Polished Final Draft

November 24 2012

Expecting Parents, Santa Cruz California

Dear Expecting Parents:

As an expecting parent, how to raise your child is an extremely important topic. Everyone has different beliefs, and has been raised in different ways. With our changing society, and the direction it is heading with gender roles, I believe it’s very important to give your children all the opportunities that they deserve regardless of their sex. Whereas some are convinced that traditional gender roles are beneficial, I believe that children who grow up within an equalitarian family, as compared to a family who adheres to traditional gender roles may benefit in their development. This is important because it can lead to higher self-esteem, greater academic achievements, and future happiness within love and dating relationships for your children.

When it comes to the topic of gender roles within parenting most of us will readily agree that traditional roles are healthy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of equalitarian or androgynous gender roles orientation. Whereas some are convinced that traditional gender roles are beneficial, I believe that children who grow up within an equalitarian family, as compared to a family who adheres to traditional gender roles may benefit in their development. This is important because it can lead to higher self-esteem, greater academic achievements, and future happiness within love and dating relationships for your children.

Our society is full of gender biases and stereotypes that are developed in childhood, and are learned from our parents. According to Human Anatomy by Kenneth S. Saladin, our brain grows 75% from birth, and throughout our childhood we are learning and connecting from what we see and hear (Saladin 92). This is why at a very young age it is important to make the correct connections with gender which will be vital for our growth into society. For example, as a young girl seeing your mother build a desk, or fix a car leads you to believe that those are not only jobs for men; just as watching your dad cook dinner or pack your lunch for school helps you understand that its not only women who should be in the kitchen. As gender roles change in society and women become CEOs of fortunate 500 companies and leaders in government positions; it is important to give your daughter the opportunities at a young age to realize she will have all the same potentials as a man would. Like wise for young boys it releases the pressures of “being a man” not all boys want to be a firefighter or the president of the United States. Boys need to know that it is ok to show emotion and be care takers, which will lead them to having better relationships and sense of self.

Traditional gender roles would be described as; the man goes to work and provides financial support for his family, while the women cares for the children and does the house work. Kids whom grow up within a traditional family would spend much less time with their dad then mom. In an equalitarian family both the mom and dad would have equal responsibilities with childcare, work, and house chores. In equalitarian families the relationship between father and child is much stronger. It also gives them a variety in caretaking, and through it adds diversion to their lifestyle and relationships. A family who raises their child in an androgynous gender role orientation would likely lead to a more equalitarian type situation. Androgynous gender orientation means that they would allow their child to grow up with the personality, emotions, and behaviors of either male or female. For instance, if the child was a girl and they wanted to have short hair and play with GI Joes then that would be accepted.

According to Purdue University’s Tips for Healthy Gender Development, “Giving boys and girls the chance to watch women and men do different jobs will help promote healthy gender role development.” In equalitarian families kids will see their mother and father go to work, clean the house, and help them with school work. This gives them the opportunity to see that either gender is capable of all jobs. Growing up knowing that you can succeed in what you enjoy doing, not just what your specific gender is suppose to do leads to less depression and higher self-esteem.

Girls, in particularly, who have a father who are involved with activities and school work are said to become more interested in math and science, leading to better grades and achievements within those areas of study. In the article, “Gender Roles in Marriage: What do they mean for girls’ and boys’ school achievements” by Kimberly A. Updegraff, she discusses how growing up within traditional feminine roles drastically affect young girls performances in math and science, were as girls who have a more masculine traits may achieve higher scores and be more interested in the subjects. Updegraff suggests, “this more masculine roll in young girls comes from the idea that their father was around in day to day activities to instill those masculine qualities”, and that they were encouraged to achieve results in more masculine studies, such as math and science, and not only typical female gender studies (Updegraff 76).

As a young girl I grew up around a mother who provided income by working full time, was involved in activities and school work, and could change the oil on her own car if needed. As I aged through adolescents it left me open to the fact that I didn’t need to find a boyfriend because I wouldn’t need them to provide and support me someday. I was able to choose someone that I wanted in my life for happiness. It has lead me to be self sufficient and provided me with the confidence to realize I could do and be whatever I set my mind to. Unfortunately many of my friends who grew up within a traditional family were desperate for boyfriends because they were reinforced with the idea that you need a husband to take care of you, or else you have failed. This leads to depression and low self-esteem in young women, and can easily be fixed by having a strong self efficient role model as a mother and a father who has a bigger role at home.

In the article, “Gender Role Socialization and Adolescents’ Reports of Depression: Why some girls and not others?” by Dawn A Obeidallah, they analyzed the depression symptoms of girls, and analyzed the gender role of their parents. They wanted to explore the idea that the push for young girls to act in less masculine ways and take on a more traditional feminine gender role may be linked to negative mental health experiences. “Parents’ marital roles may be an important factor in adolescents’ gender identity socialization because mothers and fathers interaction and their division of family activities provide adolescent girls a script for acceptable gendered behavior” (Obeidallah 777) The conclusion of the study showed that girls who have more masculine qualities have less depressive behaviors. Obeidallah points out, “ideas of why this happens is because mothers who have a more powerful roll in a relationship show the daughter how important self efficiency is, which lack of, is associated with depression symptoms.” This directly relates to my situation and why having a strong female role model is so important for mental health while growing up.

I discussed a lot about how equalitarian gender rolls affect girls; however, they are very important in young boys development as well. In Michael Kimmel’s, “Bro’s Before Hoes” he explains how boys are pressured from their dad to be tough; for instance, they can’t cry or show emotion. This causes them to, “turn to anger and violence because these, they believe, perhaps rightly, are the only acceptable forms of emotional expression” (Kimmel 616). This is obviously not a healthy way for your young boy to grow up. If you have a strong mother role and a father who accepts that boys can break the gender role barriers you may help prevent these kinds of feelings within your children. Equalitarian parents and androgynous gender role orientation will foster the attitude that emotion is acceptable and necessary in some situations. This may also lead to stronger and healthier relationships for your child in the future.

Many equalitarian couples believe that providing an androgynous gender orientation is the best way to raise a child. According to Janice L. DeLucia the author of “Gender role identity and dating behavior”, androgynous individuals have been found to have higher self esteem and higher levels of identity achievements (DeLucia 160). Children learn to adopt gender roles that are not always fair to both sexes, they learn at a very young age what is meant to be a boy or girl in society. A child’s sense of self is formed by the attitudes and behaviors they are exposed to; therefore, parents shouldn’t expect all boys or all girls to like the same things. It’s very important that you let your children explore who they are and what they like without telling them what they are suppose to enjoy based on their sex. Some ideas are; letting them play with whatever type of toys they are drawn to, making sure they have friends of both sexes, make positive statements about both genders, and help them understand the messages they see from the media. Parents who have an equalitarian attitude regarding gender roles are more likely to foster that attitude in their children, which in turn will provide them with every opportunity regardless of sex and avoid limiting their potential

Sincerely,

Amber Poulliot, Cabrillo College

Annotated Bibliography

Updegraff, Kimberly A., Susan M. Mchale, and Ann C. Crouter. “Gender Roles in Marriage: What do they mean for girls’ and boys’ school achievements.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 25.1 (1996): 73-88. SpringerLink. Web. 9 Nov. 2012.

This article was published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 1996, and was written about a study to compare school achievements of children in traditional and equalitarian families. Traditional families meant that most of the socialization and activities are only with the mother, in an equalitarian family the mother and father participated equally in activities with the children. The study showed that in early adolescents that the families’ socialization process directly effects their child’s academic achievements, and that there are differences for boys and girls. If girls only focus on traditional feminine roles it can drastically affect their performances in math and science, were as girls who have a more masculine social roll may achieve higher scores and be more interested in math and science. This more masculine roll in young girls comes from the idea that their father was around in day to day activities to instill those masculine qualities.

Obeidallah, Dawn A., Susan M. Michale, and Rainer K. Silbereisen. “Gender Role Socialization and Adolescents’ Reports of Depression: Why some girls and not others?” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 25.6 (1996): 775-85. SpingerLink. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.

This article was published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 1996, and was written about a study to compare the depression levels of girls growing up in traditional and equalitarian families. The article was written in a scientific matter and explains the outcome of tests they conducted on 87 7^th and 8^th grade girls. They analyzed the depression symptoms of girls, and analyzed the gender role of their parents. They wanted to explore the idea that the push for young girls to act in less masculine ways and take on a more traditional feminine gender role may be linked to negative mental health experiences. “Parents’ marital roles may be an important factor in adolescents’ gender identity socialization because mothers and fathers interaction and their division of family activities provide adolescent girls a script for acceptable gendered behavior” (777) The conclusion of that studies showed that girls who have more masculine qualities have less depressive behaviors. Some ideas of why this happens is because mothers who have a more powerful roll in a relationship show the daughter how important self efficiency is, which lack of, is associated with depression symptoms.

Additional Works Citied

DeLucia, Janice L. “Gender role identity and dating behavior: What is the relationship?” Sex Roles 17.3-4 (1987): 153-61. Springer Link. Web. Nov. 29^th. 2012.

Saladin, Kenneth S. Human Anatomy. 3^rd ed. Atlanta: Georgia College and State University, 2011. Book

Final Paper #2

November 24 2012

Expecting Parents, Santa Cruz California

Dear Expecting Parents:

When it comes to the topic of gender roles within parenting most of us will readily agree that traditional roles are healthy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of equalitarian or androgynous gender roles orientation. Whereas some are convinced that traditional gender roles are beneficial, I believe that children who grow up within an equalitarian family, as compared to a family who adheres to traditional gender roles may benefit in their development. This is important because it can lead to higher self-esteem, greater academic achievements, and future happiness within love and dating relationships for your children.

Our society is full of gender biases and stereotypes that are developed in childhood, and are learned from our parents. According to Human Anatomy by Kenneth S. Saladin, our brain grows 75% from birth, and throughout our childhood we are learning and connecting from what we see and hear around us. This is why at a very young age it is important to make the correct connections with gender which will be vital for our growth into society. As a young girl seeing your mother build a desk, or fix a car for example leads you to believe that those are not only jobs for men; just as watching your dad cook dinner or pack your lunch for school helps you understand that its not only women who should be in the kitchen. As gender roles change in society and women become CEOs of fortunate 500 companies and leaders in government positions; it is important to give your daughter the opportunities at a young age to realize she will have all the same potentials as a man would. Like wise for young boys it releases the pressures of “being a man” not all boys want to be a firefighter or the president of the United States. Boys need to know that it is ok to show emotion and be care takers, which will lead them to having better relationships and sense of self.

Traditional gender roles would be described as, for example, the man goes to work and provides financial support for his family; while the women cares for the children and does the house work. Kids whom grow up within a traditional gender role family would spend much less time with their dad then mom. In an equalitarian family both the mom and dad would have equal responsibilities with childcare, work, and house chores. In equalitarian families the relationship between father and child is much stronger. It also gives them a variety in caretaking and through it adds diversion to their lifestyle and relationships. A family who raises their child in an androgynous gender role orientation would likely lead to a more equalitarian type situation. Androgynous meaning that they would allow their child to grow up with the nature, emotions, and behaviors of either male or female. If the child was a girl and they wanted to have short hair and play with GI Joes then that would be accepted.

According to Purdue University’s Tips for Healthy Gender Development: “Giving boys and girls the chance to watch women and men do different jobs,” will help promote healthy gender role development. In equalitarian families kids will see their mother and father go to work, clean the house, and help them with school work. This gives them the opportunity to see that either gender is capable of all jobs. Growing up knowing that you can succeed in what you enjoy doing, not just what your specific gender is suppose to do leads to less depression and higher self-esteem.

Girls, in particularly, who have a father who are involved with activities and school work are said to become more interested in math and science, leading to better grades and achievements within those areas of study. In the article, “Gender Roles in Marriage: What do they mean for girls’ and boys’ school achievements” by Kimberly A. Updegraff, discusses how growing up within traditional feminine roles drastically affect young girls performances in math and science, were as girls who have a more masculine social roll may achieve higher scores and be more interested in the subjects. This more masculine roll in young girls comes from the idea that their father was around in day to day activities to instill those masculine qualities, and that they were encouraged to achieve results in more masculine studies, such as math and science, and not only typical female gender studies.

As a young girl I grew up around a mother who provided income by working full time, was involved in activities and school work, and could change the oil on her own car if needed. As I aged through adolescents it left me open to the fact that I didn’t need to find a boyfriend because I wouldn’t need them to provide and support me someday. I was able to choose someone that I wanted in my life for happiness. It has lead me to be self sufficient and provided me with the confidence to realize I could do and be whatever I set my mind to. Unfortunately many of my friends who grew up within a traditional family were desperate for boyfriends because they were reinforced with the idea that you need a husband to take care of you, or else you have failed. This leads to depression and low self-esteem in young women, and can easily be fixed by having a strong self efficient role model as a mother and a father who has a bigger role at home.

In the article, “Gender Role Socialization and Adolescents’ Reports of Depression: Why some girls and not others?” by Dawn A Obeidallah, they analyzed the depression symptoms of girls, and analyzed the gender role of their parents. They wanted to explore the idea that the push for young girls to act in less masculine ways and take on a more traditional feminine gender role may be linked to negative mental health experiences. “Parents’ marital roles may be an important factor in adolescents’ gender identity socialization because mothers and fathers interaction and their division of family activities provide adolescent girls a script for acceptable gendered behavior” (Obeidallah 777) The conclusion of the study showed that girls who have more masculine qualities have less depressive behaviors. Some ideas of why this happens is because mothers who have a more powerful roll in a relationship show the daughter how important self efficiency is, which lack of, is associated with depression symptoms. This directly relates to my situation and why having a strong female role model is so important for mental health while growing up.

I discussed a lot about how equalitarian gender rolls affect girls; however, they are very important in young boys development as well. In Michael Kimmel’s, “Bro’s Before Hoes” he explains how boys are pressured from their dad to be tough; for instance, they can’t cry or show emotion. This causes them to, “turn to anger and violence because these, they believe, perhaps rightly, are the only acceptable forms of emotional expression” (Kimmel 616). This is obviously not a healthy way for your young boy to grow up. If you have a strong mother role and a father who accepts that boys can break the gender role barriers you may help prevent these kinds of feelings within your children. Equalitarian parents and androgynous gender role orientation will foster the attitude that emotion is acceptable and necessary in some situations. This may also lead to stronger and healthier relationships for your child in the future.

Many equalitarian couples believe that providing an androgynous gender orientation is the best way to raise a child. Children learn to adopt gender roles that are not always fair to both sexes, they learn at a very young age what is meant to be a boy or girl in society. A child’s sense of self is formed by the attitudes and behaviors they are exposed to; therefore, parents shouldn't expect all boys or all girls to like the same things. It’s very important that you let your children explore who they are and what they like without telling them what they are suppose to enjoy based on their sex. Some ideas are; letting them play with whatever type of toys they are drawn to, making sure they have friends of both sexes, make positive statements about both gender, and help them understand the messages they see from the media. Parents who have an equalitarian attitude regarding gender roles are more likely to foster that attitude in their children. Androgynous individuals have been found to have higher self esteem and higher levels of identity achievements.

As an expecting parent, how to raise your child is an extremely important topic. Everyone has different beliefs, and has been raised in different ways. With our changing society, and the direction it is heading with gender roles, I believe it’s very important to give your kids all the opportunities they deserve regardless of their sex. In an equalitarian family you teach them from the start that they have every opportunity and avoid limiting their potential.

Sincerely,

Amber Poulliot, Cabrillo College

Rough Draft Paper #2

(working on conclusion paragraph/how to close the letter and type of action to request, tone and tense of letter, organization)

November 24 2012

Expecting Parents, Santa Cruz California

Dear Expecting Parents:

When it comes to the topic of gender roles within parenting most of us will readily agree that traditional gender roles are healthy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of equalitarian or androgynous gender roles orientation. Whereas some are convinced that traditional gender roles are beneficial, I believe that children who grow up within an equalitarian family, as compared to a family who adheres to traditional gender roles may benefit in their development. This is important because it can lead to higher self-esteem, greater academic achievements, and future happiness within love and dating relationships for the child.

Our society is full of gender bias and stereotypes that are developed in childhood and are learned from our parents. Our brain grows 75% from birth, and throughout our childhood we are learning and connecting from what we see and hear around us. This is why at a very young age it is so important to make the correct connections with gender which will be vital for our growth into society. As a young girl seeing your mother build a desk, or fix a car for example leads you to believe that those are not only jobs for men; just as watching your dad cook dinner or pack your lunch for school helps you understand that its not only women who should be in the kitchen. As gender roles change in society and women become CEOs of fortunate 500 companies and leaders in government positions; it is important to give your daughter the opportunities at a young age to realize she will have all the same potentials as a man would. Like wise for young boys it releases the pressures of “being a man” not all boys want to be a firefighter or president of the United States. Boys need to know that it is ok to show emotion and be care takers, which will lead them to having better relationships and sense of self.

Traditional gender roles would be described as the man goes to work and provides financial support for his family; while the women cares for the children and does the house work. Kids who grow up within a traditional gender role family would spend much less time with their dad then mom. In an equalitarian or androgynous gender role orientation both the mom and day would have equal responsibilities with childcare, work, and house chores. In equalitarian families the relationship between father and child is much stronger. It also gives them a variety in caretaking and through it adds diversion to their lifestyle and relationships.

According to Purdue University’s Tips for Healthy Gender Development: “Giving boys and girls the chance to watch women and men do different jobs,” will help promote healthy gender role development. In equalitarian families kids will see their mother and father go to work, clean the house, and help them with school work. This gives them the opportunity to see that either gender is capable of all jobs. Growing up knowing that you can succeed in what you enjoy doing not just what your specific gender is suppose to do leads to less depression and higher self-esteem.

Girls, in particularly, who have a father who is involved with activities and school work are said to become more interested in math and science, leading to better grades and achievements within the areas of study. In the article, “Gender Roles in Marriage: What do they mean for girls’ and boys’ school achievements” they discuss how growing up within traditional feminine roles drastically affect young girls performances in math and science, were as girls who have a more masculine social roll may achieve higher scores and be more interested in the subjects. This more masculine roll in young girls comes from the idea that their father was around in day to day activities to instill those masculine qualities, and that they were encouraged to achieve results in more masculine studies, such as math and science, and not only typical female gender studies.

As a young girl I grew up around a mother who provided income by working full time, was involved in activities and school work, and could change the oil on her own car if needed. As I aged through adolescents it left me open to the fact that I didn’t need to find a boyfriend because I would need them to provide and support me someday. I was able to choose someone that I wanted in my life for happiness, unlike a lot of my friends who were desperate for boyfriends because they were reinforced with the idea that you need a husband to take care of you, or else you have failed. This leads to depression and low self-esteem to young women, and can easily be fixed by having a strong role model as mother and a father who has a bigger role at home.

In the article, “Gender Role Socialization and Adolescents’ Reports of Depression: Why some girls and not others?” they analyzed the depression symptoms of girls, and analyzed the gender role of their parents. They wanted to explore the idea that the push for young girls to act in less masculine ways and take on a more traditional feminine gender role may be linked to negative mental health experiences. “Parents’ marital roles may be an important factor in adolescents’ gender identity socialization because mothers and fathers interaction and their division of family activities provide adolescent girls a script for acceptable gendered behavior” (Obeidallah 777) The conclusion of the study showed that girls who have more masculine qualities have less depressive behaviors. Some ideas of why this happens is because mothers who have a more powerful roll in a relationship show the daughter how important self efficiency is, which lack of, is associated with depression symptoms.

In Michael Kimmel’s, “Bro’s Before Hoes” he explains how boys are pressured from their dad to be tough; for instance, they can’t cry or show emotion. This causes them to, “turn to anger and violence because these, they believe, perhaps rightly, are the only acceptable forms of emotional expression” (Kimmel 616). This is obviously not a healthy way for your young boy to grow up. If you have a strong mother role and a father who accepts that boys can break the gender role barriers you may help prevent these kinds of feelings within your children. Equalitarian parents and androgynous gender role orientation will foster the attitude that emotion is acceptable and necessary in some situations. This may also lead to stronger and healthier relationships for your child in the future.

Some equalitarian couples believe that providing an androgynous gender orientation is the best way to raise a child. Children learn to adopt gender roles that are not always fair to both sexes, they learn at a very young age what is meant to be a boy or girl in society. A child’s sense of self is formed by the attitudes and behaviors they are exposed to; therefore, parents shouldn’t expect all boys or all girls to like the same things. It’s very important that you let your children explore who they are and what they like without telling them that they are suppose to enjoy based on their sex. Some ideas are; letting them play with whatever type of toy they are drawn to, making sure they have friends of both sexes, make positive statements about both gender, and help them understand the messages they see from the media. Parents who have an equalitarian attitude regarding gender roles are more likely to foster that attitude in their children. Androgynous individuals have been found to have higher self esteem and higher levels of identity achievements.

Sincerely,

Amber Poulliot, Cabrillo College

Proposal Paper #2

Title: Parental Influences on Gender Roles

Audience: Expecting Parents
Topic: The impact of parental role influences on developing children and why an androgynous gender role orientation may be better for children to grow up with then traditional family gender roles.

Exigence: Our society is full of gender biases and stereotypes which start at childhood and are learned from parents.
Purpose: The purpose is to show parents the benefits of their children growing up in equalitarian families and/or androgynous gender role orientations.
Claim: Young girls who grow up in equalitarian families or androgynous gender role orientations that do not adhere to traditional gender roles have higher self-esteem, stronger achievements in math and science, will have more flexibility in dating and love relationships, and have less signs of depression. If we can eliminate gender stereotypes and biases at a young age it may help develop a stronger sense of self in children and discourage the negative effects of gender stereotypes that they will run into in their future.

Quotes/Research:

According to Purdue University’s Tips for Healthy Gender Development, “Giving boys and girls the chance to watch women and men do different jobs” will help promote healthy gender role development. In equalitarian family kids will see their mother and father both go to work, clean the house, and help them with school work. This gives them the opportunity to see that either gender is capable of all jobs.

Parents shouldn’t expect all boys or all girls to like the same things, its very important that you let your children explore who they are and what they like without telling them or giving them toys that they are suppose to enjoy based on their gender. Parents who have an equalitarian attitude regarding gender roles are more likely to foster that attitude in their children. Androgynous individuals have been found to have higher self esteem and higher levels of identity achievements (Orlofsky 570).

In the article, “Gender Roles in Marriage: What do they mean for girls’ and boys’ school achievements” they discuss how growing up within traditional feminine drastically affect young girls performances in math and science, were as girls who have a more masculine social roll may achieve higher scores and be more interested in math and science. This more masculine roll in young girls comes from the idea that their father was around in day to day activities to instill those masculine qualities, and that they were encouraged to achieve results in more masculine studies (such as math and science) not only typically female gender studies.

Annotated Bibliography

Updegraff, Kimberly A., Susan M. Mchale, and Ann C. Crouter. “Gender Roles in Marriage: What do they mean for girls’ and boys’ school achievements.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 25.1 (1996): 73-88. SpringerLink. Web. 9 Nov. 2012.

This article was published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 1996, and was written about a study to compare school achievements of children in traditional and equalitarian families. Traditional families meant that most of the socialization and activities are only with the mother, in an equalitarian family the mother and father participated equally in activities with the children. The study showed that in early adolescents that the families’ socialization process directly effects their child’s academic achievements, and that there are differences for boys and girls. If girls only focus on traditional feminine roles it can drastically affect their performances in math and science, were as girls who have a more masculine social roll may achieve higher scores and be more interested in math and science. This more masculine roll in young girls comes from the idea that their father was around in day to day activities to instill those masculine qualities.

Obeidallah, Dawn A., Susan M. Mchale, and Rainer K. Silbereisen. “Gender Role Socialization and Adolescents’ Reports of Depression: Why some girls and not others?.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 25.6 (1996): 775-85. SpingerLink. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.

This article was published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 1996, and was written about a study to compare the depression levels of girls growing up in traditional and equalitarian families. The article was written in a scientific matter and explains the outcome of tests they conducted on 87 7^th and 8^th grade girls. They analyzed the depression symptoms of girls, and analyzed the gender role of their parents. They wanted to explore the idea that the push for young girls to act in less masculine ways and take on a more traditional feminine gender role may be linked to negative mental health experiences. “Parents’ marital roles may be an important factor in adolescents’ gender identity socialization because mothers and fathers interaction and their division of family activities provide adolescent girls a script for acceptable gendered behavior” (777) The conclusion of that studies showed that girls who have more masculine qualities have less depressive behaviors. Some ideas of why this happens is because mothers who have a more powerful roll in a relationship show the daughter how important self efficiency is, which lack of, is associated with depression symptoms.

RA "Bros before Hos": The Guy Code

            In the selection of reading “Bros before Hos: The Guy Code”, by Michael Kimmel he writes about the standards and ideals young men must live up to, to be accepted in today’s society. The article was part of a book he wrote in 2008, written about men ages sixteen to twenty six and directed towards anyone interested in gender and how it relates to masculinity and men. According to Kimmel young men most live and abide by a set of rules called the “guy code”, which has been instilled into them by family, peers, and the media from a very young age. The purpose is to relate this code to why young men act and feel the way they do, and how masculinity is perceived in culture.

            Kimmel first uses exemplification to explain what the guy code is all about. The guy code is a “collection of attitudes, values, and traits that together compose what it means to be a man.” (609) The code consist of traits such as; men don’t cry, men aren’t aloud to be sissies, men must be strong, masculinity is achieved by gaining wealth and power, men don’t connect to their body, they must take risks. He uses example of young men who coaches, dads, brothers, and friends have ridiculed them for showing any kind of emotion other then angry.

            In the next section of the text, “The Gender Police”, Kimmel explains how throughout adolescents boys are pressured to act a certain way due to fear of ridicule and humiliation by peers. As a guy if you step outside these rules you are opening yourself up to be called words such as gay and homo, which he believes for a young man is the ultimate put down of their masculinity; therefore, self. “Everything that is perceived as gay goes into what we might call the Negative Playbook of Guyland.” (613) Men need to avoid everything in it to keep their manhood.

Towards the end of the article he uses cause and effect, which discusses the effect that the boy code has on men as they mature. The boy code is no different then the guy code, it just starts at a younger age and teaches men to grow distant from their mothers, in order to grow up to be a man. It causes them to grow up thinking that showing emotion is never ok, which in the long term makes it complicated to grow healthy relationships with others in life. “The boy code leaves boys disconnected from a wide range of emotions, and prohibited from sharing those feelings with others.” (616) They grow uses violence instead of words, which leads them to depression, and emotion issues.

I believe that to a large extent the “guy code” is a very real and social challenge in guy’s lives. I think Kimmel has hit the nail on the head to why many men act in a macho and emotionless matter. I find it very unfortunate that even in a society where race, sexual preference, and women’s right are accepted and normal this internal gender issue still exists. I have been friends with, and dated many men who have these traits and some who defy them. I find that as Kimmel says, when men are with other men they have this need to prove their masculinity; however, in more personal situation I have luckily been able to witness that it does not cause all men to close up and become an emotionless and angry driven person. 

RA "Death Of Macho"

In the selection of text “Death of Macho”, Reihan Salam writes about the change of power in the United States shifting from men to women, and how the recent economic collapse was partially do to the  “macho” finance capitalism. The article was written in 2008 and was written towards conservatives who are interested in the state of our country. He believes men have been hit the hardest during the recession and this will cause problems for their ego. Salam says men are “even less well-equipped to deal with the profound and long-term psychic costs of job loss” (630). Salam seems to have an angry attitude towards the macho financial men who are in control, and believes men will only stand in the way to delay the historical trend of equal power among both genders.  He claims that the loss of jobs, and power of finances being turning over to women, will cause the “death of macho” and men will have to make the choice to fight or accept these facts which can cause drastic effects on humanity.

Salam uses the term “he-cession” to refer to the disproportionate impact the current crisis has had on men. A much larger amount of job loss in the United States has happen to men then women and the trend continues. This is due to the fact that men have been in control of the economic crisis and their “aggressive, risk-taking behavior, that has enabled men to entrench their power” (631) has gotten them there. There are many past examples of government polices that men have created that have only benefited their own gender; such as, the housing bubble that created less-skilled jobs at a higher pay for millions of men, and the New Deal which only forced on job creations for men. Salam says that since macho has “run a mock” and “is now giving way to macho unemployed” (632). Men tend to have a lot of issue when their power; such as, job loss and not being the bread winner at home, has been lost, lending them to heavy drinking, loneliness, and loss of wanting to commit to marriage. In turn these issues will be felt within humanity.

After discussing what the effect of solely men being in power has created, Salam further talks about the outcomes, and that there are only two choices men will have to make. The first is adaptation: men will need to embrace women as equal partners. The second resistance, meaning they will decide to not accept the death of macho. The second choice would cause a series of unnecessary yet devastating events. He also believes that North America would have a much easier time adapting then countries such as Asia or Russia, were women traditional have always had significantly less power.
            I think when you look at how large of a difference there is within gender from 50 years ago to now, its only observant to think that within another 10-20 years women will have just as much power in the financial and political world as men. Women are no longer just housewives, they don’t keep their mouths shut about politics and they already out rake the number of men who are currently earning bachelor degrees. I agree with Salam that men need to accept women as equal partners, and if they can’t the transition could be very unsettling in countries and parts of our state that are just not ready to accept the facts, but like all change, its never easy for large groups of people to all agree at the same time. Similar to race it took years, even decades for the acceptance and this is just another step in right direction of humanity.

RR "Two Ways A Women Can Get Hurt"

       In the text, "Two Ways A Women Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence," Jean Kilbourne discusses how using sex in advertising is objectifying towards women. She believes that this kind of mass media advertising will cause not only self esteem and body image problems with women, but also teaches men that taking physical and sexual power over a women is acceptable. She claims that "sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially women (576)". She talks about the psychological effects sexual advertising has on society and how it is creating more violence and attributes to the lack of respect that women receive in work, school, and everyday aspect of life.
      Kilbourne further discusses how advertising is controlling how we let ourselves be treated in relationships, and in turn, how men will treat us. She says that male violence is encouraged as in ads of Old Spice and Fetish. This is teaching men to value "sexual intimacy  more then emotional intimacy (577)" and "ridicules men who are not in control of their women (578)" this type of behavior is the typical "bad boy" image that young girls find attractive, when in reality it general lead to an unhealthy relationship. In a time where divorce is more common then a lasting marriage, and a society where assault and rape cases have been blamed on the victim, you can clearly see the correlation between the advertising and what it can lead to.
     I find the section of the text that talks about very young girls being held responsible for their sexually aggressiveness very disturbing. I don't know if you can blame the media for a court making a terrible ruling, but I do agree that featuring pre-adolescents in sexually charged advertisements does not help.
     In my own experience with this, I have grown up with the idea that I had to be thin and pretty to get ahead in our society, or to be truly loved by a man. I don't just blame the media for leading me on to believe these terrible notions, but I can personally connect with the self abuse and demeaning ideas that advertising can lead to in a young persons mind. My problem with her written is that she only sees the ads as one sided (women being the victim) and she only mentions the rare, some of which are disgusting, ads. I believe a lot of sexual based ads can empower women due to their femininity and strength. The idea of sex in advertising is a powerful tool, and although I do believe what she discusses is extremely important and relevant, I unfortunately don't think its something we can change in mass media.

Final Polish Prop. 30 OP-ED

Californias schools are in severe trouble, and we as voters need to do something about it before they are beyond repair. Proposition 30 is a start in getting our educational systems back into the right direction. Prop. 30 will be on this Novembers ballot; therefore, we as tax paying voters, parents, and students need to approve the proposition in order to prevent drastic continued cuts in K-12 schools and community colleges. Proposition 30 proposes a state generated revenue gain of around 6 billion dollars from 2012-13 through 2016-17. 89% of this revenue will be allocated to K-12 schools, 11% to community colleges, and extra funds will be given to public safety services throughout the state.                                                                      
           Education is a necessity in all aspect of life. It keeps us working as a nation to achieve. Without a strong system in place we begin to lose our hope that with hard work you can become what you want in life. Education provides people with the opportunity for success, and if we don’t put funds into the system and make it a priority we will lose out as a nation. As Anthony Carnevale states in his article The Real Education Crisis is Just Over the Cliff, “The real story is that this country is disinvesting in higher education at an alarming rate—as it has been doing for decades—and we are hurtling into the future unprepared for the economy that awaits us.”
           The revenue from proposition 30 will be provided by a temporary 4 year sales tax increase of ¼ cent, meaning every 4 dollars you spend you will get taxed an extra penny, and by raising income taxes on an individual who earns over $250,000 a year. More specifically their income tax will increase by 1%-3% depending on the amount they earn. If paying an extra 20 cents on every hundred dollars you spend isn’t worth keeping our school systems from falling to pieces then I don’t know what is.

           I strongly believe that proposition 30 is a positive stride towards getting our educational system and state budget issues back into shape. We as citizens need to support California by voting yes on proposition 30 and to help avoid continued hardship on students, teachers, public safety workers, and our future. As a 27 year old, I have been employed full time for the last 8 years, and have worked for the last 11. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck my entire life and I have been making plenty over minimum wage. I have earned enough for the state to take out between 6%-8% in income tax, that is only 1.3% less then someone who earns $1,000,000 a year (at the moment a person who earns $48,029 gets taxed the same as a millionaire). For a very long time I have been wanting to go back to school; although, due to tuition rates, lack of funding for nursing programs, and my own mental stability of not being able to work 40 hours a week while being involved in a high intensity school program, it has taken me over 5 year to be at a point where the opportunity to start back has arose. My “American dream” is to be a registered nurse where I could make a good living, maybe pay off a bill or two, and to share my empathy for humanity with others.     

            Due to the financial crisis our educational systems are facing there is a lack of nursing programs. There are wait lists of 4-5 years and lottery type situations to get into a certified program at community colleges throughout the state. They estimate that there will be a greater demand then nurses available, partial due to the lack of programs, which is greatly due to our educational crisis. This could mean my goals will be put on hold until I get lucky enough to get accepted into a program, not because I haven’t gotten good enough grades, or earned it, but simply because there is no funding in education. There are many students and hopeful students just like me, and I guarantee I am one of the luckier ones. If proposition 30 does not pass because we cannot pay a few cents more a meal, or some of the wealthiest families in California can’t afford to pay 1% more a year then someone who earns 3 times less then them, then not only nursing programs, but all educational programs at the college level will receive budget cuts. These facts break my heart.

Some advocates against the proposition fear that the money will not go directly to education and that a tax increase is being proposed at a bad time due the economies fragile state. The proposition states that the money is placed into a special bank account, called the “Education Protection Account and it “will be subject to an independent audit every year to ensure they are spent only for schools and public safety.” This means the money will go to our schools. In addition to education this proposition will help align the state funding of public safety services which includes; police, fire, development services, and parks and recreation. This means less layoffs, more jobs, and additional help for our communities. A small tax increase may be coming at a poor time, but if we don’t take action now there will be larger increases to make up for the loss of these programs in the future.                                                

            Our school systems have been on a steady decline since 2007, and if prop. 30 fails there will be another round of cuts even more drastic then before. K-12 spending per child is $1,000 dollars less then it was five years ago. There are many families who cannot afford to send there children to college as it is and if budget cuts continue these numbers will only increase. If proposition 30 does not pass there will be a $5.4 billion dollar cut from grade schools and community colleges in effect immediately. This type of budget cut for schools will have a severe effect on class size, higher tuition rates at community colleges and universities, classes available to students, layoffs within schools, and in other various ways. CSU Monterey Bay has already sent out a letter to students letting them know that if proposition 30 does not pass many students will not be able to attend next quarter. With our schools budgets already at the lowest that they have been in years we as a state cannot afford to continue making these kinds of cuts. If we don’t work together by making some sacrifices for educational purposes, ultimately the American dream will fail.

O'Leary, Kevin "The Legacy of Proposition 13" Time U.S. Time 27 June 2009. Web. 21 Sept 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1904938,00.html>

Carnevale, Anthony P. "The Real Education Crisis is Just Over The Cliff" The Chronicle of Higher Education N.p. 10 June 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. <http://chronicle.com/article/The-Real-Education-Crisis-Is/132167/>

           

Final Draft

Californias’ schools are in severe trouble, and we as voters need to do something about it before they are beyond repair. Proposition 30 is a start in getting our educational systems back into the right direction. Prop. 30 will be on this Novembers ballot; therefore, we as tax paying voters, parents, and students need to approve the proposition in order to prevent drastic continued cuts in K-12 schools and community colleges. Proposition 30 proposes a state generated revenue gain of around 6 billion dollars from 2012-13 through 2016-17. 89% of this revenue will be allocated to K-12 schools, 11% to community colleges, and extra funds will be given to public safety services throughout the state.                                                                      
           Education is a necessity in all aspect of life. It keeps us working as a nation to achieve. Without a strong system in place we begin to lose our hope that with hard work you can become what you want in life. Education provides people with the opportunity for success, and if we don’t put funds into the system and make it a priority we will lose out as a nation. As Anthony Carnevale states in his article The Real Education Crisis is Just Over the Cliff, “The real story is that this country is disinvesting in higher education at an alarming rate—as it has been doing for decades—and we are hurtling into the future unprepared for the economy that awaits us.”
           The revenue from proposition 30 will be provided by a temporary 4 year sales tax increase of ¼ cent, meaning every 4 dollars you spend you will get taxed an extra penny, and by raising income taxes on an individual who earns over $250,000 a year. More specifically their income tax will increase by 1%-3% depending on the amount they earn. If paying an extra 20 cents on every hundred dollars you spend isn’t worth keeping our school systems from falling to pieces then I don’t know what is.

           I strongly believe that proposition 30 is a positive stride towards getting our educational system and state budget issues back into shape. We as citizens need to support California by voting yes on proposition 30 and to help avoid continued hardship on students, teachers, public safety workers, and our future. As a 27 year old, I have been employed full time for the last 8 years, and have worked for the last 11. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck my entire life and I have been making plenty over minimum wage. I have earned enough for the state to take out between 6%-8% in income tax, that is only 1.3% less then someone who earns $1,000,000 a year (at the moment a person who earns $48,029 gets taxed the same as a millionaire). For a very long time I have been wanting to go back to school; although, due to tuition rates, lack of funding for nursing programs, and my own mental stability of not being able to work 40 hours a week while being involved in a high intensity school program, it has taken me over 5 year to be at a point where the opportunity to start back has arose. My “American dream” is to be a registered nurse where I could make a good living, maybe pay off a bill or two, and to share my empathy for humanity with others.      

            Due to the financial crisis our educational systems are facing there is a lack of nursing programs. There are wait lists of 4-5 years and lottery type situations to get into a certified program at community colleges throughout the state. They estimate that there will be a greater demand then nurses available, partial due to the lack of programs, which is greatly due to our educational crisis. This could mean my goals will be put on hold until I get lucky enough to get accepted into a program, not because I haven’t gotten good enough grades, or earned it, but simply because there is no funding in education. There are many students and hopeful students just like me, and I guarantee I am one of the luckier ones. If proposition 30 does not pass because we cannot pay a few cents more a meal, or some of the wealthiest families in California can’t afford to pay 1% more a year then someone who earns 3 times less then them, then not only nursing programs, but all educational programs at the college level will receive budget cuts. These facts break my heart.

Some advocates against the proposition fear that the money will not go directly to education and that a tax increase is being proposed at a bad time due the economies fragile state. The proposition states, “Bars the use of the funds towards administrative costs but provides local school governing boards discretion to decide…how funds are to be spent”. This means the money will go to our schools. In addition to education this proposition will help align the state funding of public safety services which includes; police, fire, development services, and parks and recreation. This means less layoffs, more jobs, and additional help for our communities. A small tax increase may be coming at a poor time, but if we don’t take action now there will be larger increases to make up for the loss of these programs in the future.                                                

            Our school systems have been on a steady decline since 2007, and if prop. 30 fails there will be another round of cuts even more drastic then before. K-12 spending per child is $1,000 dollars less then it was five years ago. There are many families who cannot afford to send there children to college as it is. If budget cuts continue these numbers will only increase. If proposition 30 does not pass there will be a $5.4 billion dollar cut from grade schools and community colleges in effect immediately. This type of budget cut for schools will have a severe effect on class size, higher tuition rates at community colleges and universities, classes available to students, layoffs within schools, and in other various ways. CSU Monterey Bay has already sent out a letter to students letting them know that if proposition 30 does not pass many students will not be able to attend next quarter. With our schools budgets already at the lowest that they have been in years we as a state cannot afford to continue making these kinds of cuts. If we don’t work together as a nation by making some sacrifices for educational purposes, ultimately the American dream will fail.

Rough Draft

California’s schools are in severe trouble and we as voters need to do something about it before they are beyond repair. Proposition 30 is a start in getting our educational systems back into the right direction. Prop. 30 will be on this Novembers ballot, and we as tax paying voters, parents, and students need to approve the proposition in order to prevent drastic continued cuts in K-12 schools and community colleges. Proposition 30 purposes a state generated revenue gain of around 6 billion dollars from 2012-13 through 2016-17. 89% of this revenue will be allocated to K-12 schools, 11% to community colleges, and extra funds will be given to public safety services throughout the state. This means the money will be going directly to education. The proposition states that it bars the use of the funds towards administrative costs but provides local school governing boards discretion to decide, in open meetings and subject to annual audit, how funds are to be spent. In addition to education this proposition will help align the state funding of public safety services, which include police, fire, development services, and parks and recreation. This means less layoffs and additional help for most communities. This revenue will be provided by a temporary 4 year sales tax increase of ¼ cent, meaning every 4 dollars you spend you will get taxed an extra penny, and by raising income taxes on an individual who earns over $250,000 a year. More specifically their income tax will increase by 1%-3% depending on the amount they earn per year. If proposition 30 does not pass there will be a $5.4 billion dollar cut from grade schools and community colleges in effect immediately. This type of budget cut for schools will have a severe effect on class size, higher tuition rates at community colleges and universities, classes available to student, layoffs within schools, and in other various ways. CSU, Monterey Bay, has already sent out a letter to students letting them know that if proposition 30 does not pass, many students will not be able to attend next quarter. With our schools budgets already at the lowest that they have been in years we as a state cannot afford to continue making these kinds of cuts. Education is a necessity in all aspect of life. It keeps us working as a nation to achieve, without a strong system in place we begin to lose our hope, that with hard work you can become what you want in life. Education provides people the opportunity for success, if we don’t put funds into the system and make it a priority we will lose out as a nation. As Anthony Carnevale states in his article The Real Education Crisis is Just Over the Cliff “The real story is that this country is disinvesting in higher education at an alarming rate—as it has been doing for decades—and we are hurtling into the future unprepared for the economy that awaits us.” If paying an extra 20 cents on every hundred dollars you spend isn’t worth keeping our school systems from falling to pieces then I’m not sure what is.
                If we don’t work together as a nation, and make some sacrifices for educational purposes, ultimately the American dream will fail. Our school systems have been on a steady decline since 2007, and if prop. 30 fails there will be another round of cuts even more drastic then before. “K-12 spending per pupil remains $1,000 less then it was five years ago” and many families cannot afford to send there children to college as it is, if budget cuts continue, these numbers will only increase. As a 27 year old, I have been employed full time for the last 8 years, and I have worked for the last 11. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck my entire life and I have been making plenty over minimum wage, enough for the state to take out between 6%-8% towards income tax, that is only 1.3% less then someone who earns $249,000 a year (at the moment a person who earns $48,029 gets taxed the same as someone who earns $500,000). For a very long time I have been wanting to go back to school, but due to tuition rates, lack of funding for nursing programs, and my own mental stability of not being able to work 40 hours a week and be involved in a high intensity school program. It has taken me over 5 year to be at a point in my life where the opportunity to start back at school again has arose. My “American Dream” is to be a registered nurse, where I could make a good living, maybe pay off a bill or two, and to share my empathy for humanity with others. Due to the lack of nursing programs there are wait lists of 4-5 years and lottery type situations to get into a certified program at community colleges throughout the state. They estimate that there will be a greater demand then nurses available, partial due to the lack of programs, which is greatly due to our educational crisis. This could mean my goals will be put on hold until I get lucky enough to get accepted into a program, not because I haven’t gotten good enough grades, or earned it, but simply because there is no funding in education. There are many students and hopeful students just like me, and I guarantee I am one of the luckier ones. If proposition 30 does not pass because we cannot pay a few cents more a meal, or some of the wealthiest families in California can’t afford to pay 1% more a year then someone who earns 3 times less then them, then not only nursing programs, but all educational programs at the college level will receive budget cuts. This fact breaks my heart.

            I strongly believe that proposition 30 is a positive strive in getting our educational system and state budget issues back into shape. We as citizens need to support California by voting yes on proposition 30 and to help avoid continued hardships on students, teachers, public safety workers, and our future.

           

Proposal

California’s schools are in severe trouble and we as taxpayers and voters need to do something about it before they are beyond repair. Proposition 30 is a start in getting our educational systems back into the right direction. Prop. 30 will be on this Novembers ballot, and we as tax paying voters, parents, and students need to approve the proposition in order to prevent drastic continued cuts in K-12 schools and community colleges. Proposition 30 purposes a state generated revenue gain of around 6 billion dollars from 2012-13 through 2016-17. This revenue will be allocated to K-12 schools, community colleges, and public safety services. The greater of the money will be going directly to education. This revenue will be provided by a temporary 4 year sales tax increase of ¼ cent, meaning every 4 dollars you spend you will get taxed an extra penny, and by raising income taxes on an individual who earns over $250,000 a year. More specifically their income tax will increase by 1%-3% depending on the amount they earn per year. If proposition 30 does not pass their will be a $5.4 billion cut from grade schools and community colleges in effect immediately. This type of budget cut for schools will have a severe effect on class size, tuition costs, programs available, length of school year, and various other ways. With our schools budgets already at the lowest they have been in over 7 years we as a state cannot afford to make these kinds of cuts. Education is a necessity in all aspect of life. It keeps us working as a nation to achieve, without a strong system in place we begin to lose our hopes that with hard work you can become what you want in life.

Logos:

The logical reasoning that I will use in my op-ed is that if proposition 30 does not pass, then over $6 billion dollars will be cut from public schools, community colleges, and public safety services. This will cause more layoffs within schools, causing even larger class sizes then already exist, higher tuition rates at university, and cutting more programs and classes at community colleges; causing spaces lost for students. Education provides people the opportunity for success, if we don’t put funds into the system and make it a priority we will lose out as a nation. As Anthony Carnevale states in his article The Real Education Crisis is Just Over the Cliff “The real story is that this country is disinvesting in higher education at an alarming rate—as it has been doing for decades—and we are hurtling into the future unprepared for the economy that awaits us.” If paying an extra 20 cents on every hundred dollars you spend isn’t worth keeping our school systems from falling to pieces then I’m not sure what is.

Pathos:
If we don’t work together as a nation, and make some sacrifices for educational purposes, ultimately the American dream will fail. Our school systems have been on a steady decline since 2009, and if prop. 30 fails there will be another round of cuts even more drastic then before. As a 27 year old, I have been employed full time for the last 8 years of my life, and I have worked for the last 11. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck my entire life and I have been making plenty over minimum wage, enough for the state to take out between 6%-8%, that is only 1.3% less then someone who earns $249,000 a year (at the moment a person who earns $48,029 gets taxed the same as someone who earns $249,999). For a very long time I have been wanting to go back to school, but due to tuition rates, lack of nursing programs; due to funding, and my own mental stability of not being able to work 40 hours a week and be involved in a high intensity school program. It has taken me over 5 year to be at a point in my life where the opportunity to start back at school again has arose. My “American Dream” is to be a registered nurse, where I could make a good living, maybe pay off a bill or two, and to share my empathy for humanity with others. Due to the lack of nursing programs there are wait lists of 4-5 years and lottery type situations to get into a certified program at community colleges throughout the state. They estimate that there will be a greater demand then nurses available, partial due to the lack of programs, which is greatly due to our educational crisis. This could mean my goals will be put on hold until I get lucky enough to get accepted in a nursing program, not because I haven’t gotten good enough grades, or earned it, but simply because there is no funding in education. There are many students and hopeful students just like me, and I guarantee I am one of the luckily ones. If proposition 30 does not pass because we cannot pay a few cents more a meal, or some of the wealthiest families in California can’t afford to pay 1% more a year then someone who earns 3 times less then them, then not only nursing programs, but all educational programs at the college level will receive budget cuts. This fact gives me the feeling of heart break.

Ethos:

I'm a full time student, and employee. I pay taxes and also pay for my education. I'm pursuing a degree in nursing that does not have enough funding to provide spaces for the amount of students who qualify into the program. I have researched many articles on the higher education issues in California, as well read and understand all aspects of what proposition 30 purposes.

Annotated Bibliography

O'Leary, Kevin "The Legacy of Proposition 13" Time U.S. Time 27 June 2009. Web. 21 Sept 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1904938,00.html>

The author, Kevin O'Leary, speaks about the financial crisis in California being due to the passage of proposition 13. Prop. 13 was a anti-tax measure over property-tax assesements that was passed in 1978, and including a 2/3 vote requirement for the passage of any new taxes in California. Because of this proposition passing California can not supply the budget needed for state services including higher education and public schools. Due to the recession many indiviuals survive off of state funding, while working and going to school. This article relates to proposition 30 because its a tax measure in California that needs to get passed in order to get some balance back into the education system.

Carnevale, Anthony P. "The Real Education Crisis is Just Over The Cliff" The Chronicle of Higher Education N.p. 10 June 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. <http://chronicle.com/article/The-Real-Education-Crisis-Is/132167/>

The author, Anthony P. Carnevale, who is the director of the Georgetown University Center on Education discusses how the lack of investment that the U.S. is putting towards higher education is only hurting themselves for the future. If we continue at this rate not only will our education systems be beyond repair, but so will the state of our nation. The government has not only been cutting funds from post-secondary schools, but they have also cut the budget of Pell Grants and are messing with student loans. Most people rely on these loans and grants for schooling. Carnevale also explains how the rate of jobs requiring college degrees and education has exceeded the number of college graduates more and more each year. The article relates directly to the importance of Proposition 30 and how essential it is for future funding in California schools.

Reader Response #1

    In the article "Idiot Nation" Michael Moore discusses the intelligence of our society. Moore talks about politicians, ivy league college graduates, and everyday people, from high school students to people of the work force and their lack of intelligence about our nation. He also covers how public schools are run and funded, and the lack of respect that teachers in our society receive. Overall, Moore is disgusted with the education system in the United States and directly relates it to the lack of intelligence that American people have about important issues in our country.
    This article was part of his book Stupid White Men...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! written in 2002. Moore starts with the illiteracy in America, and how much more T.V. is watched then time spent reading. He talks about the ignorance the people who run our nation have, and about prestigious universities who fail in teaching their graduates high school level material. He then ends with discussing the sad state American public schools and librarys are in, and why we should be blaming the politicians and not the teachers. This particular selection seems to be aimed at high school students, since it summarizes with  a "How to fight back against your high school" section.
    I agree very strongly with many of the points Moore makes in this article. I think its crazy how we blame the teachers for our failing educational system. How about the lack of funding in public schools and the continued budget cuts. I also believe that standardised testing is a lousy way of rating actual intelligence, just because testing scores get better, does not mean that this society has done our job in producing great students and teachers. It's not just the teachers that need to be held accountable, but its the system behind the education that needs to take responsibility for what they have done to the budget, not only on funding to schools, but also the kind of funding behind paying our teachers. If you want passionate, hard working individuals who are basically bring up our children into adults, you need to pay them what they deserve, which I guarantee is much more then most our earning.
    I think in this article Moore does too much running of the mouth in certain areas. He talks a lot about the stupidity of current and past politicians, but has fairly petty examples. It also seems as if he is attacking the schools who have made deals with commercial sponsorships, when the school is simply just trying to gain more money for the children. It's definitely the companies who are the ones to blame, they are giving a ridiculous low percent of actual contribution to the schools, in return for being able to claim that they are making a differences in childrens lives.
    I really enjoyed reading this article. It made me think about our schooling systems and how controversial they are. When you sum up "Idiot Nation" by Moore it's really about the blaming game America likes to play with its major faults.

Week #1

http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_21374874/california-voters-prefer-gov-jerry-browns-tax-measure

The article I read talks not only about proposition 30, but also proposition 38, which is basically the opposing proposition. It states that proposition 30, Gov. Jerry Browns tax initiative, will increase income tax on people who make more than $500,000 a year, and increase sales tax by a quarter cent. This will raise $6 billion a year, which is the amount that would have to be cut from schools if the proposition fails. Proposition 38, civil rights attorney Molly Mungers initiative, is a similar deal, except that it will increase income tax for almost everyone, besides those who make around $7,000 and under a year. It would raise $10 billion a year for the next 12 years.
The article is mainly about the current polling for the proposition. It states that proposition 30 currently has a small lead for online polls, but after a radio ad from the opposing side polls have dropped around 2%. Online surveys are considered controversial to some pollsters, but they try to reflect the demographics of people in California who would likely vote.

My current thoughts on proposition 30:
I have been a registered voter for about 7 years now. I have not voted one time in my life. I understand a lot of people look down upon this, but I have always felt if I didn't feel like I was making a well educated choice then I shouldn't vote just because it's what your "suppose to do". Proposition 30 is the first proposition I have researched into, besides listening too or watching advertisement. When I first read about the proposition, my immediate instinct was to support it. I, nor anyone in my family makes over $250,000 a year and if sales taxes need to go up a quarter-cent for 4 years to avoid budget cuts in K-12 and community colleges then why wouldn't I support the initiative. As I began reading more articles and comments that people would make on articles, my sceptic side began to grow. Will this money really not be guaranteed to go directly to schools and teachers? Is this money only to pay for pensions? I am very unclear of how to make a educated choice on whether it's fair that hard working people will have even more taxes taken from them, in a state where the income tax rate is beyond crazy for the middle class, I can't imagine how much of every paycheck is being taken out of someone who makes $250,000 a year. These are my thoughts so far on proposition 30 and I'm looking forward to learning more about how to find out where the money would actually go if this proposition passed.

I Am

I am a 27 year old female. I moved to Santa Cruz, CA from Seattle, WA a little over a year ago. I am pursuing a career in nursing here at Cabrillo. I am many different things. I have been an competitive athlete for the first half of my life. I am now a student, and a retail store manager. I hike, bike, dance, swim, and create costumes in my very little spare time. I am creative, ambitious, goofy and unique. My skin is colorful, I am covered in tattoos, and it matches my personality once you get to know me beyond the surface. I have a pug, whos name is Brodie, he is one of my favorite things in the entire world. He drools, snores, and makes a mess of things, but I can't seem to ever get enough of his ridiculous pug face. I am a lover of music, whether it be at a live show or in my car, I can't get enough. I grew up listening to rock 'n' roll, and my favorite genres are rock and indie. I have a guilty pleasure for pop-punk and top 40. I struggle with writing, and am looking forward to gaining some confidence it in, during this class.
The gift I bring to the classroom is that I am a former gymnast and current dancer. My dancing experience has no formal training, but whether it be in a class, on a stage, or through the hallways, dancing completes me. When I'm dancing all the other stresses of life slowly fade away.