Advert Search Essay - 275 Words

Advert Search Essay (Essay Sample) Content:
INTELLIGENT ADVERT SEARCH BOT AND MARKET RECOMMENDER SYSTEMUniversity of NairobiSchool of Computing and InformaticsMaseno C. KhulabeP15/3889/2008Supervisor: Dr. Wanjiku NgangaFourth Year Milestone2 Project Report. May 2012Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u  HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324142"
Abstract  PAGEREF _Toc321324142 \h
ii HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324143"
CHAPTER 1  PAGEREF _Toc321324143 \h
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Back Ground Information  PAGEREF _Toc321324144 \h
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PROBLEM STATEMENT  PAGEREF _Toc321324145 \h
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GOALS AND Objectives:  PAGEREF _Toc321324146 \h
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Project Scope  PAGEREF _Toc321324147 \h
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jUSTIFICATION  PAGEREF _Toc321324148 \h
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Expected Resul t  PAGEREF _Toc321324149 \h
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CHAPTER 2  PAGEREF _Toc321324150 \h
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LITERATURE REVIEW  PAGEREF _Toc321324151 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324152"
Case Studies  PAGEREF _Toc321324152 \h
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History of web advertising  PAGEREF _Toc321324153 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324154"
Types And Sizes Of Adverts  PAGEREF _Toc321324154 \h
9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324155"
Recommender systems  PAGEREF _Toc321324155 \h
10AbstractInternet is a generational innovation that has grown extensively over time to take advantage of growing technology, to promote and improve businesses by providing effective communication and efficient service delivery. This has been possible via different forms, mostly advertisements on different on-line sites pages and information repositories on the Internet. However as a result of overwhelming increase of information on Internet, it's diffic ult to make decisions on where is the appropriate market focus for advertisements or location of products and services. Consequently with advancement in technology and changes in life styles people are preferring different forms of adverts. The aim of this work is to develop an intelligent advert search bot and market recommender system that crawls through the Internet for adverts, extracts the advert from an online web page into a structured database. The advert is retrieved during search when a matching search term is provided in the search box. This is used to fasten user search and provide more precise advert search needs. This is important since products fall in the vertical internet search domains, where people are interested in specific information rather than the page itself. This research expounds on prior research that has been done on use of search engines to rank relevant Internet pages; the system is implemented by designing and developing a niche targeting crawler soft ware to extract for Internet adverts. The system allows for external user recommendation on suitable advertising sites to crawl for adverts to simplify customer product and service search and advertisement locations. This simplifies the search since the user does not have to browse through several pages returned by page level search to get the target information. CHAPTER 1Back Ground Information Web advertising is meant to attract potential customers on the advertisers Web site of a given product item or to strengthen brand recognition of a business by placing promotional content and a link on other Web sites. Promotional content are designed in various forms to ensure they capture the attention of the target audience. The web has taken advantage of existing technological possibilities of modern Web browsers, to present ads in various forms like: static banners, animated, flashing, moving, links and pop-ups. Most of this became a bother to users where they are not interested in wh at is being advertised and more irritating if the adverts do not value cultural faith of the user. Research has shown that most advertisements do not serve their intended purpose for instance; according to a report by ADTECH2 the click through rate, i.e. the ratio of the number of clicks to the number of views, has recently fallen below 0.20% on average because most adverts are randomly placed without much consideration of the visitors. With a lot of information flowing on the web it becomes cumbersome to identify relevant advertisements. To solve these problems there is a need to use vertical/focused search mechanisms compared to general page retrieval searches. The vertical search includes Database, machine learning and uses objects as retrieval units as opposed to pages as retrieval units in page level search. It also has powerful query capability, direct answers and aggregate answers. However it has a challenge in where and how to get the required objects to retrieve in this ca se adverts. From  HYPERLINK ""  , Google.com, facebook.com and youtube.com are ranked the best advertising websites globally. All the three are profit focused companies observing that youtube is still under Google, there for most of their advertising are not to the interest of the advertiser or user but to grow their businesses financially. PROBLEM STATEMENTCurrently most businesses are embracing Internet advertising to market their products to masses of people using the Web, for instance in 2011 U.S spend more than $31.3 Billion [ HYPERLINK "/" ]; while a large numbers of internet users are searching for different market products and services. Statistics show that more than two billion people are using the Internet across the globe for different reasons, says a research by internet world statistics [ HYPERLINK "/stats.htm" /stats.htm]. Internet advertising revenue in the United States totaled $14.9 billion for the first six months of 2011: Search revenues accounted for 49 %, display-related advertising accounted for 37%, classifieds revenues totaling to 8%, Lead Generation revenues accounted for 5%, email revenues accounted for 1% (Internet Advertising Revenue Report 2011). Advertisers want the best locations for their adverts as advert searchers hustle to get what they want. The problem escalates when an advertiser post an advert to a non-direct target market and market focus hence wasting resources, on the other hand, a lot of users suffer frustration as well time wastage since they might not be well versed with how search engines work to optimize their search process. One reason why TV adverts are still preferred to Internet advertisements is the fact that they are more glossier, self contained and do not compete for simultaneous editorial content. The proposed system aims to solve this dilemma by creating an advert pool that reduces the large volumes of information browsed when looking for an item and ranking the items. On the other hand it all ows users to suggest their advertising sites to be crawled for adverts hence ensuring their adverts are accessed by different product searchers.GOALS AND Objectives:GoalTo implement a system that simplifies advertisement search process of target market for sellers and ensure usefulness of Internet adverts to customers if easily accessed.ObjectivesTo design and develop an advert crawler that searches for adverts across different on-line sites.Rank adverts in order of their importance and relevance; e.g. location on the web page and number of similar words it has compared to search term.Allow users to recommend best advertisement sites and sites with their adverts to ensure they are accessed.Project ScopeThe project is limited to demonstrate:Reliability: Well structured data is necessary to ensure direct and aggregate results. Hence advert identification is the main area of focus to avoid direct but noise results to the user which is more like page information. Completeness: Given da ta should be as complete as possible to achieve its objectives and offer trustworthy answers to the users.Ranking Accuracy: Provide an optimal ranking mechanism critical for locating relevant object information since the information is in masses. Scalability: Given the information to be extracted will grow enormously the system should achieve minimum scalability requirements using data processing technologies E.g. faster querying algorithms.Relevancy: Since information keeps changing and web pages are continuously being updated, the system should frequently check on updates are re-index the sites. JUSTIFICATIONThe amount of information on the internet has increased manifold over the years. Users suffer from information overload, and most often the ever increasing information on web, increases demand on users time to browse through. The system is applicable to different products and services consumers, business individuals and companies to better market target research. The system i ncreases vendor's sales, enhances choice making and reduces time used by product consumers to get relevant service and product specified at an appropriate price. When one is searching for an item, it is similar to window shopping where only the price and a summary of features are necessary. When you are selling for instance sports shoes you want people interested in sports or sports business to see your advert. The system should give an advertiser a chance to judge the relevancy of their advert on the recommended site, hence gain confidence on the location. The system reduces the amount of information browsed through on page compared to objects retrieved. Over time browsers have been improved to block some types of adverts like some flash banners which are assumed to be irritating ... Advert Search Essay - 275 Words Advert Search Essay (Essay Sample) Content:
INTELLIGENT ADVERT SEARCH BOT AND MARKET RECOMMENDER SYSTEMUniversity of NairobiSchool of Computing and InformaticsMaseno C. KhulabeP15/3889/2008Supervisor: Dr. Wanjiku NgangaFourth Year Milestone2 Project Report. May 2012Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u  HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324142"
Abstract  PAGEREF _Toc321324142 \h
ii HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324143"
CHAPTER 1  PAGEREF _Toc321324143 \h
4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324144"
Back Ground Information  PAGEREF _Toc321324144 \h
4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324145"
PROBLEM STATEMENT  PAGEREF _Toc321324145 \h
4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324146"
GOALS AND Objectives:  PAGEREF _Toc321324146 \h
5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324147"
Project Scope  PAGEREF _Toc321324147 \h
5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324148"
jUSTIFICATION  PAGEREF _Toc321324148 \h
6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324149"
Expected Resul t  PAGEREF _Toc321324149 \h
6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324150"
CHAPTER 2  PAGEREF _Toc321324150 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324151"
LITERATURE REVIEW  PAGEREF _Toc321324151 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324152"
Case Studies  PAGEREF _Toc321324152 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324153"
History of web advertising  PAGEREF _Toc321324153 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324154"
Types And Sizes Of Adverts  PAGEREF _Toc321324154 \h
9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc321324155"
Recommender systems  PAGEREF _Toc321324155 \h
10AbstractInternet is a generational innovation that has grown extensively over time to take advantage of growing technology, to promote and improve businesses by providing effective communication and efficient service delivery. This has been possible via different forms, mostly advertisements on different on-line sites pages and information repositories on the Internet. However as a result of overwhelming increase of information on Internet, it's diffic ult to make decisions on where is the appropriate market focus for advertisements or location of products and services. Consequently with advancement in technology and changes in life styles people are preferring different forms of adverts. The aim of this work is to develop an intelligent advert search bot and market recommender system that crawls through the Internet for adverts, extracts the advert from an online web page into a structured database. The advert is retrieved during search when a matching search term is provided in the search box. This is used to fasten user search and provide more precise advert search needs. This is important since products fall in the vertical internet search domains, where people are interested in specific information rather than the page itself. This research expounds on prior research that has been done on use of search engines to rank relevant Internet pages; the system is implemented by designing and developing a niche targeting crawler soft ware to extract for Internet adverts. The system allows for external user recommendation on suitable advertising sites to crawl for adverts to simplify customer product and service search and advertisement locations. This simplifies the search since the user does not have to browse through several pages returned by page level search to get the target information. CHAPTER 1Back Ground Information Web advertising is meant to attract potential customers on the advertisers Web site of a given product item or to strengthen brand recognition of a business by placing promotional content and a link on other Web sites. Promotional content are designed in various forms to ensure they capture the attention of the target audience. The web has taken advantage of existing technological possibilities of modern Web browsers, to present ads in various forms like: static banners, animated, flashing, moving, links and pop-ups. Most of this became a bother to users where they are not interested in wh at is being advertised and more irritating if the adverts do not value cultural faith of the user. Research has shown that most advertisements do not serve their intended purpose for instance; according to a report by ADTECH2 the click through rate, i.e. the ratio of the number of clicks to the number of views, has recently fallen below 0.20% on average because most adverts are randomly placed without much consideration of the visitors. With a lot of information flowing on the web it becomes cumbersome to identify relevant advertisements. To solve these problems there is a need to use vertical/focused search mechanisms compared to general page retrieval searches. The vertical search includes Database, machine learning and uses objects as retrieval units as opposed to pages as retrieval units in page level search. It also has powerful query capability, direct answers and aggregate answers. However it has a challenge in where and how to get the required objects to retrieve in this ca se adverts. From  HYPERLINK ""  , Google.com, facebook.com and youtube.com are ranked the best advertising websites globally. All the three are profit focused companies observing that youtube is still under Google, there for most of their advertising are not to the interest of the advertiser or user but to grow their businesses financially. PROBLEM STATEMENTCurrently most businesses are embracing Internet advertising to market their products to masses of people using the Web, for instance in 2011 U.S spend more than $31.3 Billion [ HYPERLINK "/" ]; while a large numbers of internet users are searching for different market products and services. Statistics show that more than two billion people are using the Internet across the globe for different reasons, says a research by internet world statistics [ HYPERLINK "/stats.htm" /stats.htm]. Internet advertising revenue in the United States totaled $14.9 billion for the first six months of 2011: Search revenues accounted for 49 %, display-related advertising accounted for 37%, classifieds revenues totaling to 8%, Lead Generation revenues accounted for 5%, email revenues accounted for 1% (Internet Advertising Revenue Report 2011). Advertisers want the best locations for their adverts as advert searchers hustle to get what they want. The problem escalates when an advertiser post an advert to a non-direct target market and market focus hence wasting resources, on the other hand, a lot of users suffer frustration as well time wastage since they might not be well versed with how search engines work to optimize their search process. One reason why TV adverts are still preferred to Internet advertisements is the fact that they are more glossier, self contained and do not compete for simultaneous editorial content. The proposed system aims to solve this dilemma by creating an advert pool that reduces the large volumes of information browsed when looking for an item and ranking the items. On the other hand it all ows users to suggest their advertising sites to be crawled for adverts hence ensuring their adverts are accessed by different product searchers.GOALS AND Objectives:GoalTo implement a system that simplifies advertisement search process of target market for sellers and ensure usefulness of Internet adverts to customers if easily accessed.ObjectivesTo design and develop an advert crawler that searches for adverts across different on-line sites.Rank adverts in order of their importance and relevance; e.g. location on the web page and number of similar words it has compared to search term.Allow users to recommend best advertisement sites and sites with their adverts to ensure they are accessed.Project ScopeThe project is limited to demonstrate:Reliability: Well structured data is necessary to ensure direct and aggregate results. Hence advert identification is the main area of focus to avoid direct but noise results to the user which is more like page information. Completeness: Given da ta should be as complete as possible to achieve its objectives and offer trustworthy answers to the users.Ranking Accuracy: Provide an optimal ranking mechanism critical for locating relevant object information since the information is in masses. Scalability: Given the information to be extracted will grow enormously the system should achieve minimum scalability requirements using data processing technologies E.g. faster querying algorithms.Relevancy: Since information keeps changing and web pages are continuously being updated, the system should frequently check on updates are re-index the sites. JUSTIFICATIONThe amount of information on the internet has increased manifold over the years. Users suffer from information overload, and most often the ever increasing information on web, increases demand on users time to browse through. The system is applicable to different products and services consumers, business individuals and companies to better market target research. The system i ncreases vendor's sales, enhances choice making and reduces time used by product consumers to get relevant service and product specified at an appropriate price. When one is searching for an item, it is similar to window shopping where only the price and a summary of features are necessary. When you are selling for instance sports shoes you want people interested in sports or sports business to see your advert. The system should give an advertiser a chance to judge the relevancy of their advert on the recommended site, hence gain confidence on the location. The system reduces the amount of information browsed through on page compared to objects retrieved. Over time browsers have been improved to block some types of adverts like some flash banners which are assumed to be irritating ...

Setting the Standard In Defense of Standardized Testing in Todays Society - Free Essay Example

Society today is fraught with conflict. With the current social landscape in the United States firmly polarized, one is not shocked to note that the realm of education is not exempt from discourse. Regardless of ones profession or social sphere, it is more likely than not that the issue of standardized testing is brought up, whether due to direct personal impact on a family member or child or due to exposure on the news. The term, standardized testing refers to testing that is conducted in a consistent and controlled manner, with a rigid grading structure and administered according to a book of defined rules. Standardized tests are created based off of a central curriculum and rubric that all educational institutions are instructed to adhere to. This practice is meant to put all students on an equal playing field by ensuring each student is taught the same material in the same manner, then tested according to said information. Standardized testing has been and continues to be a topic for debate, especially based on whether the benefits outweigh the cons when it comes to its effect on children, teachers, and schools. While there are multiple stances on the issue, there are two main positions. One side decries standardized testing and endorses a reduction in the number (if not outright elimination) of tests. The other supports standardized testing practice, citing that the standardized testing system should stay the way it is. This paper will support the pro-test position, while also addressing the main arguments against standardized testing. Testing will be evaluated as an equalizer and as a constructive method to evaluate the effectiveness of schools, as well as an indicator of material retention. Additionally, the merits of assessment must also be addressed, as well as the concept around teaching to the test. While standardized testing comes in many forms, dependent on the level of implementation and its source, this evaluation will focus on the concept of standardized testing itself rather than a specific test. Before one can begin to explain the benefits of standardized testing, one must first establish the importance of testing in general. For the purposes of this pa per, testing or rather, assessment, refers to a tool to measure the amount and quality of course material retained. For this information to be considered quality, the student must be able to apply the information rather than simply regurgitate it back on to the page (memorization). That being the case, this also implies that where assessment is concerned, the tests administered must ask questions that would allow students being tested to apply their knowledge. Assessment is a rather broad term and covers projects, teacher-student evaluations and reflections, and of course, the traditional tests and quizzes (Boss). However, since the focus of this analysis is standardized testing, the area of assessment to be examined are specifically tests and quizzes. Assessment is valuable mainly because it is a tool that can measure how well students are learning information, as well as illuminate the areas that need further review. According to the Review of Educational Researchs review of literature about the impact of classroom testing in 1988, formative testing was found to improve learning, both in the short and long term. Short-term effects included a heightened focus on classroom material, providing additional practice with the material, and helping students better understand further educational activities. Long-term effects included increased student motivation, reinforcing teaching goals, influencing the development of learning strategies, and even impacting students future course selection (qtd. in Earl, 43). A possible reason for these effects could be that through assessment, students can view their results and not only find where they can improve, but also what skills they excel in. This information could then be used by teachers to advise them in possible career paths or course work. Without assessment, both teachers and students would be left in the dark as to where an individual stands in their understanding and thus, no progress would be possible for either the teacher or student (Holland 2001 qtd. in Phelps, 222). On the other hand, critics of assessment argue that the benefits of assessment (such as measurement of material mastery) do not outweigh the cons of the pressure it puts children and educators under. One critic goes so far as to claim that learning is not a competitive sport and should not be treated as such (Dixon). Others contend that the amount of time spent on assessment takes away from the learning process (Covaleskie, 1) and that test preparation efforts are an entirely separate affair from teaching children to write, read, or even think (Almagor, 2)†implying that test preparation is not a form of learning in and of itself. However, th e problem with these comments is the assumption that the sole purpose and value in testing is the test score. These arguments do not take into account that assessment is more than a score. Rather, assessment is more of a process that informs classroom instruction and vice versa; instruction informs assessment (Paul, 2). Assessment, test preparation and quality of education are intimately intertwined. Formative assessment is essential to the learning process and teaching as a whole (Winch, 103); namely because of its many facets. Assessment means attention to student motivation and engagement, making connections between subjects, measuring the progression of learning, and planning linkages between instruction and the tests themselves (Earl, 45). Further, through the synthesis of 250 studies about the link between learning and testing, the Assessment Reform Group (1999) and Black William (1998) concluded that assessment is: a critical part of teachers perception of teaching, involves the sharing of learning goals between instructor and student, involves students in self-assessment and reflection, provides feedback for improvement, and ultimately, is reinforced by the idea that all students can improve (qtd. in Earl, 44). Testing is critically important to education because it gives educators and policy makers the opportunity to use the test results as a means to measure where students are and as a starting point for future lesson plans and methods to increase the quality of education in America as a whole. Wh ile the merits of testing are obvious, the issue with relying on traditional classroom assessment is the sheer variability of the material taught, as well as the teaching methods used. While general achievement levels provide some significant information, this information must be contextualized and the only way to do so is through thorough qualitative and quantitative analyses (Paul, 3). If assessment varied from teacher to teacher, school to school, state to state, then there would be no accurate way to generalize the results. Further, there is also the influence of outside factors to consider, including but not limited to: amount of educational funding, priorities of each environment (state, county, school, etc.), physical and/or mental disabilities, and social stratification. Considering these factors, this makes standardization a priority. The true brilliance of testing, when standardized, is its use of an equalizer. Namely, this effect is possible because the term standardized testing does not just refer to the test itself, but also the process and central curriculum that comes alongside it. One argument against standardization is that tests administered by testing companies may be biased or the government could manipulate the test material to best benefit themselves instead of the population at large. However, this concern is contradictory because of educations role at the center of society. States provide funding for schools and also have the responsibility under U.S. law (such as the U.S.A. Constitu tion) to regulate state-wide education (Covaleskie, 4), especially once the No Child Left Behind Act passed (Madaus et al., 22). Thus, states have both a practical and principle interest in educational quality. Practically, states have an interest in the economic well-being of the states citizens because it uses their tax dollars to fund the schools. As for principle, states can only regulate their schools by receiving information about how these schools are faring (Covaleskie, 4). Further, there is an incentive to avoid governmental meddling due to the potential political and social backlash if the public learned of a scandal. Education is a central pillar of society and being so necessary, this means that it is essential that there is no discrimination in its implementation (Covaleskie, 3). On that note, the U.S. government has put policy in place to safeguard against discrimination. An example of these policies includes Section 504 of the Rehabilitative Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (L. Erlbaum Associates, 198), which were put in place to clearly define what disabilities are and ensure that they are accommodated. Therefore, testing companies offer alternatives for those with disabilities, such as providing extra time to take the test (or even no time limit) for those with learning disabilities; and also accommodate for students with other disadvantages, such as language barriers by providing translated versions of the test. Anot her main argument that opponents of standardization (and by extension, standardized testing) put forth is the question of the feasibility of truly standardized material. How can a single assessment package, curriculum, or test possibly be appropriate for all students regardless of gender, race, culture, socioeconomic status, or disability (Paul, 3)? However, test publishers and makers have been intentional in their efforts to address these concerns. There are procedures for creating standardized material and when developing a test, testing companies employ measures such as: having a representative sample of the entire population write and review the assessment materials, conducting pre-tests with a diverse sample, evaluating each test component for test bias, and consider norms (lets test user know percentage of the entire population that earned a certain score) (L. Erlbaum Associates, 193-194). In addition to standardization efforts when making the tests, how to properly go about setting the standard scores was also evaluated. Student advocates have and continue to work with measurement specialists to institute appropriate student performance standards (e.g. Kane, 2001 Zieky, 2001) (Firestone et al., 145). Interestingly enough, research has shown that the introduction of standards (i.e. quality control) have a positive effect on the average percent correct on a standardized test. In the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a group of 30 countries participated in the same standardized test (7th and 8th grade level TIMSS exam) and were ranked according to the number of system-wide quality control measures used (standards) and the average TIMSS score per country. Top performing countries used more quality control measures, with the largest amount (~18) also yielding the highest average percentage correct (~77%). The United States ranked approximately in the middle of the top and bottom performing countries, but closer to the bottom overall, with the lowest grade retention rate at 1.65 (Phelps, 221). If we are to take this data as indicative of a larger trend, the U.S.A. may benefit from additional standardization rather than less. However, even with these standards in place, another strong objection to the testing regime is the claim that tests discriminate against minorities, on the basis that minorities (and poor rural whites) consistently score lower than middle class whites on standardized tests. However, it is a leap to claim that these results are definitive proof that the tests themselves are discriminatory. The tests are tools, tools specifically created with the intent to compensate for differences between students. If the interest is to create true educational equality, these tests have potential to illuminate the educational deprivation inflicted on the poor instead of sealing their fate; because, frankly, even without the tests, poor students would be denied educational equity. However, without standardized testing, there would be no hard proof of the discrepancies in educational quality (Covaleskie, 5). From the very wording itself, the phrase teaching to has a distinctly negative connotation and casts test preparation in the light of having an extremely narrow and simplistic scope. The phrasing perpetuates the perception that standardized testing is inherently bad. In reality, as covered in the section The Merits of Assessment, test preparation is actually beneficial in overall learning and retention. Unfortunately, the general assumption is that any deviation from the traditional classroom teaching methods subtracts from instruction and when teachers employ the traditional teaching model, it is always better than preparing students for an external assessment or test (Stotsky, 7), even if not necessarily true. In both Cizek (2002) and Mehrens (1988) review of empirical research literature, there was relatively sparse evidence to support the claims of negative consequences of classroom teachers test preparation (L. Erlbaum Associates, 166). Critics of standardized testing seem to assume that once high stakes are attached to assessments, teachers will abandon their professional duty to teach a balanced course to instead pursue measurement-focused instruction (L. Erlbaum Associates, 171); which seems to devalue both the teacher and the effort put into making a standardized and beneficial curriculum in the first place. Paired with the assumption that literature on the benefits of testing is nonexistent, there is an inherent bias against standardized testing from the start (L. Erlbaum Associates, 57-58). Phrasing aside, when on the topic of standardized testing, one common complaint is that testing lowers the quality of education and penalizes creativity. By forcing teachers to teach to the test, teachers are thus prevented from aiding students intellectual and emotional growth (Kohn 2002, qtd. in Covaleskie, 6). Author Anya Kamenetz claims that the current focus on testing in America makes schools unpleasant places and by the 12th grade, students have taken an average of 133 various exams and 28% of class time is spent on test preparation and testing (Kamenetz, qtd. in Dixon). This standpoint points at the current testing regime as the source of reductionist teaching, but education critics like John Dewey were decrying the same issues before standardized testing even existed. It is not that standardized testing suddenly came along and ruined education, but rather, reductionist and by-rote teachingis just the way its always been done (Covaleskie, 6). To be fair, there simply is not enough time, much less in a school year for students to learn everything there is to know about the world†there is simply too much information! The issue is that teaching to the test is a paradox in and of itself: if teachers do not teach the material that will be on the test, they will be criticized. On the other hand, if teachers do simply teach the material that they are told will be on the test, then they will be criticized (Phelps 40). That does bring up the question, however. What is wrong with teaching to the test when the central principle and basis of education is creating a curriculum (or lesson plan), teaching it, and then testing retention? Standardized testing is essentially a mechanism that gives the teacher their learning goals and basic lesson plan up front (while still allowing implementation of its contents to be the decision of the educator; as standardized tests do not dictate teaching method, but instead require mastery of specific knowledge (Phelps, 45)), with the only difference from normal teaching is that the standards come from an external source. The test itself does not control how educators or schools approach preparation for the exam, but rather identifies what information is seen as essential. One of the benefits of standardized testing is that it can be used to monitor student progress, as well as by extension, the quality of instruction or rather, if schools are fulfilling their promises to the public. More-so than that, testing can show weaknesses in the current system and thus, educators can focus their attention on improvement. Evaluation allows one make changes when necessary to maximize student success. The alternative view on using testing as a means of evaluation is that the results are used to measure the education system, which destroys real knowledge due to accountability pressure (Davis, 7). However, this raises the question of what is and who should define real knowledge? Who should have a say in what information is deemed important or not? Phelps posits that critics that consider external standards and believe that each individual teacher gets to choose what is best for his/her classroom deny [the] legal reality that the public has the right to choose curricular order for schools (Phelps, 39), considering its their children doing the learning and the society at large that will be affected. Covaleskie supports this point, mentioning that when government agencies, acting under democratic procedures (i.e. yielding to the publics vote), decide that schools should teach certain material, then it is their responsibility to ensure the material is taught.

Analysis Of The Poem Harlem By Langston Hughes

In the poem â€Å"Harlem† by Langston Hughes, Hughes discusses the fate of the American dream and more specifically, he questions us about the destiny of the dream that never gets realized. He wonders whether it explodes violently or if it just dries up. Forty years later, Tony Kushner explored the fate of the suppressed, exploding dream in â€Å"Angels in America† through the character of Joseph Porter Pitt as he struggles to cope with his own repressed, but surfacing homosexuality, while also balancing societal and religious perspectives that restrain his true dreams. Furthermore, Joseph’s true self has been repressed deep into his mind and covered with conservative opinions, a fraudulent marriage, and religious manipulation. All of which, are†¦show more content†¦Joseph’s conservative shield serves as a layer of ignorance that blocks out the community in which he truly belongs to, which is the homosexual community. His non-existent acknowledgem ent of the struggle, fear and pain that the homosexual community was going through at the time is a reinforcement of a falsified dream that Joseph has. Virtually, his cluelessness of the AIDS epidemic means that he doesn’t see himself at risk, he see’s himself as pardoned from the tragedy as most straight men did during that time. Additionally, the epidemic brought the homosexual community together, and empowered them. Joseph, who I’m sure has heard of the epidemic before the play even begins, doesn’t feel a sense of connection to that community at all nor does he show any signs of empathy. He is left out of the coming together of the homosexual community and doesn’t care because of his denial.Moreover, Joseph ignores that homosexuals exist and although he does not completely deny the fact that he is gay in the play, he essentially ignores the reality of himself as a gay man. Also, Joseph’s language with Harper is mostly centered around change, even though he has a misperception about the world’s current status, he is focused on making a change to his life. He wants to move at the beginning, but only if Harper agrees to go with him. JosephShow MoreRelated Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesHarlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem The short but inspirational poem Harlem by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes views on deferred dreams. Harlem is an open form poem. The poem consists of three stanzas that do not have a regularRead MoreAn Analysis of Langston Hughes Poem Harlem1520 Words   |  6 PagesPoems Harlem by Langston Hughes Thesis statement: Hughes wrote this when Jim Crow laws were still imposing an bitter segregated society in the South. There were still lynchings of innocent African Americans, there was no Civil Rights Movement, there was no Civil Rights legislation yet, and Blacks couldnt eat at lunch counters in the South. Harlem, however, was not at all like the South in terms of blatant, legal segregation. However, racism was very much in place in many places in America. BlacksRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem Harlem Sweeties 2195 Words   |  9 Pages From â€Å"Mother to Son† to â€Å"Harlem Sweeties†, Langston Hughes uses various themes and poetic structures within his writing. Hughes writing style consisted of the black pride and strength of the black community that would later be considered as the â€Å"driving force† behind The Harlem Renaissance. His poems and short stories seemed to evoke a feeling of hopefulness, pride and self- realization. He wrote song lyrics, essays, autobiographies and plays however, his multi-dimensional style of writing consistedRead MoreReoccurring Themes in the Work of Langston Hughes Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesLangston Hughes is an extremely successful and well known black writer who emerged from the Harlem Renaissance (â€Å"Langston Hughes† 792). He is recognized for his poetry and like many other writers from the Harlem Renaissance, lived most of his life outside of Harlem (â€Å"Langston Hughes† 792). His personal experiences and opinions inspire his writing intricately. Unlike other writers of his time, Hughes expresses his discontent with black oppression and focuses on the hardships of his people. Hughes’Read MoreLiterary Analysis of Langston Hughess A Dream Deferred1028 Words   |  4 Pagespublished, and circulated, analysis of the poem must take place. It unveils and discusses the themes, figures of speech, word placement, and flow of the piece, and A Dream Deferred, is no exception. In Langston Hughess poem, A Dream Deferred, the theme is that no really knows to dreams if they are not reached, and very realistic figures of speech help convey this idea; the poem can be surprisingly related to Mr. Hughess life through the subtitle and quotes from Langston himself. The meaning ofRead MoreLangston Hughes : A Modernist1222 Words   |  5 PagesSappington 13 Apr. 2017 Langston Hughes: A Modernist Credited as being the most recognizable figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes played a vital role in the Modernist literary movement and the movement to revitalize African American culture in the early 20th century. Hughes’s poems reflect his personal struggle and the collective struggle of African Americans during this cultural revival. Langston Hughes’s life contained key influences on his work. As a child, Hughes witnessed a divorceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Weary Blues Essay1299 Words   |  6 Pagesone of many Langston Hughes’s poetry during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is a time in American history, in the cities where African Americans were concentrated like Harlem, many master pieces of art, music and literature were created. Blues was much enjoyed during the period; people listened to it and loved it. In the poem of The Weary Blues, people alive through music, and the strong power of music supported the suffering of the black people in that time period. The poem describesRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem I, Too978 Words   |  4 Pages Langston Hughes America, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. This is what everyone was told, what the Declaration of Independence states. But, Langston Hughes a black American poet in the Harlem Renaissance period saw the truth. Being an African American in the United States during the early 1900’s was difficult. Many lived a life full of hardships; segregation, prejudice and economic hardships, viewed as second-class citizensRead MoreLangston Hughes Theme For English B845 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Theme for English B† Langston Hughes dramatizes race and self-identity. Hughes is struggling to relate himself to his teacher and everyone around him, so he starts off by telling readers about his background such as his age and where he has lived. â€Å"I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston- Salem† (2). Through the first stanza of the poem we know that Hughes is living through a time where race is a big issu e and not too many African American adolescents are in school like he is. He is learningRead MoreHarlem: a Dream Deferred1043 Words   |  5 PagesHarlem: A Dream Deferred Langston Hughes Literally Analysis Dreams are aspirations that we hope to reach on our lifetime. They are the day that gives us the drive to live our lives and accomplish our goals. When reaching our goals, we will do anything to get to our destination. But what happens when your dreams deferred and put on hold due to unseen circumstances? Or what do you so when someone tells you that you can not so the things you want to so because of the pigmentation of your skin

Abortion - yes or no Free Essay Example, 1500 words

in pregnancies prior to the point of viability, the government does not have the right to impede a womans right to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy (Head). In most of the cases, abortion is being performed when unwanted pregnancies occur. Teenagers are most vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies because of their uncontrolled sexual activities during the adolescent period because of the development of sex hormones. It is illogical to punish a teenager for her entire life span for a momentary lapse of control occurred to her during her teenage period. Supporters of abortion believe that unwanted pregnancies may damage the physical and psychological health of teenagers and therefore they should be legally allowed to abort the fetus. It is an accepted fact that pregnancies will make lot of physical changes in a female body. In other words, pregnancies will destroy the beauty of the female body. Males often attracted towards females after watching the beautiful figure of a girl. In the absence of a good figure, it is difficult for the females to get the company of males they like. We will write a custom essay sample on Abortion - yes or no or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Moreover, it is difficult for a teenage girl with a child to get the company of a male. The failure to attract opposite sex will create lot of psychological problems to the teenage girl with a child. Under such circumstances, abortions should be legally permitted to save the teenagers from experiencing psychological trauma. â€Å"Thousands of American women died and thousands more were maimed before abortion was legal. For this reason and others, women and men fought for and achieved womens legal right to make their own decisions about abortion† (Nine Reasons Why Abortions are Legal). Proponents of abortion believe that a woman’s right to make decisions concerning her body and her future outweigh the rights of the fetus. In their opinion, since the women who became pregnant should have better knowledge about the consequences of a sexual intercourse prior to the sexual activities and she should have taken preventive measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The above argument is also meaningless. Adolescence is a period in rational thinking is almost impossible. The influence of sex hormones will motivate the teenagers to engage in sexual activities quiet regularly. Even if the teenagers succeeded in taking preventive measures, sometimes the preventive measures need not be successful and unwanted pregnancies can take place. It is impossible for a teenager to enjoy her life as she like after giving birth to a child.

Cut by sylvia Plath Essay - 1601 Words

â€Å"Cut† Sylvia Plath Persona In terms of content the persona in â€Å"Cut† is Sylvia Plath herself. Plath was one of the first American women writers to refuse to conceal her true emotions. In articulating her aggression, hostility and despair in her art, she effectively challenged the traditional literary prioritization of female experience. Plath has experienced much melancholy and depression in her life. Scenario The scenario of the poem starts off in a seemingly domestic scene, perhaps preparing for dinner and develops into this amazing association and blurring of the physical and emotional senses, where a great joy has been found in an ‘accident’. Plath dedicates â€Å"Cut† to her new au pair (nanny), Susan O’Neill Roe as a â€Å"welcome to†¦show more content†¦The story is told through images of war. The reference to the Indian/frontier wars through â€Å"little pilgrim, the Indian’s axed your scalp† is referring to the historical notion of pilgrims in escaping in fear of religious persecution. Plath’s thumb is being associated to being a â€Å"little pilgrim†. The link to the American War of Independence is through â€Å"Redcoats, everyone† meaning that the blood is not a simple liquid but is composed of a million tiny parts, each with an individual and collective purpose, hence the military analogy. This is also done through the reference to â€Å"Saboteur† of the French Revolution representing the sabotage of one’s own well being and one’s physical body, her own undoer as saboteurs often come from within. The link to Kamikaze â€Å"Kamikaze man† from World War 2 signifies the recklessness towards herself when â€Å"cutting†, pointing to the idea that for a moment she is her own killer. The Ku Klux Klan reference from the Civil War â€Å"Gauze Ku Klux Klan/Babushka† from the cold war represents the outward act of anger, hatred and bathing against self. This image is significant as historically the white linen was a hood worn by men in the Ku Klux Klan and the Babushka contradictory was a scarf worn by women in Russia. All metaphorical for the stained bandage, showing sins committed. The military references represents both the control one feels when exercising a deliberate act, as well as the feeling of submission to the need to do it as if it were a com mandShow MoreRelatedTulips and Cut by Sylvia Plath903 Words   |  4 Pagesand â€Å"Cut† Sylvia Plath is a â€Å"confessional† who puts her own experiences in her works that were written during the eighteen century. Sylvia Plath was diagnosed with depression, but recovered when she first attempted suicide in college. In her marriage to Ted Hughes she fell back into depression, which led her to attempt suicide and again this time she died .During the twentieth century, women in American culture were treated as objects without a voice, and male dominance suppressed them. Plath usesRead MoreSylvia Plath: The Exemplary Confessional Poet1015 Words   |  5 Pagessuicide, it is no surprise that Sylvia Plath wrote poetry in this style. Plath suffered from depression most of her life and used writing as an outlet (Spinello). In her works â€Å"Cut,† â€Å"I Am Vertical,† and â€Å"Lady Lazarus,† Plath exemplifies confessional poetry through the themes of resentment, death, and mental illness. To understand why Plath is placed in the literary category that she is, there needs to be knowledge of her personal life. Born in 1932 in Massachusetts, Plath led a short and tragic lifeRead MoreOutline Structure For Literary Analysis : Daffodils By Ted Hughes960 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieve is a resemblance of his wife Sylvia Plath. B. The author of the poem is Ted Hughes .The poem is based around how years Hughes and his children would sell the daffodils to make a living but never realized how much they were taking the daffodil for grant. C. The title of the poem is â€Å"Daffodils.† F. The main characters of the poem is Sylvia Plath. G. Thesis:Through the use of symbolism in Ted Hughess Daffodils, readers are introduced to the impact Plath had on his life through the imageryRead More Rebirth in Sylvia Plaths Lady Lazarus, Fever 103, Getting There, and Cut1307 Words   |  6 PagesRebirth in Lady Lazarus, Fever 103, Getting There, and Cut  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The Ariel-period poems of Sylvia Plath demonstrate her desire for rebirth, to escape the body that was drummed into use by men and society. I will illustrate the different types of rebirth with examples from the Ariel poems, including Lady Lazarus, Fever 103, Getting There, and Cut. Lady Lazarus, the last of the October poems, presents Plath as the victim with her aggression turned towards her male victimizerRead MoreThe Highs And Lows Of Manic Depressive Writing1507 Words   |  7 PagesSylvia Plath: The Highs and Lows of Manic Depressive Writing Sylvia Plath, a successful confessional style poet, struggled throughout her life with issues revolving around her father’s death, unsuccessful and unfulfilling relationships with men, and her mental illnesses. Throughout her struggles, Plath wrote, sometimes writing as much as 10 drafts a day. Despite welcoming into the world two children, whom she loved dearly, Plath still felt unfulfilled by her duties as a housewife. As she wroteRead MoreSymbolism In The Bell Jar1548 Words   |  7 PagesSylvia Plath uses many literary devices to convey her purpose in The Bell Jar such as symbolism. The Bell Jar itself is used as symbolic representation of the emotional state Esther is in. The glass jar distorts her image of the world as she feels trapped under the glass. It represents mental illness , a confining jar that descends over her mind and doesn’t allow her to live and think freely. Symbols and images of life and death pervade The Bell Jar. Esther experiences psychologi cal distress whichRead MoreSylvia Plath was American short-story writer, poet and novelist that was born on October 27, 1932900 Words   |  4 PagesSylvia Plath was American short-story writer, poet and novelist that was born on October 27, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts and died on February 11, 1963. Sylvia Plath is best known for, her books of poems, â€Å"The Colossus and Other Poems Collection† and the â€Å"Ariel Collection† of Poems.Plath’s poetry was known for its rhyme, alliteration and disturbing and violent imagery. Plath’s poetry is considered part of the Confessional movement, which became very popular in the United States during the 1950sRead MoreSylvia Plath: Research Paper2682 Words   |  11 PagesWit, I Have No Words, No Tears Sylvia Plath’s life story could be considered tragic as she was monopolized by a severe depression yet expressed her sorrows through enlightening words in her many poems. The death of her father when she was only eight years old commenced her lifelong despondency and insecurities. In the poem â€Å"Daddy†, she speaks of how she never fully understood him and blames him for the emptiness she feels without a father. As time moved on, Plath discovered her writing talent whileRead MoreAnalysis Of The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath1385 Words   |  6 Pagesfor the simple fact that they too, would like to have some sort of control over their what their readers know about them. In â€Å"The Bell Jar† by Sylvia Plath, the main character, Esther, a girl who is based on Plath herself, finds herself struggling with depression and anxiety and plans to take her own life several times but can never follow through. Plath modified biographical details because she wanted to simplify the material to make it easier to understand, to emphasize any points she wanted toRead More Use of Figurative Language in Daddy by Sylvia Plath Essay1203 Words   |  5 Pageslanguage in the poem â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia Plath can be used to discover a deeper significant of the poem. By using figurative language throughout the poem such as symbolism, imagery, and wordplay, Plath reveals hidden messages about her relationship with her father. Plath uses symbols of Nazis, vampires, size, and communication to help reveal a message about her dad. In Plath’s poem she frequently uses figurative language about Nazis and the Holocaust. Plath depicts herself as a victim by saying

As Technology Has Evolved So Has The Way We, As A Society,

As technology has evolved so has the way we, as a society, consume media. If we look back through history, we can see violent imagery portrayed in books and art. However, after some violent school shootings, people have attempted, and failed, to pin the blame on violent media and even predict if, and when, it will happen again. However if we look at the violent tragedies, and more specifically the people who have committed them, we can see other causes for this violence. Although it can cause issues, violence in media does not cause violent behavior because violence is an accepted part of society, not a single study has predicted shootings, and other factors, such as mental health, are to blame for violent behavior. We must first take a†¦show more content†¦(Jenkins) We could say that violence in media mirrors our violence in society that we face. If we look at america as an example, our society was formed as a result of violent revolution and then after that experienced a rebellion early in it’s existence. As people moved west, they waged campaigns of genocide against native indians. (Newton, 6) Another fact about it is, murder, rape, and other violent crimes are prevalent in the world, all media violence does is inform people that it does exist instead of covering it up and pretending it does not happen. If we did censor violent media, we make the victims of real life violent crimes be compelled to hide it from everyone, only empowering the violent criminals. (Kaufman) We live in a violent society, art imitates the modes of life, not the other way around; It would be better for congress to clean that society than to clean up the reflection of that society. (Anderson and Bushman) Not only that but researching the effect media violence has on a person is hard to do. Research in the field is mostly ill-conceived, poorly executed, and result driven (Castronova). It is mainly difficult to study because lab experimentation takes place in a entirely different environment than everyday life, where the effects might be divided by many factors such as distraction, converse, and other outside influence. So, in the end any simple statement on the subject obscures the complexity of the facts (Cutler). EdwardShow MoreRelatedModern Technology Is Simply An Advancement Of Old Technology,1231 Words   |  5 PagesModern technology is simply an advancement of old technology, the impact of technology in modern life is unmeasurable, we use technology in different ways and sometimes the way we implement various technologies ends up harming our lives or the society we leave in. What we call modern technology is technically not so new in most cases. For example, mobile phone techn ology has evolved with years, nowadays we use smartphones which have been an advancement of an ordinary mobile phone. Technology is appliedRead MoreSociety ´s Interaction with Technology in Burning Chrome by William Gibson1158 Words   |  5 Pageshave been based on the growing relationship of technology and human beings. Today, technology is continuously changing and evolving along with the way people adapt to these technological advances. Technology has completely changed our way of living, it has entwined with our humanity, by being able to replace limbs and organs that we once thought could not be replaced. One of the most crucial things that technology has changed is the way people in society interact with one another. A story written byRead MoreMorality And Technology And The Presence Of Technology1623 Words   |  7 Pagesfable in class, they are unaware that the story has a moral. It has a lesson that the adults attempt to instill in them at the very beginning stages of their lives. These lessons teach morality and begin to introduce certain values to children. In this way, every pers on develops values throughout his/her life that are impacted by his or her environment, biology and social constructs. Through these values, morality is developed and because each person has his or her own unique values, morality is basedRead MoreGene Therapy And Human Genetic Engineering1646 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Although we are all members of a single species, we differ from one another in such visible traits as the color of our skin and the shape of our noses, and in biochemical factors such as our blood types and our susceptibility to certain diseases† (Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, 2013, p. 34). To understand human physical development and evolution one has to understand biological anthropology as the focus on humans as biological organisms. Biological anthropologistRead MoreThe Importance Of Technology In Education1232 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology has been evolving over thousands of years and it has provided humans with educat ion, better health care, and communication that is the key to making our world a better place for future generations to come. Technology is a field of knowledge having to do with the practical applications of science and industry or the inventions and methods of solving problems that are produced through research in these areas. It has helped the school system, the medical field, and provided us with communicationRead MoreEssay on Mass Media Development and Lieracy Assignment Options908 Words   |  4 PagesDevelopment and Literacy Assignment Options In today’s society mass media has such an influence whether it is positive or negative. It plays an important role in our everyday lives. Mass media affects everyone in the world. The purpose of mass media is everything tied into the advancement of technology and most often education, news, internet, television, magazines, and so much more. â€Å"Culture is made up of both the products that a society fashions and, perhaps more important, the processes thatRead MoreSociety Can Not Survive Without Technology1266 Words   |  6 PagesSociety Cannot Survive without Technology Technology has evolved over the years, but what exactly is technology? It is quite simple. It is everything that has made human lives over the course of time easier. This can be from chairs to cars to computers. Even, the career of business was created with technology. We use technology in so made ways today including, easier communication and the constant want of making our lives easier, leads us to the rapid advancement of technology. What will happenRead MoreEffects of Technology Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish 091-040 4 December 2012 Effects of Technology in our world I. Introduction: State your plan for the Introduction paragraph * Changes in technology over the years * Why we depend on technology so much * How much we rely on technology Thesis statement: In today’s world, as technology is advancing around us, some of the major effects that can be seen are medical technology advances, ease of communication with the growing technology, and the negative effects on our body. IIRead MoreHunger For Power By George Orwell1728 Words   |  7 Pagesby utilizing comparatively advanced technology such as the telescreen and boulders. Their intelligence is suppressed because they do not bother caring for those who are suffering from their unjust actions. In fact, their sole purpose is to claim power by harming innocent people. Hence, although these novels consist of contrasting settings, Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Inheritors are similar because their societies control people through despair and technology for solely claiming power and not caringRead MoreHow Computers Changed The Way We Work1059 Words   |  5 Pagesoverall purpose device that has industrialized a lot over the years. From the ENIAC to the flat screen laptop, it is remarkable to see how computers have advanced. We went from having a computer that occupied a huge room with what we have in the office and at home today – a miniature, efficient version of the first computer. Computer tec hnology continues to progress and will continue to do so for ages to come. But how has the evolution of computers changed the way we work, find information and communicate

Deabte analysis free essay sample

The industrial Revolution occurred in Europe from 1750 to 1850. During this time there was also a huge increase in illegitimacy rate, which is the number of babies being born to unmarried women. The big question becomes, did the industrial revolution cause a sexual revolution or not? There are many historians and people with different views about topic. At the start of the industrial revolution there were close to zero babies being born the unmarried women and by the end in 1850 there was 1 in every 3 women having babies that weren’t married. There are two main points of view on this debate; one from Edward Shorter and the other from Louise Tilly, Joan Scott, and Miriam Cohen. Historian Edward Shorter states that the industrial revolution created many opportunities for women to work which he says led to a rise in the illegitimacy rate. He connects this to the sexual emancipation, or sexual freedom, of unmarried, working-class women. Historians Louise A. Tilly, Joan W. Scott, and Miriam Cohen counter that unmarried women started working during the industrial revolution to meet an economic need, not to gain personal freedom. They state that the rise in illegitimacy rates rose due to broken marriages and the absence of traditional support from family, community, and the church. With women starting to work this caused a change in people’s lifestyles. Shorter and Tilly, Scott, and Cohen both have a legitimate argument to if the industrial revolution was the cause of the sexual revolution. You raise the key issues here. It doesn’t need to be this long, but that’s OK. Edward Shorter agrees that women of the upper class in the nineteenth century underwent a female emancipation along with the slave emancipation, but he says that it doesn’t account for the women with families. Young, low status women underwent a radical movement in female emancipation in the late eighteenth century because of the involvement in the economy of the market place. This emancipation started with the young women of low status to older women of higher status. There were some general characteristics describing women during this time. There were many famous women making stands for women’s independence and rights, that it was hard to see the position of all women or the norms of women. One thing Shorter states is, except for the few  exceptions of famous women, most of them were still powerless and dependent. Female emancipation was all about becoming independent. Married women wanted household political power and a family where they have their own rights, sexual gratifications, and emotional freedom. Unmarried women started ignoring the strict views and opinions of parents and community to satisfy their personal needs. All women started disregarding outside controls for personal freedom and sexuality for individual self-fulfillment. Up to here is satisfactory, but more info than necessary and not completely clear. These changes may be linked to the economic changes towards capitalism, an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations. Good. One change was that capitalism made subcultures of wage-earning people. These people began to create their own rules and standards on how to run their community. Some of the rules where sexual behavior, target family size, and new techniques for contraception and abortion. The new young people were sexually active and it became a social norm to have sex before marriage. Shorter thinks that some aspect of industrialism must be held accountable for the expressly permissive sexual content of the subcultures. Another change dealing with capitalism was the mentality of the market place. As women began working in the market place they began to bring the principles of the market place into other areas of their lives. Shorter believes that the labor markets were the most direct source of personal freedom. Capitalism’s metal habits of maximizing one’s self-interest and sacrificing community goals to get individual profit was what women learned in the market place and it’s what they wanted in all aspects of life including their family and their freedom. Lastly, the industrial advance along with capitalism removed many external controls upon female sexual freedom. As women were bringing home paychecks meant they contributed to the family’s resources and would be entitled to a greater voice in how these resources were used. This lead to women being more equal and the premarital sex codes became more permissive as her status  was completely dependent on the husbands. Shorter came to state that capitalism entitled a source for females to be independent and have sexual freedom. The low wage, young people started the involvement in the market economy. The prosperous women soon followed in the nineteenth century. For unmarried women capitalism meant personal and sexual freedom. Young women were able to go against parental controls with her sexual and emotional independence because she knew the market would still hire her and give her self-sufficiency, and if needed, would move her to a town where she could work. This lead to the absence of birth control and therefore illegitimacy. You say more than necessary in the first paragraph of this section; your explanation of the argument could be stronger.