Quickwrites

Quickwrite#1
1.WhatisUpwardMobility?Canyougiveanexample?
Upwardmobilityiswhen
someone(orafamily)movesfromalowerclassuptoahigherclass.Anexampleofthiscould
beapoorfamilylivinginalowerclassneighborhoodwhohavelowpayingjobs.Ifoneorbothof
theparentssuddenlyfoundareallywellpayingjob,orinheritedsomemoney,thentheycould
potentiallymovetoanicerareaandbecomemiddleorevenupperclass.
2.HowdoIncome,Housing,andEducationimpacttheabilitytomoveup?Income
impactstheabilitytomoveupbecausetheamountofmoneyyoumakeiswhatultimately
decideswhichclassyouarein.Ifsomeonebeginstomakeasignificantlyhigherincomethan
theydidbefore,thenthatpersonwouldmoveupinclass.Housingimpactstheabilitytomove
upbecausethesizeandlocationofyourhousemightimpacthowmuchmoneyyouhaveto
spendonothernecessities,orwhattypeofjobsarenearbythatyoucanget.Finally,education
definitelyaffectsonesabilitytomoveupbecausethelevelofeducationyoureceiveimpacts
whattypeofjobsyougetandthereforehowmuchmoneyyoumake.
3.Whatareyourthoughtsontheabovefactorsafterplayingthegame.Howlongwould
ittakeforthegroupstorecoverfromthedisadvantagesfromthestartofthegame?
Ithinkthat
thefactorsthataffectthegameweareallyinterestingtwistthatreflectstherealityofthe
economyandtheindividualsinit.Theadvantagedhaveahugeadvantageoverthe
disadvantagedfromthegetgo,whichwasproveninthisgame.Althoughwedidnthavetimeto
continueonplayingthegame,itwouldlikelytakealmosttheentiregameforthedisadvantaged
tocatchuptotheadvantaged,andtheymightnotbeabletoatall.Becauseoftheheadstartthe
advantagedpeoplehadonmoneyandproperty,itwouldtakealotofluckorskillforthe
disadvantagedtocatchuptotheadvantaged,muchlessactuallysurpassthem.Inreallife,it
wouldprobablytakejustaslongifnotlongerforupwardmobilitytohappenfordisadvantaged
peopleintheworld,especiallyincapitalisticsocietiessuchastheUnitedStates.

Quickwrite#2
1. WhodoesPlatocomparewomento?Whatdowomenneedinordertoachieveequality?
Platocompareswomentobothdogsandmen.Hecomparesthemfirsttodogs,by
statingthatwe(asasociety)donotseparatemaleandfemaledogsfromeachother.He

thenraisesthequestionofwhy,ifwedonotseparatethedifferentdogsonthebasisof
sex,doweseparatehumansbasedonthis.Platobelievesthat,inordertoachieve
equality,womenmustbetaughtthesamethingsthatmenaretaught.Platomentions
war,andhowwomenshouldbetaughtaboutitinthesamewaythatmenare,inorderto
ensurethatwomenhavethesameopportunitiesasmen.Ifmenandwomenarenot
taughtthesamethings,thenthereisnowayforthemtoevenhavetheoptionof
equality,whichPlatobelievesisunjust.Platostated,So,then,thosemenandwomen
whodisplaydistinctaptitudesforanygivenkindofworkwillbeassignedtodothatwork.
Ifacriticcandonomorethanbringuptheonedistinctionbetweenmanandwoman
thattheonebegetsandtheotherbearschildrenweshallsaythatforourpurposeshe
hasofferednoproofofdifferenceatall.WhatPlatomeansbythisisthattoseparate
manandwomanbywhetherornottheycanbearchildrenisridiculous,sincethatshould
notabigenoughdifferencetostopwomenfromachievingallthethingsthatmen
achieve.

2. WhyisthisaSocialJusticeissue?T
hisisasocialjusticeissuebecauseitdealswiththe
equalitiesandinequalitiesbetweenthemaleandfemalegenders.Platodiscusseshow
womenarenotgiventheequalityofopportunitiesthatmenaregiven,whichmakesit
verychallengingforthemtoreachthesamegreatnessofmen.Ifinditincrediblethat
Plato,wholivedsuchalongtimeagoinsuchadifferentway,understoodandwrote
aboutthestrugglesthatwomenfaceinattemptingtogainequalitytotheirmale
counterparts,especiallyinspecificjobswheretheyareequallyqualified.IthinkPlatos
mentionofhowmenandwomenthatdothatsamejobshouldbetreatedequallyand
givenequalopportunities,especiallysincethatisstillsomethingoursocietystruggles
withtoday.

3. DoyouthinkWomenareequaltomentoday?UsespecificExamples.N
o,Ipersonally
donotbelievewomenareconsideredequalinoursocietytoday.Althoughwomenhave
madeleapsandboundsingainingsocial,political,andeconomicequalityinthepast
century,wearestillfarfromreachingthedesiredlevelofequality.Womenface
discriminationingettingjobsbasedontheirsex,ingainingpowerbasedontheirsex,
andinhowtheirrelationshipsandlivesareviewedinsocietycomparedtomen.When
womengainpower,oftentimesthroughharderworkthanmenbecauseofthe

challengestheyfacejustbasedonthegendertheywereborn,theyarestilloftentimes
notrecognizedfortheiraccomplishments,butinsteadarefacedwithridicule.One
specificexampleishowmenofpowerareconsideredhardworkingandcapable,and
womenofpowerareconsideredbossy.

Quickwrite#3
1.
WhatdoesPresidentObamasayabouttherelationshipbetweenpovertyandpolitics?
PresidentObamasaysthatalthoughbothliberalsandconservativesrecognizethat
povertyisahugeissueinAmericathatneedstobeaddressed,theyhavedifferentviews
onitingeneral.Obamasaidthatmanyliberalsbelieveweneedtospendmoremoney
onsocialprogramswhileconservativesbelievethatwedon'tandthatitisaproductof
culture.However,ObamaalsosaidthatthereareRepublicansandDemocratsthatdo
notfallintothesenarrowdefinitions.Therelationshipbetweenpovertyandpoliticsisthat
governmenthasanobligationtohelpthoseinpovertyinanywaypossiblesothatthe
cycleofpovertycanbebrokenupforgood,andsothateveryonehasbetter
opportunitiesandlives.PresidentObamaalsoconnectedpastracismtocurrent
classism,sincetherewasatransitioninAmericaovertheyearstodiscriminationagainst
theclasses.

2. WhataresomesolutionstopovertyintheUnitedStates?I
thinkthatsolvingtheissueof
povertyandAmericabeginswithsolvingtheissueofunequalopportunity.I,alongwith
manyAmericans,believeintheequalityofopportunitybutnotresult.However,thereis
notcurrentlyanequalityofopportunity,asmanypeoplebornintopovertycontinuetolive
inpovertyfortherestoftheirlives.Thereasonforthisisthatitisverychallengingfor
socialmobilitytooccur.Ithinkthatasolutionforpovertyisaddingmoneytosocial
programssothatchildrenandteenagerscanhavemoreopportunitiesinlowincome
areassothattheycanbemoreequaltothosethatareupperclass.Sincewearea
capitalisticsocietyandthereforehaveverydistinctclasses,Idonotknowthatwewill
everentirelyeliminatepovertyfromAmerica.However,therearesomedefinitewaysto
makeitsothatthoselivinginlowerclassescanstillleadsuccessfulandfulfillinglives
withoutworryingaboutmoney.


Quickwrite#4
1. Whataresomeinterestingbehaviorsofthistribe?T
herearemanyinterestingbehaviors
aboutthistribethatdifferfromthenormsofourmoderndaysociety.Tostartoff,they
tendtobemoreliketheancientRomansinthattheyfightforentertainment(muchlike
gladiatorfights).Thefactthatthepeoplearewillingtofighttoparalysisordeathjustfor
entertainmentseemsverybarbarictoourcurrentstandards,butisnotuncommonin
differentsocietiesthroughouthistory,includingEuropeanones.Anotherveryinteresting
behaviorofthistribeistheirbeautystandardsandhowtheyapplythem.Tome,itseems
veryinterestingthattheywouldcutoffpartsoftheirbodyforbeautystandards,butthat
isntthatdifferenttowhatAmericanpeopledowithplasticsurgery.However,iftheyare
actuallycuttingoffbodyparts,thenthatseemsverydramatic.Despitethewordingofthe
papertomakethepeopleseemverybarbaric,ifyoumakethewordsmoremildor
changethemslightly,thanitisalmostidenticaltoAmericanculture,whichisthewhole
pointofthearticleasNaciremaisAmericanbackwards.

2.Whatisyouropinionofthearticle.DoesitreflectAmericansaccurately?I
thinkthearticle
isveryinteresting,andthefirsttimeIreadititreallytrippedmeupwhenIwastolditwas
actuallymeanttobeaboutAmericans.IthinkthatitshowsarealtruththatmanyAmericansdo
notnecessarilywanttofaceontheirown.However,Ialsoknowthatthedictioniswhatmakesit
seemsosavageandbarbaric,andthatifthewordingwaschangeditwouldseemexactlylike
thesocietythatwelivein.Ithinkitsaveryinterestingandimportantarticlebecauseitforces
Americanstoreexaminetheirsocietyandtheculturalaspectsthatseemsonormaltoeveryday
life.ItshowsAmericansthroughanaccurate,andyetharshlight,thatdoesnotdemonstrate
manyofthegoodaspectsofsocietythatarerelevant.

Quickwrite#5
EstherDuflo
1. Whatisthekeyargumentthespeakerismaking?Giveexamples.E
stherDuflomakesa
powerfulargumentinherspeechaboutpoverty.Theargumentsheismakingisthat,as
awholeconcept,povertyistoodifficulttofaceandfix.Therearejusttoomanydifferent
factorsthatgointopoverty,toomanycausesandeffectsanddifferentsituationsfor

placesandpeople.Shestatesthat,becausepovertyisoftenseenasaproblemthatis
impossibletofixentirely,itisignoredformorepressingdisastersintheworld,suchas
naturaldisastersliketheearthquakeinHaiti.However,thespeakerbelievesthatwhen
povertyisbrokendownintoindividualproblemsandsolutions,itissignificantlymore
manageable.Thethreeexamplesthatthespeakerusesthatcouldsavelivesare
vaccines,malariaavoidance,andeducation.Forvaccinations,thespeakersuggeststo
makeitmorereadilyavailable,andgiveincentivessuchaslentils.Formalaria,she
suggestedgivingfreenetstoprotectfrommosquitoes.Finally,foreducation,the
speakersuggesteddewormingthestudentssothattheywouldbeabletocontinuegoing
toschool.Thesesimplesolutionscouldmakeahugeimpactonthelivesofmanypeople
indevelopingnations,andcouldsavecountlesslives.

2. Doyouagreewiththeirsolutionsonpoverty?Y
es,Iagreeonehundredpercentwith
EstherDuflossolutionsonpoverty.Ithinkherpointaboutbreakingdowntheissueinto
smallerpiecesisimportantandinsightfulnotonlyforthetopicofpoverty,butalsomany
differentissuesintheworldtoday,suchasracismandsexism.Ibelievethatthepoints
shemadeaboutgivingincentivessuchasfoodtopeoplecanmakeaworldof
difference,asitreallywillforcepeopletotakeactiontodayinsteadoftomorrow.Finally,I
thinkthattheideathatthespeakersaideducationcansaveandimprovelivesis
essentialtoherdiscussion.Bydoingsomethingassimpleasgettingridofwormsin
children,theycancontinuetogotoschoolandlearnandthereforebegintolift
themselvesoutofthecycleofpoverty.

JessicaJackley
1. Whatisthekeyargumentthespeakerismaking?Giveexamples.T
hekeyargumentthe
speakerismakingisaboutthesuccessofmicrofinanceonsolvingtheissueofpoverty.
JessicaJackleyisthefounderofKIVA,whichisawebsitethatgivesoutmicroloansto
peoplelivinginpoverty.Inherspeech,shetalkedabouthowgivingoutmicroloansand
thenwatchingpeopleflourishontheirownwiththemoneytheyweregivencando
wondersforpeople,andreallychangelives.Shealsosaidthatbycommunicatingwith
thepoorandclosingtheobviousgapbetweenthemandus,wecanmakeahuge
difference.Herargumentwaseffectivepartiallybecauseofwhatshewassaying,and
partiallybecauseoftheobviouspassionbehindherwords.Whensheconnectedtothe

audiencebybeinghonestandsayingthatthetruthbetold,Iwasgivingoutofthat
place,notoutofagenuineplaceofhopeandexcitementtohelpandofgenerosity,she
immediatelyappearedmorerelatableandhumantothosewatching,thusmakingher
argumentseemmorereal.Jackleygenuinelyseemedtowanttomaketheworldabetter
placeandhelppoorpeoplethroughouttheworld,whichledtohersuccessinher
speech.

2. Doyouagreewiththeirsolutionsonpoverty?Y
es,Idoagreewithhersolutionson
poverty.Ithinkthattheideaofmicrofinancingisabsolutelybrilliant,asitcanreallymake
ahugeimpactonindividualpeople'slives.Itisfartooeasytogetcaughtupintheworld
aroundus,andpushtheideaofpovertyandsufferingontootherpeoplethatdonot
affectus.However,bygivingoutmicroloansandcontinuingcommunicationwithpeople,
insteadofjustautomaticallygivingoutmoneyandthennevercommunicatingwiththose
inpovertyagain,wecanmakepersonalconnectionsandgiveasenseofcommunitythat
canbeinstrumentalinbreakingthecycleofpoverty.Ibelievethattheideasof
communityandcaringthatJessicatouchedonarereallyimportantonesthatneedtobe
remembered.