Dance: Could it really be the work of the devil?

    How would you feel if this was your six to thirteen year old dancing out on stage dressed like this? Over done make-up is one thing but this is another. Does the dance change due to the costume? Who really benefits from this costume choice, the parents that paid an exuberant  amount of money to dress their children like hookers, would the performance had suffered if these children were dressed a little more age appropriate? It seems the only people that benefit from this particular outfit choice and performance are the perverted pedophiles who will watch their performance over and over again for there own perversions. I feel that  this dance instructor should take a long look at herself as a professional dance instructor and her abilities to teach these children and see that a performance is not measured by there costumes and how suggestive a dance can be but by the actual skill and dedication of the children performing.
     Most disturbing to me was not the teachers verbal abuse and grueling workout on the children's bodies but the fact that the parents allowed it and actually contributed to it by not coming to there children's defense. The parents, who will cut down a child for missing a step even if that child isn't there own, actually get pleasure by seeing one child pitted against the next week in and week out. It seems to me these mothers are nothing but glory whores living their lives through the popularity and talents of their children. These mothers are no better than the fans that chant and scream "we won the game" and "we did it", taking credit and all the while they never left the couch.
     Do you feel these children are being exploited? Do you think the attached performance is age appropriate? What are your feelings towards this show and what do you think should be done about it if anything?

Women still gaining the right to vote today?

Often we don't think about what other women in other countries are facing. We only think about women in America and how they can vote, drive a car, go to school, go to work, pick who they want to marry, etc. Not everywhere do women have the right to vote.

Today was a huge turning point for women in Saudi Arabia because in Saudi Arabia women have just earned the right to vote. Also they have earned the right to run and serve as members of the Shura Council. Could you imagine if women in American still did not have the right to vote? Would that have changed the outcome of elections?

Also Saudi Arabian women are not allowed to drive. There was a woman's right activist in Saudi Arabia who was arrested for driving a car. It seems like it would be a big inconvenience to not be able to drive to the store, to a friend's house, or even just to work. What would it be like in American if women did not have the right to drive?

In an article called My Name is Ahlima, Ahlima finds the way American women dress to be "immodest" she says tight clothing could "cause great discomfort" and doesn't think that women who dress that way "can be respected". In Saudi Arabia they have to wear an abuyah which is a loose fitting cloth that covers them from head to toe. Do you think women in America are respected for what they wear?

If you were a women in Saudi Arabia could you deal with not being able to drive, having to wear certain clothes, or having someone pick who you marry for you?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/25/world/meast/saudi-women-vote/index.html?iref=allsearch
http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/25/why-can%E2%80%99t-women-in-saudi-arabia-drive-cars.html
http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/164120126152717363/lib/164120126152717363/muslim_woman_part_1.pdf

Globalization, Free Trade, and the Exploitation of Workers

How would you feel if you lived in a third world country and had to work from sun-up until sun down each and everyday in cramped, filthy, and unregulated working conditions just to earn $2? Now let me paint a different picture for you. How would you feel if you lived in the United States and worked two jobs just to live at the poverty line and the only clothing you could afford were cheap clothes that were manufactured in a developing country, which more than likely exploits its workers?

Both scenarios are very common to many people in the United States and other countries around the world. People in underdeveloped countries work for little to no pay just to afford food for their family, which in turn allows for many items sold in America to be significantly cheaper. This situation creates a cycle which affects people here in the United States who are poor but the only clothes they can afford is clothing from companies that may outsource to poorer countries, thus exploiting the indigenous people from those areas. So begins the negative cycle that links poverty and exploitation.

Trade within our world is rapidly expanding each and everyday, but with such an increased rate of expansion and globalization arises the problem of the exploitation of workers in developing countries. In order to expand their markets and become more competitive with the rest of the trading world, “countries may need to dismantle their trade barriers, abolish their legal monopolies, privatize their state-owned enterprises and reduce over- staffing in their bloated bureaucracies” (Rama 2). Such reforms may bring about a large-scale loss of jobs, which in turn would result in more unemployment within developing countries. For instance, the European Union just recently signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Peru and Colombia: a decision that was faced with much opposition. Such a decision was met with wide disapproval because it was rewarding these two governments even though they are known to violate and exploit the rights of their people. Furthermore, an increase in investments may have a negative impact on citizens.

Nevertheless, without globalization many people, including America’s working poor, would be unable to afford simple necessities. That globalization exploits workers allows for items sold in other countries to be cheaper, thus allowing the poor people of the United States to afford items such as clothes. As awful as this scenario may sound, many people who are poor in America are forced to side with the lesser of two evils and purchase items, which further the exploitation of foreign workers.

Ultimately, faced with such a troublesome scenario, what would you choose to do if you were amongst the working poor? What would you propose as a solution or compromise to this crisis?

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=636320

http://www.utne.com/2003-03-01/Jordans-Sweatshops.aspx

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/05/opinion/la-ed-trade5-2010feb05

9/19 Blog Discussion Prompt: 9/11 different view points

For everyone in the United States, September 11, 2001 was a tragic day. A common question of our generation is where were you on 9/11? Everyone has a story and everyone is in some way connected to the September 11 attacks. Last week we were all focused on the 9/11 attacks particularly on all people that were lost. What was not mentioned were the events that took place after 9/11, the war on terror, the weapons of mass destruction, and the countless number of young Americans that died in war. This information has almost become a taboo to mention when remembering 9/11. I think that it is very important to think about the aftermath of 9/11 on a more broad scale. With this in mind, I found an article that highlights the cost of the actions of the United States after September 11, and I have found a movie that sees the war of terror as a national need. Please analyze both objectively and please keep in mind the Deborah Tannen article when posting and responding to posts.
Based on the article and the movie I would like you to answer one of these prompts. You also need to comment on one of your classmates posts. The three prompts are listed below.
1.) Propose a less dualistic view on the war on terror, and possible reasons for why there is such a dualistic view on the war on terror.
2.) How does the article show the way that American’s seem to focus more on their own freedoms rather than the freedoms of others? Does this remind you of how the declaration of independence focuses only on White Anglo-Saxon Protestant freedom instead of the freedom of all people?
3.) Compare and contrast the techniques used to by Thomas Jefferson in the declaration of independence and Lt. General E. R. Bedard to sway public opinion for a war. Also is nationalism always a positive thing? Explain.
Article: http://rt.com/news/terrorism-9-11-war-219/ (please click read related column at the bottom of the page)
Video: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/248744/why_we_fight_terrorism/

The affect of insecurity in a classroom setting

The article The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue highlights the argumentative culture in the classroom. The author Deborah Tannin explains some possible reasons for the agonistic nature in American and European classes, and goes into possible psychological and historic reasons for this argumentative culture. The part of the article that I found the most interesting was the way that some people in the class would purposely put down the subject so they wouldn't feel insecure about their inability to grasp it. When I heard this I thought back to a time when I was in class reading Shakespeare and everyone called Shakespeare stupid and annoying. It was almost as if they are putting the blame on Shakespeare, one of the best writers of all time, because they could not understand his writing. The main thing that fuels this argumentative culture in the class room is insecurity. And one of the main things that fuels insecurity is judgement. The classroom setting at this point has become almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. If one feels insecure they argue a point to try win the argument so they will feel better about themselves, but in the process they make the person they beat feel insecure, inevitably another argument will soon start. Unfortunately learning by arguing isn't always conducive to learning, only one person's opinion comes through, instead of an eclectic mix from the classroom as a whole. The only way to overcome the argumentative culture in a classroom is to respect one another, and have a very supportive setting so people don't feel the need to dominate.

Thinking about Deborah Tannen's Article

In "The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue" Deborah Tannen offers an alternative to the prevailing notion of argument in our culture. As you prepare to discuss her article, consider the following questions:

1. What surprised you as you read?
2. What did you already know about this subject?
3. What did you learn from the article?
4. How does the article reflect your own experience?
5. How does Tannen model the kind of discourse she values?

In one entry of about a paragraph, respond to two or three of the questions, but definitely respond to question 5. Then, in a second entry, respond to one of your classmates. We will use the blog responses to shape our discussion on Tuesday.

An Inspirational Address

I hope that all of you were able to take part in academic convocation yesterday afternoon, in part because convocation is always a significant event in the life of this community, but primarily because this year we heard a most inspirational convocation address. Paul Loeb's call to action echoes that of anthropologist Margaret Mead, who once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."As you begin your college careers at Merrimack, it is appropriate to consider our shared responsibility for each other and the planet we inhabit. Please respond to this post with your own thoughts on the meaning of social responsibility.