Femininity

In contrast to masculinity discussed last week, femininity was the topic of discussion this week.  Femininity, like masculinity, is a complex persona that has many different facets that can define it.  Men and women have different brains and patterns that make masculinity and femininity quite different.  One of the articles that we read was about how women analyze other women and try to point out the strengths and weaknesses in their physical and mental personas.  This is quite different from men who tend to not notice those small types of characteristics and judge them.  This results from the complex and multi faceted personalities that separate men and women.  Femininity and masculinity have different meanings and characteristics but are not ultimately the deciding factor in how men and women act nor should it be an excuse for how they act.  These are very complex matters and should be treated as such because of the inability to properly define and notice it.

Masculinity

Masculinity is a very complex mental stigma that exists in every man.  Masculinity can be defined as many different things but there is no denying the emotional toll that it has the power to take on someone.  The documentary "The mask you live in" displayed perfectly the effect of the pressure of masculinity.  From a young age, boys are constantly told to "be a man" which carries a traumatic emotional experience for many boys.  The documentary perfectly describes the unreasonable expectations that most boys fail to live up to.  In fact, when a boy does achieve one of the goals set for them, something else often impedes them from fully becoming a man.  One instance that caught my attention was a professional football player saying what he went through and still carried some baggage from the pressure he faced growing up.  Masculinity is very complex in how it is defined from person to person.  Many may say it means acting tough as in to not cry.  Others may say it means to be good at sports or to be athletic.  Some may also say it means to be kind and emotional.  I think all of these are right depending on your personality.  Being a man is just being yourself and doesn't matter how strong or smart you are.

Ways to Improve the Education System

The American education system has been both praised and criticized.  While many have their own opinions, there is a general consensus that we, as a country, can do better for our young people learning fundamental information for their lives.  An easy first step would be to get completely rid of standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT.  These tests do nothing for the student except give them stress about their futures and having them question how smart they are.  They do nothing to prepare students for college or careers.  Corporate officials often complain that students are not getting the correct skills that they need for the modern workplace.  The tests also do not accurately measure what students have learned.  The limited time frame and stress of a test taking environment often lead students to a poor score even though they have mastered the material.  The students are then told to go to classes which help them with standardized test taking skills which, in turn, takes away any sort of assessment and just helps the students in taking that test.  In fact, the main reason these tests still exist is because the companies making them are generating millions upon millions in making students struggle to function at a college or career level and further damage a crippling workplace.  Really all we need to do is eliminate standardized tests to provide an environment where students can actually think critically and properly understand material that will properly prepare them for life in the real world.

Education

Throughout the week we have been discussing different types of education around the world and within the country.  Different types of education can make drastic differences on the children and the entire workforce regarding the quality of the education.  For example, Finland has been regarded as having the best education system in the world because of the funding and quality of education they provide.  This makes for a productive teacher and student body as well as a more capable and educated workforce.  However, one piece of media that we studied really caught my attention and it was called, "I just sued the school system".  I thought this piece was very powerful because it brought to light the generalizations that are made about each student and how they learn.  These generalizations make for an unproductive student body with only a fraction of students actually getting quality education that suits their needs and productivity.  It also mentioned standardized testing which is a collective test that is supposed to assess how well the student has learned the material that was supposed to be taught in class.  Not only will most of the material on the test not be relevant in most students everyday lives, but is not even an accurate method for most students.  Overall, this study has really opened my eyes to the problems of the American education system and standardized testing and how it impacts the students.