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The internet has drastically changed western culture. It has opened up new avenues of communication and ways for people to share information and ideas. Lawrence Lessig is a Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and founder of the school’s Center for Internet and Society and Author of Free Culture a work the essay is based on. Yochai Benkler is the Berkman Professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard, and faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, I used his article Siren Songs and Amish Children: Autonomy, Information, and Law to look at issues of autonomy, freedom and how they intersect with the digital world.
It is a long essay, so I will post it in 3 parts over the next couple of days.
** Note, this essay and other essays on the site are for educational purposes only. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. This blog is not going anywhere so cite a reference if you use my work. Plus, if you can google this essay, so can your prof. **
The introduction and thesis: Read the rest of this entry »
I recently finished a course in the sociology of the family. One of the dominant themes of the course was the gendered assumptions our society is based on. Like the Matrix, until you are shown what it is, you really do not understand it. One of the conditions of the paper was that I had to use a pop culture piece to illustrate how heteronormativity works in our culture. I chose the cartoon ‘Family Guy’ because it is a very offensive show and I was sure I would find heteronormative gold when I analyzed a couple of episodes. Sadly, I was correct…
** Note, this essay and other essays on the site are for educational purposes only. Plagiarism is the most serious of academic offenses. This blog is not going anywhere so cite a reference if you use my work. Plus, if you can google this essay, so can your prof. **
One cannot teach biology without teaching evolution. It would be like trying to teach physical education, with no running allowed. Our enlightened government though is going to put that assertion to the test. This bill was put forward with the publically stated intention of enshrining the protection same sex couples. In reality, Bill 44 gives parents the option to remove their children from any course material that contains sexual or religious content. Furthermore, teachers must notify parents in writing when such a contentious issue will be discussed in class. (Thankfully the amended bill allows for unplanned anecdotal mentions of religion and sexuality).
What is wrong with Bill 44 is the unconscious reinforcement of the heterogendered ideal.
Homosexuality is just as normal as heterosexual behaviour in nature. It just seems that the alleged creator (see also the magic sky fairy) of the entire UNIVERSE has real problems with whom and how we have intimate relationships with. It says so in the same book that slavery is great and contends unabashedly that pi is 3. (Three cheers for biblical accuracy and morality!) If you wish to arm your children with 2000 year old “wisdom” please, be my guest (feel free to not believe in germ theory as well). Just do not expect your delusions to be catered to in the public secular school system. There are many religious schooling options available to addle your children with mystical buffoonery.
There is not a ‘happy medium’ when in comes to the evolution/creation debate. We must not equivocate when it comes to rational thought versus religious codswallop. If we are to teach fact, then we must teach evolution. If we want to teach myth then we can look to religion. The two topics have nothing to do with each other and vary on the key point that one is based on testable, proven fact; the other on the stories that semi-literate shepherds cooked up in the hot sun of the Middle East 2000 years ago.
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