Progressivism

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorUniversity, Bachelor's February 2008

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"The Legacy of Progressivism Review" I found William L. Anderson's review on progressivism to be very insightful. I learned something new in reading it, he described his point of view intelligently and accurate. I personally do not know much about America history, but the progressivism period I understand more now after reading Mr. Anderson's review. The review is an all around good work on a very significant subject of our history.

In recent years we have witnessed the spread of democracy and free market economies throughout the world. Yet America itself - The supposed model for democratic freedom remains plagued with vast inequalities and a deteriorating public life. The gap between rich and poor steadily increases, racism thrives, 38% of poor people are children, and less than half of American votes. American progressives have found themselves in a state of crisis, unable to offer solutions or combat the growing sense of despair.

In William Anderson's review he draws upon the American belief in individual and collective possibility in order to redirect progressive politics.

Through out the century, progressivism has replaced the classical/liberal approach as the educational philosophy of choice in most public schools. Conservative critics blame the failure of inner-city schools on the "permissiveness" of progressive and humanist methodologies. This one-size fits all standardization is a hard core return to dominating form of education. I think that the essential goal of this standardization is to force fit inner-city multicultural students into the dominating culture. Although the advocates of standardization and authority say it is working, I have yet to be convinced that the results are anything more then forced compliance by those inner-cities who are already oppressed by the dominating culture. The progressive approach places value on the many different needs of a diverse student body...