Week 6 – Discussion 1
Instructions
Respond to any 2 (any 1 from each chapter) of the following prompts in an original discussion
Prompts:
Chapter 16 – Education
1. What role does the type of economic system play on education and students’ experience? Do free education impact students’ experience, pass rates, and efficiency change for the better or worse? Support your analysis with one or two examples from authoritative sources. (CSLO 5, USLO 8.4)
2. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The real value of an education, then, is to enhance our skill at self-examination. Do you agree with Socrates? Support your view with at least two examples, explaining your rationale. (CSLO 2, USLO 8.3)
3. Pick any 2 of the following issues that are of concern in the US: busing, equal education, Head Start, No Child Left Behind, teaching to the test, and Common Core. Discuss the social causes of these issues. Draw out policies that would alleviate the concerns. (CSLO 5, USLO 8.4)
4. Discuss the importance of informal education on formal education. Pick an example from the US to showcase your analysis. Can the educational system exist outside the influence of informal learning? Explain your rationale. (CSLO 4, USLO 8.1)
Chapter 17 – Government & Politics
1. After reflecting upon liberation movements (e.g., the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage movement, etc.), select one of the following forms of government. And, discuss how that particular form of government (e.g., monarchy, oligarchy, dictatorship, and democracy could unjustly prevent those liberation movements from achieving their sought-after freedoms. Include textual evidence to support your view. (CSLO 4, USLO 9.3)
2. In your view, what is required of a society for its political structure to be considered democratic? While this question might seem straightforward, it actually is not and is a topic of contentious debate in current political philosophy circles. In fact, The Democracy Index lists 60 different indicators that must be considered when discerning whether a nation is a democracy. While you in no way will be expected to discuss all of the possible indicators, discuss a few of the conditions that must exist for a government to qualify as a democracy. Include textual evidence to support your view. (CSLO 4, USLO 9.3)
3. In democracies, low voter participation poses a serious threat since it allows for a relatively small number of the most active citizens to select representatives that might not hold views representative of the numerical majority. Discuss two reasons why there is low voter participation in the United States and provide a strategy that could be adopted to increase voter turnout. Include textual evidence to support your view. (CSLO 5, USLO 9.4)
4. In recent years in the United States, citizens have increasingly made claims that our judicial system is institutionally racist. Evidence provided for these claims has pointed toward unfair drug sentencing laws, stop and frisk policies, the use of police force, and the overwhelming number of black men in prisons and jails in comparison to the rest of the population. Select one claim and discuss whether these claims have merit, presenting specific examples to support your position. Include textual evidence to support your view. (CSLO 5, USLO 9.4)
Weekly Discussion Guidelines
Original discussion posts:
· Answer both the questions in one single post rather than respond to each question in different posts.
· You should answer all parts of the questions you chose to answer.
· Number your answers corresponding to the prompt numbers listed above, and split your answers into separate paragraphs.
· Use of concepts and theories wherever relevant is highly recommended for full grade. It will also help you in your exams and while writing your essay.
· Students must first post their answers before they can view or reply to other students' posts.
Additional notes:
· You can use pictures, graphs, pie charts, etc. in your answers, but not for your answers.
· Always support your opinions with scholastic sources.
· When you use outside material, please use in-text citations and give references at the end of your post in APA format. Otherwise, it is termed as Plagiarism.
· Plagiarism is a critical offense according to Galen policies. Your answers should not be simple 'copy and paste' from an outside source. In such instances, even though you give references, they will not be considered your answers. The first time I spot plagiarism, you will be given a zero with a warning. The 2nd time will be a write-up. Please be careful about plagiarism.
