REFLECTIVE LETTER
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Second Semester of English in America
So this is it, the end of my second
semester of studying English in an American university. Apparently it will also
be my last at least in a while. During this semester I have improved my
academic writing and learned new skills as well. My confidence in writing
essays, blog posts and other texts in English has improved significantly. In
addition to the academics I have also gained deeper knowledge about certain
current events and got to know a diverse group of other students as well. I
will be moving back to Finland with English writing skills that are, in my
opinion, good enough to get me through anything that requires the use of
English. I feel as if I can look at every piece of writing in a whole different
way now.
This semester of writing has helped me to improve the skills that I had learned in the A-section last semester. The use of MLA formatting, including citations, has become a routine. Now it is easy to just quickly check the MLA instructions to see if my citations are correct. Last semester I needed the citation instructions to help me with every single step, now I just remember most of it. One thing about MLA formatting that seems to be hard to remember is the formatting of the header. For some reason the first drafts of my essays always either lack the header or they have a wrong font to. Regardless of this I am happy that I have adjusted to the use of MLA formatting.
The previous months have also got me to a level of writing where English has basically become my second language. Writing in English doesn’t require any extra effort anymore. It wasn’t hard or overly challenging earlier either, but now it literally doesn’t matter whether I’m writing in Finnish or English. My academic vocabulary has expanded and the use of different expressions has improved. Now I also understand what kind of vocabulary is correct for essays and other assignments in the university. Earlier I might have used some spoken language or incorrect impressions in my essays.
In addition, I have also improved my skills in the areas where I wasn’t doing good enough during last semester. I think the most important thing I needed to work on was my conclusion. During last semester I didn’t put enough effort to my conclusions and there was clearly room for improvement. I have put more effort on conclusions in terms of time. This has helped to form the last paragraph in a way that it properly puts together everything I have said in my essay.
The assignments I wrote in class have expanded my knowledge of many topics that I was aware of, but which I didn’t have a deep understanding of. For example, my understanding of the challenges that African-Americans face in the United States has improved. I think I read quite a few interesting articles about this. Furthermore the discussions in class about African-Americans were mind-opening experiences. One of the other big issues that I learned was the issue of female genital mutilation. I knew it existed and what it meant, but I don’t think I knew how widespread and brutal it actually was. In conclusion, the course has provided more than just technical details about the use of English language.
Altogether, my semester in this English class has been great. I have worked hard and done my best for everything I had to do. I have become much more fluent in English and gained confidence in writing. From now on I will be more than happy to use English during my academic career or during my future job. I am ready to face any challenges ahead of me.
This semester of writing has helped me to improve the skills that I had learned in the A-section last semester. The use of MLA formatting, including citations, has become a routine. Now it is easy to just quickly check the MLA instructions to see if my citations are correct. Last semester I needed the citation instructions to help me with every single step, now I just remember most of it. One thing about MLA formatting that seems to be hard to remember is the formatting of the header. For some reason the first drafts of my essays always either lack the header or they have a wrong font to. Regardless of this I am happy that I have adjusted to the use of MLA formatting.
The previous months have also got me to a level of writing where English has basically become my second language. Writing in English doesn’t require any extra effort anymore. It wasn’t hard or overly challenging earlier either, but now it literally doesn’t matter whether I’m writing in Finnish or English. My academic vocabulary has expanded and the use of different expressions has improved. Now I also understand what kind of vocabulary is correct for essays and other assignments in the university. Earlier I might have used some spoken language or incorrect impressions in my essays.
In addition, I have also improved my skills in the areas where I wasn’t doing good enough during last semester. I think the most important thing I needed to work on was my conclusion. During last semester I didn’t put enough effort to my conclusions and there was clearly room for improvement. I have put more effort on conclusions in terms of time. This has helped to form the last paragraph in a way that it properly puts together everything I have said in my essay.
The assignments I wrote in class have expanded my knowledge of many topics that I was aware of, but which I didn’t have a deep understanding of. For example, my understanding of the challenges that African-Americans face in the United States has improved. I think I read quite a few interesting articles about this. Furthermore the discussions in class about African-Americans were mind-opening experiences. One of the other big issues that I learned was the issue of female genital mutilation. I knew it existed and what it meant, but I don’t think I knew how widespread and brutal it actually was. In conclusion, the course has provided more than just technical details about the use of English language.
Altogether, my semester in this English class has been great. I have worked hard and done my best for everything I had to do. I have become much more fluent in English and gained confidence in writing. From now on I will be more than happy to use English during my academic career or during my future job. I am ready to face any challenges ahead of me.
ESSAY A. FINAL DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Quality
Education Is a Right Not a Privilege
Officially segregation has ended decades ago, but some of
the practices are still present today. Segregation today isn’t a law or a set
of customs purposely meant to hurt anyone. Modern segregation in the field of
education is a misunderstanding and misinterpreting the statistics, facts, and
information. Unfortunately segregation affects the education system and
provides inequality of education, especially for young African-American
students. Whether intentional or not, segregation has a significant impact on
the academic success of the student, especially students from low-income African-American
families. The government has tried to confront the issue of inequality in
education, but so far there has been little or no success. To eliminate
educational inequality among African-Americans, the unintentional segregation
in schools has to end.
Segregation in schools is apparent and it is appearing more frequently. American schools are following a general trend in which racial segregation is increasing (Tarasawa). According to Tarasawa this new form of segregation is especially harmful for African-American students, many of who come from low-income families. Usually low-income families live in neighborhoods that do not offer high performing schools. Increasing rates of segregation leave the inner city schools to struggle with students from difficult backgrounds. Tarasawa’s research shows how the white families avoid enrolling their children in schools that have less than 75 percent of white students in them. Usually this leads to a situation where the white families live in the suburbs and their children attend the local public schools where the majority of students are white. Or, if the white families live in integrated neighborhoods, they most often send their children to private or charter schools (Tarasawa 658). Tarasawa also points out that many African-American families cannot afford to send their children to a private school or move to the suburbs, which leads to segregated inner city schools with students that are mostly African-American (662,663).
School segregation is especially visible in high schools. Certain high schools have a high rate of troubled students combined with inferior resources such as unqualified teachers and below average curriculums. Many low-income students come from troubled or challenged backgrounds. Generally these students have not had a preschool education or the neighborhood they live in doesn’t provide an environment which would set an example for academic success. According to Motoko Rich nearly 50 percent of all African-American students attend a high school where they don’t have access to a full range of math and science courses. This means that even if a student would want to get educated in a certain subject they might not be able to, which might have an effect on which colleges one might be able to get admitted to or how well one is going to succeed in their college career.
The reason why these substandard curriculums are offered might be as simple as funding. When there is not enough funding the schools have to cut programs, and high-level courses with few enrolled students are an easy target. On the other hand, the reason for the substandard curriculum might also be that students simply aren’t attending these classes. This might be an outcome of the quality of the education of a specific school. If the students aren’t learning the basics well enough, they will not want to participate or are not able to participate in more challenging courses. Russel W. Rumberger and Gregory J. Palardy point out that the expectations for students are often low in the high schools that have a majority of African-American students (2002). Teachers in these schools keep their expectations low because they know that a majority of the students do not have a preschool background. Getting preschool education is an important indicator of how well the student will perform in their future academic career. Many African-American students come from low-income families and tend to not attend preschool, which reflects on their high school careers. Many teachers set the low expectations because they think the students aren’t capable of achieving higher goals. Setting expectations low generally causes students to less likely be successful.
Moreover, the teachers in the segregated schools with primarily African American students are also problematic. African-American students are four times as likely to attend schools where 20 percent or more of the teachers are unqualified (Rich). Combining unqualified teachers and students that mostly come from low-income homes is not a great solution. First of all, the teachers that are unqualified cannot teach their students as well as those with a full set of teaching skills. This might be especially important with students that have trouble learning or lack home support for a variety of reasons. Secondly, if the teachers of certain schools are not capable of teaching as well as the teachers in other schools, many talented students are lost, as they don’t have an opportunity to develop their skills to the same level as the good students in schools with better-qualified teachers. It is far from equal to provide a certain group of students with inferior curriculum and teachers.
The inequality that unqualified teachers represent can largely be explained by one factor and it is money. The teachers in the schools with mostly low-income students get paid far less than their counterparts in wealthier neighborhoods. Fully qualified, experienced teachers are more likely to work in schools where their salary reflects their professional level. Rich states that the salary cap between the teachers in schools with mostly wealthy students and the teachers in schools with mostly low-income students is over 5,000 dollars. It isn’t necessarily that the qualified teachers wouldn’t want to work with low-income students, but rather that the government policy on salaries supports inequality in the distribution of qualified teachers. This type of salary cap does not serve as an incentive to teach in the schools that are facing many challenges. The salary cap leads to a situation where the most qualified teachers will apply to jobs in the schools with students from fortunate backgrounds.
The government has tried to fix the educational inequalities with several policies including the No Child Left Behind Act. David Hursh points out in his article “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act,” that the NCLB has hindered education for African-American students. NCLB takes funding away from schools that don’t reach a certain level of points in the standardized tests. This is problematic because the students in those schools usually have more learning issues and less preschool. So what this means is that the opportunity for learning is taken away from those students who never even had it to begin with. Hursh states that eliminating resources from underachieving schools hits the inner city schools very hard. Because of the lack of resources, there is no way that the schools serving certain neighborhoods would reach the required level mandated by NCLB. Hursh also argues that the NCLB policy should take into account the relative progress that the schools make rather than just setting requirement levels based on standardized tests. These kinds of policies from the government prove that they have yet to actually understand the issue of inequality in education and the effect of segregation.
The solutions to providing equal educational opportunities for all students and especially for African-American students are neither simple nor fast. First of all the lack in curriculums and qualified teachers has to be addressed. The government should grant more funding to provide higher salaries for teachers in the mostly African-American inner city schools, thereby attracting more qualified teachers. Secondly, the curriculum of all high schools should be brought to the same level. Naturally, to do this would require extra funding as well. The hardest part of the solution is to desegregate all high schools, so that the student composition isn’t only African-American in certain schools. To do this more research is needed for the reasons why the white middle class send their children to schools other than the public schools in their neighborhood. No matter what the reasons are, the public should be encouraged to send their children to the local public school in order to stop the circle of segregation and educational disparity.
Segregation in schools is apparent and it is appearing more frequently. American schools are following a general trend in which racial segregation is increasing (Tarasawa). According to Tarasawa this new form of segregation is especially harmful for African-American students, many of who come from low-income families. Usually low-income families live in neighborhoods that do not offer high performing schools. Increasing rates of segregation leave the inner city schools to struggle with students from difficult backgrounds. Tarasawa’s research shows how the white families avoid enrolling their children in schools that have less than 75 percent of white students in them. Usually this leads to a situation where the white families live in the suburbs and their children attend the local public schools where the majority of students are white. Or, if the white families live in integrated neighborhoods, they most often send their children to private or charter schools (Tarasawa 658). Tarasawa also points out that many African-American families cannot afford to send their children to a private school or move to the suburbs, which leads to segregated inner city schools with students that are mostly African-American (662,663).
School segregation is especially visible in high schools. Certain high schools have a high rate of troubled students combined with inferior resources such as unqualified teachers and below average curriculums. Many low-income students come from troubled or challenged backgrounds. Generally these students have not had a preschool education or the neighborhood they live in doesn’t provide an environment which would set an example for academic success. According to Motoko Rich nearly 50 percent of all African-American students attend a high school where they don’t have access to a full range of math and science courses. This means that even if a student would want to get educated in a certain subject they might not be able to, which might have an effect on which colleges one might be able to get admitted to or how well one is going to succeed in their college career.
The reason why these substandard curriculums are offered might be as simple as funding. When there is not enough funding the schools have to cut programs, and high-level courses with few enrolled students are an easy target. On the other hand, the reason for the substandard curriculum might also be that students simply aren’t attending these classes. This might be an outcome of the quality of the education of a specific school. If the students aren’t learning the basics well enough, they will not want to participate or are not able to participate in more challenging courses. Russel W. Rumberger and Gregory J. Palardy point out that the expectations for students are often low in the high schools that have a majority of African-American students (2002). Teachers in these schools keep their expectations low because they know that a majority of the students do not have a preschool background. Getting preschool education is an important indicator of how well the student will perform in their future academic career. Many African-American students come from low-income families and tend to not attend preschool, which reflects on their high school careers. Many teachers set the low expectations because they think the students aren’t capable of achieving higher goals. Setting expectations low generally causes students to less likely be successful.
Moreover, the teachers in the segregated schools with primarily African American students are also problematic. African-American students are four times as likely to attend schools where 20 percent or more of the teachers are unqualified (Rich). Combining unqualified teachers and students that mostly come from low-income homes is not a great solution. First of all, the teachers that are unqualified cannot teach their students as well as those with a full set of teaching skills. This might be especially important with students that have trouble learning or lack home support for a variety of reasons. Secondly, if the teachers of certain schools are not capable of teaching as well as the teachers in other schools, many talented students are lost, as they don’t have an opportunity to develop their skills to the same level as the good students in schools with better-qualified teachers. It is far from equal to provide a certain group of students with inferior curriculum and teachers.
The inequality that unqualified teachers represent can largely be explained by one factor and it is money. The teachers in the schools with mostly low-income students get paid far less than their counterparts in wealthier neighborhoods. Fully qualified, experienced teachers are more likely to work in schools where their salary reflects their professional level. Rich states that the salary cap between the teachers in schools with mostly wealthy students and the teachers in schools with mostly low-income students is over 5,000 dollars. It isn’t necessarily that the qualified teachers wouldn’t want to work with low-income students, but rather that the government policy on salaries supports inequality in the distribution of qualified teachers. This type of salary cap does not serve as an incentive to teach in the schools that are facing many challenges. The salary cap leads to a situation where the most qualified teachers will apply to jobs in the schools with students from fortunate backgrounds.
The government has tried to fix the educational inequalities with several policies including the No Child Left Behind Act. David Hursh points out in his article “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act,” that the NCLB has hindered education for African-American students. NCLB takes funding away from schools that don’t reach a certain level of points in the standardized tests. This is problematic because the students in those schools usually have more learning issues and less preschool. So what this means is that the opportunity for learning is taken away from those students who never even had it to begin with. Hursh states that eliminating resources from underachieving schools hits the inner city schools very hard. Because of the lack of resources, there is no way that the schools serving certain neighborhoods would reach the required level mandated by NCLB. Hursh also argues that the NCLB policy should take into account the relative progress that the schools make rather than just setting requirement levels based on standardized tests. These kinds of policies from the government prove that they have yet to actually understand the issue of inequality in education and the effect of segregation.
The solutions to providing equal educational opportunities for all students and especially for African-American students are neither simple nor fast. First of all the lack in curriculums and qualified teachers has to be addressed. The government should grant more funding to provide higher salaries for teachers in the mostly African-American inner city schools, thereby attracting more qualified teachers. Secondly, the curriculum of all high schools should be brought to the same level. Naturally, to do this would require extra funding as well. The hardest part of the solution is to desegregate all high schools, so that the student composition isn’t only African-American in certain schools. To do this more research is needed for the reasons why the white middle class send their children to schools other than the public schools in their neighborhood. No matter what the reasons are, the public should be encouraged to send their children to the local public school in order to stop the circle of segregation and educational disparity.
Works Cited
Hursh, David. “Exacerbating
Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act.” Race,
Ethnicity and Education 10.3 (2007): 295-308. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr.
2014. Provides a critical view toward the NCLB act. Criticizes especially standardized testing and decreasing school
budgets based on test results. This article is a good example of a failed government policy in education.
Rich, Motoko. “School data
Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines.” The New York Times.
The New York Times, 21 Mar. 2014. Web 1 Apr. 2014. This article brings out the statistical information from a
nationwide public school survey. It states how black students are more likely to get suspended and that most of
the black students study in inner city
public schools, which are basically segregated. This article argues that many black students still get their education
in schools with inferior resources.
Rumberger, Russel W. and
Palardy, Gregory J. “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of Student Composition on Academic Achievement
in High School.” Teachers College Record 107.9 (2005): 1999-2045. Academic Search Elite. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Provides research about the optimal
student composition in terms of socioeconomic factors. States that students from low-income families
get better grades when they don’t make up more than
50% of the student body in a certain school. Argues that government policies
should concentrate on creating
schools where student composition is mixed based on socioeconomic factors.
Tarasawa, Beth A. “Live and
Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics.” Education and Society 44 (2011): 655-671. Sage Publications. Web. 11 Apr.
2014. Introduces a study, which shows how white families avoid schools with
less than 75% white students. Also
states that public schools in racially integrated neighborhoods are segregated because white students are sent
to private schools. The article
suggests that to end segregation both, the neighborhood and school segregation issues should be addressed at the same
time.
ESSAY A. SECOND DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
24 April 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
24 April 2014
Quality Education Is a Right Not a
Privilege
Officially segregation has ended
decades ago, but some of the practices are still present today. Segregation
today isn’t a law or a set of customs purposely meant to hurt anyone. Modern
segregation in the field of education is closer to a combination of
misunderstanding and misinterpreting the statistics, facts, and information. Unfortunately
segregation affects the education system and provides inequality especially for
the young African-American students. There are several reasons for the
educational inequality and they include partial or whole neighborhood and
school segregation. Whether intentional or not, segregation has a significant
impact on the academic success of the student especially in low-income
families. The government has tried to confront the issue of inequality in
education, but so far there has been little or no success. To eliminate
educational inequality among African-Americans, the unintentional segregation
in schools has to end.
Segregation in schools is apparent and it is appearing more frequently than before. Beth A. Tarasawa, the author of the article, “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics,” states the American schools are following a general trend in which racial segregation is increasing. According to Tarasawa this new form of segregation is especially harmful for the African-American students, many of who come from low-income families. Usually low-income families live in neighborhoods that do not provide a proper example for a success in school. Increasing rates of segregation leave the inner city schools to struggle with students from difficult backgrounds that are mostly from low-income families. Tarasawa’s research shows how the white families avoid enrolling their children in schools that have less than 75 percent of white students in them. Usually this leads into a situation where the white families live in the suburbs and their children attend the local public schools where the majority of students are white. Or, if the white families live in integrated neighborhoods, they most often sent their children to private or charter schools (Tarasawa). Tarasawa also points out that many African-American families cannot afford to send their children to a private school or move to the suburbs. This leads to segregated inner city schools with students that are mostly African-American.
School segregation is especially visible in high schools. Certain high schools have a high rate of troubled students combined with inferior resources such as unqualified teachers and below average curriculums. Many low-income students come from troubled or challenged backgrounds. This is due several things like, they most likely have no preschool education or the neighborhood they live in doesn’t provide an environment, which would set an example for academic success. According to Motoko Rich, the author of the article, “School Data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines,” nearly 50 percent of all African-American students attend a high school where they don’t have access to a full range of math and science courses. This means that even if a student would want to get educated in a certain subject they might not be able to. In the longer run this might have an effect on which colleges one might be able to get in or how well one is going to succeed in their college career.
The reason why these substandard curriculums are offered might be as simple as funding. When there is not enough funding the schools have to cut programs, and high-level courses with few students attending them are an easy target. On the other hand the reason for the substandard curriculum might also be that students simply aren’t attending these classes. This might be an outcome of the quality of the education of a specific school. If the students aren’t learning the basics well enough, they will not want to participate in the courses that are even more demanding. Russel W. Rumberger and Gregory J. Palardy, the authors of the article, “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of Student Composition on Academic Achievement in High School,” point out that the expectations for students are often low in the high schools that have a majority of African-American students. This is a result of the fact that many African-American students come from low-income families. Students from less fortunate backgrounds tend have less preschool, which reflects to their highs school careers as well. Teachers knowledge this and many set the expectations on a lower level because they think the students aren’t capable of achieving higher goals. Setting expectations low causes students to be less likely successful. Indeed, the teachers in the segregated schools with primarily African American students are also problematic. African-American students are four times as likely to attend schools where 20 percent or more of the teachers are unqualified (Rich). Combining unqualified teachers and students that mostly come from low-income homes is not a great solution. First of all, the teachers that are unqualified cannot teach their students as well as those with a full set of teaching skills. This might be especially important with students that have trouble learning. Secondly, if the teachers of certain schools are not capable of teaching as well as the teachers in other schools, many talents are lost because of this. The good students don’t have an opportunity to develop their skills to the same level as the good students in schools with proper teachers. It is far from equal to provide a certain group of students with inferior curriculums and teachers.
The inequality that unqualified teachers represent can largely be explained by one factor and it is money. The teachers in the schools with mostly low-income students get paid far less than their counterparts in wealthier neighborhoods. Fully qualified, experienced teachers are more likely to work in schools where their salary reflects their professional level. Rich states that the salary cap between the teachers in schools with mostly wealthy students and the teachers in schools with mostly low-income students is over 5000 dollars. It isn’t necessarily that the qualified teachers wouldn’t want to work with low-income students, but rather that the government policy on salaries supports inequality in the distribution of qualified teachers. This type of salary cap does not serve as an incentive to teach in the schools that are facing many challenges. The salary cap leads to a situation where the most qualified teachers will apply to jobs in the schools with students from fortunate backgrounds.
The government has tried to fix the educational inequalities with several policies including the No Child Left Behind Act. David Hursh points out in his article, “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act,” that the NCLB has hindered education for African-American students. Hursh states that eliminating resources from the so-called underachieving schools hits the inner city schools very hard. Because of the lack of resources to begin with, there is no way that the schools serving certain neighborhoods would reach the required level mandated by NCLB. Hursh also argues that the NCLB policy should take into account the relative progress that the schools make rather than just setting boundaries based on standardized tests. These kinds of policies from the government prove that they have yet to actually understand the issue of inequality in education and the effect of segregation.
The solutions to provide equal educational opportunities for all the students and especially for African-Americans are neither simple nor fast. First of all the lack in curriculums and qualified teachers has to be addressed. The government should grant more funding to provide higher salaries for teachers in the mostly African-American inner city schools, thereby attracting more qualified teachers. Secondly, the curriculums of all high schools should be brought to the same level. Naturally, to do this would require extra funding as well. The hardest part of the solution is to desegregate all high schools, so that the student composition isn’t only African-American in certain schools. To do this more research is needed for the reasons why the white middle class send their children to schools other than the public schools in their neighborhood. No matter what the reasons are, the public should be encouraged to send their children to the local public school in order to stop the circle of segregation and educational disparity.
Segregation in schools is apparent and it is appearing more frequently than before. Beth A. Tarasawa, the author of the article, “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics,” states the American schools are following a general trend in which racial segregation is increasing. According to Tarasawa this new form of segregation is especially harmful for the African-American students, many of who come from low-income families. Usually low-income families live in neighborhoods that do not provide a proper example for a success in school. Increasing rates of segregation leave the inner city schools to struggle with students from difficult backgrounds that are mostly from low-income families. Tarasawa’s research shows how the white families avoid enrolling their children in schools that have less than 75 percent of white students in them. Usually this leads into a situation where the white families live in the suburbs and their children attend the local public schools where the majority of students are white. Or, if the white families live in integrated neighborhoods, they most often sent their children to private or charter schools (Tarasawa). Tarasawa also points out that many African-American families cannot afford to send their children to a private school or move to the suburbs. This leads to segregated inner city schools with students that are mostly African-American.
School segregation is especially visible in high schools. Certain high schools have a high rate of troubled students combined with inferior resources such as unqualified teachers and below average curriculums. Many low-income students come from troubled or challenged backgrounds. This is due several things like, they most likely have no preschool education or the neighborhood they live in doesn’t provide an environment, which would set an example for academic success. According to Motoko Rich, the author of the article, “School Data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines,” nearly 50 percent of all African-American students attend a high school where they don’t have access to a full range of math and science courses. This means that even if a student would want to get educated in a certain subject they might not be able to. In the longer run this might have an effect on which colleges one might be able to get in or how well one is going to succeed in their college career.
The reason why these substandard curriculums are offered might be as simple as funding. When there is not enough funding the schools have to cut programs, and high-level courses with few students attending them are an easy target. On the other hand the reason for the substandard curriculum might also be that students simply aren’t attending these classes. This might be an outcome of the quality of the education of a specific school. If the students aren’t learning the basics well enough, they will not want to participate in the courses that are even more demanding. Russel W. Rumberger and Gregory J. Palardy, the authors of the article, “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of Student Composition on Academic Achievement in High School,” point out that the expectations for students are often low in the high schools that have a majority of African-American students. This is a result of the fact that many African-American students come from low-income families. Students from less fortunate backgrounds tend have less preschool, which reflects to their highs school careers as well. Teachers knowledge this and many set the expectations on a lower level because they think the students aren’t capable of achieving higher goals. Setting expectations low causes students to be less likely successful. Indeed, the teachers in the segregated schools with primarily African American students are also problematic. African-American students are four times as likely to attend schools where 20 percent or more of the teachers are unqualified (Rich). Combining unqualified teachers and students that mostly come from low-income homes is not a great solution. First of all, the teachers that are unqualified cannot teach their students as well as those with a full set of teaching skills. This might be especially important with students that have trouble learning. Secondly, if the teachers of certain schools are not capable of teaching as well as the teachers in other schools, many talents are lost because of this. The good students don’t have an opportunity to develop their skills to the same level as the good students in schools with proper teachers. It is far from equal to provide a certain group of students with inferior curriculums and teachers.
The inequality that unqualified teachers represent can largely be explained by one factor and it is money. The teachers in the schools with mostly low-income students get paid far less than their counterparts in wealthier neighborhoods. Fully qualified, experienced teachers are more likely to work in schools where their salary reflects their professional level. Rich states that the salary cap between the teachers in schools with mostly wealthy students and the teachers in schools with mostly low-income students is over 5000 dollars. It isn’t necessarily that the qualified teachers wouldn’t want to work with low-income students, but rather that the government policy on salaries supports inequality in the distribution of qualified teachers. This type of salary cap does not serve as an incentive to teach in the schools that are facing many challenges. The salary cap leads to a situation where the most qualified teachers will apply to jobs in the schools with students from fortunate backgrounds.
The government has tried to fix the educational inequalities with several policies including the No Child Left Behind Act. David Hursh points out in his article, “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act,” that the NCLB has hindered education for African-American students. Hursh states that eliminating resources from the so-called underachieving schools hits the inner city schools very hard. Because of the lack of resources to begin with, there is no way that the schools serving certain neighborhoods would reach the required level mandated by NCLB. Hursh also argues that the NCLB policy should take into account the relative progress that the schools make rather than just setting boundaries based on standardized tests. These kinds of policies from the government prove that they have yet to actually understand the issue of inequality in education and the effect of segregation.
The solutions to provide equal educational opportunities for all the students and especially for African-Americans are neither simple nor fast. First of all the lack in curriculums and qualified teachers has to be addressed. The government should grant more funding to provide higher salaries for teachers in the mostly African-American inner city schools, thereby attracting more qualified teachers. Secondly, the curriculums of all high schools should be brought to the same level. Naturally, to do this would require extra funding as well. The hardest part of the solution is to desegregate all high schools, so that the student composition isn’t only African-American in certain schools. To do this more research is needed for the reasons why the white middle class send their children to schools other than the public schools in their neighborhood. No matter what the reasons are, the public should be encouraged to send their children to the local public school in order to stop the circle of segregation and educational disparity.
Works Cited
Hursh,
David. “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind
Act.” Race, Ethnicity and Education 10.3 (2007): 295-308. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. Provides a critical view toward
the NCLB act. Criticizes especially standardized
testing and decreasing school budgets based on test results. This article is a good example of a failed government
policy in education.
Rich,
Motoko. “School data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Mar. 2014. Web 1 Apr. 2014.
This article brings out the statistical
information from a nationwide public school survey. It states how black students are more likely to get
suspended and that most of the black students study in inner city public schools, which are basically segregated. This
article argues that many black
students still get their education in schools with inferior resources.
Rumberger,
Russel W. and Palardy, Gregory J. “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of
Student Composition on Academic
Achievement in High School.” Teachers
College Record 107.9 (2005):
1999-2045. Academic Search Elite.
Web. 8 Apr. 2014. Provides research
about the optimal student composition in terms of socioeconomic factors. States that students from low-income
families get better grades when they don’t make up more than 50% of the student body in a certain school. Argues that
government policies should concentrate
on creating schools where student composition is mixed based on socioeconomic factors.
Tarasawa,
Beth A. “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics.” Education and Society 44 (2011): 655-671. Sage Publications. Web. 11 Apr.
2014. Introduces a study, which shows how white families avoid schools with
less than 75% white students. Also
states that public schools in racially integrated neighborhoods are segregated because white students are sent
to private schools. The article
suggests that to end segregation both, the neighborhood and school segregation issues should be addressed at the same
time.
ESSAY A. FIRST DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
14 April 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
14 April 2014
Quality Education Is a Right Not a
Privilege
Officially segregation has ended
decades ago, but some of the practices are still present today. Whether we want
to admit it or not segregation affects the lives of many African-Americans
especially during their academic career in high school. Segregation today isn’t
a law or a set of customs purposely meant to hurt anyone. Modern segregation in
the field of education is closer to a combination of misunderstanding and
misinterpreting the statistic, facts and information. Unfortunately segregation
affects the education system and provides inequality especially for the young
African-American students. There are several reasons for the educational
inequality and they include partial or whole neighborhood and school
segregation. Whether intentional or not, segregation has a significant impact
on the academic success of the student especially in the low-income families. The
government has tried to confront the issue of inequality in education, but so
far there has been little or no success. To eliminate educational inequality
among African-Americans, segregation in schools has to end.
Segregation in schools is apparent and it is appearing more frequently than before. Beth A. Tarasawa the author of the article, “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics,” states the American schools are following a general trend in which racial segregation is increasing. According to Tarasawa this newly recovered segregation is especially harmful for the African-American students. Increasing rates of segregation leave the inner city schools to struggle with students from difficult backgrounds that are mostly from low-income families. Tarasawa’s research shows how the white families avoid enrolling their children in schools that have less than 75 percent of white students in them. Usually this leads into a situation where the white families live in the suburbs and their kids attend the local public schools where the majority of students are white. Or, if the white families live in integrated neighborhoods, they most often sent their kids to private or charter schools (Tarasawa). Tarasawa also points out that many African-American families cannot afford to send their children to a private school or move to the suburbs. This leads to segregated, mostly African-American inner city schools.
School segregation is extensively visible especially in high schools. Certain high schools have a high rate of troubled students combined with inferior resources such as unqualified teachers and below the average curriculums. According to Motoko Rich the author of the article, “School data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines,” nearly 50 percent of all African-American students attend a high school where they don’t have an access to a full range of math and science courses. This means that even if a student would want to get educated in a certain subject they might not be able to. In the longer run this might have an effect on which colleges one might be able to get in or how well one is going to succeed in their college career.
The reason why these substandard curriculums are offered might be as simple as funding. When there is not enough funding the schools have to cut programs and high-level courses with few students attending them are an easy target. On the other hand the reason for the substandard curriculum might also be that students simply aren’t attending these classes. This might be an outcome of the quality of the education of a specific school. If the students aren’t learning the basics well enough, they will not want to participate in the courses that are even more demanding. Russel W. Rumberger and Gregory J. Palardy the authors of the article, “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of Student Composition on Academic Achievement in High School,” points out that the expectations for students are often low in the schools that have a majority of African-American students. Setting expectations low causes the students to try less and most likely be less successful. Most importantly the teachers set their expectations lower which basically automatically leads to lower grades among many African-American students
Indeed, the teachers in the segregated, African-American schools are another big challenge. Compared to the students in other races, African-American students are four times as likely to attend schools where 20 percent or more of the teachers are unqualified (Rich). Combining unqualified teachers and students that mostly come from low-income homes is not a great solution. First of all, the teachers that are unqualified cannot teach their students as well as those with a full set of teaching skills. This might be especially important with students that have trouble learning. Secondly, if the teachers of certain schools are not capable of teaching as well as the teachers in other schools, many talents are lost because of this. The good students don’t have an opportunity to develop their skills to the same level as the good students in schools with proper teachers. It is far from equal to provide a certain group of students with inferior curriculums and teachers.
The inequality that unqualified teachers represent can largely be explained by one factor and it is money. The teachers in the schools with mostly low-income students get paid far less than their counterparts in wealthier neighborhoods. Rich states that the salary cap between the teachers in schools with mostly wealthy students and the teachers in schools with mostly low-income students is over 5000 dollars. It isn’t necessarily that the qualified teachers wouldn’t want to work with low-income students, but rather that the government policy on salaries supports inequality in the distribution of qualified teachers. This type of salary cap does not serve as an incentive to teach in the schools that are facing many challenges. The salary cap leads to a situation where the most qualified teachers will apply to jobs in the schools with students from fortunate backgrounds and vice versa.
The government has tried to fix the educational inequalities with several policies including the No Child Left Behind Act. David Hursh points our in his article, “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act,” that the NCLB has done nothing but bad for the education of African-Americans. Hursh states that eliminating resources from the so-called underachieving schools hits the inner city schools very hard. Because of the lack of resources to begin with, there is no way that the schools serving certain neighborhoods would reach the required level. Hursh also argues that the NCLB policy should take into account the relative progress that the schools make rather than just setting boundaries based on standardized tests. This kind of policies from the government prove that they have yet to actually understand the issue of inequality in education and the effect of segregation.
The solutions to provide equal educational opportunities for all the students and especially for African-Americans are nor simple or fast. First of all the lack in curriculums and qualified teachers has to be addressed. The government should grant more funding to provide over the average salaries for teachers in the mostly African-American inner city schools. Secondly the curriculums of all high schools should be brought up to date to a level, which equals the highest possible. Naturally, to do this would require extra funding as well. The harder part of the solution is to intergrade all high schools, so that the student composition isn’t only African-American in certain schools. To do this more research is needed for the reasons why the white middle class sends their children to other than public schools in their neighborhood. No matter what the reasons are, the public should be encouraged to send their children in the public schools to stop the circle of segregation and educational disparity.
Segregation in schools is apparent and it is appearing more frequently than before. Beth A. Tarasawa the author of the article, “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics,” states the American schools are following a general trend in which racial segregation is increasing. According to Tarasawa this newly recovered segregation is especially harmful for the African-American students. Increasing rates of segregation leave the inner city schools to struggle with students from difficult backgrounds that are mostly from low-income families. Tarasawa’s research shows how the white families avoid enrolling their children in schools that have less than 75 percent of white students in them. Usually this leads into a situation where the white families live in the suburbs and their kids attend the local public schools where the majority of students are white. Or, if the white families live in integrated neighborhoods, they most often sent their kids to private or charter schools (Tarasawa). Tarasawa also points out that many African-American families cannot afford to send their children to a private school or move to the suburbs. This leads to segregated, mostly African-American inner city schools.
School segregation is extensively visible especially in high schools. Certain high schools have a high rate of troubled students combined with inferior resources such as unqualified teachers and below the average curriculums. According to Motoko Rich the author of the article, “School data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines,” nearly 50 percent of all African-American students attend a high school where they don’t have an access to a full range of math and science courses. This means that even if a student would want to get educated in a certain subject they might not be able to. In the longer run this might have an effect on which colleges one might be able to get in or how well one is going to succeed in their college career.
The reason why these substandard curriculums are offered might be as simple as funding. When there is not enough funding the schools have to cut programs and high-level courses with few students attending them are an easy target. On the other hand the reason for the substandard curriculum might also be that students simply aren’t attending these classes. This might be an outcome of the quality of the education of a specific school. If the students aren’t learning the basics well enough, they will not want to participate in the courses that are even more demanding. Russel W. Rumberger and Gregory J. Palardy the authors of the article, “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of Student Composition on Academic Achievement in High School,” points out that the expectations for students are often low in the schools that have a majority of African-American students. Setting expectations low causes the students to try less and most likely be less successful. Most importantly the teachers set their expectations lower which basically automatically leads to lower grades among many African-American students
Indeed, the teachers in the segregated, African-American schools are another big challenge. Compared to the students in other races, African-American students are four times as likely to attend schools where 20 percent or more of the teachers are unqualified (Rich). Combining unqualified teachers and students that mostly come from low-income homes is not a great solution. First of all, the teachers that are unqualified cannot teach their students as well as those with a full set of teaching skills. This might be especially important with students that have trouble learning. Secondly, if the teachers of certain schools are not capable of teaching as well as the teachers in other schools, many talents are lost because of this. The good students don’t have an opportunity to develop their skills to the same level as the good students in schools with proper teachers. It is far from equal to provide a certain group of students with inferior curriculums and teachers.
The inequality that unqualified teachers represent can largely be explained by one factor and it is money. The teachers in the schools with mostly low-income students get paid far less than their counterparts in wealthier neighborhoods. Rich states that the salary cap between the teachers in schools with mostly wealthy students and the teachers in schools with mostly low-income students is over 5000 dollars. It isn’t necessarily that the qualified teachers wouldn’t want to work with low-income students, but rather that the government policy on salaries supports inequality in the distribution of qualified teachers. This type of salary cap does not serve as an incentive to teach in the schools that are facing many challenges. The salary cap leads to a situation where the most qualified teachers will apply to jobs in the schools with students from fortunate backgrounds and vice versa.
The government has tried to fix the educational inequalities with several policies including the No Child Left Behind Act. David Hursh points our in his article, “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind Act,” that the NCLB has done nothing but bad for the education of African-Americans. Hursh states that eliminating resources from the so-called underachieving schools hits the inner city schools very hard. Because of the lack of resources to begin with, there is no way that the schools serving certain neighborhoods would reach the required level. Hursh also argues that the NCLB policy should take into account the relative progress that the schools make rather than just setting boundaries based on standardized tests. This kind of policies from the government prove that they have yet to actually understand the issue of inequality in education and the effect of segregation.
The solutions to provide equal educational opportunities for all the students and especially for African-Americans are nor simple or fast. First of all the lack in curriculums and qualified teachers has to be addressed. The government should grant more funding to provide over the average salaries for teachers in the mostly African-American inner city schools. Secondly the curriculums of all high schools should be brought up to date to a level, which equals the highest possible. Naturally, to do this would require extra funding as well. The harder part of the solution is to intergrade all high schools, so that the student composition isn’t only African-American in certain schools. To do this more research is needed for the reasons why the white middle class sends their children to other than public schools in their neighborhood. No matter what the reasons are, the public should be encouraged to send their children in the public schools to stop the circle of segregation and educational disparity.
Works Cited
Hursh,
David. “Exacerbating Inequality: the Failed Promise of the No Child Left Behind
Act.” Race, Ethnicity and Education 10:3 (2007): 295-308. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
Rich,
Motoko. “School data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Mar. 2014. Web 1 Apr. 2014.
Rumberger,
Russel W. and Palardy, Gregory J. “Does Segregation Still Matter? The Impact of
Student Composition on Academic
Achievement in High School.” Teachers
College Record 107:9 (2005):
1999-2045. Academic Search Elite.
Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Tarasawa,
Beth A. “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics.” Education and Society 44 (2011): 655-671. Sage Publications. Web. 11 Apr.
2014.
ESSAY B. FINAL DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Concrete
Jungles Feed the Psych Wards
Massive amounts of people live in cities and urban areas that
are densely built, crowded with people, and filled with noise pollution. Urban
life is usually fast paced and it exposes one to a wide variety of stimulants
that are generally artificial. The idea of living in an environment that is
mostly man made is not undesirable, but one needs contact with natural elements
as well. Although cities offer a solution for sustainability and economic opportunities,
more attention should be paid to the amount of green space in cities. Green
space has positive effects on both the mental and physical health of residents
of urban areas. Because of the restorative abilities of nature, urban
environments should have adequate green space available to its residents.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, or, for example, building facades that have crawling plants growing on them. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment, but rather something a little bigger that has an effect on how the street or neighborhood looks. (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact requirements on what size or quality the urban green space should be in order to provide restoration. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen 843). Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen found that it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restoration that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats 87).
The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In which one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
In addition, green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreases the risk of depression. Nielsen and Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen found that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of the feeling of get away, esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Which provides a sense of escape from the daily routines. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature provides esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention (Van Den Berg, Hartig and Staats 84). Even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation (84).
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present research that shows how hospitalized patients who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room (91). In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window (91). This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article “At Home With Nature, Effects of ‘Greenness’, states that children are also affected by their neighborhood. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it are less likely to develop respiratory diseases (779). Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the lack of green space. Nature acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, which supports healthy lifestyle.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has these positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, or, for example, building facades that have crawling plants growing on them. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment, but rather something a little bigger that has an effect on how the street or neighborhood looks. (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact requirements on what size or quality the urban green space should be in order to provide restoration. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen 843). Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen found that it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restoration that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats 87).
The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In which one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
In addition, green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreases the risk of depression. Nielsen and Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen found that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of the feeling of get away, esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Which provides a sense of escape from the daily routines. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature provides esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention (Van Den Berg, Hartig and Staats 84). Even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation (84).
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present research that shows how hospitalized patients who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room (91). In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window (91). This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article “At Home With Nature, Effects of ‘Greenness’, states that children are also affected by their neighborhood. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it are less likely to develop respiratory diseases (779). Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the lack of green space. Nature acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, which supports healthy lifestyle.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has these positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Works Cited
Van Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig,
Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the
Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of
Social Issues 61.1 (2007):
79-96. Academic Search Premier. Web.
9 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
ESSAY B. SECOND DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
16 March 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
16 March 2014
Concrete Jungles Feed the Psych Wards
Massive amounts of people live in cities
and urban areas that are densely built, crowded with people, and filled with
noise pollution. Urban life is usually fast paced and it exposes one to a wide
variety of stimulants that are generally artificial. The idea of living in an
environment that is mostly man made is not undesirable, but one needs contact
with natural elements as well. Although cities offer a solution for sustainability
and economic opportunities, more attention should be paid to the amount of
green space in cities. Green space has positive effects on both the mental and physical
health of residents of urban areas. Because of the restorative abilities of
nature, urban environments should have adequate green space available to its residents.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home. According to the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” by Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
Green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen, authors of the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of three different reasons. According to Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats these three reasons are the feeling of get away, green space also provides esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines because they don’t require directed attention. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature holds esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article, “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness,” states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home. According to the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” by Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
Green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen, authors of the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of three different reasons. According to Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats these three reasons are the feeling of get away, green space also provides esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines because they don’t require directed attention. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature holds esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article, “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness,” states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Works Cited
Van
Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig, Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in
Urbanized Societies: Stress,
Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of Social Issues 61.1
(2007): 79-96. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
ESSAY B. FIRST DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Concrete Jungles Feed the Psych Wards
Massive amounts of people live in cities
and urban areas that are densely built, crowded with people, and filled with
noise pollution. Urban life is usually fast paced and it exposes one to a wide
variety of stimulants that are generally artificial. The idea of living in an
environment that is mostly man made is not undesirable, but in contrast, one
needs contact with natural elements as well. Although cities offer a solution
for sustainability, and economic, and other opportunities, more attention
should be paid to the amount of green space in cities. Green space has both,
mental and physical health effects on the residents of urban areas. Because of
the restorative abilities of nature, urban environments should have enough
green space available close to the residents.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” (Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats) different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops. Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree in the urban environment, but, for example, tree-lined streets are considered a partial green space (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Walking distance is a good indicator of how far the green space should be located from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen). According to the research by Nielsen and Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community would have a green space that is physically close to where they live. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments have (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by looking out of the window. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in it. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide for the health benefits by urban green space.
Mental-health effects that the green spaces include, are the restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space, were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environment provides a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments have three reasons why they are helpful for the health of urban residents. According to Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, the first reason is that natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines. This being away experience that nature provides is due to the fact that natural environments don’t require directed attention. Secondly, nature holds ones attention effortlessly, which is due to esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. The third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. By compatibility Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats mean to state that natural environment matches well with what one wants to do in it. Nature is always suitable for sunbathing, ballgames, gardening and other activities, without any changes needed in the environment.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who’s window view was not natural. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support the physical health as well. Nancy Wells’ research states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both, the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” (Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats) different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops. Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree in the urban environment, but, for example, tree-lined streets are considered a partial green space (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Walking distance is a good indicator of how far the green space should be located from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen). According to the research by Nielsen and Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community would have a green space that is physically close to where they live. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments have (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by looking out of the window. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in it. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide for the health benefits by urban green space.
Mental-health effects that the green spaces include, are the restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space, were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environment provides a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments have three reasons why they are helpful for the health of urban residents. According to Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, the first reason is that natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines. This being away experience that nature provides is due to the fact that natural environments don’t require directed attention. Secondly, nature holds ones attention effortlessly, which is due to esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. The third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. By compatibility Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats mean to state that natural environment matches well with what one wants to do in it. Nature is always suitable for sunbathing, ballgames, gardening and other activities, without any changes needed in the environment.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who’s window view was not natural. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support the physical health as well. Nancy Wells’ research states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both, the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Works Cited
Van
Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig, Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in
Urbanized Societies: Stress,
Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of Social Issues 61.1
(2007): 79-96. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
SUMMARY
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
12 April 2014
Summary
of the article “Live and Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and
School Demographics”
In her research article, “Live and Learn? Contradictions
in Residential Patterns and School Demographics,” Beth A. Tarasawa analyzes how
segregation differs among the neighborhoods and schools in the Atlanta city
metro area. Tarasawa finds that in areas where there is no or little
integration between races white students attend the schools in their own
neighborhood. On the contrary, in the integrated neighborhoods most white
students are sent to private or charter schools that are not integrated
racially. Tarasawa also points out that most inner city schools are in
integrated neighborhoods, but most of the students that enroll in those schools
are African-American. Tarasawa suggests that to end segregation the government
should consider both neighborhood and educational segregation at the same time.
Work Cited
Tarasawa, Beth A. “Live and
Learn? Contradictions in Residential Patterns and School Demographics.” Education and Society 44 (2011): 655-671. Sage Publications. Web. 11 Apr.
2014.
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