In your reading this week, you learn that being an effective critical thinker means being well-informed and staying open-minded, among other traits. This means that you will have the ability to conduct your research to formulate an educated opinion about a topic, while also maintaining a flexibility in thought to alternative perspectives, as new information comes to light.
Accordingly, as presented in Did You Know?, studies show that young people who have positive self-esteem “have more friends, are more apt to resist harmful peer pressure, are less sensitive to criticism or to what people think, have higher IQs, and are better informed” (p. 18).
This discussion activity gives you the opportunity to think about how you stand up for your own beliefs, your willingness to consider the shades of gray of any given situation and to comfortably embrace ambiguity even if it means swimming against the tide. This activity aligns with module outcome 2. These questions have been adapted from Stop & Assess and Di
lowing discussion questions below:
- A June 2004 article in Altermedia Scotland states: “America as a nation is now dominated by an alien system of beliefs, attitudes, and values that has become known as ‘political correctness’ It seeks to impose a uniformity in thought and behavior among all Americans and is therefore totalitarian in nature.” Do you agree that political correctness imposes “a uniformity of thought and behavior”? Come up with examples of political correctness to illustrate your answer. Discuss what role, if any, political correctness might play in increasing respect for diversity and enhancing the democratic process.
