Reflection 3.1

I guess I can say that I was mistaken when I thought it would be somewhat easy to write a rogerian argument. I actually struggled to form my argument for a while and I'm still not sure if I even succeeded in developing an appropriate paper. It took a lot more patience to write this one, because I constantly caught myself writing a more traditional argument. Another difficult aspect of this paper was using research. Although it was a struggle I think that I learned more than I originally thought from writing my paper.

Essay 3.1

Mark Melchior

Eleanor Henderson

Academic Writing

March 28, 2011

 Public Sector Struggle:

A Rogerian examination of Wisconsin Union Troubles

            The American workforce has come a long way since the days of Carnegie and Rockefeller. Working conditions have made incredible advancements, along with salaries, benefits, and health insurance. Trade unions have been an essential piece of the public sector workforce since their establishment in early American history, and they have always proven that tradesmen need organizations to remain strong against private companies. Recently, Republicans legislature in Wisconsin has given an impressive blow to union power.

            It’s a shame to see such a great nation struggling. Between several military conflicts, trillions of dollars in debt, unemployment, and a wounded economy, America has an enormous struggle to overcome. All over the nation governments are piecing together solutions to solve these issues. In Wisconsin, Republican Governor Scott Walker has devised a plan to save money and aid the state budget. However, his plan involves restricting the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin unions. Under this bill, labor unions are no longer able to negotiate job condtions other than base wages. Other restrictions include no negotiation of overtime, premium, or merit pay. Municipal union employees are actually now no longer able to strike, “Nothing contained in this subchapter constitutes a grant of the right to strike by any municipal employee or labor organization,” (Wisconsin Act 10, 27). Other provisions of the bill include prohibiting unions to receive union dues from paychecks and annual elections on whether or not workers want to remain unionized (Lewis, par. 19, 20). These are only a few of the new laws passed in late March.

            Mr. Walker believes that his plan is in the correct interest of the state. I am happy to see that a politician is risking his reputation, and chance of reelection in order to carry out what he considers is the best solution. It takes an incredible effort to run a government and to keep a state, or nation, united. I have to say that I’m impressed with his endeavor to aid the state and country he loves. Some goals of the plan are to create an abundance of private sector jobs. He aims for about 250,000 to be created by the year 2015. In addition, he claims that this bill will actually save taxpayers money. According to news reports, Governor Walker has already amassed an incredible disapproval rating in the short time he has been in office. I applaud Mr. Walker not because he is considered crooked or unfair, but that this is an indication of his hard work. Although the bill would seem wrong, he has proven that he is not afraid to take action against a problem. Also, Mr. Walker has continued to remain visible to his people by appearing on television and speaking to protestors in the capitol in Madison, and this is an admirable trait.

            Unfortunately, I have to add that I am not offering any support for Governor Walker. Unions are absolutely essential to our society. Since their introduction they have been what is likely the most important force in improving the lives of public workers. I said before that I believe this budget plan is wrong and I am not without support. A recent survey from the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute shows that 65 percent of those polled believed that a more acceptable compromise should be determined. A major factor in the poll was the 70% of Independent voters that said they are against the new laws (WPRI). Some may be asking, what do unions really do? What do they provide? Almost every line of work has a union. Nearly everything from actors to construction workers belongs to a union. Growing up in a union family I was exposed to their importance very early. Blue Collar work is not exactly glamorous, nor is the lifestyle that comes with it. Nonetheless, these people need those bargaining rights to provide for their families. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) was quoted saying, “Let’s not forget who we are really talking about. We are talking about police officers that put their lives on the line to make our families safe and elementary school teachers who make sure our kids know their ABC’s,” (Lewis, par. 7).  These people are some of the most essential members of our community. It is in the nature of unions to negotiate, because it was that principle that they were formed. By limiting the core of their power we could be prone to a private sector with enormous dominance. Worker’s rights are incredibly important. In a country that was founded on freedom, and the right to choose, this bill is awfully counterintuitive to the nature of American philosophy.

            I, of course, am not a politician like Mr. Walker. I do not know enough about public policy to make the decisions that he and his committee do. I’m certain that, like myself, he truly values and cares for the well being of Americans. The GOP has a history of “union-busting” but I doubt this is his contribution to that cause. Limiting union power is wrong, and I like to think that he is not doing so out of malice or discontent. I trust that he wishes that he could save the jobs of those hard working people that have been laid off or provide support for public schools that have lost thousands in government funding. I believe he is simply doing so to improve our society by what he considers is the right thing. We see that unity is the one of the most important factors in repairing a nation. There no single policy that everyone is going to agree with. I think that it’s safe to say, however, with such an immense opposition to Governor Walker’s plan there has to be a more effective way to mend Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion deficit. If a different plan of action is not as effective, than maybe it could be more respectable. There have to be more ways to save money than damaging union’s ability to negotiate terms. It is, after all, one of the main reasons they are able to thrive.

            We cannot afford to add to America’s extensive list of socio-economic problems. Sadly, because Governor Walker pushed Act 10 into law this is exactly what has happened. What I would ask of the Mr. Walker, and other state officials, is that they make it a point to find solutions that will not hurt the equality in American business. There is no way around the struggle that is ahead. It has been made clear by our government that we will have to make some sacrifices. However, I think that it’s fair to say that solutions should be in the interest of all Americans.

Works Cited

Bauer, Scott. “Wisconsin Union Law Published Despite Court Order.” ABCNews.com.             26 March, 2011. ABC News. Associated Press. Web. 27 March, 2011.

Lewis, Finlay. “Should Unionizing Be a Purely Private Right?” CQ Weekly 14 March             2011: 565. Print.

2011 Wisconsin Act 10. State of Wisconsin. Legislative Reference Bureau. 28 March             2011. Web.

Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. “Public Opinion Backs Unions.” CQ Weekly             (2011): 566. Print.

Rogerian Pre-Writing

Idea
 -I plan to write about the union struggle in Wisconsin. Their rights are being taken away and I think it's an important and relevant topic to explore.
 -Opposition has removed union collective bargaining rights because it is part of a plan to decrease Wisconsin's debt. However, I think that there are better ways to fix their financial crisis than layoffs and removing their ability to negotiate.

Reflection 2.2

It's been a while since I have done a reflection on my rebuttal argument. I suppose my overall feeling about the assignment is confident. I think I crafted a unique argument that doesn't rely on the apparent tension of refutation. It was necessary to find research that I could create and argument around, as opposed to supporting an established claim with research. I think that the article I chose offered the best chance to learn about rebuttals because it made me think somewhat creatively about my argument.

Rebuttal 2.2

Mark Melchior

Eleanor Henderson

Academic Writing

February 27, 2011

Why Chinese Mothers Are Just As Good As Any Mother

            The Wall Street Journal recently published an article titled “Why Chinese Mothers are superior.” The story, written by Yale Law Professor Amy Chua, is an excerpt from her book Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother. Throughout the article she presents a very elementary analysis between the parenting skills of “Chinese” parents versus “Western” parents. By the end of the piece Professor Chua has presented an argument that lacks any sufficient evidence, and condemns and insults the western society she is currently a part of. Cultural backgrounds are no means of deciding who has a better, more successful parenting style.

            To begin, Chua attempts to support her claim by using some evidence. This evidence, however, provides almost no convincing properties, as they are mostly only her personal experiences with her children. She references a study in the fourth paragraph, “In one study of 50 Western American mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of Western mothers said either that “stressing academic success is not good for children” or that “parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun,” (Chua, par. 4). I’m not exactly a mathematician, but I hardly agree that the opinions of 35 American women account for all of Western society. These types of bogus examinations occur throughout Chua’s article without citing any type of reliable source. She goes on to say that not one of the Chinese mothers agreed with the Americans. As with the Americans, I would say that 48 Chinese women barely account for the entire nation of China. Another example Chua uses is when she says, “Chinese parents spend approximately 10 times as long every day drilling academic activities with their children…Western kids are more likely to participate in sports teams,” (Chua, par. 4). The National Council on Family Relations published a study that concluded that parents from different ethnic backgrounds are actually quite similar. Chinese and Caucasian, in this case the Western, parents both placed a high importance on their child’s school performance, following family rules, and carrying out responsibilities on their own. It also indicated that there was an emphasis on parents urging their kids to be kind and considerate (Julian, McKenry, Mckelvey 34). It would appear that as far as priorities, parents of all backgrounds tend to lean in similar directions. The data shows that almost all parents desire and ask the same qualities of their children. The method used to achieve that obedience is often much different.

            Most psychologists tend to agree that there are basically three types of parenting styles: permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian. Amy Chua is the definition of authoritarian parenting. It is categorized by the parent’s total domination of the child’s preferences, and also includes making decisions for the kids, along with commanding them to perform in a certain way. For the militant Amy Chua, this meant her girls were never allowed to, “have friends over, have a sleepover, not play piano or violin, choose their own extracurricular activities,” (Chua, par. 1). In addition, she also believes, “it is crucial to override their preferences…interrogating and spying…override all of their children’s own desires and preferences,” (Chua, par. 5, 14, 16). If you spend your life aggravated, and focused on everything your child does it will breed an adult that cannot see responsibility or make decisions for themselves. It is good to guide kids as they grow so they make the right decisions. However, it is detrimental to a person’s psyche if they are never taught key lessons like what is right versus what is wrong, how to communicate with others, and how to make an educated and informed decision. In the first issue of the Journal of Education and Human Development, from Louisiana Tech University, several psychologists conducted an analysis of parenting styles. They describe the effects of each technique, and for authoritarian they listed qualities of authoritarian children, “may be rearing children to believe that they are not responsible for what happens to them…have poorer social skills, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of depression…tend to rear girls who are less independent, boys who are more aggressive, and children who appear discontent…more extrinsically motivated,” (Marsiglia, Walcyzk, Buboltz, Griffith-Ross, 5). Of course this research does not apply to every single authoritarian family, and it’s important to note that the majority still suffers from these conditions.

            The Chinese have a very rich, cultured history that goes much further back than any American history textbook. They believe in traditions of strength, honor, and family. It’s important to realize that the values of a culture are passed through generations. This clearly is the case with Mrs. Chua. She is not a bad parent by any means for conducting her children in the authoritarian manner. Everyone is entitled to raise a child as they see fit. These cultural standards were held with great significance in her family, and they are still significant to her. Throughout her article, she presents several personal experiences to assert that dominance is the best policy. Unfortunately, the evidence she uses to state how superior she is falls short. Chua fails to define the difference between a good parent and a bad parent. The reality is that her cultural background has nothing to do with her success as a parent. I come from an Irish-Italian family and believe that my heritage has little to do with how I was raised.

            Mrs. Chua uses experiences as a mother to try and hold some strength in her argument. I cannot exactly combat in the same way seeing as I am not a mother, nor will I ever be. However, I have had experiences with my parents that offer similar results, through less intrusive parenting. For example, Chua cites an instance where her daughter could not learn a song on the piano. So, Chua decided to descend upon her daughter, forcing the music and attacking her saying that her sister could play it at that age. They went for hours back and forth, fighting the whole time, until finally she was able to play the piece (Chua, par. 17-24). In another instance, Chua called one of her girls “garbage” in an attempt to motivate her (Chua, par. 7).

            In my family, my parents utilized more authoritative style. This style consists of a blend of demands and expectations. Parents explain things rationally, but do not leave enough room for a child to make an argument. It is a rational-based approach to teaching kids to be responsible and altruistic (Marsiglia, Walczyk, Buboltz, Griffith-Ross 7). For example, when my brother was in middle school he was having trouble with times tables. So, my father coached him constantly, much like Mrs. Chua had done with her daughter on the piano. When my brother finally started succeeding my parents backed off and allowed him to grow, and develop good academic practices. If he stumbled they would help enough to get him on track again. Never did my parents force us to do an activity, or shut down our voice. They stressed communication, emotion, and independence. Now years later, my three siblings and I are all in higher education, with completely different interests. My sister Jenny is a working nurse with a job offer and generous salary. My other sister April is finishing art school, and my brother Eric is in his first year at medical school. He is also contracted with the United States Air Force. I am now a communications student, working on television shows and also a DJ at school. All of this success came more from expectations and natural motivation rather than enforcement.

            Amy Chua’s argument in “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” presents an interesting look at a particular parenting style. She says it’s important for total domination of children otherwise things will go awry. However, her argument never truly cites any sufficient evidence to support that this is the best way to raise a child. Furthermore she fails to convince the audience that a Chinese mother is better than anything else. In fact, most parents are on the same level. Through professional studies we can see that the majority of parents want the same things for their child. We also see that extreme styles of parenting, such as authoritarian, do not always work. The same success can be accomplished through trust, guidance and affection. It does not matter whether they are Black, White, Chinese, or Hispanic. Good parents are ones that show unconditional love and support for their children.

Works Cited

Chua, Amy. “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior.” Online.wsj.com.

            8 January 2011. The Wall Street Journal. Web. 18 February 2011.

Julian, Teresa; Mckenry, Patrick; Mckelvey, Mary. “Cultural Variations in Parenting:             Perceptions of Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American             Parents.” Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies.             Vol. 43. No. 1 (1994): 30-37. January 1994. Web. 24 February 2011

Marsiglia, Cheryl; Walczyk, Jeffrey; Buboltz, Walter; Griffith-Ross, Diana. “Impact of             Parenting Styles and Locus of Control on Emerging Adults’ Psychological             Success.” Journal of Education and Human Development. Vol. 1. Issue 1             (2007): N. Pag. 2007. Web. 1 March 2011.

Reflection 2.1

While I was researching I found it difficult to find relevant research. It took some rethinking on my part to adjust my paper, in order to incorporate data. I think the research guide on ithacalibrary.com definitely help out with finding research quickly. It was weird because I found myself writing much more than I expected towards the end of my paper. I also tried to use more acknowledgement and response than some of the articles we discussed in class. For my next draft I think I'll look back into organization just to make sure it's okay, and check up on grammar and diction.

Mark Melchior

Eleanor Henderson

Academic Writing

February 27, 2011

Why Chinese Mothers Are Just As Good As Any Mother

            The Wall Street Journal recently published an article titled “Why Chinese Mothers are superior.” The story, written by Yale Law Professor Amy Chua, is an excerpt from her book Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother. Throughout the article Chua presents a very elementary analysis between the parenting skills of “Chinese” parents versus “Western” parents. By the end of the piece Professor Chua has presented an argument that lacks any sufficient evidence, and condemns and insults the western society she is currently a part of. Cultural backgrounds are no means of deciding who has a better, more efficient parenting style.

            To begin, Chua attempts to support her claim by using some evidence. This evidence, however, provides almost no convincing properties, as they are mostly only her personal experiences with her children. She references a study in the fourth paragraph, “In one study of 50 Western American mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of Western mothers said either that “stressing academic success is not good for children” or that “parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun.” (Chua 4). I’m not exactly a mathematician, but I hardly doubt that the opinions of 35 American women account for all of Western society. These types of bogus examinations occur without citing any type of reliable source. She goes on to say that not one of the Chinese mothers agreed with the Americans. As with the Americans, I would say that 48 Chinese women hardly account for the entire nation of China. Another example Chua uses is when she says, “Chinese parents spend approximately 10 times as long every day drilling academic activities with their children…Western kids are more likely to participate in sports teams.” (Chua 4). The National Council on Family Relations published a study that concluded that parents from different ethnic backgrounds are actually quite similar. Chinese and Caucasian, in this case the Western, parents both placed a high importance on their child’s school performance, following family rules, and carrying out responsibilities on their own. It also indicated that there was an emphasis on parents urging their kids to be kind and considerate (Julian, McKenry, Mckelvey 34). It would appear that as far as priorities, parents of all backgrounds tend to lean in similar directions. The data shows that almost all parents desire and ask the same qualities of their children. The method used to achieve that obedience is often much different.

            Most psychologists tend to agree that there are basically three types of parenting styles: permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian. Amy Chua is the definition of authoritarian parenting. It is categorized by the parent’s total domination of the child’s preferences, and also includes making decisions for the kids, along with commanding them to perform in a certain way. For the militant Amy Chua, this meant her girls were never allowed to, “have friends over, have a sleepover, not play piano or violin, choose their own extracurricular activities,” (Chua 1). In addition, she also believes, “it is crucial to override their preferences…interrogating and spying…override all of their children’s own desires and preferences,” (Chua 5, 14, 16). If you spend your life aggravated, and focused on everything your child does it will breed an adult that cannot see responsibility or make decisions for themselves. It is good to guide kids as they grow so they make the right decisions. However, it is detrimental to a person’s psyche if they are never taught key lessons like what is right versus what is wrong, how to communicate with others, and how to make an educated and informed decision. In the first issue of the Journal of Education and Human Development, from Louisiana Tech University, several psychologists conducted an analysis of parenting styles. They describe the effects of each technique, and for authoritarian they listed qualities of authoritarian children, “may be rearing children to believe that they are not responsible for what happens to them…have poorer social skills, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of depression…tend to rear girls who are less independent, boys who are more aggressive, and children who appear discontent…more extrinsically motivated,” (Marsiglia, Walcyzk, Buboltz, Griffith-Ross, 5) Of course this research does not apply to every single authoritarian family,  and it’s important to note that the majority still suffers from these conditions.

            The Chinese have a very rich, cultured history that goes much further back than any American history textbook. They believe in traditions of strength, honor, and family. It’s important to realize that the values of a culture are passed through generations. This clearly is the case with Mrs. Chua. She is not a bad parent by any means for conducting her children in the authoritarian manner. Everyone is entitled to raise a child as they see fit. These cultural standards were held with great significance in her family, and they are still significant to her. Throughout her article, she presents several personal experiences to assert that dominance is the best policy.

            Mrs. Chua uses experiences as a mother to try and hold some strength in her argument. I cannot exactly combat in the same way seeing as I am not a mother, nor will I ever be. However, I have had experiences with my parents that offer similar results, through less intrusive parenting. For example, Chua cites an instance where her daughter could not learn a song on the piano. So, Chua decided to descend upon her daughter, forcing the music and attacking her saying that her sister could play it at that age. They went for hours back and forth, fighting the whole time, until finally she was able to play the piece (Chua 17-24). In another instance, Chua called one of her girls “garbage” in an attempt to motivate her (Chua7).

            In my family, my parents utilized more authoritative style. This style consists of a blend of demands and expectations. Parents explain things rationally, but do not leave enough room for a child to make an argument. It is a rational-based approach to teaching kids to be responsible and altruistic (Marsiglia, Walczyk, Buboltz, Griffith-Ross 7). For example, when my brother was in middle school he was having trouble with times tables. So, my father coached him constantly, much like Mrs. Chua had done with her daughter on the piano. When my brother finally started succeeding my parents backed off and allowed him to grow, and develop good academic practices. If he stumbled they would help enough to get him on track again. Never did my parents force us to do an activity, or shut down our voice. They stressed communication, emotion, and independence. Now years later, my three siblings and I are all in higher education, with completely different interests. My sister Jenny is a working nurse with a job offer and generous salary. My other sister April is finishing art school, and my brother Eric is in his first year at medical school. He is also contracted with the United States Air Force. I am now a communications student, working on tv shows and also a DJ at school. All of this success came more from expectations rather than enforcement.

            Amy Chua’s argument in “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” presents an interesting look at a particular parenting style. She says it’s important for total domination of children otherwise things will go awry. However, her argument never truly cites any sufficient evidence to support that this is the best way to raise a child. Furthermore she fails to convince the audience that a Chinese mother is better than anything else. In fact, most parents are on the same level. Through professional studies we can see that the majority of parents want the same things for their child. We also see that extreme styles of parenting, such as authoritarian, do not always work. The same success can be accomplished through trust, guidance and affection. It does not matter whether they are Black, White, Chinese, or Hispanic. Good parents are ones that show unconditional love and support for their children.

Works Cited

Chua, Amy. “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior.” Online.wsj.com.

            8 January 2011. The Wall Street Journal. Web. 18 February 2011.

Julian, Teresa; Mckenry, Patrick; Mckelvey, Mary. “Cultural Variations in Parenting:             Perceptions of Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American             Parents.” Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies.             Vol. 43. No. 1 (1994): 30-37. January 1994. Web. 24 February 2011

Marsiglia, Cheryl; Walczyk, Jeffrey; Buboltz, Walter; Griffith-Ross, Diana. “Impact of             Parenting Styles and Locus of Control on Emerging Adults’ Psychological             Success.” Journal of Education and Human Development. Vol. 1. Issue 1             (2007): N. Pag. 2007. Web. 1 March 2011.