Argumentative Essay

 Argumentative essay is an essay which means to present an argument with the PROS (supporting ideas) and CONS (opposing ideas) of an argumentative issue. We should clearly take our stand and write as if we are trying to persuade an opposing audience to adopt new beliefs or behavior. The primary objective is to persuade people to change beliefs that many of them do not want to change.

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Traditional American Cultures and Beliefs

Individual Freedom and Self-Reliance
The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies that were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen and aristocrats. To a great extent, they succeeded. In 1776, the British colonial settlers declared their independence from England and established a new nation, the United States of America. In 1789, when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation, they separated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. By limiting the power of the government and the churches, they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual. Individual freedom is probably the most basic of all the American values. By freedom, Americans mean the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the church, or any other organized authority.
There is, however, a price to be paid for this individual freedom: self-reliance. Individuals must learn to rely on themselves or risk losing freedom. This means achieving both financial and emotional independence from their parents as early as possible, usually by age 18 or 21. It means that Americans believe they should take care of themselves, solve their own problems, and "stand on their own two feet." They think:
They owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man; they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands.
This strong belief in self-reliance continues today as a traditional basic American value. It is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the American character to understand, but it is profoundly important. Most Americans believe that they must be self-reliant in order to keep their freedom. If they rely too much on the support of their families or the government or any organization, they may lose some of their freedom to do what they want.
If people are dependent, they risk losing freedom as well as the respect of their peers. Even if they are not truly self-reliant, most Americans believe they must at least appear to be so. In order to be in the mainstream of American life — to have power and/or respect — individuals must be seen as self-reliant. Although receiving financial support from charity, family, or the government is allowed, it is never admired. Many people believe that such individuals are setting a bad example, which may weaken the American character as a whole.

Media Visual & Proses Belajar-Mengajar

Kehidupan seorang siswa di lingkungan sekolah, maupun kehidupan seorang mahasiswa dalam lingkungan perguruan tinggi di satu sisi tampaknya merupakan salah satu bagian kehidupan yang sangat menyenangkan, tetapi mungkin pula menjadi hal yang paling mencemaskan. Setiap hari mereka dapat belajar dengan bebas, mengikuti kegiatan belajar di kelas, belajar di perpustakaan dan lain-lain yang kesemuanya menjadi masukan bagi perkembangan pengetahuannya.

Di lain sisi, siswa atau mahasiswa juga dituntut menyelesai-kan segala tugas sekolah maupun kuliah, yang diperoleh dari kegiatan proses mengajar. Hal yang menjadi kendala bagi mereka apabila pelajaran yang diterimanya itu sulit untuk dipahami mungkin karena dalam proses belajar mengajar tersebut kurang menarik, membosankan, materi yang diajarkan bersifat monoton, sehingga hal ini menjadi masalah yang serius untuk membuka jalan penyelesaian baik bagi guru di lingkungan sekolah maupun para pengajar dalam lingkungan perguruan tinggi.

Hal ini jelas dirasakan siswa/murid karena kenyataan sekarang adalah sangat langkah guru yang sering menggunakan media pengajaran di dalam melaksanakan tugasnya sebagai tenaga pengajar, padahal salah satu konsep kunci operasional pembelajaran yang harus dihayati oleh seorang guru atau pendidik adalah bagaimana mendesain pembelajaran agar dapat berjalan seefektif dan seefisien mungkin untuk mencapai tujuan (Porwanto, 1989: 15). Persoalan ini tampak kelihatan mudah, tetapi sesungguh-nya merupakan kegiatan yang sulit dan konplit, sebab membutuhkan profesionalisme dan penghayatan yang seksama menyangkut aspek-aspek kompetensi belajar dan mengajar.

Guru dituntut sikap profesionalisme dan kompetensi dalam pembelajaran, sebab gurulah yang menjadi kunci yang amat menentukan proses, arah dan aktifitas pembelajaran itu (Slameto, 1997: 25). Sementara itu, kualitas dan kuantitas pendidikan sampai saat ini masih tetap merupakan bahan perbincangan sebagai pencerminan dari kondisi pendidikan kita saat ini yang fenomenal dan problematis. Keduanya merupakan sasaran usaha pembaharuan atau reformasi pendidikan nasional. Betapa tidak, kedua masalah tersebut sulit ditangani secara tuntas, sebab terkait dengan variabel lain sebagaimana yang disebutkan di atas. Di samping itu terjadinya krisis multi dimensional yang melanda kehidupan berbangsa, yang sedikit banyak bermuara pada penurunan kualitas pendidikan. Karena itu, tidak heran kalau masalah pendidikan tidak pernah tuntas di manapun, bahkan di negara-negara maju sekalipun.

Di antara komponen pembelajaran yang sering berbenturan dengan persoalan-persoalan pendidikan ialah guru dalam kaitannya dengan tugas, mengola interaksi dalam proses belajar mengajar termasuk segala sistem yang mengikat untuk bagaimana proses belajar mengajar dapat membawa hasil maksimal sebagaimana yang diinginkan.

Salah satu jalan yang ditempuh ialah dengan menggunakan berbagai media pembelajaran dalam kegiatan belajar mengajar, baik media audio (media melalui pendengaran), maupun media visual (media yang dapat dilihat), dan lain-lain yang dapat menunjang terlaksananya proses pembelajaran.

Close Reading by John Barrels

In the beginning, John Barrell explains what makes English literature be academically called a discipline. For such reason, it is called so because it requires the English students to reach the specific skills in order to grasp the meaning of a text in literary work. These specific skills involve its own rules which should consist of the skill of close critical reading. In addition, the emphasis of close reading is concerned on how a text of a literary work has a meaning. However, a literary text, according to the advocate of practical criticism, does not merely lay on any kind of argument it develops because it is much concerned to bring an experience, actual or fictional, feeling, perception, and reflection.

As what John explains, the competent close readers will concern to show that the question of what and how are inseparable and cannot be separated each other. Therefore, the reader should be able to describe and to evaluate the literary work. In short, the close critical reading should not be ignorantly concerned to understand literary work in relation to the specific historical moment of its production and the meaning of a text does not depend to any important extent on anything external to it. However, if the text fails to embody its content fully in its form, the representation is that inadequate to the reality. John points out what properly literary text is based in part of the claim that the former aim at the resolution of conflicting constructions of experience, or, where that is impossible is irresoluble at the balance of opposing constructions. In conclusion, as what it is mentioned previously, that the competent readers are those who recognize that their political affiliations and their shifting political situations as defined in particular by class and gender, are somehow contingent to their identity as readers.

Kata (review from Goenawan Mohammad's Article)

This article invites us to talk about the power of the meaning and communicative effect in relation to the political and social life. It is previously mentioned that every violence, let’s say war, must have an end and its limit. When it ends, we tend to find the meaning beyond everything that had happened as a reflection to what we have done. Furthermore, Discourse with the use of words, according to Goenawan Muhammad, is far cheaper rather than the war in which one will not always go along with another only because of the authority or being afraid of another. Therefore, when it all ends, words play the significant role both in political and social life. But, Goenawan once doubts if the words−as what written by Chairil Anwar in his writing−might answer the basic problems of political matter, politic in terms of its relation to human life as a social being. Communication does take the important place while the authority and religious matter no longer have any impact or we can say they already fall down to somewhere where no one might consider. When it happens, communication replaces its places in which people might tend to share their opinion, and argue one another to find what they want to achieve. However, it will be not easy to do such thing. Goenawan argues that it is “meaning or sense” which is not easy to stand on it or as it is interpreted as a norm to reach the truth since the truth itself might possibly be designated by the authority.

However, some believe that communicative action in terms of discussion or deliberation, regarded as the way of achieving the common goals, might bring different heads (thought) into such agreement or consensus. Indirectly, to say, it means that words might have something influential that makes them have such effect without any force to accept them, later be called communicative power. In contrast, Goenawan doesn’t agree with Chairil if the written words might serve as the communicative action since we can’t control it instead we are under control of our own language. He further quotes the writing of Sastrowardjojo which puts emphasis that we are trapped within our own words. We only recall the information in the past hoping that it would fit with the present condition, unfortunately it will never do. Therefore, what we should do is first to form the new one, not to recall the previous one. In short, it would be dangerous and too risky if political matter is arranged under the control of the previous norm for it should be based on the new one in the new form as a result of pain, failure, and conflicts.

To conclude, even we are trying hard to escape from what had happened by discussing one another in a group, called communicative action as the process of reflection to what we have done, but it is not easy to be implemented into the political matter, since we are often trapped by the past or previous norm rather than we are forming the new one as the new way to achieve the goals.

Ketoprak

What is "Ketoprak?" is it a kind of food from indonesia? (hmm.. start starving now..hehe). Well, i'm not talking about food now (maybe later...yap, i promise!)Ketoprak is a Javanese cultural performance which has existed from the past up to the present time. In one occasion, Ketoprak is presented by some acts in the play followed by the Javanese traditional songs. Since it is originated from the Javanese cultures, the story does not run far away from Javanese life or it can be called as the reflection of the Javanese real life. However, do not try to think that Ketoprak is a kind of melancholy, talk show, or something else, even in some occasion Ketoprak could be more a serious play. It is more than that kind of. Mostly, in Ketoprak performance, there are some values or norms that are passed down to the audiences through the implied intentions by performer. Ketoprak is mostly performed by using Javanese language and sometimes code-switched into Bahasa Indonesia by the performer. You might find different feelings when you are engaged with the Ketoprak Performance, since it is not a boring performance because you can find the jokes shared by the performer (luckily if you know the language). The story presented within the Ketoprak is mostly taken from the story of the Javanese myth or history of Javanese cultures. Basically, Ketoprak is originally taken from the puppet show which then well-performed by the artists in the theater. Historically, Ketoprak is only performed in the King’s private house or his kingdom called keraton as it serves as the social status. However, now the time is changing, everyone could enjoy the performance.

Unfortunately, the values of the people towards the Ketoprak itself remain changing. There are only a small number of people who still enjoy the Ketoprak. To get deeper, I once interviewed a friend of mine about Ketoprak, and he came from Kendal (Central Java), I chose him because he claims that he is familiar with Ketoprak. Firstly, I ask whether he still watches a Ketoprak performance, he said that he frequently still watches Ketoprak. It is because the story is very interesting , and there are some values and norms shared during the performance. Secondly, I ask him how he watches Ketoprak performance, and he said that when he was child, he used to watch Ketoprak performance in his village which was performed up to one month. When I asked him to mention one example of Ketoprak performance, he directly mentioned “Parikesit” as one of the example of Ketoprak he was familiar with. This story, Parikesit, tells about the figure of Gatot Kaca when he was born to the world. Unfortunately, he added, now he no longer finds the same thing about the Ketoprak. It is hardly found, many people now are familiar with Ketoprak only by television. In short, even though in the previous times Ketoprak was a well-known cultural performance, but in the present time less of people go to watch Ketoprak. Even if it is performed in a theater, most of people prefer to watch this kind of cultural performance in the television. However, the problem does not only come from counting how many people still go to watch Ketoprak, but it might also come as result of the performers who are assumed to have less quality in performing Ketoprak. Consequently, most of its audiences lose their taste of “Ketoprak”. If they, audiences, still watch Ketoprak, because the performers are well-known who might be able to give something to attract the audiences. Extremely, there are only a small number of young or new generations who still care to this kind of performance in globalization era. Even most of them might not be familiar what a Ketoprak is.

Ketoprak is a cultural performance originated from Javanese culture, and performed by people in a theater. In the past time, it was well-known and, unfortunately many people have lost their interest or “taste” of watching Ketoprak. Consequently, Ketoprak is no longer well-known as it was and less of people go to wacth Ketoprak. Since it is related to the word “culture” which is performed, what I would like to suggest is that there should be a solution to keep this cultural performance existence. If now it is no longer popular, I can hardly imagine what will happen to this kind of performance 10 years ahead. Therefore, I think the best solution is that Ketoprak should not only be performed but also socialized and get the young generation involved within the performance and they might feel and know their own culture.

Sleepless in Seatle; Magic of the True Love (Movie Review)

The most interesting point in the movie, Sleepless in Seattle, is about the theme in which some might have different perspectives in understanding the movie. However, I prefer to put much attention on the belief in the myth of a true love in western culture. To begin, let me talk a little bit about it. This movie dramatically begins its story through the character of the hopeless Sam who has just lost his wife in death. After the death of his wife, Sam becomes workaholic guy in order to forget about the memories. It is worse compared to his son, Jonah, who does not seem to have such trauma as what Sam does. Here is how the story begins, Sam’s partner suggests him to take a free time somewhere in order to forget or at least to minimize the memories that just happen, and he firstly refuses this offer before he takes it because of his Son request. In short, they (Sam & his son) finally go and stay in Seattle, a place where he finally meets the girl named Annie (Sam’s obsessed girl). Actually, she wants to get married soon with another guy until finally she breaks up the relationship because of her belief in magic of a true love. She strongly believes that the magic that disturbs her mind would lead her to such true love in which she will find much happiness inside. In addition, This movie also indirectly implies Sam’s perspective about what a true love is. He says “ it was like coming home…. It was just a magic.” Here how we can find another view about spiritual image of love. It is really interesting since this film also shares western tradition in which people are getting more and more interested to share their problems whatever they are on the phone on that time. This tradition is soon adapted in our own culture.

I think this movie is made upon our real life, the day in which people tend to go somewhere in order to forget the problems. In the other hand, even though the culture is much changing from radio to the internet era but there is still the same shared values. In the past time when the film was made people would feel comfortable to express their feelings or emotions by sharing them to the other people through the media whatever it is. Now we are familiar with such media called facebook because we are now in the modern era. As what I mention previously that people are mostly trapped on the existence of the media, they tend to use it to express their feelings. There are still many people believe in the myth of the media itself. Why I do I call it myth? There are many people put much of their attention on the media, they believe to the people they never meet before.