For Class on 5/1: The Media and Important Political Issues

The President and Congress have many issues that they are dealing with along with the never-ending look toward the next elections. Local and State officials have their hands full with countless issues as well.  The media also has their own agenda regarding what to cover and what not to cover. I am interested to find out what you think is important to address and, by extension, how you think the media is doing in terms of their coverage of these issues.

Start by taking a survey similar to those conducted by polling companies and news organizations regarding what issues are most important to you. you can find the survey here.

Next take a look at how your responses and the responses of your classmates compare to national polls here (If you'd like, you you can test your knowledge of recent news based on news quizzes from The New York Times.

Now peruse some of the leading local and national news agencies to browse what they are or are not covering. 
Local: The Chicago Tribune, ABC Chicago, WGN, NBC Chicago 

National: The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBCNews, ABCNews, CBS News, Politico

Finally please post a comment describing your reactions and reactions to your classmates comments. You can use any or all of the following prompts as a starting point if you wish.

1. How does the American media shape the political culture of American citizens today?
2. Are the issues that seem to be the most important to you (or to the rest of America) being covered by the media?
3. What conclusions can we draw from the way that the issues that dominate the polls and media coverage are similar or different?

For Class on 4/24: Education in America

Outside of our families there is arguably no greater source of our political socialization than schools. And the reality of schools in America is mixed and largely troubling. Many have focused on the falling ranking of American K-12 education with respect to the rest of the world. We will discuss some of this in class. For now, however, I would like you to focus on higher education. There is no doubt that we have a huge number of high paying jobs in America that do not have enough sufficiently trained applicants to fill available jobs. Take a look at this issue guide from Public Agenda on higher education. You may also want to take a look at the Obama Administration recently released college scorecard here. You can start the discussion by answer any or all of the prompts below:

• What are the most important challenges pertaining to higher education in America today?
• Which of the four leading positions (showing on the middle of the guide) do you favor the most and why? 
• What other choices or options regarding higher education could help train more people, improve American competitiveness, and our economy?

For 4/17: Observing socially constructed identities (required blog post)

This week we are concluding our discussion of social and historical construction of identities. Last week's blog involved you taking an IAT test that provided a good starting point to discuss the process of social construction and how we have been affected by various socializing agents. This week I would like you to participate in one of two different observation exercises looking at the construction of various identities existing in real world contexts. You will write up your findings in a 2 page paper and turn it in to class on Thursday 4/17. You SHOULD NOT post this blog post online.

Option 1: Spend at least 30 minutes in a public place (student center, public park, mall, etc...) observing the people around you and taking notes. Pay particular attention to how you identify the others around you. Do you think if they were observing you they would accurately identify you (the same way you identify yourself)? What did you observe about the social dynamics of the people you observed? What did you notice about the homogeneity/diversity of the people you witnessed? Did you hear anything that was notable about the diversity/identities of the people you observed? How did the setting matter?

Option 2: Immediately after spending at least 60 minutes with a group of your choosing (Friends, family, etc.) take some time to write down all that you remember about the interactions that you just had. You should not inform the others that this is part of a project (at least until after writing it) and you should not use any real names in your reporting. Why do you feel more comfortable with these people relative to others? Does it have anything to do with any identities or personal characteristics? What topics were discussed? How were they discussed? Were any topics discussed that were would likely have been talked about differently in different contexts? In what ways? Are these relationships similar or different to others that you have? Why do you think this is the case? How did the setting matter?

Please write up a 2 page double spaced proofread reflection following either option 1 or 2 and bring it to class on Thursday April 17. We will discuss our experiences and you will turn in your required paper for blog credit then.

For Class on 4/10: Internalizing social and historical constructions

This week we are starting to explore how identities have been socially constructed. There is a very human and very social process that is involved in the creation of categories of difference and the values that we place on those categories. We are all influenced by our surroundings and are socialized in many different ways. This week we are going to examine the effect of social construction through a unique lens: The Implicit Association Test (IAT). I would like you to take at least one IAT which will serve as a tool as to how we have or have not internalized socially constructed values about race, ethnicity, religion, etc. Ultimately we will connect this to our ongoing discussion of the American identity and what it might mean in an increasingly diverse nation.

The IAT tests have been designed by Project Implicit which, according to the project website, "represents a collaborative research effort between researchers at Harvard University, the University of Virginia, and University of Washington. While the particular purposes of each study vary considerably, most studies available at Project Implicit examine thoughts and feelings that exist either outside of conscious awareness or outside of conscious control. The primary goals of Project Implicit are to provide a safe, secure, and well-designed virtual environment to investigate psychological issues and, at the same time, provide visitors and participants with an experience that is both educational and engaging."

You can find the tests by clicking on "I Wish to Proceed" at the bottom of this screen after reading the disclaimer. On the next screen I would like you to select the Skin Tone IAT which should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Afterward, if you would like, feel free to take other IAT tests including a Race (Black-white) IAT, Native (Native-White American) IAT, Asian (Asian-European American IAT), and Arab-Muslim (Arab Muslim - Other) IAT.

I would like you to comment on your experience taking the test and your results. I want to be clear: this is not a test suggesting that you are or are not racist. It is designed to indicate internalized preferences regarding issues that are both sensitive and influenced greatly by social, cultural, historical, and institutional influences. Please attempt to draw conclusions about the construction of an "American Identity" from your experience taking these tests. I look forward to a thoughtful discussion about your experiences on Thursday.