Jani
Professor B.
English 113
3 December 2013
Professor B.
English 113
3 December 2013
Reflective essay
When I
first heard I would have an English writing class during my first semester in a
university in America, I was somewhat nervous. I am an international student
and English is not my first language. In Finland I have studied three years in
a university, so academic writing was not a whole new thing for me. Although I
have studied English sense third grade, I did not know how well I could perform
in a classroom with students who mostly have English as their first language.
In Finnish I have always been a good writer and I wanted to do my best to
succeed in my first American writing class as well. During the course I not
only learned about writing, but also about cultures, including the Finnish and
American cultures. At the end of the semester, I feel that writing essays and
other types of texts in English has improved quite a lot. In addition I am much
more aware of many cultural aspects that have effected me.
To begin with I have learned the proper formation of texts written in English. MLA format was something I had never heard of, although the universities in Finland all have their own guidelines for formation of texts and assignments. In the beginning it took a while to remember how the text is supposed to be formatted to be correct. Several times I went through the OWL web page and the course book that had the guidelines for MLA format. First it was somewhat frustrating to have to check every single detail to get everything correct, but after repetitious checks I started to get the formation correct without having to check everything.
Not only have I learned the formation but also the correct style of written English. Growing up writing in Finnish is, in my opinion, easier than writing in English. Finnish is an informal language even at its most formal stage, whereas the informal English language and the academic English differ quite a lot. Learning to write academic English has also been a journey of learning to separate the spoken and written vocabulary from one another. I have also learned the basic formation of paragraphs in an essay. I have known the idea of introduction, addressing the subject and conclusion for a long time but I have not paid enough attention to it before this course. Formatting essays and texts in that organized manner makes it a lot easier to build up what ever writing assignment I have had sense I realized this.
In addition to make writing an easier process I have also understood which parts of writing do I have to work on to be a better writer. Usually when I get a writing assignment I am pretty good at introducing my ideas and supporting them with evidence from several sources and proving my opinion to be the correct one. In my writing, the part that needs progress the most, is the conclusion. I realized this when on one of my peer review sheets I got a comment, “With all these great thoughts in your essay, I think you can come up with a much better conclusion.” This made me realize that my conclusions are many times only half as good as the rest of the text. I thought of this and I think the reason for it is that I don’t give myself enough time to work on the assignments. Conclusion is always the last to be written, so it is also the part of the text where I am in a hurry, because of the lack of time. This is one really easy way to improve my writing by finding more time to finish the assignments properly.
Overall the process of writing has become more fluent and easier during this semester. I have learned that even with a foreign language I can become a good writer as long as I try and improve myself. As the course went on, I became less anxious and worried about my writing skills. I have discovered my weaknesses but also how to get over them. I have also understood how skillful I am as a writer and that it will help me a lot when I go to work after college. This course of English writing has given me the tools to work on any writing assignment in an organized manner. Without a doubt I can say that writing is not a dreadful assignment to get over with, but rather an exciting way to express myself.
To begin with I have learned the proper formation of texts written in English. MLA format was something I had never heard of, although the universities in Finland all have their own guidelines for formation of texts and assignments. In the beginning it took a while to remember how the text is supposed to be formatted to be correct. Several times I went through the OWL web page and the course book that had the guidelines for MLA format. First it was somewhat frustrating to have to check every single detail to get everything correct, but after repetitious checks I started to get the formation correct without having to check everything.
Not only have I learned the formation but also the correct style of written English. Growing up writing in Finnish is, in my opinion, easier than writing in English. Finnish is an informal language even at its most formal stage, whereas the informal English language and the academic English differ quite a lot. Learning to write academic English has also been a journey of learning to separate the spoken and written vocabulary from one another. I have also learned the basic formation of paragraphs in an essay. I have known the idea of introduction, addressing the subject and conclusion for a long time but I have not paid enough attention to it before this course. Formatting essays and texts in that organized manner makes it a lot easier to build up what ever writing assignment I have had sense I realized this.
In addition to make writing an easier process I have also understood which parts of writing do I have to work on to be a better writer. Usually when I get a writing assignment I am pretty good at introducing my ideas and supporting them with evidence from several sources and proving my opinion to be the correct one. In my writing, the part that needs progress the most, is the conclusion. I realized this when on one of my peer review sheets I got a comment, “With all these great thoughts in your essay, I think you can come up with a much better conclusion.” This made me realize that my conclusions are many times only half as good as the rest of the text. I thought of this and I think the reason for it is that I don’t give myself enough time to work on the assignments. Conclusion is always the last to be written, so it is also the part of the text where I am in a hurry, because of the lack of time. This is one really easy way to improve my writing by finding more time to finish the assignments properly.
Overall the process of writing has become more fluent and easier during this semester. I have learned that even with a foreign language I can become a good writer as long as I try and improve myself. As the course went on, I became less anxious and worried about my writing skills. I have discovered my weaknesses but also how to get over them. I have also understood how skillful I am as a writer and that it will help me a lot when I go to work after college. This course of English writing has given me the tools to work on any writing assignment in an organized manner. Without a doubt I can say that writing is not a dreadful assignment to get over with, but rather an exciting way to express myself.
Jani
Professor B.
English 113
3 December 2013
Professor B.
English 113
3 December 2013
College Should Create Aware Citizens
For me a college education is about becoming
civilized. In my opinion being civilized is about two topics that I view as the
major tasks for all higher education. First of all, I think a college education should provide students with good critical thinking skills. The
second subject college education should cover is moral development of
character. Moral development of character and critical thinking go hand in hand.
Both of these affect and support each other. If either one is not fully developed, then I believe education has failed to reach
its goal. College education provides students with better opportunities and deeper understanding of
several subjects in life. For example, college educated person can choose from
a wider range of jobs. Good education also helps to make choices based on facts
instead of populist claims or advertisement.
For education to help students make better choices it should provide critical thinking skills that help to evaluate subjects from different perspectives. Being able to think critically means that education should provide various skills that can be used in many different ways. These skills include communication, problem solving and reading comprehension. Good communication skills help students to understand complex situations and behave appropriately in the given situation. Because we live in a diverse and global environment it is a good idea to study at least one foreign language in college. Learning how to communicate in another language is not only about learning the language itself, but is also about becoming aware that certain type of vocabulary or manners might be offensive in another culture. Moreover, another culture doesn’t have to refer to another country. Another culture could form inside of such concepts as a religious group, corporation or school. Every language reflects the culture behind it and studying a new language provides an encounter with something totally different. Therefore, a college education should include studying foreign language but the student should be free to choose which language. After studying foreign language, one will understand that different situations and different people require various kind of communication. Communication in different environments should be something that every college graduate is used to.
In addition, communication is not all one needs in order to have great critical thinking skills. Problem solving skills, in general, are really important and I think college should teach several kinds of ways to solve different kinds of problems. Mathematical skills and basic knowledge on science provides a good toolkit for many everyday challenges. Mathematics and science help to gain understanding of boundaries in life. For example, science gives the limits that nature has for providing resources to humans. Science and math combined will help to develop efficient and realistic answers on how humans can take advantage of these resources without permanently hurting the ecosystem. Moreover, math is needed by the individual to not only calculate ones finances but also to understand more complex issues, such as the scale of climate change and government spending. However, when science and math are learned in college I think it would be important to learn them through the perspectives of ones major. Though this doesn’t mean that the instruction can’t look at other kind of examples along the way. Learning how to look at things from the perspective of ones major supports specialization towards the end of studies. After all, as students graduate it is expected that they are experts in their field of study.
Becoming an expert in something means that one understands the subject thoroughly. To understand the subject and to be able to use skills one has learned, good reading comprehension is also imperative. Developing good reading comprehension requires hard work and understanding of several types of texts. College is the place that should teach students to understand the importance of sources, the background of the author and the influence of a possible sponsor that the text might have. Students should read several kinds of texts from newspaper articles to novels. It is also important to read texts that are written from different points of views. After developing critical thinking skills, good college education should provide the opportunity to utilize these skills.
For a student to apply their critical thinking skills, colleges should also provide, but not demand, students with opportunities for interdisciplinary minors or chances to study liberal arts as part of their studies. I think liberal arts classes support diversified thinking and help the students to look at things from different points of view. For example, Vedika Khemani, author of “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” writes that liberal arts offer a whole range of viewpoints that the technical subjects can’t provide. However, the reason why I don’t think liberal arts should be a mandatory part of the college curriculum is the principle of academic freedom. In all areas of life, including college, it is better for the individual to get to choose what to do rather then to be told what to do. A student who doesn’t want to be in college is not going to be a good student. Also, if a student doesn’t want to study certain liberal arts, they shouldn’t have to. Rather than making students study certain liberal arts it is better to support the student to study something in the area of liberal arts. I think taking courses from any other area of study than ones major is just as effective as taking liberal arts courses. For example, if a business student majoring in marketing takes electrical engineering courses it doesn’t matter that both of the subjects are technical ones. A student majoring in marketing will find electrical engineering courses very mind opening experiences.
The students’ moral development of character is a subject that should be addressed throughout college education. In the article “College Makeover,” S. Georgia Nugent writes that college should provide an experience of understanding and growth for their students. I think every time a student has to evaluate and make a choice between two or more options it supports this growth. Another way of gaining understanding is that during college the students study certain types of courses. In the article, “How to Get a Good College Education,” the author Jeffrey Hart describes some of the topics that should be covered. Hart states that it is important to know the main historical points and the works of major philosophical thinkers of ones civilization. Knowing history helps to understand the way things are today. Knowledge of history also provides the concept of making a decision and studying the consequences of such decisions. This type of learning experiences help the students to understand what is right and what is wrong, thereby developing one’s character.
Education should not be a list of mandatory requirements before graduation. College education is not just about gaining credit for courses and finding a job upon graduation. Colleges should educate students so that they became aware citizens. To become an aware citizen, one has to have an open mind, explore opportunities and evaluate options. Civilized citizens will cherish their culture and its traditions but also accept the fact that sometimes there is a need for change. When a need for change occurs educated people will know how to act and most importantly they will act inside the ethical boundaries they have been thought.
For education to help students make better choices it should provide critical thinking skills that help to evaluate subjects from different perspectives. Being able to think critically means that education should provide various skills that can be used in many different ways. These skills include communication, problem solving and reading comprehension. Good communication skills help students to understand complex situations and behave appropriately in the given situation. Because we live in a diverse and global environment it is a good idea to study at least one foreign language in college. Learning how to communicate in another language is not only about learning the language itself, but is also about becoming aware that certain type of vocabulary or manners might be offensive in another culture. Moreover, another culture doesn’t have to refer to another country. Another culture could form inside of such concepts as a religious group, corporation or school. Every language reflects the culture behind it and studying a new language provides an encounter with something totally different. Therefore, a college education should include studying foreign language but the student should be free to choose which language. After studying foreign language, one will understand that different situations and different people require various kind of communication. Communication in different environments should be something that every college graduate is used to.
In addition, communication is not all one needs in order to have great critical thinking skills. Problem solving skills, in general, are really important and I think college should teach several kinds of ways to solve different kinds of problems. Mathematical skills and basic knowledge on science provides a good toolkit for many everyday challenges. Mathematics and science help to gain understanding of boundaries in life. For example, science gives the limits that nature has for providing resources to humans. Science and math combined will help to develop efficient and realistic answers on how humans can take advantage of these resources without permanently hurting the ecosystem. Moreover, math is needed by the individual to not only calculate ones finances but also to understand more complex issues, such as the scale of climate change and government spending. However, when science and math are learned in college I think it would be important to learn them through the perspectives of ones major. Though this doesn’t mean that the instruction can’t look at other kind of examples along the way. Learning how to look at things from the perspective of ones major supports specialization towards the end of studies. After all, as students graduate it is expected that they are experts in their field of study.
Becoming an expert in something means that one understands the subject thoroughly. To understand the subject and to be able to use skills one has learned, good reading comprehension is also imperative. Developing good reading comprehension requires hard work and understanding of several types of texts. College is the place that should teach students to understand the importance of sources, the background of the author and the influence of a possible sponsor that the text might have. Students should read several kinds of texts from newspaper articles to novels. It is also important to read texts that are written from different points of views. After developing critical thinking skills, good college education should provide the opportunity to utilize these skills.
For a student to apply their critical thinking skills, colleges should also provide, but not demand, students with opportunities for interdisciplinary minors or chances to study liberal arts as part of their studies. I think liberal arts classes support diversified thinking and help the students to look at things from different points of view. For example, Vedika Khemani, author of “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” writes that liberal arts offer a whole range of viewpoints that the technical subjects can’t provide. However, the reason why I don’t think liberal arts should be a mandatory part of the college curriculum is the principle of academic freedom. In all areas of life, including college, it is better for the individual to get to choose what to do rather then to be told what to do. A student who doesn’t want to be in college is not going to be a good student. Also, if a student doesn’t want to study certain liberal arts, they shouldn’t have to. Rather than making students study certain liberal arts it is better to support the student to study something in the area of liberal arts. I think taking courses from any other area of study than ones major is just as effective as taking liberal arts courses. For example, if a business student majoring in marketing takes electrical engineering courses it doesn’t matter that both of the subjects are technical ones. A student majoring in marketing will find electrical engineering courses very mind opening experiences.
The students’ moral development of character is a subject that should be addressed throughout college education. In the article “College Makeover,” S. Georgia Nugent writes that college should provide an experience of understanding and growth for their students. I think every time a student has to evaluate and make a choice between two or more options it supports this growth. Another way of gaining understanding is that during college the students study certain types of courses. In the article, “How to Get a Good College Education,” the author Jeffrey Hart describes some of the topics that should be covered. Hart states that it is important to know the main historical points and the works of major philosophical thinkers of ones civilization. Knowing history helps to understand the way things are today. Knowledge of history also provides the concept of making a decision and studying the consequences of such decisions. This type of learning experiences help the students to understand what is right and what is wrong, thereby developing one’s character.
Education should not be a list of mandatory requirements before graduation. College education is not just about gaining credit for courses and finding a job upon graduation. Colleges should educate students so that they became aware citizens. To become an aware citizen, one has to have an open mind, explore opportunities and evaluate options. Civilized citizens will cherish their culture and its traditions but also accept the fact that sometimes there is a need for change. When a need for change occurs educated people will know how to act and most importantly they will act inside the ethical boundaries they have been thought.
Works cited
Hart,
Jeffrey. “How to Get a College
Education.” National Review Online. National
Review Online, 29 Sept. 2006. Web. 9
Aug. 2012.
Khemani,
Vedika. “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” The New York Times. The New York
Times, 1 Feb. 2012. Web. 5 Sept. 2012.
Nugent,
S. Georgia. “College Makeover: Morality-based learning.” Slate. The Slate
Group,
17 Nov. 2005. Web. 9 Aug. 2012
ESSAY ONE, DRAFT TWO
JaniProfessor B.
English 113
15 September 2013
College Should Create Aware Citizens
For me college education is about
becoming civilized. In my opinion being civilized is about two topics that I
view as the major tasks for all higher education. First of all I think a college education should
provide the students with good
critical thinking skills. The second subject college education should
cover is moral development of character. Moral development of character and critical
thinking go hand in hand. Both of these affect and support each other. If either one is not
fully developed, then I believe education
has failed to reach its goal. College education is also about better
opportunities and a wider range of choices in many areas of life.
Being able to think critically means that education should provide various skills that can be used in many different ways. These skills include communication, problem solving and reading comprehension for example. Because we live in a diverse and global environment it is a good idea to study at least one foreign language in college. Learning how to communicate with another language is not only about learning the language itself. It is also about becoming aware that certain type of vocabulary or manners might be offensive in another culture. Another culture doesn’t have to refer to another country. Another culture could form inside of such concepts as a religious group, corporation or school. Every language reflects the culture behind it and studying a new language provides an encounter with something totally different. College education should include studying foreign language but the student should be free to choose which language. To understand the value of diversity it is not important what language one chooses to study. Being able to naturally encounter new ideas and ways of thinking makes it a lot easier to find answers and not exclude any possible solutions just because something is different. Diversity should be something that every college graduate is used to.
Problem solving skills in general are really important and I think college should teach all kinds of ways to solve different kinds of problems. Mathematical skills and basic knowledge on science provides a good toolkit for many everyday challenges. Mathematics and science help to gain understanding of boundaries in life. For example, science gives the limits that nature has for providing resources to humans. Science and math combined will help to develope efficient and realistic answers on how can humans take advantage of nature without permanently hurting the ecosystem. Mathematical skills also help to understand proportion and for that matter, at least understand what is bigger than the other. Math is needed by the individual to calculate ones finances but also to understand the scale of climate change or government spending or other complex issues. For example, if one has insufficient math skills they will never know that when the government spends a million it is actually not a lot. When science and math are learned in college I think it would be important to learn them through the perspectives of ones major. Though this doesn’t mean that the instruction can’t look at other kind of examples along the way. Learning how to look at things from the perspective of ones major supports specialization towards the end of studies. To be able to use science skills, good reading comprehension is also a valuable thing to learn. Developing good reading comprehension requires hard work and understanding of several types of texts. College is the place that should teach students to understand the importance of sources, the background of the author and the influence of a possible sponsor that the text might have. Critical thinking towards the source is important because otherwise it is really easy to believe anything that the author states.
College should also provide, but not demand, students with opportunities for interdisciplinary minors or chances to study liberal arts as part of their studies. I think liberal arts classes support diversified thinking and help the students to look at things from different points of view. For example, Vedika Khemani, author of “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” writes that liberal arts offer a whole range of viewpoints that the technical subjects can’t provide. However, the Reason why I don’t think liberal arts should be a mandatory part of the college curriculum is the principle of academic freedom. In all areas of life, including college, it is better for the individual to get to choose what to do rather then to be told what to do. A student who doesn’t want to be in college is not going to be a good student. Also if a student doesn’t want to study certain liberal arts they shouldn’t have to. Rather than making students study certain liberal arts it is better to support the student to study something in the area of liberal arts. I think taking courses from any another area of study than ones major is just as effective as taking liberal arts courses. For example, if a business student majoring in marketing takes electrical engineering courses it doesn’t matter that both of the subjects are technical ones. Student majoring in marketing will find electrical engineering courses very mind opening experiences. The students’ moral development of character is a subject that should be addressed throughout college education. In the article “College Makeover,” S. Georgia Nugent writes that college should provide an experience of understanding and growth for their students. I think every time a student has to evaluate and make a choice between two or more options it supports this growth. Another way of gaining understanding is that during college the students study certain types of courses. “How to Get a Good College Education” the author Jeffrey Hart describes some of the topics that should be covered. Hart states that it is important to know the main historical points and the works of major philosophical thinkers of ones civilization. Knowing history helps to understand the way things are today. Knowledge of history also provides the concept of making a decision, living through the consequences and seeing what could have been done differently. This type of learning experiences help the students to understand what is right and what is wrong. A good college education should give the student the chance to choose some courses from several liberal arts subjects. This way academic freedom exists along side with moral development of character.
College education is not just about gaining credit for courses and finding a job at the end of the line. Colleges should educate students so that they became aware citizens. Civilized citizen will cherish their culture and its traditions but also accept the fact that sometimes there is a need for change. When a need for change occurs educated people will know how to act and most importantly they will act inside the ethical boundaries they have been thought.
Being able to think critically means that education should provide various skills that can be used in many different ways. These skills include communication, problem solving and reading comprehension for example. Because we live in a diverse and global environment it is a good idea to study at least one foreign language in college. Learning how to communicate with another language is not only about learning the language itself. It is also about becoming aware that certain type of vocabulary or manners might be offensive in another culture. Another culture doesn’t have to refer to another country. Another culture could form inside of such concepts as a religious group, corporation or school. Every language reflects the culture behind it and studying a new language provides an encounter with something totally different. College education should include studying foreign language but the student should be free to choose which language. To understand the value of diversity it is not important what language one chooses to study. Being able to naturally encounter new ideas and ways of thinking makes it a lot easier to find answers and not exclude any possible solutions just because something is different. Diversity should be something that every college graduate is used to.
Problem solving skills in general are really important and I think college should teach all kinds of ways to solve different kinds of problems. Mathematical skills and basic knowledge on science provides a good toolkit for many everyday challenges. Mathematics and science help to gain understanding of boundaries in life. For example, science gives the limits that nature has for providing resources to humans. Science and math combined will help to develope efficient and realistic answers on how can humans take advantage of nature without permanently hurting the ecosystem. Mathematical skills also help to understand proportion and for that matter, at least understand what is bigger than the other. Math is needed by the individual to calculate ones finances but also to understand the scale of climate change or government spending or other complex issues. For example, if one has insufficient math skills they will never know that when the government spends a million it is actually not a lot. When science and math are learned in college I think it would be important to learn them through the perspectives of ones major. Though this doesn’t mean that the instruction can’t look at other kind of examples along the way. Learning how to look at things from the perspective of ones major supports specialization towards the end of studies. To be able to use science skills, good reading comprehension is also a valuable thing to learn. Developing good reading comprehension requires hard work and understanding of several types of texts. College is the place that should teach students to understand the importance of sources, the background of the author and the influence of a possible sponsor that the text might have. Critical thinking towards the source is important because otherwise it is really easy to believe anything that the author states.
College should also provide, but not demand, students with opportunities for interdisciplinary minors or chances to study liberal arts as part of their studies. I think liberal arts classes support diversified thinking and help the students to look at things from different points of view. For example, Vedika Khemani, author of “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” writes that liberal arts offer a whole range of viewpoints that the technical subjects can’t provide. However, the Reason why I don’t think liberal arts should be a mandatory part of the college curriculum is the principle of academic freedom. In all areas of life, including college, it is better for the individual to get to choose what to do rather then to be told what to do. A student who doesn’t want to be in college is not going to be a good student. Also if a student doesn’t want to study certain liberal arts they shouldn’t have to. Rather than making students study certain liberal arts it is better to support the student to study something in the area of liberal arts. I think taking courses from any another area of study than ones major is just as effective as taking liberal arts courses. For example, if a business student majoring in marketing takes electrical engineering courses it doesn’t matter that both of the subjects are technical ones. Student majoring in marketing will find electrical engineering courses very mind opening experiences. The students’ moral development of character is a subject that should be addressed throughout college education. In the article “College Makeover,” S. Georgia Nugent writes that college should provide an experience of understanding and growth for their students. I think every time a student has to evaluate and make a choice between two or more options it supports this growth. Another way of gaining understanding is that during college the students study certain types of courses. “How to Get a Good College Education” the author Jeffrey Hart describes some of the topics that should be covered. Hart states that it is important to know the main historical points and the works of major philosophical thinkers of ones civilization. Knowing history helps to understand the way things are today. Knowledge of history also provides the concept of making a decision, living through the consequences and seeing what could have been done differently. This type of learning experiences help the students to understand what is right and what is wrong. A good college education should give the student the chance to choose some courses from several liberal arts subjects. This way academic freedom exists along side with moral development of character.
College education is not just about gaining credit for courses and finding a job at the end of the line. Colleges should educate students so that they became aware citizens. Civilized citizen will cherish their culture and its traditions but also accept the fact that sometimes there is a need for change. When a need for change occurs educated people will know how to act and most importantly they will act inside the ethical boundaries they have been thought.
Works cited
Hart, Jeffrey. “How to
Get a College Education.” National Review Online. National
Review
Online, 29 Sept. 2006. Web. 9 Aug. 2012.
Khemani, Vedika. “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” The New York Times. The New York
Times, 1 Feb. 2012. Web 5 Sep. 2012.
Nugent, S. Georgia. “College Makeover: Morality-based
learning.” Slate. The Slate
Group, 17
Nov. 2005. Web. 9 Aug. 2012.
ESSAY ONE, DRAFT ONE
Jani
Professor B.
English 113
15 September 2013
Professor B.
English 113
15 September 2013
College creates aware citizens
For
me college education is about becoming civilized. In my opinion being civilized
is about two topics that I view as the major tasks for all higher education.
First of all I think college education should provide the students with
necessary equipment to find answers to questions. The second subject college
education should cover is moral development of character. Moral development of
character and being able to find answers to questions go hand in hand. Both of
these affect and support each other. I think If either one is not fully
developed, education has failed to reach its goal. College education is also
about better opportunities and a wider range of choices in many areas of life.
Being
able to find answers means that education should provide various skills that
can be used in many different ways. Because we live in a diverse and global
environment it is a good idea to study at least one foreign language in
college. The more languages one knows the more people one can also communicate
with. Communication is a basic tool needed for all problem solving, especially
in the working life. Foreign languages also provide a good way to get to know
another culture. Every language reflects the culture behind it and studying a
new language provides an encounter with something totally different. Being able
to naturally encounter new ideas and ways of thinking makes it a lot easier to
find answers and not exclude any possible solutions just because something is
different.
Problem solving skills in
general are really important and I think college should teach all kinds of ways
to solve different kinds of problems. Mathematical skills and basic knowledge
on science provides a good toolkit for many everyday challenges. When science
and math are learned in college I think it would be important to learn them
through the perspectives of ones major. Though this doesn’t mean that the
instruction can’t look at other kind of examples along the way. Learning how to
look at things from the perspective of ones major supports specialization
towards the end of studies. To be able to use science skills, good reading
comprehension is also a valuable thing to learn. Developing good reading
comprehension requires hard work and understanding of several types of texts.
College is the place that should teach students to understand the importance of
sources, the background of the author and the influence of a possible sponsor
that the text might have.
College should also provide, but not demand,
students with opportunities for interdisciplinary minors or chances to study
liberal arts as part of their studies. I think liberal arts support diversified
thinking and help the students to look at things from different points of view.
Vedika Khemani, author of “Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters” writes that
liberal arts offer a whole range of viewpoints that the technical subjects
can’t provide. Reason why I don’t think liberal arts should be a wide mandatory
part of the college curriculum is the academic freedom. In all areas of life,
including college, it is better for the individual to get to choose what to do rather
then to be told what to do. A student who doesn’t want to be in college is not
going to be a good student. Also if a student doesn’t want to study liberal
arts they shouldn’t have to. Rather than making students study certain subjects
it is better to support the student to study something in the area of liberal
arts. I think taking courses from any another area of study than ones major is
just as effective as taking liberal arts courses. For example, if a business
student majoring in marketing takes electrical engineering courses it doesn’t
matter that both of the subjects are technical ones. Student majoring in
marketing will for sure find electrical engineering courses very mind opening
experiences.
The students’ moral development of character
is a subject that should be addressed throughout college education. I think a
great definition for moral development of character is provided in the article
“College Makeover”. S. Georgia Nugent writes that college should provide an
experience of understanding and growth for their students. I think every time a
student has to evaluate and make a choice between two or more options it
supports this growth. Another way of gaining understanding is that during
college the students study certain types of courses. “How to Get a Good College
Education” the author Jeffrey Hart describes some of the topics that should be
covered. Hart states that it is important to know the main historical points
and the works of major philosophical thinkers of ones civilization. Knowing
history helps to understand the way things are today. Knowledge of history also
provides the concept of making a decision, living through the consequences and
seeing what could have been done differently. This type of learning experiences
help the students to understand what is right and what is wrong.
College education is not just about
gaining credit for courses and finding a job at the end of the line. Colleges
should educate students so that they became aware citizens. Civilized citizen
will cherish their culture and its traditions but also accept the fact that
sometimes there is a need for change. When a need for change occurs educated
people will know how to act and most importantly they will act inside the
ethical boundaries they have been thought.
ESSAY ONE, FINAL DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113
8 December 2013
Professor B.
English 113
8 December 2013
Parenthood
Equality
In my childhood there was no parent, mother or
father, for that matter, whom was a stay at home parent. All of my friends’ parents
worked as well and we thought no more about that. Years later, when I came to
America the first time, I was amazed of the amount of stay at home mothers.
Stay at home parents was not a new concept for me, but the American way seemed
to be a stay at home mother with an emphasis on mother, rather than on parent. Although
the United States has made great strides in gender equality, there is still
room for improvement. America could learn about parenthood in Finland because
child–rearing is shared more evenly between both the parents and the society. Not
just fathers, but the society as a whole recognizes the need to share the
workload from children in order to achieve gender equality. The Finnish
principles of parenthood are greatly desirable for United States.
In Finland there is a strong tradition for legislative support for gender equality. Finland was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote, and, since then, women have had a strong influence on the country’s laws and social policies. Perhaps, because of this, Finland is focused on solving problems that concern both, men and women (Khazan). Solving problems that affect both genders means that parenthood is not seen as an issue for women, but rather a challenge that requires fathers and the state to take part as well. Too often the case is that women alone are seen as the child-rearing parent. In the United States a mother that just gave birth is often times seen as an unproductive employee. This kind of thinking might easily lead to conclusions that women are of less value for the employers, because at some point most women will have children.
On the contrary, a mother in Finland is seen as a person who needs rest and time with her newborn. To support this early parenthood Finland has developed several welfare laws that help the mother to achieve equal treatment among employers, as well as equal financial standing as the provider for the family. According to the The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Finnish mothers are entitled to 105 days of paid maternity leave. Moreover, after the maternity leave either the mother or the father can stay home with the baby for an additional 158 days of paid parental leave. Paid maternity and parental leave is very important to achieve the equality in income for the mother and the father. When women return to work after their maternity and/or parental leave, they are required by law to receive the exact same position and salary when they left work for maternity and/or parental leave. These types of laws support an environment, where parenthood, rather than just motherhood, is seen as an important part of the society.
Furthermore, Finnish culture is also very supportive for fathers to share the workload from the children. Fathers are encouraged to take a paid paternity leave, of 56 days right after the birth of a child, as well as to share the parental leave with the mother (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland). Kathyrn Holmquist’s article “Finnishing school Childcare and parental leave structures in Finland are hugely desirable” argues that equally shared parenthood is a national concern in Finland. Holmquist gives an example of a committee that was put together in Finland in order to solve “[t]he fathers’ reluctancy to take up the parental and homecare leave entitled to them” (Holmquist). This committee’s work contributed to changes in the leaves offered for fathers in order to make such leave more flexible (Holmquist). It is important that the fathers take part in child–rearing as much as mothers do. This way the understanding of parenthood has also reached the workplaces and it is just as regular for a father to stay on a paternity leave as it is for a mother to stay on maternity leave.
The understanding environment for parenthood has created another notable difference between the Finnish and the American social structures for women. In America it is quite usual that a mother of small children becomes a stay at home mother if she can afford to do so. However, In Finland, it is more common that a mother with small children goes to work or, at least, works part time. This difference is, again, possible because of laws and the social setting. Finnish employers are very welcoming for mothers to work part time and many do. This is also supported by the Finnish state that offers subsidized daycare for any children over the age of nine months. Offering affordable daycare, encourages women to work instead of staying home. In the United States the mother often stays home because of the high cost of child daycare. There is nothing wrong with the American system of private childcare, but it narrows the options especially for middle-class women to work part time. When women have the actual opportunity to work instead of staying home because of high priced daycare they become more equal in the workplace as well.
Actually Finnish men take an advantage of the equality in the workplace as well. Many fathers become stay at home dads or at least work part time in order to spend time with their children. Maruko Mami’s article “Finnish diplomat pushes child–rearing for dads,” introduces the reader to Mikko Koivumaa and his fatherhood. Koivumaa, a Finnish diplomat in Japan, stayed home to take care of the children while his wife worked full time. Later Koivumaa returned to work and now shares the household work with his wife. It takes a certain kind of culture for a man with a status as high as a diplomat to become a stay at home dad. In addition, the former prime minister of Finland, Paavo Lipponen, took six days of paternal leave right after the birth of his child (Holmquist). While six days is not a lot the power of the example is. When the prime minister is able to take paternal leave, the message is, so should every single father. In fact laws protect the father’s right to take on paternity leave or stay home to take care of a sick child. These laws help to create a workplace that creates flexible schedules for both, fathers and mothers.
In my opinion, the United States needs to foster an environment, which promotes parenthood, especially fatherhood. While Americans have made great strides in gender equality, parenthood could be shared more equally. Laws and regulations can be changed quite easily and fast. Instead it is the mindset of people that needs more work and time. This work could get boosted if a couple of well known fathers were to become stay at home dads, even for a while. Affordable daycare for children would as well increase the amount of women in the workforce. If families don’t have to think about the price for daycare, the need for either parent to stay home disappears as well. The first relief for equality between genders in parenthood could be a paid maternity leave. If Finland’s maternity leave feels too long for the American mindset, maternity leave could be shorter. It is not really the length of the maternity leave that matters but rather the fact that the society recognizes maternity as a valuable asset instead of a burden. This way of thinking will, without a doubt, support American fathers to participate in child–rearing and filling up the parks with dads and trolleys like their Finnish counterparts have already done.
In Finland there is a strong tradition for legislative support for gender equality. Finland was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote, and, since then, women have had a strong influence on the country’s laws and social policies. Perhaps, because of this, Finland is focused on solving problems that concern both, men and women (Khazan). Solving problems that affect both genders means that parenthood is not seen as an issue for women, but rather a challenge that requires fathers and the state to take part as well. Too often the case is that women alone are seen as the child-rearing parent. In the United States a mother that just gave birth is often times seen as an unproductive employee. This kind of thinking might easily lead to conclusions that women are of less value for the employers, because at some point most women will have children.
On the contrary, a mother in Finland is seen as a person who needs rest and time with her newborn. To support this early parenthood Finland has developed several welfare laws that help the mother to achieve equal treatment among employers, as well as equal financial standing as the provider for the family. According to the The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Finnish mothers are entitled to 105 days of paid maternity leave. Moreover, after the maternity leave either the mother or the father can stay home with the baby for an additional 158 days of paid parental leave. Paid maternity and parental leave is very important to achieve the equality in income for the mother and the father. When women return to work after their maternity and/or parental leave, they are required by law to receive the exact same position and salary when they left work for maternity and/or parental leave. These types of laws support an environment, where parenthood, rather than just motherhood, is seen as an important part of the society.
Furthermore, Finnish culture is also very supportive for fathers to share the workload from the children. Fathers are encouraged to take a paid paternity leave, of 56 days right after the birth of a child, as well as to share the parental leave with the mother (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland). Kathyrn Holmquist’s article “Finnishing school Childcare and parental leave structures in Finland are hugely desirable” argues that equally shared parenthood is a national concern in Finland. Holmquist gives an example of a committee that was put together in Finland in order to solve “[t]he fathers’ reluctancy to take up the parental and homecare leave entitled to them” (Holmquist). This committee’s work contributed to changes in the leaves offered for fathers in order to make such leave more flexible (Holmquist). It is important that the fathers take part in child–rearing as much as mothers do. This way the understanding of parenthood has also reached the workplaces and it is just as regular for a father to stay on a paternity leave as it is for a mother to stay on maternity leave.
The understanding environment for parenthood has created another notable difference between the Finnish and the American social structures for women. In America it is quite usual that a mother of small children becomes a stay at home mother if she can afford to do so. However, In Finland, it is more common that a mother with small children goes to work or, at least, works part time. This difference is, again, possible because of laws and the social setting. Finnish employers are very welcoming for mothers to work part time and many do. This is also supported by the Finnish state that offers subsidized daycare for any children over the age of nine months. Offering affordable daycare, encourages women to work instead of staying home. In the United States the mother often stays home because of the high cost of child daycare. There is nothing wrong with the American system of private childcare, but it narrows the options especially for middle-class women to work part time. When women have the actual opportunity to work instead of staying home because of high priced daycare they become more equal in the workplace as well.
Actually Finnish men take an advantage of the equality in the workplace as well. Many fathers become stay at home dads or at least work part time in order to spend time with their children. Maruko Mami’s article “Finnish diplomat pushes child–rearing for dads,” introduces the reader to Mikko Koivumaa and his fatherhood. Koivumaa, a Finnish diplomat in Japan, stayed home to take care of the children while his wife worked full time. Later Koivumaa returned to work and now shares the household work with his wife. It takes a certain kind of culture for a man with a status as high as a diplomat to become a stay at home dad. In addition, the former prime minister of Finland, Paavo Lipponen, took six days of paternal leave right after the birth of his child (Holmquist). While six days is not a lot the power of the example is. When the prime minister is able to take paternal leave, the message is, so should every single father. In fact laws protect the father’s right to take on paternity leave or stay home to take care of a sick child. These laws help to create a workplace that creates flexible schedules for both, fathers and mothers.
In my opinion, the United States needs to foster an environment, which promotes parenthood, especially fatherhood. While Americans have made great strides in gender equality, parenthood could be shared more equally. Laws and regulations can be changed quite easily and fast. Instead it is the mindset of people that needs more work and time. This work could get boosted if a couple of well known fathers were to become stay at home dads, even for a while. Affordable daycare for children would as well increase the amount of women in the workforce. If families don’t have to think about the price for daycare, the need for either parent to stay home disappears as well. The first relief for equality between genders in parenthood could be a paid maternity leave. If Finland’s maternity leave feels too long for the American mindset, maternity leave could be shorter. It is not really the length of the maternity leave that matters but rather the fact that the society recognizes maternity as a valuable asset instead of a burden. This way of thinking will, without a doubt, support American fathers to participate in child–rearing and filling up the parks with dads and trolleys like their Finnish counterparts have already done.
Works Cited
"Finnishing
School Childcare and Parental Leave Structures in Finland are Hugely Desirable,
Kathyrn Holmquist Discovers."
Irish Times: 12. Mar. 31 1999. ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.
Khazan, Olga. “The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything.” The Atlantic: Jul 11 2013. The Atlantic. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
Maruko, Mami. "Finnish Diplomat Pushes Child-Rearing for Dads." McClatchy – Tribune Business News Jun 18 2013. ProQuest. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.
The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Benefits for Families with Children. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, 9 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
Khazan, Olga. “The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything.” The Atlantic: Jul 11 2013. The Atlantic. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
Maruko, Mami. "Finnish Diplomat Pushes Child-Rearing for Dads." McClatchy – Tribune Business News Jun 18 2013. ProQuest. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.
The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Benefits for Families with Children. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, 9 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
ESSAY ONE, DRAFT TWO
Jani
Professor B.
English 113
14 October 2013
Professor B.
English 113
14 October 2013
Parenthood equality
In
my childhood there was no parent, mother, or father for that matter, who was a
stay at home parent. All of my friend’s parents worked as well and we thought
no more about that. Years later when I came to America the first time I was
amazed of the amount of stay at home mothers. Stay at home parent was not a new
concept for me, but the American way seemed to be a stay at home mother with an
emphasis on mother, rather than on parent. Although United States has made
great strides in gender equality, there is s till room for improvement. America
could learn about parenthood in Finland because child–rearing is shared more
evenly between the parents and the society. The Finnish social setting for
parenthood is greatly desirable for United States. Not just fathers, but the
society in whole recognize the need to share the workload from children in order
to achieve gender equality.
In Finland there is a strong tradition for legislative support for gender equality. Finland was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote and after this, women have had a strong influence on how the country was build. In her article “The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything” Olga Khazan interviews Ellen Marakowitz, lecturer from the Columbia University. Marakowitz argues that Finland’s system was build on solving problems that concern both, men and women, instead of just women’s rights. Solving problems for both genders means that maternity or parenthood is not seen as an issue for women, but rather a challenge that requires fathers and the state to take part as well. In the United States a mother that just gave birth, is often times seen as an unproductive employee. This kind of thinking might easily lead into conclusions that women are of less value for the employers, because at some point most women will have children.
A mother in Finland is seen as a person who needs rest and time with her newborn. To support this early parenthood Finland has developed several parts of welfare and laws that help the mother to achieve equal treatment among employers as well as equal financial standing as the provider for the family. According to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Finnish mothers are entitled for 105 days of paid maternity leave and after the maternity leave, mothers or fathers can stay home with the baby for 158 days of paid parental allowance. Paid maternity leave is very important to achieve the equality in income for the mother and the father. When women get back to work after their maternity leave, it is by law, that they will receive back the exact same position and salary when they left work for maternity leave. This kind of welfare and laws support an environment, where parenthood, rather than just motherhood, is seen as an important part of the society and not just a mandatory downtime from work.
Finnish culture is also very supportive for fathers to share the workload from the children. Fathers are encouraged to take a paid paternity leave, which according to The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, is for up to 56 days right after the birth of a child as well as to share the parental leave with the mother. Kathyrn Holmquist’s article “Finnishing school Childcare and parental leave structures in Finland are hugely desirable” argues that equally shared parenthood is a national concern in Finland. Holmquist gives an example of a committee that was put together in Finland in order to solve “[t]he fathers’ reluctancy to take up the parental and homecare leave entitled to them…” Later on, Holmquist states, this work contributed to changes in the leaves offered for fathers in order to make them more flexible. It is important that the fathers take part in child–rearing as much as mothers do. This way the understanding of parenthood has also reached the workplaces and it is just as regular for a father to stay on a paternity leave as it is for a mother to stay on maternity leave.
The understanding environment for parenthood has created another notable difference between the Finnish and the American social structures for women. In America it is quite usual that a mother of small children becomes a stay at home mother. In Finland, in the contrary, it is usual that a mother with small children goes to work or at least works part time. This difference is, again, possible because of laws and the social setting. Finnish employers are very welcoming for mothers to work part time and many do. This is also supported by the Finnish state that offers dirt–cheap daycare for any children over the age of nine months. My personal experience, for example, is that a ballet teacher can easily teach only half of the lessons she did before she had a child. This is what a close family friend of mine did. Offering affordable daycare Finland encourages women to work instead of staying home. In the United States it is often the mother who stays home because of high cost on child daycare. There is nothing wrong with the American system of totally private childcare, but it narrows the options especially for middle-class women to work part time. When women have the actual opportunity to work instead of staying home because of high priced daycare they become more equal in the workplace as well.
Finnish men take an advantage of the equality in the workplace as well. Many fathers become stay at home dads or at least work part time in order to spend time with their children. Maruko Mami’s article “Finnish diplomat pushes child–rearing for dads” introduces the reader to Mikko Koivumaa and his fatherhood. Koivumaa, a Finnish diplomat in Japan, stayed home to take care of the kids while his wife was working a full time job. Later Koivumaa returned to work and now shares the household work with his wife. It takes a certain kind of culture for a man with a status as high as a diplomat to become a stay at home dad. But to make things even more of an example for America, it gets even better. Holmquist uses the former Finnish prime minister as an exceptional example of fatherhood. The former prime minister of Finland took six days of paternal leave right after the birth of his child. Six days is not a lot in general, but the power of the example is. When prime minister is able to take paternal leave so should every single father. Examples have played an important part for Finnish fathers to use their right for paternity leave. Another factor is, that laws protect the father’s right to take on paternity leave or stay home to take care of a sick child. Examples and laws have also lead to a situation where the workplaces are understandable and willing to create flexible schedules for for fathers and morhers.
In my opinion the United States really needs good examples and small changes in the environment of parenthood and especially fatherhood. Americans are most definitely in the top notch of gender equality even though parenthood could be shared more equally. Laws and regulations can be changed quite easily and fast. Instead it is the social setting that needs more work and time. This work could get boosted if a couple of well known fathers were to become stay at home dads, even for a while. Affordable daycare for children would as well increase the amount of women in the workforce. If families don’t have to think about the price for daycare, the need for either parent to stay home disappears as well. The first relief for equality between genders in parenthood could be a paid maternity leave. If Finland’s maternity leave feels too long for the American mindset, maternity leave could be shorter. It is not really the length of the maternity leave that matters but rather the fact that the society recognizes maternity as a valuable asset instead of a burden. This way of thinking will, without a doubt, support American fathers to participate in child–rearing and filling up the parks with dads and trolleys like their Finnish counterparts have already done.
In Finland there is a strong tradition for legislative support for gender equality. Finland was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote and after this, women have had a strong influence on how the country was build. In her article “The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything” Olga Khazan interviews Ellen Marakowitz, lecturer from the Columbia University. Marakowitz argues that Finland’s system was build on solving problems that concern both, men and women, instead of just women’s rights. Solving problems for both genders means that maternity or parenthood is not seen as an issue for women, but rather a challenge that requires fathers and the state to take part as well. In the United States a mother that just gave birth, is often times seen as an unproductive employee. This kind of thinking might easily lead into conclusions that women are of less value for the employers, because at some point most women will have children.
A mother in Finland is seen as a person who needs rest and time with her newborn. To support this early parenthood Finland has developed several parts of welfare and laws that help the mother to achieve equal treatment among employers as well as equal financial standing as the provider for the family. According to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Finnish mothers are entitled for 105 days of paid maternity leave and after the maternity leave, mothers or fathers can stay home with the baby for 158 days of paid parental allowance. Paid maternity leave is very important to achieve the equality in income for the mother and the father. When women get back to work after their maternity leave, it is by law, that they will receive back the exact same position and salary when they left work for maternity leave. This kind of welfare and laws support an environment, where parenthood, rather than just motherhood, is seen as an important part of the society and not just a mandatory downtime from work.
Finnish culture is also very supportive for fathers to share the workload from the children. Fathers are encouraged to take a paid paternity leave, which according to The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, is for up to 56 days right after the birth of a child as well as to share the parental leave with the mother. Kathyrn Holmquist’s article “Finnishing school Childcare and parental leave structures in Finland are hugely desirable” argues that equally shared parenthood is a national concern in Finland. Holmquist gives an example of a committee that was put together in Finland in order to solve “[t]he fathers’ reluctancy to take up the parental and homecare leave entitled to them…” Later on, Holmquist states, this work contributed to changes in the leaves offered for fathers in order to make them more flexible. It is important that the fathers take part in child–rearing as much as mothers do. This way the understanding of parenthood has also reached the workplaces and it is just as regular for a father to stay on a paternity leave as it is for a mother to stay on maternity leave.
The understanding environment for parenthood has created another notable difference between the Finnish and the American social structures for women. In America it is quite usual that a mother of small children becomes a stay at home mother. In Finland, in the contrary, it is usual that a mother with small children goes to work or at least works part time. This difference is, again, possible because of laws and the social setting. Finnish employers are very welcoming for mothers to work part time and many do. This is also supported by the Finnish state that offers dirt–cheap daycare for any children over the age of nine months. My personal experience, for example, is that a ballet teacher can easily teach only half of the lessons she did before she had a child. This is what a close family friend of mine did. Offering affordable daycare Finland encourages women to work instead of staying home. In the United States it is often the mother who stays home because of high cost on child daycare. There is nothing wrong with the American system of totally private childcare, but it narrows the options especially for middle-class women to work part time. When women have the actual opportunity to work instead of staying home because of high priced daycare they become more equal in the workplace as well.
Finnish men take an advantage of the equality in the workplace as well. Many fathers become stay at home dads or at least work part time in order to spend time with their children. Maruko Mami’s article “Finnish diplomat pushes child–rearing for dads” introduces the reader to Mikko Koivumaa and his fatherhood. Koivumaa, a Finnish diplomat in Japan, stayed home to take care of the kids while his wife was working a full time job. Later Koivumaa returned to work and now shares the household work with his wife. It takes a certain kind of culture for a man with a status as high as a diplomat to become a stay at home dad. But to make things even more of an example for America, it gets even better. Holmquist uses the former Finnish prime minister as an exceptional example of fatherhood. The former prime minister of Finland took six days of paternal leave right after the birth of his child. Six days is not a lot in general, but the power of the example is. When prime minister is able to take paternal leave so should every single father. Examples have played an important part for Finnish fathers to use their right for paternity leave. Another factor is, that laws protect the father’s right to take on paternity leave or stay home to take care of a sick child. Examples and laws have also lead to a situation where the workplaces are understandable and willing to create flexible schedules for for fathers and morhers.
In my opinion the United States really needs good examples and small changes in the environment of parenthood and especially fatherhood. Americans are most definitely in the top notch of gender equality even though parenthood could be shared more equally. Laws and regulations can be changed quite easily and fast. Instead it is the social setting that needs more work and time. This work could get boosted if a couple of well known fathers were to become stay at home dads, even for a while. Affordable daycare for children would as well increase the amount of women in the workforce. If families don’t have to think about the price for daycare, the need for either parent to stay home disappears as well. The first relief for equality between genders in parenthood could be a paid maternity leave. If Finland’s maternity leave feels too long for the American mindset, maternity leave could be shorter. It is not really the length of the maternity leave that matters but rather the fact that the society recognizes maternity as a valuable asset instead of a burden. This way of thinking will, without a doubt, support American fathers to participate in child–rearing and filling up the parks with dads and trolleys like their Finnish counterparts have already done.
Works Cited
"Finnishing
School Childcare and Parental Leave Structures in Finland are Hugely Desirable, Kathyrn Holmquist
Discovers." Irish Times: 12. Mar. 31 1999. ProQuest. Web. 4
Oct. 2013.
Khazan, Olga. “The Secret to Finland's Success With
Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything.” The Atlantic: Jul 11 2013. The
Atlantic. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
Maruko, Mami. "Finnish Diplomat
Pushes Child-Rearing for Dads." McClatchy – Tribune Business News Jun 18 2013. ProQuest. Web.
6 Oct. 2013.
The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Benefits for Families with Children. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, 9
Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
ESSAY ONE, DRAFT ONE
Jani
Professor B.
English 113
10 October 2013
Professor B.
English 113
10 October 2013
Parenthood equality
Although
United States has made great strides in gender equality, there is s till room
for improvement. America could learn about parenthood in Finland because
child–rearing is shared more evenly between the parents and the society. The
Finnish social setting for parenthood is greatly desirable for United States.
Not just fathers, but politicians and businesses as well recognize the need to
share the workload from children in order to achieve gender equality.
In Finland there is a strong tradition for legislative support for gender equality. Finland was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote and after this, women have had a strong influence on how the country was build. In her article “The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything” Olga Khazan interviews Ellen Marakowitz, lecturer from the Columbia University. Marakowitz argues that Finland’s system was build on solving problems that concern both, men and women, instead of just women’s rights.
Solving problems for both genders means that maternity or parenthood is not seen as an issue for women, but rather a challenge that requires fathers and the state to take part as well. In the United States a mother that just gave birth, is often times seen as an unproductive employee. This kind of thinking might easily lead into conclusions that women are of less value for the employers, because at some point most women will have children. In Finland the mother is seen as a person who needs rest and time with her newborn. To support this early parenthood Finland has developed several parts of welfare and laws that help the mother to achieve equal treatment among employers as well as equal financial standing as the provider for the family. Finnish mothers are entitled for 105 days of paid maternity leave. After the maternity leave, mothers or fathers can stay home with the baby for 158 days of paid parental leave. Paid maternity leave is very important to achieve the equality in income for the mother and the father. When women get back to work after their maternity leave, it is by law, that they will receive back the exact same position and salary when they left work for maternity leave. This kind of welfare and laws support an environment, where parenthood, rather than just motherhood, is seen as an important part of the society and not just a mandatory downtime from work.
Finnish culture is also very supportive for fathers to share the workload from the children. Fathers are encouraged to take a paid paternity leave for up to 56 days right after the birth of a child as well as to share the parental leave with the mother. Kathyrn Holmquist’s article “Finnishing school Childcare and parental leave structures in Finland are hugely desirable” argues that equally shared parenthood is a national concern in Finland. Holmquist gives an example of a committee that was put together in Finland in order to solve “[t]he fathers’ reluctancy to take up the parental and homecare leave entitled to them…” Later on, Holmquist states, this work contributed to changes in the leaves offered for fathers in order to make them more flexible. It is important that the fathers take part in child–rearing as much as mothers do. This way the understanding of parenthood has also reached the workplaces and it is just as regular for a father to stay on a paternity leave as it is for a mother to stay on maternity leave.
The understanding environment for parenthood has created another notable difference between the Finnish and the American social structures for women. In America it is quite usual that a mother of small children becomes a stay at home mother. In Finland, in the contrary, it is usual that a mother with small children goes to work or at least works part time. This difference is, again, possible because of laws and the social setting. Finnish employers are very welcoming for mothers to work part time and many do. This is also supported by the Finnish state that offers dirt–cheap daycare for any children over the age of nine months. Offering affordable daycare Finland encourages women to work instead of staying home. In the United States it is often the mother who stays home because of high cost on child daycare. When women have the actual opportunity to work instead of staying home they become more equal in the workplace as well.
Finnish men take an advantage of the equality in the workplace as well. Many fathers become stay at home dads or at least work part time in order to spend time with their children. Maruko Mami’s article “Finnish diplomat pushes child–rearing for dads” introduces the reader to Mikko Koivumaa and his fatherhood. Koivumaa, a Finnish diplomat in Japan, stayed home to take care of the kids while his wife was working a full time job. Later Koivumaa returned to work and now shares the household work with his wife. It takes a certain kind of culture for a man with a status as high as a diplomat to become a stay at home dad. But to make things even more of an example for America, it gets even better. Holmquist uses the former Finnish prime minister as an exceptional example of fatherhood. The former prime minister of Finland took six days of paternal leave right after the birth of his child. Six days is not a lot in general, but the power of the example is. When prime minister is able to take paternal leave so should every single father. Examples have played an important part for Finnish fathers to use their right for paternity leave.
In my opinion the United States really needs good examples and small changes in the environment of parenthood and especially fatherhood. Americans are most definitely in the top notch of gender equality even though parenthood could be shared more equally. Laws and regulations can be changed quite easily and fast. Instead it is the social setting that needs more work and time. This work could get boosted if a couple of well known fathers were to become stay at home dads, even for a while. Affordable daycare for children would as well increase the amount of women in the workforce. If families don’t have to think about the price for daycare, the need for either parent to stay home disappears as well. The first relief for equality between genders in parenthood could be a paid maternity leave. If Finland’s maternity leave feels too long for the American mindset, maternity leave could be shorter. It is not really the length of the maternity leave that matters but rather the fact that the society recognizes maternity as a valuable asset instead of a burden. This way of thinking will, without a doubt, support American fathers to participate in child–rearing and filling up the parks with dads and trolleys like their Finnish counterparts have already done.
In Finland there is a strong tradition for legislative support for gender equality. Finland was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote and after this, women have had a strong influence on how the country was build. In her article “The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything” Olga Khazan interviews Ellen Marakowitz, lecturer from the Columbia University. Marakowitz argues that Finland’s system was build on solving problems that concern both, men and women, instead of just women’s rights.
Solving problems for both genders means that maternity or parenthood is not seen as an issue for women, but rather a challenge that requires fathers and the state to take part as well. In the United States a mother that just gave birth, is often times seen as an unproductive employee. This kind of thinking might easily lead into conclusions that women are of less value for the employers, because at some point most women will have children. In Finland the mother is seen as a person who needs rest and time with her newborn. To support this early parenthood Finland has developed several parts of welfare and laws that help the mother to achieve equal treatment among employers as well as equal financial standing as the provider for the family. Finnish mothers are entitled for 105 days of paid maternity leave. After the maternity leave, mothers or fathers can stay home with the baby for 158 days of paid parental leave. Paid maternity leave is very important to achieve the equality in income for the mother and the father. When women get back to work after their maternity leave, it is by law, that they will receive back the exact same position and salary when they left work for maternity leave. This kind of welfare and laws support an environment, where parenthood, rather than just motherhood, is seen as an important part of the society and not just a mandatory downtime from work.
Finnish culture is also very supportive for fathers to share the workload from the children. Fathers are encouraged to take a paid paternity leave for up to 56 days right after the birth of a child as well as to share the parental leave with the mother. Kathyrn Holmquist’s article “Finnishing school Childcare and parental leave structures in Finland are hugely desirable” argues that equally shared parenthood is a national concern in Finland. Holmquist gives an example of a committee that was put together in Finland in order to solve “[t]he fathers’ reluctancy to take up the parental and homecare leave entitled to them…” Later on, Holmquist states, this work contributed to changes in the leaves offered for fathers in order to make them more flexible. It is important that the fathers take part in child–rearing as much as mothers do. This way the understanding of parenthood has also reached the workplaces and it is just as regular for a father to stay on a paternity leave as it is for a mother to stay on maternity leave.
The understanding environment for parenthood has created another notable difference between the Finnish and the American social structures for women. In America it is quite usual that a mother of small children becomes a stay at home mother. In Finland, in the contrary, it is usual that a mother with small children goes to work or at least works part time. This difference is, again, possible because of laws and the social setting. Finnish employers are very welcoming for mothers to work part time and many do. This is also supported by the Finnish state that offers dirt–cheap daycare for any children over the age of nine months. Offering affordable daycare Finland encourages women to work instead of staying home. In the United States it is often the mother who stays home because of high cost on child daycare. When women have the actual opportunity to work instead of staying home they become more equal in the workplace as well.
Finnish men take an advantage of the equality in the workplace as well. Many fathers become stay at home dads or at least work part time in order to spend time with their children. Maruko Mami’s article “Finnish diplomat pushes child–rearing for dads” introduces the reader to Mikko Koivumaa and his fatherhood. Koivumaa, a Finnish diplomat in Japan, stayed home to take care of the kids while his wife was working a full time job. Later Koivumaa returned to work and now shares the household work with his wife. It takes a certain kind of culture for a man with a status as high as a diplomat to become a stay at home dad. But to make things even more of an example for America, it gets even better. Holmquist uses the former Finnish prime minister as an exceptional example of fatherhood. The former prime minister of Finland took six days of paternal leave right after the birth of his child. Six days is not a lot in general, but the power of the example is. When prime minister is able to take paternal leave so should every single father. Examples have played an important part for Finnish fathers to use their right for paternity leave.
In my opinion the United States really needs good examples and small changes in the environment of parenthood and especially fatherhood. Americans are most definitely in the top notch of gender equality even though parenthood could be shared more equally. Laws and regulations can be changed quite easily and fast. Instead it is the social setting that needs more work and time. This work could get boosted if a couple of well known fathers were to become stay at home dads, even for a while. Affordable daycare for children would as well increase the amount of women in the workforce. If families don’t have to think about the price for daycare, the need for either parent to stay home disappears as well. The first relief for equality between genders in parenthood could be a paid maternity leave. If Finland’s maternity leave feels too long for the American mindset, maternity leave could be shorter. It is not really the length of the maternity leave that matters but rather the fact that the society recognizes maternity as a valuable asset instead of a burden. This way of thinking will, without a doubt, support American fathers to participate in child–rearing and filling up the parks with dads and trolleys like their Finnish counterparts have already done.
Works Cited
"Finnishing
School Childcare and Parental Leave Structures in Finland are Hugely Desirable, Kathyrn Holmquist
Discovers." Irish Times: 12. Mar 31 1999. ProQuest. Web. 4
Oct. 2013.
Maruko,
Mami. "Finnish Diplomat Pushes Child-Rearing for Dads." McClatchy
– Tribune Business News Jun
18 2013. ProQuest. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.
Khazan,
Olga. “The
Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything.” The Atlantic:
Jul 11 2013. The Atlantic. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
SUMMARY
Jani
Professor B.
English 113
29 October 2013
Professor B.
English 113
29 October 2013
Summary of the article “Efficiency,
Imported from Europe”
In
her article, “Efficiency, Imported from Europe,” Ulrich Lawrence argues that
diesel powered cars should have a larger market share. Lawrence states that
diesel cars already have a fuel-efficient technology, which is more reliable
than the technology in hybrid cars. In Lawrence’s opinion, the American
government has not supported the diesel car manufactures properly, and the
government has rather concentrated on supporting the hybrid car manufactures.
Lawrence notices, that even though diesel car sales have jumped, the American
car manufacturers don’t have diesel models to offer for the market. Lawrence
sees, that because of this, European, mostly German, manufacturers are leading
the way for diesel cars. Lawrence concludes that diesel cars would be an easier
way to achieve less pollution from driving, than it is through developing
hybrid cars.
Work Cited
Lawrence,
Ulrich. “Efficiency, Imported From Europe.” New York Times, New York Times, 19 Jul. 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
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