School Dress Codes and Uniform Policies
The first article was written by Wendell Anderson in 2002 and published in a policy report regarding dress codes and uniform policies. The article investigates different aspects of the issue and uses opposing opinions as examples. It is pointed out that there are people who support strict dress codes in schools, and there are also those who strongly disagree. The article also provides a brief summary of historic events that played a significant role in the development of school uniforms. Nonetheless, even though the article mentions different perspectives, it provides strong support for uniform policies. According to Anderson (2002), dress codes may improve safety, learning climate, maintain student’s self-esteem, and reduce stress. The author also analyses such policies through the prism of public perception, legislation, and available research. Conclusively, Anderson supports uniform policies implementation provided that they were carefully developed to address possible pitfalls.
Dressing Diversity: Politic of Difference and the Case of School Uniforms
The second article was written by Samantha Deane in 2015 and published in Philosophical Studies in Education journal. The article focuses on the interrelation between concerns regarding diversity and difference and school uniforms. The author points out that there are people who support school dress codes due to potential benefits. However, she believes that such policies contradict the principles of social justice as they limit individuality. Moreover, the article mentions that the issues, which are supposed to be addressed by school uniforms, in fact, are not solved. For example, dress codes do not mitigate socioeconomic differences and hide the problem instead of solving it. Furthermore, relationships between students at school play a significant role in the process of socialization, which prepares students for adult life. Limiting individuality and maintaining an artificial environment may cause adverse effects on the preparedness of students for ‘city life.’
Possible Solution
The subject of school dress codes and uniform policies has remained highly debatable for several decades. However, it may be possible to introduce a common solution that addresses the most significant concerns of opposing sides. Anderson (2002) states that “uniforms set the tone for a proper attitude toward work”, implying that students should concentrate on their learning performance rather than their outfits. Moreover, it may be necessary to introduce certain limitations in order to correspond with generally accepted standards of decency and prevent extremes. For instance, it may not be acceptable to attend a math class wearing a swimsuit. Deane (2015) argues that “uniform policies undergird the assumption that a child’s capacity to confront difference is unimportant”, which means strict school dress codes prevent healthy socialization in a diverse society. However, it may be possible to introduce agile rules limiting the extreme in order to provide a suitable learning environment without bringing individuality and differences to zero.
Reflection
The Rogerian model of argument encourages people to investigate the issue from a variety of perspectives providing a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. It may be highly beneficial in terms of decision-making related to controversial problems. Moreover, such an approach may make the final decision more appealing to the reader. I believe that the Rogerian Approach represents a helpful tool for writing argumentative essays as utilizing a number of opposing perspectives makes the arguments more credible. Finally, using the Rogerian model may be beneficial in terms of changing the reader’s perception of the topic.
References
Anderson, W. (2002). School Dress Codes and Uniform Policies. Policy Report.
Deane, S. (2015). Dressing Diversity: Politics of Difference and the Case of School Uniforms. Philosophical Studies in Education, 46, 111-120.