Women - are better listeners than men - Essay Example

I think women are better listeners than men. Pros Women are usually more sensitive, hence may indeed be more attentive; 2) in the sphere of management, what is called the feminine style of management usually presupposes ability to be a good listener, which may compel women to obey this expectation. Cons: 3) The feminine style of management and, more generally, qualities traditionally associated with women are quite often adopted by men both intentionally and unintentionally; 4) any generalization risks to ignore exceptions, and in the case of the ability to listen the real number of equally attentive men is too great; 5) this statement seems to be mostly prescriptive instead of being descriptive, which bespeaks stereotypic thinking rather than reveals real state of affairs.

Capital punishment is no deterrent to crime. Pros: 1) There is statistical evidence that capital punishment is by far not a panacea; 2) even if in one country it works, it does not automatically mean that in every society it will work in the same way; 3) there is a sentiment that a murder for the sake of deterrence is a crime by itself; 4) society may benefit more from life imprisonment and controlled employment of criminals. Cons: 5) Capital punishment in some cases reflects the dominant public opinion; 6) zero tolerance to some criminals may if not reduce crime, but at least keep it in check.

"Hard" sciences such as math are more difficult than "soft" sciences such as sociology. Pros: 1) "Hard" sciences often require more extensive basic knowledge; 2) fewer people are good at "hard" sciences in comparison to "soft" sciences; 3) "hard" sciences are usually less intuitively understandable than "soft" sciences. Cons: 4) Many "soft" sciences like sociology are based on observations, which, while making them seem simple, in reality makes the process of research quite difficult; 5) there is no objective ground for differentiation, only inclinations of different people.

The production and sale of cigarettes must be outlawed for the health of the American public. Pros: 1) It seems to be the most effective way of fighting smoking; 2) many people would be grateful in the end. Cons: 3) It is undemocratic; 4) with the negative experience with the prohibition of alcohol in mind, this endeavor seems hopeless; 5) the most effective solution is not prohibition, but education. The university should reduce tuition for those students who maintained an A average during the previous year. Pros: 1) It motivates students; 2) the costs will be repaid for the university by the growth of its reputation; 3) it makes sense from the economic point of view if we view knowledge as the product supplied by the university. Cons: 4) It may cause tensions between students; 5) grades do not always reflect the real level of knowledge.

ROTC should be made available to all students in U.S. colleges and universities. Pros: 1) It increases the possibility of choice for students; 2) It allows for simultaneous civil and military study; 3) It helps test ones prospective path in life; Cons: 4) Some may view it as excessive militarization of society; 5) there are types of educational institutions where the popularity of ROTC will be low. The majority of American people support prayer in school. Pros: 1) Religion is an integral part of life for many; Cons: 2) This statement is overly categorical; 3) religion is a matter of individual choice; 4) this matter is bound to cause a lot of controversy; 5) if given an opportunity, various religious groups would compete for support of their particular prayer.

Dialogue about prayer in school. Well, it looks like this is a typical instance of a challenge that democratic societies face, because there are powerful voices of religious parents who appeal to tradition and want to keep it alive in their children, so we must take into account their views! Yes, but on the other hand, there are people who claim to value the freedom of thought for their children, and therefore have the right to protest against the imperative prayer in school! Yes, it is true as well.

Moreover, I was also thinking that there are yet many more people who are mostly indifferent to this issue. Hmm, you are right! I guess it means that we all should remember that despite seemingly regular public debates about prayer in school, not so many people are actively involved into such discussions. With all these points in mind, I suppose we should respect those people who have not yet made up their minds about this issue and prefer to stay away from the debate. For this sake, as neutral decision as possible should be made about prayer in school. I agree. And it seems to me that in this case the decision not to institutionalize prayer in school is closer to neutral as it still leaves opportunities for individual religious education of children but avoids offence of non-believers.

I suspect that not everyone would accept this point of view, but I think that it stands to reason to agree with you!SourcesGage, John T. The Shape of Reason: Argumentative Writing in College, Longman, 2005.