DISCUSSION 1 (RHODES): (THESE TWO STUDENTS ARE IN THE SAME CLASS SO PLEASE MAKE THESE POSTS DIFFERENT)
Rank in order from greatest to least the following Greek figures on the basis of which had the greatest impact on Western civilization: Solon, Socrates, Alexander of Macedon. It should be clear from your ranking why one figure deserves a greater position than another. Be sure to draw on factual details from the reading to justify your rankings.
DISCUSSION 2 (TILLMAN): (THESE TWO STUDENTS ARE IN THE SAME CLASS SO PLEASE MAKE THESE POSTS DIFFERENT)
Rank in order from greatest to least the following Greek figures on the basis of which had the greatest impact on Western civilization: Solon, Socrates, Alexander of Macedon. It should be clear from your ranking why one figure deserves a greater position than another. Be sure to draw on factual details from the reading to justify your rankings.
DISCUSSION 3 (LEMANUEL):
In thinking about the case of Candace described in Chapter 7 Section 7.5, do you think that Candace benefited or suffered as a result of consistently being passed on to the next grade?
READING:
Candace, a 14-year-old girl experiencing problems at school, was referred for a court-ordered psychological evaluation. She was in regular education classes in ninth grade and was failing every subject. Candace had never been a stellar student but had always been passed to the next grade. Frequently, she would curse at any of her teachers who called on her in class. She also got into fights with other students and occasionally shoplifted. When she arrived for the evaluation, Candace immediately said that she hated everything about school, including the teachers, the rest of the staff, the building, and the homework. Her parents stated that they felt their daughter was picked on, because she was of a different race than the teachers and most of the other students. When asked why she cursed at her teachers, Candace replied, “They only call on me when I don’t know the answer. I don’t want to say, ‘I don’t know’ all of the time and look like an idiot in front of my friends. The teachers embarrass me.” She was given a battery of tests, including an IQ test. Her score on the IQ test was 68.
DISCUSSION 4 (LEMANUEL):
This chapter discusses Race and Ethnicity. The following three terms are defined here. Please give at least one example of each: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination. Then explain in your own words the differences between Segregation, Assimilation, and Pluralism in our society today.
Stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations about groups of people. Stereotypes can be based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation—almost any characteristic. They may be positive (usually about one’s own group, such as when women suggest they are less likely to complain about physical pain) but are often negative (usually toward other groups, such as when members of a dominant racial group suggest that a subordinate racial group is stupid or lazy). In either case, the stereotype is a generalization that does not take individual differences into account.
Prejudice refers to the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes someone holds about a group. Prejudice is not based on experience; instead, it is a prejudgment, originating outside actual experience. A 1970 documentary called Eye of the Storm illustrates the way in which prejudice develops, by showing how defining one category of people as superior (children with blue eyes) results in prejudice against people who are not part of the favored category.
Discrimination consists of actions against a group of people, while prejudice refers to biased thinking. Discrimination can be based on age, religion, health, and other indicators; race-based laws against discrimination strive to address this set of social problems. Discrimination based on race or ethnicity can take many forms, from unfair housing practices to biased hiring systems. Overt discrimination has long been part of U.S. history. In the late nineteenth century, it was not uncommon for business owners to hang signs that read, “Help Wanted: No Irish Need Apply.” And southern Jim Crow laws, with their “Whites Only” signs, exemplified overt discrimination that is not tolerated today.
DISCUSSION 5:
