overlapping social problems

 

 

DQ 1:The videos required for this discussion each touch on overlapping social problems. Although we will examine education, inequality, and race, each of which can be defined as a social problem or major component of larger social problems, the basis of our discussion is based on a simple argument:

1. Education is an effective tool in our efforts to build a more equitable society.
2. Therefore, equal educational opportunities must be available to all citizens.

In the video,Affirmative Action vs. Cultural Diversity, Tom Brokaw asks: “How do we remedy the historic mistreatment of deserving black Americans without punishing deserving white Americans today?”

Our efforts to address the problems of racial inequality have been centered in on one of our most important social institutions – education. While the schools of this country are a local place to focus these efforts, can we fix one problem without creating another?

As always, we want more than your opinions. This question overlaps several chapters of our text, including an examination of education, race, and inequality. As such, we may see references to several chapters. We should also see evidence of additional research, properly cited, in support of positions offered in our responses.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. Are there general areas of agreement, and disagreement, among your classmates? What are they? How are these perspectives formed?

DQ2:One of the better-known impacts of Title IX relates to gender equity in athletics. While only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports before the passage of Title IX the number has increased to almost 1 in 2 girls in high school athletic programs since.

After viewing the required resources for this discussion, please address each of the following questions:

1. In your informed opinion, was Title IX a logical policy response to the problem of gender inequality?
2. Did Title IX accomplish the intended goals for all women?
3. Did Title IX impact your life in any way?
4. What differences do you think there are between the way girls and young women view sports today compared to 40 years ago? In effect, has participation in sports changed women and their role in society?
5. Other than Title IX, have other social changes have contributed to changes in perception? Please provide examples.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7, paying special attention to the personal impacts of Title IX. What stories surprised you, verified your views, or otherwise helped you learn?

Week 3

DQ1:The events of September 11, 2011, contributed to an increase in hate crimes against Muslims around the world and especially in the United States. In the first year after the September 11 attacks, anti-Islamic hate crimes in the United States rose more than 1,000%.

After reading the required materials for this discussion, please address each of the following questions:

1. How has post-9/11 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab backlash and discrimination affected local and global communities? Please provide examples.
2. How are hate crimes related to fear and/or ignorance?
3. Why do some individuals and groups believe that violence directed at Muslims, as a form of revenge, is acceptable more than a decade after 9/11?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7, focusing on examples of discrimination. Were you surprised by these examples?

DQ2:Drug abuse has been defined as a significant social problem. This discussion provides an opportunity to examine this problem as well as the consequences of our reliance on punishment as a solution to drug abuse.

After viewing the required video for this discussion, please answer each of the following questions:

1. Discuss the differences between a culture’s folkways, mores, and taboos.
2. Why are some deemed infractions of normative expectations termed criminal and others social?
3. How does this definitional process lead us to incarcerate fellow citizens?
4. What sociological factors contribute to the criminalization of individuals in society? Explain your answer.
5. Does the seriousness of drug abuse justify our reliance on the social consequences of incarceration?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. Several topics are possible in this discussion, with some of you focusing on the first points while others are more interested in topics listed later in the list.

Week 4

DQ1:After viewing the required video for this discussion, please address each of the following questions:

1. What core social values are most challenged by legalized gay adoption?
2. How have these “values” been defined and reinforced?
3. Assuming these values are changing, at least for some individuals or societies, how have experts explained or described the change?
4. How has your personal view of “the family” changed over your lifetime?
5. Supporters and opponents of gay adoption both claim to have children’s best interests at heart. Which do you think is in the best interest of children: banning or permitting their adoption by gay parents? Why?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. How have their opinions changed over time? Any surprises? Any perspectives you might want to understand a bit better?

DQ2:While we do not want to replicate our Week One discussion of obesity, this issue certainly overlaps with the growing healthcare challenge. Remember that the focus of the previous discussion was on our sociological imaginations. Keep your imaginations going, but we will shift gears a bit for this discussion with a focus on solutions.

In addition to the required video and text, please complete a web search for additional information. All sources should be authoritative, so your search should focus on scholarly papers, government reports, and other expert sources. After reviewing all of these resources, please discuss the all of the following:

1. According to experts on all sides, does the government have the right to enforce, legislate, or regulate behaviors such as obesity, health, and nutritious eating?
2. Are these expert opinions biased in any way? Provide examples.
3. Now that we have heard from the experts, do you personally believe the government has a right to enforce, legislate, or regulate behaviors such as obesity, health, and nutritious eating? Why or why not?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. Focus on example of bias. How can we know who to trust?

Week 5

DQ 1:After viewing the required video for this discussion, pick one of the following overlapping issues highlighted in this week’s readings to discuss:

1. How does the corporatization of farming affect all Americans, not just those living in rural areas? What can you do about this?
2. What is brain drain and what are its long-reaching effects on rural communities? Be sure to include the termsstayersandachieversin your discussion. How could the community leaders make staying more attractive than leaving?
3. Describe the positive and negative impacts of the growth of mega-cities. Will moving back to the country solve the social problems created by our move to the urban areas?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7, focusing on solutions. Now that you have learned from your classmates, what can you do about this?

DQ2:For information on global warming, view the required video and website for this discussion and answer the following questions:

1. How does human activity impact greenhouse gases found in the atmosphere?
2. What are some simple changes humans can do to help keep the Earth cooler in the future?
3. What are you doing to help?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.