Fiche idée de progrès anglais

IDEA OF PROGRESS

We are going to deal with the notion Idea of progress ;To begin with, I would like to give a definition of the notion.

Definition : can be defined as an improvement, a development, a change or a movement toward a goalor to a further or higher stage.

Introduction: 

• Progress is a term that covers a multitude of issues wether they be social ( Women's suffrage in 1928 in England), or scientific (The world's first cloned baby was born on 26 December 2002),  artistic or domestic. Today, The progress which preoccupies us the most would be technological progress. In fact, it has revolutionalised our everyday lives, and we have perhaps witnessed more changes in the last 20 years than our ancestors did over 200...
• But this aim of going ever further in progress seems to be more and more contested. Employments replaced with machines or dramatic consequences on environment, progress could, indeed, have worrying aspects.

Problematic: We may wonder to what extend progress can be a double edged sword ; how can it be a tremendous tool but also endanger society ?

To answer this question, i will base my presentation on two major points : my first part will deal with the invasion of CCTV in our privacy, and then i will move on to the importance of keeping our informations and data private on internet.

Developpment : 

• First and foremost, I choose an article, of The Telegraph, « Classrooms put under « permanent surveillance » by CCTV ». This document cast a new light on the matter of CCTV in Great-Britain. The document account for the utilisation of CCTV in Schools, to spy on pupils and ensure teachers are working hard enough, according to research. Besides, more than 100,000 cameras were installed in classrooms and corridors across Britain, with 90 per cent of secondaries using them. This impinges upon civil liberties ! Teachers of Britain's schools complain about this permanent supervision. This document is yet another illustration of the problem of CCTV which infuged our private life.
• My second document is a video of Sky News « CCTV, Britains are world most-watched people ». The main subject of the video is the rise of CCTV in UK, especially in London. The journalist draws our intention to the fact that CCTV are very important in citizen’s mind, by a street survey.  In one hand, CCTV improve citizens lifes namely with more security, less danger and criminality. On the other hand, it allow police officier to be more informed on criminal cases (theft, murder...).  Nevertheless companies think that CCTV are out of control and useless to protect the citizens. I personally consider that CCTV are double edged sword ; it can be benefits for population but this document provides us with food for thought, because council can use CCTV to control our private life. That is why it's still an open debate whether about CCTV utilisation.

Transition : Subsequently, I will speak about our informations and data on internet in a second part.

• The third document I've choosen is a video Ted Talk of Glenn Greenwald « Why privacy matters ».  Glenn Greenwald emphasise in the fact that there is two type of people in our sciety ; the « bad » and the « good » one. The « bad » one are terrorists or people who want to hide their datas because they have something to blame themselves. Glenn Greenwald claim, that it's not his own idea, that there is « good » citizens. People who do not fear their datas are spied on but consequently they are devaluing themselves : they volontary make themselves uninteresting to have nothing to fear. They fit their life to the constant surveillance of the government. This example stress a mixed blessing ; I deem this decision inappropriate of spying every citizens.  According to me, government should use CCTV only to lay the truth on criminal cases, and not on daily good people life.

Conclusion : To round up the subject, I would add that Progress appears to be benefit with a good utilisation. But we must qualify this way of thinking ; in fact, council can have vested interests, and use Progress (like CCTV) for hainful purposes. That is why I think that it can be a tremendous tool but also endanger society. We can also link this major subject with the other notion « Places and forms of power.

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