Reproductive Technologies: Does Choice Mean Freedom? :: essays research papers fc

Reproductive Technologies: Does Choice Mean Freedom? "One does not, it might be said, increase a person's freedom simply by increasing the sheer quantity of possibilities which he or she can choose from." n Richard Norman The issue of reproductive technologies in our society today raises an interesting question. Do they increase a women's freedom of choice or do they expand the power of men and science over women. Is freedom to choose what they can do with their bodies truly freedom. Freedom, as a core, is the absence of external impediment. In this sort of area can women truly be free of external impediment, also is this truly freedom of choice? "The range of physical possibilities from which a person can choose at a given moment has no direct relevance to freedom†¦Whether a person is free or not does not depend on the range of choice." (Haylek 1960, p.12f). This subject is so socially charged that a women could not possibly have true freedom of choice but a choice which is basically decided for her, whether it be by the limited choices made available to her by medical science or by the men which are directly involved with them in the decision. In order to truly understand this issue we must look at it's core, reproductive technology. This is a vast area to discuss because it ranges from artificial insemination to abortion to contraception to genetic engineering with many area in between. Artificial insemination is the introduction of sperm to an ovum artificially either inside or outside the female genital tract. Abortion is the "extermination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life." Birth control is a huge area of reproductive or contraceptive technology, in effect though all sub areas of this main area deal with the prevention of fertilization of the ovum or egg, also in some cases such as the condom it can stop the spread of disease. Genetic engineering is a new and extremely scary technology which hopes to enable the precise engineering of an unborn child. The previous examples are just some of the areas of reproductive technologies but they are sufficient to cover the basic scope of the issue. What is freedom. In the Webster's dictionary the definition is "The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint". This is the core of freedom but to truly understand freedom one must define it with much more detail. two people who have concentrated their efforts on the subject of freedom are Norman and Haylek. Norman feels that freedom is equated to the absence of social pressure yet the possession of

Against School essay

Rhetoric and Composition 1020 18 September 2012 Ask any student in public high school what they like and dislike about school. Odds are, they will say that what they enjoy most about school is the social interactions it allows them to take part in, and what they dislike about school is the classes. John Taylor Gatto, in â€Å"Against School: How Public Education Cripples our Kids, and Why,† discusses the reasons for such boredom in an in depth manner. Most of the time, nowadays, it is not the amount of work that they have developed a disliking for, it is the time that being in class wastes.Sitting in a class doing busy work is not something that interests people. The problem with schooling in this day in age, is that many of the students attending public schools are not being challenged and brought to their full potential. Teachers get bored of teaching and students get bored of doing work that is not going to benefit them in any way after they graduate high school. John Taylo r Gatto gives a brief summary of the history of schooling and a suggestion that, in order to better our children academically, teachers need to urge their students to take on the work that may seem more â€Å"grown up. Schooling first started taking off in the United States between 1905 and 1915. American adapted its idea of public schooling from the Prussians, much like other parts of its culture. John Taylor Gatto states that the three reasons schooling came about was â€Å"to make good people, to make good citizens, and to make each person his or her personal best. † In all reality, however, Gatto says that the worst thing taken from the Prussians was the schooling system. John Taylor Gatto brings about the question of â€Å"why is forced school necessary? The â€Å"six classes a day, five days a week, nine months out of the year. † He proves his point by saying that â€Å"two million homeschool students turned out just fine, along with many other names that Amer icans can recognize such as: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. † Gatto states that forced schooling only enforces a deadly routine. He also argues that while most people associate the term â€Å"success† with â€Å"schooling† there are many people who are just as successful as the next who have not had as much schooling as expected.He probes the questions: â€Å"why, then, do Americans confuse education with just such a system? What exactly is the purpose of our public schools? † John Taylor Gatto explains that we â€Å"so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens—all in order to render the populace â€Å"manageable. † While schooling is provided to enhance the intellects, it really is only designed to create mediocre ones.Parents and students should not have to go through the schooling proccess if it is not going to push them to be their absolute best. Without the proper schooling, it is harder for anyone to begin a career. Gatto explains that teachers do not guide their students to reach their full potential, but rather just give them the information to reach it. Whether they choose to strive for excellence is their choice, but teachers in this century do not push them towards their goals. Ultimately, teachers need to care more about their students futures and academic success.Next, John Taylor Gatto introduces the logistics of public schooling and the actual purpose of forced schooling in six basic functions. These functions are â€Å"the adjustive or adaptive function† which establishes reactions to authority. Teachers have the ability to teach their children to do anything, whether that is to learn or to do reckless things. Children look up to the teachers because they know that they are superior to them, therefore they react and respond to everything they say and do. It is difficult for parents to send their children to school because they are putting their trust in adults they have never met.Within forced schooling, it is likely that students and teachers disagree, and even more likely that a parent will intervene when they do not feel as if the teacher is responding adequately to the students needs. The second function is the â€Å"integrating† function. The schooling system is the definition of conformity. Children come to school everyday at the same time and preform almost identical basic functions in each classroom. They are taught when to talk, when to learn, when to eat, when to socialize, and they all listen and do what they are told and what is normal for them.Students see how other people are acting to certain situations, and then mimic those actions to blend in with the rest of the school. The  "diagnostic and directive† function deals with social roles. During their schooling, children realize what role they play and where they fit in socially. Specifically, high school is the institution where students realize the kind of people they are and what groups they will belong to, what friends they will have, and what everyone else will think of them. The â€Å"differentiating† function sorts the students according to their role and they are only taught as far as they can be as a group and no further.Gatto states here that this undermines the purpose of pushing students to their personal best. The â€Å"selective† function is exactly what it sounds like – selection, like Darwinism. If a student falls short of academic expectations, they receive poor grades and other punishments. The purpose of school is to enrich the students minds, and if they cannot do what is expected of them, they do not receive the benefits of those who do. The final function is the â€Å"propaedeutic† function. This function states that ultimately some of the students who attend school for the full twelve years will cary out the roles of authority some day.Ultimately what John Taylor Gatto argues throughout this essay, is the idea that boredom derives from the source. If a student is bored, it is because he or she is not doing anything the excite themselves, and same goes for the teachers. He suggests that in order to improve the lives of both, teachers need to introduce harder materials to the students. Not only will it keep them occupied and far from boredom, it will encourage them to reach beyond what is easy. Work Cited Gatto, John Taylor. â€Å"Against School: How Public Education Cripples our Kids, and Why. † Harper’s Magazine. Sep. 2003: 33-38. Print.

America Essay - 5829 Words

America (Man lies down on couch. Silence. Man begins to talk to Doc, the assumed analyst behind the desk, his chair is facing away from the man and can not be seen. His actual presence is ambiguous. A huge American Flag hangs down from ceiling. The window is left open, so the flag ripples in the wind. The day is hot. The Devil Winds are blowing off the Mojave Desert.) History is fabrication. History is betrayal. â€Å"What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one’s heroic ancestors. America and Me (1) History is fabrication, coated with honey, and bubbled from all evil, in order to make life worth living. American History is no exemption. Our history books contain heroes. Men and women†¦show more content†¦I believe her. Days later I hear the same rumor from a different pair of lips. I question my girlfriend again. She once again tells me the same story. â€Å"A bolt of lightening whacks me!† It does not matter what she says. She has lied to me once; she will lie to me twice, and forever. I ended it. To this day, I have said no more than a â€Å"hi† to her. I was going to marry this girl? Now I can not stand her beastly face. (3) I am sixteen. I am in tenth grade and in history class forming a relationship with America and her past. This relationship has been going on since my birth. I think I know her. We have lived together for sixteen years. I am in college now, twenty-one years old. I have found out my America has lied to me. America has lied to me more than anyone one in my life. How can I ever trust her again? I do not. I end our relationship. To this day, I have said no more than â€Å"hi† to her. (Man speaks to the audience.) (4) For the rest of my life, America and I are in therapy. Our analyst keeps asking the same questions of America: Why do you feel the need to fabricate? Why did you feel you have to lie? Why do you grasp the good and forget the bad. America answers with continued lies. So I am alone. The rest of our marriage I will constantly try to figure out why America needs heroes. But most of the time I would prefer to say only â€Å"hi† and go about my way. I do not want to fight for answers.Show MoreRelated literature in America Essay916 Words   |  4 Pages When I think of America, I think of freedom. We live in a country where we can do what we choose. We can express our opinions and live our own lives. Individuals can form their own individual beliefs and they can do what they want and pursue what they wish. They can play basketball, go to school, get a job, have a family, buy a house, or go to church. We are free. We have opportunity to be whatever we want to make o urselves. When you ask, what is an American? I find it no different to ask, whatRead MoreThe United States Of America995 Words   |  4 PagesStudent’s Name Professor’s Name Subject March 24, 2017 Analytical Essay The United States of America is one of the leading countries of the world in the different contexts – from economic to social. The origins of the country were formed in 16th century by emigrants, who had come from Europe. Such European countries as England, France, Spain and Netherlands launched their colonies in the Eastern America. In the end, these colonies fight for independence from their metropolises and led to existenceRead MoreThe United States Of America983 Words   |  4 PagesStates of America, throughout the early and mid 1800s, was going through a rapid transition of social and economical changes. Immediate changes to its democracy continued to be a constant work in progress as well. The early and mid 1800s was also around the same time when the Market Revolution and the idea of westward expansion -- also known as the Manifest Destiny -- sparked an interest to many working Americans. After a few decades of winning independence from British sovereignty, America ha d alreadyRead MoreEffects Of The Americas And Africa1077 Words   |  5 Pages Africa and the Americas engaged in the Columbian Exchange. Many changes took place in both countries during this time period, falling into two important categories, demographic and environmental effects. In the case of the Americas and Africa, many similarities and differences exist. In the case of demographic effects, both the Americas and Africa experienced disease, however, disease took a greater toll on Americans than Africans. This important change led to both the Americas and Africa facingRead MoreThe Benefits of a Multicultural America1460 Words   |  6 Pages The benefits of a Multicultural America In America, people are born and raised to believe that this country was founded on human rights such as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. In reality these rights were not always accessible for minorities in United States. Minorities in America have had to overcome obstacles including being treated as second class citizens. Multiculturalism has existed throughout the history of America. People have migrated for thousands of years movingRead MoreAmerica s Trade Area Of The Americas1494 Words   |  6 PagesHistory Latin America is composed of seventeen countries which was colonized by Spain’s and Portugal. They are large in diverse population with four hundred and ninety million people in total. The percentage of the Indian and African that lives in Latin America is basically seventy-five percent just in the cities. The industrial and development grew since the 1960’s; also the free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) proposes to integrate economies of Latin America, North America and the Caribbean (exceptRead MoreBrand Recognition Of Telcel America1128 Words   |  5 Pages Brand Recognition Telcel Amà ©rica is a wireless service from TracFone that is mainly targeted for Hispanic consumers, primarily the Mexican community living in the United States. Telcel has a very powerful presence in Mexico. Telcel brand is America Movil s Mexican unit. Telcel brand is well known among persons having strong ties to Mexico, and crossers all along the south border states of the United States of America. TracFone introduced Telcel America as a spin off from the originalRead MoreThe Features Of Corruption Of Latin America876 Words   |  4 Pages Corruption exists to some extent in all countries. But in Latin America, corruption seems an inextricable part of life. Some schools of thought, particularly those in the political science circle, view corruption as functional to the maintenance of a political system. Meaning, corruption may not be ideal, but it represents a way for people to access resources that would otherwise be unavailable to them. In sharp contrast, economists point to the many downfalls of corruption: a climate of fear andRead MoreThe History Of Colonial Latin America1322 Words   |  6 PagesWhen the Spanish and the Portuguese established the colonies in the Americas, not only did they bring their material culture of technologies, clothes, cuisines, architecture, crops, and animals but they also brought their intellectual traditions such as that of honor. The history of colonial Latin America gives many questions related to the understanding of honor. The culture of honor during this period of time was pivotal as it provided a set of values that organized society and individual livesRead MoreThe United States And Latin America1362 Words   |  6 PagesWhen looking at the history between the United States and Latin America, you see many interactions between them, all that aided the relationship that they have today. Despite that the United States and Latin America are in the same part of the world, the beliefs in which they govern may differ. This difference has often been seen playing a major role in the disputes that have occurred in past. The United States and Latin America have faced many social, economical and governing barriers in forming