Article Evaluation

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I chose to read the Wiki page on Bioethics. The page is formatted really well, and includes important and necessary aspects of the subject such as the implication of technology on medical ethics and even the current criticism Bioethics faces today. As for bias, I didn't see any, and citations worked properly. I was surprised to see that there were less citations than I had expected. But, because the page itself has limited information written, I understand why citations were kept to a minimum. It was interesting to notice that some of the articles and journals that were cited were published in the early 2000's. The wiki page could definitely use some newer and updated knowledge now that we are almost in 2018. After reading about top Bioethicists, such as Arthur Caplan, and their work in the field, many newer sources can be used to update and solidify the page. The information was well written (regarding grammar and spelling) and the amount of information in each section was allotted efficiently according to section. The issue I have with the page is that it is very short, and could use more sections. Understandably, Bioethics is a newer field of study, but due to our society's dependence on technology, I think that it plays a larger role than it may seem and should have more information on its effect on society. For example, the page should discuss historical examples of exploitation in medical research and show what it taught researchers and the guidelines that have been put in place (IRB, etc). I also think that Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the medical world was a huge igniting power for Bioethics due to the lack of preparedness and what healthcare learned from the tragedy. This should be included in the wiki page as well.

General Idea

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I chose to edit the page on General Idea. Currently, the page focuses much of its attention on the history of General Idea; the pre-General Idea phase, the three artists in the group, and the different works that they made. Currently, there is nothing written about how the public responded to the work. I hope to find information on if there was a public outcry to the work, or if people became more aware and more understanding of the AIDS community after the artwork was commonly seen. After doing some research on Bronson, Partz, and Zontal, I understood that the three of them wanted to make a statement as a trio, and wanted to promote their non-hierarchal work to the public. I would like to add more about them in this respect and how it influenced their artwork as well as how they conducted themselves in person. Additionally, I would like to elaborate on what the artists takeaway messages were intended to be on specific pieces such as the A-I-D-S replica of the L-O-V-E piece as well as General Idea's intentions and thoughts on how the public responded to their works.

I will be using the interview with Jason Decter, AA Bronson, and Felix Partz, a Art News article on the public's reaction to General Idea's work, and the book Art Aids America. [1] [2] [3]

James D. Phelan

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Phelan's page currently doesn't have anything related to the role he played during the plague that hit San Francisco, affecting numerous people. Phelan displayed acts of racism and objected the immigration of Chinese people into the United States, claiming them as people who were taking over jobs that belonged to white people. I want to focus my discussion on how he mistreated a large public group of people. I hope to first talk about what made the plague come about, and also use the essay that was written by Phelan himself, "Why Chinese Should Be Excluded" in order to dissect his thinking. I would also like to talk about the effects of the racism he displayed on student action today - for example, a building named after James D. Phelan was recently renamed at USF due to his desire to keep California white.

I found some great sources to work with including:

The essay Phelan wrote "Why Chinese Should Be Excluded" [4]

From All Points: America's Immigrant West, 1870s-1952[5]

An article on James D. Phelan by the SF Museum [6]

A speech by James D. Phelan post earthquake and plague [7]

  1. ^ "General Idea". www.jca-online.com. Journal of Contemporary Art.
  2. ^ Pollack, Barbara (5 May 2014). "Document, Protest, Memorial: AIDS in the Art World". ARTnews.
  3. ^ Katz, Jonathan David. Art Aids America (2015 ed.). University of Washington Press. ISBN 9780295994949.
  4. ^ ""Why the Chinese Should be Excluded" by James D. Phelan, The North American Review, November 1901". UNZ.org.
  5. ^ Barkan, Elliott Robert (2007). From All Points: America's Immigrant West, 1870s-1952. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253027962.
  6. ^ "James Duval Phelan 1861-1930". www.sfmuseum.org.
  7. ^ "Selections from the James D. Phelan Papers: Committees, Clubs and Organizations; 1906 - 1912, n.d.: Speeches and Statements related to San Francisco Earthquake and Fire (1906) and the aftermath". content.cdlib.org. The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley.