Introduction
The purpose of undergraduate education has invariably changed over the cause of the last one century. Over the last one century, we have had a paradigm shift on the way education is conducted. Before, education was only provided by private schools that were solely owned by church organizations. These colleges used to run courses that normally run for four years. The subjects were exclusively traditional and were only meant to enhance the moral development of both boys and girls. Private schools back then were very few and they only collaborated with the then existing public schools to teach students who wanted to further their education. The schools strictly taught only practical subjects that were meant to further the student’s knowledge on the practical field. As time progressed, there came up schools that were geared toward teaching professional subjects. This soon gave way to a new form of school totally different from the old system. With the coming of the World War 1, people felt that they needed to progress. This led them to adopt a different philosophy on administration. To better achieve this, people needed to be taught some basics especially on how democracy was supposed to function. This led to the birth of social science as a subject. After World War II, great schools like Harvard adopted a new mode of learning. This new school of thought stipulated that undergraduate students needed more exposure to the Western culture. This was occasioned by the difference in character that existed between those people who had learned in the private and the church sponsored schools. The author of this article devotes so much of his essay toward the development of education in America. This is due to the fact that a large portion of the big colleges are in America. Students from all walks of life come to these colleges to study and it is therefore important that people understand how this schools evolved. This knowledge should also help the different stakeholders in this field to come up with modalities geared toward making education better in the U.S. This information is also important in making sure that students only learn the information beneficial to them and one that is geared toward making the world a better place.
The world has different opinions when it comes to gender. Looking at that bit where this lady was called Portia after the famous lawyer Shakespeare Portia, one is led to ask himself/ herself, are there jobs reserved for some gender? The most annoying thing we learn from this episode is that the judge did not say this in good faith. If anything, he said this sarcastically to insinuate that this lady was usurping the roles of men. In my own thinking, I don’t think we should have some certain gender expectations when it comes to certain jobs. Instead of looking at what these people can be, we always look at them under the tag of their gender. It is important to look at people for what they are than classifying them in terms of their gender. In the given case, it is important to look at this lady as simply a lawyer instead of looking at her as a “female lawyer”. Many of us link some certain jobs to a particular gender. People will always frown at a lady doctor simply because they do not believe in her ability. It is not even amusing to learn that many women will not even trust in a male gynecologist but will readily believe a gentleman doctor whom they rarely know. However, with the coming of technology, many peoples perception have changed and we are now more open toward lady professionals. One thing I have decided to do is to pursue nursing as my future career. In reality, this has been a field that has been reserved for women. However, things have changed and more men are entering in to this field. I do not foresee a situation where my career choice will be an issue as a result of gender. This is due to the fact that more people are learning that all careers are good for everyone and that time when people used to select careers in terms of gender are long gone. If anything, its men who used to dislike nursing since it were viewed to be a woman career.
In the world we are living in today, there are so many stereotypes on how men and women are portrayed in TV. In almost all the comedy shows and ads in television, the man is presented as the person who can not get things right. This is more so on household chores where men are seen to flop in almost anything. While some of us can say that these men are presented as engaging and interesting, I do not think this is the case. If anything, these commercials belittle men by presenting them as unintelligent beings that can never get anything straight. Lady characters on the other hand are presented as intelligent beings that get things straight. This perception leaves men with a low self esteem since most people will believe what they see in TV. The author presents a strong thesis against these apparent bashing of men. He begins by showing how a hard working man is presented with a character that does not match the one he possesses. Having done the entire house chores while the wife is away, the man is disappointed to watch comedies that depict men who can clearly be said to be lazy. What the author wants us to understand is that men are not what they are depicted to be. He shows us how today man is is depicted as incompetent and how this is a break from the past where men were viewed as wonderful and wise fathers. Through out the whole essay, the author shows us that man is often misunderstood. By doing this, he is challenging us to change our perception toward men in general. The author clearly shows us that there is a hidden agenda in this new trend since its not like people would not enjoy commercials that present sensible men.