Group Progression in Society Essay Example for Free

Group Progression in Society Essay The pressures of society force humans into groups, whether to change something, unite, or to feel a sense of belonging. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to find what groups you may fit into and these groups can change as you transform into a more critical thinker. Studs Terkel tells the story a of Ku Klux Klan member turned school board activist, C.P. Ellis, in his essay, â€Å"C.P. Ellis.† Ellis’ struggles and realizations prove what critical thinking and self-examination can do. Mike Rose’s essay, â€Å"I Just Wanna Be Average† also displays the importance of growing through groups and how changing mental habits can help transform one into a more efficient critical thinker, therefore allowing one to surpass the cultural myths placed upon them. Gary Colombo enlightens readers by defining and giving advice on how to transform oneself into a critical thinker in his essay, â€Å"Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths†. Colombo argues that by thinking critically and challenging the norms of our society we can fight to be the people we truly want to be. Humans form into groups subconsciously as well as consciously. Consequently, these groups we cast ourselves into are the very things that can hold us back from becoming true individuals. By reexamining old ways and becoming active critical thinkers, members of society can participate in groups in a manner which will allow them to grow intellectually and outlast the cultural myths that is society has placed upon them. Groups have a large impact on society since they are constructed to allow humans to do more than they would be able to as mere individuals. However, groups can often hinder the thought process of individuals and may cause people to settle for less than what they are actually capable of. The â€Å"cultural myth† of belonging in society can cause individuals to become immersed in a group’s ideas wholly instead of blending them with their own beliefs. Ellis recalls when his former Klansmen called him after he started working for integration on the school board with Ann Atwater, African American women. â€Å"My old friends would call me at night: ‘C.P, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re selling out the white race.’ This begin to make me have guilt feelin’s. [. . .] My mind was beginnin’ to open up. I was beginnin’ to see what was right and what was wrong. I don’t want the kids to fight forever† (405). Had Ellis remained a narrow-minded member of the Ku Klux Klan his judgments and perceptions would have continued to be overly influenced by the Klan’s extremist beliefs. By expanding his mind Ellis was able to work on non-Klan related issues and overcome his racist tendencies thus transforming him into a more independent thinker. Critical thinking such as this is essential in being able to think independently opposed to being over powered by a group’s point of view and opinions. Colombo defines critical thinking as â€Å"a matter of dialogue and debate – discovering relationships between apparently unrelated ideas, finding parallels between your own experiences and the ideas you read about, exploring points of agreement and conflict between yourself and other people† (9). By applying these skills Ellis talked through the issues on the school board and reexamined his relationship with Ms. Atwater which in turn matured his critical thinking abilities. These critical mental skills will enable one to choose which groups they truly belong to instead of merely becoming a drone in order to fulfill their own senses of belonging. However, not all group enrollment and involvement is by the choice of its members. Some are pieced together by members whose superiors have placed them in said groups. In some cases, placement into these groups can impede on the development of critical and independent thinking. Mike Rose’s unjust placement into his school’s vocational is a prime example of this forced-group hindrance. Colombo states that â€Å"[c]ultural myths become so closely identified with our personal beliefs that rereading them means rereading ourselves, rethinking the way we see the world. Questioning long-held assumptions can be an exhilarating experience, but it can be distressing too† (8). By rethinking the groups’ society places us in we can gain a better understanding of ourselves as well as a better perception of the cultural myths that hold our true identities down. Rose tells about that the defenses mechanisms that he and his classmates built up to deal with the below average, self-image that the vocational track gave them, â€Å"[they] to twist the knife in [their] own grey matter† in order to stand up to the mental wear-and-tear of the vocational schooling process. Rose delves further into this process: You’ll have to shut down, have to reject intellectual stimuli or diffuse them with sarcasm, have to cultivate stupidity, have to convert boredom from a malady into a way of confronting the world. Keep your vocabulary simple, act stoned when you’re not or act more stoned than you are, flaunt ignorance, materialize your dreams. It is a powerful and effective defense – it neutralizes the insult and the frustration of being a vocati onal kid. (Rose 162) Defenses like the ones used in Rose’s essay cause individuals to do the bare minimum and do not allow individuals to grow within the group but rather the opposite; it stunts their identities and makes them complacent rather than questioning the world around causing a lack of internal expansion. By questioning the cultural myths of society and expanding the mind to think more critically individuals will be able to broaden their intellectual and social horizons. Ellis reminiscences at the end of the essay about his person growth by saying that â€Å"our troubles are over with. They say the older you get, the harder it is for you to change. Since I changed, I’ve set down and listened to tapes of Martin Luther King. I listen to it and tears come to my eyes’ cause I know what he’s sayin’ now. I know what’s happenin’† (408). By progressing through groups (the Ku Klux Klan and school board) Ellis was able to become a critical thinker and overcome the many cultural myths of his life. Similarly, Rose progressed to become a critical thinker. By going from vocational track to college prep, Rose was forced to reassess his self in order to become the type of student and person he wanted to be upon entering college prep. â€Å"I’d been mediocre for too long and enjoyed a public redefinition. And I suppose the inner workings of my mind, such as they were, had been private for too long† says Rose on regards to his switch and achievement in college prep (166). Both of these experiences show that by reevaluating the cultural myths in society and growing through different groups individuals can become critical thinkers and redefine themselves as the people they want to be. Society is filled with cultural myths and pre-assigned groups for its members. Only by overcoming these myths and growing intellectually can individuals become who they want to be rather than what society decrees them to. The experiences of Rose and Terkel show what critical thinking and group progression can do to one’s true self. Since Colombo defines critical thinking in his essay, the two experiences of Rose and Terkel allow the idea to be brought to life and put his work into context. Upon building critical thinking skills and experiencing group progression throughout life, individuals will be able to gain a multifaceted understanding of their true selves. This understanding will allow individuals to delve into the critical thinking and lead them to constantly challenge the world and groups around them. Works Citied Colombo, Gary. â€Å"Thinking Challenging Critically, Cultural Myths.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s, 2010. 1-15. Print. Rose, Mike. â€Å"I Just Wanna Be Average.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s, 2010. 157-169. Print. Terkel, Studs. â€Å"â€Å"C.P. Ellis.†.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s,

How Descartes Tries to Extricate Himself from the Skeptical Doubts He H

How Descartes Tries to Extricate Himself from the Skeptical Doubts He Has Raised [All page references and quotations from the Meditations are taken from the 1995 Everyman edition] In the Meditations, Descartes embarks upon what Bernard Williams has called the project of 'Pure Enquiry' to discover certain, indubitable foundations for knowledge. By subjecting everything to doubt Descartes hoped to discover whatever was immune to it. In order to best understand how and why Descartes builds his epistemological system up from his foundations in the way that he does, it is helpful to gain an understanding of the intellectual background of the 17th century that provided the motivation for his work. We can discern three distinct influences on Descartes, three conflicting world-views that fought for prominence in his day. The first was what remained of the mediaeval scholastic philosophy, largely based on Aristotelian science and Christian theology. Descartes had been taught according to this outlook during his time at the Jesuit college La Flech_ and it had an important influence on his work, as we shall see later. The second was the scepticism that had made a sudden impact on the intellectual world, mainly as a reaction to the scholastic outlook. This scepticism was strongly influenced by the work of the Pyrrhonians as handed down from antiquity by Sextus Empiricus, which claimed that, as there is never a reason to believe p that is better than a reason not to believe p, we should forget about trying to discover the nature of reality and live by appearance alone. This attitude was best exemplified in the work of Michel de Montaigne, who mockingly dismissed the attempts of theologians and scientists to understand the nature of God and the universe respectively. Descartes felt the force of sceptical arguments and, while not being sceptically disposed himself, came to believe that scepticism towards knowledge was the best way to discover what is certain: by applying sceptical doubt to all our beliefs, we can discover which of them are indubitable, and thus form an adequate foundation for knowledge. The third world-view resulted largely from the work of the new scientists; Galileo, Copernicus, Bacon et al. Science had finally begun to assert itself and shake off its dated Aristotelian pr... ...dged by us as a failure - the fact that he addressed topics of great and lasting interest, and provided us with a method we can both understand and utilise fruitfully, speaks for itself. Bibliography 1. Descartes, Ren_ A Discourse on Method, Meditations and Principles of Philosophy trans. John Veitch. The Everyman's Library, 1995. Descartes, Ren_ The Philosophical Writings of Descartes volume I and II ed. and trans. John Cottingham, R. Stoothoff and D. Murdoch. Cambridge, 1985. Frankfurt, Harry Demons, Dreamers and Madmen. Bobbs-Merrill, 1970. Curley, Edwin Descartes Against the Skeptics. Oxford, 1978. Vesey, Godfrey Descartes: Father of Modern Philosophy. Open University Press, 1971. Sorrell, Tom Descartes: Reason and Experience. Open University Press, 1982. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy ed. Ted Honderich. Oxford University Press, 1985. Cottingham, John Descartes. Oxford, 1986. Williams, Bernard Descartes: The Project of Pure Enquiry. Harmondsworth, 1978. Russell, Bertrand The History of Western Philosophy. George Allen and Unwin, 1961. 11. Kripke, Saul Naming and Necessity. Oxford 1980. Word Count: 4577

Key Benefits And Challenges Of An Integrated Approach To Working With Children With Additional Needs And Their Families In An Early Years Setting.

Introduction Many families who have children with additional needs often fear sending their children to mainstream schools (Wang 2009). Such parents often fear that their children will not be treated equally in mainstream school, and also worry about how well their specific needs can be met (NCSE 2011). As such they often place them in special settings with low student-pupil ratios and with specialized teaching. However, the effectiveness of special settings has recently been questioned. Placing children with special needs in special settings has been a subject of considerable debate over the past few years (Wall 2011). While the general public view is that special needs students can benefit from individual and small group instruction, there is no compelling evidence to support this claim. In fact, the opposite seems true. According to a study conducted by Casey et al (1998), it was found that special schools with curricula designed specifically for special needs students did not necessarily result in better improvements in children’s cognitive ability or developmental outcomes. A similar study by Bunch & Valeo (1997) came to similar conclusions It was claimed that special placement of children with additional needs has not demonstrated substantive advantages over mainstream classes, despite specialized teaching and lower teacher to pupil ratio. More recent researches by Brown et al (2005) and Allen & Cowdery (2005) have made similar conclusions. In this regard, this paper examines the key benefits and challenges of an integrated approach to working with children with additional needs and their families in an early years setting. Defining the term ‘Additional needs’ Before exploring further, it is worthwhile to first define the term ‘additional needs’. This term is used in reference to certain conditions or circumstances that might lead to children requiring special support (Owens 2009). Children with additional needs are mainly those that have health conditions and needs related to learning and physical development (Roffey 2001). That is, children with additional needs include: those who are physically handicapped, those with developmental delay or intellectual disability, communication disorders and those diagnosed with conditions such as Down syndrome, Autism or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Owens 2009). ‘Inclusion’ Having defined the term ‘additional needs’, it is important to understand the context in which the term ‘inclusion’ is used. As Connor (2006) points out, the concept of inclusion is used to describe placement of children with additional needs in regular settings rather than special facilities. It should be noted that inclusion goes beyond just teaching the child in inclusive classroom settings and includes the quality of the child’s experience of school life and association with other peers. Legislative framework. Key legislations governing provision of services to special needs children include the ‘Education (NI) Order 1996’ and the ‘Special Education Needs and Disability (NI) Order 2005’ (DoE 2009). The former outlines the rights and duties of the following in relation to special needs students: schools, parents, Health and Social Services Boards, Education and Library Boards Department of Education It also sets out a Code of Practice and establishes an arrangement for issuing a statement and assessment of these children’s education needs (Porter 2003). The ‘Special Education Needs and Disability (NI) Order 2005’ resulted from amendments made to the first one to include the right of special needs children to mainstream education and introduction of new disability discrimination responsibilities (DoE 2009). Integrated approach In the UK, these children with special needs are integrated into the mainstream schools provided that there is adequate equipment, enough staff and the right resources to ensure that they achieve their full potential ( Heinemann & Vickerman 2009). However, it is not mandatory for mainstream schools to enroll children with special needs. Rather, it depends on the ability of the school itself to meet their needs. If the mainstream school setting cannot provide for their needs, the child is placed under the local authority which then seeks to provide solutions (Silberfeld 2009). There is a growing recognition of the benefits of including special needs students in mainstream schools as opposed to remedial settings. Now more than ever, there is an increased emphasis on collaborative model and joint working to ensure that children with special needs are included in mainstream education (Duke & Smith 2007). Perhaps this has been driven by the recognition of its benefits and increasing trend in children in need of special attention. The number of children with educational needs in the UK has been on the rise over the past few years. For example, their proportion as a percentage of the total school population increased from 14.6% in 2003 to 17.7% in 2007 (DoE 2009). Benefits There are several benefits for such an integrated approach to working with children with special needs. First, such inclusive programs will help other children to understand them, accept them, appreciate and value their similarities and differences (Sammons et al. 2003). This will enable them to see each person as an individual as opposed to seeing them in terms of their needs. Another benefit to such an integrated approach is the reduction in stigma. There is compelling evidence that shows that placing children with special needs in mainstream schools in the early stages can significantly reduce stigma (Griffin 2008). Inclusion programmes have the potential to facilitate a relationship that can be mutually beneficial for both groups of students. It allows children from both groups to develop awareness and to value their differences, thereby reducing stigmatization and labeling. An integrated approach to learning enhances social integration and reduces stigmatization and prejudice ag ainst children with special needs (Griffin 2008). Inclusion also reflects the acceptance of special needs children in the society. The integrated approach makes children with special needs to feel accepted to the society and by their peers and gives them a sense of belonging (Robinson & Jones-Diaz 2005). Such inclusive programmes can as well be of benefit to the parents. All that parents want is for their children to live typical lives like other students including being accepted by their friends and peers (Owens 2009). Families’ visions of having their children experience typical life like other regular students can come true (Weston 2010)Furthermore, maintaining an inclusive setting can be more economical than running a special setting (Weston 2010). Additionally, the economic outputs can be greater when special needs students are educated in mainstream schools because of the self-sufficiency skills stressed in such settings (Mitchell 2009). Other benefits to such an integr ated approach include: improved academic performance, opportunity to participate in typical experiences of childhood, and gaining confidence to pursue inclusion in other settings such as recreational groups (Jones 2004). Research seems to suggest that special need children perform better when placed together with other peers in the natural setting (Brown et al., 2005). As Allen & Cowdery (2005) points out, special need children who receive services such as occupational therapy, language therapy and special education perform even better when provided with these services in the natural settings with their typically developing peers. Challenges While the arguments in favour of integration are valid, it should also be remembered that integration in itself is a two-way process. In most cases, the benefits of integration have been argued from the side of special needs student. What about the other group of students. Aren’t they going to be affected by the way services are devoted t o special needs students? Such an integrated approach raises several key challenges. One particular challenge relates to the issue of fairness. Given their inclusion in mainstream classrooms, how can fairness be determinedWhat is fair for a typical average studentAnd what is fair for a special needs student (Swartz 2005)It is questionable whether the educational needs of these students can be met in mainstream classes especially given that they requires some sort of specialized services and special attention as well. There is a danger that the attention given to the special needs students will affect the quality of services that the regular students receive (Hoccut 1996). Given the developmental delays that most special needs students experience, the other regular students may rate themselves with these students in terms of academic performance which eventually might lead to the decline in their creativity and critical thinking capabilities (Wang 2009). Can this be termed as fair to either groupThis remains a major challenge to such inclusion programmes. Another challenge relates to the aggressive nature of some of these children. Coping with emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children can be particularly challenging for both the students and teachers (Cohen et al 2004). This can be seen with the recent push by some schools for ‘responsible inclusion’. Some of these children mental health needs are beyond what the mainstream education can deliver and as such can be disruptive to other students. Schools have become de facto mental health providers for children with special needs yet they were not set up for such purposes (Heinneman & Vickerman 2009). Despite these challenges, the focus should be on promoting integration of special needs students into the mainstream education. While there are many arguments in favour of and against integrations, the benefits for such integration are significant. Those in favour of special facilities argue that these facilities are best for children with special needs in that it helps them maintain self-esteem and experience greater success (Cohen et al. 2004). They argue that segregation helps them with self-esteem and protects them from stigmatization. To some extent, they raise a valid argument especially given that the mainstream schools do not have enough human resources and adequate material for catering for the needs of such children (Hocutt 1996). However, such an approach will only further enhance stigmatization and negative labelling. Also, it might lead to social isolation from their peers and a lack of academic press, and higher order thinking among children with special needs. Moreover, placing such students in special facilities conjures up images which render them as failures and this may further reinforce their low-self esteem (Cohen et al 2004). Perhaps this might be the reason why some of these students become physically aggressive or verbally abusive. They end up viewing aggression as the only way to be recognized (Cohen et al 2004). There are several benefits to such an intergrated approach to learning including better social adjustment and stigma reduction. Children with special needs may also benefit from inclusion programs through participating in typical experiences of childhood, gaining an understanding about diversity of people in the community, and gaining the confidence to pursue inclusion in other settings such as recreational groups (Nutbrown & Clough 2010). Other regular students may benefit from the opportunity to meet and share experiences with special needs students, and developing positive attitudes towards students with varied abilities (Weston 2003). There is a need to ensure that these students receive as broad and balanced an entitlement curriculum as possible, similar to that received by the regular students (Cohens et al. 2004). Regardless of their condition or of the developmental delays that children with special needs may e xperience, they should all be allowed to learn and participate in everyday routines just like other children (Weston 2003).It should be remembered that children of all ages have the same intrinsic value and are entitled to the same opportunities for participation in child care. Conclusion Research has shown that special needs students who are mixed with their peers in mainstream classrooms are more likely to achieve better outcomes academically and socially while those in segregated classes fall further behind. There are, however, challenges to such an integrated approach to working with special needs children. Challenges related to coping with emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children and the challenge of ensuring fairness have been highlighted in this paper. Despite these challenges, the paper calls for an integrated approach to working with children with special needs. Unless there is a compelling reason to put special needs children in special settings, they should be placed in the mainstream educational setting. To ensure the success of this integrated approach, it is important that all the professionals involved value and appreciate their individual roles and those of others in order to ensure that these children receive best education, care and support. Families must also show their commitment to the multi-disciplinary partnership approaches. References Allen, K. E., and Cowdery, G. E., 2004. The exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood. Albany, NY: Delmar. Brown, J.G., Hemmeter, M.L. and Pretti-Frontczak, K., 2005. Blended practices for teaching young children in inclusive settings. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K., 2004. A guide to teaching practice. Psychology press Connor, J. (2006) Redefining inclusion. Every Child. 12(3) Watson ACT: ECA Department of Education (DoE), 2009. The way forward for special educational needs and inclusion. Department of Education Dukes, C. and Smith, M., 2007. Working with parents of children with special educational needs. London: SAGE publications. Griffin, S., 2008. Inclusion, equality and diversity in working with children, Professional Development. Oxford Heinemann, A. and Vickerman, P., 2009. Key issues in special educational needs and inclusion. London: Sage Hocutt, A.M., 1996.’Effectiveness of special education: is placement the critical factor?à ¢â‚¬â„¢ The Future of Children Special Education For Students With Disabilities, Vol.6 (1) Jones, C.A., 2004. Supporting inclusion in the early years. Supporting early learning. McGraw-Hill Mitchell, D. (ed) 2009, Contextualizing inclusive education. London: Routledge National Council for Special Education (NCSE), 2011. Children with special educational needs, National Council for Special Education Nutbrown, C. and Clough, P., 2010. Inclusion in the early years. London: Sage Owens, A., 2009. Including children with additional needs in child care. National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc. Porter, L., 2003. Young children’s behaviour. Practical approaches for caregivers and teachers. 2nd edition. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Robinson, K.H. and Jones-Diaz, C., 2005. Diversity and difference in early childhood education. Issues for Theory and Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press Roffey, S., 2001. Special needs in the early years London. David Fulton Sammons, P., Tag gart, B., Smees, R., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Siraj-Blatchford and Elliot, K., 2003.The early years transition and special educational needs (EyTSEN) project. London: University of Oxford Silberfeld, C. et al., (eds), 2009, UEL early childhood studies reader. London: Sage publications Swartz, S.L., 2005. Working together: a collaborative model for the delivery of special services in general classrooms. Wall, K., 2011. Special needs and the early years. A practictioner guide. 3rd edition. London: Sage publications Wang, H.L., 2009. ‘Should all students with special educational needs (SEN) be included in mainstream education provision– a critical analysis’. International Education Studies, vol. 2(4) Weston, C (ed), 2010. UEL special needs and inclusive education reader. London. Sage publications Weston, C., 2003. ‘Educating all: inclusive classroom practice’. In: Alfrey, C., Understanding Children’s learning. London. David Fulton.

The Sacred Rituals Of Christianity Essay - 1616 Words

The sacred rituals of Christianity, called sacraments, vary greatly between Christian denominations. Yet other practices are common to virtually all forms of Christianity. Most Christians attend worship services at church on Sundays where worshipers generally sing and pray and a sermon is brought forth. Most churches have a special ritual for ordination, or designating a person fit for a leadership position in the church. At home, most practicing Christians pray regularly and many read the Bible. Although there are seven sacraments practiced in the Roman Catholic Church, Christians usually recognize only two of the seven, baptism and Holy Communion, as genuine sacraments (123-124). Almost all Christians practice baptism and the Eucharist (The Holy Communion), which are ancient traditions connected to Jesus and the apostles. Baptism and communion are considered sacraments - sacred rituals instituted by Christ himself. 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