intended to earn a Bachelor's degree in Biology with a Minor in Psychology. However, soon after I began, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and I was greatly distracted by this. My grades suffered as I attempted to deal with my coursework and my family issues. Towards the end, I felt I could no longer sustain my commitment to a degree in Biology, so I decided that in order to attain my goal of simply graduating with a 4-year degree I should switch to Liberal Studies, as I already had a wide array of credits under my belt that would count towards this goal. Switching my focus allowed me to relieve some of my university stress and devote more of my time to my mother's needs. It also exposed me to a lot of interesting classes that I otherwise might never have discovered. Below is a list of the…...

Flax was a major industry because of the ease of production. The prosaic nature of the homespun ideal led it to be the symbol of the revolution. It also induced progress. enjamin Franklin referred to it as the "first Ages of the world." ut this was linked to European finery, historically made from the animal skins of the Indians, who did not have a cloth-making industry. In his 1787 Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson declared all forms of manufacturing, including household, as a mortal threat to American virtue. As the American president in 1806, he drew the attention of Cherokee chiefs on the civilizing effect of spinning and weaving their own cotton cloths. In 1812, Jefferson and John Adams agreed to a common homespun vision of commercial progress (Zakim).
The overall view is that capitalism threatens or hinders democracy (Muller 2007). Capitalism involves an inequality of reward,…...

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Bibliography

Anderson, Kim. Liberal Capitalism: the Will to Happiness. Policy: the Centre for Independent Studies, Summer 2007

Lowell National Historical Park. Early American Manufacturing. National Park Services:

US Department of the Interior, 2002. Retrieved on October 8, 2008 at  http://www.nps.gov/archive/lowe/loweweb/Lowell_History/earlyam.htm 

Muller, Jerry Z. The Democratic Threat to Capitalism. Daedalus: MIT Press Summer,

If one has been "trained" in the ways of poverty, left no opportunity to do other than react to his or her environment, what is needed is a beginning, not repetition. The humanities teach us to think reflectively, to begin, to deal with the new as it occurs to us, to dare. If the multi-generational poor are to make the leap out of poverty, it will require a new kind of thinking -- reflection. And that is a beginning. (O'connell, 2000)
It appears that all students, regardless of class or background, need the foundation of the humanities. There is a tendency with the increase of technology to put more of an emphasis on math and sciences than the arts and humanities. For students to be well rounded, there needs to be a balance of the two.

eferences

Edmundson, M. (1997). On the uses of a liberal education: as lite entertainment for bored…...

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References

Edmundson, M. (1997). On the uses of a liberal education: as lite entertainment for bored college students. Harpers. 9:39-50

O'Connell, K. (2000) Social transformation through the humanities: an interview with Earl Shorris. Massachussetts Foundation for the humanities. Retrieved September 14, 2007 http://www.mfh.org/newsandevents/newsletter/MassHumanities/Spring2000/shorris.html

Shorris, E (1997). As a weapon in the hands of the restless poor." Harpers. 9:50-60

Citizenship as described in the section "Going Global" of An Introduction to Global Studies.
The first chapter in the book 'An Introduction to Global Studies' provides an overview of the concept of globalization in a number of ways. One, in particular, is the concept of citizenship. The historical concepts and models of citizenship are juxtaposed against the rising new concept of global citizenship. The authors dwell, define and compare the two basic model of citizenship -- republican and liberal. They also dwell with the concept of the fast developing notion of global citizen that tends to borrow elements and differ from the traditional notions of citizenship.

The transformations taking place in the society has made the idea of citizenship a topical issue. Globalization and its effects on migration and the political and the social change and the emphasis on issues related to collective identity based on aspects of nationalism, cultural or gender…...

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References

Campbell, P., MacKinnon, A., & Stevens, C. (2010). An Introduction to Global Studies (p. 23). Wiley-Blackwell.

Sundberg, M. Training for model citizenship.

ealist, Liberal, Critical Theorist
ousseau: ealist, Liberal, Critical Theorist?

What is ousseau's real Philosophical identity?

There are several questions and ideas to be addressed and analyzed in this paper. One: Is Jean-Jacques ousseau a realist -- can it be said from the assigned essay, without equivocation that his views follow those of classic realism? (ealism: the doctrine that puts forth the idea that universals only exist outside one's mind; the insistence that all things in the empirical world should be explained in terms of the "real world" and not in terms of abstractions or perceptions.)

Based on this essay, is ousseau a liberal in the tradition sense -- not today's "liberal" in the popular juxtaposition of "liberal" and "conservative" -- and do his views follow that thread throughout his extensive narrative? (Liberalism: a moral philosophy that emphasizes religious toleration, personal freedom, governments being led by consent of the governed, economic freedom, human justice and…...

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References

Froese, Katrin. "Beyond Liberalism: the moral community of Rousseau's social

Contract." Canadian Journal of Political Science 34 (2001): 579-581.

Hall, Cheryl. "Reason, passion, and politics in Rousseau." Polity 34 (2001): 69-89.

Merriman-Webster. "Realism" and "Liberalism." 30 Nov. 2004.  http://www.m-w.com

Social dissent and unrest should not be the result of multiculturalism, the authors point out, but nonetheless those are the social realities, in many instances, of the new global picture. There is now, like it or not, a "blurring of cultural borderlines," the authors report; and as a result, the notion of culture within the word "multiculturalism" no longer refers to habits and customs of a people in anthropological terms. Rather, "culture" in the term "multiculturalism" alludes to race, creed, sexual orientation, gender, and lifestyles of various and divers groups within the greater culture.

A very poignant quote is offered in the conclusion of the editorial, a quote which cries out to be read to those reporting on, studying and/or dealing with today's dramatic cultural changes in estern societies; it is a statement by Aijza Ahmad, who reflects the perspective of "the less-well-to-do colonial states," according to the editorial. "It is…...

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Works Cited

Fourny, Jean-Francois, & Ha, Marie-Paule. "Introduction: The history of an idea." Research in African Literatures 28.4 (1997): 1-8.

Frazier, Herb. "Basket making is historical link: Craft provide link between cultures." NABJ

Journal 13.5 (1995): 4-7.

Gikandi, Simon. "Chinua Achebe and the Invention of African Culture." Research in African

Thoreau (ethic Studies)
How Thoreau sees the government: His vision of justice

Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience" was written after the Transcendentalist author was imprisoned for refusing to pay his taxes in protest against the Mexican-American War. In his essay, Thoreau demanded that America become once again a truly free government, for the people and by the people. Thoreau believed in minimal government, given that all government leaders tend to set policy based upon their own interests, not true justice. The Founding Fathers had wanted the American government to have relatively little power, to avoid the new nation descending into European-style tyranny. But Thoreau believed that America's new, expansionist policy was an example of the fact that America had forgotten that the government that governs best, governs least (or not at all).

Government should merely exist to serve the people, not its own ends, argues Thoreau. Given this idea, slavery is immoral, as it…...

Room for Debate: Russia and the Liberal Ideal
The Liberal Ideal of the est, which grew out of the Romantic/Enlightenment era where men like Voltaire and Rousseau espoused the qualities of naturalism, freedom, and equality, is now being challenged by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He in turn is raising questions and rebuttals from those who oppose his regime's initiatives. Three articles from The New York Times show different perspectives on this challenge -- specifically, its effects on the social, political and economic situation of those it is aimed at rebuffing. This paper will identify the perspectives, synthesize the arguments, and put forth the new argument, which is this: while estern (and Eastern) liberals may object to these anti-liberal policies, as leader of Russia Putin has the right to oppose and/or support whatever ideals he deems healthy for Russia.

Each article shows why Russia's new anti-liberal direction is problematic for both liberal Russians…...

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Works Cited

Bernstein, Jacob. "Anti-Gay Policies Chill Viewers' Interest." The New York Times. 31

Jan 2014. Web.

Gladstone, Rick. "Pussy Riot Members Take Tour to New York." The New York Times.

5 Feb 2014. Web.

The long-term income difference between those who obtain occupational degrees versus those who obtain more general or liberal arts degrees.
It is a general understanding that education provides individuals with a number of labor market benefits besides increased income. More educated persons tend to be autonomous, more mobile and flexible, enjoy higher job security, and experience higher levels of employment (Lee, 2014). However, income usually receives the highest attention, even though it may not capture all these advantages of employment. As much as all graduates experience these effects of education, this experience is never uniform. Huge differences do exist when it comes to the income and status of occupation of graduates. There have been many investigations trying to find out what brings these variations and one factor that has featured significantly is fields of study. There are different groupings of fields but generally an individual obtains either an occupational specific degree…...

Schall's book is to generate appealing and engaging conversations with learned scholars regarding the content of a genuine and dependable liberal arts education. In general, it surveys notions and books fundamental and pivotal to the tradition of humanistic education that has vitally fashioned our nation as well as our civilization. What is more, it makes the argument for an order and incorporation of knowledge in order to have meaning reinstated to the disorganized method to study presently dictating higher education. As pointed out, several students have no issues with the educational system or with what they are being educated. Without a doubt, a great deal of them are not able to perceive or not any sort of issue that is existent with the current educational structure. However, there are others, who "either from their family, religious, or educational background or common-sense experience will begin to detect that all is not…...

Jose Ortega y Gasset, once a "Liberal" legislator in the doomed Spanish Republic, wrote Revolt of the Masses 70 years too soon. This elitist book, although seriously flawed, makes numerous excellent points, demands to be read in these opening years of the 21st Century, and should be quoted, frequently, publicly, and with great fervor. Gasset felt that man has come to demand things without taking responsibility. However, at the same time, Nietzsche's book, Disadvantages and Advantages of History does not explicitly examine the nature of morality, the master/slave relationship, or related questions. Instead, it questions the relationship of historical knowledge to life in the present. By "present," Nietzsche does not mean some specific century or decade, but rather the present we perpetually find ourselves in as human beings. He also discusses the possibility of people living like animals because they do not knowledge of history. By comparing Gasset and Nietzsche,…...

Each author subsisted to two (2) different kinds of perspectives, which make up the second and third critical elements of the comparative analysis component of this paper.
Berger analyzed humor based on social and political perspectives. Usage of these perspectives was most useful in discussing the two typologies of humor he thoroughly discussed in the book: satire and folly. Satire as a type of humor drew upon important concept that makes up its core: "militant irony" (158-9). Folly, meanwhile, was best characterized through the concepts "absurd" and "reality in a looking glass" (176).

Satire gives humor a political aspect to it, as illustrated in the term "military irony," which Berger defined as "a term derived from war, it is an attitude of attack that is part of a campaign against someone or something." Interestingly, the author qualified that satire need not have the 'brutality' that comes with military irony; however, he…...

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Works Cited

Berger, P. (1997). Redeeming Laughter: the Comic Dimension of Human Experience. Walter de Gruyter.

Critchley, S. (2002). On Humour. Routledge.

S. interests in that part of the world. Then, on January 17, 1991, the U.S. launched the first attack, with more than 4,000 bombing runs. After 100 hours, Bush called off the offensive, saying he wanted to minimize U.S. casualties.
Though Bush was criticized for this withdrawal being premature, the U.S. made a retreat from Kuwait after the successful offensive, and Bush's approval ratings reached new highs.

Bush announced in early 1992, that he would run again for President, and his reelection looked probable. However, higher taxes and uncontrolled economic problems brought his term to an end in 1992, and Bush lost to Bill Clinton. Bush was running as a conservative, but so were oss Perot and Pat Buchanan (who ran against him for the epublican nomination).

In order to defeat Pat Buchanan's bid for the epublican nomination, Bush declared even more conservative stances. Though he defeated Pat Buchanan, oss Perot eroded much…...

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References

Farnsworth, S.J. And Lichter, S.R. (2004), New presidents and network news: covering the first year in office of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 34:3, 29 Jul 2004, 674.

Frye, T. (1999). Changes in Post-Communist Presidential Power: Political Economy Explanation. A paper prepared for Ohio State University. Retrieved November 19, 2008 at  http://kellogg.nd.edu/events/pdfs/Frye.pdf 

Kelley, C.S., and Marshall, B.W. (2006). The Last Mover Advantage: Presidential Powers and the Role of Signing Statements, Chicago, IL. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved November 19, 2008 at http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p139737_index.html.

Mann, J. (2002). The ghost of the oval office, New York Times, October 4, 2002.

After World War Two, Carson realized the extent to which the government was permitting the use of toxic chemicals and wrote a book to expose the practice. That book was called Silent Spring, and it "challenged the practices of agricultural scientists and the government, and called for a change in the way humankind viewed the natural world."[footnoteef:8] Jensen includes an excerpt from Silent Spring to show that Carson was up against one of the most lucrative industries in the world, and that although her work is unfinished, Carson made a huge impact on raising awareness and eventually her work got DDT banned. [8: "The Life and Legacy of achel Carson," Accessed May 3, 2013, http://www.rachelcarson.org/Biography.aspx#.UYOWMCshKII]
Malcolm X's autobiography was arguably not a project undertaken as a form of muckraker journalism. The author started writing when he was in prison, and he comes to learn the power of the written word…...

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References

Carson, Rachel. "Silent Spring." Excerpt in Stories that Changed America, edited by Carl Jensen, 117-123.

Daily Censored. "Carl Jensen." Accessed May 3, 2013, http://www.dailycensored.com/writers/carl-jensen/

The Daily Show. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Accessed May 3, 2013,  http://www.thedailyshow.com/ 

Jensen, Carl. Stories that Changed America. New York: Seven Stories, 2002.

This type of education has worked best within societies that contain large amounts of oppressive practices, where the oppressed need to learn some autonomy. More developed countries however tend to favor the more traditional types of education (Werner, 2000).
Conclusion

It is important to assess the specific needs of one's own educational environment. Some environments, as seen above, would benefit more from the behaviorist philosophy than from the humanist philosophy, and vice versa. It is therefore important to establish an initial focus, determine goals, and assess student needs. When there is for example a need for strongly skill-centered learning, such as a computer-skills course, this would benefit little from a behaviorist methodology. When the course is however more flexible and artistic, it might be better to focus on students' individual needs and concerns. In order to find what would work best in a specific classroom therefore, once should assess needs and…...

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Bibliography

Bullen, Mark. (2004) "Andragogy and University Distance Education." University of British Columbia. http://www2.cstudies.ubc.ca/~bullen/bullen1.html

Kett, J.F. (1994) the Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties. From self-improvement to adult education in America, 1750-1990, Stanford, Ca.: Stanford University Press.

Merriam, S.B. And Caffarella, R.S. (1991) Learning in Adulthood. A comprehensive guide, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Smith, M.K. (2002) 'Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and anadragogy', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.Last updated: January 30, 2005