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wise Essay
Racism and race-based-discrimination in the US.
For more than a century, the United States has been moving to undo a legacy of racism and discrimination amongst its people. The changes have been to create a society reflecting the grand document of its founding, with “all men being created equal”, having “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” How far all have really come toward such a monumental and ideal society is entailed David Cook’s “By The Color of Their Skin” article; each change for the better seems to bring two more for the worse, shifting away from the desired achievement. Though racism is dying through the effort of the entire nation, race-based discrimination is alive as ever, spawning new policies and issues for all.
The most defining arguments of the Cook article are racism and privilege, and how both influence today’s culture. As defined by Wise, “ Racism is an ideology that says certain people, by virtue of their race, are inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined as skin color” (Cook, 2009, p.5). In other words, the color of a person’s skin color defines how they immediately see themselves, and others see them offhand. The quality of a person’s heart and soul may be the most important characteristic of all, but is seen secondary at best to the color of their skin.
The next defining aspect of this article is privilege. Once again, according to this article by Cook, privilege can also be seen as less pressure to perform. An example in the text was, “George W. Bush mangled the English language with regularity and still became president. If Barack Obama had mispronounced words the way Bush did, would he have been given the same degree of slack” (Cook, 2009, p.5). Because skin color is so defining of who someone is this example and the idea of having less pressure to perform means people of the dominate race may not feel the need to perform to their full potential because they already feel privilege.
Ironically, antiracism has caused a new type of racism, in which the previously underprivileged minorities have become the privileged majority, and the previously privileged racial majority has become an underprivileged minority. In terms of people in terms of race being constructed in America today, Cook describes, “The mistake people make is to think that history stops and starts with each new generation” (Cook, 2009, p.6). What people need to realize is that what happens in one generation effects the next and every generation in the future and it’s impossible to start with a completely blank slate (Cook, 2009, p.6).
In their own lives today, people are affected by racism in aspects of their lives they are completely unaware of. Wise uses the example that, “Job applicants with ‘white-sounding’ names are 50 percent more likely to get called back than those with ‘black-sounding’ names, even if both have the same qualifications” (Cook, 2009, p.6). Such an attitude is engrained in American society; one cannot completely erase their own past, no matter how much they may try.
Such concept can definitely tie into paper three; similar to the quest of all for the perfect meal, the strive for a perfect, just, unbiased society continues leaping forward recklessly in great bounds, and yet remain just beyond grasp. All may be looking for perfection, but all have different ideas as to what perfection really is.
Works Cited
Wise, Tim. "By the Color If Their Skin." Interview by David Cook. The Sun July 2009: 4-12. Print
For more than a century, the United States has been moving to undo a legacy of racism and discrimination amongst its people. The changes have been to create a society reflecting the grand document of its founding, with “all men being created equal”, having “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” How far all have really come toward such a monumental and ideal society is entailed David Cook’s “By The Color of Their Skin” article; each change for the better seems to bring two more for the worse, shifting away from the desired achievement. Though racism is dying through the effort of the entire nation, race-based discrimination is alive as ever, spawning new policies and issues for all.
The most defining arguments of the Cook article are racism and privilege, and how both influence today’s culture. As defined by Wise, “ Racism is an ideology that says certain people, by virtue of their race, are inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined as skin color” (Cook, 2009, p.5). In other words, the color of a person’s skin color defines how they immediately see themselves, and others see them offhand. The quality of a person’s heart and soul may be the most important characteristic of all, but is seen secondary at best to the color of their skin.
The next defining aspect of this article is privilege. Once again, according to this article by Cook, privilege can also be seen as less pressure to perform. An example in the text was, “George W. Bush mangled the English language with regularity and still became president. If Barack Obama had mispronounced words the way Bush did, would he have been given the same degree of slack” (Cook, 2009, p.5). Because skin color is so defining of who someone is this example and the idea of having less pressure to perform means people of the dominate race may not feel the need to perform to their full potential because they already feel privilege.
Ironically, antiracism has caused a new type of racism, in which the previously underprivileged minorities have become the privileged majority, and the previously privileged racial majority has become an underprivileged minority. In terms of people in terms of race being constructed in America today, Cook describes, “The mistake people make is to think that history stops and starts with each new generation” (Cook, 2009, p.6). What people need to realize is that what happens in one generation effects the next and every generation in the future and it’s impossible to start with a completely blank slate (Cook, 2009, p.6).
In their own lives today, people are affected by racism in aspects of their lives they are completely unaware of. Wise uses the example that, “Job applicants with ‘white-sounding’ names are 50 percent more likely to get called back than those with ‘black-sounding’ names, even if both have the same qualifications” (Cook, 2009, p.6). Such an attitude is engrained in American society; one cannot completely erase their own past, no matter how much they may try.
Such concept can definitely tie into paper three; similar to the quest of all for the perfect meal, the strive for a perfect, just, unbiased society continues leaping forward recklessly in great bounds, and yet remain just beyond grasp. All may be looking for perfection, but all have different ideas as to what perfection really is.
Works Cited
Wise, Tim. "By the Color If Their Skin." Interview by David Cook. The Sun July 2009: 4-12. Print
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