Recent orders
The data for the study was collected through a face to face interview with the participants
Qualitative Research
The data for the study was collected through a face to face interview with the participants who expressed their views and concerns on the changes regarding education. In a free atmosphere, the participants were able to air their satisfactions and dissatisfactions freely highlighting the matters that they felt were of concern to them. As such, comprehensive data, was compiled for the study.
Considering that the research was centered around matters concerning education, university students were chosen as the ideal correspondents. The participants were drawn from the varied schools and genres in Shenandoah University and had varied cultures and modes of study. To achieve validity and quality of the research, both genders were included.
The Correspondents’ Needs
The biggest concern expressed by the correspondents was the relevance of the units offered by the varsity. Some expressed the desire to handle only subjects/units that directly concerned their majors and considered the varied minors as partly time wastage. For instance, a student majoring in Biology saw little relevance in handling art subjects.
They also expressed the desire to have improved lessons that had more student engagement through lively and appropriate methods employed by the teachers. Lectures that were delivered by monotonous lectures who had little concern on student participation have become hardly bearing and as such, the students’ interests in the fields are petering. The correspondents expressed interests in lessons that involved more lively lecturers.
The other issue of significance was also the lack of motivation that the learners were subjected to some tutors. There was the desire to feel appreciated and understood. As such, the correspondents made a proposal that the teachers should fairly award the extra credit to help them compensate for unavoidable inconveniences. Meanness of the teachers had only served to demoralize the students and diminish their interests in the units.
The respondents also raised issues with the registration process. Students were concerned about how the whole process is complicated. They suggested that for them to develop early interest on the subjects, they must get easy access to the lecturers for further clarification on the whole course content.
There were also concerns with the size of the classes. The respondents felt that the number of students per class should be small since participation of every member of the class is guaranteed in such settings. Lecturers get easy access to every student and students also participate fully for effective learning process where students show satisfaction.
Gaga feminism
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Gaga feminism
Introduction
The human society has, since time immemorial, been defined by particular roles for both men and women. Indeed, there are expectations as to exactly what an individual in any gender should act, what they should do, as well as how they should relate with each other among other things. However, the contemporary human society has been undergoing a paradigm shift with questions being raised as to whether the family structure that is made up of a patriarchal father, a meek mother and kids is the only way to go. Indeed, there have been questions as to the division of duties and how equitable the division of roles in marriage and in the society is. This is essentially the marked by the entry of feminism, which is essentially a collection of ideologies and movements that are aimed at redefining, establishing, as well as defending equal rights for the women at the economic, political and social arena. This includes efforts to establish equal opportunities for women in all arenas. While feminism or feminist ideologies may have had profound impacts in almost every sphere of the society, in no other field has its impact been more profound than in the family arena. Indeed, it has sought to establish a paradigm shift from the conceptions pertaining to the essentiality of a man (or male role) in a relationship, and redefine the gender roles in the same. This is essentially the theme in chapter 2 of “Gaga Feminism”.
While there may be impressive progress in the arena of feminism, Americans place more preference on their modern families to come in the same familial structures that characterized the conservative structures. As the movie “Big Love” shows, Americans are considerably more at ease with Mormon polygamy where there is a man and several wives and children, than they were with the idea of artificial reproduction that involves lesbian mums and pregnant men. The show may essentially have underlined the notion that polygamy, where one man has numerous wives, is acceptable and is comparable to other minority sexual practices such as homosexuality. It also calls on people to acknowledge the spiritual depth that drives the practice while ignoring the patriarchal premises of the arrangement (Halberstam 73). The author sums up the fundamental lessons from the film “The Kids Are All Right” and states that trading change for stability, sex for comfort, and improvised relationships for marriage would make bad deals. He calls for a change in the conventional social structures that the current generations inherited, otherwise, they will stand a high likelihood of repeating them (Halberstam 78).
In addition, as much as the issue of pregnant dads may have stolen the flame, the real shift pertaining to the logic of parenting lies in the butch-femme partners. The author notes that the butch father comes with a gaga feminist component in the new odd family defined by his capacity to break the fatherhood fortress preserved for men only. Indeed, odd theorists have questioned the notion that the father role would have to be played by a male-bodies individual. This does not negate the fact that these theorists still want to assign roles in parenting according to an individual’s sex. Nevertheless, the femme mom and butch dad introduce the possibility that there can be some authority in parenting without patriarchy and gender polarity devoid of compulsory heterosexuality. In addition, they allow for the possibility of educating gender-normative kids on how arbitrarily gender roles are assigned. This would allow kids that are brought up by a butch father and femme mother to learn about and understand the gendered forms pertaining to power that is not tied to gender hierarchies, in which case they would start viewing femininity and masculinity as flexible (Halberstam 79). On the same note, it would mark a paradigm shift from the assignment of gender roles according to the sex of an individual by allowing such kids to view gender as being defined by the roles that an individual plays rather than the sex of an individual.
On the same note, odd parenting dues provides straight couples with more options pertaining to the gender dynamics, especially with regard their modes of assigning responsibilities and dividing labor, as long as the odd couples do not go back to the lesbian moms and gay daddies categories (Halberstam 79). The contemporary human society grapples with subconscious division of the world into feminine and masculine realms of activity and action, albeit with inequitable, illogical and unfair division of roles and responsibilities and the spheres of influence (Halberstam 80). Scholars and sociologists have shown that women get an incredibly extensive and onerous share of realms of responsibility that revolve around domestic labor, whether immaterial or material, than their male counterparts. It is surprising that both genders feel that the division of labor and time is fair, equitable and reasonable, in which case they are most likely to opine that they share the roles and responsibilities equally. Gaga feminism, unlike straightforward feminism, would not use the unfair and inequitable division of labor to show how the subordination of women would be accomplished ideologically and materially. Indeed, gaga feminist do not call for equal (read fifty-fifty) division of labor, rather it calls for recognition of such divisions (Halberstam 81). This means that individuals would be free to make any decision that fits them regarding to the roles that each partner plays in the parenting or family arena. However, these roles should be perused, negotiated and agreed upon rather than being assigned in line with some mysterious, divine and impractical plans that revolve around gender.
In conclusion, the chapter mainly deals with the changing face of parenting especially with regard to the roles that each gender plays. It underlines the uneasiness with which Americans have met notions pertaining to pregnant men, while embracing other arrangements such as polygamous marriages that have a man with several women. While reviewing a number of movies, the author states that trading change for stability, sex for comfort, and improvised relationships for marriage would make bad deal, and calls for a change in the conventional social structures that the current generations inherited, otherwise, they will stand a high likelihood of repeating them. On the same note, while queer theorists still want to assign roles in parenting according to an individual’s sex, they have questioned the notion that the father role would have to be played by a male-bodies individual. The femme mom and butch dad introduce the possibility that there can be some authority in parenting without patriarchy and gender polarity devoid of compulsory heterosexuality. In addition, gaga feminism does not assign specific structures pertaining to division of labor and roles in families, rather individuals would be free to make any decision that fits them regarding to the roles that each partner plays in the parenting or family arena. However, these roles should be perused, negotiated and agreed upon rather than being assigned in line with some mysterious, divine and impractical plans that revolve around gender.
Works cited
Halberstam, Jack. Gaga Feminism. S.l.: Beacon, 2013. Print.
The Dangers of Accepting the Rules of Society without Question
The Dangers of Accepting the Rules of Society without Question
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The Dangers of Accepting the Rules of Society without Question
A society is a group of people who live together in an ordered community. The society represents the culture and brings about the order by defining how people live together. The study of literature is essential in enriching the values and being a revelation to society. In the majority of literature, the reader sees a conflict between the values of society and personal values. In Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the boys and William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the dangers of accepting the rules of society without question brings about detrimental effects on relationships, ambition, and teachings.
Relationships are affected by the acceptance of the rules of society without questioning. In Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold” …and the boys, the play depicts a clear picture of real affection between Hally and Sam. Hally finds solace in the presence of Sam, whom he views as a friend. He enjoys the intellectual debates with his friend (Fugard, 2009). However, society’s view on non-white people is negative, and outside the café, the racial division in South African society affects their friendship. The relationship between Hally and his father is also affected by the values of society. His father is a white belonging to the middle class, who is a drunk bully because of his skin color. Hally is ashamed of his father, and consequently, he is arrogant and depressed. More so, he prefers Sam to be a father figure than his father, but his apartheid mindset prevents him from realizing the importance of Sam in his life. On the other hand, in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Ceasar is depicted as a powerful man with the confidence to lead and rule the Roman Empire. However, despite the greatness as portrayed by society, his close friends killed him. Men in the play ought to choose their loyalty to friends or the Roman Republic. Brutus, in the play, betrays his friend Ceasar by joining the assassination plot conspiracy despite the knowledge of power held by his friend (Wills, 2011). Brutus wished for an ideal, perfect life. Despite his friendship with Ceasar, he fears the hunger that his friend has to power, which could lead to the destruction of the Republic. Brutus was manipulated because of his idealism leading to his downfall. Therefore, relationships can be affected negatively by the values of society.
Ambition is affected by the values of society. In Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the boys, Sam is ambitious and determined to keep his virtues intact rather than being violent. The context of the play was in the era of segregation of the white and black people in South Africa. The character’s behavior, status, and beliefs in the play portray forced segregation even when the specific laws are not stated. Hally, despite being fond of Sam and preferring him to his father, makes insensitive comments about racism in the play (Fugard, 2009). His anger at the end of the play caused him to spit on Sam because he knew that he is black and cannot retaliate. Sam reasons and shames Hally through his behavior and morality. His action teaches Hally a lesson of honor. Sam extends his hand towards Hally as a sign of reconciliation and gives him a chance to leave his past. Sam appears to be ashamed of his attitude that is fostered by society. On the other hand, in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, ambition is the main theme of the play. Caesar is portrayed as an ambitious and great man. At the beginning of the play, Caesar is admired and hailed because of his conquest and humility. Cassius is also depicted as an ambitious man who conspires to kill Caesar because of his power. Caesar’s hunger for power and his ambition made Brutus worry about the result. Brutus hesitated to join the conspiracy plot, but Cassius, who was manipulative, convinced him into joining the plan (Schanzer, 2013). However, after his death, Brutus and his team paint him as an ambitious man who was power-hungry. Brutus proclaims to his fellow conspirators after Caesar’s death that the “ambition’s debt is paid” (III.i.82) (Wills, 2011). According to them, Caesar had the ambition of enslaving Rome. However, Mark Anthony asks the crowd, “did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” referring to Caesers kindness towards the poor. In his speech, he claims that Brutus and his fellows were wrong about Caesar. The change of events in the end of the play led to downfall of Brutus and his fellow conspirators. Therefore, the values of society affect the ambition of the people regardless of how meaningful they can be.
Teachings are affected by the values of society. In Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the boys, Hally teaches Sam the lessons he had learned from school, offering him the opportunity to obtain the knowledge that he would not have acquired considering his race and age. Sam, on the other hand, teaches Hally to become a better person than his father. However, their background and the societal values made Hally refuse to accept the advice and teaching from Sam. Consequently, Hally expresses anger, contrary to Sam’s teachings (Fugard, 2009). The actions of Hally do not show how Sam’s teachings were of less importance, but it portrays the extend of the apartheid’s influence on Hally. Therefore, the values of the society affect how the teachings are received regardless of how essential they could be. On the other hand, in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Romans had teachings about omens that held their faith. Their teachings were strict about the omens because they believed they would come true. Caesar was warned by the soothsayer to beware of the ides of March. Calpurnia also gave him a detailed dream about his death (Wills, 2011). However, Caesar ignored these warnings, including the sacrificial animal that had no heart. Caesar’s death came after his ignorance. Casca also saw strange omens after the Lupercalia festival, such as roaming lion in the streets, a man whose hand was burning, and screeching owl during the day. In the interpretation, Casca warns Caesar about the consequences of wishing to rule Rome and to destroy the Republic (Schanzer, 2013). Therefore, some of the rules are for the good of the members, and avoiding them could have adverse effects.
In conclusion, society values affect various aspects of individuals that are part of society. The rules of society are important because they are meant to protect the interests of all members. Some of the rules positively affect the members by preventing an impending danger, while others are meant to bring harmony to all. With the changes in society, questioning some of the rules is reasonable, especially those that look outdated. However, if these rules are avoided without questioning, their effects could be detrimental to the individual members of society.
References
Fugard, A. (2009). ” Master Harold”–and the Boys. Vintage.
Schanzer, E. (2013). The problem plays of Shakespeare: A Study of Julius Caesar, measure for measure, Antony and Cleopatra. Routledge.
Wills, G. (2011). Rome and rhetoric: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Yale University Press.