ENTRY #19

READ HERE: The fall of the Berlin wall and the multiplication of Western walls

About James Petras

He is the author of more than 62 books published in 29 languages, and over 600 articles in professional journals, including the American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, Social Research, and Journal of Peasant Studies. He has published over 2000 articles in nonprofessional journals such as the New York Times, the Guardian, the Nation, Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Policy, New Left Review, Partisan Review, TempsModerne, Le Monde Diplomatique, and his commentary is widely carried on the internet.

His publishers have included Random House, John Wiley, Westview, Routledge, Macmillan, Verso, Zed Books and Pluto Books. He is winner of the Career of Distinguished Service Award from the American Sociological Association’s Marxist Sociology Section, the Robert Kenny Award for Best Book, 2002, and the Best Dissertation, Western Political Science Association in 1968. His most recent titles include Unmasking Globalization: Imperialism of the Twenty-First Century (2001); co-author The Dynamics of Social Change in Latin America (2000), System in Crisis (2003), co-author Social Movements and State Power (2003), co-author Empire With Imperialism (2005), co-author)Multinationals on Trial (2006).

He has a long history of commitment to social justice, working in particular with the Brazilian Landless Workers Movement for 11 years. In 1973-76 he was a member of the Bertrand Russell Tribunal on Repression in Latin America. He writes a monthly column for the Mexican newspaper, La Jornada, and previously, for the Spanish daily, El Mundo. He received his B.A. from Boston University and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

Some key concepts:

- NATO
- Israel's separation wall
- War on drugs
- The death strip

ENTRY #18.3

The thought-provoking documentary Class Divide is a timely look at the widening divide between the “haves” and “have nots.” Young people on both sides of the gap offer unique and honest insights that challenge common perceptions about inequality today.

Reflection
This documentary is named 'Class divide' due to the fact that the division of classes is clearly seen and separated. The invisible barriers that divide rich and poor people is a social gap that affects adults and children equally. The lack of possibilities and the discrimination is an issue that concerns all society more and more everyday, accentuating the differences and ignoring the similarities between people.

ENTRY #18.2

Reflective writing: Walls of different kinds

Collaborative work with Delgado, Gisela.

ENTRY #18.1

Governments don't understand cyber warfare. We need hackers

   Today, conflict is essentially borderless. If there are bounds to conflict today, they're bound by digital, not physical geography. And under all this is a vacuum of power where non-state actors, individuals and private organizations have the advantage over slow, outdated military and intelligence agencies. And this is because, in the digital age of conflict, there exists a feedback loop where new technologies, platforms like the ones I mentioned, and more disruptive ones, can be adapted, learned, and deployed by individuals and organizations faster than governments can react.

   There is a fundamental inability today on the part of governments to adapt and learn in digital conflict, where conflict can be immaterial, borderless, often wholly untraceable. And conflict isn't just online to offline, as we see with terrorist radicalization, but it goes the other way as well.

   And so it should be not fearful, it should be inspiring to the same governments that fought for civil rights, free speech and democracy in the great wars of the last century, that today, for the first time in human history, we have a technical opportunity to make billions of people safer around the world that we've never had before in human history. It should be inspiring.

ENTRY #17

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
ARGUMENTS	COUNTERARGUMENTS
It reduces crime rates.	It is not a deterrent against the crime it punishes.
It would be right if people from all sections of society were executed.	It abuses two of the most basic human rights.
	It targets the economically disadvantaged.
	It tortures physically and psychologically by forcing individuals to wait to be killed.
	It is irreversible and results in the death of innocents.

ENTRY #16

AN OPINION ESSAY

Some people think that some types of criminals should not go to prison. Instead they should do unpaid work in the community. To what extent do you agree?

Owing to the great variety of crimes that can be punishable by prison, some people argue that not all criminals are the same and it would therefore be more appropriate to give certain criminals community service instead. I agree that in some cases, prison may not be the best solution and community service would probably have more benefits.

One justification given for prisons is to keep society safe by removing criminals from the outside world. So the first thing to consider is if someone who has broken the law is a danger to other people. In the case of violent crime, there is an argument to keep the perpetrator away from society. However, burglary or possession of drugs, for example, does not involve violence against other people so the criminal does not present a direct danger to anyone in the community. Keeping these types of criminals in prison is expensive for the taxpayer and does not appear to be an effective punishment as they often commit the same crime again when they come out of prison.

Personally, I also believe punishments should reform people so they do not reoffend. A further reason not to put these people in prison is that they may mix with more dangerous and violent criminals, potentially committing a worse crime when they are released. By keeping them in the community, helping others, they not only learn new skills, but they could also develop more empathy and care towards others. If this occurs, society can only benefit.

Critics of this more rehabilitative approach to crime believe that justice should be harsh in order to deter people from committing similar crimes and that community service could be less likely to have that effect. However, there is very little evidence to suggest that long prison sentences deter criminals.

In conclusion, putting criminals who are not a danger to society in prison is expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective, both as a deterrent and as a form of rehabilitation. Community service for non-violent crimes benefits both society and the offender. That said, it would be useful to have more data to work out whether community service or prison is more likely to stop someone reoffending. I strongly believe that decisions on how best to deal with criminals should be based on evidence of what actually works.

TIPS
• Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words.
• If the essay asks you to what extent do you agree?, make your opinion clear throughout. You can either agree, partially agree or disagree with the statement, explaining and justifying your opinion.
• The structure should be:
- Introduction
- The first reason why you agree/disagree
- The second reason why you agree/disagree
- The third reason why you agree/disagree (if you have one)
- Conclusion
• Use phrases to organise and link your ideas, e.g. Owing to … , One justification for … , The first thing to consider is … , A further reason … , In conclusion ... .
• If you do not have solid evidence for your ideas, use modal verbs such as might, may or could (e.g. they could develop more empathy and care) or other tentative phrases (e.g. it does not appear to be an effective punishment).
• Conclude by restating your opinion and summarising your two or three main arguments.

In the following video, the famous actor Jeremy Irons presents reasons against death penalty:

ENTRY #15

GENDER DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

Collaborative work with Delgado, Gisela.

ENTRY #14

VIDEO 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF HEDGING


EXAMPLE 1:

• Categorical claim

The issues highlighted in this study are applicable to all participating institutions.

• "Hedged" claim

The issues highlighted in this study may be applicable to many participating institutions.

EXAMPLE 2:

• Categorical claim  

Government support will assure the spread of new knowledge and the skills necessary to use the internet to thousands of people in rural areas. 

• "Hedged" claim

 Government support may help assure the spread of new knowledge and the skills necessary to use the internet to thousands of people in rural areas. 

EXAMPLE 3:

• Categorical claim   

The study proves the link between smoking and lung desease.

• "Hedged" claim

The study indicates/suggests the link between smoking and lung desease.

EXAMPLE 4:

• Categorical claim 

The number of unmeployed people will continue to raise as the poor economic situation persists.

• "Hedged" claim

The number of unmeployed people will probably continue to raise as the poor economic situation persists.

EXAMPLE 5:

• Categorical claim 

 This (and subsequent) studies led to the conclussion that the GTP itself must be the elusive base, and therefore to the proposal of the GTP-as-based mechanism.

• "Hedged" claim 

 This (and subsequent) studies led to the conclussion that the GTP itself may be the elusive base, and therefore to the proposal of the GTP-as-based mechanism.

VIDEO 2: HEDGING AND BOOSTING

EXAMPLE 1:
Students often arrive late for Monday morning classes.
EXAMPLE 2:
Generally speaking, students arrive late for Monday morning classes.
EXAMPLE 3:
Students are likely to arrive late for Monday morning classes.


In our writing, we often indicate how confident we are about the claims we make. If we are doubtful that something is true, we may use words like perhaps or possibly. If we’re confident, we may say that something is clearly or obviously true. These words are called hedges and boosters. They affect the tone of our writing, and good writers use them effectively.

HEDGING
To hedge means to waffle on an issue, to avoid committing oneself. Originally, the term referred to literally hiding in a bush or hedge. These days, hedging simply means expressing some feeling of doubt or hesitancy.

BOOSTING
If hedges express doubt, boosters demonstrate confidence. The danger with boosters is that they can make you seem cocky and pompous. However, if you use them sparingly they can convey the right amount of self-assurance. The selective use of boosters will convince your reader that you know your stuff and are an expert in your field.

1. DEFINITION OF HEDGING
2. DEFINITION OF BOOSTING
3. WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT IN ACADEMIC WRITING?

ENTRY #13

Prezi Presentation