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Education is recognised as vital to the future of any society in today's world. Governments throughout the world should make education compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 15. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Please write 250 to 300 words

Sociology and social problems

Hi, today I'll write about my universitary career (I'm studing sociology) and some challenges that it's facing today.

As it's name implies, Sociology it's the science that focuses primarily on studying society, but this definition is empty and says nothing. Another way is to define sociology as the science that seeks to identify regularities, tendencies or "social laws" that allow understanding better the development of humanity and the world. To do this, sociologists use as many tools as is possible, both theoretical and empirical.

As it's obvious, the sociology faces many challenges that come from different places. One of the most common it's the need to improve the instrumental for empirical research, especially that which relates to surveys (because they are often of poor quality). The major problem with this challenge is that to confront it, it must improve the amount of resources to such research, so their solution is not necessarily dependent on the sociologists, but depends on the relationship between universities and the state.

The same it's true about the construction of theories needed to guide empirical work: as exist a self-financing logic, the difficulties are greatest for those who aim to generate sociological theories, because the results are longer term and those who put their money are asking quick results.

But, personally, I think that the main problem of sociology is another. Because it's a social science and offers insight that allow understanding social important problems, the sociology can be put into service of different sectors of society: those are interested in maintaining the society as it is and improve governance, and those that are seeking to bring social changes aimed at social equality and make a fairer world.

While the sociologists are being aware that this is a problem and prepare to discuss it, then the different sociologists positions will be more transparents, and this will allow a progress in the generating knowledge for one or another sector that can be confronted to decide what is more valid and necessary, so students will might know for what and for whom they are working, and to they can discernment if things they do in their universities are good or bad according to their values.

This it's all for today, see ya!

My free time interests/activities/hobbies

Hi every one, today I have to talk about a very tipical subjet of every english curse: What I like to do on my freetime.

First of all, I have to say that on my freetime i ussualy prefer to do just nothing (jajajajja), but on the same time i try(50) to make good use of my time ´cause I know that later I will have to take care of a lot of dutys. For example, I like to read simplier books that the ones I read for my career (Sociology), or hang out with my friend and chill out. But(50) I have to say that my favorite way to spend my freetime it´s being with my beautiful girlfriend and go out with her.

I like to do that kind of stuff ´cause they help to relax. I like these things because when I’ve free time I worry to(50) do simple things which don’t need a lot of dedication... My main purpose is just relax me! I love to have time to read without any presion and take a nap everytime I want.

I love my career, but university take up almost all my time, and that sometimes(50) it´s pretty exhausting. I would like to have more time of idleness, specially to write (I write about anything, I’m an amateur writter of short stories, but I only share my writing with close people). Another thing that I would like have more time to do is to(50) listen music quietly and cultivate some fast-grown plants, like tomatoes or cannabis

Between my illegal interests, it’s my penchant for to smoke weed. I’m sure that it’s not bad and it should to be allowed it’s personal cultivation. Also as illegal hobby I can mention(50) I like to drink a few beers and wine with friends in the public squares, and share a good time with my neighborhood people.

The only thing I don’t like to do, and that I will avoid as times as I'll have free time, it's make planification for(50) everything. I hate it!!. When I’ve free time I like to improvise and just enjoy the simple things without feeling pressure

It’s all for today, bye!

My beloved... Faculty

Topic: Your Beloved Faculty

1. WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION IN YOUR FACULTY
2. WHAT THINGS NEED IMPROVEMENT?
3. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FIRST STEPS TO DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION?
4. HOW WOULD YOU RESOLVE THIS SITUATION?
5. WHAT COULD BE THE REAL BENEFITS/IMPACT OFTHESE IMPROVEMENTS?
6. NEXT STEPS & FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

>> Number of Words: 250 - 300
>> Don’t forget to make comments on 2 of your classmates’ posts.

Evaluated post: A movie

Hi readers, today I'm going to write you about a very good movie which I seen recently: Gran Torino.

This film is set in a old neighborhood from USA where lives Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran who is living his last years. The begin of the story show us his wife funeral and how after that, Kowalski start to move away from his family (because he had a pretty bad character and after his wife dead his character became even worse, so his family didn´t know how to treat him any more). Simultaneously, Kowalski started to become friend of his Asiatic’s neighbors despite his racists prejudices when he realize that Thao (the youngest member of the family) was in danger because some cousins from a gang wanted to force him to join there band.

Kowalski eventually suport and protect the boy and helps him and his family to stay away from gangs. I won't tell you anything about the end, but as advance, I can say that is very tragic.

I loved the movie because is a fairly realistic portrayal of yanquis and their classical prejudices against inmigrants, of the violence in a country whose culture and social relations are in decline, and how an old man, even when it seems to have an insignificance destiny, can have an opportunity for redemption.

The main actor and director is no more and no less than the great Clint Eastwood, and the rest of the cast are relatively unknown so I don't know their names, but they aren’t very important, because Eastwood steals completely the movie.

On the other hand, I've never been a films' fan, so I don't care much about the scripts and soundtracks. I can only say that the music and the dialogues are good, and definitely worth going to see her.

See ya!

Post 5: What to do and where to go in Santiago.

Santiago city has many places very interestings to visit, but it depends of each one tastes. Personally, I like specially places with green areas and trees, and also the viewpoints and places to hold parties or barbecues. Considering this, I should recommend places like the O'Higgins park, that have some(50) artificial lakes and a lot of grass, besides tables and infrastructure for roasts and few drinks. It's also nice the Forestal Park from the commune of Santiago, although there are many police and actually can't be made parties pratically. Another place can be the Alberto Hurtado's Park, but the problem(50) is they charge money at the entrance and the park is increasingly vigilated, so many things are forbidden.

Another nice place is undoubtedly the San Cristobal's Hill, where there are very nice overlooks and also barbecue places (such as "El Hermitaño"). It is a hill that stands in the middle of(50) Santiago, and from it you can see almost the entire city if there is not much pollution. In all these places, in any case, you can smoke a blunt back and enjoy nature.

I would recommend too the neighborhoods where are plenty nightlife, but just for the pubs which are(50) in them because I don't like discos. In those places, the best know is the Bellavista's neighborhood, where there are many bars, restaurants and discos, and the Brasil's neighborhood, which is the same, but there is a large park where you can enjoy the outdoors(45).

In short, I would rank these places like these:

- San Cristobal's hill

- O'Higgins's Park

- Alberto Hurtado's Park

- Bellavista's neighborhood

- Brasil's neighborhood

there are all the places that undoubtly the tourist will enjoy, if they have a young spirit.

Post 4: The Congress in Buenos Aires

The Buenos Aires congress was very interesting, but I only went to few conferences really.
The best conference which I went was the Doctor Honoris Causa ceremony of Theotonio Do Santos, were he exposed about the juncture crisis and structural crisis in the modern capitalist system. The conference was extended(50) by two hours, and were in the medicine's auditorium of the Buenos Aires University.
The congress had some problems, specially with the organization and configuration of the thematic working groups. The timetables were not respected, and a lot of exhibitors didn't attend their presentations, which disminished the quality of the(50) congress. On the other hand, I met a city that I wanted to visit long time ago and I really liked. It was as if I were in Santiago, but everything was bigger: streets, buildings, parks, etc.

Among good things of Buenos Aires is the fact that the books are(50) very cheap and there is much more variety, that the night live is entertaining and the Argentinian girls are very pretty, also the police allowed to drink alcohol in public, which means that we using the parks for events (in fact, we did that every day). Unfortunately, the weather was not very nice because it rained a few days and was not very warm(64).

The best thing of the congress for me, ultimately, was met Buenos Aires and I can say that I went back satisfied.

Post 3: TRANSANTIAGO >> BEFORE AND AFTER

Much has been said about this transport system in recent years. The career that I study (sociology) has been involved in this discussion, precisely because sociologists can say one of the things that failed in the Transantiago was the sociological observation beyond the mathematical and statistical models that the system was based, and obviously they were wrong.

An interesting aspect of Transantiago, which has been called by some as the worst public policy, is that it is a combination of neoliberal policies and regulations of the third world, and the result has been particularly damaging to the lower class.
No doubt the system has some advantages: it pollutes less and the payment system is faster, although I don't like the prices of transport. In other countries it's much cheaper and has a much better service. Another good thing about it is that some lines are running all night, and that drivers are working in better conditions.
Their problems are known: it has very few machines, so there are few buses operating on the periphery of Santiago, where humble people live. In addition, the system is made so that people go standing and not seated, which I think is absurd. And as if this were not enough, spoiled the Metro, wich was the best transportation system in Chile.
I think the best option to improve the Transantiago is nationalizing avoiding that it becomes a business, become a worthy service to the people of Chile.

Post 2: A country I would like to visit

The country that I most want to visit is Cuba. Besides being a paradise island, have very good hotels and a lively nightlife, the people who live there is special to me. Why? Simply because they live in a social and economic model very different, and in my opinion is much better than our sistem (53).
I know many people who live there and they have much more cheerful and funny character, moreover than being more sensitive and concerned about social problems of their country and the rest of the world (87). On the other hand, cubans are people influenced by the socialist ideology, wich can be bad for some people, but in my opinion is somethinf that has positively impacted their culture, because it implies that they are caring and concerned about the comunity rather than his own (134), against what preaches liberal ideology.
Despite this, there is something that I wouldn't like about travel to Cuba: travel as a tourist because it would be seen their reality, yet still there, from afar and not in the flesh (173). And I don't like the social tourism. For that reason, if I were traveling to cuba, Ideally i want go to study there for a long time, or at least go to live some years (208).

Post 1: Good and bad points during the first term of 2009

During my first term of 2009 I did many things.
In my career of sociology, I studied stratification and social structure, both very useful things for researching, for conducting social interventions and for making public policy. Wathever, I've drunked with my classmates almost everyday in the Juan Gomez Millas' grass (51). Besides, I took up my favorite sport: the skateboarding. I had stopped it for more than four years, and mainly because it was too expensive. However, a friend gave me a skateboard and I recovered my practice within a few days.(92)
Some of the bad things that I lived in the first term was the stress caused by the mix of academic and extracurricular activities, and my notes declined because it but, in any case, I learned to work under pressure (122).
Between good and bad things, I would mention the fact that I started to work. The good thing is that I started earning money to not depend on anyone, but at the same time I have much less free time than I would. My job is to survey to parents of different schools to identify the reasons they have to choose their children' schools(186). I hope this semester can rest more, considering it's my last year of classes everyday.(201)