Narrative Essay
Often, I ask myself why I am still in New York City. I hate it here, from the bland urban view to the awful smells. I don’t know how anyone could want to live here for an extended period of time. Then I remember that I’m poor and need affordable education. So, I decided to attend CUNY. But I’m also tired of America as a whole, quite the dilemma. But that brings me to the question, why do I attend CCNY?
The reason I am attending CCNY is because I want to eventually attend law school and this school is also a short trip from the CPUSA HQ. I want to go to law school because being a public defender is an interesting enough job that seems like it would make a good difference in the lives of working-class people and that is the business, I’m in. Though I do hate the way most of our education system is set up, I’ve been enjoying college as its only two hours of class every day and I can get home at a mostly reasonable time. I also get to learn interesting things, a great contrast to high school.
Being a philosophy major, the diverse pallet of students provides a great pool of ideas and values to study and understand other peoples’ understanding of the world and other such things. Part of what brought me to philosophy was the political application of it and how it helps one organize the world in a way that seems more practical and sensical. But even outside of politics it has its uses to break down complex ideas into something that can be much more easily digested in order to produce a more effective and efficient way of perceiving a world that we don’t know for sure much about. This is why I enjoy college so much more, because it allows me to study various philosophies along with other students of the same discipline which will further enrich all our educations.
Unfortunately, that’s not how education has always been for me. It has always been some repeat of information that was once interesting that’s now just boring. Or maybe it was something that never interested me in the first place. For this reason, I never believed in our public education system and always treated it as something that I should never take seriously. This negatively reflected in my later efforts as a student and fed into great periods of procrastination where I would wait hours before starting something, such as this paper itself. For some reason though it is the only time I am able to get work done. Perhaps it’s because this has become a learned behavior over the years of neglect for the importance of my work.
With college I looked to change this. I wanted to become a better student and study more and learn more. I began reading books over the summer and actually enjoyed them. I wanted education to be something I looked forward to, something I enjoyed. This was something I looked forward to over the summer. Many people would ask me how I felt about the school year starting up again. I would reply, “I’m excited, I can’t wait to start the new year and do something new because in college you get to try new things and utilize your independence.”
So, I guess that’s the real reason I’m attending CCNY or college in general. Despite my gripes about NYC and its great troubles, I can afford school here and benefit from the resources provided to me by my teachers and fellow students. I want to use these resources to become a better learner and use my knowledge to further my pursuits of education and create even more opportunities for myself and others in the future. The college experience, unlike my earlier encounters with education, has ignited a genuine enthusiasm for learning. My major in philosophy will allow me to delve into the intricacies of human thought and the practical applications of philosophical principles, especially in the realm of politics. Through this journey, I hope to reshape my approach to education, turning it from a mere obligation into a personal quest for growth and enlightenment. While challenges lie ahead, I hope my time at CCNY will infuse me with a renewed commitment to my studies, and a sense of purpose as I strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of working-class people.
Rhetorical Analysis
My argument stems from the book Behind the Veil in Arabia: Women in Oman. In this book, social anthropology is covered as a practice that should be taken with care, as the best way to study the way a society works is to live and participate in it yourself. The meme I had created shows that if more people were like Unni Wikan and her husband or even the Omani themselves, in that they attempt to understand other people’s cultures and not destroy them or take offense to them, perhaps we’d have a better world. The reason I chose a meme format is because they are fun and easy to understand. The idea that I am introducing is not particularly complicated in any way, but I would say the meme format is more enjoyable to some extent than a wall of text. In this meme, I used the rhetorical strategy of sarcasm to emphasize how much better the world could be if we tried to understand each other and didn’t bother to be offended by differences in culture. Though some may take offense to the meme or feel called out, I think the format allows it to stay in one’s head a lot longer and give them the chance to think on it a bit more than if they had just heard or read someone saying it due to the inclusion of the image along with the text. This could also include logos because of the way the meme has the person thinking about how their actions may or may not affect the outcome of the entire world. My second rhetorical strategy would be satire. Like sarcasm, the somewhat aggressive nature of this meme calls out individuals who may not be so open-minded as to take the time to understand and coexist with other cultures. The use of this “calling out” could produce the response that I want when I call out an individual’s prejudice or general misconception of an idea or culture. And with that, it would produce an ethos-based response in which the person would either agree or disagree. They would understand that the world could be better with all of us trying to better understand each other, or they would try to make sense of being exclusionary and divergent. So, I would say my target audience is my peers, be they teachers, students, or friends. The goal of this meme is to get people to think not only about how we could be more inclusive but also make the world a better place for everyone in general. In this way, it becomes a powerful tool for generating positive change.
In conclusion, my argument is that people should think first to understand and even accept others’ cultures in productive and progressive ways. And I hope that the meme and the idea it promotes encourage people to think about how to improve the world we live in.
The Development of Women’s Emancipation in Communist China
The history of China is vast, spanning thousands of years. Once considered a great power throughout many historical periods, after decades of threats by foreign powers and many civil wars, China had lost much of its power and influence in the 18th century leading up to the mid 1900s. However, the Chinese communist revolution changed the course of China forever. This event helped put China on the map and created what we know as the People’s Republic of China today. I want to discuss how women participate in this society and government to support the communist revolution and related radical movements within China during this Revolutionary/Post-Revolutionary period. Though some may doubt the significance of women in Chinese history, I intend to shed some light on the topic and hopefully disprove such claims.
In the early 1920s, China witnessed the emergence of the Chinese communist movement, marking a pivotal period in the nation’s history. This era was characterized by the significant participation of women in the struggle for revolution. Christina Gilmartin and Kay Ann Johnson shed light on the vital role that women played in the communist movement during its early years. Women were actively engaged in party activity, but the social environment of China at the time hindered their ability to participate in this new society and would prove difficult in the beginning (Bailey & Gilmartin, 1996). These foundational years set the stage for a broader societal transformation in gender roles and expectations. As China transitioned into the People’s Republic of China in 1949, there was a notable evolution in the role of women within the communist movement. Wang Zheng covers this transformative period, depicting how women became integral to the new societal fabric. They were not mere passive beneficiaries of change; rather, they were actively encouraged to engage in diverse aspects of society, including the workforce, education, and politics. The shift from traditional gender norms to a more gender-inclusive approach marked a significant departure from previous conventions. Women became integral to the nation-building process (Wang, 2010, pg. 827).
Despite these advancements, women in China faced several enduring challenges. Margery Wolf highlights that gender disparities persisted in later years. Women continued to grapple with issues such as workplace discrimination, domestic responsibilities, and societal expectations. The initial ideals of gender equality championed by communism remained far from being fully realized (Davin & Wolf, 1986). The Chinese communist movement promoted the ideals of gender equality as a core component of its mission, yet the experiences of women often deviated from these lofty ideals. Soong Ching Ling reveals the complexities of the situation, where communist policies sought to empower women but collided with cultural and social realities that frequently undermined these efforts. Women’s experiences were shaped by the intricate interplay of ideology and tradition. This tension between rhetoric and reality underscored the challenging path toward gender equality in a society deeply rooted in longstanding cultural norms and expectations (Soong Ching Ling, 1972, Peking Review).
In contemporary China, the status of women continues to be a subject of ongoing scrutiny and discussion. Kelly Dawson from Al Jazeera weighs in on the persistent challenges faced by women in modern Chinese society. The struggle for gender equality and the balance between work and family life continue to be prominent issues. While “Chapter I Historic Liberation of Chinese Women” and ChinaFile offer additional insights into the current status of women in China, exploring their roles in the workforce, politics, and society at large. These contemporary sources underline the ongoing nature of women’s journey within Chinese communism. China’s one-child policy, which was implemented in 1979 and relaxed in 2015, had significant gender implications. In some cases, it led to gender-based discrimination and the preference for male children. The skewed gender ratio created challenges for women, including difficulties in finding marriage partners. The policy also raised concerns about the societal status and security of elderly women who may not have male offspring to care for them. Social expectations and family dynamics play a critical role in women’s lives in China. Despite progress, there is still a prevailing expectation that women should take on primary responsibility for childcare and household duties. This balance between work and family life remains a challenge for many women, especially in dual-income households.
Women’s participation in Chinese politics has gradually increased over the years. Women have held significant positions in the Chinese government and Communist Party, with notable figures like Wu Yi (Vice premier of China 2003 – 2008) and Liu Yandong (Vice premier of China 2013 – 2018). Their contributions have demonstrated the changing landscape of women in Chinese politics and their impact on policy decisions. The Chinese government introduced policies to promote gender equality, recognizing the importance of women’s participation in all aspects of society. These policies included provisions for maternity leave, anti-discrimination laws, and initiatives to increase female representation in leadership positions. While these policies represented steps in the right direction, challenges remained in their effective implementation and enforcement, particularly in rural areas and smaller towns. While urban women have seen substantial progress in terms of career opportunities, rural women often face distinct challenges. Gender disparities, limited access to education and healthcare, and traditional societal norms continue to affect rural women. Their experiences contrast with those of their urban counterparts and underscore the diverse realities that women in China navigate.
The economic reforms that China underwent in the late 20th century, particularly under Deng Xiaoping’s (3rd Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) leadership, had a profound impact on women’s roles. The shift towards a market-oriented economy created new opportunities for women in the workforce. Women were no longer confined to traditional roles but actively participated in various industries, from manufacturing to technology. The economic reforms played a pivotal role in altering gender dynamics and providing women with greater economic independence. China’s economic growth has been accompanied by increasing participation of women in the workforce. Women have become an indispensable part of various industries, including technology and manufacturing. The Chinese tech industry, for instance, has seen a significant presence of women in various roles, contributing to innovation and economic development.
The development of women’s emancipation in communist in China has seen significant changes and persistent challenges over the past century. From the early days of the communist movement in the 1920s to the formation of the People’s Republic and into the contemporary era, women have played pivotal roles, faced obstacles, and grappled with the dissonance between ideals and realities. Despite considerable progress, gender equality remains a complex and ongoing issue in China, making it a topic of enduring significance. The evolution of women in communist in China serves as a lens through which we can explore broader themes of societal transformation and the complexities of ideology in practice.
Self-Assessment Essay
In my first semester of writing at CCNY and specifically with Professor Miller I feel I’ve learned practical skills in writing to assist me in the future of my academic and professional career. I believe skills such as developing strategies for reading, drafting, revising, and editing or recognizing and practicing key rhetorical terms and appeals when engaged in writing situations has been something I was capable of before, but this class had helped me solidify and improve upon more. As well as developing and engaging in the collaborative and social aspects of the writing process, it is an important skill when developing your and other’s writing styles. When analyzing the rhetorical essays of my peers I’d definitely put these skills to work. Understanding and recognizing the various rhetorical terms such as sarcasm, metaphor, antithesis and so on helped me not only understand the work my peers were presenting, but it also gave me the ability to give feedback on their work and how to better incorporate such themes into their writing. Although I may be a student myself, I believe my consideration and that of other’s is relevant and important to my education and the development of my writing so that I could see not only how the writer experiences their writing but also understanding the perspective of the reader. When trying to understand an author’s words those skills are crucial due to the nature of analysis, and for that same reason it’s important that you hone these skills for writing. In writing it’s crucial that you are able to understand your own words and with these skills you also learn to add more depth to your writing allowing you to fit more ideas, themes, and complexity to whatever message you are trying to deliver.
However when it comes to skills such as locating research sources including academic journal articles, scholarly books, magazine articles, and newspaper articles using the library’s databases, and on the internet, and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias as well as practice systematic application of citation conventions are skills that are somewhat new to me and in the end I was able to get a better grasp of. Finding and citing sources aren’t necessarily new skills to me but with the specific criteria that was required of me from Professor Miller, I feel that I wasn’t able to satisfyingly fulfil these requirements. Although I feel I had a great variety of sources, I feel that I wasn’t able to use them to their fullest and the citation just didn’t seem right. As far as the citation I feel that it might be because I’m not used to citing in that format, but the source utility is another case. I feel that despite having eight sources I had written so little and hadn’t fully used them and would like to improve upon that in my future writings. I think the main contributor to this issue is likely the lack of research I had on such a huge and general topic but also the lack of experience when writing based of so many different sources even if all related to the same topic.
Now that I am at the end of my semester and going to continue onto professors that will likely grade my papers more strictly, I look forward to usings these skills while also improving and introducing new ones. I am grateful for the skills I learned with Professor Miller and feel that I was able to properly develop these skills to become a better writer than I was back in September. Professor Miller’s teaching and feedback allowed me to look back at my writing in a new light that had given great insight into what could help improve my style of writing. This is something I appreciated a lot considering some teachers of English may try to alter your style of writing or the way you express yourself. Professor Miller appreciated my writing and only tried to enhance my message and experience with her own knowledge and experience which not only allowed me to maintain my own character in writing but also allowed me to expand my understanding of what writing is and how it can be. This style of teaching has allowed me to develop both my style of writing and my understanding of English including reading. In conclusion, I am grateful for Professor Miller’s mentorship and the experience I was allowed at CCNY to enhance my writing ability and understanding.
