"Pasadena: Revised Images of Excellence" by Mike Rose

After reading "Pasadena: Revised Images of Excellence", I have a better understanding of both the social demographics and  high school expectation from students in Pasadena California. Mike Rose explained both the increases and decreases in population in Pasadena, as well the number of Chinese and Mexican immigrants had migrated to Pasadena in it's early days. Rose also discussed trip he took to the Graphic Arts Academy, and he mentioned how graphic art labs and chemistry classes are beneficial to students either entering the work force or going off to college.

In the reading, Rose describes a character Mark Hall, and why he decided to become a teacher. Hall mentions a few different reasons such as the main task he loved to do at his current job was to train new workers and teach them new things. He loved the sight of people acquiring new knowledge around him. He felt that by teaching he could make a difference in people's lives.

I feel that this was an excellent reading to conclude the education unit. The reading gave me a more in-depth analysis of the norms in high schools in Pasadena California. I also made a connection with this reading because I too attending a rather small high school at the beginning of it's time; therefore, I completely understand the importance of education even to those in a small school with limited resources.

"Savage Inequalities" by Jonathan Kozol

Kozol begins this excerpt by describing the condition of a high school he is visiting; the high school that is said to be "the oldest high school in the Bronx" according to a plaque in the principle's office. From the description, the high school certainly lives up to Kozol's description. He speaks about how there are leaky ceilings and raggedy furniture, even in faculty offices. Many students also have an input on the schools condition. They sometimes get together to see a barrel fill with water in their counselor's office when it rains.

In the high school, Kozol also encounters a bit of racial separation. He speaks to one student who actually blames the condition of the school on the fact that many of the classrooms are filled with minority students. In the excerpt, Israel, a small Puerto Rican boy states, "If you threw all of us into some different place, some ugly land, and put white children in this building in our place, this school would start to shine. They would fix it up." It's obvious that he feels that the school believes minority students don't deserve a nice building. He feels that he should be able to enjoy the same opportunities as white students his age.

"What High School Can Be" By Theodore Sizer

Sizer began this excerpt through the eyes of two rather inattentive teenagers in high school. He starts with Will, an under-sized basketball star for the school team, who does absolutely no work in class. He also introduces Martha, who he describes as "an impassive but quietly gracious nineteen-year-old". She also struggles academically. In the reading, Sizer seems to ultimately blame the instructors for the lack of proper practice. He also states essential principles to better a high school overall.

In the excerpt Sizer mentioned that he traveled to number of different secondary schools across the country, where he meet students just like Will and Martha. Students who pay no attention to their work in class. He believes that so many students are inattentive because teachers in schools across the country struggle to keep students engaged in the lesson. He also believes that some of the material in the curriculum defied common sense. Sizer, along with his colleagues, designed what they called, "The Coalition of Essential Schools. Sizer also personally created a list that governed the coalition. The list stated the principles that secondary school teachers should follow to be both successful and efficient in teaching students.

After reading this excerpt I feel like Sizer should have been the principle of the most successful high school. He seems as if he has mastered all of the essential principles to teaching students. I believe that with him in charge of a secondary school, he would build a team of the best instructors to produce college ready students.

"In the Beginning" by Charles Elliot; "Creating the Comprehensive High School" by James Conant

In the Beginning gave me a view of why and how the education system came about. In this reading, Elliot introduces the Committee of Ten. A committee that was created to determine the purpose and topics of secondary school. During this time, approximately 7 percent of teenagers attended high school and there was no set curriculum. The Committee of Ten determined what topics were necessary for teenagers to learn in school and arranged them in to categories such as languages, humanities and sciences. The committee also decided who was qualified to teach these subjects.

The Committee of Ten concept relates directly to the sector of the Board of Education that now governs the function of high school institutions across the country. The one major difference that I noticed after reading this is that the Committee of Ten did not handle the financial aspect of high schools, or at least it was not mentioned in the reading. The Board of Education handles all responsibilities of schools, including financial responsibilities.

Creating the Comprehensive High School gives it's reader and overview of the ideal comprehensive high school. This excerpt presents both an examination of many comprehensive high schools in the country and also how they can be made better. Conant gives a rather long list of functions that are essential in the success of a comprehensive high school. This is a very broad list that includes elective programs and how a normal day should be organized.

Overall, In the Beginning was a view of high school in the late nineteenth century. It took us back to the start of the secondary education system. Creating the Comprehensive High School not only explained the function of a comprehensive high school, but also presented insight on the inner workings that make a high school better.

“Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood” by David Osborne

After reading the excerpt, I have a better understanding of the "non-traditional" dad. One who stays home to take care of the children, as oppose to working long hours to support their family financially. In the excerpt, Osbourne is in a situation where he must take care of his son because his wife is the family's financial support more than he is. From his perspective, Osbourne seems as if he has no problem taking care his son Nick. Moreover, it's like he really enjoys it.

Osbourne is very descriptive when explaining his daily routine with Nick. It's very obvious that he loves his son dearly, because he can barely stand the sight of seeing him cry. He even gives him ice cream before dinner to comfort him. Therefore, I believe that Osbourne takes pride in raising his son and does not look at it as being a non traditional dad, but more so a great dad.

After reading this excerpt, one can conclude that Osbourne and his wife have switched roles that our society have placed on humans overall. The roles that consist of the mother being the person in the family that takes care of the home and children, while the father goes out and works to support the family financially. Many men reading this would believe that man staying home to take care of children would make them less of a man. Osbourne sees it more so as taking care of his responsibilities as a father.

"Conquering Themselves So Beautifully" by Louisa May Alcott

After reading "Conquering Themselves So Beautifully", I felt like Jo in particular was fighting a battle within herself. In terms of being a boy, I think that she just wanted to be different from her sisters because they are too much of the "tradition" types of females. One that cooks, cleans and takes care of the family. These were considered the expectations of a young female during this time and Jo refuses to let her sisters pull her into this stereotype of young females, and this forces her to be want to a boy.

The Sojournor Truth article connects directly to the Alcott reading in a sense that women are doing there best to stand up for what they believe in, even with opposing opinions. Truth agreed more so with the beliefs of white feminist because they believed in women's rights, as oppose to black abolitionist who believed in African-American rights above those of women in particular.

Both readings gave me a separate perspective on women's rights and the roles of young women in society.

"Im Thin Therefore I Am" by Nicci Gerrard

In society today, I believe that Gerrard's excerpt can relate to many issues that people face over weight. Between the peer pressure that claims the most attractive people are those who are slim and fit, and the media that idolizes slim beautiful models, weight can be an overwhelming issue for overweight individuals.   

In the excerpt, Gerrard seems to place food on a pedestal by continuously repeating, "food is symbolic" as if a meal empowers the person who makes it, especially women. On page 113, Gerrard states, "When a woman cooks a meal for her family, it can be as if she is offering a bit of herself-as if food actually comes from her body, like a sacrament (this of course makes it difficult to reject, and so food gets all tied up in guilt, as well)." According to Gerrard, food gives the woman the ability to sacrifice a bit of herself to her family.

After reading this excerpt, I noticed that Nicci Gerrard is a very descriptive writer. She began this section by describing the foods she eats during each mood she encounters throughout the day. Using such examples as eating roast peppers, rice pudding, and shortbread biscuits when tired, and eating a tomato or carrots when she was bored, paints a vivid picture for her reader. She also uses sensory imagery such as bakery smells to draw in the reader even further. 

"Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code" by Michael Kimmel

After reading this passage, I realized a lot of different things about myself as a male. I noticed how men set certain standards for themselves that they must live up to. I also noticed how seriously men take situations some times. I honesty believe that men have a harder life than women. Men have a certain amount of pride that they believe they must maintain throughout life. When a man hears their name mixed into a comment about "faggots" or "sissies" it makes them want to be tougher. I believe that this stems from a mixture of pride and emotion. Most guys claim that they never show emotion, but can't one conclude that pride itself tis an emotion? I believe that pride is a emotion that most men don't even realize they are showing. When it comes to fear or admitting to weakness, men are ready to step up and defend their pride. Wouldn't you say thats a emotion that they are afraid to put on harms way?

In terms of homophobia, I don't believe I am homophobic but I don't usually deal with homosexuals. I admit I have maybe one or two homosexual friends. Other than them I don't really know that many homosexuals. Nevertheless, when I do meet homosexuals, I give them the same respect as I would give any other person. I don't look at them any differently than I would anyone else. After all, everyone is human.

"Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code" was a good reading. It helped me to understand a lot more about homophobia. I always thought of it as just not liking homosexuals. I never looked at it the fear of other men-men who are not considered " as tough" as you are. Overall, it was informative in a sense that it helped me to realize a lot more about myself and men in general.

"A Boy's Life" by Hanna Rosin

 After reading "A Boy's Life", I better understand the meaning of transgender. Brandon is a prime example of a transgender individual because he is a boy who wants to be a girl. He dresses himself in female clothing and seems to place females on a higher pedestal than males. He takes no interest in most things that young boys around his age would be interested in such as sports, "tough guy toys", and above all else, dressing like a boy. Although Brandon's parents do not support how Brandon feels about gender, they do not make it seem as if it is wrong to believe he should b a girl. His mother Tina goes through a number of solutions to try and remedy this situation such as buying Brandon more boy toys and clothing but none of these tactics are effective.

When Tina realizes that Brandon is only becoming worse, she moves to more advanced measures and seeks the insight of a number of therapist, who give her a few different answers as to why her son wants to b a girl. One therapist tells her that Brandon may feel this way because he views Tina as a family protector because his father is not around, and because he views her this way, he wants to be exactly like her. He basically views her as a role model and the fact that she is a female means nothing to him.  Tina also learns that Brandon may have a condition called "gender-identity disorder" which I didn't even know was a condition. This is one new thing I learned from reading the article. 

Overall I believe that Tina handled her situation very well. She was able to figure out how to deal with her sons condition without hurting his feelings or harming his level of self-confidence. Many parents experience the same situation and are unable to handle dealing with it without hurting someone's feelings, especially if they don't agree with the beliefs of the person.

"Serving In Florida" by Barbara Ehrenreich

After reading "Serving in Florida", I understand better how rough life was in Florida during this time period. If you didn't have a job with a well paying salary, it was a struggle for you to make ends meet. I also noticed,while reading, that not only is Barbara working for less than minimum wage, but also the environment she works in is disgusting. She begins the narrative by explaining how horrible the kitchen and restaurant are. she also explains how the customers treat the areas the use, leaving food, spills, cigarette buds, etc. All of this adds to the financial struggle she faces due to her low wages. According to Barbara, customers also contribute to he stress at her workplace. In the narrative she describes them as the "enemies".

"Hair" By Malcolm X

After reading "Hair" by Malcolm X, I further understand his views of society during his time period. In "Hair" he describes an experience where he decides to try out a new hairstyle which, at that time, was called a conk. Conking was a style that would be equivalent to having a perm today and X believed that straightening his hair would look better than the "lifetime of kinks" he had to endured up to this point in his life. As he grew up into a more socially apprehensive man, he began to realize how much of a mistake he made and how ridiculous he looked, trying to emulate the straight hairstyle of a white man. X believed that he was being sucked into a stereotype of African Americans who were brainwashed into believing that they are inferior to whites. "I had joined the multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are 'inferior'-and white people 'superior'-that they will even violate and mutilate their God-created bodies to try to look 'pretty' by white standards" (X 23).  Moreover, Malcolm X viewed society at this time as white dominated and this ultimately prompted him to become political activist and also become a leader in the African American struggle freedom and equality amongst whites.

Although Malcolm X was a well-reknowned political activist and freedom fighter, he was also a very descriptive writer. While reading "Hair" I noticed that X is very descriptive when explaining the whole "conking" experience. He really gives the reader the opportunity to picture what he is explaining. "I gritted my teeth and tried to pull the sides of the table together. The comb felt as if it was raking my skin off. My eyes watered, my nose was running. I couldn't stand it any longer" (X 23). He uses a lot of sensory imagery which is a useful technique to keep the reader engaged throughout the passage. All in all, it was a great excerpt to read and has made me interested in reading the entire book at some point.

"Hating Goldie" By Phyllis Rose

After reading "Hating Goldie", I understand that Phyllis Rose believed that in order to have a successful and fulfilling adult life, one must endure suffering throughout their childhood. She began the short story by acknowledging that she was from a well to do middle class family and that she grew up living a rather privileged lifestyle, which obviously means her parents never really forced her to suffer. Rose ultimately blames her parents for depriving her of the proper pain she needed to endure in order to become a "nourished artist". After reading this, and based on the psychiatrist mentioned at the very end about Rose's mother being a great parent, one can conclude that pain and suffering are not the keys to a successful adult life. To further this point, one may also refer to all the accolades highlighted in Rose's career prior starting the story, which proves that your level of success is not measured by how much suffering you endure as a child.