If someone calls you a Luddite, it is probably because you h…
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If sоmeоne cаlls yоu а Luddite, it is probаbly because you have complained, for whatever reason, about the dangers or failures of technology. Perhaps you have denounced the automobile industry because a failed computer chip causes your car to stall in the middle of heavy traffic. Or you threatened to cancel your credit card because it wouldn't work at the pay-at-the-pump gas station. Or you complained loudly when your employer fired you because the computer was more efficient than you. The New Columbia Encyclopedia tells us that Luddites were workers in England who, between 1811 and 1816, destroyed textile machines they felt caused reduced wages and unemployment. They rioted in the name of a mythical figure called Ned Ludd, or King Ludd. Since then, Luddite has come to mean anyone opposed to technological change. Computer hackers, for example, use technology to develop and release viruses whose purpose is to infect and, thus, destroy business and corporate computer files. Most of today's Luddites, however, aren't violent. They don't riot, don't break into factories or warehouses and smash computers or other machinery. Suspecting that technology is more of a threat than a blessing, they secretly, sometimes loudly, denounce technological developments. Their hearts sing when the slide projector jams or repeats the same frame over and over. They cheer when the company computer comes down with a virus. They smirk when they read that pornography is readily available on the Internet and that pederasts and other unsavory types have access to children through computer chat rooms. In short, pointing to the negative byproducts of technology, they purse their lips, nod, and mutter, So what did we expect? Nonviolent Luddites may grudgingly admit that microwaves and automatic washers, dryers, and dishwashers have removed most of the chore from family chores. They concede that technological contributions to medical science provide many people better health and longer life. Although they acknowledge that the automobile expedites their commutes from home to college to work and home again, they emphasize that the proliferation of cars and trucks is responsible for air pollution, traffic jams, road rage, and highway carnage. Although they grant that airplanes allow virtually anyone to tour the world, they point out that they also provide an avenue for drug smugglers and are relatively easy targets for hijackers and assassins. Although they admit to the efficacy of atomic energy, they nevertheless point to the potential mass-destruction in atomic weapons. Luddites bemoan the fact that ATM machines and bank and fast-food drive-throughs eliminate the personal in customer relations. Finally, although agreeing that a cell phone is a handy tool for a driver stranded on a lonely stretch of interstate, the Luddite fears and deplores the cell phones used by drivers who, instead of watching the road, dial their phones as they weave in and out of traffic. The tone of this passage can best be described as
Which perspective views the bureаucrаtizаtiоn оf educatiоn as simply a reflection of the values of powerful groups in society?
Chооse оne of the following questions. Answer with а well-developed pаrаgraph of approximately 15–25 sentences, making specific references to the text. Be sure to write the question number next to your answer. Identify the author and title of the reading for the following passage: "You common cry of curs! whose breath I hateAs reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prizeAs the dead carcasses of unburied menThat do corrupt my air,—I banish you;And here remain with your uncertainty!Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts!Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,Fan you into despair! Have the power stillTo banish your defenders; till at lengthYour ignorance,—which finds not till it feels,—Making not reservation of yourselves,Still your own foes, deliver you as mostAbated captives to some nationThat won you without blows! Despising,For you, the city, thus I turn my back:There is a world elsewhere." Briefly describe what happens during the scene and after. How does Volumnia resolve it? Explain whether you think the main character who speaks above is truly powerful or a pawn of his mother. Identify the author and title of the reading for the quote below: "They were good people, handsome, with looks of the male kind. Thoughts came into existence and they gazed; their vision came all at once. Perfectly they saw, perfectly they knew everything under the sky, whenever they looked. The moment they turned around and looked around in the sky, on the earth, everything was seen without obstruction. They didn’t have to walk around before they could see what was under the sky; they just stayed where they were." How were these beings created? What is the problem described above and why is it a problem? What do the gods most want from their creations, and why would they desire this trait? Identify the author and title of the reading for the quote below: "All I can say, in passing, is there is nothing more delightful in the world for an honorable man than to be squire of a knight-errant in search of adventures. It is true that most of them don’t turn out quite the way one would like, because out of a hundred you come across, ninety-nine tend to turn out wrong and go sideways. This I know from experience, for some ended in blanket-tossing, and others in getting pummeled. But even so, it’s a lovely thing to cross the countryside waiting to find crags, staying in castles, and sleeping in inns whenever you want." How does the quote reflect the speaker’s changing values? At the end, the character after whom the reading is named celebrates his own return to sanity; why do other characters oppose it? Which reading from this semester did you enjoy most, and which did you enjoy least? Clearly explain your reasons for both choices, referring to themes, characters, ideas, difficulty level, or writing style.