What freedoms does literacy offer in a globalized society Essay Example

What freedoms does literacy offer in a globalized society Essay Example What freedoms does literacy offer in a globalized society Essay What freedoms does literacy offer in a globalized society Essay What freedoms does literacy offer in a globalized society? Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: What freedoms does literacy offer in a globalized society? Within globalized societies, the main agenda is the expansion of the actual liberties that people enjoy. Literacy is one of the instruments that most people use in the expression of freedom. The use of written communication in today’s world follows economic and socio-political systems as well as operations at domestic, national and global heights. Literacy provides institutions and other individuals with opportunities for learning new elements. The wide variety of literacy methods and practices used by people and communities in different contexts display the randomness through which literacy is acquired or used. Firstly, the more scholars study the process through which literacy is set in, the better the chances of the global community to view literacy as an actual instrument of freedom. Literacy bears many qualities of freedom as it is embedded in social relationships and change. Contributions on literacy by Amartya Sen analyze the value of literacy in pursuing opportunities as a means of maximizing freedoms. According to Sen, developed societies may have the freedom to decide and follow the lifestyle that people deem as valuable (Raley Preyer 2012, p. 214). In such situations, the individual’s actions are shaped by the environment and they determine the social context (Robinson-Pant 2003, p. 355). Secondly, negative aspects of denial of freedom such as child mortality, insecurity and unemployment are created and shaped by the society. Sen states that different communities possess different freedoms and consequently, different limits for organizing social transformation (Raley Preyer 2012, p. 217). Freedom forms the foundation for development within a society. According to Sen, a social structure such as the state are qualified subjects for studying freedom and links it to support for expanding people’s freedoms. The need for this support cannot be any clearer than in literacy. Lack of literacy illustrates a lack of freedom or as Sen puts it â€Å"unfreedom† (Raley Preyer 2012, p. 232). In addition, the fast pace of globalization in an already largely literate society exists amid 700 million individuals who lack the information to improve their lives, and play an increased role in politics and economic activities. Literacy carries certain advantages from political to economic. This is because acquisition of literacy improves an individual’s confidence and sense of worth. Such knowledge provides a way to increased civic participation with better knowledge on family planning and education matters. Data on literacy is however difficult to obtain as very little research has been done on the subject (Raley Preyer 2012, p. 223). Based on the latest researches, most reports place the number of illiterate adults at 774 million. That represents about 18% of the total world adult population. The majority of adults with little or no literacy are situated in sub-Saharan Africa, South and West Asia and the Pacific. In terms of gender, women represent about 64% of the total illiterate population (Horsman 2005, p. 167). Most of this percentage of the illiterate population resides in fifteen countries. South Asia has the lowest literacy levels mainly because of Bangladesh and Pakistan that have 47% and 50% respectively. Lower literacy levels are synonymous with low poverty levels. An example is in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and India where over 80% of the population lives below $2 a day. In these societies, the literacy levels are below 63% and the number of illiterate individuals stands at about 4 million people (Horsman 2005, p. 168). Literacy levels also tend to be lower in rural areas, among indigenous people and minorities. EFA goals currently set the bar for countries to achieve a 50% increase in adult literacy levels before 2015 particularly for women. These standards were unachievable, as some countries have already achieved over 60% literacy levels (Agnaou 2004, p. 123). Contemporary assessments of literacy do not encapsulate the political and academic debates that have occurred in the recent past. The definition of literacy has however grown to include human resource skills and socio-cultural as well as political change. From the 1960s, functional literacy developed alongside social change as a tool of development and consequently, development (Rajak 2007, p. 123). In addition, certain freedoms are realized from literacy in a direct manner while others are benefits accrued because of literacy within the society. Basic political rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of action and freedom of life are given by the mere acknowledgement of literacy. The slave owners in South America convinced legislators to prohibit slaves from reading. Islam societies similarly treat their women as virtual slaves as they are banned from attending school to keep them ignorant and illiterate. These two instances of denying certain sections of the society the privilege of a proper education signify the power of literacy. For an individual to be able to enjoy their individual freedoms they have to be able to read (Hung, Yoong, Brown 2012, p. 27). Intellectual empowerment is the starting point for individual freedom. Scholars have proved there is a direct relation between literacy, prosperity and improved living standards. These capabilities accrued from literacy such as increased incomes, civil liberties and health are assumed the means through which an individual can achieve certain freedoms. This argument is slightly different from the conventional one that claims that education and health are the means to achieving the final product that is income. According to Sen, income is just but one aspect that combines with other aspects to provide an individual and society with greater freedom (Raley Preyer 2012, p. 229). The use of literacy however depends on the society and the context in which it used (Juceviciene, Merkys Reinert 2002, p. 134). Particular countries such as China, South Korea and Taiwan have made great economic and political achievements that have translated into increased freedoms for their citizens. The rationale given behind their rapid economic development might be given as strategic exploitation of the global economy. However, basic education has played a major role in these developments. The case of China was particularly helped by its increased investment in the education sector. Under Mao Tse-tung, the basic education policies that were adopted in China made the country have an upper hand in benefiting from the global economy. Education, in this case, expanded the capabilities of the Chinese people that results in various types of rewards (Eisenberg, Lowe Spitzer 2004, p. 232). When people are illiterate, they are less likely to comprehend their legal rights and to protect them when required. This serves as a major setback in a scenario where on e party violates the rights of others. This problem mainly affects the poor populations as their rights are often violated due to a high level of illiteracy. As was mentioned earlier, women are more affected by illiteracy and as a result, they enjoy fewer freedoms. Women nit being able to read or write exposes them to violation in property rights and expression of other freedoms as they are unfairly treated. Implementing a strong sense of law within the society will not be beneficial, as people cannot take advantage of the laws if they cannot read them (Horsman 2005, p. 97). Illiteracy can lead to denial of political freedoms within a society. The reverse is true in more developed communities such as those in North America and parts of Europe. Literacy provides the members of a society with the opportunity to exercise their political rights such as voting in area representatives or providing opinion on policies. Literacy gives an individual the ability to decipher political jargon and at the same time, deliver politically relevant declarations. This is very important in the expression of demands to the state. Political freedoms are by far the most abused in countries having the highest rates of illiteracy. In such countries, the inequality in distribution of resources by the government leads to poverty in certain areas followed by illiteracy that completes the circle of muffled freedoms (Brayman Hackel Kelly 2008, p. 175). Studies done by Sen elaborate on different aspects of human security as part of the freedoms enjoyed in globalized societies. According to Sen, human security is achieved when the voice of the citizen is strengthened through increased literacy (Raley Preyer 2012, p. 237). An instance of food insecurity as suppression of the right to food and a denial of the freedom of choice on what to consume as an individual and a society will suffice to elaborate the relationship between literacy, political expression and realization of freedoms. Within established democracies, cases of food shortages are not recorded as people in these states are give political voice. This is because criticism of the failed government channeled by the free press will force the government to act swiftly to mitigate the effects of food shortage (Agnaou 2004, p. 121). Finally, the development of women and girls in most underdeveloped countries has been pegged on their ability to maintain autonomous incomes, possess ownership rights, literate and education. Literacy is solely responsible for the empowerment of women across the world. Although all these factors affecting women may seem diverse and unrelated, they cumulatively combine to suppress women’s freedoms. Social problems such as overpopulation have been found to reduce or even disappear because of an increase in literacy and education among women. In conclusion, literacy has had an important role in shaping some of the major events in the world that have later benefited the societies that embraced it. Literacy has played a major role in colonialism as it was considered the channel through which civilization could be spread within Asia and Africa. Among Christians and British soldiers in Uganda for example, the ability to read was assumed to bring about other skills such as reflection and increased reasoning (Daniell Mortensen 2007, p. 187). After independence, literacy also played a big role in building the new nations. Literacy was seen as an underlying factor to modernization that would ensure increased freedoms for the citizens. Literacy can also be considered as a form of power. To the illiterate person living in abject poverty, gaining literacy and education presents them with limitless power to transform their immediate surroundings. References Agnaou, F 2004, Gender, literacy, and empowerment in Morocco, Routledge, New York. Brayman Hackel, H Kelly, CE 2008, Reading women: Literacy, authorship, and culture in the Atlantic world, 1500-1800, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. Daniell, B Mortensen, P 2007, Women and literacy: Local and global inquiries for a new century, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New York. Eisenberg, MB, Lowe, CA Spitzer, KL 2004, Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the. Information Age, Libraries Unlimited, Westport. Horsman, J 2005, Too scared to learn women, violence, and education, McGilligan Books/Mahwah, Toronto. Hung, AJ, Yoong, J Brown, E 2012, â€Å"Empowering. Women Through Financial Awareness and Education†, OECD Working Papers on Finance, Insurance and Private Pensions, no. 14, OECD Publishing, pp. 1-42. Juceviciene, P, Merkys, G, Reinert, GB 2002, Towards the Learning Society: Educational Issues. Lang, Frankfurt. Rajak, MP 2007, Literacy for equality and empowerment of women, Man and Life, vol. 33, no, 4, pp. 121-124. Raley, Y Preyer, G, 2010, Philosophy of education in the era of globalization, Routledge, New York. Robinson-Pant, A 2000, ‘Women and literacy: a Nepal Perspective’, International Journal of Educational Development, Vol. 20, pp 349-364.

The Complete List of Colleges That Require Interviews

The Complete List of Colleges That Require Interviews SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many colleges askyou to interview with an alum or admissions officer as part of the application process. This article has the full list of schools that require, recommend, or offer interviews, and it will give you some pointers onhow to figure out your college’s interview policy. To start off, let’s review the point of the college interview. Is your interviewer evaluating you, or is the meeting simply a chance for you to learn more about the school? Why Do Colleges GiveInterviews? Colleges hold interviews for a couple of different purposes. The most common perception is that interviews are meant to evaluate you. Your interviewer is sizing you up and will report back to the school with her two cents on whether or not you’d be a good fit. For the majority ofcollege interviews, this is mostly true. While a college interviewer doesn’t have a huge say in who gets in and who doesn’t, she does contribute to the decision by sharing herperception of your personality, strengths, weaknesses, and goals.Often the most selective schools use evaluative interviews, like Harvard (and most of the Ivy Leagues), Wesleyan, and Hamilton College. Most college interviewers aren't trying to put you on the spot, though. Rather, they use interviewsas a way to get to know you further, beyond the written component of your application. Rather thandrill you with questions, they often wantto engage you in conversation about your interests and passions. Interviewerswant to learn more about your goals and assist you in figuring out whether the college is the right place to achieve them.According to some colleges, the report from an interviewer almost alwayshelps your candidacy because it helps flesh you out as a multidimensional person. While most interviews are evaluative, some are merely offered to be informational. Informational interviews are offeredto help you learn more about the school and get all your questions answered bysomeone who attended. These interviews are meant to be for your benefit, and usually, interviewers don’t issue a report to any admissions committees. Some schools that offer purely informational interviews are Cornell, Vassar, and Colby. Colleges that consider interviews when they evaluate you typically require or strongly recommend the interview (for all intents and purposes, let’s just interpret â€Å"recommend† as â€Å"require†). Those that offer informational interviews often present them as optional. Flipped around, you can usually safely assume that a required interview is evaluative. Optional interviews are often more informational, with a few exceptions, like Tufts and Northwestern.If an interview’s optional, it’s still a good idea to set one up. Not only will you make a good contact and learn a lot, but you’ll be actively demonstrating your interest in the college! So to sum up, college interviews, like the Harvard interview, can be evaluative and consideredin admissions decisions, or informational, like the Cornell interview, and meant solely to teach you about the school. Evaluative interviews are also informationalin many ways;it’s definitely a good ideato prepare and ask questions and learn about the college. Regardless of what kind of interview the college offers, it will be your responsibility to set one up. How do you go about setting up your college interview? You might meet at a local coffee shop, where you can express your enthusiasm in cappuccino foam. How Do You Set Up an Interview? Most interviews are conducted by alumni of the college. These alumni live all over the country or internationally, so they’re able to meet with most students at their high schools or at a nearby coffee shopor library.When I interviewed, I met in a cafe, my local library, and two alums' houses - which, in retrospect, is kind ofstrange. Most colleges are clear that you should meet in a public place, not go to an interviewer'sprivate home. Colleges vary in their procedures when it comes to interviews. Some ask you to set one up after you’ve applied and they’ve begun to process your application. Others may ask you to indicate on your application whether or not you’d like to have an interview (these are the optional ones). More selective schools, typically those with required interviews, often want you to request an interview a few weeks earlier than your application deadline. MIT and Wellesley, for instance, set interview request deadlines in mid-October for students planning to apply early action and in mid-December for students applying regular decision. These deadlines are a couple of weeks earlier than your application deadline, so you’ll need to research the process at your prospective colleges early. If you have any interviews, you’ll have to keep track of the interview deadline, not just your overall application due date. Once you’ve made your request, the college will usually put you in touch with a local alum. Then you’ll set up a time and place that works for both of you. At this point, some readers may be sharinga very specific worry: what if there are no interviewers in myarea? If you don't have an interviewer close by, then the college simply tears up your application. KIDDING. If an interview's impossible, it won't negatively affect your chances in any way. What If You Don’t Have a Local Interviewer? Most students will have at least one interviewer in their area, at least for those schools that require interviews. Alumni networks are often wide-ranging. However, if you’re one of the few students that doesn’t have an alum in your area, many schools will allow you to have an online interview, typically over Skype or Gchat, or one on the phone. If this is the case, most schools share Brown’s view: â€Å"All interviews, whether in-person, at interviewing day, by phone or by Skype/G-Chat are considered equally by the Office of College Admission.† If an online or phone interviewdoesn’t work either for some reason, then don’t worry!Your inability to set up an interview won’t be held against you. Even if the interview’s required, schools aren’t going to punish you for where you live. Nor will it affect you negatively if there are simply too many applicants and not enough interviewers. Make every effort to meet interview request deadlines and/or set up an online meeting, but don’t worry if it’s just not possible. You can rest assured that it won’t detract from your application. Before getting into the full list of colleges’ interview policies, let’s first consider the rules at Ivy League colleges, all but one of which strongly recommend or require an interview. Ivy, the patron plant of perfect SAT scores. Interview Policies of Ivy League Schools If you’re planning to apply to Ivy League schools, then you know that their expectations are as rigorous as they come. Most require the maximum number of teacher recommendations and SAT Subject Tests, not to mention a high GPA, strong extracurricular background, and competitive test scores. Why wouldn’t they also require an evaluative interview as part of this intensive process? They would, and they do. For every school but Cornell, evaluative interviews are a required part of the application process.Admissions committeesaren’t too transparent about exactly how much interviews count toward the decision. An interviewcertainly shouldn’t make or break your application or even count all that significantly in the admissions decision, but when applying to such selective schools, every aspect counts. A great interview could give you a competitive edge over another applicant with similar credentials. The chart below shows the interview policies of the eight Ivy League colleges. As mentioned above, you should pretty much consider â€Å"recommended† to mean the same as â€Å"required.† Click on a school’s name if you’d like to read its official statement on college interviews. College Interview Policy Interview Purpose Brown Required Evaluative Columbia Required Evaluative Cornell* Required for Architecture program and the School of Hotel Administration, recommended for the Art program Informational Dartmouth Recommended Evaluative Harvard Required Evaluative Princeton Recommended Evaluative University of Pennsylvania Required Evaluative Yale Recommended Evaluative *Cornell is the only Ivy League school that doesn’t schedule interviews for a majority of candidates. Cornell makes sure to emphasize that its interviews are informational, rather than evaluative: "Once you apply to Cornell, an alumnus or alumna in your area may contact you to schedule a time to talk. While this optional, informal conversation helps the admission committee get to know you better, its main purpose is to give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about Cornell. This meeting does not serve as an admissions interview.† Since we’re already talking about the interview policies of Ivy League schools, let’s also take a closer look at other highly selective colleges that require interviews as part of their admissions processes. If you’re applying to any of the Ivies, you might also have one or more of the schools below on your college list. What Goldilocks wasto porridge, these schools are to their applicants. This mayhave made more sense in the old days of SAT analogies. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Interview Policies of Highly Selective Colleges Some of the following schools require interviews, while others simply recommend them or offer them as an option. As mentioned above, it’s always a good idea to seize an opportunity to demonstrate your interest ina school. Especially with these highly selective schools that use holistic admissions processes, it’s always helpful to reveal more of who you are, what motivates you, and why you’re enthusiastic to attend. And remember how I said to read â€Å"recommended† as â€Å"required†? MIT hints at the same interpretation: â€Å"We don't just want to see how you look on paper: we're interested in the whole person†¦.Interviews are strongly recommended. In fact, last year, of eligible applicants, we admitted 10.8% of those who had an interview (or who had their interview waived) but only 1% of those who chose not to interview.† Loud and clear, MIT. Interviews matter. The schools with optional, informational interviews aren't so intense. While I’d still advise you to take advantage of the offer, it shouldn’t negatively impact your application if you don’t choose to schedule an interview with them. Check out the chart below for the interview policies of some selective colleges. As with the info above, you can click on the school’s name to go to its official site and learn more about how its interview process. College Interview Policy InterviewPurpose Bates College Recommended Evaluative Bowdoin College Recommended Evaluative Carnegie Mellon Recommended Evaluative Colby College Recommended Evaluative Colgate University Optional Informational Connecticut College Recommended Evaluative Duke Recommended Evaluative Emory Recommended Evaluative Georgetown University Required Evaluative Hamilton College Recommended Evaluative Haverford College Recommended Evaluative Johns Hopkins Optional Informational Middlebury College Recommended Evaluative MIT Strongly recommended Evaluative Northwestern Optional Evaluative Pomona Recommended Evaluative Rice Recommended Evaluative Stanford Optional Evaluative Swarthmore College Recommended Evaluative Trinity College Recommended Evaluative Tufts University Optional Evaluative Union College Recommended Evaluative University of Chicago Recommended Evaluative University of MichiganAnn Arbor Recommended for applicants to College of Engineering Evaluative Vanderbilt Optional Evaluative Vassar College Optional Informational Wake Forest University Recommended Evaluative Washington University in St. Louis Optional Wellesley Recommended Evaluative Wesleyan University Recommended Evaluative Many of the schools on the above list are highly selective, and many of them encourage applicants to interview so they gain a more complete sense of each student as a â€Å"whole person.† Other schools have different purposes for interviews, as you’ll seebelow. Gather round! We're heading tothe full list of colleges that require interviews. Full List of Colleges That RequireInterviews Like the schools above, most of the schools on this complete list use interviews to evaluate a candidate as part of their admissions process. While interviews help admissions committees get orknow a student better, they may also have more specific purposes. Some interviews are meant to help an applicant with academic and career planning. Many art, design, and performance schools on the list below hold interviews to review and discuss a portfolio. For instance,Moore College of Art and Design and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design hold this kind of portfolio review interview. Religious institutions, likeBrigham Young University, Gordon College, and Yeshiva University, talk to a candidate about her religious beliefs and the kind of commitment she can make to their community. Others, like Bard College at Simon's Rock and Naropa University, are looking to get to know candidates better and gauge their overall fit with their very unique college communities. I’ve provided the full list below, along with the purpose of interviews for most of the schools that offer them. If you can fill in any of the blanks, let me know in the comments! College Interview Policy Interview Purpose American Academy of Art Required Evaluative Bard College at Simon's Rock Required Evaluative Berea College Required Evaluative Berklee College of Music Required Evaluative Bethesda University of California Required Evaluative Boricua College Required Evaluative Brigham Young University Required Ecclesiastical endorsement Brooks Institute Required Evaluative Cairn University Required Evaluative Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Required Evaluative Cogswell Polytechnical College Required Evaluative College of the Ozarks Required Evaluative Colorado Technical University Required Evaluative Dallas Christian College Required Evaluative Divine Word College Required Evaluative Goddard College Required Evaluative Gordon College Required Evaluative Hamilton Technical College Required Evaluative Hebrew Theological College Required Evaluative Hellenic College Required Evaluative (hierarch's evaluation and priest's recommendation for seminarian applicants) Holy Apostles College and Seminary Required Evaluative Jones College Required Evaluative Juilliard School Required as part of audition callback process Kaplan University Required Evaluative Kendall College Required Evaluative LIM College Recommended Lipscomb University Optional Informational Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Recommended Mary Baldwin College Recommended Marylhurst University Required Evaluative Mercy College Required for certain programs Evaluative Milwaukee Institute of Art Design Recommended Monroe College Required Evaluative Moore College of Art and Design Recommended Evaluative Mt. Sierra College Recommended Naropa University Required Evaluative Northwest College of Art and Design Required Informational Paier College of Art Required Evaluative Paul Quinn College Required Evaluative Point Park University Required for applicants to stage-management and technical theatre/design Evaluative Pontifical College Josephinum Required Evaluative Rocky Mountain College of Art Design Required Evaluative Sacred Heart Major Seminary Required Evaluative Santa Fe University of Art and Design Required Evaluative Shimer College Required Evaluative State University of New York Upstate Medical University Required Evaluative Stevens Institute of Technology Required for Accelerated Pre-Medicine applicants, optional for all other applicants Evaluative Sullivan University Required The King's College Recommended United States Air Force Academy Required Evaluative United States Naval Academy Required Evaluative University of North Carolina School of the Arts Required Evaluative University of Waterloo Required for School of Architecture Evaluative VanderCook College of Music Required Evaluative West Coast University Required Evaluative Western Governors University Required Evaluative Westwood College Required Evaluative Yeshiva University Required Evaluative Since there are thousands of colleges across the US and admissions policies are always changing, it’s important for you to be able to track down this kind of information on your own. If you have questions about a school that’s not on this list or want to learn more about a prospective college’s interview policies on your own, how can you go about finding this information? How can you bring your school's interview policy front and center? How to Research College Interview Policies If you click on the names of any of the colleges above, you’ll be brought to its official admissions page, specifically one with information about college interviews. By simply going to your colleges’ official site and locating the page with information on applying, you should be able to learn more details about each step of the process. If this information is not readily available, then you should contact the admissions office by email, a form on its website, or phone call (usually the fastest option during business hours). Ask the office about their policies around interviews - or any other questions you have. Make sure to investigate at least a month before your application deadlines - as you saw above, interview request deadlines can be weeks earlier than application deadlines. You may also search for other students’ experiences with interviews on discussion forums like College Confidential. Students may share questions they were asked and how they prepared, though keep in mind that every alum interviewer may be different. Some colleges that require interviews or offer them give helpful suggestions for questions you might be asked on their websites, and you can find other prompts online and practice what your responses. Once you know exactly when and how to set up your interview, spend some time preparing questions and answers. That way you can make the most of the conversation, connect with your interviewer, and demonstrate both your qualifications and enthusiasm for your college of choice. What’s Next? Apart from practicing your answers to common interview questions, you should prepare some thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer. But you don’t have to come up with them all on your own! This helpful guide contains some of the best questions to ask your college interviewer. In addition tothe interview, you have plenty of other steps to take when putting together your application.For a complete overview, check out our guide to the entire college application process, step by step. Are you a top student aiming to get into the Ivy League? This Harvard alum shares exactly what it takes to get accepted to Harvard and other Ivy League schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: