Freudian Theory has been criticized by feminists for espousing a patriarchal social formation. The most vocal critique among Second Wave feminists is Betty Friedan, whose cornerstone work Feminine Mystique (published in 1963) took issue with Freudian psychoanalysts. She perceived Freudian Theory to comply with a subordinate role for women in and outside the household. The…
Category: Education
Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models
Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582. Aggression is all around modern society. We witness it in television, video games, news, cinema, etc. The research article by Bandura, Ross & Ross makes it near conclusive that children learn…
The dramatic differences found by Piaget in the development of preschoolers and elementary-age children
A child undergoes rapid physiological and cognitive developments in the first few years. Preschoolers or toddlers slowly shed their ‘ego-centric’ view. This means that a newborn baby does not have the capacity to think of and for others. This ability to understand that there are others in the world is slowly gained during the years…
How the Brain Learns?
It is now a standard theory that students’ prior understanding of a subject matter plays the pivotal role in furthering their understanding. The easiest demonstration of this theory at work is the design of school curricula from primary education through high school and college. Basic concepts are introduced at earlier levels, which are further built…
Richard Dawkins’ Blind Watchmaker
What is the thesis (the central idea or main point)? Richard Dawkins’ main argument is that the forces of evolution give an illusion of deliberate design, whereas in truth, they were shaped by gradual and random mutations sifted by the filters of natural selection. What are the main arguments made in supporting the thesis? Drawing…
The conflict between religious fundamentalism and methods of science
Ever since the ushering of the Enlightenment in the early 18th century, religious dogma has increasingly been questioned. In the contemporary era scientists offer clear and logical explanations for the evolution of life, the formation of the solar system, etc. In the face of such indisputable scientific evidence, it is no longer possible to accommodate…
What is the problem with education in the United States today?
It is fair to claim that the state of education in the United States today is symbolic of the state of the nation. The biggest concern is the falling of scholastic standards. It is believed that programs such as No Child Left Behind may have actually undermined the quality and parity in education. There is…
The People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn: Review of Chapters 1 through 5
Howard Zinn is arguably the most important American historian. He brought a radical transformation to the construction of history that was previously unheard of. By siding with the oppressed, the underprivileged, the victims, the poor and the weak, he made their voices heard through his writing. The People’s History of the United States is a…
Social Intelligence Research: Q & A
For the last several weeks, we have been studying the impact of professional presence. What are you learning about your own professional presence? What aspects of your own professional presence do you consider strengths? What aspects of your professional presence are developing through your course of study? What are your desired outcomes for further development…
Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience
The philosophical sub stream of epistemology concerns itself with questions surrounding the modes, methods and capacities of human knowledge acquisition. It is a very complicated subject with a lot of debate and disagreement among scholars. There are those like John Horgan, who envision the decline of scientific scrutiny into these questions. They contend that the…