DHS Y4 English Follow Up lesson on Absolute Terms

DUNMANHIGHSCHOOL2023Year4EnglishLanguage AddressingEssayQuestion Name:_________________________( ) Class:____________ Date:______________ Category1:AbsolutePOCs-never, ever, always, inevitably//any, none, all, every//only, solely Approach:Thereisanassumptionofanabsoluteortotalvalue(0%or100%ofthetime/0%or100%ofpeopleorthings).Toaddressit,youmustfindtherationalebehindtheabsolutevalueandthenreinforceordebunkthatperception.DebunkingistheEASIER/BETTERapproach–thiscanbedonebyprovinghowitisnotanabsolutecase. BODYPARAGRAPH Usuallytheabsolutepositionarisesduetooneofthesereasons: 1. Itreflectstheviewofhowthingsareintendedordesignedtobe.Q: Shouldmedical sciencealwaysseektoprolonglife?- Medicalsciencewasinventedprimarilytocurediseases,whichultimatelylengthensthelifeofapatient.Therefore,somearguethatmedicalscienceshouldalways(100%ofthetimeand100%ofcases)seektoprolonglife–thisisitsintendedfunctionorrole.Otherswilldisagree,sincethereareexceptionsandtakingthefunctiontoitsextremehasitsdownsides. 2. Itreflectstheideal oroptimisticview.Q: Candruguseeverbejustified?- Theidealviewisthattheuseofdrugscanneverbejustifiedbecausethecommonperceptionisthatdrugsaredestructiveinnature.Howeversomemayarguethatthisistoomoralisticorunrealisticaview,andtherecouldbelegitimatereasonsfordruguse. 3. Itreflectstherealistorpessimistview.Q: Themediacanneverbereliedupontoconveythetruth. DYA?- Thepessimisticviewisthatsincethemediaisprofit-drivenorgovernment-controlled,theycannotbetrustedtoconveythetruth.Othersarguethatthisviewissimplistic,and 1

thatthereareoccasionswhenandreasonswhythemediacanbetrustedtoconveythetruth. Practicequestion1: Menandwomencanneversharethesameresponsibilities. DYA? Assumption:Menandwomenare‘built’ordesigneddifferently,andthustheirrolesordomainsinsocietyareintendedtobedifferenttoo. Approach:Explorewhythismaynotbethecasetodayorinallsituations/scenarios/circumstances. Reasonswhymenandwomenaredifferent->segregatedresponsibilities Whathaschangedfrompasttopresentinthemodernworld? Isthisrelevantatall times, forall people? Menarephysiologicallystrongerthanwomen;greaterphysicalstrength-> relieduponforsecurity&safetyofothers Increasinguseoftechnologytomonitorhumanactivities;enhancednaturalstrength Theplayinghasbeenlevelled-> womentakeadvantageofthistoenterpreviouslymen-onlydomainssuchasmilitary,securityforces Menaremorestoicandlesspronetodisplaysofemotion;perceptionstrengthenbysociety’sconventionalviews->tendtorelegate‘softer’,people-centricdutiestowomen Acceptanceofempathyandvulnerabilityasuseful&necessarytraitsinhumanrelations Lesstabooaboutmenopenlydisplayingemotions;definitionofmasculinityhasevolved->moremenincaregiver/nurturerroles Menaresmarter,moreintelligent->holdpositionsofpowerandauthority Universalandbettereducation Girlshavesurpassedboysinearlyeducation;strongersupportamongwomenthemselvestobreakglassceilings->morethancapableenoughtohandleleadershippositionsinvariousfields Women’sbodiesaredesigneddifferentlyfrommen’s,i.e.uterus-> onlyoneswhocanproducechildrenandnurturethem Riseofsurrogacy;acceptanceofLGBTQrightsinmoreliberalsocieties Whilechildbirthcanstillonlybeperformedbywomen,gaycouplesincreasinglyformfamiliesandtakeontherolesthatwomenexclusivelyonceheld Resolutionofdilemma:Therearemanyoccasionstodayinwhichmenandwomenhavetranscendedphysiologicalornaturalattributestocrossoverintotheothergender’sdomains. 2

Practicequestion2: Racewill alwaysbeadivisiveforceinsociety. DYA? Assumption:Racehasbeenadivisiveforceinthepast,andthusitisassumedthatracewithoutexceptionwillcontinuetodividesociety. Approach:Considerwhythisperspectivecameaboutandhowitmighthavechangedtoday/theremightbeexceptions. Reasonsracehasbeenadivisiveforce Changesfrompasttopresentinmodernworld Isthistrueforall time, allpeople?Raceoftenassociatedwithskincolourandotherobviousdifferentiatingphysicalcharacteristics Globalisationhasbroughtaboutinterminglingofraces,intermarriages,resultinginmixed-raceprogeny Indeterminatevisualmarkersofidentityleadstodroppingofinconsequentialcategorisation;greateracceptanceandevencelebrationofdiversity Thepracticeofculturalnormsandtraditionsidentifyoneasamemberofaparticularrace;andviceversa,anoutsider Effortsbygovernmentstopromotenationalunityandpride Racialidentitiessubsumedundernationalpride Moreeffortsbycommunityleaderstoreachoutandunderstandoneanother Greatertoleranceformulticulturalismwhensimilaritiesareacknowledgedanddifferencesaccepted Perceivedand/oractualinequalitysustainsdividebetweenthehavesandhave-nots,usuallytheminorityraces Universalandbettereducationalopportunities;affirmativeaction Previouslyoppressedminorityraceshavebeengivenalegup;thebettermentoftheirracediminishesanysocio-economicgapsthathaswroughtdissatisfaction,envy,resentment Politicisedtoachieveormaintainsocial,politicaland/oreconomicgains;Identitypolitics/whiteprivilege,etc Rising‘usvsthem’mentality,right-wingpolitics;sometimesassociatedwithxenophobia–duetoeconomicinstability/insecurity Partiesstillusethe‘racecard’torallymembersandpressureforchangebeneficialtothem;demonisingofthe‘other’continues However,thiscanalsospurunder-privilegedminorityracestostriveharderforrecognitionandacceptanceinmainstreamsociety Resolutionofdilemma:Whileracecanbeexploitedforthebenefitofsome,generallyithasshowntobeaunifyingforceformany. 3

Practicequestion3: Thepooronlyhavethemselvestoblamefortheirpredicament. DYA? Assumption:Thepoorhadnotdonemuchtohelpthemselvesoutoftheirsituations,andnootherpartycanbeheldresponsibleastheyhavetriedtohelporhavenothingtodowiththeissue. Approach:First,identifytherationalebehindtheabsoluteposition.Whywouldpeoplearguethat?Examinethepros&consofadoptingthisabsoluteposition.Doyouagree?Whyorwhynot? Remember, youmustaddresstheabsolutepositionfirst.Youcannotsidestepthequestionbydoingthis:“Itisnottheonly____,thereareother____suchas(a),(b)and(c).” Howthispositioncameabout Whataspects/factorshavebeenoverlooked? Howdoesthismitigatetheblame?Entrenchedpovertycyclethathasnotbeenbrokendespitemanyeffortstohelp [Shorttermvslongterm]monetary/financialaidvsincreasingopportunitiesforindependenceorself-helpthroughimprovingskills&expertise;‘onesizefitsall’solution Donorsandinvestorsarenotinterestedinthelonggameandexpectimmediatereturnsontheir‘investments’,i.e.immediatereductionsinpovertyrates Theissueofpovertyisseenassimplyalackofmoneyorresources Povertyiscausedbyacomplexmixoffactors Cooperationandcoordinationisrequiredamongvariouspartiestotackleinterconnectedissues Perceptionthatthepoorarehelpless,dependentonthegoodwillofothers [modernworld-media]strategytoappealtoheartstringscausesmediatofixateon‘sobstories’insteadofsuccessstories;donorfatiguesetsin GrassrootsorganisationsorNGOsinmanyLDCshaveleveragedupontheirunderstandingoftheircommunities’uniquechallengestoderiveuniquesolutionsthatwork Resolutionofdilemma:Whilethepoormusttakealargerroleinamelioratingtheirsituation,theycannotbeblamedfullyifthetypeofhelpextendedtothemdonotconsiderthecomplexitiesoftheirproblems.Notdoingsomightonlyexacerbatetheprobleminsteadofhelpingtosolveit. 4

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