The impact of feminism on sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The impact of feminism on sociology - Essay Example The moment the law of lift Is violated we see the immediate effects This is a philosophical position. It seeks equality as it relates to political, legal and economic matters (Blumberg, R. 2001,). There are many more aspects but the main thrust is to achieve equality with the male counterpart. Unemployment has been a factor of society over many years. In the past governments somewhat accepted this. In this way welfare recipients were simply entitled to benefits. Since the 1970s there has been a shift in this approach. People were no longer entitled to the benefits. The shift meant that one had to qualify for the benefits. Qualifying had to do with a market economy component. This meant the introduction of the welfare to work principle (Breitkreuz, R. 2005, June)... Those people on welfare were now structured units to enter the job market. This gave focus to the real societal issues. In most societies, those on welfare women out number the men. A further reality is that most these women are mothers. Feminist studies show that employability has at least two direct challenges. First there is the need to deal with the woman’s emotional need. This need is directly related to the family commitment. In many cases the woman is referred to as the lone mother. This lone mother may be making an income. The reality is that the income is informal. In addition the income is small. The lone mother is now trapped in to maintaining this income stream. This can be seen as a coping mechanism. The second issue is the need for education. In most cases there is a skill deficiency. In other words the lone mother has a work skill. The problem is that the work skill is not in demand by the regular business economy. The two issues must be addressed together. This realization helps the society in general. The fact can be seen if we look log term as opposed to the immediate issue at hand. Helping the lone mother in the welfare to work

Summary of Frank Sinatra Essay Example for Free

Summary of Frank Sinatra Essay Growing up on the streets of Hoboken, New Jersey, made Frank Sinatra determined to work hard to get ahead. Starting out as a saloon singer in many down-trotted bars, he got his first major break in 1935 as part of The Hoboken Four on a popular radio show, Major Bowes Amateur Hour. In 1939 Sinatra caught the attention of Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra. He sang the first ever No. 1 song on Billboard, Ill Never Smile Again. That same year he married Nancy Barbato with whom he had three children, Nancy, Tina and Frank, Jr. Sinatra. In 1942 Sinatra started his earnest solo career and instantly found fame as the number one singing star among teenage music fans of the era, especially the young women and girls who were referred to as the Bobbysoxers. In 1944 Sinatras acting career was beginning and he made a statement with a lead role in Anchors Aweigh (1945) alongside Gene Kelly. The following year Sinatra was awarded a special Oscar for his part in a short film against intolerance called The House I Live In (1946). His career on high, Sinatra went from, recording his first album (The Voice of Frank Sinatra) at Columbia and starring in several movies. A scandalous public affair with Ava Gardner broke up Sinatras marriage. A second marriage to Gardner followed in 1951 was the start of a down spiral. Record sales dwindling, live appearances failing to sell out, and Sinatras vocal chords hemorrhaging live on stage their toll. Sinatra continued to act. Receiving the musical drama Meet Danny Wilson (1951) and fighting for, and winning, the coveted role of Maggio in From Here to Eternity (1953) increased popularity. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting actor and followed this with a profound performance as the deranged assassin John Baron in Suddenly (1954) and Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, in the powerful drama The Man With the Golden Arm (1955). On record Sinatra was also back on a high having signed with Capitol records and riding high on the charts with the album In the Wee Small Hours ( 1953) and the single Young at Heart (1954). Throughout the 1950s Sinatra not only recorded a slew of critically and commercially successful albums, his acting career remained on a high as he gave strong and memorable performances in such films as Guys and Dolls (1955), The Joker is Wild (1957), Kings Go Forth (1957) and Some Came Running (1958). He also dabbled with producing in the 1950s, first bringing the western Johnny Concho to the big screen and, along with Frank Capra, A Hole in the Head (1959), in which he co-starred with Edward G. Robinson. Continuing this trend into the 1960s, Sinatra produced Oceans 11 (1960), Sergeants 3 (1963, and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) as well as starting his own record label, Reprise Records, in 1961. Sinatra turned 50 in 1965 and, in many ways, his career once again peaked, recording the album September of My Years which won the Grammy for album of the year and making his directorial debut with the anti-war film None but the Brave (1965) His final acting performance in 1987 was as a retired detective seeking vengeance on the killers of his granddaughter in an episode of Magnum P.I. entitled â€Å"Laura†. On stage, Sinatra was as prolific as ever, playing both nationally and internationally to sold out crowds in stadiums and arenas. In 1993 Sinatra stepped back into Capitol studios to record his final albums, Duets and Duets II (both of which were highly successful) Sinatra passed away on May 14th 1998. Frank Sinatra was a legendary Hollywood icon, a profound film actor, an iconic musician, and a well known ladies man. There were so many sides to Sinatra, that it’s hard to categorize him under any label. He was always himself, always living to the fullest. He was (like many celebrities) loved and hated, but that never mattered to him. Frank didn’t need anyone to like him. All he wanted was someone to listen and someone to care. That’s exactly what he got. â€Å"You gotta love livin, baby, cause dyin is a pain in the ass.† -Frank Sinatra

Zara Fast Fashion Key Factors Marketing Essay

Zara Fast Fashion Key Factors Marketing Essay CUSTOMERS: They notice customers desires and then the design process is launched. This is a quick process which enables them to lower the costs by using a react policy instead of a forecasting one STORES: Particular attention for their stores, which are their main advertising medium in fact their advertisement budget is 0,3% of the net income (HM and Gap 3-4%). They prefer publicity coming from their main street and unique stores rather than an expensive advertising campaign. EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBILITY: Bottom up process in which Zaras headquarters leave the responsibility of choosing clothes to the store managers ( they know the local market ina better way). Moreover their wages are 70% variable and this encourages them to sell more in a good competitive way _VERTICAL INTEGRATION: This is why they are doing so well and why they can be associated to FAST FASHION. Their vertical integration allows them to design and finish goods wich you can find into the store in 4-5 weeks HIGH TURNOVER OF THEIR PRODUCTS. Thanks to this impressive response capability, Zara is able to follow fashion instead of betting on it this means that the entrepreneurial risk is minimized to a level that no one other competitorwould ever reach this rapid product turnover creates a climate of scarcity and opportunity that must be caught in Zaras retail stores. Strenghts Weaknesses Vertical integration Lower quantities of goods produced means that theres a rapid product turnover. This creates an artificial sense of scarcity among consumers and allows Zara to sell more merchandise at full price, lowering costs via reducing markdown merchandise 85% of styles produced in-season very updated products, capturing the latest trend; Incredibly short lead times (time from design to sale)-: average of 15 days Unique quick response system: store managers as the most important people in the company Custom-built IT support, allowing very quick and efficient transmission of sales and trends information from stores to the HQ; Extremely low advertising costs; Store design creating a unique shopping experience Broad market segmentation Inability to penetrate the American market: differences in tastes, weak supply chain strategy in America Unable to acquire economies of scale by producing large quantities for a discounted rate: higher costs arising from vertical integration Higher costs of training personnel and of changeover of production techniques due to changes to garments being made in-season, as well as new styles being introduces Opportunities Threats Explore other world markets Expand into Internet retailing Offer different styles in different stores within the same city to avoid cannibalisation of own sales Cannibalization. Zaras extensive location strategy involves putting multiple Zara stores that carry the same stock in the same cities. That means Zara is trying to sell the same exact merchandise to the same people that reside in that city. NINTENDO BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY According to businessweek.com, in a list compiled by A.T. Kearney Nintendo is ranked as #1 in the 2009 most profitable companies its sales have risen 36% annually over the past five years and its value growth averaged 38%. KEY FACTORS -EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBILITY: They bought a very expensive software called Xylo just to help their employees with a private online network of work/life products to develop their work (even at home) in a better way. And according to the Financial Times Nintendo is totally repaid because every employee generated an average a $1.6 million each for them. -SUSTAINABLE MARGINS AND COST LEADERSHIP: They invested in a product which has guaranteed them a positive relationship between sells and costs from the first year ( this allowed them to generate positive cash flows which enabled them to invest in RD), instead Sony and Microsoft are profitable only from this year( they actually lost lots of money).Also the suppliers found it easy to develop games for an easier console. Nintendo made a huge strategic bet that less is more in the global console gaming market. The Wii console is the low budget alterative to the Play Station 3 and the Xbox (see Figure 1.). It doesnt boast blistering chip speeds or cutting edge graphics. By not investing significant amounts of money in technology like Blu-Ray technology (typical to the Sony Playstation) the Wii was profitable from day one (Bremmer, 2006). Referring back to the target market, by targeting new generation families with a product that provides fun, educational and entertaining activities throu gh a cost leadership strategy, Nintendo is sure to please by providing families with more affordable fun, without the need to leave the house. -INNOVATION: They have a continuing emphasis in innovation and thats why Wii and Ds outsold their competitors Ps3 and Psp from Sony and Microsoft Xbox360). They are always one step ahead of their competitors. They basically invented a brand new way to conceive the games with their new motion controller. Which was perfect to last even during a crisis.( where theres lack of time theres no need to master small buttons, and lack of money it costs 249$ instead of 500/600$ of xbox 360 and ps3). Nintendos strategies always embed their core value: creativity. This is typically reflected in the case of Wii. Wii had accumulated a sales volume of 70.93 million worldwide, as of March 31, 2010 (Nintendo Co., Ltd., 2010, p.23). This is a remarkable sales result. Why is Wii so attractive to consumers? The most creditable feature of Wii is its multifunctionality. Distinctive from other game consoles, it allows the players to emulate a variety of actions, like shooting arrows and hitting tennis balls, to achieve objectives in the games. This is a truly fresh and unique experience for video game players. They praise Wii, and are desperate to get one without much regards to its price. Word of Mouth Marketing was achieved in this process. The achievement of Word of Mouth Marketing was welcomed by Nintendo, because the extensive share of information between players and their friends can bring significant results that even multi-million dollars advertisements can not bring (Trout, J., 2006). But in the end, credits belong to Nintendos core value of creativity. Without creativity, they could not develop products with preeminent functionality, and there would be no way for them to claim the leading position in the market. -BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: They had expanded the market with their productsWii fit and Brain training. Now also women and old People play with consoles! They succeeded in creating a whole brand new videogames market in which they have no competitors and so they didnt have to create a price war with their products. Nintendo is not fighting against Sony and Microsoft. Its real enemy is the indifference that many people still feel towards gamingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (-President Satoru Iwata, Towns, 2006) In order for Nintendo to capture and retain profitable market share, it would be thought to be possible by achieving higher profitability than their competitors. However, as the insight above suggests, Nintendo have structured business strategy upon the mission to go out and reach the people that would not consider themselves to be gamers). This dramatically increases the size of the total addressable market for Nintendo marketing, and their intuitive strategies have meant that Nintendo touches many more people than the typical gamer with more profits to match. The mission to touch those indifferent to gaming, the company adopted the The Blue Ocean Strategy which is centred upon creating a market where there initially was none and going where no other organisation has gone yet (Rosmarin, 2006). To reach this untapped market, Nintendo adopted an all inclusive, gender and age-neutral stance to gaming. This was achieved by going against the grain of competitors and including women in their audience, welcoming women by introducing a feminine aesthetic in product marketing (for example the Wii and the DS are visually light, curvy, bright, people based products) and focusing on gaming/entertainment content that appeals to both sexes (for example the Wii Fit, Brain Training and Nintendogs). This can be contrasted to the gaming content of competitors in the market Sony and Microsift, which are typically associated just with competition content (Marketing Magazine, 2008). The SWOT analysis of Nintendo STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES Nintendos strengths include a well established brand name, well known franchises, ability to manufacture goods at a low price and innovative products as will be discussed later in this report. Since its computer gaming establishment in 1977 Nintendo has maintained a strong and brand image. This has been supported by their success in quality products such as previous market leaders the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64. The franchises that Nintendo possess such as their gaming icons, Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, etc have enabled them to maintain customer loyalty and recognition. These franchises have also allowed Nintendo to touch on other markets i.e. toy market. Nintendos two major weaknesses would be their dependence on outside contracted manufacturers and lack of games compared to its competitors. Ironically, one of Nintendos strengths would also constitute as one of their biggest weaknesses. The dependence on specific manufacturers leaves Nintendo vulnerable if those manufacturers were to fail or suffer any difficulty in producing the required amount. The inability for manufacturers to supply goods on a timely basis would significantly impact on Nintendos performance as the switching costs between competitors within the industry are relatively low. The unavailability of products would ultimately constitute in loss of market share. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS The main opportunity that Nintendo are exposed to is that the world evolving to which more people are becoming more technologically compatible. People are introduced to technology at an earlier age and are becoming more computer orientated. Another opportunity for Nintendo would be the online gaming support system. It is anticipated that the sale level of gaming consoles will decrease as the number of online gaming subscriptions will increase .This includes the possibilities of introducing newer systems or even upgrading current products to align themselves with current online innovations and to potentially compete against upcoming new competitors. There are a number of threats that Nintendo may or have come across which include counterfeit products, competitors implementing motion detection additions and new companies planning to branch into the gaming industry. Counterfeit products are an issue to which will affect the sales of games. Even though extensive measures have been implemented to prevent such from happening, with time, the market will also manage to find ways around any security imposed. It has already been demonstrated that new technologies have been implemented by competitors which will provide intuitive gaming experiences at almost the same level as Nintendo. That being said this poses as a threat to one of Nintendos competitive advantage being product differentiation. The ever advancing technology market has allowed companies to enter into the gaming market. A major threat would be newer companies indulging into this market with even more advance peripherals and capabilities .A potential threat could be Apple which already have the motion detection and touch screen technology implemented into their iPhone and iPad. Sony took a risk putting the Blu-Ray player into the PS3, whilst Microsoft only offered the HD-Dvd drive as an extra peripheral so they could charge less for their console. This is often touted the main reason the Blu-Ray standard won. There were 5million PS3s in the market and less than 1million HD-Dvd players when Toshiba decided to pull the format. I always emphasise the Nintendo goal of putting smiles on the faces of everyone we touch whenever I visit our Global companies, both in Japan and throughout the world, and I think Im getting the message across. I want everyone at Nintendo to know I expect everything that they do, their every action, to lead to this goalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Although our employees are all over the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we are all unified to achieving Nintendos corporate mission (-President Satoru Iwata, CRS Report, 2009). As Mr. Iwata said, Nintendo works to put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch (President Satoru Iwata, CSR Report, 2009), which shows that, Nintendo sincerely cares about the video game players, and always strives to bring unforgettable experiences to these consumers through continuous innovation and improvement. This is one of the secrets behind their success. CROSS COMPARISON Why they throve during recession. What do they have in common Particular focus on: Good relationship and communication within the company. Long term orientation Strong commitment for a good brand image [WiiStrategyCanvas.jpg]

An Analysis of Prostitutes on Strike: The Women of Hotel Street During World War II :: essays research papers fc

When most people hear the word â€Å"prostitute†, they immediately envision a person who is a disease-ridden imbecile of society. However, if one researches the statistics and personal recollections of prostitutes, they will find that they may be very moral and great women. The reflection that Beth Bailey and David Farber recall in the essay called Prostitutes on Strike: The Women of Hotel Street During WW II shows what the prostitutes were actually like in the 1940’s. In several cases of the women in Hawaii during World War II, their compassion is shown through their cooperation with organizations and with the public. Many of the things that they did, however, were not entirely as moral as they seem to appear to be. The events associated with the prostitutes that stayed in Hawaii during WWII can be thought of as both ethical and unethical, but nonetheless, they fought a war of their own to keep their occupations and ways of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prostitutes in Hawaii thrived with business during the times surrounding the War to End All Wars. With the growth of men passing through the area on leave, grew the business of the prostitutes of the time. The brothels that the prostitutes worked in were aimed at the servicemen during the war. The men were lined up outside the buildings for sometimes hours at end, in front of everyone to see. On top of that, the women at the door would sometimes reject a man who they did not trust, or even those who appeared drunk. The brothels also brought peace to the area; if a man needed to fill a sexual desire, the use of a prostitute would prevent a rape or sexual assault from happening (432).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The status quo for prostitutes in Hawaii changed dramatically after the attack on Pearl Harbor. When they went to volunteer at hospitals to aid the wounded, many were turned down, due to fear of infection. Some women did what they could to help, even going as far to transform the brothels into living quarters for the wounded. Since their rooms were occupied, the prostitutes were forced into the street. Soon after, they discovered that they could buy or lease houses and resume business as normal. Weeks later, after the wounded soldiers moved out, the prostitutes wished to continue living down by the beautiful beaches where they could continue their business, and live in secrecy as well.

Chinese Women Essay -- China Chinese Culture Essays

Chinese Women Traditional Chinese society was patriarchal, patrilineal, and patrilocal. In this male dominated society, sons were preferred to daughters, and women were expected to be subordinate to their fathers, husbands, and sons. Because marriages were arranged, young women and men had virtually no voice in the decisions on their marriage partner, resulting in loveless marriages. Once married, it was the woman who left her family and community and went to live with her husband’s family, where she was subordinate to her mother-in-law. In some cases, female infants were subjected to a high rate of infanticide, or sold as slaves to wealthy families. Men were permitted to take as many wives as they wished and bound feet, which were customary even for peasant women, symbolized the painful constraints of the female role. Chinese women were considered second-class citizens and were subject to the wishes and restraints of men. The basic unit of Chinese society, the family, was male dominated. The oldest living male ruled the patriarchal Chinese family. As the head of the family, the grandfather or father decided whom the children and grandchildren would marry. Because the Chinese practiced a patrilineal system, ancestry was only traced through the male side of the family. When a woman married in the patrilocal system, she was no longer a member of her own family and was sent to live with her husband’s family. Her mother-in-law was to be considered her own new mother and her authority was absolute (Major 107-109). â€Å"Her rule could be benevolent but, far more generally, is reported to have been harsh and autocratic in the extreme, leading at times to suicide (Tregear 120). Daughters, whose long-term contribution to their families was limited, were valued much less than sons. Traditional Chinese philosophy was that, â€Å"raising daughters is like raising children for another family† (Major 109). After O-lan delivers her first daughter, in the novel The Good Earth, she says to her husband Wang Lung, â€Å"It is only a slave this time – not worth mentioning† (Buck 65). Sometimes daughters were sold as servants or prostitutes, or even killed in order to give sons a better chance for survival in times of stress or prolonged famine. During a time of great famine, O-lan, wishing to do what is best for husband, suggests selling their daughter, â€Å"If it were only ... ...his women’s feet and associates small feet with attractiveness and sex (Buck 169-180). Chinese women had no choice but to comply with this torture. â€Å"It was a social convention of long standing and a girl was disgraced if she came to maturity with unbound or large feet† (Latourette 84). When a girl reached the marriageable age, she had better hopes of marrying well if she had bound feet. It was seen to be a reflection on her parents’ ability to raise her properly. Mothers told their daughters that a woman’s attractiveness resided more in her character than in her face or body. Bound feet showed discipline and respect for the Confucian idea of a â€Å"mindful body.† Furthermore, small feet showed refinement and class, which reflected back on a woman’s family (Vento 4). The disgusting display of sexism in China has been immensely reduced by the Communist regime. However, the situation is still far from ideal. Although concubinage and footbinding have been outlawed, the woman’s role is still considered to be in the home. As Soren Kierkegaard once said, â€Å"the present state of the world and the whole of life is diseased.† With a little luck, the cure will be discovered soon.

Christian Mission to Muslims :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since September 11, the Muslim communities have been under siege by the media and the entire world. We have seen how the miss conceptions of Muslims have spread all over the media. As a Christian I begin to think that they should be treated as normal people. â€Å"When a radical fundamentalist, start a sect with ideas that differ from what the Muslim religion stands for, we begin to stereotype all the Muslims as the same. But when a Christian begins a killing spree a cross the nation, know one stereotypes all the Christians as one.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a Seventh Day Adventists Christian, I believe that we as a church body, we have to reach this people with compassion and understanding, because not all of them are evil like they are shown to be. I believe that ignorance is the root of hatred, an as Christians, we should be like Jesus, understand them, and cater to their needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to understand the Muslim mind we have to learn their background and how their religion was develop. Is hard to learn when you already have preconceived prejudices about Muslims, but that’s when we have to pray to God for wisdom, understanding, and an open mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam originated in the seventh century A.D. During this time, Islamic scholars were very fluent in the areas of physics, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, geography and medicine. Muhammed (570-632 A.D.) was the founder of Islam. He became an orphaned at the age of six, when he became a teenager he decided to join the merchants who traded goods from town to town along the caravan routes. He became a master trader for a businesswoman, then married the woman who was a widow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muhammed was a man with a lot of spiritual insight, but he became depressed by the commercial greed and the excess of polytheism around him, he spent most of the time in seclusion and meditation. Muslims believe that while Muhammed was meditating in a cave, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him. The vision came to him first in 610 A.D. and thereafter at intervals over the next 22 years, revealing the word of Allah. Muhammed is believed to have been illiterate, for that reasons he dictated the visions to his companions who wrote them down. Then 30n years later the writings were compiled in the Koran. The Koran is the Muslims most holy book. Christian Mission to Muslims :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since September 11, the Muslim communities have been under siege by the media and the entire world. We have seen how the miss conceptions of Muslims have spread all over the media. As a Christian I begin to think that they should be treated as normal people. â€Å"When a radical fundamentalist, start a sect with ideas that differ from what the Muslim religion stands for, we begin to stereotype all the Muslims as the same. But when a Christian begins a killing spree a cross the nation, know one stereotypes all the Christians as one.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a Seventh Day Adventists Christian, I believe that we as a church body, we have to reach this people with compassion and understanding, because not all of them are evil like they are shown to be. I believe that ignorance is the root of hatred, an as Christians, we should be like Jesus, understand them, and cater to their needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to understand the Muslim mind we have to learn their background and how their religion was develop. Is hard to learn when you already have preconceived prejudices about Muslims, but that’s when we have to pray to God for wisdom, understanding, and an open mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam originated in the seventh century A.D. During this time, Islamic scholars were very fluent in the areas of physics, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, geography and medicine. Muhammed (570-632 A.D.) was the founder of Islam. He became an orphaned at the age of six, when he became a teenager he decided to join the merchants who traded goods from town to town along the caravan routes. He became a master trader for a businesswoman, then married the woman who was a widow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muhammed was a man with a lot of spiritual insight, but he became depressed by the commercial greed and the excess of polytheism around him, he spent most of the time in seclusion and meditation. Muslims believe that while Muhammed was meditating in a cave, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him. The vision came to him first in 610 A.D. and thereafter at intervals over the next 22 years, revealing the word of Allah. Muhammed is believed to have been illiterate, for that reasons he dictated the visions to his companions who wrote them down. Then 30n years later the writings were compiled in the Koran. The Koran is the Muslims most holy book.

Patriotism in the American Education System Essay

The debate regarding the education of our children has been going on since the institutionalization of education and will continue as long as we are a liberal democracy full of free thinking citizens. People will always have an opinion and we will, most likely, never be able to please every single person. William Galston and Robert Fullinwider are in full support of teaching a version of history that promotes patriotism and inspires those learning of it to feel a sense of pride and a duty to, in a sense, carry on the mission of the American heroes that have come before us and done great things in terms of the progress for our country. Harry Brighouse is quite different than Galston and Fullinwider in that he believes that by keeping the full truth, gruesome or not, from those that are being educated that we are doing a great disservice to them. I tend to side with Galston and Fullinwider with the feeling that our history needs to be taught in an inspiring sort of way. What benefit do we truly gain by teaching young Americans that yes, in fact, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great American whose work during the Civil Rights Movement was essential to where we have progressed to as a society today, but he was also an adulterer and plagiarist? By revealing the holes in an American hero’s character we are diminishing his greatness and his impact on the people that have learned of his story years and years after he made such a monumental impact on our country and the progress to end segregation. The gain from sharing that knowledge is extremely minimal compared to the damage it does to the credibility of his work that he is truly known and greatly respected for. It is much simpler and much more productive to producing patriotic citizens if we leave certain, inconsequential parts of the story out. This doesn’t mean we lie to anyone, we simply tell the part of the story that generates the desired feelings of national pride and/or patriotism while instilling the necessary knowledge to generations that will move forward to produce similar greatness, or as Fullinwider puts it, â€Å"historical knowledge contributes to citizenship, and thus â€Å"nation-building,†Ã¢â‚¬  (Fullinwider, 1996, pg. 204). Harry Brighouse is of the belief that by shielding any tiny bit of the truth from children as we educate them we are doing a lot more harm than good to them. He argues that children should be exposed to the entire truth regardless of the negative light that may be revealed of anyone involved, â€Å"American hero† or otherwise. Brighouse feels that it is the responsibility of an educational system to expose kids to as much factual information as we can and allow them the freedom to choose what they will believe and what will inspire them both in the present and the future. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. sides with Brighouse and establishes that argument that â€Å"writing or teaching history as a means of ‘defining national identity’ turns history ‘into a weapon’,† (Schlesinger, 1999, pg 37). Both Schlesinger and Brighouse would argue that history should never change, all the facts should be laid out on the table and nothing should be held back, because, if we make the decision to hold something out of curriculum, who makes that decision and what qualifies as unnecessary? Schlesinger and Brighouse’s argument centers on the main idea that educators do not have the right to manipulate history. Schlesinger goes in depth in his writings in The Disuniting of America that certain false views of history are wrong, but even dangerous for citizens to be exposed to. He claims that, â€Å"the proper account of our past strengthens the â€Å"common purpose† that holds us together. It reinvigorates the American Creed,† (Schlesinger, 1990, pg. 37). Galston and Fullinwider are on the other side of the argument, they believe that educators should teach history in such a way that instills national pride and creates informed, proud American citizens. Fullinwider calls this type of history â€Å"patriotic history.† He believes that this sort of education will inform, of course, but more importantly will establish a system of values that, in the end, will create citizens. Both Galston and Fullinwider argue for a type of history that they refer to as a â€Å"usable past.† A usable past is one that informs citizens and institutes a willingness to â€Å"make the sacrifices necessary to support and improve the nation’s political institutions,† (Fullinwider, 1996, pg. 207). Truth of the matter, like in the case of the exclusion of facts regarding Martin Luther King, Jr. unfavorable personal lifestyle during the telling of his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, is that not all men who do great things are great men of high character. In some cases, inclusion of all the facts does nothing to diminish any greatness and may, in fact, create a greater sense of the ability for one single person to make a great impact regardless of any shortcomings they may have. On the other, if all the details are not necessary then why include them? Why would we make a hero less of a hero by revealing the unnecessary truth? Facts that bind the entire story together should never be omitted. Galston and Fullinwider believe in, and support, an education that promotes national pride. They are all for a patriot history, because we will then instill the idea and sense of responsibility in young Americans that they should carry the torch, so to speak, and continue to build upon the greatness that is America. Fullinwider concludes that the purpose of teaching a patriotic history â€Å"is to help students â€Å"develop a keen sense of ethics and citizenship,† so that they might â€Å"care deeply about the quality of life in their co mmunity, their nation, and their world,† (Fullinwider, 1996, pg. 222). In Patriotic History, Fullinwider argues against Schlesinger’s point for the â€Å"nothing left out† type of historical education, by saying the Schlesinger is intending to make history seem very precise and when that becomes the case we’re leaving it up to what truth the educator believes in. Fullinwider goes even further in his argument against Schlesinger’s writing by claiming that Schlesinger’s book The Disuniting of America is, in fact itself, purely history told for effect without the intention to simply inform, but rather to draw out and strengthen commitments to national unity (pg. 210). The presentation of history is storytelling and storytelling must come from a particular point of view. Historical education may never be 100% accurate because we’ll never truly know the intentions or finer details from all the angles or perspectives of each event. Somebody has to tell the story to present the history, but it will always come from a l imited point of view. It is the duty of the educational systems to determine which point of view the story should come from and this is where I agree more with Galston and Fullinwider; before we, as an educational system, decide what we want taught to our citizens, we need to decide what we hope listeners or those being educated should get out of the experience. Like Galston and Fullinwider, I think it is in the best interest for our country to try and promote patriotism and pride in being an American. The responsibility of shaping and molding upstanding, progressive citizens falls on the shoulders of our educational systems as well as public institutions and they both must come together to determine what is best for the development of our nation. Within that responsibility lays the decision of what aspects of history we will teach our young students. For me, it comes down to favoring civic education over philosophic education. I’d rather the goal of our educational programs be to pass along the knowledge necessary to create individuals that feel a loyalty and responsibility to do something great for their country, whether that be along the lines of being a great American hero like Martin Luther King, Jr. or simply by being a consistent, educated, responsible American citizen capable of supporting and functioning within our democracy. I disagree with the argument that by teaching a certain version of history we are limiting a child’s autonomy. We are not enforcing any beliefs or completely eliminating any bit of history, we are simply fostering an environment that will produce good and loyal citizens. Agreeing to tell a story (teaching history) a certain way does not mean we are telling people how to think; quite the opposite. We are inspiring greatness and allowing people to be free thinking and promoting the idea that anyone, common, uncommon and anywhere in between, can make a great impact that will last forever. The argument that exists between the Galston/Fullinwider side of teaching a patriotic history and the Brighouse/Schlesinger side of giving the whole â€Å"truth† regardless of degrading details just muddies the argument that we should really be having: What do we hope to get out of those that are being taught this history? When we look at that question we will be able to work together to find a solution. We could go on forever, just like this argument already has, debating what story to tell and from which perspective, but that, ultimately, gets us nowhere. Lets agree to teach from a perspective of â€Å"nation building† that Galston and Fullinwider promote and continue to develop as a country. Bibliography Fullinwider, R. (1996). Patriotic History. Cambridge University Press, pages 203-225. Galston, W. (1991). Civic Education in the Liberal State. Cambridge University Press, pages 470-478. Schlesinger, Jr., A. (1999). The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. W. W. Norton & Company, pages 12-37.