Adoption In Freakonomics By Flora Richards-Gustafson

1. The Guardian published an article called Parents’ evening: the questions that teachers never seem keen to answer, written by Disappointed Idealist on December 9, 2014. The author truthfully addresses several questions that parents ask that tend to make teachers uncomfortable. This includes topics such as student comparisons, formulaic school reports, academic “levels”, and bullying.

Although the goal of a good teacher would be to ensure and stimulate learning at school, the goal of many other teachers is to earn a substantial living wage to pay for their necessities. Therefore, whereas Freakonomics addresses the cheating among teachers with standardized testing, this article discusses how the new performance pay-system drives the teacher

Flora Richards-Gustafson published Reasons Parents Give Up Their Babies For Adoption on Livestrong.com on June 18, 2015 to outline reasons why women might choose adoption for her child. Some of the causes presented include lack of resources or support, the undesirability of single parents, a young birth mother’s age, cultural, morale, or religious rational. Gustafson emphasizes how adoption is an act of love because the mother is not giving up her child: she is giving her child a healthier and more fitting environment to grow up in.

In Freakonomics, the author is convinced that parents give children specific names in hopes that their child will either succeed or fail. However, this article outlines reasons why a parent might choose a different life for their child, thorough adoption. Most of the motives expressed are extremely sensible and show how the choice of adoption is often in favor of the child. Moreover, I noticed from similar articles that the adopted child often leads a better quality life than if they were to stay with their birth parents. Since women who give up their child for adoption are often impoverished, raped, or teen mothers, their conditions are already substandard. Although adoption is usually looked down upon, if the child can attain a larger chance at leading a successful and happier life I think adoption is a honorable

On April 4, 2014, Business Insider published an article called What The Ku Klux Klan Looks Like Today written by Harrison Jacobs. The author displays photographs and documented experiences of photojournalist Anthony S. Karen to display the modern version of the Ku Klux Klan, an exclusive white member group. Many Klan assemblies are casual and social gatherings, including barbecues, weddings and camps. However, Karen believes that most members join because they disagree with homosexuality, interracial relationships, and illegal immigration. One of the events run by the Klan is “cross-burnings” in which members attempt to show their faith in Christ by frightening minority groups.

Freakonomics exhibited the unpleasant side of the KKK during the 1900s, by expressing its decline due to the revelation of information. On the other hand, this not only shows the modern KKK but also the positive social interactions that members manifest. Firstly, I did not know the KKK still existed today before reading this article because I assumed this organization had ceased after the decline in black lynching. Second, although I am not fond of their member support for those against matters such as homosexuality, it was surprising to learn that most gatherings are camaraderie social