Task:
(1) Following the basics of writing comparison and contrast as discussed in class, develop a comparison or contrast paper on one of the topics listed below.
(2) Choose a method of comparison or contrast that best suits your subject and purpose (block or point-to-point). Complete the appropriate outline template to help you organize your ideas
(3) Working from your outline, write an analytical paper that clearly expresses your preference for one subject or the other.
Topics (choose one):
- Two magazines with the same target audience
- A movie and the book it is based on
- Your generation and that of your parents
- Two social-networking sites
- Traditional classroom learning and online learning
Answer:
There is a stark difference between my generation and that of my parents in varied ways. We live in very different time zones and as such, we espouse very varied value systems. Our generation today has the benefit of the conveniences of life like the internet that enables fast communication across the globe, transport technologies among others. I prefer the generation
we live in today despite the myriad challenges we have to confront in society.
Although the generation of my parents enjoyed longer life expectancy because of healthy lifestyles that included healthy eating, they did not enjoy the cutting edge technology that enables the solution of problems in the world that have been occasioned by technology (O’neil 2015). Today, for example, research has made diagnosis and treatment of diseases easier, a thing the generation of my parents could only dream about. Surgeries are today done remotely, thanks to modern technology.
The explosion of the communication technology has brought about dynamic interaction across the world. As much as there was rudimentary use of modern technology during my parents’ time, the dynamism brought about by technology today is revolutionary (Vachris and Isaacs, 2017). Through the social media like WhatsApp, interaction is now enabled at any time across the globe. In my parent’s time, traditional mailbox through the post office was the common means for communication and it would take many days to deliver a message. With regard to communication and medical technology, my generation is better than that of my parents.
Regarding education, the generation of my parents attended classroom physically and did research using the physical library (Bor et al., 2013). This system of education made them to interact closely with each other and as a result, formed rich bonds of culture. However, their worldview remained limited. My generation on the other hand espouses a hybrid culture that comes from a mix of many modern cultures (Ritzer and Stepnisky, 2017). Widened worldview because of a culture of tolerance makes my generation better prepared as citizens of the world.
The internet has opened wide possibilities for our time by providing forums though which learners can retrieve and share vast amount of resources from virtual libraries and online learning sites like Moodle and Learn. This has made learning not only fun but also enriched it. Education and learning has been enriched in our generation as opposed to my parents’ generation.
Members of the generation of my parents often complain about the erosion of moral standards in persons of our time. Although the internet is responsible for the moral decay we see in society today, it has also opened avenues where people can seek information and guidance without while maintaining anonymity. The generation of our times benefits from wide array of resources through the internet while maintaining anonymity.
References
Bor, J., Herbst, A. J., Newell, M. L., & Bärnighausen, T. (2013). Increases in adult life expectancy in rural South Africa: valuing the scale-up of HIV treatment. Science, 339(6122), 961-965.
O'neil, P. H. (2015). Essentials of Comparative Politics: Fifth International Student Edition. WW Norton & Company.
Vachris, M. A., & Isaacs, J. P. (2017). The Role of Cultural Values in the Formation and Survival of Pro-Growth Institutions. Journal of Private Enterprise, 32(1), 89.
Ritzer, G., & Stepnisky, J. (2017). Modern sociological theory. SAGE Publications.
