|
This webpage describes the
semester project assigned in MS115. You and a partner will investigate
a contemporary issue related to culture and conflict and:
- Give a 5-10 minute
oral presentation of the issue to your class.
- Lead a 10-15 minute
discussion on the issue.
- Write a 10-15 page
paper summarizing the issue.
The conflict you investigate
can either be in the form of a conflict between the conservative and progressive
perspectives (e.g., the fight over taxes) or in the form of a critique
of an existing national or international social problem (e.g., the war
in Iraq). Your issue must either be selected from the following list or
approved by me.
Some possible questions:
- What
biases exist in the national news media?
- What
evidence exists to support the different reasons that have been given
for the U.S. invasion of Iraq?
- What
are the consequences of the war in Iraq for its citizens and for U.S.
foreign relations?
- How
do efforts to increase U.S. security compromise civil rights?
- Should
the U.S. use torture in the interrogation of suspected terrorists?
- Are
school vouchers an effective solution to the problem of failing schools?
- What
does the criticism of Wal-Mart's business practices tell us about the
tension between a) low-cost products and b) worker benefits and the
shift of manufacturing jobs overseas?
- Should
the tax on inheritances over $1.5 million (the estate tax) be repealed?
- Should
the U.S. guarantee health care to all citizens?
- Should
the theory of intelligent design be taught alongside (or instead of)
the theory of evolution in public schools?
|