Sunday, January 26, 2020

Gender Bias In Education Education Essay

Gender Bias In Education Education Essay At the heart of the gender bias conundrum are questions of male marginalization, stereotypes and gender identity and female subordination. These concepts will be explored throughout this paper as the basis for gender dialogue. At one of the spectrum is a gendered curricula and at the other end teaching. Studies on gender in the Caribbean has focused largely on issues surrounding gender differential curricula and access(on students more than teachers)This paper focuses is an attempt at both sides. Gender can be defined as set of behaviours, roles and positions which can be socially and culturally attributed to men and women. Gender is constantly shaped through social and cultural experiences which are expressed through the attitudes, value and behavioural characteristic of interpersonal intereaction.(2002, Leo-Rhynie and Pencle). The gender process is a difficult one which commences at birth and is continuously reinforced throughout life. The idiosyncracies demonstrated by gendered groups in society has implications for the identities adolescents develop and to a large extent determine the careers and lifestyles chosen. Gender bias implies some form of preference, inclination and prejudice for one sex over another. Education (that is access, enrolment, participation, performance and achievement) emerges as the arena in which both academic analyses and popular perception locate male marginalization.(2003,Barriteau, p.326). Feminist theorists like Sadker (1994) believe that whilst girls and boys sit in the same classrooms, using the same books, listening to the same teacher, they receive different education. In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system: It is no wonder Errrol Miller posited his maginalization thesis indicating the biases that existed in education and gender socialization However, if it is that males are marginalzed leading to fewer graduates from secondary and tertiary institutions;how is it possible that they are the ones selected for executive positions?Central to this discourse is the concern that men are missing from the higher echelons of the family, classroom and laborforce.(2006, Lindsay). Schools serve as an important agent of socialization in society. There are gendered rules and regulations that are reinforced in schools.Teachers play a pivotal role in accepting behavior that are socially appropriate and rejecting the inappropriate ones. Their roles serveas models in creating gender identity. In a study of British schools (1988,Mahoney) noted that giles had already started practicing their secretarial role for their male counterparts, as they were expected by the boys to provide eraser, ruler and writing materials. In one classroom a boy left his seat and walked across the room to have his bandage fixed by a girl. This provided practice for boys to dominate and the girls to find strategies of resistence. Pencle(1994) observed the sexual division of labour in one jamaican classroom where girls were assigned indoor duties of sweeping and dusting while boys ran errands outside and lifted furniture. From an early age gender stereotypes were instituted in childrens lives by the various agents of socialization(church, family and school responsible for educating boys and girls. Literature is another area where the reinforcement of stereotpical views are orchestrated and administered. According to Pencle Leo-Rhynie (2003), textbooks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦provides an inaccurate view of society to young people, a view which devalues the role of women.(p.204).They further cited research done by King and Morrisey(1988) whose examination of contemporary text history, geography and social studies utilized by teachers and students in preparation of the Caribbean Council Examinations(CXC); concluded that these books reinforced conventional societal views of patriarchy and male domination. The language in the books did not include women and exhibited them as playing passive, subordinate and menial roles. Additionally, Whitely(1994) ananlysed Integrated science books used in lower grades of Jamaican schools. He discovered that considerable male bias in these texts and questioned the influence it had on girls choice of studying science. Pencle and Leo-Rhynie asserted that the programmes pursued by girls reveal and obvious attraction to the helping professions such as teaching and nursing. Education has been considered as the key vechicle of mobility and social change in the Caribbean. Thus, education is a tool of persuausion and has been instrumental in gender role socialization and thus gender identity. Teachers have played an enormous role in the process so much so that the historiography over the last 30 years have given much attention to what is coined as the feminization of the teaching profession (Downes, 2003, p.303). Errol Millers Marginalisation of the Black Male and later Men At Risk was an empirical analysis of schools teachers in Jamaica in the period 1837 to 1990. Millers underlying thesis is that men have a right to the resources of the state and society over and above women. Many theorist have labeled Millers thesis as flawed as male marginality has stemmed from gender biased methodology rather than from reality. Lindsay, 1997). She believes that the marginalization thesis is a reinforce of the age old patriarchal mandate that women are a inferior and l esser being. Barritean(2003, p350) ciites Chevannes, whose work on coeducation and performance contradict many of Millers assertions of male performance, underachievement and education. Chevannes conclude that there are biases operating in the selection of certain subjects as opposed to others, and there is no evidence to suggest that girls routinely out perform boys, but ample evidence of gender performance both ways in specific subject areas. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that nice girls was considered a derogatory term indicating, an absence of toughness and attitude. (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played rate-the-boy on the playground. Reays research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001) The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reays study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as real bitches. (2001) This reinforces the notion that girls misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves. (Reay, 2001) Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms. (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom. In Myra and David Sadkers research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls. (Marshall, 1997) Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts: Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions. (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms. However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible. (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bi as exists. Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society. (Sadker, 1994). With the emergence of feminist movements and human rights groups, steps have been taken to address gender bias, a historical bias that has pervaded humanity for centuries. The creation and utilization of gender neutral terms and the entrance of men in tradionally females roles and women in male roles has been greeted with mixed feelings. There is still much to be done to correct the imbalance, a st ep which will require the merging and coming together of many social groups that have defiantly kept the barriers.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

But these things also – Edward Thomas

Things Also ‘But these things also' brings â€Å"to the centre of attention what has previously overlooked†, as Judy Kendall writes. Thomas explores his fascination with the unimportant in this poem and looks at the connection and merging together of Spring and Winter. Much like his other poetry, here, Thomas struggles to put his finger on precisely what he means. This Is shown by his Inability to separate and distinguish between the two seasons.The poem begins with the first two lines focusing on Spring, however, by allowing this with two lines focusing on Winter, Thomas explodes our first expectations of usual ‘spring poetry of bright and beautiful Images. Instead, he catches the limbo between the two seasons and we are presented with the Idea of the grass being long dead' and ‘greyer now. This pessimistic tone Is not what one usually connotes with springtime, but with the cold and bleak winter. By putting the images of the two seasons so close together in this stanza, Thomas reinforces his presentation of their connection.The last line of the stanza, than all the winter it as', changes the natural syntax of the words. The stress focuses of ‘it was', emphasizing what has past, which creates a sense of longing, introducing the idea that, like in ‘March', Thomas is desperate to find the key' the last two lines of the first stanza finish with the words ‘now and ‘was', bringing together images of the movement of time and emphasizing the gap between the present and the past and importantly, Thomas focus on that gap.The second stanza uses instance to look at things, which are seemingly unimportant. These things show the remains of winter, therefore connecting the seasons further. Once again, Thomas alters the syntax of the words to create a more beautified image. ‘ The word ‘bleached' would usually have a much more negative connotation of fading and perhaps even the loss of hope, however By placing the wo rd at the end of the first line and after the word ‘little' he takes away the harshness of the sound and makes it more delicate and gentle.As well as this, Tomato's use of enjambment stresses the soft ‘L' sounds in the shell of the little snail', which further emphasizes the smoothness of the words. Following this, the surreal pause halfway long the second line, highlights the plosive sounds on the image of the ‘chip of flint'. This draws our attention to the minute details, which Thomas considers and accentuates the signs that spring is not quite here yet. By observing nature In this much detail, we see how valuable Thomas considers It to be, It creates a sense that although these things are small and often overlooked, they are significant.The final Image In this stanza is of the ‘purest white' bird dung. At first It appears odd to be beautifying such a thing as bird dung, but by following It with the words ‘purest white, Thomas Introduces an Idea of I nnocence and positively, as well as a contrast with the previous Image of something ‘greyer now'. This brief glimmer of hope however, Is shattered in the next stanza. In stanza three, the image of White' no longer has positive connotations. But it and death.This instantly darkens the tone and the notion of mistaking bird dung for violets presents the idea that Thomas is truly desperate for any indication of springs arrival. The following violent images of Winter's ruins' and Winter's debts' create an oppressive feeling which moves further from the previous idea of hope. Continuing the pattern of Thomas other poetry, the word ‘something appears ambiguous and vague, creating a sense that Thomas still isn't quite clear on what it is we are paying Winter's debts' with.The final stanza of ‘But these things also' begins to fill us with hope once more. The ‘chattering' birds create a sense of rising morale and the idea of keeping their ‘spirits up' sounds opti mistic. Despite this, when we eventually think that Thomas is going to make a definitive statement, ‘springs here' he reintroduces the feeling of ambiguity with the words Winter's not gone'. This leaves the poem with a sense of not knowing and uncertainty. This reminds us of Thomas tendency to never give absolutes and that he likes balancing a positive idea with a negative.This paradox leaves us with the idea that the winter is preventing the spring from arriving. Throughout the poem, there is a regular rhythm, given by the Iambic Tetrameter, which is occasionally shortened to show the indecisive and unclear seasons. There is never a climax during this poem due to it all being one long sentence. Roberts talks about Thomas use of enjambment and fluidity, which gives a sense of him thinking and working through his thoughts.

Friday, January 10, 2020

An Ironic Twist of the American Dream

The American dream was first expressed by James Truslow in 1931, â€Å"life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†. The American dream is never fully accomplished because all good things have to come to an end at one point or another as it does in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The American dream speaks for its meaning since any dream is far from reality. The American dream is based on perfectionism and Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, did anything for that as well as impossible is nothing, however if something is too good to be true than the chances are slim and you shouldnt try to change fate, or force it because it will only lead to harm. Perfectionism, in psychology, is a belief that perfection can and should be attained. In its pathological form, perfectionism is a belief that work or output which is anything less than perfect is unacceptable. At such levels, this is considered an unhealthy belief, and psychologists typically refer to such individuals as maladaptive perfectionists thus perfection is not normal. People like perfectionism because it is excellence and those like Gatsby strive for that eventhough it is impossible to get like when Gatsby describes his car as , a rich cream colour, with bright nickel, monstrous length, with triumphant hat boxes (page 51). The whole American Dream is based on idealism. Perfect things dont exist in the world: for instance, walls are not fully straight, and apples are never fully round. The Great Gatsby is a very good example of how perfection is not useful; just harmful. Gatsby wouldve been better off living his life which was near perfection because he almost had everything, there only was one imperfection: he did not possess Daisy. Perfect is too good to be true. In the middle of the 20th century an American heavy weight boxer, Muhammad Ali, informed the world that impossible is nothing, â€Å"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing. † It is possible for Gatsby to get Daisy but she is too good to be true. If its too good to be true than it is! Everything comes in that package. For example, if a car is sold for five thousand dollars less than another similar car then the car has something wrong with it. Daisy was the pro, and her other lover was the con. Fate is an important key to make decisions. Fate manipulates our life, it may also refer to, Destiny, which is an inevitable course of events. Destiny may be seen either as a sequence of events that is inevitable and unchangeable, or that individuals choose their own destiny by taking different paths throughout their life. In the sense of being unchangeable it is said that the different courses of action people take may still lead to a predetermined destiny. It is in human nature to go for things people cant get and when Gatsby went for Daisy, it was his fate but it was his decision that contradicted it, and eventually going against the flow. The American dream is near impossible to achieve because it is against fate. The American dream is only a dream that usually turns out in an ironic twist for the people that try to fulfil it. Perfectionism is utopic, its our psychology that thinks it exists. Everything is possible but when its against destinys will, and too great to be reality, dont go for it because it will lead to no good and is too good to be true. If one cant resist and goes for it then its just fate, people desire the impossible. Gatsbys fate wasnt strong enough to manipulate his want for Daisy. So is the American dream really worth it?

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Is a Bachelors in Criminal Justice For You 2019

With criminal justice becoming one of the fastest growing career choices and the recent threat of national and international terrorism continuing to spread, many students are choosing to pursue a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. Not only are more and more students choosing Bachelors degrees, but they are choosing to pursue their Criminal Justice Degrees online. With this demand, more and more colleges and universities are offering online Bachelors degree programs with majors in Criminal Justice online. Students now have the ability to obtain a Bachelors in Criminal Justice in an online program from the comfort of their own home and according to their schedule. With the Internet being accessible to almost every student, obtaining a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice online is fast replacing Distance Learning Programs by mail in which course material is sent through the postal system. These Bachelors degrees in Criminal Justice programs online are becoming recognized as just as valid and legitimate as the traditional classroom-setting Bachelors degree programs. .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76:active, .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u20e82563df2eb3cfab526e63ca27ab76:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Political Science Degree Jobs Career Possibilities with a Degree in Political ScienceA Bachelors in Criminal Justice online program offers students the opportunity to major in several different areas. For students that have obtained a prior certification or degree in Criminal justice, the Bachelors degree online program will further the students basic knowledge of the criminal justice system and the processes involved. Majors for Bachelors in Criminal Justice degrees online include Crime Scene Investigation, Paralegal Studies, and Legal Services and Court Processes, to name a few. A Bachelors in Criminal Justice degree online program prepares students for several options in the Criminal Justice field. Graduates will be directly involved in the Criminal Justice system through careers including Law Enforcemen t, prosecution and defense, incarceration and rehabilitation, assessment and supervision of criminals, social work and social services, Corporate Law and security, Homeland Security, investigations, juvenile justice facilities, and parole services. Colorado Technical University offers a Bachelors in Criminal Justice/Crime Scene Investigation degree online program in which student learn to document, process, and preserve physical crime scene evidence. Some Bachelors of Criminal Justice degree online programs require the Crime Scene Investigation student to earn credits in science subjects such as biology, chemistry, and forensic science. Students who wish to pursue a Bachelors in Crime Scene Investigation must posses the ability to remain calm and emotionally stable since the processing of crime scenes can be graphic and disturbing. Colorado Technical University also offers a Bachelors in Criminal Justice online degree program with a major in Legal Studies and Court Processes in which students are prepared for work in a law office and courtroom setting. Additionally, the University of Phoenix also offers Bachelors in Criminal Justice online degree programs where courses cover policing, criminal law, corrections, and crime and ju stice in the American society. The University of Phoenix Bachelors in Criminal Justice online degree program also prepares students with management abilities including courses in business management, conflict resolution, and negotiation. Several colleges and universities offer accelerated studies for Bachelors in Criminal Justice degree online programs that can be completed by the working individual in just one to two years for students possessing an Associates degree, and in just three to four years for new students. .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068:active, .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .udaff59b863845c8480da471a6c16f068:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Find Arts and Humanitites Degree ProgramsRelated ArticlesThe Road to a Criminal Justice Career Earning an A.A. in Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice Degree Graduates OnlineEarning a Criminal Justice Degree OnlineIT Colleges Are The Path To IT CareersA Convenient Education In Criminal JusticeSo You Have a Criminal Justice Degree, Now What