Marxist and Funtionalist Perspectives on Inequality of Educational Essay

Marxist and Funtionalist Perspectives on Inequality of Educational Achievement Due to Social Class - Essay Example At the least, the democratic socialist countries would be expected to have achieved greater educational equality among citizens of distinct class backgrounds. It was found that the Soviet Union has not achieved educational equality to a noticeable extent, based on its characterization as a state capitalist country, deeply divided by class distinctions, and with the state bureaucracy at its core (Liston, 1988). Ramirez (2006) argues that cross-nationally, family background is clearly related to academic achievement; however, there is extensive cross-national variation in the correlation between achievement and aspirations. According to Ream and Palardy (2008), ‘social capital’ forms one of the components of social class which includes material and human capital. The researchers examined how parental social networks divided by class increase educational inequality among school children. Further, the authors used survey data to determine whether â€Å"certain forms of pare ntal social capital create educational advantages for socioeconomically privileged students vis-a-vis their less economically fortunate peers† (Ream and Palardy, 2008, p.238). Distinguishing between the availability of social capital and its convertibility, while greater extents of parental social capital was found to be concurrent with higher rungs in the social class ladder; the utility value of social capital for education was not clearly related to class status. A possible exception to this tendency could be the collective influence of middle-class parents’ ideas on beneficially changing school policies and practices. It is important to investigate whether the economic and sociological reasons for inequality can promote â€Å"educationally useful... As the paper stresses distinguishing between the availability of social capital and its convertibility, while greater extents of parental social capital was found to be concurrent with higher rungs in the social class ladder; the utility value of social capital for education was not clearly related to class status. A possible exception to this tendency could be the collective influence of middle-class parents’ ideas on beneficially changing school policies and practices. It is important to investigate whether the economic and sociological reasons for inequality can promote â€Å"educationally useful social exchange among parents across social boundaries†. This discussion explores that social justice and equity in connection with higher education is an important area of research towards policy formulation. These concepts help to create a more impartial, courteous, and just society for everyone. This conceptualization focuses on society as a whole; however â€Å"higher education research literature looks inward towards higher education itself†. In the social composition of higher education’s staff and student populations, it is found that equity and social justice agendas are imported from the wider society. This approach considers the rules of the competition as unfair if particular social groups are excluded or placed in a disadvantageous position in the competition for higher education. Functionalism is characterised as a set of three interrelatedd theses about the social world.

Renewable Energy Essay Example for Free

Renewable Energy Essay Climate change is one of significant issues that have been considered in recent years. According to Anderson (2009), most climate researchers recognise it is essential to reduce 80 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 to prohibit effects of climate change. Furthermore, carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important causes to produce GHG which is combusted from heating, transportation and electricity generated by fossil fuels. However, one of the solutions for reducing CO2 emissions is using renewable energy to replace fossil fuel. In addition, renewable energy is generated by natural resources such as sunlight, wind and biomass which produce less or no pollution when generate energy. Furthermore, renewable energy will be demanded for approximately half of the worldwide electricity supplies to reduce CO2 emissions by 2050, which it is estimated by The International Energy Agency (Cited in Shi 2010). This essay will focus on two forms of renewable energies which are solar power and biofuels. Firstly, solar energy has been widely used to generate heat and electricity recently. Moreover, it will show the benefits and also point out some drawbacks of solar energy. After that, the discussion will describe the second form of widespread renewable energy in the transport sector which is biofuels. Finally, it will reveal advantages and a disadvantage of this energy. This essay argues that renewable energies, which are solar power and biofuels have been extensively utilised in recent years. Furthermore, they have more advantages than disadvantages. Solar Energy The sun is the largest source of energy, which is transformed to solar power for generating heat and electricity and has been widely used in recent years. According to European Union (2011), there are several applications to use solar energy for heating such as hot water at home, heating in factory and building and swimming pool. In addition, a cooling system also uses solar energy as heat absorption system to generate air conditioning and cooling system in refrigerator. Moreover, this kind of energy can be transformed to generate electricity by two ways. First of all, Prasad Bansal (2011) state that electricity is converted directly from light by Photovoltaic (PV) via semiconducting materials, whose basic composition is solar cells. Furthermore, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is another way to generate electricity, in which parabolic solar tower focuses the light to be used for a single point heating, and then produces steam to impel a turbine (European Union 2011). However, PV and CSP can collect electricity in the different ways. PV plants store the energy by connects to batteries, or sent to the electricity grid. On the other hand, CSP system can store heat by itself. Therefore, this power can be generated during the absence of sunlight during the day and night time (European Union 2011). Although there are many reasons for using solar energy, there are some reasons against the use of this kind of energy such as limited condition and the high cost. Firstly, the most significant problem of solar power supply is this energy is not available during the absence of sunlight (especially at night). Furthermore, in winter that often has cloud cover, there are only a low amount of solar power is available (Lakatos, Hevessy Kovacs 2011). However, this issue can be overcome with the use of CHP as it can store the power by itself. Therefore, it can be used during the absence of sunlight. In addition, thin film photovoltaic (PV) power is another solution of the places that have cloud cover. According to Blakeslee (2012), there are three layers in thin film PV for covering a wider spectrum of light. Thus, the light is scattered in all directions by clouds more than usually block it. Secondly, another disadvantage of solar is the high cost is considered as another obstacle of solar energy. As he states that, â€Å"A recent NYU study found the following actual 2005 costs in cents/kWh: Geothermal 3.1-4.3 Biofuels Energy Another widespread renewable energy is biofuel which has been developed to use instead of fossil fuels in the transport sector. There are two principle forms of ‘biofuels’ which are biodiesel and bioethanol. First of all, most of biodiesel is created from oil which is produced by oleaginous plants such as sunflower, rapeseed and palm by reacting with methanol (European Union 2011). Moreover, the viscosity of these oils decreases when they are heated. In addition, Adelekan (2012) points out that these oils can be transformed directly to a diesel engine when they burn, or they can be generated to produce fuels as biodiesel by chemical process. Another form of biofuel is bioethanol or ethyl alcohol which is burned easily to produce a flame, which is generated by distilling products from the sugars and maize when they are fermented such as sugar beet, cereals, sugar cane or biomass (Ortiz et al. 2011). In many countries, there are an increasing number to use bioethanol as ga sohol or oxygenate in gasoline. In addition, bioethanol is elementary to process and manufacture (Adelekan 2012). As well as solar power, using biofuel also brings some disadvantages such as an impact on demand for food. According to Habibah (cited in Adelekan 2012), A huge demand for crops, sugar and oleaginous plants might be impacted from the demand for biofuels which will be result for an increasing cost of food price, increasing level of poverty and food insecurity problem. In addition, biofuels are enemy for agricultural land that would have been used for growing food crops despite being used for growing energy crops now (Adelekan 2012). Therefore, the number of lands for agriculture would be decreased that would have an effect on shortage of food. However, if the government launches the policy of regulation to use agriculture land for growing energy crops, this issue would be overcome. Conclusion In conclusion, there are several significant benefits in the use of renewable energies which are solar power and biofuels to be utilised for replacing fossil fuels. As can be seen in the discussion above, solar energy can be transformed to generate heat and electricity with Photovoltaic and Concentrating Solar Power. In addition, biofuels, another renewable energy can be used in transport sector to replace fossil fuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol. However, although there are some disadvantages of both kinds of energy, their effectiveness is greater. In addition, these obstacles could be overcome in the near future. Therefore, the use of these renewable energies could be the essential alternative way to reduce CO2 emissions for the solution of climate change.

Fukyama V huntington Essay -- essays research papers

Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington are two of the most controversial and influential modern political theorists of our times. Fukuyama’s book, The End of History and the Last Man, and Huntington’s book, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, pose two very conflicting theories on international relations. In this paper I will summarize and compare/contrast the two theories. Both theories, written since the fall of communism and updated since the first gulf war, have been widely read, taught, praised and criticized The End of History and the Last Man is a book in which Francis Fukuyama argues the controversial thesis that the end of history, a time when class distinctions no longer exist, believing them to be the cause of the evolution of everything that has existed in society up in till that point, is among us. "What we may be witnessing in not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." Fukuyama’s thesis consists of two main elements. Firstly, Fukuyama points out that since the beginning of the nineteenth century democracy is the only intellectual expected system of government. Secondly, Fukuyama sees history as consisting of tension between two classes: the one in control and the one being controlled. Ultimatel...

Is Joko Widodo a Good Leader?

Joko Widodo or better known by his nickname Jokowi is a politician in Indonesia and the current Governor of Jakarta period 2012 until 2017. Jokowi graduated with an engineering degree from the Faculty of Forestry at Gadjah Mada University in 1985. He was as the Mayor of Sukarta on period 2005 until 2012, before him currently being a Governor of Jakata. He was nominated in the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle to run in the Governor election of Jakarta 2012 with his running mate Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. He was elected as Governor of Jakarta on 20 September 2012 after a second round of voting in which he defeated incumbent previous Governor of Jakarta Fauzi Bowo. While running for the office of mayor of Surakarta, many doubted the ability of a man who worked as a property and furniture businessman, but after a year in office, he successfully led many progressive breakthroughs which became widely praised nationally. He adopted the development framework of European cities (which he frequently traveled to as a businessman) into his own city of Surakarta. Bases on Wikipedia, Joko Widodo was chosen by the Tempo magazine as one of the ‘Top 10 Indonesian Mayors of 2008'. In 2011, he was awarded the Bintang Jasa Utama by the government. The next year, he received 3rd place of the 2012 World Mayor Prize for â€Å"Transforming a crime-ridden city into a regional center for art and culture and an attractive city to tourists†. Jokowi has vision and mission to lead Jakarta and solve all the problem that is not the simple problem, but very complicated and complex. Jakarta is a big city and also has a big population. Governor of Jakarta is just as a political leader, but also to mange this city. Jakarta has some problem such as traffic and also floods if there is heavy rain and still many problem that have to solve by a leader. Jokowi’s vision is to make new face Jakarta, neat modern city and also humane, with leadership and good government and also serve the residents. To realize that vision, he also make some mission, that are five and one of that is make Jakarta as a city that is free from chronic problems such as traffic jams, floods, slums, waste and others. And then some work plan of Jokowi to make green areas to decrease the floods and also the reservoir to relocate rainwater. And also he will increase the public transportation that environmentally friendly, to decrease private transport users and would switch to use public transport and then more efficient and safe. For the conclusion, I think he is a good leader for Jakarta even several problems in Jakarta still not solve yet by him, but he still try to solve. As we know, Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, the problems is not only one but so many problems. He should manage Jakarta to be a neat modern city and also he visited flood victims when the big flood in Jakarta for several times. That is to show his responsibility as the Governor of Jakarta.

“A Few Notes for Orpheus”, by Don Bailey Essay

In the short story â€Å"A Few Notes for Orpheus† Don Bailey portrays the protagonist, Jake as an isolated, resentful, and hypocritical man. As the story begins, Jake is sitting alone in his room, living in self-isolation. He is always â€Å"telling [himself] that [he] likes [his] privacy, although sometimes he feels _too_ alone. The only contact Jake has with the outside world is through his telephone, and as he receives a phone call from his mother, a woman who he hasn’t spoken to in a long time, he wishes â€Å"[he] had disconnected† his phone, or â€Å"never had [it] installed†. Jake is almost glad to hear her voice, but assumes that something is wrong because she never called him. Jake is uninformed about what goes on within his family. His mother has â€Å"never once mentioned cigarettes that [he] could remember†, cigarettes that would later result in his father developing cancer. Jake also has never made the effort to re-establish a bond with those who he has lost contact with, such as his mother, father, wife, or daughter. Jake resents the fact that he is so isolated but doesn’t want to take the initiative to change his lifestyle. He resents how neglectful he has been of his daughter, Bernice, and resentful that he has never been able to live up to his father’s expectations as a child. When Jake brings Bernice along to finally meet her grandfather, she is effortlessly accepted by him. Jake has always tried so hard to be accepted by his father, but all of his attempts  had either gone unnoticed like how â€Å"the old man hadn’t been around when [he was awarded with a] certificate [in Red Cross life-saving]†, or when they had failed. He â€Å"[has] always resented that about [his father]; his attitude [towards his frailness]†. His father had been somewhat understanding, so he showed it through his polite smiles. The emptiness of those smiles had hurt Jake through the years, stripping him of an enjoyable childhood and eventually making him resent every aspect of it. Jake, who is oblivious to his hypocrisy, doesn’t initially realize the number of â€Å"statues† he has made. Throughout the story we are exposed to frequent statue-making and Jake’s dislike of statues because â€Å"Statues were the way other people made you stand still – like dying. People loved you, made you their hero, and killed you so they could build a monument to their feelings.† Jake has made statues of â€Å"the old lady†, the living soap opera; his wife, the reformer; â€Å"the kid†, the infiltrator; and â€Å"the old man†. The statue of his â€Å"old man† is significantly different to the shriveled old man he actually is. Jake has â€Å"always thought of [his father] as being bigger†. Jake also included his father’s infamous polite smile, one that had been used to hide the shame that he felt in regards to Jake. Bernice has never had a complete statue of Jake because Jake wouldn’t give her enough time to make one. She knew Jake as â€Å"the man that used to live with [her]†, not as her father. During their trip to the cottage, Jake allows himself to bond with Bernice. She â€Å"knew all the gestures that [led] to making [him] stand still for statue making – to become a hero†, even if it was only for one day. This is the first step to Bernice experiencing what it is like to have a father. Even though Jake wasn’t able to bond with his father, he didn’t have to put Bernice through the same pain or make the same mistakes. Don Bailey helps us perceive Jake as an isolated, resentful, and hypocritical man by exposing us to Jake’s opinions concerning statues, his family, and his childhood. Jake’s pain growing up ultimately contributed to the construction of his beliefs and would further teach him a lesson on how to avoid making the same mistakes that his father made, so his daughter would not have to experience the same pain while she grew up.